Adventure Force Boxer Pro Review

Here I am, writing a review from a train going from Vienna to Prague. Even on vacation, I feel guilty about not updating the website! ????

The Boxer Pro is one of the most intriguing recent releases from Dart Zone this season (technically last year, I suppose). It’s a pro-level,14+ blaster, but it’s chain-fed. It’s the kind of blaster that gives the performance you want, but is happy to trade battle efficiency for sheer fun. And given how often we see basic platforms recycled or only modified slightly, the Boxer Pro is a welcome change for the blaster ecosystem.

Chains, Scrooge! Chains!

Fortunately, limited chains is NOT something we have to deal with. Dart Zone already offers additional chains on their website, though hobbyist purchases cause occasional shortages. Having multiple chains does mean not using the existing ammo box, but if you really want to, several hobby creators have posted expanded boxes online either for 3d printing or for purchase.

The included chain has 51 links, with the final link being a blank for indicating it’s at the end. You actually can punch out the end caps and use it to hold ammo, but I’d recommend marking the blank to make disassembly easier in the future. That’s the ONLY spot where chains connect, and trying to find it will be time consuming otherwise.

Rapid-Fire Goodness

The Boxer Pro looks like the toy version of something you’d see in a movie. The layout is basic (stock, grip, ammo, flywheels, barrel), but made with fun play additions in mind. The translucent ammo box makes it easy to see how much of your ammo you’ve actually used. The stock, while basic, is extendable. The included bipod is also basic in construction, but can fold up under the blaster for use as a forward grip when you’re not “in the trenches”.

Ammo loads via a door at the top of the blaster. When you’re firing with the door in the down position, a shaft connects the pusher wheel to its own motor. That wheel then flings the darts into the flywheels.

The blaster runs on 8AA batteries, but as with several other Pro blasters, the battery tray can be removed to reveal an XT30 connector. That means you can use Dart Zone Li-Ion packs or your own lipo batteries with the Boxer Pro. 2s is the recommended number of cells – 3s raises rate of fire to obscenely high but fun levels, while not improving dart velocity enough to matter.

Performance and Gameplay

The Boxer Pro is a joy to use in blaster battles, although there are a few caveats. First, due to the base performance, you need to severely underpower it or install a printed PCAR ahead of the flywheel cage in order to fire darts at HvZ velocities. Secondly, if you’re using alkaline batteries, you’ll have to take spin-up time into account when getting ready to fire. Otherwise, your initial shots will be weak.

Finally, while the chain works well most of the time, it has its quirks. Well-worn darts can potentially slip out. Occasionally, if you’re using the ammo box and the chain is in a complete loop (instead of dropping out the side), the chain might pile up without going back into the box, forcing you to pull in the excess manually. You also might have issues with feeding when pointing down…but that’s irrelevant for 99.9% of people. I just happened to be playing in a multi-level laser tag area one game.

The Boxer Pro averaged 163fps on 8AA batteries in my testing, with up to seven darts per second being possible. Full-auto fire does reduce those speeds, though.

Using a 2S lipo rechargeable battery, the velocities dropped to the upper 140s, but the motor spin-up time was vastly improved, and the speeds sagged less under rapid fire.

If anything, the only major downside has been when I only load a single chain. BUY MORE CHAINS!

Internals and Thoughts

The Boxer Pro is wired exactly how you’d expect. The rev trigger spins up the flywheels, and the main trigger sends current to the pusher motor.

To date, there are a LOT of aftermarket 3d printed accessories, ranging from new ammo boxes to complete reconfigurations of the blaster. Google a bit and see what you like!

Final Opinion

The Adventure Force Boxer Pro is a fresh addition to the arsenal, and a reminder that even in the world of pro-level blasters, not everything has to be about going through magazines as quickly as possible. The blaster is stupid fun to use, and the fact that you can spit out darts at 160+ fps just makes it even better. Just do yourself a favor and buy some extra chains.