Firestrike Review (9/10)

 The long Awaited Nite Finder successor is here. And for some time, according to Hasbro, it didn't even exist yet, and that was the deal when I got the last one at Walmart during the holidays. Retailers... of course they don't care about release dates! But this thing replaces more than just the Nite Finder in my eyes. Eat your heart out Lock n' Load.

My main complaint with the NF was its size, this thing is slightly smaller than a Scout.

The Firestrike was first discovered on the back of the Retaliator box, say to "Look for it in 2013" I got mine in 2012 for 10 bucks in the discount bin at Walmart before the holidays. First thing I noticed was its size, its was smaller the a Scout! I'm able to holster this without cutting it down easily and the dart holders are enclosed so the darts don't get screwed up when it gets jostled around. The grip is smaller than the NF and the Scout grip but its still fairly comfortable. Larger hands may prefer the NF or Scout grips but this personally suits me just fine. The tac light switch has been relocated to a pressure switch on a secondary trigger. This is a much better system than the first since the laser no longer turns on unintentionally like the NF. It uses AAA batteries instead of AA, this makes more sense as a light that hardly ever gets used doesn't need that much voltage.

Internals are all linked to a base frame that just pops right out. The internals just pop off the frame as well.

The Firestrike boasts Elites upgraded ranges. I've noticed the NF has a large plunger tube, somewhat like the Firestrike but the NF's bad seal and heavy AR just kill its performance. This one the other hand, uses a weaker AR, a much better seal and a slightly stronger spring. I'm not sure but the tube also looks to be smaller! I can't be certain though. Compared to an NF which gets about 20-30 FT tops, this gets 50-60 feet. For a pistol its size, its very powerful. Lock n' Loads, which are widely considered the most powerful stock pistol hits about 50 FT with Megas(Probably more modded to shoot Micros) aren't as potent compared to this. LnL's are very comfortable but bulky and this gets better ranges and its much smaller. I have not seen any recent mods for this yet, so far is the basic mods for nearly every other blaster. Only downside is that the seal is too good, depriming it sends the dart out of the barrel with the slightest push.

So far I love the Firestrike, it has replaced my modded Mono Blast as my secondary of choice and its just a very fast and efficient blaster for what it is. Nerf's larger pistol the Stongarm, preforms similar to this but with a 6 round capacity and a slam fire but its your choice, compact and stealth or capacity and RoF. I give the Firestrike a 9 out of 10 for Nerf vastly improving on an very worn out blaster.

The Verdict

Range- Excellent, 50-60 Feet

Size- Smaller than a Scout, holstering it is a breeze.

Reliability- Depriming sends darts flying but it cant jam.

RoF- One dart per 3.2 seconds.

Ammo- 3 Elite Darts, 2 In reserve

Modding- Has Nite Finder like capabilities, let your mind go wild.
Value- At $10, this is a small, cheap, and powerful pistol. It's worthy to be in everyone's arsenal.