new nerf guns

Their popularity means that people like myself, who adore our foam-blasting ‘high-powered’ rifles and blasters keep them for quite a long time.

My favorite (well, until about 3 years ago) Nerf gun had served me for almost 10 years.

However, when I moved on to my new job, one of the first things I noticed is that I was now being outclassed, and outgunned, by my workmates.

It wasn’t because I had lost my edge, but rather, I was still dreaming about the past, when the guns my friends were using were all about the future.

Between the time of my last purchase (which mind you, was close to the beginning of the millennium) and 2012, Nerf guns had evolved so much I felt like a Ford Model T trying to keep up with a Focus RS; it was pointless.

These new models were shooting faster than ever before, they had a much longer range, and my assistant (in what I think was an effort to get me back for being so hard on him) even brought a fully automatic Nerf gun to the office once. This was when I realized I needed an upgrade, so I started doing my research.

It turns out that my (relatively) short hiatus from conscious interest in the Nerf world had led to a little confusion. And when I say ‘a little’ I mean in much the same way the moon is ‘a little’ way away from the earth. Compared to cosmic distances its right next door but it’s still millions of miles away.

I slowly began to realize that my single-shot sidearm collection was basically useless against the more powerful blasters that were now on the market.

To make it even worse, the amount of ammo they carried was just not enough for my needs. I already knew the range sucked but I didn’t realize just how much.

As for the accuracy, that was so bad you could have stood 5 feet in front of me in a pink and orange ballerina costume and I STILL would miss a few shots.

However, I am now back on my game, and eagerly awaiting the fall to see what blaster I will get to add to my collection.

However, with fall fast approaching, and my nerves tingling with anticipation, I decided to go through my collection and take a look at some of my more memorable purchases.

The following guns are by far the Best New Nerf Guns I have ever owned. They have all served me well, and best part is that you won’t go bankrupt buying them. 

By far one of the best nerf guns you can buy, it is also one of the coolest nerf guns on this list and the most powerful nerf gun.

Not only does it allow you to shoot the elite darts from the 10-dart clip up to 90 feet, it allows you to do this continuously thanks to Nerf’s ingenious semi-auto mode.

Two AA batteries help to power two flywheels that fire a dart every time you shoot. When it comes to accuracy, very few nerf guns come close, and every time you pull the trigger you will feel like an elite Navy SEAL taking down a terrorist suspect.

This is also one of the most comfortable Nerf guns to hold. The grip feels great, even for someone with large hands such as myself, and the trigger is so smooth you do not need much force to press it.

However, it is also one of the noisiest guns on this list, and you definitely will not be able to pull any espionage-type sneak attacks with this thing, especially once the flywheels start spinning.

You will also have to be very economical with your trigger finger unless you purchase some extra 18-dart clips, as it does tend to run out of ammo quite fast.

The ‘grenade’ launcher is also virtually useless unless you are using it as a distraction, and it’s highly unlikely you will be hitting anything smaller than an African Elephant with it.

Our Rating: (4.2 / 5)

Pros

Cons

Just as the name suggests, this blaster fires its darts with the help of a 10-dart rotating drum, and is capable of firing them over 60 feet, with Hasbro stating that the darts will fly (a rather long) 90 feet giving you the distance that you need to keep your perceived enemy at bay.

The darts are Mega Whistler darts, meaning that you will be able to hear a satisfying scream as your dart hurtles towards your target.

However, it does mean that just like with the Elite Demolisher, you will not be pulling any moves worthy of Solid Snake.

The pump-action firing mechanism makes you feel like you are holding a 12-gauge in your hands, and further alludes to the power that this gun holds.

What’s even better is that unlike many pump action Nerf guns, this one allows you to fire your darts rapidly without letting go of the trigger, all you need to do is keep pumping and watch the darts fly.

Despite its size (this is a big nerf gun), it is comfortable enough for people of all ages to hold, making it ideal for both kids and adults (though I doubt your kids are going to have much fun with it if they let you even get NEAR it).

Our Rating: (4.7 / 5)

Pros

Cons

As far as I am concerned, this is the only Mega Blaster that makes sense.

It’s cheap, its reasonably sized, and it feels so cool to hold you’ll feel like a cross between the Terminator and Scarface.

