Nerf Retaliator SuperTak Modifications

The Nerf Elite Retaliator is widely noted as one of the best blasters in Nerf's Elite lineup. It has good looks, range, and size and can easily reshape or added to thanks to Nerf's wide array of attachments. As one of the most popular Nerf blasters in recent history, it has truly earned itself a place in the minds of all avid foam dart launcher enthusiasts.

Despite this, there are a few major problems with the design of the Retaliator. The stock is disliked by many because it is too short to provide accurate stability against one's shoulder. The barrel looks strange and actually decreases the performance of the blaster, despite it's being rifled (spiral ridges) on the inside. Thirdly, the blaster's paint job leaves a lot to be desired.

There are a few simple modifications that can be done to fix these problems. Such modifications include

- Stock extension, reshaping and padding
- Access door removal
- Magazine lock removal
- Bolt sled lock removal
- Weight addition
- Stock stability modification
- Scope attachment
- Barrel extension
- Camouflage aesthetic mods
- Carry strap attachment

These modifications will increase the performance of the Retaliator greatly, and will lead to increased accuracy, weight, range, and stability, all the while adding to the blaster's usefulness in outdoor situations.

In the following steps you will find the information you need to SuperTak modify your Nerf Retaliator.

To modify your Nerf Retaliator, you will need;

MATERIALS:

-Nerf Retaliator
-Nerf Longstrike front barrel
-Black duct tape
-Camouflage duct tape
-Electrical tape
-Scotch tape
-Neon orange poster board
-6 inches of 1/2 Inch diameter CPVC pipe
-Large tubing (about one inch in diameter)
-Paper towels
-Cardboard
-2 small weights (preferably small metal pieces)

TOOLS:

-Hand hacksaw
-Hobby knife
-Wire cutters
-Box cutting knife
-Pipe cutter
-Pencil
-Needle-nose pliers
-Cross-head (Phillips) screwdriver
-Measuring tape
-Hot glue gun
-Hot glue
-Scissors
-Sharpie marker

ACCESSORIES:

-Nerf 6-dart magazine(s)
-Nerf Elite suction darts
-Nerf Stampede pop-out bipod
-Strap (with 2 other strings to attach)

Firstly you will need to unscrew all screws on the stock of the Retaliator. Once all screws are removed, pry open both halves of the stock, and remove the orange stock support insert, which is not secured in any other way. You will not need the orange insert, but I do recommend you keep it, as it may come in handy for some other project.

First, you will need to test your piece of 1/2 inch CPVC pipe to make sure it will fit inside the stock. If it does not fit well, use the pipe cutter and some sandpaper to cut the pipe (and/or the stock) down to size.

Using the hand hacksaw, cut through one half of the stock shell at a point at about the half way point (picture 2). You will also need to cut the other half of the shell evenly with the first half. To do so, temporarily put both halves of the shell back together to find the correct cutting line (picture 5).

Once both halves of the stock are cut and de-burred (removal of any jagged edges), organize the four pieces of the stock so that the parts of both halves of the shell go together.

Measure and mark a one-inch segment in the middle of the CPVC pipe. Next, align the one-inch marks on the pipe with the ends of the stock halves (picture 2). Hot glue the pipe in place using generous amounts of glue. Try to fill all gaps around the pipe with glue to increase the sturdiness of the stock.

Once the pipe is secure in the first half of the stock, replace the other pieces of the stock, add more hot glue, and replace the screws (pictures 8 and 9).

Fill all gaps in the extended stock by tightly packing paper towels into the openings in both halves of the shell (pictures 2 and 3). Next, wrap more paper towels around the pipe in the center of the stock to achieve the same diameter as the rest of the stock. Add tape to waterproof and secure the paper towels.

Determine the basic stock shape desired/needed with a Sharpie marker on a large (bigger than the stock) piece of cardboard. Cut out this shape, and trace it onto another piece of cardboard to get two identical halves.

Place one cardboard piece on the stock and mark any edits (such as the stock-removal buttons) onto the cardboard using a pencil. Transfer all edits and marks onto the other piece of cardboard as well.

When both halves of the stock shape are ready, hot glue both pieces onto the sides of the stock, taking care to align them as closely as possible on the X, Y, and Z axes.

