MARPAT: G.I. vs Civilian Variant

This started off as a simple comparison between the dyes used in Military Issue and Civilian variant camouflage that is commonly referred to as "MARPAT".  I've talked about this kind of camouflage before, it's essentially the type of digital camouflage that the United States Marine Corps utilize.  There is a woodland and a desert variant of MARPAT.  The company with the contract to produce this camouflage is called "Propper International" and they also sell camouflage for sale to the general public.  Of course, since MARPAT is trademarked by the USMC, they can't sell you the "real deal", so they've changed enough with their civilian issue version that is simply called "Digital Woodland" or "Digital Desert", depending on which version of the MARPAT you're looking to get.  Have I lost ya yet?  If not, read on!

No 3D Glasses Required

Things are about to get more interesting for our hobby-ing with my friends.  One of them, German, now has a 3D printer that is able to craft parts from computer designs.  Pretty much whatever we can manage to create on a computer, it can render in plastic form... which will become quite handy for both Nerf and Laser Tag.  The first order of business?  Creating sensor housings for my Pulse Rifle!  

These are "dead bug" versions of how we might be installing two IR Sensors into the vents of the main barrel of the Pulse Rifle.  There will be 3 sensors built into this blaster so that it'll function like an LTX with the target being the blaster itself.  Previously, when we were using Laser Challenge, you would just hit the user's chest with the sensor rig being separate from the blaster.  Instead of installing an ugly red dome on the Pulse Rifle, we are integrating 3 sensors onto the blaster itself.  With one sensor on each side of the blaster and a third facing forward, it should replicate the same kind of coverage that a Phoenix LTX would have.

The 3D printer will be building a housing for the two sensors pictured as one part and a second part as the housing for the one that'll be center-mounted.  We're hoping to have them installed by Wednesday!  If all goes well with this, it's likely we could be building our own blasters and accessories from the ground up!

Midwest Laser Tag Association Official Launch

We're getting ready to launch our 7th Summer Season of laser tag with a new name with the same goal:  promote laser tag through planning of fun, safe, and free games to anyone who wants to play.  The announcement was made where the old Omaha Laser Challenge Association got it's internet debut: the LTAG Message Board.  All the necessary changes have been made for the Midwest Laser Tag Association (MLTA) and I've put together a promotional video and updated the tab here on my blog too.

Launch date is set for May 9th at Mission Park West.  A cookout will start things off at 5pm with Laser Tag games starting at around 6pm.  The rest of the event details for this can be found here or at our Facebook Group.  We're really excited for what the future holds for this group.  If you live in or around the area, let us know!  Even if you're not in Omaha, maybe we could plan an event near you!

Xplorer: Longstrike Grip

Patience paid off and the Longstrike Priming Grip from Xplorer arrived!  It's currently supplementing my OMW Massacre kit installed in my Whiteout Series Longstrike.  Single-hand priming is more than easy with this setup, as it replaces the bolt with an overhead grip, much like the Recon.  With the power of the Massacre kit at it's core, this blaster is finally able to realistically be used in games with this wonderful grip.  The OMW Massacre kit able to be fired in rapid succession thanks to the Xplorer kit is just an excellent combination.

LazerBait: LTX Lenses

The Blue LTX is modified with a new lens and modified Shotblast 

During our Mod Night, we received two custom-built lens arrangements from our friend LazerBait.  While these lenses could be installed on any blaster, we have fixed them onto a Phoenix LTX Blaster.  One lens has been installed on Sundawg's "Ultimate LTX" that has abused opponents with it's accuracy and range for over a year now.  We used this blaster as a testing platform for the two new lenses LazerBait sent us since they fit on the existing housing on Sundawg's custom blaster.

Mod Night: April 25th

Had another mod night that covered a lot of ground but also revealed how much more work we have ahead of us.  We mainly centered our sights on laser tag, though we did test out the new Xplorer Longstrike grip (Video coming soon).  For the most part, we are preparing blasters for our next summer season of Laser Tag.  To the left, German and Eleri work on a modified Tag Master Blaster from the LTTO lineup.  They're essentially repairing a poor mod job done by someone else to get it back up and running.

I mainly focused on getting the Pulse Rifle ready to be LTX Compatible.  There's still a lot to be done though, but we're hoping to have most of it done by next week.  German now has a 3D Printer that's going to be making housings for the 3 mounted sensors on the Pulse Rifle.  One on top and one on each side.  The sensors will be wired into the main board (Arduino Mini) and hit lights will also be installed on the blaster so it'll light up when it's shot.

German seems pretty confident that we can get it running, even in a basic configuration, over the next two weeks, so I'm hoping to have a lot more to show than just an image of internals.

Hasbro Speaks Up

I'm starting to think that dart on his head
was fired by Hasbro.

Direct quote from their Nerf Nation Facebook Page regarding the flurry of attention the matter with Urban Taggers has been getting.

"We appreciate the opportunity to provide the following statement concerning Hasbro’s investigation into “leaked” IP information regarding its NERF brand products. As with anything, there are two sides to every story. While we cannot comment on the details of any ongoing investigation, Hasbro takes all circumstances of its stolen and leaked IP very seriously and will continue to investigate sources of unauthorized information and products as it relates to its brands. We would like to clarify one of the inaccuracies that has been reported. While a local Hasbro Australia marketing team did reach out to the Urban Taggers website to engage in promotional activity for which it required its address, it was completely unrelated to the confidential global investigation being conducted on Hasbro’s behalf by independent investigators looking into sources of leaked IP information. Hasbro greatly values and appreciates its fan communities and is very proud of its strong relationships with many bloggers and sites that cover our brands and products."


So... whatever THAT means. Your thoughts?

Mission Park West: Home of the Fight NIght

As promised, here's an overview of the park my laser tagging group has called home since we started this gig in 2006.  It's really a wonderful park that's balanced for gameplay and we really couldn't ask for anything better to serve as the home for our weekly games during the summer season.  This video makes stops at all the notable features of the park, explaining tactical advantageous locations, geographical elements, and other important points that make Mission Park West the complete package for what we need.

An overhead layout of the park

There's a reason we've been here with the OLCA/MLTA since 2006 and, actually, many of us have been tagging here in some shape or form for over a decade!

Tonight is also a Mod Night for us, so we'll be working on lots of gear to prepare for our season opener on May 9th.  Keep it here for details. I may even do another open chat session for it!

History Lesson: OLCA

Everyone thinks that e-tape is the best when they start out.
Thankfully, I've learned a thing or two since then.  (2006)

I've always had an interest in human history.  Seeing how we've gotten to where we are now as a result of the acts of others, tracking that progress to learn from their success to make our own has always been important to me.  I never really thought that organizing laser tag games in the summer of 2006 would have me rambling about a history that a few friends and I began.  I don't mean to showboat, but instead to share how we've gone from something casual with friends to a major annual event that gets some attention around the hobby these days.

Unlike

Even if it's temporary, I think it's about time we stand behind our fellow enthusiasts and tell the folks at Hasbro what we think of their recent actions against Urban Taggers.  Too little too late?  Perhaps so, but I've read more than enough on this subject to make my stomach turn.

It's not like I ever really checked the Nerf Nation Facebook page for breaking news anyways.  It's usually full of underage kids posting stock photos of Nerf blasters that I could get from Google Images.  I've "Unliked" the Nerf Nation Facebook Page until something prompts me to like them again.  I like their Nerf Blasters.  I don't like how they've treated my friends at Urban Taggers.

So send a message to Hasbro that they can't filter/overlook.  Unlike.  Need more of a reason to?  Read up on this article or this one.  Spread the word, share the info, make sure that the next time they wanna crack down on info like this that they leave their once-loyal fans OUT of it

The Urban Tagger's story

This isn't to say that I don't like Nerf Blasters anymore.  I just don't condone the actions of those who produce them currently.