The rotating drum allows you to rapidly empty your six-round capacity, though you may not really want to be in a rush to do this as reloading can be a hassle.

However, if you have TWO, it makes more sense, and with how light this thing is, AND how good it looks when duel-wielded, that is a possibility that you would like to consider (I did, and they literally cost me the same price as my RotoFury).

Just like the RotoFury, the CycloneShock fires whistler darts, which can work for or against you.

It’s always satisfying to hear them screaming through the air, especially when you know you’re going to score a direct hit, however, it does make this gun useless when it comes to stealth.

That should not worry you though, because with a range of 90 feet who needs stealth. Accuracy is as good as it gets, though you do have to take a little longer to aim.

With patience, you could hit flies with it (as one satisfied customer showed) which just proves how straight and true the darts fly.

Our Rating: (4.7 / 5)

Pros

Cons

As far as close range combat is concerned, this is one of the best nerf guns for sale right now.

This blaster is part of the (now dwindling) Vortex range of disc blasters, and for many die-hard nerf fans this may already begin to bring up a few issues, such as reloading, jamming and ammunition.

However, with the Pyrabon blaster you need not worry about any of that.

For instance, if you are worried about reloading, don’t be. This baby comes with a 40-disc drum; you read right, FORTY DISKS.

Just imagine what that would do to your opponents during a Nerf war.

Even better, an improved design means that this gun is even more comfortable to hold than its other Vortex compatriots.

The new improved front grip fits nicely into your hands, and allows you to carry out some pump-action shooting that is smoother than ever before.

Even though it is meant for close combat (as are most of the other Vortex blasters) the Pyragon will fire up to 70 feet, giving you more than enough range when you need it.

Additionally, the drum on this cool nerf gun can also act as a turret, giving you better accuracy when you’re shooting.

The best part is that the drum can also fit on some of the other Vortex blasters such as the Lumitron and the Praxis, giving you (almost) the same rapid fire capabilities as their newer counterpart.

Our Rating: (4.5 / 5)

Pros

Cons

If you are one of those people that likes to create the perfect ambush, then the Combat Creatures TerraDrone is the perfect weapon for you.

Despite the fact that I love to shoot my enemies myself, having the TerraDrone around has saved my hide during more than one Nerf War, and I’m sure it will continue doing so in the near future.

This six-legged ‘robot’ can fire its payload of 12 Elite Darts in ANY direction thanks to its rotating ‘head’, which makes it especially handy when it comes to targets that refuse to stay still (read my nephew).

4 AA batteries help to power the motor that is used to drive both the legs and the launcher.

The launcher can be adjusted to fire at an angle of up to 35°, allowing you to change the arc and therefore the range of the darts fired.

Speaking of range, this little robot will fire darts for up to 45 feet, which may not seem like much (especially considering the other guns on the list), but is actually really impressive, especially considering the fact that it is basically a UMV.

However, accuracy leaves a lot to be desired, mainly because you have no real way of telling what you are aiming at as there is no camera or other remote guidance aid to help you.

Additionally, the firing rate is really slow; you could watch lichen grow a foot before you empty the 12-shot drum.

Also, you have to keep an eye on it constantly, as it moves in relation to the direction that its ‘head’ is facing (which makes sense, but can become slightly irritating if you are taking cover under fire).

Our Rating: (4.3 / 5)

Pros

Cons

When I first got the Thunderbow, I was pretty excited with my purchase.

The hype surrounding this bow prior to its release was phenomenal, and I was eager to find out if it would live up to the hype. Sure enough, soon after I opened the box I realized why this thing was so highly anticipated; this is one cool nerf gun.

The Thunderbow has by far the longest range of any Nerf weapon on the market today, and will accurately fire the screaming mega darts up to 100 feet.

Pretend you’re an archer from the middle ages and you could squeeze out an extra 10 feet, making you virtually untouchable while you take down your rivals. It’s also really well built, and feels special when you hold it.

It is perfectly balanced to ensure that you do not get tired while hold it, while the string has markers on it to show you the ideal place to pull.

However, it does have a slow firing rate in comparison to some of the blasters on this list, and will fire about 3 darts per second.

You do lose out on accuracy when you fire rapid shots, which you may need to consider as you can only take 5 shots in a row before you have to reload.

