Notes From a Maker

A semi-automatic mag-in-grip Nerf pistol has long been the holy grail in Nerf design. Fortunately, the hobby has come to a point where mag-in-grip pistols are now possible. While many are electronic and rely on tiny flywheels, very few are air powered due to many engineering challenges. This is a prototype design I'm working on that aims to solve some of those challenges in an unusual way. Difficulties with Pneumatic Nerf Pistols So why is it so difficult to design a semi-automatic Nerf pistol? There's a couple of obstacles which make it different and more challenging compared to a larger form factor blaster like a rifle. Dart Size Dart size is a huge constraint to Nerf design. Before the popularization of half darts, it was impossible to fit a magazine in the grip due to the darts being nearly 3 inches long. Half darts make it possible at last for magazines to be able to be held in the grip. Even still, the darts are larger than one of the largest pistol calibers, the .50AE, a...

  I will be going over the design process of a Nerf magazine stock. It's a pretty quirky adapter which allows the user to use a spare Talon magazine as a stock.  The part can be downloaded on Thingiverse . Inspiration I saw a video of the Russian PP-2000, which was one of my favorite weapons to use in the game Ghost Recon Online, and I noticed a feature that I had never seen before. In addition to the familiar folding stock, there was a cutout that apparently was designed to hold a spare magazine to use as a makeshift stock. That was pretty fascinating, and seemed like an interesting way to hold more ammunition on the gun itself, which I am a fan of. Thus, I wanted to do a similar thing with my Nerf blasters.  PP-2000, with the spare magazine inserted in the stock Initial Concept The first step was to determine whether I wanted to make it out of a full size Nerf magazine, or a half length Talon magazine. Ultimately, I chose to use a Talon magazine because the full length ...

The Berm, with a straight handle After the Mesa, I wanted something simple and easily repeatable, as that would make it easier for others to reproduce it as well. To that end, I wanted to try to make it completely 3D printed, and not require any other tools to build.  Initial Design I had some ideas for what I wanted. It definitely would have to be a pistol format, and I wanted a simple design. I had some ideas for a Welrod style blaster, so that's what I decided to focus my efforts into. While working on figuring out a mechanism for a magazine version, I decided it would be easier to just start out with a single shot variant. The Welrod style also helped with some design criteria for the blaster. True to its stealthy covert origins, I wanted my blaster to be quiet and inconspicuous. In addition, I gave myself the challenge of making it completely without any metal, which means no conventional springs or screws to hold it together.  The Welrod MkII, the inspiration for this bu...

I've been modifying Nerf blasters for close to ten years now, but I've never designed my own before. I had been wanting to build my own for a long time, and I finally decided that now is a good time as any to start. Homemade 3D printed blasters have existed for some time, such as the Caliburn and FDL, but sourcing the hardware could be difficult since many of the parts are not offered in your typical hardware store. Thus, I wanted my own design to consist of only hardware that could easily be obtained. The design parameters I set were as follows: Spring powered for better performance ceiling and no need for batteries Bullpup design to maximize barrel length and minimize total length Comfortable stock to handle distance, which can be problematic with spring bullpup blasters Plunger volume comparable to a Caliburn Accept both full length and half length darts Favor hardware over 3D printed components for strength and build time Find all hardware in the local hardware store or Ama...