Pages

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Nerf Longshot "Brass Breech" Mod Update!

This is an update to my Nerf Longshot "Brass Breech" Mod Guide.

Mod Guide Link: http://modworks.blogspot.com/2010/03/nerf-longshot-brass-breech-mod-guide.html

One of the issues with that brass breech design was that the brass barrel half-pipe prevents clips from being loaded when the breech is open, due to the width of the half-pipe.

From a modding suggestion by "phuonguyen" over at the OzNerf forum a while back, the idea of a thinner "quarter-pipe" for the brass barrel was hatched. Credit goes to phuonguyen for his idea.

So i made a brass barrel with the quarter-pipe design, and it worked perfectly!

Basically just cut a quarter-pipe into the brass barrel.



Then just install it into the Brass Breeched Longshot as per normal.



The above photo shows the brass barrel with quarter-pipe installed in a Longshot with the original angel breech bolt attachment design.

Note that if you are following my additional brass bolt half-pipe design, you'll also have to do the quarter-pipe technique on the brass bolt too, so that both parts will have quarter-pipes to line up nicely for clips to be loaded and unloaded properly.

Now you can load and unload clips when the brass breech is open! :)

37 comments:

  1. How do all of your brass cuts look so good? I'm assuming you use a dremel (by the picture), and I can never replicate your quality of workmanship. This goes especially for your first posted angel-breech which looked amazingly clean. Whats your secret?

    ReplyDelete
  2. nostyleguy69,

    Yup, i use a Dremel with cutting discs to cut the brass tubes.

    The key to straight and smooth cuts is to use a fine-tipped marker and ruler to draw out the cut lines on the brass tube first.

    When cutting the brass tubes, keep the Dremel steady and make sure the path of the cutting disc is constantly in line with the drawn cut lines.

    After the brass tube is cut, i use a sanding bit to trim any uneven parts and round off any sharp edges.

    Thats how i do it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is there any way you could get up an internals guide for the Maverick? I'm planning a silencing mod but I don't want to do anything wrong or put stuff in the wrong place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Xavier,

    Sorry, i've no plans to put up internals guides for Mavericks anytime soon... mainly 'cos i don't have any sets at the moment. :)

    Anyways, you can find photos of Maverick internals quite easily from most Nerf forums and sites.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Im not sure if I remember clearly, but didn't the origional mod not shoot stock darts well. did this fix that problem.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Shnowman,

    Well, the brass barrel quarter-pipe design simply solves the clip loading and unloading issue when the brass breech is open.

    Whether a brass breech can chamber and fire stock darts (or any foam darts) properly, depends highly on the dart to barrel fit.

    For optimised performance, it'll require either using customised foam darts which fit the 9/16" brass barrels, or "stepping down" and reducing the brass barrel (17/32" instead of 9/16") assembly to fit narrower darts.

    So its all a matter of testing and adjusting the right dart fit in the brass barrels.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, the fbr i use is thinner than a stock nerf dart, so i was thinking of making my barrel out of 17/32 brass instead of 9/16. Would stock darts still work in that or would it jam because the fit between the dart and the barrel is too tight?

    ReplyDelete
  8. aj,

    Well, stock streamline darts are generally a tight fit in 17/32" brass tubes, so if the FBR you are using has an even narrower OD than stock streamline darts, then 17/32" brass tube could be good.

    One thing to note with 17/32" brass tubes is that your foam dart options will be limited as you wouldn't be able to use FBR or foam darts with larger OD.

    On the otherhand, 9/16" brass tubes give you a wider option in foam darts and you could use tightening rings to adapt to narrower OD darts, or even nest 17/32" brass tubes inside 9/16" brass tubes to temporarily adjust the barrel sizing anytime you need to.

    Environmental temperature should also be factored in. In warmer conditions, FBR tends to expand slightly, in cooler conditions they tend to shrink slightly. So its best to just test the various FBR and foam darts you plan to use with 17/32" and 9/16" brass tubes before deciding which to use for barrels.

