Modify a Nerf Gun

Nerf guns aren't just for kids anymore. Adventurous do-it-yourselfers have discovered a wide variety of mods and hacks that make spring-activated and pump-action Nerf guns endlessly fun. While every Nerf gun can be modified differently, learning the basic mechanisms in the two main types of Nerf guns will help you explore and design your own mods. Learn the basics and start hot-rodding those foam shooters.

Steps

Getting Started

  1. Get a good gun for modifying. There are lots of different styles and designs of Nerf guns, but the basic models are usually the best for modifying, since they're the most common. If you want to get started, getting a basic spring or pump gun will be the cheapest option that will allow you the most variety.[1] You can start master-keying a sniper rifle later. Start small and learn the two basic categories of Nerf weaponry:
    • Spring guns are activated by an internal spring that is compressed by racking a plastic slide on the back of the gun between every shot. This compresses the spring, which launches the foam dart. The Nerf Maverick is the most commonly modified spring gun.
    • Pump guns are activated with air pressure created by pumping the gun, much like some water guns work. These guns have a great potential to increase the power and accuracy of shots with some simple mods. The basic pump model is the Big Blast, though this isn't made by Nerf, technically.
  2. Assemble the tools necessary for basic mods. You don't need to actually do much to make some slight modifications on basic Nerf guns, but you will need a few tools aside from the blaster itself. If you're under 15, it's a good idea to have your parents help you with any tools or cutting that might be necessary. To do the modifications described in the following sections, you'll need:
    • A hand-saw
    • Philips head screwdriver
    • Sandpaper
    • Dremel drill or metal file
    • Wire clippers
    • Replacement parts, if you want to upgrade
  3. Create a Stefan Dart The word Nerf is an acronym that stands for "non-expanding recreational foam," which is made mostly of polyurethane. Each blaster you buy at the store with come with a short supply of Nerf darts, but get real. The little things are easy to lose and too expensive to buy at the store. One of the best basic mods to learn as you're getting started is how to make your own darts and save money. A general method has been developed by Nerf-enthusiasts, and they're usually referred to as "stefans." There are various ways of making stefans, but the simplest is described here. You'll need to complete the mods described below to use them.[2]
    • You will need half-inch foam backer rod to cut the darts. This is also sometimes called "caulk saver" and is available at any home repair store, usually with the winterizing supplies and caulking materials. It should look familiar (it's the same basic material as Nerf darts). The backer rod will usually be curled up in a loop, which means you'll have to straighten it out before you cut it into individual darts. Most people do this by taping them flat, to a table or some other flat surface for about a day and letting it flatten out naturally.
    • To weight the darts, most people use either BB's or fishing weights. You'll also need scissors and hot glue to make stefans.
    • Cut the foam rod into two-inch sections and make a tiny hole in one end to insert the BB or the fishing weight. Use a small dab of hot glue and attach the weight, then let it dry.
  4. Invent your own mods. Everybody's got their own little tricks and opinions about the best hacks and mods for Nerf guns, and everybody likes different guns. There's no "right" way to do it. The best way to learn is to learn to take apart the gun and see how it works, then start developing your own ideas and mods and trying them out. Check out some other articles about specific mods for specific models below:

