A Flywheel Future? Really Man, Really?

Now we all know about the new rapid-strike coming out soon, they say August, I hope they are all wrong.  However it is a flywheel gun.  Man, what happened to the Stampede?  Mainspring powered, everyone seems to like it, why change the formula of success?

We are seeing much more of this everyday, in battle, on the shelfs, more people picking up flywheel blasters and less Rampages, Retaliators and Triads, but I wonder why?  Sure I had my share of flywheel guns, didn't care for em much, hated the idea on needing to spin up the motors, be noisy, and on top of that, the first shot is always the best, all others preceeding, less range.

Is it just a preference, I say yes, me i like Retaliator/recon type guns with Firestrikes that can make a Titan Stephan shooter run for cover because he can't aim or reload as fast as me.  That's just me.  But lately the formula is definitely changing.

The Fads, it's a gas man!

I was the first on my block to have a arrowstorm, that and a sharpshooter, unstoppable! I remember back at BYU some hallmate had the full auto nerf gun, all the way back when Nerf bought out super soaker.  Then I remember a few years later in 2004, what a great year that was, the vulcan cannon, the longstrike and of course, the magstrike.  I really thought things were going to become all air powered soon...

but no : (

Then Buzz Bee released the Tommy 20, i heard about nothing but jamming on this gun, the darts had to be different and they were hard to come by.   Then Nerf made the barricade and the Rayven, and then people heard about 14500 lithium-ion cells.   Yes folks that changed everything.

Noisy Noisy.

First thing you will notice firing one of these is that you will not be able to hide.  These things are louder that a white stripes concert.   One of the first rules in combat I use is stealth, not nessisarily camo, but if someone is busy attacking someone else, has tunnel vision or just forgets your around, you can bag em!  That is where if you have a mainspring powered gun, cocked and locked, you have the advantage, you're quiet.

But if you mostly ambush, are out in the field or just wanna warn the enemy you are packin heat and you don't mind noise, they do work.

Batteries, whatta drain man!

Another problem is the batteries die low.  My favorite batteries are the non-protected 14500 trustfires that are rechargable.  The nice thing about them is that you can just keep recharging them and they do last awhile.    Need to stay stock voltage, Energizer lithiums are the way, hell I couldn't drain them before I got my trustfires, i ended up giving them to my folks for T.V. remote batteries.

And how are you suposed to practice with non-rechargeables?  I mean i was affraid of always draining them.   Well I guess modded guns wear out too.

But i will stick to my 100 foot+ flat blastas and hit suckas from afar.  I feel sad for the mainspring :....(

See You In Disneyland!

--Cartaya