Toy Review: NERF N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25

As the impending company NERF war draws near, I see the departments gearing up with all the foam dart firing weaponry they can get their hands on. After purchasing and reviewing the latest Raider CS-35, I managed to procure a pair of NERF automatic blasters: The N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25. Boasting a large foam dart capacity and a full-auto firing capability, these toy machine guns would surely give our department the edge in the NERF war.

The Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25 is a 31 inch foam dart blaster resembling a squat M60 machine gun. It is primarily decorated in the N-Strike yellow and orange combination with a few varying shades of gray for detailing. Priced at $42.99, the blaster features a cocking handle to pump and load each foam dart, a carrying handle, three tactical rails to accommodate N-Strike accessories, a removable tripod, an ammunition belt for 25 sonic micro foam darts, and a detachable box magazine that stores and loads the ammunition belt. When a value pack version of the Vulcan was available, it included an extra belt with an additional 25 darts and a shoulder strap at no extra charge. The 6 D-sized batteries for automatic firing, however, are not included.

After loading a sonic micro or Streamline foam dart into each cartridge of the ammunition belt and inserting the dummy cartridge into the breech of the Vulcan, the blaster is ready for firing. Folding the ammunition belt into the box magazine will keep it from dangling and jamming. For a single shot, pull the cocking handle back and release it to chamber the first live round into the barrel and pull the trigger to fire. Repeat for each single shot. After inserting the batteries in the bottom compartment, activate the switch for automatic firing, and hold down on the trigger to fire up to three darts a second.

So while designed for fully automatic firing, how did the Vulcan fare in a field test? A resounding "Ugh."

With the batteries installed, the Vulcan is an unwieldy eight pounds to carry. It works better resting on the tripod as part of a sentry post. It shoots darts an average of 25 inaccurate feet. Being able to fire three darts a second is impressive, but it is also a huge drain on the batteries and amounts to less than 10 seconds of firing the 25 rounds in the ammunition belt. Reloading each dart into each cartridge is a chore. The alternative is to purchase additional belts. The full auto capability causes the blaster to jam frequently The problems simply outweigh the fun.

With its lighter weight, larger magazine, a simpler rapid firing process, greater reliability, and no need for batteries, the Raider CS-35 is a better gun to take into the NERF war. But there is something empowering about keeping a NERF machine gun on top of your desk that only the Vulcan can provide. At the very least it will shorten the visits people make to your desk.