Advice on a good sidearm

Discussions of all varieties of stock water guns and water blasters.
teh27
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Advice on a good sidearm

Post by teh27 » Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:42 pm

Hi I'm really new to this site so i hope I'm not on the wrong thread for this. I need some advice on a good sidearm to go with a Mattel shield blaster 3000. I'm planning a water war this summer with my friends and i plan on building a few pneumatic water balloon launchers and knew that my 3000 would be the perfect defensive blaster for the job. The only problem is once you turn the blaster to fire, it leaves your body exposed. Basically what I'm looking for is a reliable side arm/small one handed primary so i can soak without getting soaked myself. I've already looked at some guns like the arctic blast and tarantula, and heard bad things about both. I want something that requires little to no pumping. Range won't really matter for it since all my personal firefights will probably be shorter range due to the shield. Once again, I apoligize if this is on the wrong thread and will gladly move it to the correct thread if told to do so. Thank you for reading this and responding.

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martianshark
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Re: Welcome, Spring 2010!

Post by martianshark » Tue Mar 23, 2010 10:35 pm

The Pulse Blaster might be good for you. It has pretty good power and takes just three pumps to fully pressurize. It doesn't shoot for very long, but it's still a great blaster.

Bigger guns like the Vindicator or Vanquisher take longer to pump, but the Vindicator is almost as powerful as the CPS 1000 and the Vanquisher has a huge amount of shot time.

The Flash Flood is okay too. It makes a pretty big blast. It does take about 30 pumps to pressurize though.
CA99 wrote:It's funny because you can get 5 water bottles and a pencil for much less than $90.

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Re: Welcome, Spring 2010!

Post by HBWW » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:13 am

It all depends on your war's demands for powerful soakers. If all your friends have CPS cannons and you're using a newer blaster, you may not stand a chance unless you're significantly faster than the others. On the other hand, if you're the only one carrying a 2500 and everyone else has new blasters, it won't be much fun for them. (their only means to really attack you would be the hose or a ton of water balloons)

The Vanquisher's grip looks like it can be 1-handed easily due to balance. You'll want to take the Vanquisher over the Vindicator if you're going to fight with a shield. (and they appear to get roughly the same range actually, but I can't confirm) As martianshark pointed out, it takes longer to pump, but that means more water that can be fired at a time which is an advantage unless one has no sense of water conservation management.

As for the FF, it is lighter and easier to 1-hand, and works very well for short range engagements. Correction: it only takes 23 pumps for full power (15.2 if you calculate it from iSoaker's stats, but both my FF's take 23 pumps) but you still have to be able to make a good retreat after using the riot blast. The good news is that you only need 2-3 pumps to be able to shoot out at nearly full power (but not full capacity obviously). You can also pull out an additional sidearm if things get hairy. (or just use the shieldblaster)

Regardless of the situation, be sure to carry several water bottles to refill with. .5L bottles are a good size and provide a balance between capacity and emcumberance. Anything less is simply too small.

The Tarantula is decent for a motorized blaster. That said, most people here generally don't like motorized systems and the Tarantula gets below average on range. The Arctic Blast (now the Iron Man which does not support Max-Infusion aquapacks) is fairly decent for its size though most prefer the Flash Flood for it's superior handling. Pumping is a fact of water warfare, but there are ways to push the limit. Old blasters like the SC Power Pak. However, since it's rare, you're much more likely to find a Hydra Pak. That said, I haven't seen either blaster in stores before and I don't think the Hydra Pak is carried by most places anymore. The Power Pak can only be found on eBay but even then it's rare. (you're more likely to find a splashzooka or big trouble; look those up and find out about them)

However, you said you were looking for sidearms. One of the above suggestions would put your shieldblaster as the sidearm/secondary because they are designed to be primaries; the weapon you use the most often. (the exception is if you're carrying a larger soaker - say CPS 1200, and using a Flash Flood as a secondary) If you want an actual sidearm, as a handgun, look no farther than the Max-D 2000 or Water Warriors Barracuda. The Sting Ray should also do the job but I'd personally take the Barracuda since the Sting Ray's cap looks awkward.

