Review

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:

The Nerf Element EX-6 Action Kit is essentially a re-release of the gun that comes with Nerf Disk Shot, which itself is basically an upgrade to the ever popular Nite Finder EX-3.

The first thing you’ll notice when you see the Element EX-6 in the packaging is the accessories. The package comes with a scope and a light, both of which attach to the top of the gun. Neither attachment works very well — particularly the scope. Nerf darts sink rather quickly and don’t maintain a constant trajectory, so the scope isn’t accurate at all beyond about 10 feet or so.

The other downside of the attachments is that they make the gun heavier and more bulky than is really necessary for a pistol, but I do have to admit, they look pretty cool when attached. The attachments are also compatible with other guns in the N-Strike line, including the Maverick, Vulcan, Nite Finder, Longshot, and Recon.

If you already have a Nite Finder, the biggest (and only IMO) reason to upgrade to the Nerf Element is the increased dart storage. Whereas the original Nite Finder could hold only two extra rounds of ammo, the Element can hold five.

Internally, the Nerf Element EX-6 is basically identical to the Nite Finder, except that the light is now an accessory, so you don’t have to deal with the battery and wires. The plunger is also a bit smaller, but it’s just as easy (and worthwhile) to mod as the Nite Finder EX-3. Even the most amateur modders should be able to increase the range to 40 feet or more just by removing the air restrictor and plugging a hole in the barrel with tape.

It’s impossible not to recommend the Nerf N-Strike Element if you don’t already have the Nerf Disk Shot, as the increased dart storage capacity alone makes it a fantastic upgrade to what was already one of the best Nerf guns out there.