By and large, the Nerf brand has embraced the magazine for its flagship products. Cylinders have largely been relegated to roles in pistols or specialized roles (Mastodon, The Judge, etc). In the case of the Surgefire, however, Hasbro has released a fifteen-shot blaster at a primary-type price point. It performs up to Elite standards and works well in practice, but is it too little too late?
It’s Got the Looks…
The drum on the Surgefire is separate in the box, and designed to snap in (it is not meant to be removed). It’s fairly small, not adding much width to the profile of the blaster, but it seems like it could’ve held four or five more barrels with ease. However, that’s mainly from being spoiled by things like the Magnum Superdrum, which crams as many barrels together as humanly possible.
The handle and priming grip are both large and comfortable to use for extended periods.
It’s Got the Guts…
For those looking to mod, the Strongarm/Doominator plunger setup isn’t nearly as robust as those in the Retaliator and similar blasters. It works well, but doesn’t like to last with extra force.
The drum rotation seems very reliable. Even so, there’s an extra mechanism at the front of the drum for centering the barrel with the plunger tube. Perhaps that really is necessary? Hasbro doesn’t usually add extra plastic mechanisms on the inside without a reason.
But Does It Have the Heart?
Performance is at a respectable average of 71fps, on par with Elite blasters in general. In a war setting, it performs as well as can be expected from any stock blaster. The Surgefire’s smaller size and relative lack of sound (especially compared to electronic blasters) make it useful for indoors, or any place with appreciable cover. As a cylinder-fed primary, it also has easy reloading on the fly. If you play lightly equipped (as some players do in both wars and HvZ events), you might want it.
Time will tell if the Surgefire sees widespread adoption. It does, after all, have the Nerf brand behind it.