Want to know what all the buzz is about?
We’re working to make HPA more accessible in the nerf scene.
Why? Because it’s just too fun.
As a nerf hobbyist myself, I’m always looking to take my game to the next level. Next level fun.
You might have heard about nerf HPA (high-pressure air). It’s a fairly new offering in the hobby, especially for those of us in the USA.
Basically, HPA is great if you want…
– Next-level accuracy & tight shot groupings
– Easily adjustable power (150-350+ FPS) with NO extra hardware
– Tons of different designs to try
– Satisfyingly awesome firing sound
– One blaster, any event
If this is you, read on.
I started building my first HPA (high-pressure air) blaster in the shop.
I had heard that HPA could be the “next new thing” in nerf.
But I also heard that HPA was dangerous, not allowed in some places, with new terminology and parts I didn’t fully understand.
I was also skeptical that HPA could actually out-perform other blasters.
But I built one anyway.
HPA turned out to be a lot safer than I originally thought.
With no one to teach me, I made about every mistake you could with nerf HPA, but nothing dangerous happened.
My first HPA blaster (the HPA U Talon Claw) came together. The HPA setup wasn’t as complicated as I imagined after I figured out what I was doing.
And the noise? Most satisfying thing in the world.
I brought my HPA Axiom to a small nerf war.
Some of my buddies worried that the HPA firing noise might worry some neighbors, but the blaster wasn’t even as loud as my car’s engine. I fired a few shots to show them and we all agreed that it was quieter than we thought it would be.
We were playing under 200FPS, so I grabbed my hex key and tuned my blaster down to make the coronagraph happy. The blaster was lightweight enough that I didn’t feel as tired after an afternoon chasing kids around.
*While I will help you with the setup, it’s not totally foolproof. You still will need to know some principles about HPA to use it safely*
Since then, I’ve built tons of HPA blasters for nerfers in the community. I asked a few why they bought their HPA setup.
Here’s what they said:
– AR Shape
– Long Handguard
– Buffer Stock
– Bullpup
– Super Compact
– Fastest trigger response
– Mag in grip
– Mid sized
– “UZI” feel
– Bottle-on Stock
– Full-length platform
– Sci-fi “rifle” ergo
– Setup like a paintball marker
– Super Compact
– Bottle-on Stock
Already have a blaster platform you like?
Don’t see a 3D Printed blaster with the functionality you want?
You can practically drop a CORE into ANY existing platform!
Here’s a couple we love that are well worth converting into air power.
The most popular nerf shotgun out there, the Spring Thunder gets EVEN BETTER with a boost in power from the normal 80 FPS to adjustable up to 200 FPS and NO HEAVY PRIME!
The Kirin is normally a bolt-action, shell-ejecting springer. SUPER FUN shell ejecting meets high performance with this blaster. NOW it’s SEMI-AUTO!!!
Pre-orders for the NarfCORE and NarfXBZ are currently available as well! They trade slightly less intuitive function for a higher potential power ceiling by providing more total air volume.
Each blaster will be a little different, but the principles are the same. In fact, once you get your basic HPA setup (SuperCORE, regulator, etc), you can swap it in and out of basically any HPA blaster.
Here’s an overview of how the Axiom works:
The Axiom is a remote line HPA setup, meaning that you carry the HPA tank in a pouch or somewhere other than mounted on your blaster.
I’ll post more information about other setups soon. A remote line setup isn’t a bad idea to start with if you’re just getting into HPA.
This is the cheapeast and arguably easiest to operate, due to it’s tool-less takedown feature.
Troubleshooting is super quick and easy.
It’s also got the great performance of all the SuperCORE/SniperCORE blasters.
You will have to learn how to install a remote-line. I haven’t had trouble with that, and many of my nerfer friends haven’t either.
Hope seeing those designs gets you started. There are many more designs out there.
In fact, once you have your basic setup, then you’re good to swap it into literally any compatible design there is.
In the end, springing for the HPA setup might save you money. Considering that many of us have bins and bins and bins full of blasters.
But we wouldn’t know anything about that, would we..
