Disclaimer:
Modify at your own risk. Modifications may wear out or damage your
blaster. Please be careful when using hobby tools!
:: AR Removal ::
Step 1: Disassemble your Snapfire 8. Make sure to remove all the screws before detaching the casing layers. Remove the plunger tube.
Step 2: Look down the plunger tube, you will see the air restrictor assembly.
Step 3: Use a wire cutter and snip off the 4 support posts holding the air restrictor assembly, all the AR parts will fall out.
The ARs have been removed! Easy.
:: Rotating Barrel Dart Post Removal ::
This
mod is for users who want to be able to
use solid core or short length DIY foam darts (ie. stefans) or as a modding step before
re-barrel mods.
Detach the rotating barrel from the casing.
Use a wire cutter to remove the dart posts.
Clean up all the debris and sharp edges, make sure the back of the turret is smooth and flat.
I've found the existing turret barrel fit and length ideal for the 3.25cm length customized stefans that i use.
Assemble everything... now you have a stefan compatible Snapfire 8!
With the stefans sitting inside the turret barrels, nothing is protruding out of the front, therefore its much easier to store or holster the Snapfire 8 in this configuration too. :)
:: Modified Nerf Snapfire 8 - Range Test Video ::
:: Sample Test Fire Data ::
PTG: Parallel-To-Ground (Shoulder height, no elevation)
Distance is measured at where the shot lands (Average of 8 shots).
Modded Snapfire 8 (AR Removal & Dart Post Removal) Ammo: Customized foam + 1.1 gram soft silicone tip weight
"Speed" Mode Range = 35-40ft
"Power" Mode Range = 45-50ft
Note
that the tests were done under controlled conditions with customized
foam darts. The results are sample estimates for reference (your results
may differ depending on materials and mod techniques used).
:: Side Notes ::
Additional plunger to turret seal improvements were not required as the Snapfire 8 uses a system
that pushes the plunger against the turret during the firing process,
thereby already creating an excellent turret seal.
In addition, i've not done any stronger aftermarket spring installations as i'm focusing on retaining
the blaster's rate-of-fire and ease of use... and my trigger finger doesn't exactly have superhuman strength yet! :)
For a detailed review of the Nerf Snapfire 8, click Here.
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Outer Casing Removed
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Inner Casing Removed
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Inner Mechanism Assembly Removed
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Operational Inner Mechanism Assembly
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Inner Mechanism Casing Removed
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Speed/Power Tuning System
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Direct Plunger System
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Direct Plunger Internals
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Plunger Comparison to Nerf Nite Finder
Plunger Dimensions for Comparison
Nite Finder Plunger
Inner diameter (ID) = 2.4cm
Plunger draw = 4.5cm
Total effective air volume = 20.37 cubic cm
Snapfire 8 Plunger
Inner diameter (ID) = 3.2cm
Plunger draw = 2.5cm
Total effective air volume = 20.11 cubic cm
Overall, both plungers seem to have similar effective air volume displacement. :)
--
Update!
Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Inner Mechanism Assembly Removed (Retail Version / Black Casing)
Disclaimer: Modify at your own risk. Modifications may wear out or damage your blaster. Please be careful when using hobby tools!
:: AR Removal ::
Step 1: Disassemble your Speedswarm. Make sure to remove all the screws before detaching the casing layers.
Step 2: Open the motorized spring plunger casing. Move aside the cover, rotating barrel and battery sled.
Step 3: Separate all the spring plunger parts and gear components.
Step 4: Take the plunger tube and use a rotating pipe cutter to cut the front section. Make sure the cut line is positioned over the blue area under the white plunger tube casing.
Rotate the pipe cutter 2-3 times, and try to pull apart the plunger tube. If it doesn't move, rotate the pipe cutter again, do not over-tighten the pipe cutter! Keep testing. It will eventually separate into two parts and the AR will just drop out.
Discard the AR components and glue the plunger cap back on with 2-part epoxy glue.
Alternatively, the AR can also be drilled out with a motorized drill or dremel. Just make sure the plunger and seals are not damaged in the process.
Note that the white colored "target" shaped plastic grill inside the plunger tube has to be intact, that part is required as an impact barrier for the plunger rod.
The AR removal mod is done!
:: Plunger Air Release Seal ::
Close up the air relief hole on the side of the plunger tube. This is essential to create an air-tight plunger seal.
In my example, i use 2-part epoxy glue to fill in the air relief hole.
