Board Thread:General Nerf discussion/@comment-27985798-20200503233516/@comment-27306930-20200504045934

I haven't seen a "comprehensive" mod guide for the Snipe, but I have modded two of them myself. Here's a simple mod guide video that goes over AR removal, lock removal, and O-ring mod.

The O-ring upgrade is dubious IMHO. Without an AR, there's no back pressure to warrant a better O-ring seal. But hey, if it makes you feel better, then do it.

Because I upgraded the spring, I decided not to remove the AR. The plunger tube and bolt handle don't seem especially robust. Maybe that's why MongooseJake decided against a spring upgrade. Not sure. He also didn't put his Snipe on a chrono, so I don't know whether removing the AR vs. upgrading the spring is a better choice.

The biggest hassle with the Snipe is the solvent welded end cap and front retaining ring (aka barrel attachment point). MongooseJake said he removed the end cap by gently prying it off with a screwdriver. Mine was completely welded on. I decided to cut both the ring and the cap with an X-Acto Razor Saw. Not to worry, there's enough structural integrity in the shell to effectively make the cap and retaining ring completely cosmetic after it's reassembled.

On my first gray Snipe, I took a spring from a Buzz Bee Baron and doubled it with the Snipe spring. I left the AR intact and gave it an Elite paint job. I also left the locks in place because removing locks that prevent disaster is dumb. It's gone from low 80's to low 100 FPS with very accurate consistent performance. The Buzz Bee spring is slightly shorter, so it has a unique twang. It's one of my favorite blasters.

On my second blue Snipe, I only upgraded the spring. It already had an Elite motif so I used a leftover spring from some other upgrade. Maybe it was a 6kg Longshot spring. I just don't remember. But it's getting 110+ FPS performance.

I've never seen a brassed Snipe, or an extreme spring upgrade like a 20kg. Part of the problem is the inherently weak bolt handle, and the other issue is the lack of third party replacement parts and upgrade kits. But the Snipe is a really good stock blaster. Many nerfers are satisfied with its out-of-the-box performance. However a slight spring upgrade is safe and very satisfying.

MongooseJake did another mod video with a 7kg Retaliator spring and got 160 FPS without an AR. All I can say is Bravo and good luck with that bolt handle MJ. I see imminent operational failure tattoed all over that thing 😉