Gearing Up, but not for Nerf!

If you check this blog and my YouTube channel purely for Nerf-related stuff, you may just want to skip the next two weeks or so (although I will have the new Xplorer Longstrike grip soon).  Why?  Well I'm gearing up for the next regular season of laser tag for this summer!

Just as the Omaha Laser Challenge Association is changing it's name and equipment to support the new line of Lazer Tag gear coming out in August of this year, I'll be focusing most of my time on preparing for the upcoming season and taking you along for the ride.  Park walk-throughs, Summer Season information, history of our group, and upcoming projects will all be covered as preparations are made for our 7th Season of outdoor Laser Tag that will open on May 9th.

I'm pretty certain the bulk of my readership is Nerf Fans, so if that's true for you, I invite you to give laser tag a look for the next week or so through my experiences with it.  There's plenty of reasons I enjoy both Nerf and Laser Tag.  I've been seeing more questions regarding laser tag and it's kind of surprising to me how little folks know about it so, much like I did back at the start of the year, if you've got more questions, post 'em up!

FROG Hunting

Wearing a FROG Desert Marpat shirt

No, not the little green amphibians you find at the lake.  I'm on the hunt for some rare "Fire Resistant Organizational Gear", better known in the military as "FROG".  I've done a post on this before, but now there's more schtuff I wanna get!

For awhile now, I've been increasingly interested in this stuff not because I plan to set myself on fire whilst playing a game of outdoor laser tag, but because... well... it's cool.  Literally!  FROG shirts are designed to be worn underneath heavy gear like body armor, plate carriers, and tactical vests and rigs.  The portion of the shirt that covers the torso is made from a breathable cotton fabric that is extremely comfortable.  The arms are made of Rip-stop camouflage fabric with organizational pockets set on the biceps.  They also generally have a zip-up mandarin collar that I really tend to like.  It keeps slings and harnesses off your neck.  In general, this stuff is really comfortable to use and is excellent for the summer games we  have our outdoor laser tag season in.

Vortex Pyragon Video UPDATED!

UPDATE!  Got this from Jared at Nerf Blaster Reviews.  It's a standard Vortex colors version of the Pyragon.  Legit or not, it's at least cool to see it in this color variation.  Source for the photo isn't exactly from the manliest website ever, but hey!  I'll take what I can!  Thanks for the intel, Jared!

And then there's this video, which has already been taken down once, but there's a kid with his review of the Nerf Vortex Pyragon that was discovered back in February during Toy Fair.  No other info about this blaster had surfaced since it had initially surfaced.  Unfortunately, the quality/professionalism with this video review isn't of the caliber we'd come to expect from someone like SG Nerf, Urban Taggers, or Nerf Mods & Reviews but it's all we have right now.  I'm gonna post it now, not sure if it'll get taken down again.

If this video does get removed again, I've got some notes I saved from this written below.

The reviewer states that it does indeed have slam fire and reveals that the drum is removable.  There is a clear window in the back side of the drum as well.  The disks are red with a white center.  He mentions a "switchin clips" feature, which I'm assuming is that rotating 10-disk clip idea that some folks had been tossing around.  It wasn't explained very well and the lighting in this video leaves something to be desired.  Mentioned is a release date "In the fall... or in the summer", so sometime around the Elite release from the sounds of it.  He calls the disks darts, so don't be expecting to be blown away by an in-depth analysis, but it's all we've got right now!  If any other info surfaces about this blaster, you'll find it here!

I got this link from Alex Woffenden on Facebook off of Urban Tagger's page in a comment he posted.

