Articles Page

This is the articles page. In our articles we discuss various facets of the nerfing experience, giving our thoughts and recommendations on various aspects of our sport. Click on one of the titles in the list above to display the different articles members of 3M have authored.

Range Testing

An article authored by Uriel

Although much can be learned online about other people's modifications to their guns, it is difficult to compare results without actually physically comparing the guns. When people speak about their guns range online, we need to realize there are several different range values that they may be refering to.

Average Range

Nerf blaster performance often varies greatly between shots. One way of taking this variance into consideration is to shoot several shots, and take the average of those shots. Compiling an average of a handful of darts ranges gives the most accurate range value. To find an average, one adds all the values obtained, and divides by how many values there are.

Angled Range

By firing a gun at an angle (not just parallel to the ground), range can be increased. Although a maximum range can be obtained, this value is dependant largely on wind, and is not standard. Generally range values displayed online are expected to be in terms of flat range. If you're going to post the farthest your gun has ever shot, make sure you give your range as "angled range".

Flat Range

Flat range is a more accurate measure of distance than angled range, because it does not depend on getting the best angle for your shot. Flat range is the preferred method of reporting your results online. The 3M clan doesn't place a large emphasis on range comparisons and so we don't generally give explicit ranges for our guns. A nonchalant approach to this aspect of the hobby can lead to less frustration and so we recommend it to you.

Estimated Range

Estimated range is bad (). Many people don't actually get out a measuring tape and take the average of several range values for their blasters. Although in casual conversation an estimate of range is acceptable, one should include an "estimated ranges" disclaimer on any value given online. If you don't have the materials or patience to correctly determine your range values, either don't state ranges or give a wide range (45-75 ft) when listing your estimated values.

Barrel Types

An article authored by Uriel

Choosing the correct barrel for your gun can easily make the difference between an outstanding gun, and a mod that fails. There are two types of nerf guns, air-powered and spring guns.

Spring Guns

Spring guns utilize a "cocked" spring locked into a position that provides potential energy. When the trigger is pulled on a spring gun, the plunger is released, and the potential energy stored in the spring pushes the plunger forward, which pushes the dart in the barrel forward. The air delivery to the dart is not instantaneous. As time progresses the pressure behind the dart builds. The longer the dart is held into the barrel, the more the pressure is able to build. More pressure means the dart exits the barrel at higher velocity. In order to hold the dart in longer, we need to choose a barrel material that has a friction between the dart and barrel, capable of holding in the dart as pressure builds, but not so strong that it holds in the dart if full pressure is being exerted. The best material for spring guns that I have found is CPVC, or tight brass. Brass can be purchased at hobby stores (it's used for building model trains), and CPVC can be found in any hardware or home improvement store (it's used for plumbing).

Air-powered

Air powered guns use a pump to put a lot of air into a small space. When the trigger valve is pulled, the pressurized air is released. Although we must maintain a seal between the dart and the barrel, so the air pressure doesn't "escape," the strategy for barrels on air guns is differnt. The amount of pressure behind the dart does not build with time, so holding onto the dart until pressure builds behind it (like for spring guns) doesn't make sense. For air-powered guns it is best to hold the dart into the chamber with a small amount of pressure (just enough to maintain a seal with the barrel/hold the dart in as you run). CPVC that has been filed out on the inside (using a round file) works well for air guns, as well as brass that holds the darts loosely (the size of brass varies based on the foam used to make darts).

Mass Stefan Manufacture Write-up

An article authored by Uriel

Stefans are the homemade dart that makes nerfing possible. Originally developed by Canadien nerfer "Stefan," thier correct manufacture is an important part of being a viable nerfer. This write-up assumes some level of Stefan-making experience (know where to acquire materials, use a glue gun, etc.). This article is intended to show techniques for speeding up the dart making process while maintaining or increasing the quality level of the darts.

Materials Prep

Cut Foam and BB container	Hot Glue Gun Holster	Dart Holding Board

Pictured above are the tools I use for dart manufacturing. At left is a large amount (one 20' roll) of cut foam (163 dart lengths to be exact). By cutting all the dart lengths from the 20 foot package of foam at once, you can save changeover time (you don't have to cut 8 different times). In the center picture is my glue gun holster. A holster isn't necessary, but if you don't have something to put your glue gun in/on it may "leak" glue onto your work surface (annoying when you're working on a new workbench). I use a hi-temp hot glue gun without a protective head to burn holes in my darts; this seems to work better than a low temp gun. I use low temp glue for the dart heads; the glue doesn't melt the foam, and the glue makes for stronger dart heads. The third image is the most important tool. The dart holding board allows the darts to dry straight up, greatly increasing thier quality. (I used a 1/2" drill bit to drill the holes in my board)

Dart body prep

Darts with burned holes placed in holding board

Cut the darts into desired length (I use 1"-long). Use your heated up glue gun to burn holes into both sides of the dart bodies. As you burn a hole in both sides, place the darts into the holding board. After you finish burning holes in enough darts to fill the board, there will be excess foam material on the end of the glue gun. Clean it off with a screwdriver.

