Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot Blaster

**UPDATE**I have been using this blaster for more than a year now.I still LOVE this blaster.Since my previous review, I have acquired several more blasters. I've also used friends' blasters for fun. But the Hammershot is still my favorite. It is so reliable. When I'm wielding my Hammershot, I feel completely in control. It's lightweight, which makes it easy to run with, which is great in any Nerf war. I'm never more accurate in hitting my target than with my Hammershot. I even built up a reputation in the club I'm in at college for being deadly with it. Now, if you're completely surrounded by zombies, this may not be the best since it only has 5 shots. But if you're teammed with someone that has a higher-capacity semi or full auto, you can make a good team. And if melee is allowed in your HvZ, a Hammershot with a decent sword is a great combo.That being said, I also have new experience in loaning this to kids. At a group Christmas party at a church, I brought all of my blasters for us to have fun with. Everyone had fun, but a few of the younger kids had issues with my hammershot. Now, I did increase the spring tension on my Hammershot, so it's harder to pull back than if you get it straight from the store. Even so, the kids under 7 years old shouldn't make the hammer even budge, and they had a hard time gripping it in one hand, anyway. If you want a blaster for a younger child, I'd recommend a blaster that primes by pulling on a loop with your other hand, something that has a better grip.Previous Review:I LOVE this blaster.I don't have the most experience with nerf blasters (the only others I own are nitefinders and a Maverick - blegh!), but I have shot off a couple of my friends' good quality guns so I'm familiar with the power behind good blasters. And this is a good blaster.If you're looking for a pistol, this is the one I recommend, as long as you like one-handed cocking. If you prefer using 2 hands, I suggest the Strongarm, which has very similar capabilities. In my opinion, if you are looking for a pistol to use as your main weapon, the Hammershot and Strong Arm are the only two you should even bother looking at.-If you are thinking "I've always wanted to kick butt while dual wielding", buy the Hammershot. If you like it, buy another so you can dual wield and feel awesome.-If you are thinking of getting a sidearm, buy the Hammershot. It's less bulky than the Strong Arm so it'll be less annoying when not in use.-If you are thinking of getting a nerf gun for your 3-year-old, do not buy the Hammershot.I've heard a few complaints about difficulty pulling the hammer back with the thumb, but I've personally not had much trouble, especially after getting used to it. It is worth noting that I'm a young adult female with smallish hands - and I'm actually quite weak! Additionally, I modded the spring tension in my blaster, which makes it even slightly harder to pull the hammer, and I never had problems in combat situations. I don't see why you should have a problem pulling it back as long as you get used to the mechanic. (Unless you are a 3-year-old)This gun does have nice accuracy and range, and it is VERY mobile so it's fun to use in combat. I personally like to circle my enemies while running and shooting. Since it only has 5 shots, you need to make them count, so I like to get in close, take a shot, and back off. I recommend that, no matter what you do, have some easy-access darts in secure and easy-to access holders. 5 is not enough in heated combat, and fumbling with loose darts can be deadly.

Very well designed, I'm always impressed by how solid the smaller Nerf guns feel. It doesn't feel like it's hollow plastic at all, but feels like the entire thing is solid. The drum rotates well and is protected enough that even being banged around isn't going to knock it out of alignment and stop it from functioning. It has decent power among equivalent types of guns, and the drum depth is such that both the older bubble top darts and the newer Zombie Shot and N-strike Elite darts work in it flawlessly. It allows rapid fire as well, where the hammer can be fanned while the trigger is held and each dart will be fired with the hammer snap instead. This works as both an interesting design element and a detriment however. The catch on the hammer isn't as solid as could be wanted, especially since the spring in the hammer is a little stronger than one would expect for a kids toy, so it's very easy to miss having the hammer catch and latch and end up half-firing a dart unexpectedly. The spring strength in the hammer is actually enough that some adult friends of mine have trouble pulling the hammer back with their thumb on the same hand they're holding the gun with, meaning this is likely a 2 hand use gun for children and some adults. The grip is big enough that it feels like a thick but shorter grip of a real gun and it may present some problems to young children because of it's size.Of particular design comparison is the fact that the drum rotation mechanism is not tied to a dart firing like it is in many other guns of this type. This means that even if you have an empty slot in the drum, it will still rotate to the next drum position when fired. Despite the sturdy and great drum mechanisms built into this gun, it can thankfully still be rotated by hand in either direction without apparently ill effect to the internal mechanism.

Revenge of the Dad! This Nerf pistol is the perfect sidearm.So, my 12 year old son has acquired a small arsenal of Nerf blasters. One of his favorites is a rig with a drum magazine that slam fires darts as he catches you out in the open. I saw this pistol as the 'deal of the day' and thought "I shall have my revenge!"First off, this pistol is smaller than most of the ones I have seen. It is about half the size of the six shooting Strong Arm. Thanks to the hammer cocking system, you can shoot this pistol off hand or with any other standard pistol technique. So, let the Cowboy Action begin!My son grabbed his weapon of choice and tried to ambush me in the hallway. I said to myself, "Not this time." I brandished my pistol and fired off a volley using my left hand to fan the hammer and recock.. He sprayed darts all around me. And then he fell victim to the major fault of all drum magazines, it jammed! Now, I discovered the second key advantage of my new five shooter. You can easily harvest darts with the swipe of your hand and reload the open cylinder in seconds. With a fresh load, I charged him Wyatt Earp style and finally put that varmint down....If you have Nerf blasters in your home, or are thinking of joining in on the fun, this is The Pistol to have.