My personal advice is to avoid any piston powered soakers; soakers with no trigger. They do not get as much range as the air pressure guns and the ones that do cannot fire a continuous stream. They require two hands to operate and the ones with built-in pressure chambers (for creating a continuous shot at the expense of range) cannot be fired immediately at will. (but instead must be powered up first) You may be able to go with one or two piston pumpers (for the added variety and the fact that they do not need any initial pumping), but only get them as extra's and don't count on them especially when the game gets serious.

Lastly, I still think range is the primary factor regardless. Higher ranges mean higher output and more soakage, and something from the CPS or Monster line are the best choices. (avoid the CPS 1-3-5 unless you know how to modify, but it's probably quite cheap) But as I did mention above, if the people you're fighting have no access to similar blasters, it may not be fun for them. CPS/Monsters can only be found on eBay, from friends, garage sales, etc. (not stores except in extremely rare situations)

That said, welcome to iSoaker. It may have been better to post in a new thread (so there is a seperate space to make recommendations) but this should work here. Enjoy your stay here and be sure to read up around the site if you haven't already. Sorry for the wall of text but there's a lot of possibilities out there in water warfare to explore.
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by isoaker » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:01 am

Welcome to iSoaker.net, teh27!

I opted to split your post the resulting discussion from its original position, giving it a place of its own now. Lots of ideas already given above and I agree with the bulk of what's already been said.

In the end, just depends on what sort of side-arm you're hoping to find and how much money you're willing to spend on it.

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teh27
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Re: Welcome, Spring 2010!

Post by teh27 » Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:43 pm

martianshark wrote:The Pulse Blaster might be good for you. It has pretty good power and takes just three pumps to fully pressurize. It doesn't shoot for very long, but it's still a great blaster.

Bigger guns like the Vindicator or Vanquisher take longer to pump, but the Vindicator is almost as powerful as the CPS 1000 and the Vanquisher has a huge amount of shot time.

The Flash Flood is okay too. It makes a pretty big blast. It does take about 30 pumps to pressurize though.
Who makes the pulse blaster? I googled it and didn't come up with any water guns.

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by martianshark » Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:10 pm

The Pulse Blaster is made by Buzz Bee Toys (Water Warriors).
CA99 wrote:It's funny because you can get 5 water bottles and a pencil for much less than $90.

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by HBWW » Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:01 pm

Don't bother googling the water guns since most searches won't come up with anything worth looking at. (search iSoaker instead first) The Pulse Blaster has a miniscule pressure chamber (meaning you can shoot, oh, roughly 10 droplets worth of water before having to pump); go with the guns I suggested instead, or with the Pulse Master if you want something from the Pulse Series.
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by teh27 » Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:36 pm

I'm really considering the vindicator and the vanquisher because of their straps. I'm leaning towards the vindicator a bit more after seeing all the different nozzles on it. I'm also considering the flashflood and barracuda. Do any of them have any common flaws? i.e. trigger failures, etc.

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by HBWW » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:48 pm

Most new blasters are suceptible to tricky trigger issues. Most of these issues can be fixed with silicone lubricant sprayed into the firing valve. However, the Flash Flood's main trigger spring may snap apart after too much repeated use and/or rusting (probably if pool or natural water gets into the case), which happened to my first FF after a year. However, my other FF's trigger has held up several years though under considerably less use. The springs can be replaced and there are two general solutions to fixing the main trigger. The FF's flood blast spring can weaken and not open but lubrication should almost completely solve that problem.

Basically, if you get an FF, it'll work fine for some time but then you'll need to maintain it to keep it working. Some BBT blasters also tend to have a valve closing problem (particularly the Orca, but extra rubber bands and/or lubrication should fix it) but this issue appears to have been fixed or reduced severely on recent blasters, including the Vindicator. As for whether I'd recommend the Vindicator or Vanquisher, the Vanquisher is better balanced for single-hand firing though both guns have straps. However, while the Vanquisher has the highest pressure chamber capacity of any water gun (excluding the pre-charged blasters I mentioned earlier), some have reported it to be weaker than the Vindicator and indeed its nozzle options are somewhat lacking.

I don't know of any flaws on the Barracuda. It may have the same possible issue with the trigger closing, but that's a guess and unlikely because the Barracuda is small. Others have recommended it over the Max-D 2000 in the past because the Max-D system is generally less reliable than BBT's. (though I've never had any problems with the Max-D line's triggers, not yet anyways; only my FF's have had problems so far)

Of course, if your armory is small and you want to expand it, you can get most or all of them. I'd personally stay away from the Vanquisher until more reports come in.

