Everything in the Recon MkII package.
With the first Modulus blaster being a flywheeler, the next logical Modulus blaster to release is a springer, most likely based on the Retaliator for maximum tacticool. Nerf did exactly that with the Recon MkII. It is interesting to note that Nerf took the name of the blaster the Retaliator was originally designed upon. Does the Recon MkII improve upon the Retaliator then?
The Box:
Front of the box.
The back of the box.
Pretty standard Modulus box fare front is open and back is an advert for the line as a whole.
The Base Recon MkII Blaster
Right side.
Left side.
Front of the blaster.
Attach the sling loop to the handle
Slide with tac rail.
Side-by-side Tac rail
Recon light on side tac rail.
The Recon MkII is a well designed blaster, it has clear roots in the Recon/Retaliator platform, but has its own unique aesthetic with influence from the Modulus line. I quite like it, although I really dislike the lack of detail on the left side. This blatant cost cutting really hurts the aesthetics, with much of the left side looking rather bland. The front of the blaster is also pretty bland as its completely flat, in contrast with the Recon and Retaliator.
The Recon MkII, as is the norm for many N-Strike mag (clip) system blasters has a single sling loop on the handle. It has 2 tac rails, the standard one on top of the slide and one lower down on the side.
The new side rail is perfect for lighting, but Nerf has not released one in a while.
Handle the shot
Hand on handle.
Slide shot.
Hand on slide.
Close-up of the hand holding the raised tac rail.
The handle is well-designed, it’s smooth and nicely curved. It is very comfortable to hold, and the opening in the middle isn’t obvious. The priming slide is very similar to that of the Recon/Retaliator, though has one key difference. The tac rail on the Recon MkII is raised slightly, which is very noticeable in priming.
Part missing in the revised model
Modifications to the revised model
12 clip (mag), loaded
18 clip (mag) loaded, no problem.
25 drums loaded, no problems.
35 drum loaded, all good.
Its important to note that my Recon MkII is a revised model. There are two changes to the original mold. The first is that the revised model does not have a small nub on the front as the original does. This is an aesthetic part.
However there have been two changes in the magwell area. The revised model has a slot cut into the back of the magwell (circled in red), and the handguard has been thinned slightly (the yellow lines ended closer to the magwell in the original).
The original mold only allowed the 6 and 12 dart clip (mags) to be used. Larger ones like the 18 clip (mag) did not fit fully and could not be used. This oversight is quite baffling considering how important the cross compatible clip (mag) system is to Nerfs success.
The revised molds main changes allow the use of all clips (mags) without issue. The functional changes are the magwell cut and the handguard change. The removal of the front nub, which is only cosmetic, is how you can tell the difference between a revised and an original.
Start position.
Slide pulled back blaster primed bolt opened.
Clips (mags) switched.
Slide forward, bolt closed. Dart loaded.
Being a standard manual springer clip (mag) system blaster, the Recon MkII operates the same as so many other blasters available now. Pulling the slide back opens the bolt, allowing removal/insertion of a clip/mag. Pushing the slide forward again closes the bolt and chambers a dart, at which point the blaster can be fired. Rinse and continue as needed.
Right side: Recon MkII, Retal
Left side.
Handle/trigger/clip (mag) release comparison.
Slide comparison
Magwell comparison.
Slides back comparison.
Jam door aperture comparison.
Comparison of front.
Heres the Recon MkII next to a white Retal. In terms of functionality and general shape, the two are extremely similar. There are a number of obvious physical aesthetic differences, but the functional parts are mostly the same. One notable difference is the fronts the Recon MkIIs is completely flat and lacks the same barrel extension locking divot below the muzzle that the Retal has. This is a concern regarding barrel extension compatibility, as many barrels are looser without this divot.
The Barrel Extension:
Right side of the barrel extension.
Left side.
The front shot.
Shot of the back.