:: Plunger Padding & O-Ring Replacement ::
Without the AR, there is no air buffering system to cushion the plunger on tube impact.
This results in very high wear and tear on the plunger and tube casing, by both normal firing and dry firing. Due to repeated direct impacts on the tube (hence the loud cracking sound during firing) over time, the plunger and tube may become damaged.
Therefore, padding should be applied to the plunger to help cushion the impact.
In the following photo, i attached a cut-out piece of soft foam bumper padding to the tip of the plunger.
To test the plunger air seal, block the tube exit and try to push the plunger rod into the plunger casing, if the air seal is optimized, there should be some resistance in the plunger. It should also still be able to move smoothly when the tube exit is not blocked.
If the plunger seal is loose, simply replace the stock o-ring with a more air-tight aftermarket o-ring.
:: Voltage Increase ::
The voltage feed to the Speedswarm's motor determines its speed.
To increase the Speedswarm's Rate of Fire (RoF), simply increase the amount of voltage to its motor.
There are many different types of batteries available to create higher voltage power sources, its up to the users to determine which setups suit their usage best.
Such batteries can be installed in the original Speedswarm battery sled without additional modification. I just use dummy AA battery spacers to fill the empty slots.
14500 size 3.7V TrustFire unprotected Li-Ion rechargeable batteries can be charged up to 4.2V each, so i use 4 of them (with an additional 2 dummy spacers) to get around 16.8V of power.
:: Aftermarket Spring Replacement (Optional) ::
One way to increase the speed of air delivery through the plunger tube is to replace the stock spring with a stronger aftermarket spring.
Photo Top: Stock Spring / Photo Bottom: 10kg load Spring
Note that due to the thicker spring wire of stronger aftermarket springs, the plunger rod's 4 plastic strut "fins" at the front will need to be trimmed abit narrower so that the spring can fit over the rod properly (or else the spring will end up sitting too far back).
Note that i use TrustFire 14500 unprotected Li-Ion rechargeable batteries. These unprotected Li-Ion batteries have high discharge rates which are necessary to provide the required torque to the motor to handle heavier spring loads.
Be advised that regular Alkaline batteries may not have high enough discharge rates (separate factor from voltage) to enable the motor to pull such heavier spring loads.
Due to the smaller size of the Speedswarm's motor, it generates less torque and speed compared to the larger motors found in the Swarmfire or Stampede, hence even with the voltage increase, a heavier spring tends to slow down its rate-of-fire (RoF) alot... therefore after much testing, i reverted my units back to stock spring setups as i preferred to maintain a higher RoF configuration.
:: Rotating Barrel Dart Post Removal (Optional) ::
This mod is also optional, it is mainly for users who want to be able to use solid core DIY foam darts (ie. stefans) or as a modding step before re-barrel mods.
Detach the rotating barrel from the casing.
Use a wire cutter to remove the dart posts.
Note that the dart post removal mod does not affect power or range significantly, it just allows more flexibility in the usage of various DIY foam dart designs.
Distance is measured at where the shot lands (Average of 10 shots).
Stock Speedswarm PTG = 20 ft ATG = 30 ft
Modded Speedswarm (AR Removal & Voltage Increase) PTG = 50 ft ATG = 60 ft
Note that the tests were done under controlled conditions with customized foam darts. The results are sample estimates for reference (your results may differ depending on materials and mod techniques used).
:: Summary & Game Usage ::
After using the Speedswarm in Nerf games, i've found that it is most effective when equipped as a close quarter sidearm. Thanks to its compact form factor, it can be easily holstered in a belt pouch or even in a large side pocket (can't holster a Swarmfire as easily).
For players who use long range blasters which require additional time to prime or pump up between shots, a holstered Speedswarm can be quickly drawn to counter opponents who advance too near... thats a potential lifesaver (and game changer) for many players! :) .
This Mod Guide will cover some performance mods for the Nerf Swarmfire.
Mods covered:
- Air Restrictor (AR) Removal
- Plunger Air Release Seal
- Plunger Padding
- O-Ring Replacement
- Voltage Increase
- Aftermarket Spring Replacement
- Rotating Barrel Dart Post Removal (Optional)
Disclaimer: Modify at your own risk. Modifications may wear out or damage your blaster. Please be careful when using hobby tools!
:: AR Removal ::
Step 1: Disassemble your Swarmfire. Make sure to remove all the screws before detaching the casing layers.
Step 2: Open the motorized spring plunger casing. Move aside the cover, rotating barrel and battery sled.
Step 3: Separate all the spring plunger parts and gear components.
