Ultimate Nerf Masterkey

Do you have a copious amount of time? Are you addicted to Nerf? Do you think that two guns are better than one? If you said Yes, than this is for you. This instructable shows the joining of a Nerf Rapidstrike CS-18 to a Roughcut. In addition to the joining I added a third position to the stock, modified the flywheels, and added an optic. To do this i used other instructables and several youtube videos by Coop772 to help me out.

Note: if you are not experienced in mechanical things or soldering, this project is probably nor for you.

Tools needed: Phillips head screwdriver, small flathead screwdriver, wire cutters, wire strippers, pop rivet gun, soldering gun, heat gun, small pliers, hack saw, exacto knife, sanding paper, drill

Optional tools: dremel, file

Supplies: pop rivets, washers (for the rivets), string, epoxy, paint, painters tape, aluminum strip, magpul rail, optic of choice

Step 1: Removing All of the Screws and Cut a Wire.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of screws in both of these guns. As for the rapidstrike there are 3 different lengths of screws. The longest is for the front sight, the short ones are for the rail sections, and the remaining... well you can figure that out. Also, you have to remove the battery compartment before anything else. I would take out all of the various sights, sling points, and magazine release.

For the roughcut, there are two lengths of screws. Short ones for the top rail section, long ones for everywhere else. You will need to remove the pump section first and then all of the other screws.

As for the stock, you are going to have to take apart the rapidstrike, remove a steel rod, and then using a small flat-head screwdriver pry at the middle section just enough to raise a retaining tab on either side that holds the stock.

Note: I recommend keeping some kind of container to keep all of the various screws, small parts, and springs in.

Once you have the rapidstrike screws removed, take a wire cutter and cut the wire leading from the battery compartment. This will let you have access to everything.

Step 2: Removing the Magazine Disconect.

Just like in real guns, magazine disconnects are pointless and stupid. Besides, you might have to rev the motors just to make people think you still have ammo while you are switching magazines. Tactics People!

This part of the gun is going to be cut away anyways... so grip it, snip it, and rip it.

Step 3: Get Access to All of the Electronics.

To get to all of these electronics, you are going to have to remove several screws from the parts, along with a wire cover. I decided to keep the door switch.

The motor assembly has four screws holding it, trigger assembly has a few... I don't remember how many, and the push arm mechanism has some too. Take them all out and pull the electronics from the shell of the gun.

Step 4: Adding an Optic Rail

Putting some cheap pos optic made in the child sweat shops of China just screams awesome. I used a Magpul rail section because it is what I had around. If nerf would just make their rails the same width as a standard rail this step would not be here... but that's not the case.

I wanted to maintain the maximum amount of structural integrity of the top rail section, so i decided to mount the rail in between two screw sections. To do this I was going to have to cut away a little of the Magpul rail. I marked on it with a pencil and used a dremel with a cutting wheel to get the job done. I oriented the rail so that the screw holes would also work with the angle of the rail.

After cutting the Magpul rail, I placed it on top of the Nerf gun and mark the ends. Take a dremel and then cut the section of the rail out so that it fits snugly. Then take a drill bit that is the same diameter as the screw for the mount and drill through the Nerf gun. I then took the sanding drum of the dremil and sanded out the ridges below the holes so that the mount will fit snug.

Step 5: Paint the Inside of the Gun (if You Are Going to Paint)

With the open shells of the rapidstrike and rougucut, paint the insides with a flat black. If you are painting the outside, having a flat colored inside will prevent the seams from showing and will just look cooler.

Note: if you are going to paint the small parts, now would be a good time to do it.

Step 6: Wire Up Motors

You will have to cut the wires going to the motors anyways to re-wire them, so go ahead and do that now. You are going to have to remove the resistor board to get access to the motors. I would recommend while removing the bottom board gently, cutting the wires leading to the motor as far away from the motor as possible. If you remove it to violently you run the risk of pulling out a connection terminal that leads to the motor. If you do this it is sometimes impossible to get it back the right way. Ask me how i know.

Now would also be a good time to take off the flywheels since they might get in your way. Take off the black rubber straps holding in the motors. Then remove the flap thing that the darts go through (no idea what it is called). The cover of the flywheels is held on by four tabs. Press them in with a flat-head screwdriver and pull.

For the flywheels, you can pry with a large flat-head screwdriver, or push on the motor shaft with something of equal size while pulling on the flywheel. Be careful if using the latter method to not push the top of the motor off. Just keep it on a hard surface.

Wire the motors across so that they work in opposing directions. I just stripped a piece of wire at both ends, and then in the middle with a knife. Solder the ends to the motor.

I was frustrated at this point from messing around with the motor terminal that i ripped out... so i didn't get pictures of the final wiring of the motors. The front (barrel) portion will have the white wire running to the open middle section. The back portion will have the red and black wires running to the open middle section. Solder all connections.

Step 7: Modify Flywheels

I chose to lighten up the flywheels and add traction points to grab the darts. I did this through drilling four holes in the top, and eight in the sides. Make sure that no burrs are left on either side. The holes on the top are 5/16" and the sides are1/8". If you don't know how to drill in plastic then don't do this.

After you are done modifying them, put them back on the motors (making sure that the bottom of the motor is on a hard surface so you don't push the back off). Then reassemble the motor box thing.

Step 8: Add a Middle Position to the Stock.

Nerf, you are killing me here! Fortunately, adding a third position is not terribly difficult... just time consuming. This was done during the great motor terminal fiasco... so I was not taking pictures.