Vortex's First Year

It's been around a year or two since news of the Vortex line got published on the Nerf Nation Facebook page.  I still remember reading all the complaints about "why is it a disk blaster?" and horrific thoughts of the dollar store blasters most folks were familiar with.  No-one really expected these new designs, XLR Disks, or the matchup between N-Strike and Vortex.  When they first hit shelves late in the summer of 2011, I picked a bunch up and did an indoor N-Strike vs Vortex game to see how this match would actually pan out.  I'm pretty sure we were some of the first to do it, especially considering the attention that single post gained afterwards.  I expected to see others following suit, but instead I have seen more folks clinging to their dart blasters and dodging disks in mid-flight.

While we did enjoy our Vortex vs N-Strike games, the more I try to pitch it to the folks I Nerf with, the more they would rather just stick to dart blaster games.  In the same way that much of the economy revolves around gasoline, Nerf players can't seem to give up their darts.  I think one of the main problems is that although the XLR Disks in the Vortex lineup can achieve longer ranges than most dart blasters, there are other factors that outweigh this benefit.  There have been countless studies and comparisons between Darts and Disks, but regardless of the outcome of any of that, Nerf Fans still end up clinging to their darts.

There has been some progression to the Vortex line since it's original release with the Lumitron out and the Pyragon on the way.  However, if Vortex's main power lies in it's range... it's about to get axed by N-Strike Elite, which seems to be focused on beating the XLR Disk in range with a redesigned dart that ANY blaster can use.  If the Vortex Line doesn't do something to increase their performance, I fear that the trend of dart-lovers in Nerf Nation will only worsen, making the acceptance of Disks even tougher to sell.

I rather like the idea of two types of ammo pitted against eachother, as it balances games in a neat way.  It's my hope that whatever future lies ahead of Vortex that it's a path that'll ensure that the rivalry continues.

My CTDYNE Phoenix LTX

This weekend I received LTX Combo Mount #4 from Mike Yates of Custom Tag Dynamics and I was floored by the quality and craftsmanship put into it.  I didn't really have a nice looking LTX to put it on at the time, so I decided to redo and repaint my old "Phoenix Blackout" and put this mount on a permanent home.  The result is one of my most detailed and well-done LTXs to date, so I'm pretty proud that I was able to do this accessory justice.

Pocket Weighs In on Elite News

This was posted on Urban Tagger's Facebook Page (which is their only outlet of information right now). Take a read if you wish.

"A few years ago, when I first seriously got into Nerf, the guy at my local Toyworld tried to explain to me that Nerf blasters in Australia had essentially been "detuned" due to our rather strict regulations. He went on to explain if a Nerf dart could shoot through a sheet of aluminium foil. then it was considered a safety risk. I do know we have very strict regulations here, hence the whole "No airsoft" thing, so it actually DID make some sense, but at the time I took it with a grain of salt as I was importing several blasters from the US and found no real performance difference between the US vs the locally bought blasters and so just chalked it up as just nothing to worry about.

Nerf's upcoming release of the new N-Strike Elite series (and I do shy of mentioning them as it seems whenever I do I get legal trouble regardless of how widespread they are on the internet) ARE essentially mostly repaints of old blasters. Add some new accessories to make them look a tad tougher, but we end up with them continuing the ridiculous trend of releasing old blasters as NEW ones ( Lumitron-Praxis, Thunder Storm/Lightning Storm) by merely repainting them and adding "bits". What did excite the fans though was the prospect of an upgraded dart and firing mechanism with talk of a 75 ft stock range. Boom, right? All of the promo material, the videos- the marketing spiel essentially said "N-Strike Elite outperforms N-Strike".

120,000 Views later...

So in trying to decide what to this week's posts about, I thought I'd throw the statistical story out there first.  There are significant spikes in viewership that reflect some of this blog's "shining moments" of it's first year in operation.

When the blog first started out, it was simply projects I had been working on.  I was getting my feet wet and picked up a few loyal followers, but it wasn't really a whole lot to brag about, averaging a little over 1,000 views a month until August.  It wasn't really until Urban Taggers picked up on my work on the LTX DMR that things started to pick up.