Step 4: Take the plunger tube and simply use flat-head precision screwdrivers to pry open the plunger cap... the AR components will just pop out.
Discard the AR components and glue the plunger cap back on with 2-part epoxy glue.
Alternatively, the AR can also be drilled out with a motorized drill or dremel. Just make sure the plunger and seals are not damaged in the process.
Left Photo: Cap Before AR Removal / Right Photo: Cap After AR Removal.
Left Photo: Tube Before AR Removal / Right Photo: Tube After AR Removal.
Note that the white colored "target" shaped plastic grill has to be intact, that part is required as an impact barrier for the plunger rod.
The AR removal mod is done!
:: Plunger Air Release Seal ::
Close up the air relief hole on the side of the plunger tube. This is essential to create an air-tight plunger seal.
Top Photo: Open / Bottom Photo: Closed.
In my example, i use 2-part epoxy glue to fill in the air relief hole.
:: Plunger Padding ::
Without the AR, there is no air buffering system to cushion the plunger on tube impact.
This results in very high wear and tear on the plunger and tube casing, by both normal firing and dry firing. Due to repeated direct impacts on the tube (hence the loud cracking sound during firing) over time, the plunger and tube may become damaged.
Therefore, padding should be applied to the plunger to help cushion the impact.
In the following photo, i attached a 20mm diameter soft bumper padding to the tip of the plunger.
The 20mm diameter soft bumper pads i used in the above example are from a brand called "Volkmar-Fix", they can be found at most common hardware shops.
:: O-Ring Replacement ::
To test the plunger air seal, block the tube exit and try to push the plunger rod into the plunger casing, if the air seal is optimized, there should be some resistance in the plunger. It should still be able to move smoothly when the tube exit is not blocked.
If the plunger seal is loose, simply replace the stock o-ring with a more air-tight aftermarket o-ring.
From my experience, the plungers in different Swarmfire units can differ slightly in diameter, therefore you may have to test various o-rings to find the ideal ones that fit properly for an air-tight seal.
The voltage feed to the Swarmfire's motor determines its speed.
To increase the Swarmfire's Rate of Fire (RoF), simply increase the amount of voltage to its motor.
There are many different types of batteries available to create higher voltage power sources, its up to the users to determine which setups suit their usage best.
Such batteries can be installed in the original Swarmfire battery sled without additional modification, simply use AA to C-battery converters.
14500 size 3.7V TrustFire unprotected Li-Ion rechargeable batteries can be charged up to 4.2V each, so i use 4 of them in C-battery converters (with an additional 2 dummy spacers) to get around 16.8V of power.
:: Aftermarket Spring Replacement ::
One way to increase the speed of air delivery through the plunger tube is to replace the stock spring with a stronger aftermarket spring.
Photo Top: Stock Spring / Photo Bottom: 10kg load Spring
Note that due to the thicker spring wire of stronger aftermarket springs, the plunger rod's 4 plastic strut "fins" at the front will need to be trimmed abit narrower so that the spring can fit over the rod properly (or else the spring will end up sitting too far back).
For an optimal balance of RoF, range and reliability, i currently use 10kg load aftermarket springs with 16.8V power on my modded Swarmfires.
Note that i use TrustFire 14500 unprotected Li-Ion rechargeable batteries. These unprotected Li-Ion batteries have high discharge rates which are necessary to provide the required torque to the motor to handle heavier spring loads.
Be advised that regular Alkaline batteries may not have high enough discharge rates (separate factor from voltage) to enable the motor to pull such heavier spring loads.
:: Rotating Barrel Dart Post Removal (Optional) ::
This mod is optional, it is mainly for users who want to be able to use solid core DIY foam darts (ie. stefans) or as a modding step before re-barrel mods.
Detach the rotating barrel from the casing.
Use a dremel with a drill or cutting bit to remove the dart posts.
Note that the dart post removal mod does not affect power or range significantly, it just allows more flexibility in the usage of various DIY foam dart designs.
:: Modified Nerf Swarmfire - Test Fire & Range Testing Video ::
Distance is measured at where the shot lands (Average of 20 shots).
Stock Swarmfire
PTG = 20 ft
ATG = 30 ft
Modded Swarmfire (AR Removal & 10kg Load Aftermarket Spring)
PTG = 60 ft
ATG = 75 ft
Note that the tests were done under controlled conditions with Nerf Tagger foam darts. The results are sample estimates for reference (your results may differ depending on materials and mod techniques used).
