Showcase: Nerf N-Strike Longshot CS-6. Foam love doesn't get any more intense.

What's in the case today? Ok..it doesn't actually FIT in the case..

Any serious Nerf affectionado will tell you that when it comes to Nerf blasters, the ultimate N-Strike blaster is the Longshot CS-6. If you want to talk about fanboys, those who love this blaster are almost religious in their love of this piece and will aggressively argue till the cows come home about its merits compared to practically anything else out there. So.. what is it about the Longshot that makes it the epic blaster of choice for Nerf geeks everywhere?

In its full glory. So long.. it takes up the whole photo frame.

The Longshot CS-6 was originally released back in 2007 in a blue and yellow colour scheme but has been re-released several times over the years with different paint finishes including a rare red scheme and the more traditional N-Strike yellow and orange. Officially It was the first Nerf blaster to introduce the Clip System of ammunition delivery (hence the CS in it's name), allowing for a user to carry multiple plastic 'clips' loaded with up to 6 foam streamlined darts made specifically for the Clip System. The rear of the Longshot has an adjustable, sliding stock that could be extended and locked into place to suit a user's personal preference.

And propped up on its fold out stand.

The blaster uses a bolt-action cocking system and also comes with a secondary blaster attachment that is interchangable with other N-Strike blasters that have detachable barrels. This front blaster was a single shot piece that operated similarly to blasters like the Nitefinder and gave the Longshot a secondary grip for a user to hold on to (or totally disregard as may be more common). With this secondary or "front" blaster attached, the Longshot had some significant size; at the time was considered the longest Nerf blaster until the Longstrike CS-6 was released in 2009.

The Longshot also features a foldable (attached) bipod that could allow the user with more stability against flat surfaces. These days the box includes the Longshot, the secondary front blaster barrel attachment, 2 clips, 12 streamlined darts, and detachable scope that could be attached to the blaster via the tactical rails. (As always, the scope offered no magnification and was pretty much just for show more than anything else- like most tactical rail accessories!)

With the front blaster removed.

Most Nerf affectionados would dismiss the front blaster as being relatively useless and wield the Longshot without it. Aesthetically this meant the blaster had that futuristic "pulse rifle" appearance as seen in fan favourites like the movie "Aliens" or the video game "Halo". It's a very popular blaster for aesthetic mods and any Google search on the internet will return numerous Longshots with unique paint jobs.

In pieces. Sorta like Voltron.

What really makes the Longshot a favourite is the fact that it was the largest (and other than the Stampede, was the last) blaster Nerf released with a “Direct” plunger system to power the blaster. While I’m not that savvy about the internals of Nerf blasters, what this basically means is the Longshot out of the box is more powerful than latter blasters, which use what’s known as a “Reverse” plunger mechanism. Direct plungers are already considered more powerful than reverse plungers without modifications, but WITH modifications you can do some pretty impressive things with the power and accuracy of the blaster.

Longshot on its own. Oh yes. It's got cred in spades.

Nerf affectionados that get into outdoor foam wars are especially interested in improving their overall blaster performance which is why the Longshot is considered to be SUCH a great piece of hardware. Head to head, it’s easier to modify, with greater ranges than its reverse plunger cousins (Recon, Raider, Longstrike, Deploy, Alpha Trooper, etc).

Ironically, for a blaster that has cult status and is loved by so many Nerfers, it's apparently been discontinued, much to the outcry of many. That being said, it's actually readily available ALL over Australia in most toy stores (I told you we get things late here!) so if it's where you wanna be, definitely snap them up while you still can. Between 35 and 70 dollars depending on sale time.

From my take, it’s bulky and uncomfortable to hold. I don’t like the sound it makes when it fires, and it’s never excited me compared to other Nerf blasters out there. I have no doubt it’s an incredible piece of hardware and am glad I have one.. but it’s not my favourite.

Longshot with a Recon barrel. mmm.. nahh.

But... that’s ok too if you disagree and if it’s your all time favourite, because we’re all entitled to our own opinions.