Nerf Vortex Diatron Review (4.5)

I haven't bought a Vortex blaster in quite some time, my last one being the Pyragon. So I found this thing at Wal-Mart for $20 bucks and it was the last one on the shelf so I figured "What the hell." This is the Diatron, the newest Vortex blaster so far. And its a little strange and a little awesome.

Packaging couldn't be simpler.

This is Vortex's entry in the Multishot Madness thing Nerf has going. And this was an oddball among other Vortex blasters. Like the rest, it has an almost alien design and is bulky, but I quite like this one because of its Pyragon like orange and white paintjob and the fact it almost looks like a cross between a Halo 4 Boltshot and the Dead Space Plasma Cutter. I'm not too big on Nerf's really mainstream style nowadays but this one takes the cake for just being different, design wise and performance wise.

Un-boxed and ready to blast.

The Diatron is the first Vortex blaster to be able to shoot two rounds at once. It shares some features with the Vigilon like the drop out clip but with its capacity somewhat doubled to 10(Only came with 8 discs for whatever reason). By somewhat I mean that fires two at once so technically it still has 5. And there's no ability to only shoot one at a time.

Chamber open.

The really weird part is how you prime the damn thing. Instead of simply throwing on a Vigilon style slide prime, it uses a weird ass cocking lever which you push forward and then lock it into place. Reason being is that Nerf decided to throw a stock attachment port on the back and its kind of pointless for a blaster this size. But the prime is actually easy, it may feel different but with some practice, it can be just as fast as a slide, even though this blaster is clearly capable of having one.

Pistols be like, "I'm different!"

Apart from that, this blaster very comfortable to use and has a nice grip on it. You can hold it like a standard pistol or use you forward hand to grip the front part. Either way is good and comfortable. Lefty's may have trouble priming and reloading it though.

Courtesy of Nerf Mods and Reviews

As for it performance, its about the same as every Vortex blaster minus the Nitron. It shoots a good 60 to 70+ feet flat with no loss in power due to the dual fire. But due to this, the Diatron uses a different mechanism to fire. Instead of a catapult like launch, there is a solid piece of plastic in the back that slams into the discs at high velocity and you get the same results.

So yeah, the Diatron is strange but its actually a pretty good disc blaster. Darts are probably a more viable choice now since they get nearly as much range as a Vortex but oh well, this was a fun little gadget. I give the   Diatron a 4.5 for overall good performance and comfort, there's just a few tweaks needed.

The Verdict

Range: Excellent, 60 to 70+ feet.

Size: Like a Vigilon, only shorter and more bulk.

Reliability: It can jam due to two discs being loaded at once but no other issues.

RoF: 2 discs per 1.2 seconds.

Ammo: 10 XLR Discs

Modding: No clue due to the new mechanism.

Is it Better Than?

Vigilon- Depends, being the most similar, the Diatron sports more ammo and the two disc firing ability but the Vigilon has a faster prime, less jamming frequency, and more modding potential.