NERF guns have long been a favorite toy for kids of all ages. However, the single blaster guns that were popular years ago, may not excite the average 10-year-old today. This is why we looked at many different factors, including ammo, design and accessories, to come up with our choice for the best NERF gun. Based on this criterion, our top choice was the NERF N-Strike Elite Disruptor, but we found a number of other great NERF options as well.
NERF Gun Reviews
We spent hours rating and comparing different NERF guns and blasters on the market to determine which available toys are the best of the best and are not only fun, but durable, high-quality additions to any toy collection.
One trip to the toy store will show you one thing right away—there are a lot of different NERF Guns out there. This is because so many of the NERF guns offer different fun features, designs and features. This is why one brand can make so many different types of blasters and still be one of the most popular brands out there today.
You can easily get overwhelmed when searching for NERF guns, and with items like toys, it can be particularly difficult to determine which products are the best on the market without being able to test them out for yourself. This is why we have taken the legwork out of shopping for NERF guns for you. We have reviewed countless NERF toy guns and created a comprehensive list of the best products from this popular toy brand—so you can shop with confidence.
Whether you are buying this toy for yourself or a special child in your life, these are some of the best NERF guns based on their design, ammunition, features and accessories.
1. Elite Disruptor
Best Overall NERF Gun
NERF Disruptor Elite Blaster - 6-Dart Rotating Drum, Slam Fire, Includes 6 Official Elite Darts - for Kids, Teens, Adults (Amazon Exclusive)
$14.97
in stock
9 used from $7.54
Free shipping
as of May 7, 2023 11:10 pm
The NERF N-Strike Elite Disruptor was our top pick for available NERF guns as it comes with a six-dart ammo capacity and a new design that was upgraded from the brand’s wildly popular Strongarm model. What is unique about this NERF gun is that you can fully load the toy from the front of the gun, instead of swinging open a side chamber. It is a small detail but one that makes the toy easier to use, and it makes it quicker to load up your ammo when you are playing fast-paced games.
This gun comes with the “Slam Fire” feature that allows you to shoot in rapid-fire mode, plus it comes with a tactical rail. We love this feature because it means you can easily add other NERF accessories to this shooter to customize this gun. This is a great starter NERF gun for anyone who wants to begin with a powerful base and add more accessories and features on later down the line.
– Jonathan Maxwell
2. Jolt Blaster
Best Compact NERF Gun
Nerf N-Strike Elite Jolt Blaster
$5.99
in stock
18 new from $2.99
Free shipping
as of May 7, 2023 11:10 pm
Many of the newer NERF gun designs are now getting bigger and bolder than ever. However, not all NERF guns are designed to be massive. The brand actually has a number of compact guns that are great for younger users and can make a fun addition to any NERF collection.
The NERF Elite Jolt is our top pick for best compact NERF gun. This little NERF pistol may be a small, single-shot gun, but it comes with plenty of power and will out shoot most other NERF guns twice its size when it comes to distance. While it can only load one dart at a time, as most of the brand’s pistols do, this NERF pistol fun comes with a backup darts that you can hold at the ready for your next shot.
– Jonathan Maxwell
3. Stryfe Blaster
Best Semi-Automatic NERF Gun
Nerf N-Strike Elite Stryfe Blaster (Colors May Vary)
$175.00
in stock
2 new from $175.00
as of May 7, 2023 11:10 pm
While a majority of NERF guns are manual-powered, there are still many guns in this product line that are semi-automatic dispensing guns. These are really fun for high-powered NERF gun action. These guns require four AA batteries and have a 6-dart capacity in the removable magazine.
One of the most unique features about this versatile NERF gun is that you can actually swap out the included magazine for a higher-capacity accessory if you want to have more darts with this gun. This gun is also outfitted with accessory rails on the top and bottom so you can add your own accessories, sights, grips, lights and other NERF add-ons from this collection.
– Jonathan Maxwell
Summary of Our Top Picks
When it comes to finding the best NERF guns, you never have to worry about these guns delivering plenty of fun. However, that doesn’t mean that all NERF guns are created equal. This is why we have not only featured our best NERF overall gun, but our best guns in the compact and semi-automatic categories as well. Here are the rest of our picks for top NERF guns.
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Last update was on: May 7, 2023 11:10 pm
NERF Gun Buying Guide
If you are looking to buy a new NERF gun and are feeling overwhelmed by all of the options, we’ve highlighted some of the key features to look for during your shopping experience to insure you end up with the right toy. One of the things that makes NERF such a popular brand is because they have so many different types of products. Despite focusing mostly on NERF guns with their inventory, there is truly something for everyone in their collection—and our buying guide will help you get a better understanding for which guns are best for you. Here’s what to look for.
