Reddit user Jeremy Chang has built a Halo 5 MA5D assault rifle using a modified Nerf Rayven blaster and 3D printed parts.
The DIY weapon will be used in games of Humans vs. Zombies.
Traditional college sports aren’t for everybody. Although joining the football, basketball, or rowing club remains be the be-all and end-all of school life for many students, the extreme competitiveness of university athletics can easily sap the fun factor from these physical activities, excluding a large group of active youngsters who just want a bit of fun. So what are the options for those who enjoy physical activities but don’t fancy the hard graft of competitive sports? Ultimate frisbee has gained a lot of traction in the last few decades, but there’s now an even weirder craze sweeping campuses across the US: Humans vs. Zombies.
Humans vs. Zombies (HvZ) is a live-action game in which a team of Humans tries to survive a “Zombie invasion”. The game ends when all Humans have been turned into Zombies, or if the Humans survive for a certain period of time. Humans, being highly vulnerable to Zombies, can defend themselves with certain moderator-approved items such as marshmallows, socks, and—obviously—foam dart guns. There is clearly a lot of potential for fun in the game itself, but the introduction of weapons and equipment has allowed players to make their own creative props—sometimes with a 3D printer!
Jeremy Chang, creator of this cool 3D printed weapon, is one such player. A keen HvZ player, Chang had already modified a number of Nerf guns before embarking on his latest ambitious project: Building a Halo 5 assault rifle, complete with 3D printed parts. The replica MA5D, made from a Nerf Rayven blaster, boasts a number of impressive visual and technical features, such as a digital ammo counter and functional scope. Based on the fictional United Nations Space Command weapon, the 3D printed replica looks set to obliterate many a zombie. After five years of tinkering, we sure hope it’s ready for action.
The 3D printed foam dart gun is a Nerf Rayven at its core, but with several important modifications. To achieve the iconic shape of the MA5D, Chang added several 3D printed exterior parts, all printed on a Rostock Max V2 3D printer and smoothed with XTC-3D coating. The shape of the 3D printed weapon is, of course, only the beginning: Its incredible working ammo counter uses an Adafruit 128×64 pixel OLED Screen lit with a NeoPixel RGB LED, with the screen also functioning as a mission timer—presumably so that Chang and his team of Humans can know when they’re safe from the invasion. The 5V scope of the gun adds a touch of class to the functional prop, whose complex wiring and programming make it a stunning feat of DIY making.
Chang is planning to sell kits of the 3D printed front end parts, which will fit onto any Nerf Retaliator/Recon barrel.
source: 3ders.org