Once again trace any necessary shape edits (such as a thumb opening) onto the cardboard with a pencil and transfer them to the other side as well.

Cover all lateral parts of the stock with rectangular pieces of cardboard, filling in all openings with more paper towels. Next, add folded towels to the back and top of the stock as padding. Make sure all towels are covered with tape to secure and waterproof them.

First, you will need to de-prime (dry-fire) and unload (remove the magazine) the blaster. Next, unscrew the two screws on the stock attachment to slide the entire piece off (picture 4).

Remove all screws on the body of the blaster. Note that there are two screws near the front of the blaster under the priming slide, (picture 6), and there is one long screw on the white part of the under-barrel (picture 8). All other screws are normal.

Open up both halves of the blaster by prying them open with the screwdriver. Open cautiously, because there may be some pieces that are ready to jump out, such as the accessory tooth (orange tactical rail piece) or the trigger. Once open, the blaster should look like pictures one and/or two. It helps to remove the bolt sled, as it will be much easier to remove the necessary locks.

Following are a few piece removal recommendations that will make your Nerf Retaliator perform much better. You can pick what pieces you want to keep or remove, but I suggest that you remove them all.

ACCESS DOOR REMOVAL

Removing the access door will make the blaster much easier to unjam with the scope in place and make the slide move more smoothly. To remove it, simply pull out the black access door and the small metal rod that acts as a hinge for it.

LOCK REMOVAL

Removing the magazine and plunger locks will make the trigger easier to pull, the magazine easier to remove, and the blaster easier to prime and de-prime. Simply remove the two white pieces shown in pictures 4 and 5, and the two orange pieces on the bolt sled in pictures 6 and 7. Removing these locks will allow the user to prime and de-prime the blaster simply by tilting it in a certain direction. It is also able to be de-primed while holding down the trigger and sliding the priming slide back.

Once you have finished removing pieces, replace the bolt sled, plunger and any other mechanism pieces such as the trigger, accessory tooth, and other springs.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

When you replace the bolt sled, make sure the holes in the side are on the blue plastic nubs on the insides of the shell (picture 9). Otherwise, the blaster will not close all the way, and will not prime.

Don't close up the blaster just yet; we aren't done!

Adding weight to the front and back of the blaster will add balance to the Retaliator and make the internals more sturdy.

Hot glue a metal weight in the handle of the blaster and in the front of the blaster as exhibited in pictures 4 and 5. Putting one weight in each half of the shell improves balance substantially. Also add hot glue in the opposite sides of the shell. Try to be neat when gluing to prevent inhibiting the function of the blaster.

Once you have finished adding weight and the glue has dried, close up both halves of the blaster, making sure all pieces such as the accessory tooth and trigger (and all springs) are back in place. Replace all screws on the blaster.

The internal modifications are complete.

The stock on the Retaliator is notably unstable due to poor size determination and excessive "wiggle room." This problem can easily be fixed with a simple trick.

Tape a small square piece of cardboard to the notch in the stock attachment point (picture three). Continue wrapping tape around to create a smooth, sloped, moderately (but not too thick) layer of material.

The stock should now be much more secure, yet a bit harder to attach and remove.

Adding a scope to your Retaliator will greatly increase accuracy and add an "intimidation factor" to the blaster. Please note that this is a permanent attachment.

To attach the scope to the blaster, cut out a rectangular piece of cardboard that will fit in the attachment pieces of the scope (picture 3). Continue to add pieces of cardboard to get a snug fit. Next, add hot glue to secure the cardboard. Finally, hot glue the scope onto the priming slide of the Retaliator (picture 6). Make sure it is facing in the right direction!

Once the scope has been glued on, test to see if you can prime the blaster by pulling on the scope. If not, add more glue in small amounts to any open cavities. Try not to get glue on any other parts if the blaster.

Extending the barrel of the Retaliator will add to its aesthetics and increase accuracy. Since this barrel is wider than the barrel of the Longstrike, it will not decrease range, as there is no friction.

Place the tube and the barrel from the Nerf Longstrike along side each other to make sure that they are approximately the same size. Slide the tube over the barrel to ensure that there is a tight fit. Feel and make a mark where the Longstrike barrel ends inside the tube. Then, measure 6.25" (a realistic distance when compared to a Bushmaster rifle) down the pipe away from the Longstrike barrel and leave another mark.

