- Series: Nerf N Strike
- Ammo capacity: 6 darts
- Range: 30-35 feet
- Released: 2008
The Nerf Longshot is one of the best Nerf guns on the market, though it does take a little work to make it reach its potential.
Out of the box, the Nerf Longshot only shoots about 35 feet — about the same as other(smaller) guns in the N-Strike line. You might be a little disappointed at first because you would generally expect that a Nerf gun with a scope and the word “longshot” in its name would have a ridiculously awesome range. But fear not! There is hope.
The Longshot is one of the easiest Nerf guns to modify, and a couple of simple changes to the internals can make an incredible difference in its performance.
Internally, there are very few small parts and there isn’t any glue holding things down, so you can pop open the shell and make your changes very quickly. You can easily more than double the range by simply replacing the spring and removing the air restrictors, at which point you’ll have a seriously awesome Nerf sniper rifle on your hands.
I only have one real complaint about the Nerf Longshot, and it’s pretty minor: the pistol attachment is close to worthless. It gets terrible range and accuracy, and when mounted, it decreases the range of your shots and can lead to accuracy problems. I recommend that you just take it off, give it to your little brother (if he’s armed it’s ok to shoot him), and be done with it.
Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about whether the Longshot or the Longstrike is a better gun. Ultimately, the answer depends on whether or not you intend to modify it.
If you do like to modify your Nerf guns, the Longshot will give you the most bang for your buck. The reverse plunger system found in the Longstrike (as well as the Recon and Raider) greatly limits the range that you can squeeze out of the gun, and no matter what you do, it will never shoot as far as the Longshot.
However, if you don’t like to mod your Nerf guns, both guns will give you similar performance out of the box, and you should make your selection based on which one appeals more to your playing style.