In early September, I got news from Tag Ferret about the latest Lazer Tag system to come out.  News of that spread like crazy and it was really one of this blog's first notable contributions for new information.  September marked 10,000 pageviews, and for good reason.  The completion of the LTX DMR and additional news about LTX accessories getting released got a good amount of attention.

Tactical Tag Celebrates 1 year!

Today marks this blog's 1 year Anniversary!  All this week I'll be doing some throwback posts/updates on older stuff from some of the most visited posts we've had so far.  It's been a GREAT year and I can't say I expected even half of the attention and support this blog has gained during it's brief time on the interwebs.

I want to thank everyone who's subscribed, followed, read, commented, and contributed to this blog.  There are FAR too many folks to thank at this point, which is just a testament to how great the community is here.  It's been an honor to serve you thus far and a great pleasure to share my work with you on here.  Tactical Tag has come a LONG way from it's initial "Welcome" post one year ago today and it's all thanks to you!

Keep fighting the good fight!  Stay tuned this week for a look back at some of this blog's popular posts as well as more news on projects I'm working on!

Combo Mount #4 has Arrived!

I'm going to be working on an in-depth review of this rare piece of custom-fabricated hardware designed for use on the Lazer Tag Phoenix blasters.  It's designed and built by Mike Yates of Custom Tag Dynamics and is an impressive accessory for the LTX.

No modifications are needed to attach this to the upper rail of the Phoenix and it adds a sturdy, solid stock and tactical rail for additional accessories.  Flashlights, sights, scopes, any accessory designed to fit on a weaver rail will now easily fit onto this blaster.

I've been covering the Combo Mount design for awhile now but finally have Unit #4 in my hands and I've gotta say I'm very impressed with the craftsmanship, detail, and professional quality of this product.  I'll be doing an in-depth review of this blaster this week, so keep it here for additional information on this gem.

Got the Blues? May not be a bad thing!

Blue Trigger Speedload 6 from Bradi28

It's no secret: blue is my favorite color.  What with this blog's theme mainly being blue and black, I'm pumped for the new look for the Nerf N-Strike Elite line (blue), got a Blue Team Jersey, got a Blue Team Flag shirt from the guys at RoosterTeeth, it's Blue all the way for me.  However, there's been information running around out there that hasn't really gone mainstream about Blue Triggers on Dart Tag blasters.  We all know the Dart Tag Speedswarm had a blue trigger, but now there's other blue trigger versions of the previous Dart Tag blasters that may have some more "oomph" to them.

2 Biggies this Month

So between now and mid-May, I'll be focusing on two mods that cover both sides of the hobbies I cover on here.

Older versions of the Pulse Rifle
required me to wear external sensors

On the Laser Tag side, I'll be working on my M41A Pulse Rifle, preparing it for the next summer season of tagging and making it compatible with the Lazer Tag Phoenixes we'll be switching to.  The switch to the LTX isn't quite as simple as a recasing, like my LTX DMR did last season (though it can hardly be called "simple"!).  We are not only installing our own custom-programmed Arduino boards to run the software for these blasters, but will also be installing embedded sensors into the Pulse Rifle's body.  Unlike a Sensor Dome that the LTTO and LTX blasters utilize to record hits during games, the M41A will have 4 sensors that are placed on easily concealable parts of the blaster (in between the vents on the front, above the main barrel, along the top rail) and there will also be red LED lights installed on the blaster that will light up when it is hit.  It'll function just like a blaster with a sensor dome, but instead of an unsightly dome sitting somewhere on my beautiful Pulse Rifle, the design will retain it's iconic appearance while hiding these sensors on the body.  It's a transition from being a Laser Challenge blaster (with external sensors worn on the user) to a LTTO/LTX blaster (with sensors on the blaster) that won't be too noticeable, but requires a great deal of re-wiring and internal construction.

