Board Thread:General Nerf discussion/@comment-28773666-20161002171506/@comment-27306930-20161003041810

Bigshock1134 wrote: Is the Thing where storing darts in blaster will Decrease performance true? Storing darts in a blaster will degrade the performance of the dart, not the blaster. Storing a blaster in the cocked position will severely degrade the performance of the spring, especially if left that way for long periods of time.

You see, Nerf barrels are tapered. The butt end of the dart gets compressed by the ever narrowing barrel to create the friction needed to hold the AR open, and create a good seal between the dart and the barrel.

Nerf foam on the other hand, is highly compressible. For short periods of time the foam remains elastic and easily returns to its original shape. But when left in the barrel for long periods it gets permanently compressed and looses its elasticity. Then it stops exerting the proper force on the barrel to hold the AR open, or maintain a good seal. Net result, poor performance.

There is a neat trick that I have used to fix compressed darts. You repeatedly dunk them in boiling water for 5 second at a time until they return to their original shape. Let them cool between dunkings. Works like a charm.