Dart Head Construction

Dart Head Construction Using Glue Gun	Dart head construction using Screwdriver

Once the dart board is full of dart bodies, begin dart head construction. Put a small amount of hot glue inside the head of the dart, and then drop two of the BB's into the glue. Use the screwdriver to reposition the BB's in a parallel fashion. Once the BB's are properly positioned, place another layer of glue over the BB's to secure them.

Quality Control

Clipping Bad Dart Heads

Quality control is the most important part of dart construction. If the glue from the dart heads isn't centered, and flows a little down the side of the dart then it will stick to the barrel as it is shot. Use the clippers to cut off the excess glue from the head

I hope this write-up is helpful. If you have any recommendations, or need some advice, feel free to email me.

Ballguns: A Study in Underratedness

An article authored by VeggieBoy3000

Go to any Nerf site that has an ammo page and you most certainly will find an entry for ballistic balls. The captions on every one of those sites say the same thing: "Balls were Nerf's first ammo type. They are also the worst ammo type. Do not use a ballgun." Unfortunately, this general consensus has turned many Nerfers, most of which have probably never even used a ballgun, against them altogether. This, my friends, is a tragedy. While it is true that ballguns suffer in range and accuracy, they have many good attributes that, in the right situation, can eclipse their disadvantages.

First off, ballguns definitely do have clear disadvantages. We all know that they have poor range and accuracy most of the time. However, not every ballgun is a slingshot. Both variations of the Ballzooka can shoot between 30-40 ft. The ripsaw can reach 50 ft. It must also be noted that the accuracy of the motorized Ballzooka and ripsaw are much better than would be expected because of the spin put on the balls as they are launched. However, even a 50 ft. range is not very impressive compared to most Stefan-shooting weapons, and the velocities of the two weapon types are not even comparable. The poor range of ballguns is also somewhat of an illusion, though; because they are being compared with single-shot Nerf guns. When compared to automatic Nerf guns, which top out at around 50 ft. also, ballguns are competitive in that field.

However, it does not end there. Ballguns have the potential to do things that are impossible with any other type of weapon. Ballguns have the unique ability to store more than one piece of ammo in the same barrel. This allows for every ballgun to be capable of either semi-automatic or full automatic firing. However, they often work on manual power, which gets rid of the outrageous priming time seen on other air-powered automatic weapons such as the Rapid-Fire 20 or Powerclip. The reload time of automatic ballguns is also much quicker because there are no clips to worry about, and there are always significantly fewer barrels to reload.

There are not very many modifications listed online for ballguns, besides a simple removal of air restrictors. The modifications that can be performed on ballguns are just different than the everyday spring and barrel replacement seen on most guns. All in all, ballguns have a very small modification potential when it comes to increasing range. However, there are some modifications that are unique to ballguns that cannot be performed on any other type of weapon. For example, the ripsaw can be modified from semi-auto to full auto very easily. No other type of Nerf gun can be easily modified to fully automatic fire. Another simple modification on the ripsaw is a tube extension. Ammo-capacity mods are not very easily done to any other types of Nerf weapons either. The results of these two modification combined can be devastating, and create an automatic weapon unequaled by any other in Nerf. My ripsaw has a homemade hopper tube extension (out of a 3-liter pop bottle) that is capable of holding between 35 and 40 balls. All of these can be fired at a range of 50 feet in a matter of seconds, with no pumping required whatsoever. Powerclips and RF20s can only dream of such results.

So, now that we have a more clear account of both the advantages and disadvantages of ballguns, when are they useful in Nerf wars? Indoor wars are very well suited to ballguns, because of their great ability for room clearing. Balls bounce everywhere and create confusion. While enemies are worried about dodging 10 large yellow balls, they won?t even notice that they?re being picked off by Nite-Finders one at a time. Ballguns are also very good for use as a rushing or rush-defense weapon because of their ability to pump out a ton of foam in a short amount of time. Loud ballguns such as the Motorized Ballzooka and the Ripsaw are not very fit for stealthy roles, but then again neither are other automatics, which are also very loud. There are many other uses for them in wars as well. Any role or situation that traditionally calls for an automatic dart weapon could most likely call for a ballgun just as easily.

