Nerf N-Strike Roughcut Review

The Roughcut is shotgun styled blaster from the Multishot madness range of blasters.  It has the ability to fire two darts and once and is slam fire capable.

Usability

The Rough Cut is a very comfortable blaster and is very easy to operate, it is a barrel loading multi-shot blaster that uses a direct plunger system. The blaster is operated through pumping the priming slide backwards and then forwards resulting in two darts being fired at once.  The blaster is slam fire capable by holding the trigger and repeatedly pumping the priming slide.  The blaster is also capable of firing a single dart with a half trigger pull which is helpful when trying to conserve your ammo.  The Roughcut has a AR system that means it will fire barrels at different times depending on which has a dart in it and will always fire two from a full trigger pull even if they aren't lined up.

The handle of this blaster is super comfortable and the large trigger means half and full trigger pulls can be done with ease.  The front iron sight allows for better aiming, but often will be unused as the blaster seems so much cooler fired at arms length.  The priming handle is just a touch small for an adult hand and can become quite uncomfortable when using the blaster to slam fire.

The addition of sling points is handy as this weapon will most likely be used as a secondary and stored on the back, adding a sling can make it quick to bring into action.

The Roughcut is easy to load but much like other barrel loaders this isn't as quick of a process as a mag change would be.  The darts do need to be forced into the barrel somewhat for best performance.

The blaster is very reliable and in my ownership has never jammed or had a significant misfire.

Usability Score 8/10 

Styling

The Roughcut is styled in the Elite colour scheme and overall looks absolutely awesome.  The slanted pistol grip handle and intimidating front barrel configuration make this an aggressive looking blaster.  And the pump action firing makes you feel like your in an old school game of 'Doom'.  This blaster is just plain fun as it is and despite having a tactical doesn't really lend itself to accessorising as it unbalances the blaster.

The Roughcut is best used as a close range secondary weapon and I would generally loadout with this stored loaded in the back of a vest with the handle at the top ready for a quick draw and fire.  The spray of the darts is effective over a large diameter.  The Roughcut needs to be carried with a loaded bandolier kit and ammo dump pouch for those in the field pickups.  I believe it is best matched with a semi or full auto blaster such as the Rayven or Rapidstrike for clearing an area or room on entry.

Styling Score 4/5

Performance Distance

I wasn't expecting much in the distance stakes from this blaster, but was pleasantly surprised.  The blaster sits at 16th out of 38 blasters tested (new tests have been undertaken as of this post).  It fires an average distance 12.7m (41.66 ft) with a minimum of 10m (32.8 ft) and a maximum of 16m (52.5 ft).

Performance Distance Score 6/10

Performance Accuracy

Accuracy was never going to be the strong point of the Roughcut.  The sparying nature of a real shotgun and the multishot madness feature of this blaster mean pin point accuracy is unreachable.  But as a close range room clearer aiming at solid mass it more than does the job.  From its 8 shots it hit the target 3 times, hit the board 3 times and missed twice.

Performance Accuracy 1.5/10

The Roughcut is a fun and very usable blaster that can save Nerfers from a sticky situation.  It currently retails in New Zealand for $44.99 ($34.98 USD).

Overall I give this blaster a score of 19.5/35