Humans vs Zombies: To "Mod" or not to "Mod"

Hey guys and gals Snake here.  I came across this article as posted in the NC State newspaper, Technician Online.  The full article can be found here: College Students Build Better Blasters

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"Really the only tools I need are a screwdriver and a hand-drill," Collins said. "Typically I crack [the blasters] open and there's this thing inside called an air-restrictor… I drill it right out."

The air restrictor is a part of a Nerf blaster added to slow down air flow, and according to Collins it should be the first thing to go.

"The air restrictor is something that virtually every Nerf [blaster] has," Michael Ramos, a junior in human biology and an owner of a Nerf Raider Collins has modified, said. "It restricts the air coming inside so that if you're a child… it keeps the [velocity of the dart] very low."

Other optional modifications include spring compression or replacements, jam door removals and replacement of the internals. However, according to Collins, the modification that improves blasters most is a spring replacement.

Even in our TTAGS Chicago outings, we run into a lot of modifications.  Most of these are simple, involving simply removing the air restrictor, or rebarreling a blaster.  My personal Secret Shot I (SS1) has been modified to be able to use the current darts.  When the SS1 came out, the darts used at the time were different sized.  I rebarreled my blaster using a bit of CPVC piping to make it useable.  However, I did not modify my blaster to shoot further, but to make it more reliable and able use all the darts available today.

A Secret Shot I in all its beauty!

Here at TTAGS Chicago, our rules concerning all modifications are that they need to be safe for the user as well as safe for those on the receiving end of the blaster.  A quick side-note here, we always use eye protection regardless of the blaster being used.  Eye protection is mandatory at all our events, you only get one pair of eyes!  Back to the discussion at hand...The majority of our members modify blasters not so much to gain range as they are about making blasters more reliable.

Modifying a blaster with more power presents a whole new challenge.  The internals were only meant to handle a certain power load.  By overloading it, you can break the fragile parts like the plunger tube on a raider, recon, or alpha trooper.  Using drop in kits from other companies will give you ranges of 100 feet or more.  But they carry a price tag of $60 plus the cost of the blaster, and darts.  Additionally you'll need to install it yourself which can present its own problems.  

Let's think about what we're doing for a minute.  Modifying a toy blaster to make it shoot as far as what? an airsoft gun? a paintball gun? Any modifications that breaks 50', can become hurtful at close range.  Launching a soft foam dart with accuracy at that distance is very difficult.  Most darts are so unbalanced, they spiral and loop through the air when used.  If I want extreme range and accuracy, I'll paintball.  When I play HvZ I'm there to have fun, not to win at all costs by having the most uber-modded blaster than can snipe people 100 feet away.  

The TL;DR version: Modify at your own risk.  Soft foam blasters should be fun and safe, anything done to a toy to make it even the slightest bit dangerous should be banned from events.  HvZ is about having fun, not showing off who can shoot a dart the furthest!

Feel free to post comments here or email me (Snake) at ttagschicago(at)gmail.com