Ultimate 7-In-1 Modular Nerf Blaster From a Blastzooka
by severdhed in Outside > Launchers
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Ultimate 7-In-1 Modular Nerf Blaster From a Blastzooka
This Instructable will show you how to convert an Extreme Blastzooka into the ultimate 7-in-1 Nerf blaster. It uses a threaded coupler system with interchangeable barrels. This unit currently fires the following ammo:
1. Elite Darts
2. Mega Darts
3. Rival rounds
4. Demolisher / blastzooka missiles
5. Nerf arrows
6. a 6 dart shotgun (elite darts) blast
7. a 3 dart mega shotgun blast
I'm sure it could also be adapted to shoot other ammo by finding an appropriate barrel material. I did make it shoot Titan rockets, but the air tank is too small to shoot it more than about 15 feet. Since that doesn't perform as well as the original titan, I didn't count that one.
WARNING!!!
firing single elite/mega darts out of this thing under a fully pressurized tank is extremely dangerous. DO NOT PUMP IT MORE THAN 4 TIMES FOR SINGLE DARTS!!!!!
4 full pumps seems to be the threshold of what the elite darts can handle, any more than that, the pressure will cause the darts to split open, rendering them useless. I haven't ruined any mega darts yet, but i haven't fired any above 4 pumps.
This instructable has been edited to add more discrete steps to hopefully clear up any confusion
Items You Will Need:
This is what you will need to complete this project:
- BuzzBee Extreme Blastzooka
- 3/4" cpvc slip fit to pipe thread adapter (female) (with rubber washer)
- PVC cement
- electrical tape
- hot glue
- drill
- 1/2" spade style drill bit
- 4 inches of 3/4" cpvc pipe
for the elite dart/missile/arrow barrel:
- 3-inch piece of 1/2" CPVC pipe
- 3/4" cpvc slip fit to threaded coupler (male)
- 3/4" to 1/2" cpvc slip fit reducer bushing
- 1/2" copper pipe coupler
for the Mega barrel
- a 3/4" x 4" schedule 80 threaded pipe nipple (dark gray PVC)
for the Rival barrel
- a 3/4" cpvc slip fit to threaded (male) coupler
for the elite shotgun
- seven 2.5" pieces of 1/2" cpvc
- 1.5" cpvc coupler
- 1.5" slip fit to 3/4" threaded reducer bushing
- 3/4" threaded coupler (male) (dark gray)
- craft foam
- roofing nail
for the mega shotgun
- three 3/4" x 4" schedule 80 threaded pipe nipple (dark gray PVC)
- 2" pvc slip fit coupler
- 2" slip fit to 3/4" threaded reducer bushing
- 3/4" threaded coupler (male) (dark gray)
- craft foam
- drywall screw
Prepare Blastzooka: Remove Orange Ring
Start be removing the orange ring around the tip of the blastzooka,( just twist and pull, it should pop off)
Prepare Blastzooka: Cut Off Tip of Barrel
locate the small air hole in the side of the orange barrel, using a knife or other cutting tool, (PVC cutters, hacksaw, etc) cut off the tip of the orange barrel.
Prepare Blastzooka: Attach CPVC Sleeve
Cut a piece of 3/4" cpvc to the length of the orange barrel on the blastzooka. It should slide on easily. I wrapped some electrical tape around the orange barrel in order to make it fit nice and tight.
Prepare Blastzooka: Attach PVC Coupler
Attach your 3/4" cpvc threaded coupler. Glue it in place with PVC cement. Then re-attach the orange ring.
Barrel 1: Elite Darts / Missiles / Arrows
Start with the following items:
- 3" piece of 1/2" cpvc
- 3/4" to 1/2" cpvc slip fit reducer bushing
- 3/4" slip fit to male thread cpvc coupler
- 1/2" copper coupler
cut a piece of 1/2" cpvc pipe at around 3 inches to make the main barrel.
Barrel 1: Elite Darts / Missiles / Arrows
insert this barrel into the 3/4" to 1/2" cpvc reducer bushing. Glue it in place with PVC cement.
Barrel 1: Elite Darts / Missiles / Arrows
Insert the bushing/barrel assembly into the 3/4" cpvc slip fit to threaded male adapter. Glue it in place with PVC cement.
Barrel 1: Elite Darts / Missiles / Arrows
Slide the 1/2" copper coupler over the tip of the barrel. Glue it in place with PVC cement.
Barrel 1: Elite Darts / Missiles / Arrows
If your darts are too tight to press into the barrel, use a 1/2" spade bit in your drill to ream out the inside of the barrel.
The copper coupler is there to make it fit the missiles and arrows.
WARNING: when firing elite darts, do not pump it more than 4 times. It can ruin your darts and leave welts on the person you are shooting. The air pressure will cause your darts to split open.
Barrel 2: Mega Darts
This is the easiest barrel. simply screw a 3/4" x 4" gray pvc threaded pipe nipple onto your blastzooka. These pipes fit the mega darts very well (new darts will be pretty tight, but after they have been fired many times, they slip in quite nicely) i wrapped the open end of the barrel in red electrical tape. This covers up the exposed threads (purely cosmetic) and ties in with the red/gray nerf mega color scheme
This is incredibly powerful, do not pump it more than 4 times, it could ruin your darts, and leave welts on the person you are shooting.
Barrel 3: Rival Rounds
This one is also dead simple. All you need is a 3/4" cpvc slip fit to 3/4" threaded male coupler. the rival rounds fit nicely inside.
