In terms of pure fun, the Rayven is one of the best blasters that Nerf has ever made, thanks to the new glow in the dark darts (they’re WAY better than the old glow in the dark darts that came with the Firefly). The glow in the dark system works amazingly well, thanks to the brand new Firefly Tech Clip.

The Firefly Tech Clip uses a built in LED light to charge the darts so they glow in the dark when fired, and the effect is awesome. In pure darkness, the darts look like little green lasers. I love it. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen from a Nerf gun.

How to Load the Nerf Rayven

The Rayven uses an 18-dart clip system, so loading the blaster will be instantly familiar to you if you own other Nerf clip system guns like the Stampede, Deploy, or Recon.

If you haven’t used a clip system Nerf blaster before, it’s very simple. Just release the clip by pushing a small release switch on the side of the blaster, load it up with 18 darts, and pop it back in.

This Nerf gun is compatible with all N-Strike clips and drums.

How to Shoot the Nerf Rayven

Like the Barricade and Nitron, the Rayven makes use of a flywheel system for shooting the darts. This is how it works:

To activate the flywheel, you have to pull the acceleration trigger near the trigger handle. While keeping the activation trigger pressed, pull the trigger to fire a dart. This is a semi-automatic blaster, so it will shoot a dart as quickly as you can pull the trigger.

Batteries

The Rayven requires seven AA batteries to be used to its full potential. Four batteries are required to shoot the blaster, and three batteries are required to activate the LED lights in the clip.

How Far Does the Rayven Shoot?

In my testing, the Rayven consistently fired darts between 30-35 feet.

Is the Rayven Good For Kids?

It depends on how old they are. Kids under 8 years old may not have the coordination or hand strength to hold down the  acceleration trigger with one finger while they fire with the other, but for older kids this shouldn’t be a problem at all.

Features

The Rayven has two tactical rails, one on the top and one on the right side. These rails are compatible with all N-Strike accessories. There is also space for a barrel adjustment on the front of the barrel.

Packaging

Where to Buy the Nerf Rayven

You can buy the Raven online at Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

Conclusion

The Nerf Ravyen CS-18 is one of the most fun blasters on the market. With semi-automatic firing and an awesome glow in the dark dart system, it would make a great addition to anyone’s Nerf collection.

Disclosure: Nerf provided me with a complimentary Rayven, but it did not influence my review in any way.

The Jolt comes with two whistler darts, which is fine for a single shot blaster. But if you’re thinking about buying this for someone as their first Nerf blaster, you will probably want to pick up some extra ammo as well (2 darts can get lost in a hurry).

How Far Does the Nerf Jolt Shoot?

The Nerf Jolt EX-1 has remarkable range for such a small blaster. Out of the box, you can expect it to fire darts between 30-35 feet (roughly the same as most larger Nerf guns).

How to Shoot the Nerf Jolt

It doesn’t get any easier than this. Simply load a dart into the blaster, pull the priming handle downwards, and pull the trigger.

Is the Nerf Jolt Good for Kids?

Yes! Thanks to its small size and simple firing mechanism, this is one of the best Nerf guns out there for kids. Plus, at a retail price of $6, it’s not a huge deal if it gets broken.

Where to Buy the Nerf Jolt

The Jolt is available online at Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

Most major retailers in the United States also carry it.

The Barricade is a motorized semi-automatic Nerf blaster with a 10 dart revolving barrel. Internally, the Barricade uses flywheels to fire the darts out of the barrel, which is pretty cool — just make sure that you use the right darts (sonic darts), so that the flywheel will ‘grab’ the darts correctly. The Barricade will require 3 AA batteries to operate.

Loading the Barricade appears to be pretty simple. You’ll have to load the darts one at a time, manually rotating the barrel as you go. To fire, just turn the switch to ‘on’, and pull the trigger. Expect average ranges to be fall in the 25-30 feet range.

There is a tactical rail on the top of the gun, so you can add your scope, favorite stock, or whatever you like. The more guns that Nerf releases, the more I love the tactical rail system.

1. The Stampede is way lighter than the Nerf Vulcan is. In fact, the Stampede is surprisingly portable, and can easily be carried and fired with the same hand (kids will have a hard time holding and firing with one hand, but it shouldn’t be a problem for anyone 12 or older).

2. Whereas the Vulcan uses an ammo belt, the Stampede uses the clip system. And seeing as the Stampede is an automatic blaster with a high rate of fire, Nerf has introduced a new 18-dart clip with the launch of the Stampede.

3. The Stampede does not have an automatic pump mode, meaning that batteries are required.

Rate of Fire

In my testing, I found that the Nerf Stampede fires approximately three shots a second. If you don’t want to go full automatic, firing single shots is also very easy to do, as the number of darts fired is determined by the length of time that you suppress the trigger.

