NERF Blaster: Air Restriction Mechanism

Bill reveals the engineering design of a NERF blaster, including how it shoots only one dart at a time using a novel air restriction mechanism.
Links mentioned int he video
View Steve's original video at
• Reverse Engineer NERF™...
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[@Kannon_Shots]

Everybody gangsta in the nerf war until this dude learns how to fire all 3 darts at once

[@kav9533]

There’s a whole community that makes nerf stuff stronger and cooler, and there’s things that do like 9 darts

[@spicybbqchicken]

@@kav9533 yeah

[@m4rcyonstation93]

Shellstrike: "Yes"

[@coilovercat]

remove the smart ar system, but that tends to not go too well. Just get a sledgefire, does the same thing

[@jimbog6376]

yeah but the darts only gonna go a couple feet if you dont mod anything but the smartAR

[@imajeenyus42]

I really wish more presenters would take a leaf from your book - your videos are so well explained, you have excellent enunciation, and there is no "excited" background music to distract the viewer from the content. So many producers seem to think that loud music is essential to get the message across, which I really dislike.

[@coreysavage8584]

I agree with you whole-hearted +Lindsay Wilson. I remember as a child it made me feel a certain way when I watched television commercials. So much embellished nonsense. Entertainment these days is often like one big commercial. This is especially pronounced in American media and production. Every segue is dramatized with suggestive overtones in the music. as though the program must remind everyone 'Now it's time to be excited'!(cue musical crescendo) . Moments later a down turn in the programs pace . 'Remind the viewer this portion is melancholy'.(cue a sad piano, played softly). In a movie it's one thing.... but American culture is inundated in this 'sell the viewer' dynamic. We're 'Told' that original idea's and creativity are a sign of intelligence... but we're 'Taught' suppression of these qualities in favor of conformity and blindly accepting societal paradigms even where shallow and counterproductive.... the entertainment seems to reflect this in my view. How else does Neil DeAss Tyson become a spokesperson for the Sciences in pop-culture? He's a dolt! Anyhow /rant complete. Peace Mr. Wilson.

[@kpaulcha1807]

누구세요?????

[@Jorvas25]

Music is endosed when the content is lax enough so that you need to fill a void.

[@everyday5557]

He's right

[@michaellow4697]

I find a bit of background music quite relaxing, and makes it easier to process all the info. Just straight vocals can become quite droning after a while, although refreshing after music all day. It’s a two way road really...

[@rasmustagu]

..and just like that, I'm an instant fan. Quick to the point, interesting and well presented!

[@olliefraga]

This guy is good!!

[@MausOfTheHouse]

Quality content on youtube?!

[@epicentersmp2805]

Until you realize its been a year since he uploaded:/

[@engineerguyvideo]

Still active, just slow. Delivering book to publisher on Feb 8 and then starting on its companion video series.

[@jamesmetoudi8979]

@@PistonsProps You just got destroyed👏

[@joeskis]

I love how you get right to it. Note to KZbin channel wannabes, get rid of your intros.

[@lspdswatdailyvlog6411]

joeskis UR NOT MY DAD

[@c4llahan]

joeskis Make me.

[@umarmars47]

LSPD SWAT DAILY VLOG Haha you're using Singapore's Police Force logo

[@indica77]

joeskis agreed 💯%

[@freespuddy]

joeskis, I agree. I don't want to waste my limited time on intros.

[@strawberyyicecreamdream216]

Subbed, you're like my grandfather I never knew that likes to explain things. I'm sorry for comparing you to a grandfather.

[@engineerguyvideo]

+gzac95 I prefer you use the adjective "avuncular."

[@strawberyyicecreamdream216]

***** Haha noted. I can understand the preference.

[@amandaloteneski6778]

+gzac95 same blaster on geni.us/NerfBlasterGun

[@BobPrivacy]

+gzac95 I would have liked an engineer in the family. Or someone who could have explained things to me. Be proud of your grandfather.

[@jeylful]

Granpa used to clearly explain things to me too!

[@Matticitt]

Love your videos. It's just a toy air gun and I'm truly fascinated by it. Good job!

[@texasdeeslinglead2401]

Mateusz Wojtkiewicz many , many people are . KZbin is chaulked full of experiments on the blaster.

[@tavinhammack7189]

He's my uncle

[@CarlosBattousai]

I always love how something so simple can be so awesome~

[@AbeVonDoom]

+Sephiroth Egret ha did you find this on reddit? It's funny finding you comment on videos I find randomly lol

[@CarlosBattousai]

***** Nope, I follow him on KZbin. I almost never go on Reddit.

[@TheFishCostume]

+Sephiroth Egret Engineering is all about making things more simple.

