Microshots Strongarm Blaster and Combats

The Nerf MicroShots N-Strike Elite Strongarm is not a Strongarm, nor should it be considered Elite; It is a Jolt re-skin like the rest of the Microshots line. It does have a terrific sling mount at the back of the faux slide priming handle, which makes it better or at least more functional than the lowly Jolt. My ProChrono Digital chronograph measured the speed of the darts fired by this stock MicroShots Strongarm blaster at an average of 56 feet per second (FPS) using Nerf Elite darts (it is capable of shooting any standard Nerf Elite darts; blue, green, white, orange, purple/grey, Starwars themed, Accustrike, and decorated Rebelle darts). The standard average velocity of a Nerf Elite blaster is 70 FPS, so this is pretty much a gag gift due to it’s 56 FPS average velocity and 1-dart capacity. However, some of the new front-loading Nerf blasters are coming out with a funnel shaped barrel tube to assist the user with loading a dart in the chamber quicker. This upgrade was long overdue (like loading a magazine in the mag-well faster using a flared funnel design, a design in which I am still hoping that someone can incorporate into their next generation of blasters, so Nerf and Hasbro I hope you are listening). The first time I encountered such a design concept was actuallly a Buzzbee bolt-action blaster called the Air Warriors Ultratek Predator blaster (there was a sister blaster model of it released at Walmart under the Adventure Force line, but I will not go into that). This funnel loading feature allowed quicker reloads on a blaster with an already terrible darts-per-second (DPS) rating. So it is with this front loading Blaster. Another blaster with this feature is the Star Wars Nerf Poe Dameron Blaster. All of these blasters share common factors with the MicroShots Strongarm Blaster. Allow me to explain: All of these are 1 shot per load blasters, all have the common weakness of low DPS, and all of them benefit from loading without needing the user to take their eyes off of their opponent just to reload. This feature empowers the user to maximize his or her attention on the battlefield, allowing one’s focus to be allocated towards something much more important (i.e. scrounging for ammo, warning a teammate of danger, completing a mission objective) while still being able to load another dart and prime it to fend off another attacker. The one thing the MicroShots line of blasters have over these other blasters is their micro size. Unfortunately, this MicroShots Strongarm has an obviously and ridiculously small pistol grip. If that is not bad enough, I can barely fit my trigger finger into the trigger well to fire the blaster. The tactical rail on top is an aesthetic that is unnecessarily and irritatingly non-functional because there is enough room to fit one on there, I mean, even if it would be pointless; most people, myself included (and apparently Poe Dameron since his blaster has a functional tactical rail) appreciate more available options whenever possible. To put a fake option is mockingly annoying. Anyway, the T-priming bar of the blaster has near the same draw weight as the Jolt’s. Expect a strong toddler to be able to prime it, but just don’t expect it to be done in a practical timely sense. At any rate, it is best to remember that the recommended age limit is still 8 years and up despite it appearing to be designed to fit a toddler’s hands. In conclusion, while the nostalgic appeal should be high, the release of a blaster imitating a superior blaster that is still on the market is somewhat foolish. Why spend a considerable amount of money on a tiny, cramped, single-shot, Jolt re-skin, imitation version of a blaster when you can buy the real thing for less? This will have to come down to if the user wants a pocket-sized and ultra light sidearm (that is not likely to break) that allows for it to be connected to a sling mount, allows easier reloads, and thereby offers a smoother operation than that of it’s competition. Or maybe not, I don’t know what other people are going to think, but I do see this as an opportunity for future toy design teams to observe, learn from, and be more creative. I actually like it, in my humble opinion. I shall bless this little tongue-in-cheek creation with a 4-star rating. Let us see what will transpire.

This Nerf gun is a blast in a small package, easy to maneuver and reload. Simple and fun. If you're looking for something even smaller, check out the Nerf Jolt.

Perfect gift

Cute nerf gun but not very powerful. My son has nerf and xshot brand and the xshot just shoots further as well as seems more durable, not to mention it’s cheaper in price. We like to do family nerf gun battles so this is always someone’s “backup” gun.

My 3 year old daughter loves this and it's easy for her to load, kock, and fire by herself

This was a Christmas gift to my two nephews and they both received one. The unit feels and looks like shotty garbage from the get-go. The darts barely fly out and I saw both nephews try to throw the guns away when I wasn't looking. No point in returning to amazon as they might try to resell the thing DO NOT BUY THIS TOY! You will be disappointed...

Perfect for indoor play and outdoor! We did have a slight problem with the spot where you insert the nerf bullet but we just had to push it in more securely. We bought extra ammo.

Esta pistola NERF es una versión de la Jolt con diferente vestidura, tiene la misma potencia que una Jolt pero es más robusta en la mano y a la vista. Es una buena recomendación si buscas una pistola pequeña y potente, pero si quieres algo aún más ligero y discreto definitivamente la Jolt es la opción a escoger.

Súper pistolera para que jueguen los niños , practica y ligera

Todo excelente

El producto llegó antes de tiempo. Sin embargo, llegó con muchos detalles de pintura, pareciera que se dejó expuesta al sol y se decoloró.Después de la devolución me mandaron el Firestrike. Un modelo que no quería.

The trigger failed to load after 30 to 40 shots. Could be an isolated case with this piece.