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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Nerf Dart Tag Snapfire 8 - Mod Guide!

This Mod Guide will cover some basic performance mods for the Nerf Snapfire 8.

Mods covered:
- Air Restrictor (AR) Removal
- Rotating Barrel Dart Post Removal

Note: The modding steps are similar to the Nerf Speedswarm Mod and Nerf Swarmfire Mod.

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! :)

34 comments:

  1. umm... what do you use for the tip of your stefans? just wondering :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NomNomNom,

      I use custom made silicone tips, you can order them directly from inform3r at the OzNerf forum, or get them from hanzo at the NerfSG forum.

      Delete
  2. I just realized something... This may be the smallest (meaning most compact) auto-advancing turret system nerf has made!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I nice non-eletric compact alternative to the barricade, I like it :) the power with just the stock spring is nice as well

    ReplyDelete
  4. I bet pushing brass in the turret will get the ranges up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pause,

      It'll depend on the foam dart fit in the barrels, if you happen to be using narrower foam darts, then installing additional brass tube inserts could help create the better fit for your particular foam darts.

      The custom stefans i use already have a tight fit in the original barrels and the existing barrel length was just right for the blaster power, so i didn't need to do further re-barrel mods in my unit. :)

      Delete
  5. Where can i get this blaster because it hasn't yet been released in the UK?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      They should be popping up at dept stores and online sites soon, i guess you'll just have to keep a lookout for them.

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Iron Archer,

      Well, once the air restrictors (AR) are removed, it is not advisable to dry fire the blasters (to prolong the lifespan of the parts).

      Delete
  7. Sorry if it is redundant/off topic but where do you get the tips for your stefans? The felt pads in my local hardware stores tend to be a lot thinner and don't form the 'frustrum' shape yours have (ie bottom half of a cone like a streamline) thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brian Lin,

      The tips i use in my stefans are customized silicone tips, you can order them from inform3r at the OzNerf forum, or get them directly from hanzo at the NerfSG forum.

      Delete
  8. hey sgn is it normal that there will not be any click sound when you rotate the barrel after ar removed?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      Yes, once the AR is removed, there is no more spring loaded "tooth" that controls the opening and closing of the AR, so there will be no more clicking sound.

      Delete
  9. How would you do a spring replacement on this? Which part would you replace?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      Well, spring replacement is just a matter of getting or custom making an extension spring with heavier load... but whether its actually practical to do so will depend on the strength of your trigger finger though, increasing the spring load will require much more effort in the trigger pull too.

      Delete
  10. Couldn't you just cut down the spring a tiny bit? Thus, the spring would have a little bit more tension even in Speed Mode - you would just have to be careful not to cut too much - you may risk not being able to pull the trigger in Power Mode;)

    Snapfires are not available in Germany yet, but once I get one, I will try that...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      Yes, you can try that too... it should get you a similar effect as pre-tensioning the spring.

      I guess the limits will be how strong your trigger finger is. :)

      Delete
  11. sorry for quiting the topic,but what for is the AR removal affected?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      Removing air restrictors (AR) allows the air from the plunger to flow though to the barrel without restriction, hence enabling better power and ranges.

      Delete
  12. Where can you get one of these online?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Is any plunger padding needed? i noticed that you didn't mention it in the guide.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      I didn't put any plunger padding in my modded units because there is already a small rubber bumper originally attached on the stock plunger head.

      So far, that has been sufficient to absorb the impacts... though i guess you could also remove it and then re-apply a new layer of padding too.

      Delete
    2. That's strange... because in the Jolt EX-1 the rubber bumper is also on the plunger head.

      Delete
  14. Are the 3 lamellars behind the Trigger needed? Is it possible to remove them without negative effect?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous,

      The "plates" behind the actual trigger are just to cover the gaps, they can be removed and it'll still work fine.

      Delete
  15. The snapfire is pretty cool! When does it come out in the US

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew Livioco,

      No news yet... i guess you could check with the dept stores directly or just wait for them to pop up eventually. :)

      Delete
  16. Do you think you could make the trigger easier to pull without taking away from distance

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew Livioco,

      Well, the Snapfire 8's power is based on the trigger priming the spring plunger... so the trigger pull effort is directly proportional to the power.

      I guess the best is to just switch the tuning knob to "speed" (for easier trigger pull), then optimize the ranges with other mods like AR removal and the use of customized foam darts.

      Delete
    2. I kinda thougt of somthing that might work, might not. But if you put a weak contraction spring behind the trigger, pulling it, that might ease it up

      Delete
    3. Andrew Livioco,

      That could be possible... do try it out and see if it works. :)

      Delete
  17. my snapfire exploded when i opened mine i think i pulled to hard once because all the skrew holes are demolished now

    ReplyDelete
  18. hi, its been a long time since this blaster, removed the ar and cut the pegs out, now assemble back the blaster found out that the barrel is not rotating normally,it shoots 2-4 darts then it doesnt rotate, i file of the edges from cutting the pegs, i checked the rotation, its normal. but its just not rotating . thanks

    ReplyDelete