Are you looking for the perfect Nerf gun to buy as a gift for your child, grandchild, or yourself? We have tried over 50 different Nerf guns in order to come up with our top 10 list of the greatest Nerf guns for 2023 for you.
Our top favorite – the N-Strike Strongarm Blaster is an excellent option, but you can choose among the other leading guns from the various types, series, and price ranges, which have made it into our top list for the year, as well.
Nerf Guns
Best overall
Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster
The revolver-style N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster is our top pick for Nerf guns for 2023. It has a rotating barrel that holds the six Elite darts included in the affordable package. It works with just about any type of darts, so you can easily use the ones from your other guns in your collection.
You and your kids can enjoy a full-blown Nerf shootout with this superb gun which has the amazing feature of rapidly firing all darts one after another at a range of up to 90 feet via the 6-dart Slam Fire blasting feature. The quick draw blaster is fun to use and is pretty precise, so you can be sure you will win the battles every time. The gun allows full control over the fire rate via the Slam Fire slide.
Once you run out of ammo, the barrel flips open for easy and quick reloading so you can get back to the battle as fast as possible.
The N-Strike Elite Strongarm nerf gun is comfortable to hold and weighs only 1.2 lbs. and its dimensions are 7 x 12.8 x 2.8 inches. The Nerf gun doesn’t require batteries, which means you will save on buying replacements. It is suitable for children aged 8 years or more.
The included Elite darts have all been tested and approved for covering the 90ft. distance, for precision and quality. They are made of foam with hollow flexible tips.
So, if speed, mobility, and precision are your main tactics during a Nerf war, this gun is definitely the one to consider buying. It is cool-looking, strong, and will make any kid look great.
Best runner-up
Nerf Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K (Amazon Exclusive)
The Nerf Rival Nemesis is the perfect gift for any child and Nerf fan the age of 14 or up. It is a fully motorized gun that uses 6 D batteries and can shoot up to 100 rounds of the specially designed round Nemesis MXVII-10K foam pellets. They are designed and made to be able to travel the distance to the target and yet be soft enough to be safe and not leave marks.
The gun is very easy to load via the top hopper feed and can fire seamlessly and continuously until you run out of ammo. The Nerf Rival Nemesis comes in either blue or red colors, so you can get one or more of each color in order to form teams during the mini Nerf battles. The blaster has a tactical rail and a trigger lock.
It is 4.8 x 30 x 12.2 inches and weighs 8 lbs.
Overall, this Nerf gun is a superb gift for anyone who is aged 14 or older and who wants to experience the fun and satisfaction of continuously shooting up to 100 rounds of ammo during an intense Nerf battle.
Best budget choice
NERF N-STRIKE ELITE TRIAD EX-3 BLASTER
Our top choice for the most budget-friendly Nerf gun you can buy in 2023 will cost you only a few bucks, but is still an excellent Nerf war weapon for kids aged 8 and up.
It is very compact and holds only 3 Nerf darts, but this excellent Nerf gun does have the power and precision to hit targets at a range of up to 90 feet.
Thanks to its smart feature, you will know which barrel is loaded, so that you can fire on it without stopping the battle.
The good part about this small-sized Nerf gun is that you can easily conceal it in your pocket or in your palm and use it as a surprise weapon by drawing it out fast and shooting right away. It requires using a single plunge for quick and easy reloading.
The dimensions of this small Nerf gun are 4.8 x 17.1 x 18.7 inches and it weighs a mere 0.16 ounces.
Overall, the N-Strike Elite Triad Ex-3 blaster is the perfect budget-friendly gun to add to your Nerf arsenal and can do an excellent job for surprise shoot downs when your main blaster runs out of ammo.
The rest of the best Nerf guns for 2023
Nerf Modulus Tri-Strike
When it comes to versatility, the Nerf Modulus Tri-Strike is probably the one that holds the top spot in 2023.
Features:
- It offers 3 types of firing options including standard, mega, and missile style darts
- You can customize the blaster to use only 1 type, 2 types, or all 3 types of shooting modes
- No batteries are required
- It will shoot no matter how you hold or spin it
- The design including stock and a horizontal grip provides added stability and control of the precision
- The blaster comes with a Mega dart barrel extension, a missile launcher stock, 4 Mega darts, 10 Elite darts a 10 dart clip, and a 2-piece bolt
- Suitable for children and adults aged 8 or more
- Dimensions are 3.2 x 30 x 15 inches
- The blaster weighs 4.05 lbs.
Nerf Zombie Strike FlipFury Blaster
If you want to be the coolest kid in the Nerf battles with your friends, you can’t go wrong with the Nerf Zombie Strike FlipFury Blaster.