    ReplyDelete
  9. ok, thank you. I think im going to nest a 17/32 piece in the 9/16 barrel to fit stock darts and my fbr better, because none of my friends make their own darts so all i use are my darts and stock darts. if i do this should i also nest a piece of 9/16 in the 19/32 bolt?

    ReplyDelete
  10. aj,

    Yup, nesting a 17/32" brass tube within the 9/16" brass barrel is a good way to adjust barrel IDs, just make sure you secure the 17/32" brass tube properly so it doesn't drop or fly out.

    You could nest an additional ring of 9/16" brass tube within the 19/32" brass bolt, but it'll need some accurate positioning 'cos it might block the original 9/16" brass barrel from chambering properly.

    The 19/32" brass bolt already has an air-tight seal with the 9/16" brass barrel, so i guess its better just to leave the bolt as it is.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ok thanks for all the info. Ill be doing this as soon as the brass i ordered comes. Also, are you going to do a tutorial on giving the stampede a brass breech when it comes out?

    ReplyDelete
  12. aj,

    Yup, Nerf Stampedes are now available in Singapore, so i've got a few sets to tinker and mod. Will be posting up a series of Stampede Mod Guides soon. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great. thanks for all your help. just 1 last question, my brass arrived today and I put together my breech, I nested the 17/32 in the 9/16 barrel, but when loading a stock dart it would not go all the way in the 17/32, because the fit was too tight. Im planning to fix this by putting the 17/32 about half a dart length into the 9/16, so when loaded the dart will be half in 9/16 brass and half in 17/32. Will this work or will it decrease ranges?

    ReplyDelete
  14. aj,

    Like i mentioned, 17/32" brass barrels have less options in dart usage, it tends to be less "forgiving" when it comes to dart fit.

    Stock streamline darts can sometimes be too tight in 17/32" brass barrels (it could be due to production batch, environment conditions etc).

    Thats why the majority of modders use 9/16" brass barrels for more dart type options, and use tightening rings or larger OD foam darts or stefans that fit those barrels better.

    Your idea of nesting 17/32" brass barrel part way in the 9/16" brass barrel could work, just test it out and note down the ranges to compare and see if its a suitable solution for your blaster setup.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey, I have looked at your modding guide for general mods, the shotgun grip, and this brass breech. I plan on doing it over Thanksgiving break (immature college student). My roommates got Mavericks they want to mod over break, so I figure I'll mod the longshot I already have and kick their collective butts. I do have a question about the brass cutting though. I don't have a dremel, so could I use a band-saw and get the same quality cut? Also, you mention that you use a 1' section of 9/16" pipe in the first step. How far does this brass go into the original barrel, or does it just stop once it passes through the breech and stop at the barrel? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ok, another question just came to mind. In your basic mod guide you mention the padding. Do you think 3/16" foam core like you can get at many craft stores and Meijer or Walmart would work?
    Also, if I were to shoot someone, like my sister or cousin, or potentially my roommate (no plans forming), would it hurt at close range with the heavier spring, the increased air flow, and stock streamline darts?
    And finally, I don't know if it is in one of your guides and I just missed it, but how far will my longshot fire on average once I remove the AR, plug the OV, put in a heavy spring, and insert the brass breech? Thanks much

    ReplyDelete
  17. Zach,

    Well, i've not worked with a band saw before so i guess you'll just have to test and see if it is suitable for precise cutting of the brass sections.

    The 1ft length of brass barrel goes into the original plastic barrel far enough so that when the breech closes, the brass bolt can still sleeve onto it, you will have to adjust all the parts to match properly.

    Craft foam could be used for plunger padding too, just layer the thickness if necessary to create more cushioning to absorb the plunger impacts.

    Yes, due to the higher dart velocity of the foam dart when fired from a brass breeched Longshot, a close range hit will be painful (and may leave a welt or bruise if the foam dart tip is not properly padded), so you must make sure not to fire at anyone at close range or towards people who are not wearing proper shatterproof safety eyewear.

    As indicated in the mod guide, with all the mods and brass breech system done properly, it should be able to fire to around 90-100ft parallel-to-ground. With custom calibrated foam darts, its possible to achieve up to 110ft ranges too.