In conclusion, ballguns are simply another type of weapon in the Nerf weaponry world. They are no better or worse than any other type of gun, they are just better for different situations. I do not think that ballguns are the best type of weapon. I just think that they are not even given a chance in most cases. Why is this? There is a pre-determined prejudice against ballguns because of their undeserving bad reputation that is posted on websites throughout the Nerf Internet Community. I think that as people start experimenting with ballguns, there could be special tactics and new modifications developed especially for them. Nerfing is all about having fun shooting foam at people. Why should we limit the foam to Stefans?

Hosting Your Own Nerf War

An article authored by Uriel

When you have reached a certain level of appreciation for the sport of Nerf you may desire to host your own nerf war. Below are pieces of advice for hosting your own nerf war.

When I desire to have a nerf war, the first thing I try to do is find a location to have it. When you've found a location different aspects of the war will proceed from it (schedule, game types, etc). When you're looking at locations there are many attributes to consider. Below is a list of things you should take into consideration when choosing a war location:

1. Public Usage: If you're trying to have a war in a place where there are a lot of other people they're going to get in your way. This can lead to making other people using your location uncomfortable. Confrontations with other patrons of your location or with the police are not good. A large park with many areas is good because as people come to use different facilities (IE the playground) you can move away to allow a reasonable amount of comfort space.
2. Participant Number If you're trying to have a big war, then you might not be able to war in smaller locations. If you're having a 4 man war, then even if your in a highly used park you should be able to reasonably avoid contact with them. If you're looking to have 20+ people then you're going to need to have a large location with plenty of room to move around in.
3. Comfort Facilites bathrooms and food nearby enable your war to go on over longer periods of time. By having bathroom facilites you don't have to worry about people leaving early to use restrooms. This isn't a requirement of a good facility, but if you don't have access to bathrooms you're going to have to take that into consideration when determining the length of the war.

Once you've found a good location you need to start planning the smaller details. You can set specific details on your own, or discuss the details with other nerfers who plan to attend your event. Discussing your event may lead to greater attendance, but you must also deal with the hassle of arguing about dates and trying to accomodate people's schedules. I generally like to give a few options as to when we could have a war, and from those options other nerfers can tell me which dates work or don't work. The final decision on date is left up to me, but I'm able to schedule the event around other people to increase attendance.

The date of the event isn't the only detail you'll have to figure out, but its the one that is most open to other people's opinions. The other major things to consider are::

• Time the time of the event requires a good deal of thought. If you have a long war you need to have food. If it goes too late it might get dark. If you're playing by a public area certain times are going to have more people to avoid. What events might prevent nerfers from coming (don't shoot for Sunday morning if you want me to come)?
• Transportation are all the people you invite going to be able to make it to the event (it might be too far away), and what can you do to help them get there?
• Food after playing a few hours people tend to get hungry. If you plan to take a fast food trip then you need to make sure to tell people to bring money. If the war is scheduled between meal hours you can probably get away with just a few snacks, or no food at all.
• Water I purposely made this separate from food. Dehydration can potentially be a major problem. Even if its going to be an overcast day you should still bring water or tell people to bring water or have some source of hydration (a drinking fountain).
• Blasters are you going to have enough blasters for everyone? If you invite a lot of newbs you're going to need to bring extra blasters. Never have the same number of blasters as people because Nerf blasters are cheap and hence not excessively reliable. Bring backups.
• Ammo cheap ammo is one of the greatest benefits of nerf, but if you're supplying a lot of people with darts the cost can add up. Make sure people know beforehand what your policy is on darts. If they need to bring thier own they should know that. If you're willing to sell darts, that's cool too. At our wars after a dart is shot whoever picks it up can keep it. We try to be generous, but if you spend 6 hours making darts that're really good and someone doesn't have any and takes a lot of yours it can lead to conflicts. At the end of all rounds at our wars we do "dart sweeps" for a few minutes to clean up after ourselves as well as to load up on ammo for the next round. Make sure everyone participates.

