Nerf Switchfire

The Nerf Switchfire is a fantastic Nerf gun — that is, if your idea of a fantastic Nerf gun is one with attachments that will launch off and kill someone with no warning.

The idea behind the Switchfire is that you can switch the attachments on the barrel, choosing between making the gun a missile launcher or a ball launcher. Hmm…how to pick. Both missiles and balls are known for their sad accuracy and mediocre range, so you know what, just pick one.

Or pick neither, because this is one of the rarest Nerf guns out there. Why, you ask? Well, remember what I said about the attachments launching off and hurting people? That’s true. Nerf pulled the Switchfire from shelves after it became something of a legal liability.

Nerf SuperMAXX 5000

Like virtually all Nerf weapons that fire multiple types of ammo, the Nerf SuperMAXX 5000 does a decent job at a number of things, but it doesn’t do anything particularly well.

The SuperMAXX 5000 can fire balls, arrows and darts. Unfortunately, it fires both balls and arrows with lackluster range and accuracy, so there really isn’t any reason to use those weapon attachments.

That leaves you with a dart blaster, and, well, there are much better dart blasters on the market. Unless you’re a collector, there really isn’t any reason to buy the Nerf SuperMAXX 5000.

Nerf Cyclotron

The Nerf Cyclotron is a lot of fun to play with, given its unique firing method. Just load the tube with up to 6 balls and crank the handle to shoot one ball after another.

Aesthetically, the Cyclotron’s design is similar to that of the Nerf Ripsaw, but unlike the Ripsaw, you don’t have to use batteries, and it’s a whole lot quieter.

As with all ball guns, you aren’t going to be terribly accurate with the Cyclotron, but it’s still a lot of fun to pepper balls at your friends with this gun in close-quarters combat.

Nerf Air Tech Ball Blaster

The Nerf Air Tech Ball Blaster is pretty disappointing. The range on the blaster is very limited (about 20 feet), which is just unacceptable for a pump gun. Younger kids will have a hard time pumping this Nerf gun at all, and even if they can, their arms will quickly tire.

It’s hard to think of any reason why you should buy the Air Tech Ball Blaster, especially when you consider that the Nerf Atom Blaster has a comparable range and you don’t have to wear your arm out to shoot it.

Nerf Atom Blaster

The Nerf Atom Blaster is my personal favorite ball blaster. From an aesthetic perspective, the colors and shape work very well together, combining for a completely unique look.

The Atom Blaster also feels a lot sturdier than a lot of the Nerf guns released in the last couple years, and you get the impression that the spring inside is a monster.

While the range isn’t as good as you’ll get out of battery operated ball blasters like the Nerf Buzzsaw, the 20-25 foot range you’ll get out of the Atom Blaster is very solid for a spring operated ball gun.

As for accuracy, ball guns will never be pinpoint, but the Atom Blaster seems about as accurate as you can get given the imperfections of the ammo.

The only real drawback to the Nerf Atom Blaster is the ammo restriction — you have to load the balls one at a time, which can be a hindrance in a war. Obviously, with a gun this small, space is always an issue, so it’s understandable that you can only load one ball at once. You wouldn’t really want to use a ball gun in a war anyway, and the real purpose of the Atom Blaster is just to have fun.

Nerf Slingshot

The Nerf Slingshot is fun to play with because of its unique firing method, but its inconsistent range and poor accuracy make it a Nerf weapon that you probably never want to use in battle.

I had a Nerf Slingshot when I was a kid. The loading mechanism is cool (just drop three balls down the tube) and the action somewhat resembles a real slingshot — just pull back the rubber band and release.

The biggest problem with the Nerf Slingshot is getting the hammer on the rubber band to hit the balls squarely. Depending on the angle that you release from, the hammer will hit on top or underneath the ball, which affects both the range and accuracy.

Nerf Buzzsaw

The Nerf Buzzsaw is a lot like the Nerf Ripsaw that was released way back in 1995.

I guess you could call the Buzzsaw an upgrade of the Ripsaw, but it seems to me that it’s little more than a repackaging of the old weapon.

My complaint about the Ripsaw was that it was way too loud, and unfortunately the Nerf Buzzsaw doesn’t address that problem. Yup, you’ll still have a better chance of sneaking up on someone with an activated hairdryer in your hand.

Regardless, the Buzzsaw is fun to play with, so long as you have some extra ammo. Chasing after your three rounds every time you shoot is exactly as much fun as you think it would be.

Nerf Ripsaw

The Nerf Ripsaw is probably the most accurate ball weapon that Nerf has ever made, thanks to the wheel that spins the ball through the barrel.

The one unfortunate element if the Ripsaw is it’s really loud. I don’t know about you, but for me, the fun of Nerf guns is sneaking up behind someone and giving them a shot to the back of the head. Now tell me, could you sneak up behind someone if you were pushing a lawnmower? No? Then you couldn’t sneak behind them with the Ripsaw, either.

The Ripsaw can be fun provided the right environment — for instance, if you happened to be having a Nerf war on a construction site. Or with deaf people. Otherwise, you can do better with another gun.

Nerf Pulsator

When it was released, the Nerf Pulsator was the fastest-firing Nerf weapon ever made. That’s nice and all, but being able to fire quickly is only of limited value once you consider that the Pulsator can barely shoot farther than 20 feet.

Still, the Nerf Pulsator is great for close range combat.

Nerf Motorized Ballzooka

The Nerf Motorized Ballzooka was an upgrade to one of the most popular Nerf guns ever made — the Nerf Ballzooka.

The Motorized Ballzooka does improve on its predecessor in many ways. For instance, it shoots balls faster which results in higher accuracy. It can also hold up to fifteen balls, which is pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, the Motorized Ballzooka is loud. Really loud. We’re talking wake up your neighbors and have the cops knocking on your door loud. The motor sounds like a power generator, and you have to keep the motor switch suppressed to fire.

A simple on/off switch would have been a great addition. It also would be nice if you could keep the trigger suppressed for automatic fire, but the Motorized Ballzooka works well as a semi-automatic.

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