This NERF pistol is the Vortex equivalent of the Maverick six-shot N-strike line. For new inductees, this means that instead of firing soft foam darts, the Vigilon fires small hard-foam discs. The discs are not as flimsy as one would imagine--in fact, they lend themselves to DIY loading magazines and robotic apparatus. They are constructed of a hard-plastic inner element, around which soft foam is wrapped. The firing mechanism requires the hard plastic for durability, but fired discs will only contact the target with the soft-foam edges. The gun does have more power ("zing") than the N-strike line, so prudence must be used when aiming. The advantage of discs over darts is twofold: as mentioned above, discs are far more durable than the standard-issue NERF dart. The soft foam on a disc is still more sturdy than the foam used on the body of a dart, and less liable to crush with the odd pressure. Furthermore, a disc will deteriorate far less with time than a dart, perhaps losing some material on the edges. Since the device is fully mechanical (internal throwing arm instead of air plunger system), the common problems associated with NERF darts are fully eradicated. The second advantage of discs over darts lies in their range and accuracy. Discs, acting like high-speed Frisbees, perform to triple the range of a NERF dart. Unfortunately, along with range come certain problems in windy conditions--this pistol is best used indoors. Accuracy is stellar, a characteristic attributed to the gun's mechanical system: discs are pulled by an arm down the barrel of the gun, so their momentum comes from the front of the projectile, unlike darts, which are pushed from the back by a blast of air. The issue is akin to throwing a paper airplane in two different ways: if one throws from the back, the paper airplane fishtails, dives, or stalls in midair, but if thrown from near the front, its flight is stable and accurate, if less powerful (and with the gun's power, this is a non-issue). One application of the discs are their tendency to ricochet off multiple surface, adding a whole new dimension to NERF warfare. This is a double-edged sword--discs also tend to get lost much more easily, a drawback considering that they are considerably more expensive than darts. (See NERF VORTEX Disc Refill Pack ) The gun itself has many useful features, such as a new ratcheted cocking mechanism that prevents the slide from slamming back before fully cocked, as in some N-strike models. The built-in magazine has a handy door-release lever that eliminates the time taken during a reload to open or remove the magazine of the gun. Once firing is complete, the thumb can easily reach over and throw the lever to instantaneously open the magazine (not to mention that in a different review, the reviewer agrees that slamming shut the sliding door to the magazine after loading produces a very satisfying "lock-and-load" sensation. I have gotten into the annoying habit of opening and shutting the magazine door for no reason). The only disadvantage of this ease is that a single bump in the wrong place can send the magazine door flying open, the loaded discs falling out. Loading ease is otherwise limited, because though the magazine can hold five discs, they must be either placed on top of previously loaded discs or slid underneath them, so loading five discs in one piece is difficult. Nevertheless, loading is considerably easier in the Vigilon than in its N-strike counterpart, in which darts must be loaded separately into six different chambers in the revolver. The Vigilon can accommodate a sixth disc when one is already primed in the barrel for firing, but this requires loading a disc, priming it, and then opening the magazine to load five more. One great disadvantage is that the magazine only opens to the right, making loading extremely cumbersome for left-handed users. This gun will not cock unless it has a disc to prime with. Neither will it fire if the firing arm is tensed but has no disc to fire (see below). As rumored, this gun is incapable of slam-firing. In the unlikely event that a disc gets jammed, the jam-release slider on the side of the gun is more than capable of clearing it with ease; however, this mechanism does not relax the throwing arm, so the gun will remain primed for the next disc. For this reason, it is best not to clear a jam and then stop using the gun, because the torsion spring that holds the firing arm will remain tense, and may be damaged with time. One fun application of the jam-release is to prime a disc, release it into the barrel, and then load another disc. When fired, two discs will erupt from the muzzle of the gun (albeit with drastically reduced range). The gun is fairly durable, but dropping it onto hard surfaces in inadvisable, as it will scratch easily. It has many more flat planes than the Maverick, and also is considerably heavier near the muzzle than at the butt, so it makes an alarming crash when dropped by mistake. For more information about this gun and other products in the NERF line, consult this very useful website: (...)
