Vulcan EBF-25

8.8	This blaster scores an 8.8

Vulcan EBF-25
Year Released:	2008
Available?:	Yes
Stock Capacity:	25 Micro Darts
Average Retail Price(s):	$42.99
Family:	N-Strike

The Vulcan EBF-25 (Previously called the Vulcan BF-25) is a large fully automatic Nerf blaster of the popular N-Strike line modeled after a belt-fed light machine gun/machine turret, released mid 2008. It operates using a Nerf Vulcan Ammunition Belt, which can be modified to be endlessly long, provided the user has the necessary amount of belts on hand. However, doing this means that the standard ammo box provided will not fit the entire belt. Some people attach a military ammo box to compensate for this. It is powered by 6 D-cell batteries. It comes with a single 25 round belt, Sonic Micro Darts, and a tripod. It can accept a wide range of darts. It also has three tactical rails, one on each side and one on top of the blaster. This blaster is included in the Nerf Wii game with its customized brother: the Vulcan Magma. The Vulcan has become notorious for jamming, though the most common reasons for jamming are because the darts are not tightly packed into each belt canister because this causes very little air pressure to get to the dart which will frequently cause darts to get stuck between the chain and barrel. To solve this problem, the darts must be stiff enough (but not overly stiff) and they must be packed tightly into each belt canister. This allows more air pressure to build up behind the dart and launch it out of the gun, increasing range and preventing jams. The Vulcan may also not fire if aimed too high up. This is because of the firing mechanism the Vulcan uses, which involves blasting a quick jet of air into one round of a belt, then pushing that round aside to load another one. If aimed too high, the round falls back into the plunger and will keep doing so until the user either resets the belt or simply lowers the gun.

Hasbro's description

Complete your N-STRIKE arsenal and prepare for the ultimate in battery-powered blasting! Be ready for any battle with the N-STRIKE VULCAN EBF-25 blaster - an awesome, fully automatic dart cannon! Load the blaster with fresh batteries and fire at a rate of up to three darts per second! Watch as the belt feeds automatically through the blaster, letting the barrage of firepower continue as you battle your opponent. The piston-powered internal launching system makes it an unstoppable force! Switch to single-shot mode for precision blasting. The removable tripod folds for easy transport or a quick escape from enemy fire! Even your toughest opponent won't know what hit him when you unleash the power of the N-STRIKE VULCAN EBF-25 blaster! Blaster comes with ammo box, folding tripod, 25-dart belt and 25 SONIC MICRO DARTS ammo and instructions. Value Pack includes additional ammo belt, 25 additional darts and shoulder strap.

Trivia

• This blaster is the heaviest blaster yet, which means it is not very good for little kids who would struggle to hold it up.
• There is a custom-made version called the Vulcan Magma.
• This is the second-most expensive blaster in North America next to the Stampede ECS.
• It is called the Havok Fire EBF-25 in Britain.
• There are two knock-offs of the Vulcan called the Punisher Gatling Blaster and the Dart Zone Gatling Blaster.
• Its prototype is the Vulcan BF-50

Review

Description - The Vulcan is Nerf's biggest fully automatic blaster. It is powered by six D Batteries and is fed from a 25 dart belt. It comes with a tripod that allows the user to set it up and take control of an area. The Vulcan has three Tactical Rails for scopes and lasers.

Range - 9/10 - On fresh, high-quality batteries, the Vulcan shoots about thirty to fifty feet, depending on how stiff and tightly-packed the darts are.

Accuracy - 7/10 - The Vulcan's accuracy is average due to its large barrel; however, the large barrel makes the blaster shoot farther due to little to no friction and the high rate of fire makes evasion nearly impossible.

Reliability - 8/10 - Complicated firing mechanism and heavy; great when fully loaded. Although the blaster is not likely to jam if the darts are tightly placed and the belt is fed smoothly.

Rate - 10/10 - Fire rate in this gun depends on the batteries. Most battery brands seem to have very limited discharge rates and will have a maximum fire rate of around 150 dpm (darts per minute). Using fully-charged Duracell batteries, the blaster can regularly achieve the advertised fire rate of 200dpm. High-voltage batteries can increase the fire rate even further (some modders getting as high as 500dpm). Regardless, the Vulcan can undoubtedly achieve exceptional fire rates.

General - 8.8/10 - The Vulcan is excellent for offense or defense, although its mass makes it better suited to defense unless the user is very skilled. As with CS blasters, but to a much greater degree, there is a considerable learning curve associated with using this blaster; the box says "Ages 8+" for a reason. This blaster will perform excellently as long as the user knows how to use/handle it correctly.

External Links

http://www.hasbro.com/shop/details.cfm?guid=940C0CA6-6D40-1014-8BF0-9EFBF894F9D4&product_id=22379&src=endeca