Also, you have to be patient with this bow, as it does not fire immediately you pull the bow string, but rather takes a couple of microseconds before the dart is released.

Our Rating: (4.4 / 5)

Pros

Cons

Since it first appeared in 2010, the Stampede ECS has been a fan favorite. I got mine soon after my office debacle in 2012, and I have never regretted my purchase.

The Stampede ECS is impressive straight out the box, and comes with three 18 round clips and a 6 round clip (which is virtually useless, unless you want to buy yourself some time), and 60 darts.

This means that you literally NEVER have to worry about reloading as you are given more than enough ammo to win even the toughest nerf war.

It also comes with a tactical shield that makes you feel like a SWAT team member breaching a hostile building every single time you get up to gain ground during a nerf war.

The fact that it is a fully automatic weapon makes you feel even more powerful, especially as it can fire at a rate of 3 darts per second.

However, the range on this thing is rather short, and you will struggle to get your darts anywhere further than 40 feet away from you.

Also, as it is fully automatic, it will not operate without batteries, and as it uses 6 size D batteries, it is not only expensive to power, it also gets pretty heavy as well.

Our Rating: (4 / 5)

Pros

Cons

This is a relatively new purchase for me as the Lawbringer was released by Hasbro late last year.

However, in the few nerf wars I have been in this year, it has proved to be one of my more prized possessions for a couple of reasons.

For starters, it looks awesome, and it makes me feel like one of the bad boys from a futuristic, apocalyptic movie.

This is one blaster who’s name definitely matches its looks. Additionally, it is pretty well weighted, and feels sublime when you hold it in front of you when preparing to take your next shot.

Speaking of shots, this thing will fire 12 darts before you have to reload, and the range is not too bad. I managed to get 60 feet out of it, though many people have struggled to get it over 50.

Keep in mind that though the range is fine, if you want to hit anything, make sure it’s right next to you.

One of the best features of this gun is the see-through plastic around the butt. It helps to make the gun look more intimidating, which is good, especially when you are at war with people who are not really familiar with what it can do.

Our Rating: (4.7 / 5)

Pros

Cons

This is another one of those new purchases, as it also came out towards the end of last year. However, what a purchase! The modulus is not just a Nerf gun, it’s a Nerf ARSENAL.

Fine, you still get to fire the normal Nerf darts, but that’s about where all the normal stuff stops.

There are over 30 different combinations you can choose from when creating this gun, because in all honesty, that is what you do, CREATE your ECS-10 Blaster.

You can customize it with almost anything, including a red dot sight, a dual rail barrel (which allows you to add other official rails to the gun, or like one Nerf fan did, create the world’s longest Nerf Gun Barrel), a drop grip that actually works for adults as well as children, an extended clip, this list could go on forever.

There is very little that is actually wrong with this gun, other than the fact that it needs 4 AA batteries that are not included with the purchase (are they ever though?), and a handle and trigger that are so rough they could pierce rhinoceros skin if the rhino wasn’t careful.

The range on this thing is impressive, probably because the firing mechanism is almost identical to the Demolisher, making this one of the best nerf guns on this list in that respect.

Our Rating: (4 / 5)

Pros

Cons

The Nerf N-Strike Mega Centurion is a one in a kind Nerf Sniper Rifle, so all those Chris Kyle, American Sniper fans, this one is for you.

The movie had a huge part in my purchasing this gun, but I have not regretted my purchase form the minute that the doorbell rang and I finally held on to the box.

As it is a sniper rifle, you should not expect to have a large clip, and true to that, it comes with a 6 round clip.

However, it does have a range to rival the Thunderbow, and (when working properly) can propel the darts to a whopping 100 feet.

However, if anything (and I mean ANYTHING) should go wrong with the gun while you are firing, you’ll be lucky to get half that.

The gun itself looks awesome, and is probably the coolest nerf gun on this list (aesthetically). It’s also quite huge, and is definitely more than 36 inches long (haven’t really measured it but it’s definitely very big).

Therefore, this is not a gun for the roving warrior who is ducking between desks, sofa sets, or bales of hay.

This is for the patient one who sits in one place in camo, waiting patiently for their foe.

Don’t expect much stealth though, it fires the Mega Whistler darts, which means they won’t be sneaking up on anyone.

Our Rating: (4.6 / 5)

Pros

Cons