Features:
- It has two separate barrels which hold up to 6 darts each
- The blaster can fire up to 12 darts continuously without the need to stop for reloading
- The rotating barrels can easily be flipped during a Nerf war, so you can access the full one after using up your ammo from the other one
- It comes with 12 Zombie Strike darts
- Very accurate and straight shots
- The size of the blaster is 3 x 15 x 11 inches and it weighs 1.6 lbs.
- Perfect for children aged 8 or older as well as for adult Nerf battles
Nerf N-Strike Elite SurgeFire
The N-Strike Elite SurgeFire not only looks pretty cool, but it is a top-quality gun that can shoot up to 15 darts one after the other without the need for reloading.
Features:
- A rotating drum for 15 darts
- Very precise shooting at a distance of up to 90 feet
- It is sold with the 15 Elite darts included
- Fast slam-fire
- Suitable for children aged 8 or up and for adults as well
- Sized 3.1 x 21.8 x 10 inches
- A weight of 2.6 lbs.
- Sold at a very reasonable cost for the high quality provided
Nerf Zombie Strike Brainsaw Blaster
Not only will you be able to fight off a zombie attack when using this Zombie Strike Blaster, but you will also look pretty cool while at it thanks to its unique design.
Features:
- It holds a total of 8 darts – two on each side
- Even though it looks quite big, it is light and easy to carry and use
- The nifty chainsaw saw blade spinning feature looks great and doesn’t require batteries
- You can choose to hold it and use it either by the top handle or the barrel handle
- Sold with 8 foam Zombie Strike darts
- The blaster is 3.1 x 25 x 11 inches and weighs 2.6 lbs.
- Suitable for 8-year-olds or above
Nerf Zombie Strike Hammershot Blaster
If you are shopping for the perfect sidearm for your intensive Nerf wars, we strongly recommend this Zombie Strike Hammershot Blaster.
Features:
- Top-quality and very sturdy make
- Holds 5 Zombie Strike darts which are included in the package
- Offers hammer action blasting
- Thanks to the sturdy trigger you won’t be wasting any darts by accidental fire-offs
- Easy and fun reloading via the click hammer
- Excellent for kids aged 8 to 11 or above
- A size of 2.6 x 13.3 x 10.1 inches
- It weighs 1 lb.
Nerf Doomlands 2169 Negotiator Blaster (Amazon Exclusive)
Last but not least, the Nerf Doomlands Negotiator Blaster is an affordable, great looking, and efficient Nerf gun which is definitely among the top 10 Nerf guns for 2023.
Features:
- It can fire 8 darts continuously.
- An 8 dart rotating drum
- The foam Nerf Doomlands Elite darts are included with the blaster.
- A clear and see-through area allows you to enjoy the action when you trigger the internal firing mechanism.
- Sold at a very reasonable price
- No batteries are required.
- Suitable and safe for children aged at least 8 years
- A size of 3.3 x 16 x 10.2 inches and a weight of 1 pound
Nerf N-Strike Elite AccuStrike RaptorStrike
Well, the Elite AccuStrike is a blaster which will impress all your Nerf war buddies and opponents.
Features:
- Part of the acclaimed AccuStrike series
- Offers bolt-action precise shooting
- Can hold 18 AccuStrike darts
- It features an extendable bipod for stabilizing the blaster, as well as a handy and cool pop up sight for high precision shots
- The package includes also 18 darts, a 2-piece bolt, a bipod, and two clips
- No batteries are required
- Suitable for anyone aged 8 or up
- Dimensions are 2.9 x 38 x 14 inches, and its weight is 8 lbs.
Tips for shopping for your NERF battles
If you have ever taken part in at least one Nerf battle, you know just how quickly the ammo goes. Unfortunately, Hasbro doesn’t tend to offer too many additional darts or other ammo with its guns and blasters.
Getting at least one additional package of ammunition for your Nerf gun will save you the trouble of having to stop in the middle of an exciting battle to scavenge the ground or floor for added ammo.
This is especially true if you pick one of the high-capacity guns, blasters, and rifles which use up a lot of darts very quickly.
There are a number of official Nerf munitions from which to choose. Common darts are cylindrical in shape, constructed of foam, and tipped with rubber. Most firearms from the Elite, Doomlands, and Zombie Strike series come with this sort of dart already installed. Except for the available hues, they are all indistinguishable.
Hasbro claims that the AccuStrike darts are substantially more accurate than previous Nerf darts because of the new and improved design of the series, although they are compatible with all Nerf guns.
