Dart blaster

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Dartblasters are a type of toy that uses air pressure to accelerate and fire cartridge-like projectiles with a soft tip.

description

Dartblasters are toys or fun sports devices that shoot soft foam bullets called darts. They have fantasy shapes that are reminiscent of rifles or pistols. Manufacturers and dealers in particular are reluctant to refer to the blasters as toy weapons because they should not be compared to airsoft or paintball weapons . Dartblasters are designed as action toys for children between the ages of six and twelve. Some of them were advertised as indoor water pistols . All blasters are kept in bright colors to emphasize the appearance as a toy and the differentiation to airsoft and paintball . Nevertheless, there are also many adult fans of this play device.

functionality

There are two common modes of operation: Mechanical models work with air pressure. In older models in particular, it is common to use a pump to fill an air tank to build up pressure. The air is then released by pressing the trigger and thus the dart accelerates. Newer models use air pressure generation by a spring. This is cocked and accelerates a piston when released with the trigger, which then generates air pressure. Either the piston itself is pulled back and used to generate the air pressure, or just the lock. The latter is very popular with aficionados because it is supposed to achieve the best results. There is also the option of using a battery-operated system in which a motor drives two grinding wheels above and below the dart, which are located in the front barrel. When the trigger is pulled , the dart is usually pulled by a pen or a conveyor belt from the magazine forwards and between the grinding wheels. In contrast to the rapid fire mode with mechanical dartblasters, fully automatic shooting is possible with electric models.

Game variants

Dartblasters can be played in different ways. A general distinction must be made between playing against each other or with each other. If you want to play with each other, games in which the dartblasters are used to shoot targets such as PET bottles are particularly useful . There are a variety of game modes against each other that work in large and small groups. Many of them are borrowed from the paintball or airsoft area, such as `` King of the Hill '' or `` Team Deathmatch ''.

Dartblasters are also popular with LARP players who play in settings apart from the usual fantasy. That is why the biggest end-time and zombie live role-playing games are only played with painted dartblasters. Although some events also use other ways of representation, in the scene dartblasters are preferred because of the low risk of injury.

Individual models and brands

The most famous dartblasters come from the NERF series from the American manufacturer Hasbro . The best known model is the sci-fi revolver Maverick REV-6 , which has been sold since 2004. Three series have now been created under the NERF brand:

  • N-Strike are models that are most closely based on actual weapons. There are rifles , pistols, and a large standing machine gun . The N-Strike models use different types of darts: clip system darts with a soft rubber tip, which are used in all blasters with magazines , or Whistler darts, also made of foam, but with a rubber tip, which make a soft whistle when flying gives out. The darts cannot be exchanged with one another without modification. Outside Europe there are also suction darts for the N-Strike series, i.e. those with a suction cup on the tip. So far, these have only been introduced in Europe as part of Marvel comic repacks.

N-Strike Elite has been around since 2012, replacing the original N-Strike Series . It uses the Elite Dart as its main ammunition and consists of N-Strike blasters that have been upgraded, recolored in the Elite color, and renamed. However, not all blasters are enhanced N-Strike blasters, e.g. B. the Hailfire or Stryfe , and not all N-Strike blasters have been improved so far (e.g. the N-Strike Longstrike CS-6 or Element EX-6 ).

A third sub-series to the N-Strike series was added around the beginning of 2014: the N-Strike Elite XD . She can shoot about 30 meters instead of the Elites 22 meters. It also has two colors: a white, which resembles the N-Strike Whiteout , and an orange, which resembles the N-Strike Gear-Up . This series offers old, improved elite blasters and completely new models. Like its predecessor, it uses the Elite Darts. The XD at the end means Xtra Distance .

The N-Strike Elite series is still running alongside its successor.

  • Dart Tag is the series that focuses on the sporty character. In addition to darts whose tips have Velcro elements, the Dart Tag series also features T-shirts with the corresponding Velcro counterparts. So you can compete against each other in a sporting competition. The Dart Tag series was completely renewed in spring 2012, with fresher designs and Velcro darts (Tagger Darts) that also have the whistling sound of Whistler darts.
  • Vortex is the latest NERF series: Instead of darts, targets are shot. The Vortex series was introduced in autumn 2011 with great marketing effort. The new technology called XLR sets the fired discs in rotation and thus promises a significantly higher range. The disadvantage of this system is that all discs have a slight right-hand twist due to the rotation.

In addition to NERF, other players are relevant in these toys, above all BuzzBeeToys, Lanard Toys and PrimeTimeToys. What all three providers have in common is that they bring new, often unusual models onto the market. Models from these three manufacturers are often made in different colors and pack designs for other suppliers. Examples include the X-Power series from Simba or the AirZone series from Toys'R'Us .

BuzzBeeToys is the only supplier in Europe to offer darts with suction cups. The best known models of the supplier are the double-barreled shotgun Double Shot and the fully automatic automatic Tommy20 . The special feature of the shotgun is the fact that each time it is reloaded, the empty cases are thrown out of the extended barrel at the rear. The Tommy20 is the cheapest fully automatic dart blaster on the market. LanardToys used many different types of darts, but is known due to the partially completely new approaches. The best-known product is the Scatter Blast hand grenade , which is inflated at the tail and fires eight darts in all directions after hitting it. PrimeTimeToys has only recently started offering Dartblaster under its own label. So far, two models have appeared in the Dart Storm series, the Gatling Blaster and the Quick Fire 12 . In addition to the models in its own series, PrimeTimeToys mainly builds blasters under the label of other providers.

Fan base

After the scene was particularly pronounced in the USA, Australia and Singapore, the dart blaster fan base in Germany is also increasing more and more. The goal of the fans is not only to agree to joint dartblaster battles, but also to exchange experiences and modding or tuning the dartblaster. The modding runs in two directions. On the one hand, the blasters are optically changed in order to be brought as close as possible to the appearance of real weapons or of well-known computer game models. On the other hand, it is also about improving the performance of the blasters. Designed as a children's toy, the blaster's shooting performance is rather low. Using various methods, such as replacing or stretching the spring, removing individual parts or increasing the voltage in electrical models, the hobbyists achieve greater ranges or higher firing frequencies.