    ReplyDelete
  18. What's that max range a Recon can obtain? With/without alu parts?

    Athanasios

    ReplyDelete
  19. Athanasios,

    The Recon is limited by its small reverse plunger volume, even after modding, it simply does not have enough air volume to propel foam darts as far as blasters with larger direct plunger volumes (ie. Longshots or Stampedes).

    Aluminium parts on their own don't increase range, they just help prevent those parts from breaking.

    The maximum parallel-to-ground (PTG) range i have gotten so far with a Recon after modding with AR removal, better o-ring seal, 11kg load aftermarket spring etc, is around 50ft... modded further with a proper brass breech, it improves slightly to 60ft. Thats the limit.

    ReplyDelete
  20. If I flew all the way to singapore with my longshot, would you do the brassbreech mod for cash? I'm confident enough with the mods in your first guide, but the breech mod is a bit more work involved :P

    ReplyDelete
  21. Vince,

    Sorry, i don't do mods for others, that's why i post up mod guides so everyone can use them for reference and mod on their own time.

    The brass breech mod is not too complex if you have already completed the basic Longshot mods, just take your time to work though the build process and it can be done. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. ¿Where can I get brass tubes?

    ReplyDelete
  23. L0VELESS,

    You can get K&S Engineering brand brass tubes from hobby or craft shops. You'll just have to shop around to find them.

    Alternatively, you could also check online hobby craft sites to find them too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Heya, question on the fully modded style of longshot.
    What sort of effect would increasing the length of the barrel have? I'd like some of that brass barrel sticking out of the housing for cosmetic value, but if it's going to hurt performance I guess it's not such a good idea

    ReplyDelete
  25. Taurich,

    So far, with my current 14kg spring load setup, the 9" of effective brass barrel (3" is taken up by the half/quarter pipe section) seems to be an ideal barrel length.

    It should still work well with a full 12" brass barrel length too, though any longer and there might start to be too much resistance.

    Barrel length also depends on the amount of air pressure propelling the foam dart, an even stronger spring load could create the higher air pressure necessary to push the foam dart through longer barrels, so you could test it out and see.

    Note that you should avoid having the bare brass barrel sticking out of the front, as that can be a hazard in games due to the sharp edge of the exposed brass tube.

    ReplyDelete
  26. If I'm going to fire mostly streamlines but maybe one day some stefans should I use the 9/16 or 17/32 barrel?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      To keep your ammo options open, you should use 9/16" brass barrels, as it can have the capability to use wider OD stefans too.

      Delete
    2. How about just with streamlines?

      17/32 or 9/16 (with tightening rings)

      Does tightening rings basically make a 9/16 into a 17/32

      Delete
    3. Anonymous,

      I would still recommend 9/16" brass barrels with tightening rings.

      The tightening rings allow narrower streamlines to be held securely in the barrel before firing.

      Honestly... when you eventually move on to using better custom foam darts and stefans, you'll be glad you used 9/16" brass barrels. :)

      Delete
  27. Thanks so much for your help!

    ReplyDelete
  28. What number cutting and sanding wheel do you use at what rpm?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      I usually use standard cut-off discs (ie. Black & Decker brand, 15/16" x 0.025", RT1014), the RPM speed i run my Dremel on is around 14,000-18,000 to cut brass.

      I guess you could just use any suitable cut-off discs that are designed to cut/grind metals too.

      Delete
  29. Do you just cut the barrel, or the barrel and bolt?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      If you are using my brass breech mod guide that uses half-pipes in both the brass barrel and bolt, then you have to cut the quarter-pipe design on both too.

      Delete
  30. Do you know if / how well this will work with elite darts? I heard somewhere that they're a slightly snugger fit than the older streamlines, but I want to use them as they generally perform better.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lborostudent,

      They should be usable too, just test and adjust accordingly... but do note that Elite foam darts still do swerve and curve in flight (especially when used in modded blasters with more power).

      Delete
    2. Thanks, I'll give it a go. I think I'll go easy on the tightening rings to start with and see.

      I realise that they won't be as good as using Stefans, but the game type I play requires stock darts at the moment.

      Delete