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Nerf makes a wide variety of different blasters that fire foam darts. These toys are great for young children, but for serious Nerf enthusiasts, customized blasters are a lot more exciting. Nerf blasters can be upgraded in terms of both appearance and function. Using these instructions, you can bring a blaster to your next Nerf battle that not only shoots farther and faster, but also has a unique look you designed yourself.
Steps
Upgrading Your Blaster's Appearance
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1Design your blaster. Take some time to think about what kinds of changes you want to make to the appearance of your Nerf gun. Do you want to change the colors? The shape? Or just add some minor customizations to personalize your gun? You may want to make a sketch or two to plan out your modifications. It's recommended you don't paint your blaster black, since if you use it outside, someone could mistake it for a real gun, and call 911 or worse.
- Use your imagination--there are many different modifications you could make, depending on the look you want For the amount of work you are willing to put in. If you need some inspiration, there are many websites where people have posted their favorite Nerf blaster modifications, sometimes with tips for creating similar looks.
- The extent of the changes you want to make will determine the supplies you need and how extensive the project will be.
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2Make body modifications. Depending on the type of blaster you're starting with, you may wish to add components or even remove parts to create a more appealing look.
- You might wish to add visual elements to your blaster. You can use super glue, model glue, or rubber cement to add anything from parts of other Nerf guns, small items from toy, craft or hardware stores, or even to custom-created decorative elements, such the foam rubber blade added to a Nerf Maverick shown here. Be sure this doesn't affect you disassembling the blaster, or the function of the blaster (ie gluing a stock to the back of a top-primed blaster).
- Again, think creatively about additions you might want to make. The possibilities are endless!
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3Spray paint your blaster. Many serious Nerf enthusiasts like to create custom looks for their guns with full-body paint jobs. This can be as simple as sanding the blaster down and spray-painting it with a color you like.
- You must sand all the glossy surfaces down to make certain the spray paint will stick.
- Remove the internals of the blaster so that you don't hinder the function of the blaster. Before you do this, take a picture of the internals so you don't loose anything.
- To get a multicolored look, you can paint your blaster one color, let it dry, then tape over with masking tape the areas you want to remain that color. Then, paint the gun with another color of spray paint, let it dry, and remove the tape.
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4Add details. Once your paint is dry, you can further customize your design with a paintbrush or permanent marker.
- With a model brush and paints, you can add highlights that give your blaster metallic look, if desired.
Upgrading Your Blaster's Functions
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1Make a dual magazine. A quick upgrade that can help you reload much faster is the creation of a dual magazine. If your Nerf gun uses a clip-style magazine, you can tape two of them together, with one upside down.
- When you run out of ammunition, you can just flip it over and keep firing without having to locate a new magazine or refill the old one.
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2Increase your blaster's range and power. If your blaster uses a spring or springs to fire darts, you can increase your range dramatically by putting in more powerful springs. Note that standard Nerf Elite darts go all over the place with an upgraded spring, so consider switching to Dart Zone wafflehead darts.
- Take the blaster apart and remove the springs. A 8 kilogram spring in a similar size to the one original to the blaster will give you much more firepower. The infamous K26 spring can add a ton of power to your blaster, at the cost of your hands when you prime the blaster.
- For advanced Nerf mods, you can further increase your range by replacing the barrel with a brass tube (17/32" is recommended), and by removing the air restrictors that limit how much air can pass through the barrel. Specific details for these tasks will vary depending on your gun, but you can find instructions online for most blasters.
Community Q&A
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QuestionCan I use electrical tape to design my RECON CS-6?Community AnswerYes, but it may peel off quickly or leave a sticky residue if you choose to remove it.
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QuestionI am an 11 year old. I spray paint my guns regularly, but what other easy things can I do?Clayton PetersonCommunity AnswerUpgrade your springs and try an AR removal. You could also try integrating two guns into each other.
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QuestionHow do I find a better spring to upgrade a Nerf gun?Community AnswerThere should be better springs sold online. They have springs for a lot of guns!