The other project is obviously on the Nerf side of things.  I've been working with my Whiteout Longstrike recently, messing with an Orange Mod Works Massacre kit and ordering the Xplorer grip for it.  But once all of THAT comes together, I'll be weighing my options to see if I want to use it as my main blaster or if the Elite Longshot project that I'm working on is a better pick.  As it stands, the Elite Longshot performs a little better, but I would like to get this Longstrike up to par with it for some odd reason.  I'll probably end up switching between the two, as both are high-performing blasters and are comfortable to use in games, but after my initial tests with the Longshot vs the Longstrike, I was kind of bummed the Longstrike didn't do better.  I'll be trying things out to improve that.

Keep it here for updates on these two projects as I hone my spare time on these areas.  I'll also be doing a full review of the Longstrike grip from Xplorer, so stay tuned for that.

The Saving Spring!

No, it's not a belated comment about Easter or talking about this season at all (though it is ironic), but the 5KG spring that I am increasingly becoming a fan of has been taking OMW's kits by storm.  In a recent e-mail from Orange Mod Works, problems with the Alpha Trooper and Raider Massacre kits have prompted the use of the 5KG spring as well as padding for the plungers.

They've also included some hard science to back up the advantages of using the 5KG spring.

The 5kg spring will further increase the durability of this kit by reducing the stress placed on the metal priming rod during use.  Using the 5kg spring will result in a slightly lower muzzle velocity when compared to the 6kg spring, but the overall firing range is not reduced, due to the fact that stock streamlines are more stable when traveling around 70-80 feet per second.

Makes sense to me!

Midwest Laser Tag Association Logo?

So the long-time name of my laser tagging group has been the "Omaha Laser Challenge Association" since 2006.  We're based in Omaha, Nebraska.  We use Laser Challenge gear.  It just made sense at the time.  Fast forward to the present day, where the OLCA is now switching over to the LTX for our main equipment to promote the new LTAR gear coming out this summer (and this gear just happens to work a lot better for us).  We also play at locations outside of the Omaha Metro Area, so with all this change going on, it warranted a name change as well.  We have since expanded into the "Midwest Laser Tag Association" but now we lack a cool logo.  The old OLCA logo was nifty and all, but I need something new for the MLTA.  I figured with the abundance of graphic designers out there in the Nerf/Laser Tag world that maybe some of YOU would have an idea or two to submit for us to use. 

Long story short: I could use some ideas for a new MLTA logo!  Post links in the comments section of your ideas and we'll go from there!  Thanks in advance!

OMW's 5KG Spring: Wonderful!

I've always said that I prioritize functionality over aesthetics.  The Nerf Longstrike CS-6 is arguably one of the best looking blasters made to date.  Additionally, the Whiteout Series has been regarded as one of the best looking styles for a Nerf Blaster.  With the Orange Mod Works kit installed in my Whiteout Series Longstrike, you'd think I'd get all the functionality and aesthetics I could ever want, but from previous tries with the Massacre kit for the Longstrike, I was having issues with it.

While I had learned from theDocument about the single-hand priming method that they use, I felt the underlying problem with the kit was the overpowered 6KG spring.  OMW sent me a 5KG spring to replace it and is also replacing the broken breech from my previous attempts, which is nice.  I installed the 5KG spring and was delighted to see how much easier it was to prime without too much noticeable loss in power.  A single hand prime without going over the top of the blaster is more than doable with this toned-down spring.

I also recently purchased a RFLG(Rapid Fire Longstrike Grip) kit by Xplorer that was featured on Nerf Mods & Reviews.  This will actually do the same job as the single hand technique seen on theDocument but be much more comfortable to use.  I'll be using this grip on mine with the OMW Massacre kit installed.  The plan is to try out the 6KG spring and see if it's able to be used with it.  If not, I'll simply keep the 5KG spring in there and be happy with that.  Should be a neat combination between Xplorer and OMW parts on this great blaster!