[@RogerCRocha]

I get a bit sad when people say toys are for children. Or cartoons are for children. At some point in their life, that person has lost the grip of their own playfulness, curiosity, and maybe even their happiness. The fact is that the engineering, creativity, imagination and artistry that takes to create these things is astounding and should be praised and cherished by people of all ages and cultures. Much rather play with a soft, colorful projectile than with a deadly one. Thank you for this video. Hope to see more like this. ❤️

[@OptimusPhillip]

The very thing that made me want to be an engineer was that I was obsessed with Transformers as a kid... and as an adult.

[@deadpanfish]

My kid has this gun. We battle all the time. Never too old to play bro.

[@lazaglider]

Although new releases on this channel are rare, when they come, they are done quite brilliantly.

[@abdullahmoiz8151]

as always explained with ridiculous ease for such a complex thing

[@Papperlapappmaul]

The idea behind that valve system is ingenious, no doubt about that. But it's not really complex at all, which is why it's so ingenious.

[@steprockmedia]

I love how you take a simple, everyday object (like your wonderful video on coffee pots) and explain how brilliant they truly are. How often we take things for granted!

[@821Drifter128]

Ahhh, this video makes me very happy! It's often in the most common of objects we see the most fascinating engineering feats.

[@WALTERRIFIC]

I would like this engineer a lot more if he would pootis spencer here.

[@ponga2780]

fuck you that was the worst fucking joke i ever heard in my sad fucking life

[@zelda_smile]

@@ponga2780 its epic

[@ponga2780]

@@zelda_smile just a little bit

[@colemanbubar5098]

YO I NEED A DISPENSA HERE!

[@xavier6130]

...And yet I fucking snorted.

[@arkan5000]

there's something so oddly satisfying when those final words are the culmination of genuine ingenuity: "Simply constructed, structurally robust, compact, automatically operated and relatively inexpensive" that's how i want most things in life and i'm happy it really is the natural progression

[@retrowave762]

this man just taught me that I can cheat at nerf wars by looking at patents lmao

[@iamfuturetrunks]

First off, you have a great voice for stating how things work. I swear you could be on those tv shows "how stuff works" or "how its made". And second very informative video. I enjoyed the little animation/drawing that helped depict it. Otherwise it would be harder to picture it in my head by the description given.

[@Lerkero]

Simple, but fun and efficient engineering. I never thought to deconstruct a nerf blaster before, and now I am glad to have seen it.

[@FourthRoot]

Even more impressive is how precisely they've calibrated the muzzle velocity. Two days ago I took a direct hit to the eye. The dart bounced off my cornea without abrading it. It hurt tremendously for several minutes, but left no lasting injury. My eye is fine now apart from a little redness. Thanks NERF!

[@ClaudiuK2]

Does that mean that the darts have slightly different travel distances?

[@nutsandgum]

+Claudiu K2 It will, but the inefficiencies in using a foam dart that cant be "spun" for balance and the other reasons would have a greater effect on range making it a rather moot point.

[@1323-j6k]

+nutsandgum a moo point*

[@i2evielle]

+Lasmamoe He was correct. The term is "a moot point".

[@enclavevideo]

it's a well known fact in the need community that the first dart from a sequential air restrictor blaster is the most powerful, followed be the second then third, because of the power lost to the mechanism

[@1323-j6k]

Zomgitsjohn I know..

[@Kenthis15]

As someone who enjoys both NERF modding and engineerguy videos, this was wonderful.

[@UnimpressedAussie]

You said "blaster" instead of gun and "dart" instead of bullet... I'm so impressed hahah. Subbed.

[@thermionicemission6355]

Fun fact: some genius russian engineers designed "captive piston" rounds, which use the same technology, so that the loud bang of the combusting gas is gone! A supressed weapon without a suppressor! And this was way back in like the 60s.. Not a single other country managed to replicate it, and the semi pistol designed for these rounds is also nothing short of amazing, it has a floating chamber, basically the barrel, body and chamber are all separate and not locked together. The obvious drawbacks to the rounds are that there is no gas for operation, so everything has to be recoil-operated only, which is the reason for the pistol having such bizarre action. Same action on a normal pistol will cause catastrophic failure as the gas will escape way too early and high pressure would be going everywhere. The piston also protrudes outside the case after the round's fired off, which requires the firearm to be designed a bit different to a normal one.

[@JohnDoe-rx3vn]

Is there a name for this?

[@newtybot]

Yea I played Metal Gear Solid 3 on easy mode too

[@bgilbaugh]

Bought one of these at Christmas. Spent a lot of time trying to figure it out (without taking it apart). I found it a fascinating feat of engineering. Love seeing it on your channel. It makes me feel good to know the Engineer Guy thought so too.

[@EamonBurke]

I am learning how to write rules for tabletop games, and I will be using these two videos as a model for how to develop an instructive discourse regarding a system with moving parts. Brilliant job, well developed, and precisely executed. Well done!

