30-Minute Hopper Clip

Sup guys,

I have put together a super easy hopper that uses a CPVC barrel--you can put this together in less than half and hour! The best thing about this hopper build is that you don't have to hammer a piece of CPVC into a piece of PVC.


I apologize for the lack of pictures, but I built this before I wrote this. Don't worry--it's super EZ! Here's what you'll need:

1. 3/4'' ball valve -- Try to find a low-torque version if possible--flexpvc.com's ball valves need serious cranking to open and close.
2. 3/4'' to 1/2'' PVC reducer bushing
3. Clear 1/2'' PVC
4. PVC wye -- I got Schedule 80 for shits and giggles. It honestly looks the same as a normal white one...
5. CPVC barrel
6. 1/2'' PVC to 1/2'' CPVC reducer bushing -- this is the magic piece you'll need to make connecting CPVC to PVC as painless as possible. Find them on www.flexpvc.com
7. PVC cement (solvent weld)
8. 2-part plastic welder or CPVC cement

How to build it:

1. Cut off the end of your ball valve
2. Funnel out the top side of the 3/4'' to 1/2'' reducer bushing for easier dart feeding. Solvent weld the ball valve to the reducer bushing
3. Funnel out one side of the clear PVC. Solvent weld the reducer bushing to the funneled out side of the PVC.
4. Solvent weld the other end of the clear PVC to the bent portion of the wye.
5. Cut a couple of small grooves on one side of a stub of PVC and glue a paper clip dart stop to it. Solvent weld the dart stop side of the PVC stub to the wye. I made a Ryan Mcnumbers style tightening ring around the stub after the glue dried to provide better grip at the gun attachment point.
6. Ream and sand out the smaller side of the 1/2'' PVC to 1/2'' CPVC reducer bushing and one side of your barrel. Use 2-part plastic welder or CPVC cement to fuse the reducer bushing to the wye. I left the barrel unglued and made a tightening ring at the attachment point in case my hopper jams and I have to clear it out.

Congratulations! You now have a fully functional hopper. Hopefully it didn't take too long either.

The significance of hoppers:
When it comes to Nerf wars, there are two main attributes that make a blaster an attractive choice for war: range and rate of fire. Hoppers are all about maximizing rate of fire without sacrificing too much range. If you are a point man, you will need to be able to fire as fast as possible to break through the opponent's defenses. There really is nothing better than hoppers and N-Strike clips when it comes to rate of fire!

Peace!
~T da B