Recon MkIIs barrel extensions are a unique piece. It is very aggressively cut and has an unusual muzzle, making for an unusual looking piece that I quite like. It is actually quite hollow from the front. This reminds me of the Rapidstrike’s front.
Rear comparison of the Recon MkIIs barrel vs a Retal barrel.
This barrel is different from most barrels in this style because of the locking mechanism. These barrels have a spring-loaded dome beneath the barrel, as the Retal barrel to the left. In contrast, the Recon MkII barrel uses the same mechanism as the Modulus Proximity barrel, which is a little looser but is self contained withing the orange ring. The Recon MkII lacks the necessary divot for the spring loaded dome dome to sit in. This is both a compatibility issue and a concern for the future. I prefer the spring loaded dome for a locking mechanism.
The fake rail at the bottom is shown in the shot
Foregrip is semi-attached with the fake rail.
The barrel extension has a short faux rail on the bottom. Though I would have liked a functional rail, that wouldnt be possible with Nerfs current tac rail locking mechanism considering its length. Some attachments will sort of clip on, but theyre not secure there and will fall off easily.
Comparison of different barrel extensions
There are a few barrel extensions available. The Recon MkIIs is very short, even when compared to half Recon/Retal. The only barrel extension that could be of comparable length I can think of is the Proximity Barrel, but unfortunately I dont have one on hand.
The Recon MkIIs barrel doesnt serve any real purpose, so is something youd want purely for aesthetics.
The Stock:
Right side of stock
Left side.
Comparison of different stocks
The stock of the Recon MkIIs is, however, boring. It’s flat grey and lacks any special features. It is also quite short, similar to the Stormtrooper Deluxe Blasters Stock. Its length renders it almost unusable, and its lack of special features only makes it more difficult. At very least, its a solid stock. Overall, this stock is likely to be one of the worst Nerf has produced.
Fully Assembled
Right side of the full blaster.
Left side.
Compared to a Retaliator.
Although the Recon MkII complete kit looks good, none of its components are very useful. The full Retal kit is a good bit bigger, though in contrast, its barrel is ideal for pump grips, and the foregrip is useful for a cheap DIY pump grip.
Performance
FPS shot.
Finally, performance. Is the Recon MkII up to the standards of its tested sibling, The Retaliator?
Unfortunately, no. The Elite-era blaster’s range is very limited at 9-10 meters with Elite style darts. A fair number of darts like to dive into the ground at shorter ranges.
Also, accuracy is not remarkable. At 9 meters, I was getting some spread. Although not as bad as some blasters, it was far from the worst.
Rate of fire is pretty much identical to the Retaliator, 2-3 darts per second with good technique and locks removed. If you are fighting a lot of enemies, it is still quite usable.
Role:
Although it plays the same role as the Retaliator’s, the Recon MkII is not nearly as effective. Unlike the Retaliator, it has neither notably good range nor surprisingly good accuracy with the barrel extension. The barrel extension is not practical and its stock is too small to be useful for most adults and teens.
The Recon MkII’s most important role is that of a close-quarters large pistol. It is also very small, just like the Retaliator. It faces a lot of opposition from the Retaliator, which can be reduced to be slightly smaller and is a much better performer. There is no legitimate performance reason to use a Recon MkII over a Retaliator.
Summary And Value:
The Recon MkII is not a particularly good buy or a good performer. Unless youre in love with its aesthetics and barrel extension and can get it for a good price, Id give it a pass.
In a way, its faithful to its namesake the Recon the Retaliator is far superior.
Modification Capability:
Recon MkII internals, pretty similar to the Retaliator.
For mods, the Recon MkII is much the same as the Retaliator with a few caveats. First is that the bolt has 2 air release holes instead of the usual 1, and the boltsled pin is plastic rather than metal. The internals are almost identical, so the Recon MkII should perform well. With a good spring and internal setup, 100fps muzzle velocity should be possible.
A link to the review I posted on my own blog: link
