Nerf N-Strike Maverick - Colors May Vary

by Nerf

Product Features

• Incredibly cool Maverick blaster has six-dart barrel with flip-open action for easy loading that puts you right back in the game
• Rapid launching action increases your battle speed and accuracy!
• Other features include pullback mechanism and auto-advancing barrel!
• Blaster comes with six darts and instructions
• Part of the N-Strike team, so you can snap it onto the Unity Power System (sold separately)

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3 x 12.1 x 8.9 inches ; 1.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0002UP0IA
• Item model number: 61497/28418
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 years and up
• Batteries: 3 AAA batteries required.
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #7 in Toys & Games > Sports & Outdoor Play > Blasters & Foam Play
  • #8 in Toys & Games > Sports & Outdoor Play > Sports > Toy Sports
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (281 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Like the gun toted by the cowboy hero with whom it shares its name, the Maverick is a six shooter. Unlike the gun that other Maverick had, however, this weapon shoots only soft suction darts that can fly across a room and adhere to a window or other glass surface. The Maverick features a rotating barrel, which makes it easier to keep the firepower flying in the midst of heated battle and a futuristic look to better engender sci-fi fantasy play if you so choose. For a little extra power boost, the gun also has a pump mechanism. In our informal test, the darts flew surprisingly far and impressively straight. --Charlie Williams

Product Description

The Maverick blaster features a six-dart rotating barrel with easy flip loading so you don't have to waste any time while blasting enemy targets. Rapid launching action increases your battle speed and accuracy. Other features include a pullback mechanism and auto-advancing barrel.

The Maverick is a part of the N-Strike team, so you can snap it onto the Unity Power System (sold separately) and ratchet the NERF action up another notch. This incredibly cool Maverick blaster has a six-dart barrel with flip-open action for easy loading that puts you right back in the game. Blaster comes with six darts and instructions.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

222 of 229 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mainstay Of Modern Nerf Guns, June 27, 2006

By 

William H III (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Nerf N-Strike Maverick - Colors May Vary (Toy)

Nerf's N-Strike Maverick is straightforward no-frills dart gun fun. With no batteries or electronics, right out of the box you or your child can look through the instruction sheet in about 30 seconds, load the darts in about 30 seconds, and you're ready for serious Nerf combat fun.

The Maverick is a sheep in wolf's clothing, visually. Size-wise, it's intimidatingly large, enough so to give the impression that a child would have difficulty lifting it, but the plastic is lightweight, and the handle is modestly sized for hands of all ages. The Maverick is actually among the smaller Nerf dart guns currently in production, so while it's not exactly "portable", it is more reasonably sized (and priced) than models with similar features. Despite the apparent complexity of the design, operation is limited to a quick and simple load, cock, and fire.

Loading is similar to an actual revolver gun, utilizing a flip-open rotating six-barrel. It can take a little practice, as you must ensure each of the six darts is seated fully into each barrel, and then make sure the barrel is locked securely back into place once you're done. But from there it's a pull on the slide loader and you're ready to go. This is a single-action gun, meaning you must cock the slide for each shot - Nerf does not currently make any semi- or fully-automatic dart guns, so it's equal to all other Nerf guns in this respect (making each shot have to count makes for a more accurate shooter!).

Firing produces a muted air-gun sound (despite the non-airgun spring mechanism) as the dart rockets away at a pretty remarkable velocity and distance for a dart gun. Nerf's claims of 30+ feet aren't at all overblown, the Maverick is actually powerful enough for big-yard outdoor play. The darts themselves are a harmless suction-cup-on-foam design, in a vibrant day-glo orange that's easy to pick out in grass or behind furniture. They'll stick (at least momentarily) to most surfaces, and produce a dramatic ricochet when they don't stick; no more "I totally hit you/no you didn't" arguments, as even the mildest graze sends the dart careening wildly off course in a day-glo tumble.

Nerf wisely includes an order form in the box for replacement darts, not only the Maverick's basic darts (in packs of up to 30), but also "Sonic" darts which whistle as they fly through the air. Glow-in-the-dark darts are also available.

Overall, the Maverick is the sweet spot in the Nerf dart gun lineup, offering a clever multi-shot design in a smaller package than most other current bigger-is-better models. And the best feature is the price - not only is this one of the cheapest dart guns Nerf currently makes, but at under $10 it's less than half the price of any other Nerf multi-shot gun. With big gun power and features at a little gun size and price, the Nerf N-Strike Maverick is a bang-for-the-buck guaranteed good time for young and old alike.

76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nerf Maverick N-Stike - Not a Home Run, but Still a Triple, January 3, 2008

By 

Stuart M. Teramoto (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Nerf N-Strike Maverick - Colors May Vary (Toy)

I'm the dad of a 7 year old boy who has two of these, he received his frist one when he was about 5. He has more fun with them, making this a good value for the dollar. The gun itself is fairly durable being able to withstand being stepped on, thrown against either a hardwood floor or a wall (as hard as a 7 year old can throw it). After over a year of use, one of the two guns did experience a failure with the recoil spring and although I was able to fix it (after an hour), I don't think the average person could have fixed it. After several months of use, the darts have a tendancy to enlarge around the base, causing them to fail to fire unless the dart is pushed in firmly which negates the "rapid fire" feature of the revolving gun compared to similar single shot guns where you load a single dart after each shot.

As far as safety, yes, little 7 year old boys will run around with these and attempt to shoot each other. I've been hit scores of times, at less than 5 feet, in the face and even a couple times on the eyelid and IMHO I would be hard pressed to believe that even a direct hit in the eye could cause lasting damage. Bottom line, it's the best toy dart gun I've seen for little kids, a great value but I wish the darts (of which you can buy tons of spares) were a little more durable.

115 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast and furious fun but it can hurt, November 19, 2005

By 

#1 Amazon Fan (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Nerf N-Strike Maverick - Colors May Vary (Toy)

We bought 2 of these direct from Hasbro's online toy store (cheaper than Amazon and had free shipping too). We have had a lot of fun with them. Our 8 yr old played with them for hours the first day.

Fair warning - a shot within 5 feet on bare skin can certainly sting and hurt for several minutes. The gun has quite a range and the suction cups are great and stick to even some non-flat surfaces.

Great for those rainy days when you get tired of playing board games. It only comes with 6 darts, not 8 like someone else mentioned. They certainly aren't going to give you an extras without paying for it.

The durability is a bit questionable; while the gun itself is well made and thick plastic, the drop out barrel for easier reloading is not so good. You push a button on the side to release the barrel, and sometimes you have to fiddle with it to get it to open. Every once in a while, it won't lock back and you have to pump it and pull the trigger to get it to lock.

If you find that it's not shooting consistently, you probably did not push the darts in far enough. They must be flush with the barrel; if they stick out more than a centimeter, it jams the barrel and keeps it from spinning.

Update July 2009: I questioned the durability when first writing this review back in November 2005; however, this nerf gun is still going strong!