All nerfers should be as courteous and mindful of other people as possible in order to maintain a good image for the Nerf community, but unfortunately the cops occasionally get called (we don't have much trouble, but it does happen sometimes). You hope not to need it, but for a good war you should have a backup location. If there are too many non-nerfers using the facility you wanted to nerf at, or the cops tell you to leave, there should be an exit strategy (however rudimentary). You need to be able to end the war early and have poeple's parents pick them up (if thats the case for your warriors), or have a nearby backup location (or some combination of the two). Make sure to have cell phones at the war

The last detail is advertising. You may have already notified some people of the war by trying to find a good date, but perhaps you want more people. Try to think of people who would make good nerfers, and have the courage to talk about the sport to them. Lots of people find it fun in a unique way and really enjoy themselves. Make sure you know the limits of your location and blasters before inviting too many people. Try to invite new people every time, and reinvite people too. The ways we advertise for wars are:

• Website Homepage Paragraph
• Website Wars Page Entry
• NerfHQ.com Forums threads
• Sending private messages to nerfers who're from the area, but don't necessarily visit the other ad-sources regularly.
• Calling people who went to old wars to see if they're interested

All these details I've presented you with may make hosting your own war seem daunting, but its really all about having a fun time, and theres no specific path you have to follow for it. I recommend trying to have smaller wars (6-8) at first and then working your way up in numbers to see what the optimal number of nerfers is. Right now we seem to have a lot of 10-12 man wars that seem to work well, but I think 14 is a good number. As always if you have any questions, recommendations for the article, or other comments, feel free to contact us.

Adhesives

An article authored by Uriel

It seems to me there is much confusion over the various adhesives available to people modding thier nerf guns. Below is a list of various adhesives, and the applications for which they are ideal

Hot Glue
	Advantages: Quick drying time. Clean Easy to reapply in case of failure, and removal is rather easy Disadvantages: Weak Does not hold pressure Becomes brittle at lower temperatures Best for use with: stationary parts. Any parts that're connected to a shell, or barrels not under lots of stress. Tips and Tricks If you're trying to remove hot glue from a gun, throw it in your freezer for a few minutes. The hot glue becomes more brittle, and will come off of non-porous (plastic) surfaces much easier.
Super Glue
	Advantages: Extremely Quick drying time. Very Strong bond Can be used to fix a leak Disadvantages: Quick set time requires precision placement of parts being attached. Adheres to your skin only works to connect parts that have direct surface connection; if theres any gap super-glue will have a hard time Best for use With: Small parts under significant stress.
Plumber's Goop
	Advantages: Fixes leaks (very well) Can cover gaps Disadvantages: Long cure time (dry time). Not very strong Best used to: Seal leaks in air-guns (where maintaining pressure is vital).
Epoxy
	Advantages: Easy to work with cure time (5 minutes) Extremely strong Disadvantages: Does not maintain good seal. Best used to: apply critical parts that need to resist large amounts of force. Good for bigger gaps than super glue.

Creating Fun and Fair Competition "Leagues"

An article authored by Uriel

As the modification skills of an individual nerfer progress, and as the overall skills of the modding community continually grow, certain guns stand out due to their naturally superior strengths. This article recommends a simple regulations system to encourage fairplay amongst nerfers and increase the overall fun level for the competition.

Although nerfer skills significantly contribute to the viability of any player on the field, if most players have similar skill levels it becomes necessary to distinguish between different gun types to allow for the competitive use of all blasters. Below is a list of different gun configurations. Each gun configuration has unique aspects that are discussed. My hope is that by delving into the various configurations, those planning wars will be able to better establish standards for blaster use and that this will create a more pleasant competitive environment.

Pistols

Pistols are guns, powered by springs, that are small and have low to mediocre range. They include: Tech Target, Nite Finder, Scout, etc. Pistols allow for simple modification, are readily available in many different variations, and are somewhat limited in their modability. Having a pistol's only segment to a war allows for a level gun-playing field and greatly encourages modding creativity because squeezing every ounce of performance out of the guns isn't very easy (I personally have never successfully modded a Nite Finder, and I've tryed 2 or 3 times). In order to keep the game play fluid I recommend allowing each person two pistols. Having a backup pistol makes people less scared to fire a shot.

Single-shot AirGuns

Air guns are naturally extremely powerful and are not difficult to mod to insane power levels. They include: AirTech 2000, SuperMaxx 750, Secret Target Strike, Lanard Blast Bazooka, etc. These guns are more impressive range-wise and allow for a more spaced out war. They're better in less congested areas (a forested field instead of a playground). Air-guns are generally better for newer players and make for a more tactical game if interspersed with non-airguns.