Manual vs. Semi-Automatic
One of the major differences you will see among the different available NERF guns are manual guns or semi-automatic guns. As the names suggest, manual guns are those that use a spring loaded design to shoot darts one at a time. Some of the manual guns still shoot darts relatively quickly, but you have to wait for one dart to exit the chamber, before the spring can reload the next one.
Semi-automatic guns on the other hand are battery-powered. They are typically more hefty guns and will be able to dispense darts faster than the manual guns. You will need to supply your own batteries with these gun options. Many times, they also have coordinating lights and sounds as well since they are battery operated.
Style of NERF Guns
NERF currently has a few different styles of guns available. Of course, there are different types and subsets within these categories, but these are the four main classifications.
Pistols – The pistols are the smallest types of NERF guns available right now. They are lightweight, easy-to-shoot and can be held in one hand. They are also great options for smaller kids who may have issues managing the large NERF guns. Pistols are only going to let you shoot one dart at a time, due mostly do their size. However, there are new models and accessories that can help you add on extra ammunition later on. Due to their simpler design, these NERF guns are also some of the more affordable NERF guns available.
Rifles – The rifle style NERF gun is one of the most popular types of guns available and come in both manual and semi-automatic modes. These NERF guns are the bigger than pistols and while they carry a little more weight, they aren’t too heavy. You need two hands to fire a rifle-style NERF fun, but you will find that the darts have a must longer range than pistols, and they come with larger magazines, which means you can store and shoot more darts at a time.
Shot Guns – NERF shot guns are generally the biggest in the brand’s line of toys, and also come in both semi-automatic and manual forms. The shotguns can be quite large, and they typically come with big magazines that hold a lot of darts for more high-action fun with every shot. The shot gun also tends to come with more accessories.
Specialty Guns – NERF also has a number of different specialty guns available. They have special-edition guns base on different movies, characters and themes and things like battery-powered machine guns and bows and arrows. These guns may not always coordinate with NERF’s normal line of accessories, but they come with features and add-ons that you may not normally be able to find in standard NERF products.
Ammunition
Ammunition is a big deal when it comes to NERF guns. Typically, most guns don’t come with a ton of darts to begin with, so you will likely need to buy extra ammunition later on down the line. Make sure to look into not only how many darts come with your NERF guns, but how many darts it can hold at a time as well.
Most NERF guns are designed to work with the standard NERF dart. This is small rubber-tipped dart that is sold for use with all NERF guns including Elite, Zombie Strike or Doomsland lines of NERF guns. NERF also make AccuStrike darts that are compatible with all standard NERF guns as well, but promise to deliver better accuracy.
Some of the specialty guns will work with certain specialty darts, including the Mega dart, which is bigger than a standard dart, and makes a whistling noise as it flies through the air. It doesn’t deliver as much in terms of accuracy, but the noise is a great novelty factor.
There are certain NERF blasters, including the Elite Demolisher that use the brand’s Missal darts. They are secondary, one-shot darts, which are some of the largest the brand has. If you buy a specialty gun such as a bow and arrow, you will need to buy arrow darts to go with it.
Finally, there are certain guns in the brand’s Rival line that use yellow foam balls. This type of ammo is only designed for users age 14 and up. This type of ammo can be fired at a higher velocity than darts and typically have better precision as well.
Accessories
There are so many different NERF gun accessories, not only available from this brand, but available from other third-parties as well. Some NERF accessories are mostly cosmetic, but others can add scopes, grips, barrel extensions, lights and extra magazines to your gun as well. In fact, the higher-capacity clips are some of the most common accessories you will find.
When it comes to enjoying accessories like this, the most important thing to remember is that your original NERF gun needs to have accessory rails on it, so these add-ons can easily clip-in. Not all NERF guns have accessory rails, and most pistols don’t have any, so if you are interested in some of the fun extras that can come with NERF guns, make sure the gun you are buying has the accessory options. Each accessory will let you know what type of guns they work with.
If you really want to make the most of your new NERF gun, there are also wearable accessories such as vests and bands for holding extra darts. These, of course, can work with all NERF guns.
Conclusion
A NERF gun can be a great toy for yourself, or for a special kid in your life. Whether you are looking at NERF guns for fun, or if you are buying them to participate in a league, knowing about what you are buying is important with these dart toys. With so many new types, brands and styles of NERF guns making their way to the market, the more you know the better. Take a look at our top rated guns and our insights into the NERF gun purchasing process to make sure you walk away with a NERF gun that will work for you.
Alexandra Ramirez
