In the Summer of 2020, the foam tag hobby fully entered the current age with the release of the Adventure Force Nexus Pro. Yes, things came before it. Yes, many were, better across one or more criteria. Yet they didn’t have the same impact. Why? The Nexus Pro brought us 130+ base FPS, a quick change spring cap, a well-executed wildcard adapter, and most importantly – half-length darts on retail store shelves. Some will argue that the darts are the real indicator of this new age but the Institute feels very strongly these cannot be separated. Since then there has been astounding growth in the competition grade blasters space. Dart Zone ( producer of the Nexus Pro ) released 13 more of their own, Zuru has entered the fray, Worker stepped up their availability and options, and even Hasbro has attempted Pro. That doesn’t even consider the new companies or those that started dabbling after existing in other competition shooting hobbies. Thank you Nexus.
Now we have the first formal follow-up to the Nexus Pro. The Nexus Pro X is an impressive package. For the US street price of $49.99, we find a loaded package comparable to what we find in a recent Dart Zone Pro offering in their favorite, flip-front box design:
- A pump action springer rifle
- 2 Baker’s Dozen (12+1 round) magazines, in a new, more purely Talon-compatible form factor
- 24 Adventure Force Pro darts
- A new adjustable stock
- A front and rear sight set
- A specialty Picatinny rail SCAR storage mount
- A replacement O-ring
- Protective eyewear
- A PCAR/MCAR
- A BCAR
We’ll lightly touch on the accessories before moving on to the main pieces.
The AF Pro darts are the ones we know and love. The front sight is a common model to several Pro blasters. The rear sight is familiar, but we were unable to place it. It is a pretty typical look-thru decorative piece.
The addition of a Picatinny rail SCAR storage mount was interesting though it seems confusing with the front mount storage. It feels more like an accessory to the PCAR and BCAR than for the blaster. The mount is a friction-fit Picatinny rail mount for storing your SCAR off-barrel.
The Replacement o-Ring is mostly notable for being a keyhole shape. These may be difficult to replace if Dart Zone does not sell them in their shop.
The buffer tube stock is solid, seems to hold up to most collapse abuse ( until tested too hard ), and is generally comfortable. Like many recent Pro stocks, it opens for storage. A new addition is an M4-sized brass insert on each side for optional sling mounts.
Lastly, we have a new eyewear design with telescoping earpieces. While these are still unbranded, they sport the Z87+ rating; a rather robust certification. I used these at a recent event and found them very comfortable and the telescoping arms feature locked in place well.
Nearly every other Dart Zone Pro release features a slightly different geometry magazine (except for the Mk 1 and 1.1 ) while generally being backward compatible. This go-round we’ve gone full Talon magazine geometry. The magazine design features a three-part shell with the left and right sides made of translucent orange and an opaque orange bottom of slightly different plastic. the bottoms can be popped out for cleaning or lubricating the magazine. The shell is solid, with very little flex. One uncommon feature of these magazines is a stippling-like texture to give the fingers more purchase as they wrap around the body. Lastly, the capacity is labeled for 12 but can handle 13 AF Pros. Stouter darts may deform. Two are included.
One of the most anticipated features of this packaging was the inclusion of two accuracy-improving barrel attachments. Dart Zone refers to the all-plastic unit as Accuracy Boost Threaded SCAR and the roller model as Accuracy Boost Roller SCAR; a bit of a mouthful. The Accuracy Boost model is what the hobby calls a PCAR ( printed ) or MCAR ( molded ) as portmanteaus of the SCAR acronym. It features six molded threads and a fairly healthy turn. The Roller SCAR is a BCAR-style, using plastic rollers on metal pins. These strongly correspond to the Dart Zone Max Scar Barrel Pack components. Both scars are designed to be inserted into the front barrel cap of the blaster, or in the optional front-mounted storage. The threaded SCAR can also be used on normal 16mm barrels by flipping it around while the same may be done with the roller scar by removing an insert cap in the base of the SCAR.
Lastly, the blaster.
The Nexus Pro X has a pretty familiar silhouette. It is a vibrant purple, painted with a combination of the 80’s arcade camo overlaid with a textured panel in a similar technique to the Zuru Longshot. There is a lot of fine detail and precise color overlay in a way I cannot recall ever seeing in a toy. The front features M-LOK-compatible slots with Picatinny side rails preinstalled. The Picatinny also covers the full length of the top of the body. The shell feels noticeably thicker. There is almost no left-right twist or creaking. Excepting the space near cutouts, we found it difficult to squeeze the blaster. Another previously unmentioned feature is the front cap of the blaster can be removed and replaced with an alternate cap, allowing easy use of alternate barrels.
The foregrip features a single roller to smooth the prime. The Priming block wraps the barrel, as we have seen with many newer designs, such as the Harrier, and features a plastic roller above and below, at alternate corners. As a result, the Pro X has an impressively smooth prime for its spring weight. The pistol grip is solid, but not something I would call superb. Don’t like it? Replace it with your AR-15 pistol grip of choice. Another new feature on the Pro X is a dual-switch mag release permitting an easy thumb-paddle pull technique for those who prefer it or a secondary trigger pull for drop-magazine technique. This may be the most controversial feature of the blaster – the pull trigger is a very different pattern. We like it. The safety is in a good position and stiff, this won’t be walking during play.
The buffer tube features the quick-change open available on the previous Nexus and Stryker. The included spring is beefy. Of the compatible springs I had on hand ( from the Swift, Harrier, Mk4, and Seagull ) none were as stout, even the 300 FPS kit made for the Swift. Dart Zone has promised to sell a package with a weaker spring and a spacer to provide additional power options, but it is unavailable as of this writing.
All-in-all, the Nexus Pro X is what you would hope and expect a follow-up to the Nexus Pro to be. It is beyond competent and contains numerous quality-of-life improvements that we’ve seen in add-ons and newer blasters since the original Nexus Pro. Just get a Nexus Pro is about to return as a hobby catchphrase.