The first of the new wave of Nerf blasters is here! It’s kinda. It was a long trip to Canada, but I expect to be back in the USA soon.
The Delta Trooper, a new magazine-fed, spring-powered blaster that is now available, is the latest. It carries both the Retaliators basic operation as well as the Alpha Troopers‘ slam-fire capabilities. It does its job well, even if there are some things consumers might desire (pump-action priming, for one). After a few days of initially not liking the design it started to become more appealing.
Passing The Torch
The Delta Trooper is a combination of its ancestors. The basic platform of the Retaliator is still the same as its predecessor, with a barrel attachment and a stock. However, it also carries over the slam-fire of the Alpha Trooper. In keeping with the current design motif of the blasters (Infinus, Scout Mk.II, etc), it is blue and orange with molded camo stripes in the shell. It is a long blaster that delivers decent performance. The barrel attachment is unnecessary for me. My off hand rests comfortably on the shell’s angled grip section. There are no rails or pump grips on the barrel. The barrel attachment is only one tac rail at the top.
Inside The Shell
You will find a small problem when you open the Delta Trooper. After removing all the visible screws, you have to slip the priming slide off of the bolt sled and over the next ridge in the shell. This will expose the last screw just behind the jamdoor.
After years of slam-fire blasters, the internals look a lot like you’d expect. Theres a trigger linkage that moves out of the way on priming, allowing the catch to engage so that the slam fire can work.
The propulsion system has not been modified in any significant way by the N-strike Elite lines. The breech, which is a relic of the Alpha Trooper’s Alpha Trooper, has the dart stop and long stick forward that extends from the bolt.
The ratcheting mechanism for ensuring full priming motions is also present (seen on the Surgefire and Mediator). I fully expect stock reliability on par with the Elite Alpha Trooper with fresh ammo, there shouldnt be any sort of jamming issues.
You will notice that there is a button on the left-hand side of the shell in case of a problem. It is used to disengage the ratcheting mechanism. This will enable you to take back a pre-paid blaster to fix any issues.
But Does It Shoot?
The Delta Trooper is a consistent shooter. With very little deviation, all the Elite darts fired hovered around 75fps. Dart velocity was lower with the barrel attached understandable, considering the length and diameter. Darts are bound to hit the inside of the barrel and lose energy.
You can comfortably slam fire about three darts per second.
Last Thoughts
The Delta Trooper, a respected descendant of the Alpha Trooper as well as the Retaliator, is an honorable member. It is comfortable to hold and easy to use. The priming grip can be slid down to fire the blaster. Although I would have preferred a pump action blaster, there will likely be modifications or aftermarket kits. You could also use a Retaliator barrel with kit and adapt it if you wish.
It’s a blaster, despite my personal preferences.
