Adventure Force Brute Pro Review

Note: Dart Zone was kind enough to send me a free sample for review!

Yet again, Dart Zone has a new release, filling a new niche in the pro space that wasn’t on store shelves. This time, they’ve brought mag-in-grip springers to Walmart with the Brute Pro. So far, I’ve seen reviews ranging from relatively glowing to thinking it’s terrible. My experience so far? It’s exciting and does its job, but it’s definitely not perfect – and initial results may depend on which country you get it from.

Canada First?

It should be noted that Canada is actually getting the first wave of these blasters, ahead of the US. I’d imagine that has to do with the current tariff situation, as businesses have been delaying shipments and trying to time them when they can get things to port at the cheapest price.

It also turns out that initial reviewers got the US version (different packaging), and while problems outlined here have been seen mainly in those models, they’ve occurred far less in Canadian versions being reviewed and tested. My review will be for the US version, as it currently exists, and will be amended if corrections are made by the release date.

A Few Difficulties

The Brute Pro comes with two six dart magazines, 12 darts, and a SCAR barrel that’s meant to induce a twisting action to darts as they’re fired to improve accuracy. It’s larger than the Dart Zone Pro Mk2, but smaller than the Mk2.1. It also, interestingly, features Picatinny rails on top and bottom as well as M-LOK slots on either side of the blaster. I’m unaware of any DZ accessories that use that system, but there are aftermarket attachments from airsoft and other shooting sports, and it provides another way to add 3D printed parts for hobbyists.

The back of the blaster has a black cover that, when unscrewed, allows access to the spring rest. Push, twist, then remove to get access to the spring. Dart Zone does plan to offer springs for different fps targets in the future – though I was able to hit in the 110s fps with a cut down 1.4x190mm Aeon Pro X downgrade spring.

One unfortunate thing happened right out of the gate: the included PCAR fit too loosely in the barrel. Firing darts would slowly move it out of place. Other barrel attachments from the Nexus Pro X, Aeon Pro X, etc. all fit fine, so this particular version wasn’t molded to the correct diameter. We’ll see if the production version is fixed or not…

The front of the blaster comes loose with a few screws, allowing barrel access. It won’t be hard at all for someone to make custom tips or experiment with barrel lengths.

Using the Blaster

The operation of the blaster is relatively simple: after inserting the loaded magazine, you pull back on the slide to prime, push the slide forward, then pull the trigger to fire. Alternatively, you can hold the trigger down and slam-fire the blaster if you care more about volume of fire than accuracy in the moment. To that end, you can use Venom Pro magazines or Worker Nightingale mags for the extra capactity.

There are some nagging bits about general operation, though. The magazine release is similar to that of the Venom Pro, but it’s so recessed into the handle that it’s hard to trigger without contorting your hand to reach it. The trigger pull is a bit heavy, so if you’re not conscious of that fact, firing the blaster means pointing up a little bit. I haven’t had issues with the safety, but I’ve heard of some influencers having issues with the blaster not firing even with the safety disengaged.

In battle, the Brute Pro worked great. Admittedly, at the time there were severe difficulties in crossing a restricted field, but once I got to cover I could hit people or pin them down reliably. There were some issues with the use of well-used club darts (or those that were a couple millimeters longer) getting stuck in the magazine, resulting in a misfeed. But even the one time a real jam happened (with a dart head getting turned on its side within the barrel), I was able to fire the blaster until it popped out (a thin stick or pen pushing down the barrel would have been faster).

Performance

The Brute Pro has been averaging 147fps, with little difference once (fitting) barrel attachments are used. Due to the relatively stiff prime, though, I would at most say you can get two darts per second unless you’re very strong.

Internals and Thoughts

As mentioned above, spring replacements are possible, with Dart Zone options incoming. Replacing the barrel will also be easy (though I imagine someone should design a blaster tip with a collet or screw for securing it in place).

The internals themselves are a minimized Nexus Pro X/Aeon Pro X setup, adapted for use with the angled dart magazines and the smaller plunger volume. Doing things this way eliminates the Dart Zone Pro Mk2/Mk2.1’s need for moving feed lips that a plunger tube can move through.

Do note that you’ll need a narrow screwdriver head for two screws up front – the panel with the decor slightly overlaps the screw port there.

Final Opinion

Given the $25 price tag, it’s easy to forgive some issues with the blaster. I personally haven’t had many operational issues, but someone buying this or getting it as a gift could be frustrated. A barrel attachment that doesn’t fit right, a tough trigger pull, and a magazine release that’s hard to engage make it less than ideal. There’s still potential here, especially if you like running light loadouts for your games. But it’s far from being the definitive blaster of its type. It’s fun to use, but be aware of the issues.