When fully pumped this fires rival rounds with the same speed/force as my Rival Apollo.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun
At the bottom of this step, there is a link to my other instructable i made on how to convert the blastzooka into a dedicated shotgun. It goes into much greater detail on how to make the shotgun attachment. Those instructions vary slightly because i didn't use a threaded coupler to attach it. I'm borrowing a lot of those steps and images for this. If you get stuck making this, check out that link.
you will need:
- Seven 2.5" pieces of 1/2" cpvc
- a 1.5" pvc coupler
- a 1.5" to 3/4" threaded reducer bushing
- a 3/4" threaded coupler (like a pipe nipple, but only about 1 inch long)
- craft foam
- roofing nail or drywall screw
- 1/2" foam backer rod
- electrical tape
- hot glue
- 1/2" metal hole plug (optional, just to cover the center hole)
start by cutting 7 pieces of 1/2" cpvc pipe at 2.5" long.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun:
Glue your 7 barrels together with hot glue to form a flower formation. make sure to seal all the space between the barrels with hot glue.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun
Insert your barrel assembly into the 1/5" coupler, it should just fit and slide halfway in. Seal around the barrels with hot glue, so that the only way air can get out is through the barrels.
Now you will need to ream out your 6 outer barrels with a 1/2" spade bit in your drill. You want the darts to have a fairly loose fit for this to work. (you don't want them to fall out, but you want them to slide in and out very easily). You can do this before you glue them, but they are much easier to hold onto when glued together. Do not ream out the center barrel, it is only used to hold the air restrictor in place and you want a snug fit.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun: Power Flower Air Restrictor
Cut out a piece of craft foam in the shape of the flower that will cover the end of your barrels. Each petal should align with one of the 6 outer barrels.
Cut a 1.5" piece of 1/2" foam backer rod.
Attach the flower to the foam rod with a roofing nail and some hot glue.
Wrap the top of the foam with electrical tape so it fits tightly when inserted into the cpvc.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun
Press your air restrictor into place from the back so it sits inside the coupler. The "stem" of the flower should slide into the center barrel and fit tightly in place. If it is loose, wrap some more electrical tape aroudn it. The idea here is that when a dart is inserted, it will fold back a petal allowing air to reach the barrel. When the dart is fired, the petal is pushed down and blocks that barrel, redirecting air to one of the other barrels. Basically a smart air restrictor system
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun
Insert the hole plug into the center hole to keep people from jamming darts into it. This step isn't necessary, but it looks cool. If you don't plug the center hole, someone will shove a dart in there, pressing the air restrictor out of the way. You could fill it with hot glue or something, but this way it is removable if you need to make any adjustments.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun
Insert the reducer bushing into the back of the coupler. Don't push it the whole way in, this leaves room for the power flower to move. (this image shows it pressed the whole way in, don't do that) wrap that joint in electrical tape.
Thread in the small threaded pipe and glue it into the bushing.
Barrel 4: Elite Shotgun
You are now ready to attach it to your blastzooka.
With 8 pumps, it will fire all 6 darts with the same velocity as a standard elite nerf gun.
Optional 3-barrel Shotgun
I also made a 3 barrel version of the shotgun barrel for another project that didn't work out. I ended up adapting it for my blastzooka. it works the same as the larger version, but with only 3 darts. I'm not going onto great detail here.
I used a 1" PVC coupler
1" to 3/4" threaded reducer bushing
3/4" threaded pipe nipple
three 2.5" long pieces of 1/2" cpvc for the barrels
The construction is pretty much the same as the 6 dart version we just made, or like the mega version we will make in the next step. You should be able to adapt those instructions if you want to make this unit.
It only fires half as many darts, but with a good bit more force.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
This is very similar to the elite shotgun we just made, but only has 3 barrels due to the massive size of the darts. (these instructions can be adapter to build the 3 barrel elite version in the previous step).
Here is what you will need:
- three 3/4" x 4" gray pvc pipe nipples
- 2" pvc coupler
- 2" to 3/4" reducer bushing
- 3/4" threaded coupler (small pipe nipple)
- craft foam
- packing foam (not required, but saves on hot glue)
- hot glue
- drywall screw
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
Glue your three pipe nipples together, making sure to get them all aligned straight. Fill in all the dead space between them with hot glue and seal between them very well.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
Cut a piece of foam that fills half of the 2" coupler. ( i used a piece of foam from an old PC shipping box. you don't have to do this, but you need to fill in a large amount of dead space here, it would otherwise take a ton of hot glue.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
Trim out the foam on the inside to fit around the barrels. attach it to the barrels with hot glue.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
glue this in place with hot glue. If you do not, the air pressure will blow the barrel assembly out of the coupler. Seal it with plenty of hot glue so that air can not escape around the barrels.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
Cut your craft foam to make the air restrictor, just like the last one. The 3 petals should align with the 3 barrels. Use a drywall screw to attach it, it will thread itself directly into the hot glue that is between the barrels.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
Insert your reducer bushing about half way, leaving room for the air restrictor to work. Wrap the seam in electrical tape.
Thread in the small threaded pipe into the reducer bushing and glue it into place with pvc cement.
Barrel 5: Mega Shotgun
Thread the assembly onto your blastzooka and fire. You can pump this the full 8 pumps and it is super powerful. It is very satisfying to see a 3 mega dart blast in action. It fires all 3 darts simultaneously with the same force (or greater) than a standard mega dart gun.
Enjoy!
Now you have a super powerful blastzooka with multiple removable barrels. This blaster has a low rate of fire, and low ammo capacity, but it is incrediblyl powerful and a ton of fun to play with. The elite shotgun attachment is by far my favorite. I hope this helps, if you aren't clear on someting, comment and i'll try to help.