Rifles (springers)

Rifles are larger guns that are quite fun to mod, and are capable of more power than pistols. They include: X-bow, Big Bad Bow, Lanard Maxshot, etc. Rifles, although powerful, often will not be able to effectively compete with air guns. Rifles work well on any battlefield and allow for a quite fun war. They're less available on the market than pistols, so generally rifles will be used alongside pistols to ensure everyone is equipped with a blaster.

Automatics / Semi-automatics

Automatics are one of the least used weapon types in nerf wars. They're often extremely complex to significantly modify, and don't often have significant range compared to other blaster types. They include: Rapid-Fire 20, AirTech 3000, Hornet, Maverick, Firefly, etc. Generally automatics are used in team games where teammates can cover for the long reload period. Automatics are best in high-cover short distance battlefields. Although I have never experimented with an all automatics war, they're add a very unique and fun element to any war and their usage should be encouraged.

Homemades

Homemades are often extremely powerful and not extremely safe to allow in a war. They're often used for shotgunning (loading several darts in a barrel). Homemades can often bring about hostile situations due to their superior power and the pain they're able to inflict. I do not recommend allowing usage of homemades in a war (although homemade springers may prove an exception).

I hope these explanations of the different types of guns will assist with blaster regulation during nerf wars. If you have recommendations or other comments, please use the "contact" page on the website to communicate them.

Increasing ROF

An article authored by Lefty

Rate of fire is considered by some to be the most important aspect of a gun. While range is important, nerf guns are fairly in-accurate. My theory is that if you keep shooting, you’ll eventually hit something. If you have a quick ROF no one in their right mind is going to rush you since you have such a quick reload. This is a multiple part article whose parts will be unveiled over the coming months of 2006.

Four good ways to improve your gun’s ROF are: Revolvers, couplers, breeches, and clip/mags. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. Below is a list of pros and cons for the different ROF modifications we have worked on. In-depth write-ups for the different methods will be added over time.

REVOLVERS: A revolver-clip has 6 barrels. This revolver-clip is suspended on an axle. At the end of the axle there is a short section of brass, which the selected barrel is put in. The air from the gun comes thru this brass and pushes the dart out of the barrel. The empty barrel is then pulled off, the revolver-clip is rotated slightly, and a loaded barrel is then put on the brass. INSTRUCTIONS for a Lefty Revolver here

Advantages More than one revolver-clip can be carried into battle. When all the barrels on one clip have been shot, you can switch it with another that is loaded. Empty barrels can be loaded with a stefan from the back while the gun is loaded so you don’t have to pull the gun away from being pointed at your opponent to load.

Disadvantages Revolver clip can slide off of brass and axle if revolver-clip is not held while running/doing various other physical maneuvers. Occasionally, micros will not fire from the barrel(due to a bad air-seal). These darts have be to shoved out of the barrel. It is very annoying to have this happen during a battle.

COUPLERS: With a coupler-mod, a coupler is glued to the front of the gun. Barrels are put inside the coupler to shoot. When a barrel is empty, it can be pulled from the coupler and a loaded barrel can be put into the coupler. Barrels can be glued/taped to one another for quick reloads. 3M prefers to use 3 barrels glued together in a “Y” shape.
Advantages You can bring as many barrels into battle as you want and not have to worry loading darts into barrels during the middle of a fight. When Y-shaped clips are used, empty barrels can be loaded while the gun is pointed at your opponent.	Disadvantages It takes a certain level of mastery to switch barrels on the coupler while running. Barrels get worn down after lots of use and need to be replaced.

BREECHES: A breech is a barrel inside a larger pipe that has a hole cut in it. The barrel can be pulled forward and a dart can be put thru the hole. When the barrel is pulled back, the dart is loaded into the barrel. INSTRUCTIONS for a Uriel Breech here
Advantage You don’t have to ramrod the darts down the barrel. Consistent reload time.	Disadvantages Some range is sacrificed for the increased ROF Foam used in the breech wears out after time and renders the gun useless.

CLIPS/MAGS: A clip/mag is similar to a breech but the darts are held in shells and loaded in the barrel using different methods.
Advantages You have a very fast ROF Coolness factor.	Disadvantages Shells can be expensive/time consuming to make. If the clip ejects the shell, shells can be lost easily. While the gun has loaded shells in its clip/mag it has very fast ROF but when the clip/mag is empty it can takes lots of time to reload, making you vulnerable to your opponents if you don’t have a sidearm or a teammate/s nearby to cover you.