February 20, 2015

Stats Blast Revolution Review

Among the new blasters in the ToysRUs "Stats Blast" line (thanks to Prime Time Toys) is the Revolution, a new take on an old blaster. For those of you not familiar with the Lanard Over Under, it's a slamfire-only blaster with two revolving turrets, with the barrels meshing with each other in the middle. Performance was relatively poor, but it sold well enough to warrant a lawsuit over TRU using an unauthorized reproduction but claiming it as the real thing. Strange how they're now marketing an updated, but clearly derivative blaster.


In any case, the Revolution claims 70' ranges, which are about double the ranges of the original Over Under. Let's open both of them up, see the differences, and do the measurements!
After you remove the screws in the shell, this appears! The plunger tube sits in the middle of the blaster. The priming arm has a spring-loaded catch that pulls back the plunger, while tracking slightly upward. After moving the priming grip 2" back, the catch slips and the blaster fires. You then return the priming grip to its forward position, and the process starts over again.


Instead of using a gear system as per the Over Under, the turrets have been slightly modified in shape to ensure proper rotation of both turrets. Pulling back the priming grip rotates the turrets 1/16th of the way around to line up a barrel to fire, then goes another 1/16th on return.


Now for comparison pics! Both the original Over Under and the newer iteration are about the same size, with the newer version having longer barrels. It also has a longer priming motion.


On the inside, the Revolution has a much larger plunger tube, roughly 1 1/16" ID compared to the 7/8" ID of the Over Under. It also has a stronger spring.


In terms of performance, the Revolution performs far better than its predecessor. In my homemade chronometer, the Revolution scored an average 67 fps, compared with the paltry 43 fps from the Over Under. In range testing outside (no wind, at an angle), both the included Xtreme darts and Nerf Elite streamlines flew 70'-80', making the manufacturer's claims legitimate.

Aiming never seemed to be an issue when firing the Revolution around the yard, whether standing still or running. Using family members as targets, naturally. It makes for an unusual, but reliable pistol that is superior to the original in every way. It would also make for an interesting, rapid-fire integration to a larger blaster. Call me what you want, but I have to give this blaster two thumbs up!

1 comment:

  1. Buffdaddy, see, this is why you're awesome. Unsung blaster from off-brand line, internals, action breakdown, history, and even a great comparison to a rare previous sister blaster...all of it is above and beyond for a TRU blaster. You treated this like it was a new Hasbro release from the NY Toy Fair. Great post on a diamond in the rough. Thanks for your blog and keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete