Monday 1 October 2012

Comparison: Nerf DT Snapfire vs Barricade RV-10


This is a comparison of Nerf's two semi auto revolvers, the N-Strike Barricade RV-10 and the Dart Tag Snapfire.

Aesthetics:
The Barricade has much more of a focus on aesthetics than the Snapfire. While the Barricade looks like a weapon from a sci-fi movie, the Snapfire has much more of a resemblance to a cyclist's head.
As always I don't score on aesthetics but when it comes down to looks the Barricade is much more tacticool than the Snapfire.
Accessories:
The Snapfire comes with itself and 8 darts.
The Barricade comes with itself and 10 darts.
Normally this would go to the Barricade, however the Snapfire has an inbuilt unique feature, the speed/power adjusting system, which in my eyes levels this playing field, and thus this round is a draw.
Range/Power:
The Barricade achieves relatively consistent 9-10m with good AA batteries.
The Snapfire achieves 8-10m on speed mode and 10-12m on power mode.
The Snapfire wins this round.
Accuracy:
The Snapfire's accuracy on speed mode is reasonable, while power mode is not so good. However, the Snapfire's accuracy is dependant on how steady your hand is, and as most Nerfer's won't be able to hold the Snapfire completely level courtesy of the kinetic feedback, accuracy isn't great.
On the other hand, the Barricade is more sporadic than Speed Snapfire, but more accurate than Power Snapfire. Unfortunately for the Barricade, flywheels can be rather sporadic and so this round is levelled to a draw.
Usability:
Both the Snapfire and Barricade are semi-auto, meaning one trigger pull fires one shot.
I've found that the Snapfire can have misfire issues if the trigger is pulled too quickly or too slowly. This is because the turret-plunger outlet alignment is not perfect, and thus ranges are reduced.
Trigger pulls can also be difficult for younger or smaller persons who cannot get a good grip on the trigger. This has been noted by Pocket of UT, although I personally don't have that issue. Trigger pull resistance is also ridiculous due to the firing mech of the Snapfire, which combines turret rotation and plunger priming into the trigger pull.
The Barricade on the other hand is flywheel powered, so no painful trigger pulls. Because of its flywheel nature it needs an on-off switch which also controls the flywheels. I personally dislike this and prefer the Rayven/Nitron/Hailfire solution of an acceleration trigger because it gives you better control of the flywheels. There is also the issue of potential jams if you don't pull the trigger all the way (which are a pain) and the trigger has a mech that forces you to pull the trigger all the way if you pull it part way. Although this is intended to reduce jams (quite reasonable) it sometimes locks the trigger for several seconds for no apparent reason. This results in wasted battery power (flywheels left revving) as well as giving away your position and potentially getting you tagged.
Because both blasters have issues that can get you tagged, this round is also a draw.
Rate of Fire:
Although both are semi auto, the Snapfire, because of aforementioned misfiring issues, is limited to about 2dps of consistent shots.
On the other hand, because the Barricade has no such issues it has a max ROF of 5dps.
Obviously the Barricade wins this round.
Capacity:
The Snapfire holds 8 darts and the Barricade holds 10.
Obviously the Barricade wins this round.
Value for Money/Availability:
The Snapfire retails for 19AUD, while the Barricade retails for about 29AUD. The Snapfire is (so far) a Target exclusive, while Barricades are common everywhere. There is also the issue of the Barricade that it requires 3 AA batteries, bringing the total cost up to around 35AUD. I personally believe that paying 50% more money for 25% more capacity and lesser ranges is not worth it, even if the Barricade is more available than the Snapfire, so the Snapfire wins this round.

Overall: The Snapfire 8 has won 2 rounds, while the Barricade RV-10 has also won 2 rounds, with 3 ties. From personal experience, I deem the Snapfire 8 a greater blaster than the Barricade RV-10 in most situations, although there are situations where a Barricade will be more useful than a Snapfire.

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