TR8-2013 Last Updated 04/01/2014

04/01/2014 video TR8 overview and updates

08/31/2013 Step 7continued
08/29/2013 Step 8 Attachment Slide/Charging Handle
08/26/2013 Step 7 K'nex War 2013 inspired mods!!!

07/20/2013 DISCLAIMER! DO NOT AIM OR SHOOT THIS K'NEX GUN AT PEOPLE, ANIMALS, OR ANYTHING YOU DO NOT INTEND TO HIT. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. This is my tested and K'nex WAR proven TR8-2013. If this gun which is built entirely out of K'nex is not built exactly as I have pictured IT WILL NOT PERFORM AS I CLAIM IT WILL. This gun was designed and built to shoot fin ammo. I will be showing both how to build the TR8-2013 and fin ammo. With both the gun and the ammo built exactly as pictured only then can I promise you similar results as I have obtained with this gun. As far as modding do as you wish but know that if your gun does not perform as good as I said it could consider that it is your mods that have tampered with the final results. I recommend that if you do attempt to build this gun you place each and every piece in place exactly as I have done so or please do not expect similar results. With all that political mumbo jumbo out of the way lets get to building!

Stats
the TR8 was designed and built around my fin ammo
over 4 years of development since first introduced in 2009
tested, retested, improved, and proved reliable and effective at 3 major K'nex WARS
auto rotating turret with ratchet for ease of use and rapid ROF
8 round turret capable of shooting any size rod including oodammo and fin ammo
capable of shooting fin ammo up to 300ft with 6 or 7 size #64 rubber bands

Step 1: Turret

Connectors
16 Standard Metallic Blue Clip Connectors
3 Standard Tan Clip Connectors
40 Standard Light Gray Connectors
5 Standard White Connectors

Miscellaneous
2 Blue Spacers
2 Silver Spacers

Rods
32 Standard Green Rods-3/4in
8 Standard White Rods-1 5/16in
8 Standard Blue Rods-2 1/4in
1 Standard Black Rods-7 1/2in

1 size #64 rubber band

Step 2: "Block O K'nex" Barrel/Body/Grip/Trigger

Connectors
9 Standard Black Rod/Connectors
4 Standard Metallic Blue Clip Connectors
2 Standard Tan Clip Connectors
2 Standard Dark Gray/Purple Connectors
3 Standard Orange Connectors
22 Standard Red Connectors
3 Standard Green Connectors
33 Standard Yellow Connectors
1 Standard Gold Connector
10 Standard White Connectors

Miscellaneous
1 Blue Spacer
1 Black Ball Socket
1 Black Hinge

Rods
30 Standard Green Rods-3/4in
2 Standard White Rods-1 5/16in
2 Standard Yellow Rods-3 7/16in
7 Standard Red Rods-5 1/8in
1 Standard Black Rod-7 1/2in

1 size #64 rubber band

Step 3: Pistol Grip/Stock

Connectors
4 Standard Black Rod/Connectors
3 Standard Light Gray Connectors
8 Standard Orange Connectors
8 Standard Red Connectors
7 Standard Green Connectors
53 Standard Yellow Connectors
2 Standard Blue Connectors

Miscellaneous
6 Blue Spacers

Rods
48 Standard Green Rods-3/4in
37 Standard White Rods-1 5/16in
6 Standard Blue Rods-2 1/4in
4 Standard Black Rods-7 1/2in

Wheels
6 Black Wheels-1in
6 Black Tires- 1 1/2in

Step 4: Firing Pin/Guide Rod

Connectors
1 Standard Metallic Blue Clip Connector
1 Standard Dark Gray/Purple Connector
1 Standard Light Gray Connector

Miscellaneous
1 Black Ball Socket

Rods
2 Standard Black Rods-7 1/2in

1 size #64 rubber band
electrical tape
scissors

Step 5: Final Assembly

Connectors
1 Standard Light Gray Connector

Rods
2 Standard Green Rods-3/4in
2 Standard White Rods-1 5/16in

1 size #64 rubber band on the charging connector
1-7 size #64 rubber bands on the firing pin

Step 6: Ammo

I designed the TR8 around my fin ammo which over the years has gotten better and better. Fin ammo is quite simply a Standard Gold/Red Rod-5 1/8in with scotch tape fins along with some electrical tape for added stability. Fin ammo is the reason for my TR8's superb range and accuracy. You can load up the TR8-2013 with any size K'nex rod or even oodammo and never achieve the ranges this gun is capable of hitting. With fin ammo and 6 to 7 size #64 rubber bands your TR8-2013 if built exactly as I have just shown you will obtain ranges of 300ft arched. Which should translate to over 100ft flat. Any target at 100ft is fair game and easy to hit with fin ammo and the TR8-2013.

TR8-2013 accurate/max ranges
any size K'nex rod will accurately shoot 25ft max and 75ft total
oodammo will accurately shoot 50ft and have a max range of 75-100ft before they begin to break at impact of the firing pin. I highly recommend using a max of 5 size #64 rubber bands on the TR8-2013 with oodammo. Any more than that and they break before they ever leave the gun.
fin ammo will accurately shoot 100-125ft and have a max range of 300ft. They shoot straight and what you aim at will be hit. The key is knowing how much to "lob" the shot at ranges above 100ft. Any projectile in the world follows the rules of gravity however it is a matter of knowing how to aim the shot. I've hit targets at 200ft away with the TR8 it just takes some practice.

Step 7: K'nex War 2013 Mods

The turret mods is great for a few reasons. First the turret pin aka the black rod I replaced the silver spacer on the end nearest the gun body with a blue spacer and blue clip. The reasoning behind this is to keep everything together if the turret falls off or is removed for maintenance. No more lost silver spacers. As for the turret itself during the war my friend was having trouble with his trigger for a bit. The problem was that over time the connection of the y cons to the red connectors would wear causing them turn inward slightly jamming the trigger from being pulled. This would obviously be a problem. So I had to design a better trigger hence the new trigger. But before I had a chance to look at it he decided it was best to throw the gun to the ground turret first smashing the 6th layer snowflake connector into the 5th open layer. I originally left the 5th layer open for ease of disassemble not thinking someone would smash it in like that but now I realize I needed a sturdy 5th layer! lol The 5th layer consists of a white "snowflake" connecter with y cons on it to evenly space and support the turret as a whole. The prevent the tan clips from sliding off and also keeps the entire turret super super solid. Because I jammed green rods into the turret between the y cons as pictured it allows the tan clips to be used which saves on blue clips. Most people don't have millions of blue clips so it is a nice feature to have. Before without the green rods you couldn't use tan clips because it would offset the turret shooting the projectiles either right or left depending on how it was made I cannot recall which direction it angled the turret. So overall it is really really cool. To sum up the turret improvements... It is stronger, more supported, has a super solid 5th layer making 6 extremely solid layers, allows for tan clips to save on blue clips, and if the turret is ever removed... no more lost spacers! So that is pretty much the improvements and only problems from the war on my TR8. No broken pins or anything like that. Gun shot great again and now with these mods should be even better. I am going to test the mods out for a few weeks have my friends put them threw hell and see how it all turns out! I am very very excited the gun is working better than ever!

Step 8: Attachment Slide/Charging Handle