OLCA Announcement

Last week during the Mod Night I held, I had a few of my Omaha Laser Challenge Association (OLCA) faithful in attendance.  Amidst the modding, we discussed what to do about the ever-popular Fight Night.  For those who don't know, for the past 5 years, the OLCA had been running weekly games during the summer that meet at the same time and place each week called "Fight Nights".  They've been very popular and have seen average weekly attendance between 25 and 35 people.

This year will mark what would be the OLCA's 7th Summer Season and 6th year of managing these games.  However, after years of running weekly games, the veterans and organizers who have helped run these games have become much more busy with life.  To save the Fight Night but also to save the veteran's increasingly rare spare time to put towards planning and preparing for these games, we've decided to turn the Weekly Fight Night into a bi-weekly event.

One of our first games: July 3rd, 2006

 At first, this is an obvious setback in an otherwise active summer season of Laser Tag.  However, much of the reason we have decided to change to a bi-weekly format is to allow special games at different locations to be planned during the off-weeks that the schedule now permits.  In years past, it was busy enough to prepare for weekly games at the same park with our schedules unable to allow us to plan a game at a different park or on a different day.  Now, with the bi-weekly format, we are able to still serve the needs of our everyday tagger that show up to the games whenever they can while having more time to plan special events at different and more challenging locations.

In addition to changing the summer schedule, we are also changing the name of this long-established group to accomodate the fact that we are no longer limited to the Laser Challenge brand or that our games are exclusively held in the city of Omaha.  To anticipate our group's outreach to other systems and locations, the name has been generalized to the Midwest Laser Tag Association, or MLTA.  Our group plans to promote the best in laser tag and with the LTAR on the horizon for release at the end of our summer season, we're preparing to host more games using gear that is directly compatible with it.  Our group-wide collection of Lazer Tag Team Ops and Phoenix LTX blasters will allow us to continue to host the large turnout we have come to expect over the years.

I'll eventually work up a new logo for the MLTA, as I know it'll help set this name change in stone.  The OLCA has been good to us, but in order to expand what we're doing and promote the new systems we tag with, it was necessary to make these changes.  What will technically be the 7th Season of the OLCA can be considered the first season of the MLTA, though it's the same great group of people tagging at our favorite local parks with bigger plans and better gear.

Variable Drop-Leg Holster

I normally don't use holsters for Nerf or Laser Tag because, quite honestly, nothing I have seen is large enough to fit my blasters.  However, over at One Source Laser Tag, they've developed a custom Drop-Leg holster that's versatile enough to not only fit great blasters for sidearms, but might change the way you look at Sidearms in general.

Normally we think of grossly underpowered, "Man I wish I had my primary right now" blasters being tossed in a pocket since no real holsters exist for these.  Sure there's a few ways you can store your blasters on you, but one look at this holster and you'll be seeing things a little differently.  Check out the video review below.

Elite: More Answers, More Questions

With the new N-Strike Elite photos up at Nerf Mods & Reviews, there's a lot to talk about.  The Elite Barricade certainly surprised me, but I'm more surprised as to why have two Flywheel-based blasters in the Elite Lineup and still have the Barricade one running off 4.5 Volts?  To achieve those "Elite Distances" that the commercials for this new line have been boasting, there needs to be a voltage increase for the Barricade or improved motors driving those darts forward.

With the Hailfire's design, the solution would be simple: just have more batteries in the blaster to drive the motor faster.  But with the Barricade design being reused on this blaster, you're stuck with 3 AA battery slots that'll limit your range using standard batteries.  This leads me to believe even MORE so that the underlying performance booster in these dart blasters is the new dart design itself.  The blasters are probably tweaked themselves, but a new motor inside the Barricade wouldn't get it THAT much more range.  A newer dart that is weighted better and can achieve longer ranges would be needed.

If my speculation about the better dart design is true, and if the dart is truly "Universal", the Elite Dart could improve every blaster Nerf has ever made to fire Micro Darts.  I'm getting more and more excited for the darts from Elite than anything else, which seems odd, but the promise of improving blasters without having to modify or make your own is an attractive promise.