[@Narvre]

I just got recommended this channel again. I miss these videos so much. :(

[@billswingle2672]

Genius sir! A boring topic made interesting with an observation that pointed out something few would have even noticed and then explained brilliantly. Truly a fantastic job!

[@olympusmons4089]

I absolutely love these videos. Keep up the work, engineerguy!

[@MrDabien]

same here I just stumbled upon him

[@PineappleQuesadillas]

Really neat! I love how you make us take a second look at things we take for granted. Keep up the amazing work!

[@MelodyBurst]

I always loved the Triad, I knew it was underrated. This same design is used in a few other NERF blasters, such as the Quadrot.

[@ASilentS]

I also bought that one because it was so fascinating.

[@AD-ng4mz]

I like how you explain using animation. It really helps understanding the mechanism.Thanks.

[@SeanLudden]

You have, by far, the best educational videos anywhere. I've been subscribed for years, now.

[@actuallyasriel]

I'm a Nerf enthusiast and always wondered how the smart air restrictor worked. Thanks!

[@benswinter]

Your videos would be right at home on PBS and I would tune in every day.

[@sieverts455]

You actually term it blasters and darts! Love it.

[@justinn99]

Love this guy's videos. I especially liked the one where he describes the various kinds of pens and how they operate. Describes how stuff works very nicely too.

[@Tom_-]

This is excellent. Could not have been better explained and demonstrated.

[@dougster1363]

Instant 10/10 because he called it a blaster and darts

[@mbrsart]

I've had one of these for a few years and I've been wondering how it worked. That's so simple and elegant.

[@Viewbob_True]

I always had a hunch on how the Smart AR worked but this explained it so clearly!

[@AdultsSwim1]

I bought this nerf gun as part of a Halloween costume. Being an engineer myself I couldn't help but be impressed with the mechanisms within the toy. Thanks for posting this video! It was very interesting

[@MustafaAl-Gaberey]

I love how simple and comprehendable you explain it.

[@TheSpiffyNeoStar]

This video is everything I ever wanted on this channel, and I didn't even know I wanted it!

[@mikedome9475]

This is my favourite youtube channel right now.

[@MrDaddynomates]

wow. My Son has this same Nerf Gun. I was firing darts with it and wondering how the hell it works. I resisted taking it apart to find out. I love your videos. 😊

[@travislippert]

Thank you for making this! I've torn apart two of them trying to figure out how these work.

[@VisualOverland]

I wish as a kid, they would have used these toys in all my science classes. Would have been super fun and interesting! Great video!

[@finonevado8891]

What a simple, yet truly ingenious desing. This almost makes me want to buy a NERF gun awesome job, great video

[@Oridux]

His handle pull is so terrifying.

[@evol_kitty]

This video is really amazing. The explanation with clear cut logic and the visuals made the simple Nerf gun much more interesting than it really is, and after watching this, it was a "more than meets the eye" moment for me !

[@wanaan]

So that's why it screws up when I mess up putting the darts in..definitely something to keep in mind.

[@kazriko]

Love your videos where you're exploring engineered mechanisms. Always so interesting!

[@miyesven9405]

That satisfied smile at the end.... this guys loves whats he's doing

[@boehmb]

Clever design! Good engineering will never go out of style...

[@jameswhitley4101]

I've honestly never even thought about how a nerf gun works, but that is some fantastic engineering

[@operationhotshotinc.6887]

I’ve always wondered this.. the beauty of KZbin is that if you’ve thought about it most likely 100 other people have also and maybe one just one of those people made a video .. Beautiful

[@zaraajdachannel6521]

thanks mr. engineer.. very clear and informative explanation. we just only know to play, but when telling the engineering behind it would be awesome.

[@eggfuyung92]

I love these videos. Although I'm studying to become an industrial designer, these videos are well put together in it's explanation and clarity for everyone. It is extremely easy to understand. Keep these up!

[@FulgencioSamudio]

Definitely one can binge watch this guy

[@adisharr]

Very clever design, also many pneumatic safety valves operate on similar principles to detect mis-operation.

[@elliotscott8570]

I wish all patents of sufficient engineering significance all required a video demonstration narrated by you and your production team.

[@Karkenou]

I learned something today! Thanks, Engineer Guy!

[@HiAdrian]

Always a pleasure to follow these videos about elegant engineering concepts. Thanks!

[@MrCrankyface]

Great video, the illustrations are incredibly good. Thanks for your content! :)

[@Kj16V]

Like many ingenious devices, this mechanism is so obvious you'd never think of it on a million years

[@bonbadilmoi9325]

i would love to see more video like that explaining some ingenious patented mechanisms.

[@johnjon3140]

I actually disassembled the exact same type of nerf gun to have a closer look on the mechanism :D

[@amateursmith1697]

Where has this channel been all my life.