Range

I was very pleased with the range. I’d estimate that most shots travel between 25-30 feet, which is really pretty impressive considering that the gun is battery operated.

Accessories

The Stampede comes with two primary accessories: The shield and the tripod. Both accessories are removable, and use the tactical rail — meaning that they can also be used on other guns that feature the tactical rail in the Nerf N-Strike line.

In addition to using the clips that come with the Stampede, you can also use the drum from the Nerf Raider to further increase the dart capacity.

Darts

As with all clip system Nerf guns, the Stampede ECS uses streamline darts.

Use

The Stampede requires 6 D batteries to use. As mentioned above, there is no manual pumping mechanism, so this Nerf gun will not work without batteries.

Also, be aware that the Stampede does make a rather loud ‘pew pew’ sound when it’s fired. While I find the sound pretty unoffensive, parents with children who might play with the Stampede for hours on end may want to make sure that they have a good spot outdoors in case the sound gets on your nerves.

I was not able to find a shut off switch for the sound effects, but ultimately the sound does serve a purpose — it does a great job of masking the mechanical sound of shooting the gun (which would be far more annoying).

Conclusion

The Nerf Stampede ECS is an absolute blast to play with. It couples the rapid automatic action of the Vulcan, but it comes in a much smaller and manageable package. The rate of fire and range are both excellent, and in the end, any Nerf fan should be able to have a lot of fun with the Stampede.

Pick one up when they come out in September.

I’m pretty pumped about this one. It combines features of the Maverick (one of my favorite Nerf guns) with the Recon (which I think is a bit underrated). In short, my curiosity is definitely piqued.

This is what I know about it so far:

• It will be available in October exclusively at WalMart.
• It has a 5-dart rotating barrel blaster.
• The stock is adjustable.

I’ll update this post with more information as I receive it.

I don’t know much about the Barrel Break yet, but here is what I do know:

• The Barrel Break IX-2 will go on sale in August
• It will be available only at Toys R Us
• It’s a double-shot blaster
• It features a Tactical Ammo Storage accessory with room for 8 additional darts

Personally, I’m pretty excited for the double barrel action.

More details to come…

I don’t have all the details yet, but here is what I do know:

• It will be a Target exclusive
• It features an 18 dart drum
• It has rapid fire capability

I’ll post more details as they come.

At this point, I’d planned to play around with transforming the Deploy from gun to flashlight and back again, but I just couldn’t resist — I had to see how far it shoots before I could do anything else. The results of the range test were about as I expected. Shots ranged from 25-30 feet, which is not surprising at all, given that it uses a reverse plunger system like the one  found in the Nerf Recon and Raider.

The Deploy’s clip holds a maximum of six darts. Of course, this clip is interchangeable with other N-Strike clips, including the drum (which looks really ridiculous on the Deploy and feels plain silly).

Unfortunately, the pump action firing method is a bit of a mixed bag. The pump itself slides very smoothly and is easy to use, but the Deploy’s handle feels really flimsy (this is what happens when you make a collapsible handle to accommodate a transforming design).

Though it’s a little flimsy, overall the Deploy feels solid in my hands. It’s light and well constructed, as you would expect from a Nerf product.

As advertised, you can use components from other N-Strike guns on the Deploy.  As I’ve said in the past, most of the components are purely cosmetic in nature, but it’s undeniably cool that you can customize the appearance of your blaster as you see fit.

Now to the flashlight transformation element.

First things first, using the flashlight requires 3 AAA batteries (the same batteries operate the ‘laser’ targeting system). Folding up the Deploy is simple enough — just fold up the handle and slide the shoulder stock forward, and you’ll end up with a device that resembles a briefcase – with a flashlight at the end of it.

Transforming the Deploy back into a blaster again is the best part, as you only have to press a button on the top.

All in all, the Deploy is a solid gun, and I’d heartily recommend it to avid Nerf fans and kids who would get a kick out of the flashlight part. However, if you’re new to Nerf and just want to have some casual wars around the house or office, there are better guns out there.

Below is a picture of the back of the box (found via Adult Fans of Nerf ).

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First things first: The Longstrike is hands down one of the coolest looking Nerf guns ever made, and Hasbro will undoubtedly sell a million of these based on appearance alone. We all want a true Nerf sniper rifle, and based on appearances, the Longstrike seems to fit the bill.

As stated on the box, the Longstrike is the longest Nerf blaster. Now, make sure you read this sentence carefully, as it can be a little misleading. It doesn’t have the longest range of any Nerf blaster, it’s just the longest (over 3 feet long).  I haven’t measured it exactly, but it only seems to be a couple inches longer than the Longshot.

