Nerf Lock n' Load Review (5)

This is going to be legen.....dary!

After 5 years of auctions lost, prices too high, and too many blasters in bad condition, I finally bagged what is often regarded as one of the best Nerf pistols ever made, the legendary Lock n' Load. I feel so... humbled by it's presence in my collection now... I don't even know if it's that good anymore. Anyways here's a review and a video overview at your disposal. My hunt is over.

Size compared to the Super Nite Finder, it's big.

The Lock n' Load is the flagship pistol of the Hypersight lineup and considered the predecessor to the now succeded Nite Finder. LnL's originally retailed for around $15 bucks when they first launched in 1997 and ran through production until 2000, the price skyrocketed and a void was left in it's place until the Nite Finder showed up in 2003. Flash forward to 2013, the least you can normally find these things is $40 bucks and with enough bids in place, sometimes over $100, I got mine for $40 with no opposition luckily. The pistol usually comes with an ammo holder and a flip up iron sight but those are commonly lost over the 16 years this thing has been on Earth.

I finally understand why people do... this.

First thing I noticed was how massive this pistol is, the thing is about 2.5 inches wide across the top and a good 9.5 inches long to add to that. This is no doubt the main reason why people pull the slide off because it becomes a very, very manageable size but for what ever reason, I like the slide on. Now I've said that many blasters have very comfortable grips, none too outstanding, just comfortable. Putting a Lock n' Load into your hands after years of use with N-Strike blasters is like an orgasm of comfort. This has the best grip I've EVER used and I don't think anything can really top how well this simple design works.

Simplicity is the key to true power. (This ones at you Centurion!)

Upon dry firing the blaster for the first time to test the seal, the slide jolted forward pretty quick meaning the seal was long past maintenance. I busted the main shell open and the internals are so shockingly simple, it almost makes you wonder why people pay so much for these things but it works, and it works very damn well. I pulled the plunger rod out and found this...

My old nemesis, shitty gasket seal.

Oh how I haven't missed the sight of of this one. I was expecting the plunger head to be crowned with a gasket and not surprisingly, the grease practically powderized due to compounds breaking down over the years. I ran out of silicon grease so I just sprayed a burst of vegetable oil in the PT and it seals perfectly for whatever reason.  Unfortunately, despite mike the blaster work like new again, I had a notable problem with ammo. First of all, my current batch mega darts are the glow variant which are much heavier and drop like an anvil when fired out of this thing and I only have one screamer which gets the 50+ feet I was expecting. 

Eat your heart out Firestrike.

So what did I do to further solve my ammunition issue? I jury rigged a 7 inch CPVC barrel and stuck it into the existing one. I have no plans to permanently mod this thing so this is easily reverseable like what I did to my Electric Eel. So now it's launching streamlines and stefans about over 70+, maybe even more but it hits hard.

Slide in primed position.

My only grievance is that that darts climb when fired out of this thing. I can aim at a bullseye flat with the Lock n' Load and it will send a dart a good few inches above my intended target. Reason for this being that the slide rockets forward and the extra weight causes the front of the blaster to rise and for a Nerf pistol, this thing kicks like a mule compared to no recoil on most blasters out there. Another reason to remove the slide.

So overall, I'm practically speechless. This pistol is so coveted for many great reasons and I got a firsthand experience at seeing what this bastard can shell out. First of all, I'm never using another pistol for a very long time, and second of all the Lock n' Load deserves itself a 5 for being powerful, comfortable, and all around an excellent blaster that withstood the test of time. Buy one if you see one, you won't be disappointed, not one little bit.

The Verdict

Class- Heavy Pistol

Range- Excellent, 50+ feet with Mega Darts, 70+ with Streamlines.

Size- Take a Mav, bulk it up a little more and then cut a quarter of it's size out.

Reliability- It can't jam but the catch on the back of the slide can be prone to breakage.

RoF- Depends on how fast you can "lock n' load", pun intended.

Ammo- 3 V1 Mega Darts

Modding- Plenty of potential, being a vintage purist I don't advise it but it's up to you.

Is It Better Than?

Nite Finder- Yes, the Nite Finder succeeded the Lock n' Load by being smaller and cheaper but lacked in power due to an ineffective plunger system. Nite finders were product of Nerf's early transition to o-ring based plunger heads so you can expect it not to be perfect either way.

Firestrike- Depends, the Firestrike is the grandson of the Lock n' Load, only difference is that this tactical pistol brought the power back into the mix. The FS can hit 60+ as opposed to the LnL's 50+ but with little modifications, a Lock n' Load can destroy a Firestrike's ranges.

Secret Shot II- Yes, the Secret Shot II is often regarded as the hand cannon of Nerf blasters, packing similar ranges to the Lock n' Load and can punch 100 feet if well modified. The reason why this blaster loses the fight is because it's air powered and takes an age to load.

Proton- Yes, the Proton is a great pistol for long range engagement but the XLR Discs travel so slow that any smart Nerfer can spot that spinning green disc from a mile away. A Stefan being hurled at you going a fair amount of feet per second is a little bit trickier.