[@r.d.e.2803]

two vids in two days (well, technically 2 vids within 16 hours of eachother)! me really likey! it'd be awesome to see a more frequent stream of these vids. please, keep up the awesome work, sirs

[@Inuaang27]

Happy that you're posting videos again, excited to see more!

[@A-ListerGaming]

Don't know why I'm only finding this now.. I've been wondering how this thing worked for years! Such an amazing mechanism

[@elitheallaroundguy685]

Thank you, I was wondering for quite a while how they worked!

[@ahmedsayed-gv2me]

one of the most useful channels i have ever seen , thanks a lot you Engineerguy :) , i really love and appreciate your videos

[@jakeman8653]

"Once you understand this mechanism, you can defeat it" This is the difference between an engineer and a scientist.

[@BanCorporateOwnedHouses]

Some of the best content on KZbin.

[@MiltonGeorges]

Bill Hammack, you are our modern day Bill Nye. Love your videos!

[@Arsanthania]

Fun bit of trivia: in the NERF world, this is called a "Smart AR" system or the "Smart Air Restrictor." The modding world as well as NERF are still trying to optimize this system so it can still "smartly" fire only one dart, but restrict as little air movement as possible at the same time.

[@ericsbuds]

haha!! I got one of those exact nerf guns for Christmas from my mom. I too was amazed that only one would shoot no matter how you loaded it. great stuff man!

[@Nicdehouwer]

I owned one of those and I was always very intrigued. I looked in those barrels when I had it, but couldn't really spot a specific mechanism. Thanks for this :)

[@NotTubeIm]

I have this exact nerf gun and have always wondered how the firing sequence is determined, thank you!

[@iamthatllama]

This was a great insight! I got one of those guns this past Christmas and noted the same interesting operation but never looked into it. Thanks for the great presentation of a fascinating subject!

[@iwanttoknowmore]

In my opinion engineering is an Art form in its functionality and simplicity(relative to its goal). Also you sir explain explain these things beautifully.

[@iwanttoknowmore]

+iwanttoknowmore T.T can I ever post a comment without an error?

[@Homerlovesbeer2]

I absolutely love your vids. It's wonderful to see a new one, hopefully the wait for another is months and months 👍😄

[@Homerlovesbeer2]

Doh! I mean NOT months and months 😯

[@fedorpavlovic]

guy taught us how to convert a handgun/pistol into a tri-barrel flechette gun. Good job.

[@aaronseet2738]

The gun designer deserves an honourary doctorate.

[@Cheezwizzz]

You could apply that patent to this video! Superb stuff!!

[@oatiegames]

Beautiful video, excited to dive into many more!

[@canaldoxerxes]

Just found out about the channel recently. You remind me of my father, he's a civil engineer and he always talk about how stuff works much like you do hahaha. I've already subscribed and gave thumbs up for many of your videos. Awesome channel!

[@blojwob]

. your explanation is so quick and clear! instant sub

[@prettypointlessvideo]

Great video. Also RIP Chuck Mcgill

[@TheTruthSentMe]

Because I personally criticized this in earlier videos I wanna say that I find the current lighting very pleasing and much better than before. Finally your skin tone looks more natural.

[@antekknapek4635]

i want to give the dude that designed that mechanism a high five

[@radiantjet418]

Such a simple but effective mechanism!

[@philliptune]

Oh wow... coincidence. I was at a friend's how a couple months ago and he had this model. I played with it for like 10 minutes trying to guess how it worked, without any electronics, to decide which projectile to fire. Glad I'm not the only one curious about this.

[@flashmanpt]

Absolutely terrific, this and all the other engineering videos. Clear, specific, informational. Always feel as if I've learned something after stopping in here.....hopefully, it will function as an intellectual offset for all the mindless time spent at Hydraulic Press Channel.

[@SnakeDocter15]

Lol my friend has the mind of an engineer like me and loves modding nerf gins and when he found this nerf gun all he could talk about was it's ingenious design. Always cool to see good engineering little things like toys.

[@Christopher-N]

I bought a 4-pack of Nerf Triad blasters from the Hasbro website because I couldn't find them in stores anymore. For a small Nerf blaster, it's one of the best: compact, shoots thrice without reloading. It appears to have been re-released, but I haven't seen any difference other than color and group branding.

[@benb3316]

I miss the old "Cork on a string" pop-gun.. So much fun filling it with GRAVEL and shooting it at my friends as they shot back and we covered our eyes. Stung less than B-B guns, no welts or blood or the fear of eyes getting injured. These things are engineered so they can ONLY fire those foam darts - but you covered it in another vid though weren't explicit on that reason save the patent issue with similar.

[@roberthiggins1100]

I was shocked after college that I met an engineer who didn't drive a train. Until then, I thought engineers only defined people who drove trains. Thank goodness for the internet nowadays.

[@Phaileen001]

Awesome, I got this a few years ago and always wondered how it works!