I still have to make the recommendation to have a look at the medium CPS line blasters. All of them are slightly more powerful than the Vindicator (with slightly higher output and range) and are about the same size. Most are also solidly designed and reliable but since they're old some may require fixing. They can be found on eBay for close to the same price as the Vindicator, and the k-mod is an easy modification that gives a nice power boost.

Back to straps, virtually any blaster can have strap hooks created and a strap added. You'll need cable ties or the wire from toy gun packaging to make the hooks, and any strap remotely similar to the regular water gun ones will fit on. It is also possible to build the strap itself. (though a bit pricey)

I guess you're not leaning towards the DIY type of stuff right now though. If you don't ever want to touch a screwdriver, avoid the Flash Flood and go with the Vindicator. I've gotten a used CPS 1000 and 1200 that have never, ever had problems though. (from both the time the seller used them and the time I used them) Eventually however, something will likely break and you will need to open it up no matter what it is. If a water gun breaks shortly after buying, the best solution is to obviously return it.
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teh27
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by teh27 » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:13 pm

Decisions decisions! Now the cps 1000 and 1200 are looking very attractive. Probably the only reason i would go with a vindicator now is if i couldn't find a cps or needed an intimidating gun with a huge tank.(It looks like it has a giant tank to me.) I was thinking about going for a cps 1500 as i had one when i was a kid, but decided it was too big.

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by HBWW » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:00 am

I do apologize for throwing all these suggestions out there, but it's good to know your options rather than to spit out the same old "Flash Flood", "Vindicator", etc. I personally think the Vindicator looks less intimidating than any CPS since it is overall a smaller blaster. As for the CPS 1500, I've never handled one but for me it'd be just the right size, capacity, and power. (The 2500 is roughly the largest blaster that I'm good with and is my favorite that I've used)

Considering that you have handled the CPS 1500 before, I think you'll be at least somewhat disappointed with modern blasters' power levels. The difference is very apparent if you play hit based games where range matters immensely, especially when playing in battlefields with very sparse cover. Cover, stealth, and speed is imperative for success with lower ranged blasters against higher ranged ones otherwise it simply can't happen. I suppose if you can use the shield effectively it'll help a ton but for hit based games is extremely risky.

What happened to the CPS 1500 you had? If you can find it and repair it (if it's broken), it would be a good idea since even if you don't use it, it is one of the best blasters ever produced and can sell for a decent amount on eBay. Hopefully it wasn't thrown away.
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by isoaker » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:13 am

C-A_99 wrote:I do apologize for throwing all these suggestions out there, but it's good to know your options rather than to spit out the same old "Flash Flood", "Vindicator", etc. I personally think the Vindicator looks less intimidating than any CPS since it is overall a smaller blaster.
For the record, while the Vanquisher is shorter in height than old CPS-series blasters, it isn't really smaller, otherwise. See Water Warriors Vindicator vs Super Soaker CPS1000 comparison. It's actually longer and wider than the CPS1000! :goofy:

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by HBWW » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:26 am

Well I haven't compared the two blasters very closely enough. To me, the shorter height made it seem considerably smaller than the CPS 1000, especially when you compare the trigger handles; the 1000's is huge by comparison. (not to mention a lot more comfortable but I digress) The slight width isn't that noticeable and I still think the CPS 1000's almost assault rifle-like styling makes it look slightly more intimidating. That said, the Vindicator has a nozzle selector and a more "cannonlike" design. It's trigger grip style almost immediately reminded me of the beam rifle (alien sniper rifle) from Halo. The Vindicator however, is not as balanced for 1-handed use, making it more difficult to use with a shield.
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by teh27 » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:24 pm

I looked in my shed of outdoor toys at my house today and found a badly busted up max d 5000. If it still worked i'd probably just use that due to its pistol like design. But its trigger barely moves it has no pump, and god only knows what else could've happened to it in the time its been in there. I also found what looked like a max d 3000, but i didn't look close enough to tell for sure. As for the 1500, it bit the dust years ago and we ended up throwing it out. What about the splashzooka? It looks like it could easily be one handed. And this is kind of random, but i just saw pics of the monster x and monster xl. Holy Sh*t!!! those things are HUGE!