To do this you need to measure the opining of the lock point. I then took a sharpie and drew a line from the inside to inside using a ruler as a straight edge. Then using a square, mark in the middle the exact opening that you measured earlier. I used a drill bit to get through the middle, then an exacto knife to square it up.

Step 9: Mount a Battery Box

Since I was going to remove the battery tray for the shotgun, i had to find another location to put the power source. Like everything else in life this gun needed MORE POWER! I used some ultrafire batteries to remove weight and take the battery size down to AA.

Note: In my research I found out that four batteries would typically burn out the motors, and two was not enough power, so three it is.

I got a battery box from radio shack. This box has a slot for four AA batteries along with an on/off switch. I like the switch for the reason if I ever put my gun down to use a bigger one (Like a customized Vulcan) i can render this one inoperable. The switch is on the bottom of the box towards the bottom of the gun.

Since only three batteries are gong to be used, I either had the option of putting in a dummy battery, or soldering in a wire. I chose to put in a wire in the slot that i would put rivets through. I also drilled a hole for the wires to go through.

Step 10: Mounting Your Roughcut.

I know that this is the step you have been waiting for. The one that makes this gun go from 10 to 11. This was the most difficult step for me as If was trying to find a mounting option that was solid and looked decent.

To the remove the orange battery box container, you need to cut or sand the blue tabs that hold it in towards the bottom. Then cut it towards the portion closest to the barrel.

I did a lot of internet research and there was not much on mounting options. Frankly, it was as disappointing as a Cowboys game. Coop772 had one where if you kept the battery box, you used the top rail of the roughcut and the bottom rail of the rapidstrike. That didn't look as good to me. Some used long machine screws... but that didn't seem stable to me. I decided to go back to trusty pop rivets and aluminum brackets. This waythe gun can still be taken apart.

Note: I wanted to use the nerf suppressor barrel extension, so the roughcut had to be mounted lower. The width of the roughcut is just about perfect for the rapidstrike with the orange battery box thing removed.

Cut the handle off of your roughcut and remove the front sight post off of it also. Cut where you can remove more material if you have to. Then cut on the rapidstrike to where they fit together as best as you can. Take your time during these steps. I used a hack saw, wood saw, dremel, exacto knife, sandpaper, and a drill to remove material. Getting these square is going to be tough. Ask me how I know.

Note: You will also have to trim the back of the trigger for the roughcut. You can secure the mechanism to a slam-fire only and shorten the overall length, or you can leave the trigger to fire it at your own will.

Take flat aluminum strips and bend a 90 degree angle that goes to the middle of the rapidstrike. Then position the strips along your roughcut where rivets going through them will not interfere with the mechanics. Mark the strips to where they will need to be bent to accomidate the roughcut. I put one rivet into the rapidstrike through the top and one through the side. Then I put one or two rivets into the roughcut. Then I trimmed the bottom of the strips and filed them smooth.

Note: Make sure the strips do not go into the operating space of the pump.

Note: I used a small drill bit through the screw hole on the top of the rough cut. I drilled through it into the rapidstrike, then used a bigger drill bit to allow a screw and screwdriver to get through.

Step 11: Filling in Mounting Point.

I didn't like the gap created by the mount I used. Since this is my first time, i knew it was going to be rough. I decided to use epoxy to bond the two guns together and remove any play between them.

I kept both guns together while doing this step (with screws) so that everything would line up. I first put a shoe string down into the gap and then put a small amount of epoxy on top. The epoxy will soak into the string and then dry, creating a backer for more epoxy applications. This will take some time, but it will look good and be secure once it dries.

Step 12: Paint Your Gun.

If you have not been able to tell as of yet, I haven't followed my instructions as per the order I have given you. As for painting your gun, make sure that you use the right paint. I made the mistake of using bad spray paint for my primer layer and it cracked. This lead to a frustrating time of sanding to get rid of said cracks.

I originally wanted this gun to look like the one from Aliens, but after painting the first green spot I decided to just do my own thing for finish paint. Naturally, tape the areas you don't want painted the color you are painting. I used plastic spray paint and a clear varnish after.

Note: I painted all of the small parts a different color while the main guns were drying. I sprayed everything with the varnish at the same time.

Step 13: WIre in Battery Box/ Put Components Back

Since you gun is now painted, you can put the internals back in. Wire the positive wire to the positive one, negative to the negative. My battery box black was - and red +

Note: since i suck at instructions i didn't get any pictures of the wire soldering

Make sure to put a heat shrink on the wire prior to soldering. I added wire to the - wire coming from the battery box and wired it into the back portion of the motors. and the + to the red. Make sure that you don't add too much wire because it all has to fit underneath the cover. After connecting and soldering the wires slide down the heat shrink and using a heat gun... shrink it.

Now would be a good time to put in your batteries, and test everything. If it doesn't work start diagnosing your problems one at a time. Make sure the motors are spinning towards the barrel too.

If it all works, then add the screws for the motor assembly, trigger assembly, and push assembly.

Note: make sure that you do not pinch any of the wires when putting all of the components back in.

Step 14: Put Everything Back Together

Make sure to put your stock back together with the slide assembly over the stock. Then put that all in the gun with the steel pin through it. Add all of the little sights, triggers, magazine releases, cover door, etc back on the gun. Put the halves together and remember about the extremely long screw, short screws, and everything else. If you kept all of the screws you will have left overs (remember cutting the grip off and part of the rapidstrike). Sight in your cheap optic and prepare to intimidate everyone you go to war against.

Hope this helped you out. Now go out there, buy a real gun (if you are of age and legal to) so you can piss off a liberal.