The Mega dart is far bigger than a regular dart, and it will produce that familiar whistling sound as it flies. In Nerf battles, this oversized dart may be less effective than smaller ones, but it still packs a ton of excitement.
The Missile dart is larger than the standard ones and is used as secondary one-shot ammo by some Nerf guns such as the versatile Nerf Modulus Tri Strike.
Some models like the runner-up in our list – the Nerf Rival Nemesis uses foam balls instead of darts. These are very precise, and even though they are designed and made to be safe, they are recommended for older children aged 14 or up.
The Nerf accessories to add to your weaponry
The accessories which you can add to your Nerf war arsenal are endless. They are available by Nerf as well as offered by third-party manufacturers as well. Many of them are not particularly useful but will make you or your kid look good while enjoying a Nerf battle.
You can some more useful accessories to improve your performance too. You can add clips or high-capacity magazines to some of the Nerf guns available on the market. Our list includes several models like the Modulus Tri-strike and the AccuStrike RaptorStrike which already come with such clips which allow for easy storage of larger numbers of darts. If your Nerf blaster has a removable magazine, you can improve your gameplay by buying one or more of these clips and adding ammo.
Some models, such as the AccuStrike RaptorStrike blaster already come with useful accessories like a bipod, a pop up sight, and a couple of clips, but if you have a compatible blaster or gun, you can add one or more of these nifty accessories to improve your performance and increase the fun of your Nerf battles.
You can get some wearables offered for Nerf warfare, such as vests or bandoliers to hold extra ammo. The most useful of these are the face masks which will keep the face of your child or yours protected during even the most intensive Nerf battles and shoot-offs.
So, are Nerf guns safe?
This is a question which we have been getting a lot from concerned parents. This became especially true after a story released by CBS claimed that some of these guns can be turned into more sinister weapons. So, let’s examine this question and the question of whether one should get a Nerf gun for their child.
In general, Nerf guns are a safe option. Because of their lead-free construction and lack of moving parts and juice, they are relatively harmless. The darts and ammunition are constructed of lightweight and non-lethal foam. However, you should definitely make sure your kid is safe when using a Nerf gun because the game calls for a lot of quick movement and quite a bit of passion.
Here are some of the basic safety precautions which you should teach your child before it starts using its Nerf gun for an actual Nerf war.
- Never look down into the barrel of a nerf gun when it is loaded because even though the ammo is made of soft foam, it can still cause damage or injury to the eyeball if shot from close range
- Keep the gun pointed at the ground and the finger off of the trigger before aiming at a target. Even though your kid may enjoy like an action hero by flinging the Nerf gun around, make sure you teach it to avoid doing so in order to prevent accidental shooting at someone who is not prepared or part of the game
- The gun shouldn’t be left loaded in order to avoid any misfires
- Teach your child to avoid headshots at all times, but rather to aim at the body, in order to prevent accidental shooting in the eyes of the opponent
- Safety glasses or masks are a must. To help prevent any possible injury to the eyes, make sure your child wears a protective mask, goggles or safety glasses, and that so do its opponents
- Never fire at dogs, animals, or to people who are not involved in the game
- Stay off of the roads, and don’t aim at cars or other vehicles for the safety of the child and that of the drivers
- Try to wear the neighbors or bystanders that a Nerf war is going on, especially if there is fast action, dark clothes, and masks involved to avoid somebody mistaking the actions as serious felonies and a real shoot out (even though the Nerf guns themselves are all brightly colored so that they can easily be distinguished as toys by others)
- Don’t paint over your Nerf gun in black, army green, or camo, no matter how cool you think it looks
- Make sure you follow the age requirement and do not allow children younger than the recommended age to use a Nerf gun, or a certain model which is not suitable for the age
- It is best to avoid any modifications to the Nerf gun which can increase its power and make it dangerous to use
- Also avoid adding weights to the foam darts, or sticking in needles or pins!
- Remember that not everybody is part of your Nerf war, and some people are not even aware of what a Nerf is so to avoid misunderstandings and possibly dangerous confusion by bystanders be as considerate as possible, stay away from private property and respect the laws to stay out of trouble
Final Words
Nerf guns are fun, and they can also be educational toys which can teach a child the etiquette of gun use. There are so many types of Nerf guns on the market that it can be very difficult to find the right one to buy for your child, as a gift, or for your personal enjoyment.
We hope that with our thorough reviews of what we consider the top 10 Nerf guns on the market, we have helped you make your choice.
So, go ahead and get any one of these excellent toys, and get ready for some action-packed games and battles with friends, colleagues, and others!
Last update on 2023-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API