Slydev now shipping to the U.S

Last post, I mentioned Slydev making small parts for Nerf, including the Jolt rail connector that I featured, but unfortunately for my American readers, shipping to the U.S was not available at that time.

Well, now Slydev is. I have also noted that soon to come are Quadshot barrel spacers and after that, Nerf rail iron sights and something for the iphone/ipod (possibly a blaster mount???).

Most parts are avilable in multiple colours so those of you that live in the U.S will probably want to head over to the Slydev Store and check out the parts available.

Slydev: Rail adapter for Nerf Jolt

Slydev is run by Oznerf forum member Joey and has recently started developing small parts for foam dart blasters, from rail accessories to additional glue-on rails. The other day, I saw that he had posted about some Jolt related products, and a Jolt to Nerf rail adapter exactly what I needed so I ordered one through the online store.

It cost me a tiny $3 including postage and I must say, it is pretty sturdy.  The 2 part mechanism attaches to any Nerf rail via a small screw which pulls the 2 parts together to clamp on the the rail and your Jolt just clips in to the holder. I used mine to add my Jolt as an under barrel foregrip blaster for my Gear Up Recon. Unfortunately, shipping is only available Australia-wide at the moment, however international shipping may be available in the future. If you have a buddy in Australia but you live overseas, it's probably worth asking them if they can have it sent to them and then ship it to you.

I'm hoping to see a ton more parts from the Slydev Store, as I feel like the quality will improve even further as time goes on. So if you're Australian, head to Slydev store and have a look.

Review: Nerf Jolt

It's been quite a while since I've done a review so I thought I might take another crack at it, this time with the Nerf Jolt. This thing is packs a pretty decent punch in a tiny package and by far outclasses Nerf's previous mini blaster, the Secret Strike.

Check out that stylish font...

In the package which you can pick up for a tiny AU$4, you get the bright orange blaster and two whistler darts. It is a simplistic design resembling something like the repair tool from Battlefield: Bad Company 2 or the noisy cricket Will Smith brandished in the movie Men In Black. Thankfully, Nerf seems to have ditched the tacky yellow colour scheme and gone with a flashy orange, grey and black colours for the Jolt. The quality of the build is also fantastic, especially when these are retailing for pocket change. Unfortunately, but not unlike other mini blasters, it features no attachment rails, not dart storage and no loops for straps or hooks. So far, it's a very nice looking mini blaster, that is built really well, but very minimilistic.

 Interestingly, this is not a mini air blaster, but rather a direct plunger springer. The plunger is actually inside the handle with a pull down priming rod at the base. The trigger and trigger catch are the same piece and act on the plunger directly to hold it in the primed position and the outlet of the plunger system feeds directly to the air restrictor and barrel with very little dead space. Powering the system is a relatively strong spring, so I was expecting some decent ranges from this blaster which is so tiny. It's only a little larger than the Secret Strike, but still fits in my hands pretty well.

How does it perform? Extremely well! Ranges of 40+ feet were an unexpected surprise, and it has a nice little kick to it as well. Even though it has only a small direct plunger, it's still much more efficient than any reverse plunger system due to the minimizing of dead space and aligning the barrel and air restrictor so close to the plunger outlet. I must say, however, the great accuracy of this blaster is a little bit of a waste. Being such a small blaster, it is difficult to aim and that opens up a window for human error, even though the blaster itself is wonderfully on the mark. I can't help but feel that a rear sight would solve this problem to some extent. 

Modding potential for performance is limited, but also a bit redundant anyway. It is possible to remove the air restrictor, and a spring replacement would be a quick and easy way to get a slight improvement on power, but I would only expect a range increase of about 10 feet anyway. Cosmetically, this holds a little more potential. it could easily be integrated in to another blaster, or be used as a platform for great sci-fi or steampunk mods.

In summary, this is a fantastic little blaster, and while not everyone needs a mini blaster, I would recommend the Jolt over the Secret Strike any day. It outclasses any other mini blaster I have seen in performance, ease of use AND looks, despite it being one of the most simple and minimalistic blasters available. Couple that with a tiny price and you get a mini blaster worth a 9.5 out of 10 from this humble blogger.