Nerf Recon / Bolt Pistol build.

Greetings, For my first every blog entry I thought I'd post the build for my Nerf/Bolt pistol build. The idea behind this was to create something for a Nerf modding competition and base it on the Nerf Recon, which was already close to the shape i wanted. I started by tracing the outline of the recon to work out how much space i needed, then traced the shape i wanted.


Then i started boxing everything in (with 4mm MDF) and added an internal frame out of scrap pine. Im very happy how the area around the handle turned out.


I then started on the details like the clip release, iron sights, barrel etc. Styrene sheet was used for the details.


Then with that out of the way i needed to start on the crest. With the help of a friend and his laser blaster i then had some imperial eagles cut out. The paint was 2x primer, 2x gold and 2x gloss clear coat.


I then slowly added more and and more details till it felt the way i wanted it.


One aspect of the comp was 'Performance' so i added some Orange Mod Works parts to it including spring and various metal internal parts.


And because the Recon is cocked from the top i had to create a way to cock it from the rear. I made the bars out of acrylic which were connected to the bolt sled.


The paint was a long process but the end result was so worth it. I started with 2x of grey primer and 2x of the silver base coat. I then used mustard (which was a bad choice due to its ability to stain! Im going to use liquid latex next time for this effect) to pick areas where i would chip the paint off to show the base coat. Finally i finished with 2x of the black top coat.


I then cleaned it up and swapped the paint mask to the top area. The paint chip effect was this time achieved with tomato sauce ;) You can see how the bottom half is stained yellow :/ (I fixed this by drybrushing silver over the stained areas. But, the top looks perfect! :D


The purity seal was quickly made from Epoxy sculpt, painted with 3x coats of a high gloss red and 2x coats of gloss clear coat. The quotes were just translated into Latin.


And done!! I have to admit this turned out so much better than i was expecting hehe. A fully working Nerf Bolt pistol would be perfect for a 40k costume! And Im happy to say that this actually won the comp! :D

Submission thread
Competition winners

Something for a future blog post: