The Fourth Combat Form: Nerf

As this blog's rolled on, I've talked a bit about three different combat teamplay concepts. MilesTAG (beefed up laser tag), paintball, and Airsoft. Well, to round out this, let's take a look at another obscure teamplay game, Nerf.

Most people (read kids, teenagers) get a few Nerf guns and play a few "shoot em" games with friends. A few go and modify their stock nerf guns to remove some of the safety limitations. A few others go and make their own cheap, custom rounds. Even fewer go and build their own guns, usually low shot PVC contraptions that, while ergonomic and effective (although sometimes really neither), they make a bullpup pneumatic potato launcher look sleek and sexy.

And then... there's a guy who goes by the pseudonym Boltsniper. I believe he's graduated with a mechanical engineering degree, like me. Unlike me, he exercises his 2nd amendment rights. He also uses that knowledge gained to make semi-automatic full custom Nerf designs that work.

I don't want to copy him, but I will learn from him. I still want to make that airsoft/paintball OICW. For that, I need to understand how shell load and eject systems work. Well, at least the loading system, as I've been contemplating a caseless design.

So, today's objectives?

Part 1: Figure out a caseless Nerf gun system that has a working magazine system and runs on 3/8" nano Stefan darts. 9.5mm caliber if true diameter.

Part 2: Take the magazine system and integrate it with an airsoft style motor driven plunger system. This will allow select fire and full auto to be implemented. I have no objection to Boltsniper's pump system at all. It's quite the marvel in terms of system understanding and parts availability. I just want to see if an airsoft style reciprocating assault rifle will work.

Project 2 will be scaling this up to 25mm for range tests and practicality testing on dummy airsoft airburst rounds.

And no, I haven't given up on MilesTAG2020. Frankly, the various systems all kinda melded together. My ultimate objective is a series of modules that connect together and can be used for various game types. MILES is just the "ultimate" use, as it will integrate the actual shot detection, scoring, and shooting into the module network. The problem is, like the real MILES, you can't simulate indirect fire or area effect attacks effectively. While not a big deal for a game system, the US Army's troops are not ready for the realities of full combat that includes shrapnel clouds. That realization was not mine originally, but belonged to some article I read. I fully agree with it, however.