Cut the tubing at this second mark. Hot glue the tube onto the Longstrike barrel, taking care to make sure the tube is straight.

The Retaliator's barrel is now extended!

Adding camouflage to the Retaliator will increase tactical usefulness and add a realistic factor to the blaster.

Using camouflage duct tape, cover the Retaliator until it looks realistic. Do not add any duct tape under the priming slide, as it will inhibit the function of the blaster, and remove its de-priming capabilities. To cover the parts under the slide, on the barrel, and on the priming handles, simply use electrical tape, which is sticky enough to stay in place while thin enough to not hinder the blaster's performance. Try to be neat with taping, because the better the taping job is, the longer the aesthetic mods will last.

Also note that it is legally required in the United States and other countries to have an orange band of at least two Centimeters at the end of the barrel, so police can distinguish this from any real weapon. Please add it for your safety.

There are certain parts of the Retaliator which cannot be covered with tape, (although spray paint will work). These parts are;

-Under the front of the priming slides
-Over the sights
-On the handle

Any tape placed here will inhibit blaster function and/or fall off very quickly.

After adding tape, you can move on to other accessories, such as attachment points for scope caps on the stock (picture 4).

Attaching a carry strap to the Retaliator will make it easier to transport and store.

To attach a strap, tie two shoelace (or other string) halves to the stock and barrel of the blaster. Next, simply hook the ends of a carry strap to the looped laces, and tie off. The strap should now be securely attached and the problem of the Retaliator not having any strap points has been solved.

If you are not in the NK3AE, you can skip this step if desired. If you would like to join the NK3AE, which is an elite Nerf War club, than please visit:

www.nk3ae.weebly.com

Adding Blaster Identification will help NK3AE members and other Nerfers recognize your specific blaster and what it can do.

To add an NKID badge to your Retaliator, simply write the following code three times on small rectangular pieces of paper. Be sure to read the decoding list below to fill in everything correctly.

An example NKID badge is below, and in pictures one and three.

NK3AE:A986 EG 506/+
902-903-905-907 QE:AT
2014 AP.3.4 NK S.T.

Decoding List:

-NK3AE (Modified in the NK3AE)
-A986 (Retaliator)
-EG (Elite Blaster)
-506/+ (Optimized for Snipers, but can be used elsewhere)
-902 (Aesthetic modification)
-903 (Attachment modification)
-905 (Shell modification)
-907 (Internal modification)
-QE:AT (Quadrant Authorized)
-2014 (Year modified)
-AP.3.4 (Modifications completed on April 3rd, 2014)
-NK (Modified by Nerfrocketeer-fill in your NK3AE initials here)
-S.T. (SuperTaktical)

Tape these tags to the blaster on the bottom of the stock (picture 3), priming slide (picture 4), and side of the barrel (picture 5). Be sure to cover them completely with tape to protect them from water.

The recommended type of Nerf dart for the SuperTak modified Retaliator is the Elite Suction Dart, which is compatible with magazines and has the same ranges as normal Elite darts, but with a suction cup at the end. These darts are more useful because they stick to the target, which allows someone sniping with the blaster to ensure a hit.

Following are a few tips and tricks that will make the SuperTak modified Retaliator even more useful in a Nerf War.

HIDDEN DART SPACE

In the bottom of the blaster's handle there is a small space that can be used to store an extra dart. This can come in handy when all magazines are empty.

FRONT LOADING

When the blaster is fully primed without its front barrel, a dart can easily be slid into the barrel, as with smaller blasters such as the Firestrike. Once the dart is inserted, all that is left to do is pull the trigger.

Using the modified Nerf Retaliator is very simple. Following are the steps necessary to use the blaster.

1) Pull the priming slide all the way back.

2) Pull one of the magazine releases (pictures 3 and 4) and remove the magazine.

3) Load the specified amount (6, 12, 18, or 36) of darts and reinsert the magazine into the blaster.

4) Push the priming slide all the way forward. Pull trigger to fire.

Congratulations! You have successfully SuperTak modified your Nerf Retaliator! All aspects of the blaster's performance should be improved, and the Retaliator should be much more useful, balanced, and effective in the event of a Nerf war.

Have fun testing and battling! You're guaranteed to have tons of fun with your modded blaster! Now get out there and feel the improvement!