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by HBWW » Fri Mar 26, 2010 12:07 am

I haven't used the Splashzooka a whole lot but it's an obvious candidate for a 1-handed blaster. If you 1-hand it you may have to carry it bazooka style in order to hold it comfortably since after all it holds 67oz. Since the green plastic is transparent, you can even create a simple pressure gauge for it with some tape or a permanent marker. (all you really have to do is mark the line where the pressure chamber is empty)

The Max-D 5000 is quite a pain. The one I got was used and there was a lot of rust inside. Two or three years later, the firing valve started leaking and the blaster became unusable. I now have to find a way to fix it up or replace the valve. It's a bit large for me to consider it a handgun (I don't like using the term pistol since it strictly implies a firearm that is magazine loaded [as opposed to say, a revolver] and has a slide) but it is still compact enough to work as a sidearm or secondary.

With a missing pump, a repair will take considerable work on the 5000. To me it may be more work than it's worth since air pressure pumps are a real pain to make. (As with pumps in general.) However, you may be able to simply hook a small bike pump to the thing and that may be much easier and reliable than trying to build one. (And in that case would be worth it.) Speaking of which, this is a much better way to repair the XP90 pump I've been having trouble with for the past while and I should've thought of that solution earlier.

The Max-D 3000 is fairly decent if you can handle it despite its horribly designed grip.
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by ncog » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:47 am

If you want a decent sidearm, get a WW Pulse Blaster mk 2 (the model that doesn't have three holes in the trigger piece). It's versatile and easy to attach a strap to.

If you want something smaller, a WW Barracuda is a good choice. If you want something smaller still, go for a Sting Ray (similar power, just less range/capacity). If your Max-D 3000 is working that would be a good choice too.

If you're wanting a large primary blaster, the Vindicator is the best one on the market right now. Otherwise there's always eBay etc if you want an old CPS...though I'd recommend getting the Vindicator over a CPS 1000/1200/2100 from experience.

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by Adrian » Mon Mar 29, 2010 12:27 am

The best sidearm sized blaster is the old Storm 750. There has been no better pistol both in form or function. You can beat it up, mistreat it, and not only will it still perform like it did when it was new, it'll look good doing it. You can probably find them on ebay. Otherwise, Kmart has been known to carry an extensive selection of older soakers.

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by teh27 » Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:28 pm

After scouting out some of the areas we're planning to use, i think i may want something with a medium to large sized tank. Even with carrying water bottles. Any suggestions on that?

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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by thelaminator » Mon Mar 29, 2010 3:53 pm

i personally think you should use that SB3000 for your sidearm, and get a larger blaster for your primary, with the exeption of that if you want to be a rather light carrier.

in such case, a pair of MD-3K's will do fine.
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Re: Advice on a good sidearm

Post by thelaminator » Mon Mar 29, 2010 4:27 pm

i've broken down the best primary blasters blasters so it's easier for you to make your pick.

for versatility, you might want to try a Vanquisher for mutiple reasons:
1. 25 pumps untill PRV kick-in, compared to most current blasters' 30+ pumps untill (rather steathy) PRV kick-in
2. 15 seconds of 3x is more usefull than 3 seconds of 6x (at least in my opinion.)
3. it is rather easy to carry because of the combination of good balance and included shoulder strap (like you'll find that on a SS shot blast!)
4. more water= less refiling
5. because it is an "off brand" blaster, most of your friends might think it would be a "waste of money" (that is, unless they read one of these forums :goofy: )

for older blasters, i'd say pick up something SC- enabeled, becuse you say you want something with "little or no pumping".

if you want total soakpower on a low-medium budget, go for a FF. (try getting a CPS 2000 mk.1 for under 25$) plus, if you can find yourself one that's Max-Infusion, (and are willing to spend the extra 5-10$), you've got yourself 140oz of water at your disposal (probably the most a current blaster ever will have) :flashflood:

if you are willing to spend 50-150$ on a water gun (as insane as it sounds), go for a CPS blaster (if you don't mind being at the filling station 45% of the time :goofy: )

if that does not solve your problem, i don't know how to help you.
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