Unfortunately, the range on the Longstrike is a bit disappointing, especially seeing as it’s modeled after a sniper rifle. Instead of using a direct plunger system like the Longshot, Hasbro has opted to use a reverse plunger system like that found on the Deploy and Raider. Most shots will fall in the 30-35 feet range without the barrel attachment, which isn’t bad, but isn’t great either. Using the barrel attachment seems to have a pretty negative impact on the range.

For those unfamiliar with the internals of Nerf guns, the effect of a reverse plunger system is that the plunger can’t achieve the speed that it can with a direct plunger system. As a result, the plunger doesn’t create as much force, and the darts don’t travel as far as they could with a direct plunger system.

Thankfully, you can see some pretty significant improvements with only a couple basic modifications. Removing the air restrictor will add about 10 feet on average, and replacing the spring will add even more. You’re not going to hit Longshot ranges no matter what you do, but rest assured that you can make some significant improvements with little more than a screwdriver, xacto knife, and hot glue.

To a lot of people, what I just said will be complete gobbledy-gook, and that’s fine. So if you aren’t into modding your Nerf guns, none of this may matter to you, and you may prefer the Longstrike over the Longshot. Afterall, the out of the box ranges don’t vary by a huge amount, and the Longstrike is much lighter and less bulky than the Longshot. It ultimately comes down to a matter of preference.

The Longstrike does feel very sturdy, and it gives the impression that it is a very well made blaster.

Features

As with other recent N-Strike guns, the Longstrike is compatible with the interchangeable parts found in other N-Strike guns.

One cool feature is that the Longstrike can hold 2 additional clips in the shoulder stock (you’ll have to buy these separately), and having two clips at the ready can cut down significantly on reload times while you’re in the heat of battle.

Conclusion

The Longstrike is one of the best looking Nerf guns ever made, but it isn’t one of the best performing. Though some simple modifications can increase the range, it still seems a little silly to create a Nerf gun that resembles a sniper rifle but only shoots a little farther than an out of the box Nite Finder.

Here’s the box:

nerf longstrike box

Here are the Longstrike’s accessories (courtesy of SG Nerf):

nerf longstrike accessories

And finally, here is a picture of the Longstrike’s internals. I haven’t taken mine apart yet, so I couldn’t take my own picture — photo credit goes to Mod Works.

nerf longstrike internals

The Nerf Raider came out this week, and I’ve finally had enough time to play around with it to write a review.

The N-Strike Raider  features a 35-dart magazine. The magazine is detachable, and though I haven’t seen any replacement magazines for sale as of yet, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before you’ll be able to swap out your empty magazine for a fully loaded one. An additional bonus is that the magazine on the CS-35 is compatible with the Nerf Longshot and Recon.

The Nerf Raider CS-35 also features two firing modes — single fire, and slam fire. If you’re considering buying this Nerf gun, chances are, you’re most interested in the slam fire mode.

To use slam fire mode, you just have to hold down the trigger and pump the front grip. Each time you pump the grip, the Raider fires a dart. At first, performing this motion is a little awkward, and you’ll probably have some accuracy problems when you first get the gun from shaking it while pumping. However, it only takes a little practice until you’re able to hold the gun steady while pumping.

The rate of fire on the Rapid Fire Raider CS-35 is awesome. I’m averaging about 2.5 shots per second, which is a lot of fun. Of course, that means you can unload the entire magazine in about 12 seconds, so you’re going to spend a lot of time refilling the magazine. This is a small price to pay in my opinion, because this very well may be the most fun Nerf gun I’ve played with.

The range on the Raider is better than I expected, given the firing mechanism of the gun. You can expect to routinely hit anywhere from 25-30 feet. I haven’t had a chance to mod mine yet, but I’ve been told that removing the air restrictor can add about 10 feet to the range. This seems believable to me, as the internals look very similar to the Recon, which gets a similar boost from air restrictor removal.

All in all, I’m extremely happy with the Nerf Raider. It’s one of the most unique guns that Nerf has ever made, the construction is solid, and it’s an absolute blast to unload.

Preview

The Nerf N-Strike Raider CS-35 will be coming to a store near you this fall.

This Nerf Tommy Gun looks really promising. It features a 35 dart magazine that you can empty in either single shot or automatic mode.

The N-Strike Raider CS-35 will cost $35 (yup, that’s one dollar per dart that the magazine holds). No official word yet on whether you buy new magazines to pop in and out, but here’s hoping.

One thing’s for sure: we’re really going to have to stock up on ammo, as I know for a fact that I will lose at least 34 of the 35 darts in about…well…35 minutes.

Regardless, I want wait to pump my friends full of darts while yelling ‘keep the change you filthy animal!’

Here’s Nerf’s official unveiling of the Raider: