Air system



An air system (abbreviated as AS with N-Strike number codes) blaster is a type of Nerf blaster that is specifically air-powered. Some of the most well-known N-Strike rapid fire blasters are air system blasters. Air system blasters can either use air tanks or air bladders in conjunction with direct plunger systems.

Advantages
Air system blasters are able to build up large amounts of power via compressed air to launch darts a good distance. Another advantage is that unlike a battery-operated blaster, air-powered automatic blasters can shoot at a much faster rate, with one example being the Magstrike AS-10's eight to ten darts per second. Due to their design, they cannot jam.

Disadvantages
While air system blasters are able to shoot at extreme rates, they're not without fault. If the air tank on an AS blaster is cracked, it can leak air, thus decreasing range and fire rate, or even causing the blaster to cease functioning altogether. Another problem is that AS blasters take time to pump and prime; examples of these are the Titan AS-V.1's and the Rapid Fire AS-20's twenty pumps to prepare them for firing. This alone is a major factor when it comes to choosing between an air system blaster or any other type of blaster. Unlike spring blasters, where it is advised to pull the firing trigger slowly for accuracy, it is advised to pull AS triggers very quickly for it to effectively release all the air pressure at once. Otherwise, the blaster may lose range or simply not fire.

Trivia

 * All N-Strike air system blasters are re-releases of existing blasters, with the exception of the Hornet AS-6. Even then, the Hornet is commonly believed to be an updated variation of the Blast Fire DX500.