Range Report, NERF Longshot

Form Factor

First of all, this thing is friggin’ gigantic by NERF standards. Here it is set up next to my M1A for comparison. The gun has a comfortable feel in the hand. The trigger is as clean as any NERF action I’ve ever fired and the bolt is made of actual metal, ambidextrous and extremely rugged. The stock can collapse for CQB but it extremely difficult to operate, as clearance is very low and I can’t get my hand all the way around the pistol grip.

Surprise

Like the “Secret Shot” line of NERF pistols, the Longshot is equipped with an optional barrel extension that can also serve independently as a single-shot pistol. It has its own trigger that you can use as a slightly awkward forward vertical grip. The main barrel of the extension is fluted, ostensibly to keep the dart on a straight trajectory. In a tactical NERF situation, the second shot could be extremely useful; however, the extra length the extension provides makes the gun a little clumsy for indoor use unless you hold it under your armpit with the stock collapsed. Here's a shot of the gun in compact configuration.

Ammo

The “Streamline” darts that the gun fires don’t have a suction cup on top; instead, they are all capped by a semi-soft plastic jacket. In fact, these darts look like nothing so much as a rimless .38 special. Here’s a picture of one of these darts next to a 7.62x51mm rifle round for comparison.

Magazine

The gun’s magazine holds 6 darts, and is about the size of a 10-round rifle mag. The back of the mag has a cutout that displays the back of a DART when all 6 rounds are loaded. The Longshot shipped with 2 mags, and the extra one stores underneath the back of the folding stock, much like a Kel-Tec SU-16. The mag locks in place and can only be removed by throwing a mag release while the bolt is locked back. While this might be acceptable on a gas-driven rifle, where the bolt locks itself back after the final shot, it’s fairly annoying on a NERF.

Scope

The scope is really the weak point of the Longshot. Although its aperture is large and easy to use with both eyes open, the crosshair is difficult to make out without a backlit target environment. The point of aim is very high—you would need to aim for the head to hit the body in the dart’s effective range.

Price

$30. I’ve paid more for less.