Best blasters of all time

     Many times before others have made their own lists of the best blasters of all time.  Each blaster on my list has a detailed description of exactly why it made it on the list.  There is also a section of blasters that came close but explains why they didn't make it.  They are in order from small pistols to large rifles rather than by how good they are as they all have different qualities that make them great.

Nite Finder EX-3

     The Nite Finder is one of the greatest blasters ever because it is so simple it really has no flaws.  It gets good stock ranges and has excellent mod potential.  The sky is the limit with mods because it is so simple.  It is also cheap and easily available.  The only weakness is that it only holds one shot ready to fire at a time, but that is a role for different kinds of blasters.

PistolSplat

     This is the only other single shot blaster that I feel deserved to be on the list because there are so many and few stand out.  The PistolSplat is actually a paintball gun, but is such a bad paintball gun anyway, and can fire Nerf darts stock that it is considered a blaster regardless.  Stock ranges with darts are around 40+ feet and modified ranges can far exceed that.  Mods are also very simple and clean too.

Buzz Bee Tek 6

     The Tek 6 is possibly the best sidearm you could have in a Nerf battle, particularly a close quarters one.  It doesn't come near the Nite Finder in range or mod potential, but makes up for that with 6 shots that can be fired very rapidly with decent power and great reliability.  And it's only $5.

DT Hyperfire

     The Hyperfire is a great all-round blaster.  Unlike almost all of the others on this list, it has no outstanding features or particular strength, but doesn't really have a weakness and is good in every way.  It has an open front turret, as many of the others on here do, because they are good in quite a few ways.  They allow fast reloads, reloads on the fly, very little jamming, and full dart compatibility.  Range is just average, but it is a close combat blaster.  10 rounds is good in it's compact package and it can be fired fairly fast so it is one of the best all around blasters you can get.

Alpha Trooper

     The Alpha Trooper might be the best thing that happened to N-Strike after the Longshot.  It combines the best of all the other Recon clones like the Raider, Deploy, and Longstrike, and added a special type of drum mag that is without a doubt the most practical N-Strike clip yet.  It has slamfire, decent range, great reliability, a compact size, no unnecessary features and a low price.

ERTL PAS

     The ERTL Pump Action Shotgun is good because it's mod potential is nearly unlimited and it is very easy to mod for great ranges.  It's pump action gives it a better RoF than most single shot spring blasters and the fact that it is spring powered gives it a better RoF than any single shot air blaster.  It isn't too expensive and is durable with a massive plunger.  Coupler it and shoot stuff.

Big Salvo

     The Big Salvo is one of my all-time favorite blasters because it is so unique, powerful, and efficient.  It is rather hard to find, but it is usually exceptionally cheap for such an awesome blaster.  It has four barrels and a multi-stage trigger so it can be fired single shot, bursts, or a huge blast.  Stock, it fires missiles surprisingly well and about 40 feet.  Mods are ridiculously easy and by sticking in 3" of CPVC mine has obtained 50-60' ranges.  With longer barrels (though you would sacrifice the ability to use stock ammo and missiles) ranges could be in the ballpark of 100'.  Reloads are also very fast and effective thanks to the front loading barrels and high-volume pump.  The only problems are that a) some may have leaky tanks and b) you will definitely need trigger discipline to be effective.  I would prefer normal semi-auto to the multi stage trigger for comfort and practicality, but hey, it's still great.

Buzz Bee Big Blast

     The BBBB is great for the same reason as the Nite Finder - simplicity and power - only taken to the next level.  The Big Blast has near three times the power of the Nite Finder but also is much bigger and slower to fire.  It's power is great without being overkill like the Titan, and is far more practical too.

Doomsayer

     Stock, the ERTL Rapid Fire Shotgun is nothing interesting, and performance is around 15 feet with an obsolete form of ammo.  Far more recognizable is the heavily modified form, the Doomsayer.  Boasting fantastic ranges and 12 shot capacity on a pump action shotgun, this is a primary to be wary of.  The only problem is how difficult it is to mod.

Longshot

     The Longshot was the first of the clip system blasters and really brought about N-Strike as well.  Many consider it the greatest blaster of all time, and after it was discontinued, demand continued to rise and prices skyrocketed.  It's power certainly is great, and it's massive plunger tube give it great mod potential.  Basically any mod you can think of for the Longshot has been done.  It is a great primary because of it's fast reloads and high capacity depending on the clip, not to mention the power and mod potential.  However, it has two weaknesses.  One is that the boltsled is rather fragile and mods must reinforce the boltsled or introduce a custom one.  The other problem is that it looks like a sniper, and is has sniper like power, but it is extremely inaccurate.  However, if you can get around these problems, you have possibly the best primary ever.  No wonder it's so popular.  Only major downside is that Nerf made something great so they naturally discontinued it and finding one will be difficult and expensive.  Your best bet would be to look for a trade opportunity locally rather than on eBay.

Berserker

     To put it plainly, I love the Berserker.  It is in my opinion, very deserving of being in the list of best blasters of all time, and is possibly the best.  Stock, it is good.  It has 25-30 foot ranges and shoots missiles for fun or special game types.  However it really shines modded.  Ranges are doubled to about 50 feet with the turret CPVC'd and the center can take pretty much anything if couplered and fires with the power of the Big Blast.  It can't jam and has full dart compatibility and reloading on the fly as well as great capacity and an integrated secondary.  The only weakness is a slow reload, even slower with barrels replaced.  Fortunately, it's capacity is good so reloading doesn't happen as often as with other blasters, you just need to count your shots.  This will dominate in HvZ or normal Nerf wars.  Best of all, it is only $20.

     Blasters that didn't quite make it are listed below and would be ones that some would argue should have made it.

Spectre

     The Spectre on almost all counts is just as good or better than the Tek 6.  It has more mod potential and is Nerf quality.  So why didn't it make it?  Two reasons.  One, it has one less shot.  It isn't a major problem but isn't good, particularly for HvZ.  The other reason is that it costs FOUR TIMES as much as the Tek 6 and is hardly any better.

Maverick

     Though it may seem I have already covered everything about the Maverick several times (and I have) the reason it didn't make it and the Tek 6 did was because a. The Maverick costs twice as much and b. The Maverick is unreliable.  End of story.

Stampede

     I am really borderline about the Nerf Stampede and whether it should be on the list or not.  Here are the reasons I ultimately just decided to put it on the "almost made it" list.  It is pretty heavy for a Nerf blaster, but not a major deal.  It is also the most expensive Nerf blaster ever, but it comes with a whole lot of accessories so the price is more justified.  Mods are rather difficult to do due to it's complex internals and electric wiring.  It is fully automatic but that may be more a con than a pro as it encourages the user to waste ammo needlessly and have false confidence in their safety.  In reality, the Stampede's RoF is only around 200 RpM.  A stock Alpha Trooper can fire nearly double that speed if the need exists.  Plus the Stampede costs almost three times as much, not including the expensive 6 D batteries it will need.  On the plus side, it has a direct plunger, has good mod potential, (it'll just take lots of work) is cool looking, comes with lots of accessories and 3 18 round clips.

Crossbow

     The Crossbow is the most valuable blaster ever.  Prices on eBay for a new one are in the 200's.  So what makes it so special?  It is very comfortable and most of all prestigious.  Mod potential is great, but many just are full overhauls anyway.  Ranges are very good, but nothing better than a PAS or similar.  It didn't make the cut because it's overrated.  People on Nerfhaven spend $200 on a Crossbow so they can be "elite".  It is a single shot spring blaster with good mod potential.  Sounds like a really overpriced Nite Finder to me.