Dart Zone Pro Mk4 Review

Typically, I’m excited for the next big Dart Zone blaster release. After the issues with the Mk1.2, though, I was only cautiously optimistic about the Mk4. After lots of playtime in various settings, however, it really feels like Dart Zone is headed the wrong way. The blaster is too large, too unwieldy, and too expensive for what it is. And while it still may be fun to use in games, there are so many better options for 90% of competitive users.

Long Blaster Is Long

The Mk4 is long. VERY long. To the point where my wife can’t comfortably prime or use it. It’s 31″ long without any barrel attachments, and 41″ with the giant extension in front. So unless you have the wingspan to hold and operate the blaster, the blaster is useless. Granted, this isn’t a blaster for kids, but there are plenty of teenagers and adults who don’t have long enough arms. I do, but many don’t. Bigger isn’t always better.

Mentioning barrel extensions, there are two options that come with the Mk4. The first is an injection-molded SCAR barrel that can be stored in the stock, and mates with the front of the blaster. This helps center the darts as they come out of the blaster, with any excess air venting out so that you don’t have a puff of air pushing the dart off course. The other is a large barrel extension, similar in concept to the Deuce Pro, but taken to much larger proportions. This lets you utilize the full power of the blaster.

Strangely, though, you cannot put the SCAR barrel in front of the extension. It seems like a major oversight, especially because of the loss of accuracy I witnessed using the barrel extension. Both with the included Bamboo 2x darts and others (DZ Max, Worker HE, etc), darts veered wildly off course.

The blaster is a dedicated short dart platform, and comes with two 15-rd magazines. The new magazines have slightly more flexible lips, allowing the user to load them even with the breech closed. It’s a different path than blasters like the Gameface Trion (which uses a skinny pusher to accomplish the same thing), but it seems to work.

The box also features eye protection, two sight attachments, and a low power spring. We’ll get to the latter in a moment.

Performance

The Mk4’s performance obviously depends on the setup and the darts used. With the full barrel extension and the base spring, I saw a 216fps average with the included Bamboo 2x darts (weighing around 0.85g), and 193fps with DZ Max and similar darts (just over 1g in weight). Running with a SCAR attachment saw averages of 178fps and 164fps, respectively.

Meanwhile, the low-power spring (which you can swap after removing two black screws and releasing the Nstrike-style stock) lowers speeds to the 90-110fps range. That’s a wide range, though, with some darts just popping out. With a giant plunger tube and low spring power, consistency gets iffy.

Accuracy was at least decent at lower speeds…but given the inconsistency and the low rate of fire, there are far better blasters to use for this kind of play.

Furthermore, the choice of large volume/draw distance severely limits the rate of fire compared to other blasters. One dart per second is what I averaged.

Finally, I’ve had issues with jams. And with the blaster being a solid piece, you have to carry a stick of some kind to push out the folded dart, since there is neither a jam door, a clearing slot, nor a takedown mechanism (as per previous Dart Zone Pro springers). And in a competitive space, a jam will ruin your day.

Internals

As others have noted, the Mk4 is remarkably similar to the Worker Swift internally, between the diameter of the plunger tube and the metal plunger. It does mean that some existing aftermarket parts can be dropped in, at least! So if you’re getting the Swift with the intention of maxing out the dart velocity, you’ll be pleased.

Final Thoughts

The Dart Zone Pro Mk4 feels like a downgrade compared to previous efforts. Even more so, it comes within the same time frame as so many other “pro” blasters that are far more affordable and capable of similar performance without the bulkiness. It’s a great platform for trying to push as much power out as you can, but most people aren’t trying to play above the 200-250fps range. Therein lies the problem: I have so many other options that can easily swap springs, barrels, or add a printed/molded SCAR barrel on the end that this blaster loses every time, and they’ll generally be more effective and/or consistent.

It’s great to see a brand new model available, but it feels like Dart Zone settled into their lane while everyone else is passing them by. Hopefully Dart Zone Max doesn’t show the same signs of stagnation next month.