Modifying Spring Guns

  1. Remove all the screws holding the housing together. The first step to modifying a spring-activated Nerf gun is to take it apart and examine the internal components. The housing of most guns is two plastic halves held together by Philips-head screws. Larger guns will have more screws, but the smaller hand-held pistol style blasters will sometimes have as few as three.
    • Remove the screws with your screwdriver and set them aside. Pull the two halves of the gun together to reveal the internal components. One side should just be a shell, and all the parts should be attached to the other side.
  2. Remove the cylinder and unscrew the cap. If you're modifying a Maverick (the easiest way to start), the most common beginner mod is to remove the air restrictors and the barrel posts, which keep you from being able to use stefans, and which decrease the power behind each shot. To do this, you need to pull the cylinder loose, where the darts are kept before they're fired.
    • The cylinder that holds the darts should pull out without having to pull very hard. Just grab it in your hand firmly and pull it back out away from the shell of the gun. With it should come a gray or beige plastic endplate, which you'll need to remove.
    • Usually the endplate is attached with a little orange cap you can pop off using the flat end of a screwdriver, or just using your fingers. Don't lose this cap, or you won't be able to reassemble the blaster.
  3. Clip off the barrel posts. Nerf-brand darts are hollow, and slide onto a post in each barrel of the blaster. For a long time, this kept people from being able to make your own darts. Fortunately, you can just clip them off. Remove the end cap with the barrel post from each cylinder and use wire-clipper or some other type of lopper to cut them off, as close to the endplate as possible.
    • If you want, you can sand up the nub that you leave with some sand-paper to clean up the end. It's not necessary, but it'll be cleaner.
    • Reassemble the cylinder by attaching the orange plastic end caps to each of the cylinders and putting the cylinder chamber back together. You're ready to turn your attention to the end plates.
  4. File the nubs off the end plates for the "Russian roulette" mod. Remove the gray plastic plate from the end of the cylinder, if you haven't already and find the little arc-shaped plastic nub on the side of it. This is used to stop the cylinder from spinning freely, so you can rotate the chamber in the gun like you're Jesse James. This won't make the gun shoot any differently, but it looks awesome.
    • If you want to complete this mod, file off the nub using a metal file, or a Dremel drill. Smooth it up as much as possible to make the plastic flat, so the chamber won't catch on it. If it doesn't, it won't spin right. Make sure you get help and permissions if you're using a power tool.
    • Reattach the end plates to the blaster and put the cylinder back in the gun. If you wanted about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} more distance out of your gun and the ability to spin the chamber, you're done. Put the housing back together.
  5. Upgrade the spring. If you want more power out of your gun, upgrade to a stronger spring. Examine the firing components of the gun, pulling the spring loose. It's a cheap, flimsy piece of metal, that you can easily upgrade with a trip to the hardware store. Take the spring with you to look for a spring that matches the width and length, and buy one made of a higher quality material.
    • Sometimes, replacing the spring will leave you with a little gap at the back of the gun, where the spring won't go flush with the plastic. To remedy this, you can use a small stack of pennies–three or four should do–to slot in and give the spring something to rest against. The pennies should fit into the chamber perfectly.
  6. Consider replacing the barrel. Some really power-obsessed modders like to cut the barrel off the end of the blaster and replace it with a length of PVC pipe that matches the width of their stefans. Keeping a tighter seal and increasing the pressure of the spring can make the darts go much farther and faster.
    • If you want to do this, cut off the barrel of the gun just where it meets the "body" of the gun, and discard it. Cut a length of half-inch diameter PVC pipe that matches the rough length of the barrel, and hot-glue it into place carefully, holding it to complete the seal. It's best to glue around the outside, to avoid little nubs of glue on the inside.
    • If you like the way the gun looks, don't do this. Barrel replacements look pretty bootleg, and you'll gain a little power, but make your gun look kind of ridiculous.

Modifying Pump Guns

  1. Remove all the screws and expose the internal components. Nerf doesn't actually make many air-pressure pump guns, but many people refer to all foam blasters as "Nerf guns," so this is a common mod in Nerf circles. These guns are typically primed by pumping a primer about five times to build up air pressure, which then shoots the gun. A plastic release valve is included for safety purposes, keeping the gun from exploding. You can plug that valve and get more power out of your gun, as long as you're careful.
  2. Remove the pump assembly. On a pump-action gun like this, the pump should come loose in one easy piece. It should have a long insert and a thicker chamber that's used to fill with air, a bit like a bike pump or some other kind of pressure pump. Pull it loose, as it shouldn't be screwed into anything after you remove the housing.
    • Unscrew the end cap and pull the primer from the air chamber housing. It should have an end piece with a little rubber seal around it, which is used to create friction and pump the air.
  3. Plug the pressure release valve with hot glue. On the end of the chamber where the air is pumped, there should be a little open release valve, which is basically just a hole. This is used to let some air escape if you over-pump the gun, creating too much pressure. If you plug this hole, you can get a lot more strength out of your blaster.
    • Use a small dot of hot glue over the hole, smoothing it out and making sure it seals and covers the hole completely. Let it dry thoroughly before moving forward.
    • Please note that the release valve is included to keep the plastic from breaking and popping open when you fill the chamber with pressure. It's toy-grade plastic we're talking about here, not strong metal, so you'll run the risk of breaking the gun completely if you do this, making it irreparable. You might get more power out of it, but only for a short period of time before it breaks.
  4. Improve the seals. Another way to increase the power is to remove the black rubber O-rings from the plunger in the air pump and replace them with thicker rubber. This will create a tighter seal around the pump, creating more pressure and more power with each shot. Again, if you've plugged the release vale, this could be a stressful amount of pressure on the plastic, so be aware and be gentle if you do this.
    • Remove the rubber seal and take it to the plumbing section of the hardware store to look for seals. Get one with the same diameter, but a thicker gauge. It should feel much snugger in the barrel, and more difficult to pump. That's because there's more pressure in the barrel.
  5. Test it out and use caution when pumping. It's likely you'll only need to pump the gun once or twice to get a lot of pressure into it. Don't start pumping away like you're trying to pump up an air mattress, or the gun will break. Be very careful to avoid cracking the gun and breaking it for good.



Tips

  • Never modify a gun if you don't know what you're doing.
  • Make a laser sight with a laser pointer. Buy the legal kind of red laser light, or something similar. You can buy a pen that has one built into it, or a keychain, or even just the light itself. Ideally the light will be preferably {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} or less. However, it will still work if it's longer.

Warnings

  • Modifying a Nerf Gun can result in damage to the gun.
  • The gun could misfire and damage property or result in injury of a human or animal.
  • Never aim or fire the gun at humans or animals.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.instructables.com/id/Nerf-Mods-A-Beginners-Guide/?ALLSTEPS
  2. ↑ http://www.bitrebels.com/geek/possibly-the-best-nerf-gun-mods-ever/

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