Size Matters

One of the things I tend to see a lot of when I loan out blasters to use for Nerf Games is that folks are often drawn to the larger blasters.  There's a connection in their minds that the Bigger the Blaster, the better it is and I've always thought it was funny to see how it unfolded to not always be the case.

More after the Jump>>

Retaliator Accessories

So Nerf Mods & Reviews got the drop on the latest vid from Nerf Nation about the Retaliator.  I decided to get some closer pictures of what I'M most interested in about this blaster: it's accessories.  With the exception of the Recon barrel, the rest of the Retaliator's accessories look great.  The Orange Foregrip will look great on just about any blaster, the 12-dart clip looks to have a transparent orange section on the right side of the blaster, and the stock looks great and will hopefully be nice and sturdy too.

I am a bit worried about this stock after looking iat it more.  Not so much from a stability standpoint, but rather in terms of it's length.  Looking at the blaster compared to a Recon I have and a Raider stock, it's not nearly as long as I originally thought.  Perhaps it's just the angle things are at, but it looks like the Lightningstorm Stock and the Raider Stock will still be much longer in terms of extension go than this one.  I hope it ends up being longer than I'm seeing here, because it's measuring up to be a little longer than a Raider Stock extended a little past 1 click.

However, while we have great info on the blaster's accessories, now there's an even MORE gray area in terms of the BIG question about N-Strike Elite: range.  The original listed ranges for Elite was 75 feet and, while that continues to be the case, there are European versions of this same commercial that list 15 meters for it's range, which converts to approximately 49 feet.  While this still isn't bad, it's certainly not the "Elite" range we were all expecting.  Nerf certainly has some clarifying to do in terms of it's range claims and this conflicting information only makes things less clear.

LT Hyperfire

One of the neat things at our Mod Night this past weekend was seeing some of German's stuff.  He's a great modder and is becoming increasingly talented with recasings.  This latest one is built off a broken Dart Tag Hyperfire.  It's still a work in progress, but I figured there were elements about this blaster that both sides of my readers could appreciate.  For reference, I've included a picture of my stock Nerf Hyperfire to compare it to German's Laser Tag Hyperfire.  Read on for details on the custom stock and lens.

Ridiculously Oversized Red/Green Dot Sight

So this past weekend we had a "Mod Night" that a few of you chimed in to check out with us.  I had originally thought to post this picture as an April Fools thing, but I decided to fool you with the Firefly'd Firefly instead (seemed to work out well).  Here's the lowdown on this thing!

This has got to be the largest Red/Green dot sight I've ever seen in my life.  A friend who was at the Mod Night brought it to show us but he said when he purchased it online, there wasn't any sort of comparison to just how big it would be.  He was expecting it to be much smaller.  It's a Chinese knock-off sight, so I'm not sure if it's based off of a real model that's actually this large.

Regardless, the only blaster it looked halfway normal on was this Stampede, and not even on the top rail (looked very strange up there.  We mounted it instead on the rail where the sheild would normally go and it did alright.

It's still ridiculously oversized, so I just thought I'd share that.  Stay tuned to the blog this week as I show you some more of what we worked on during Mod Night.  I've got an awesome holster I wanna share with you but, until then, check out The Document's awesome holster!

Firefly-colored Firefly!

Just when we thought Nerf was getting rid of the REV-8, they pull this one on us!  It's a Firefly-colored Firefly!  The popular glow-in-the-dark series is also rumored to have another Vortex blaster added to the lineup: a recolored Nitron (which has been one of Nerf Nation's FAVORITE blasters EVER of ALL TIME) that'll simply be called the "Tron", making a theme of the disks tossed about in the popular film of the same name.  I'm soooo ready to "Light It Up" with these new blasters!  Keep an eye out for the Abercrombe & Fitch models with these new blasters in an all-new commercial too!  Amazing!