Using a standard Airsoft m203 Grenade Launcher and a long S-Thunder long C02/Green Gas ReadyM203 Shocker shell (part# swg 524,534,577)  you can easily shoot a mini nerf rockets 150 feet. The video below shows you how.  You can also use the new S-Thunder Long barreled grenade launcher pistol to fire your mini nerf rockets from.

As you can see the S-Thunder Shocker shell gives the Nerf vortex rocket some great height and distance. This is perfect for games that use vehicles or nerf rockets as anti personnel weapons. It will also give you another angle you can use to sell S-Thunder shells to your customers.

To Order S-Thunder Grenade Shells and Products For Your Store Call 414-943-7527

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Introduction
Next up in my review series of S-Thunder’s products is their 40mm Foam Ball Grenade, both in the long and short variations. The grenade shells are a unique addition to S-Thunder’s product lineup, and can certainly be a useful addition to your armory. You aren’t just limited to foam balls with these shells, and I will cover all of the interesting aspects of them in this review!

Basic Information:
These shells are designed to launch 32mm foam balls out of 40mm launchers, using a variety of airsoft propellants. The shell body is available in two lengths, which give you either a longer barrel for single ball use, or the ability to cram more balls into the barrel for a shotgun effect. Now, why balls? Not everyone uses BBs in their grenade shells, nor do they want to commit to “rocket” launching systems, so 32mm foam balls make a great projectile, either as a stand-in for launched grenades, or just as a wacky thing to shoot at someone. Because these are basically 32mm ID barrels, they can fit a ton of other things, from handfuls of BBs, to confetti, powder, rubber balls, paintballs, small pocket nerfs, or pretty much anything else that will fit. The possibilities are endless, and these really are one of the most versatile shells that I’ve ever used.

First impressions/Packaging:
The foam ball grenades come packaged in a cardboard box, complete with a clear plastic window showing the contents, as well as a plastic liner to keep everything in place. Like S-Thunder’s other products, the packaging is retail ready, so you can expect to see these on airsoft retailer’s shelves soon. The grenades have a unique design that is apparent the second you lay eyes on them. Â The included manual demonstrates the proper firing procedure for the grenade shells, as well as highlighting some safety risks associated with them.

Manual

Grenade Specifications:
Long Grenade
Weight: .58 lbs
Length: 7″
Diameter: 40mm (at base)

Short Grenade:
Weight: .45 lbs
Length: 4.5″
Diameter: 40mm (at base)

Externals/Internals:
Like most airsoft 40mm grenades, these are constructed entirely out of metal, which in this case is anodized aluminum. To put it bluntly, the overall appearance of the shells is one of high quality.

The short shell is probably the more universally useable of the two, the reason for which I will discuss in a few minutes. My short shell has a green base with a red barrel, however it is available in a few different colors. The thing basically looks like an oversized shotgun shell, both based on the colors and proportions. The barrel appears to have been lathe turned, giving it a very consistent bore and outer diameter. The inner bore is 32mm wide, and is about 2.25″ long, allowing it to fit 2 of the included balls inside at a time. The fill port is located at the rear of the shell, next to the centrally located firing button.

Short shell

Shot into the barrel

Shot of the base

The long shell is more or less identical in design to the short shell, only with a longer barrel section, in this case being about 5″ long inside. The color scheme on my long shell is black base with a yellow/gold barrel. The benefits of the longer barrel are that it can impart greater velocities and range on a single ball, or it can hold up to four balls inside for a larger payload. Its long size is also its downfall in my testing. I was unable to fit this grenade inside my Madbull XM203, as it’s just too long, and the launcher doesn’t slide forward enough to allow it to fit. I foresee this as a problem with most sliding type launchers, however side loading, front loading, or pivoting breach loading launchers should all be fine. Like the short shell, the activation button and gas port are located on the base.

Long shell

Shot inside the barrel

Base

Both of these shells ship with the high strength CO2 valve assembly, as indicated by the pink inner valve. These can take pretty much any airsoft gas that you throw at them, from HFC134A to CO2, using a CO2 capsule filling adaptor. The valve easily resets by pushing the activation button in all the way, and letting it retract all the way back flush with the rear of the shell. In my testing, I never once needed to open the shell up to manually reset the ball bearings or anything of that sort. My source indicates that these cores should last for 200-300 shots using CO2, due to the high quality O-rings. These cores can also be used in their landmines which use a grenade type system, such as their compact powder, water, and “step and release” mines.

Size comparison between the long and short shells

Proper Use:
So, how do you use these things? The basic functions are more or less identical to any other 40mm grenade shell, with the payload being the large exception. You basically have a 32mm wide inner barrel, in one of two lengths with which you can fill up with basically anything you want. The included foam balls are obviously the intended payload, however, you can fit a huge quantity of BBs inside these, sealing them off with some tissue paper and a rubber band.

Included foam balls

During this whole operation, it is very important that you wear eye protection! First things first, you will want to make sure that the valve is properly reset, so start by resetting the valve as indicated in the previous section. You then can fill the gas tank using your desired propellant. With condensed gasses (134, Green Gas, Propane) fill it until large quantities start coming out of the fill port. With CO2, you can use trial and error to determine your preferred charge, which will differ between different adapters, temperatures, and a multitude of other factors. Once you have filled the grenade with gas, you can load the projectile of your choice. For this demo, I will be using a single foam ball loaded into the short shell.

Single foam ball

Push the ball all the way into the shell

You can now load the shell into your preferred launcher. For this demo, I am using my Madbull XM203 based standalone launcher.

Demonstration tools

Load the shell

Shot into the launcher, loaded shell visible

What happens when I try to use the long shell inside this launcher?

No dice…

Now that you are loaded, you are ready to fire, bringing us to…

Performance:
Shooting the foam ball is certainly different than my normal projectile. The flight characteristics of the foam balls is interesting, as they are quite lightweight, and have a large surface area, slowing them down rapidly. Range is in the double digits, with 80-100′ being possible after a fair bit of practice, and basically windless conditions. Indoor use is where these will excel. The report of the shell is pretty dang loud, rated at 90dB by S-Thunder. With multiple balls, the velocity and range slow down, obviously, but the recoil increases. Physics is you friend!

As mentioned repeatedly above, you are not limited just to the included foam balls. You can pour several hundred BBs into the barrel, and seal it up with some tissue paper. Velocity isn’t too impressive with this method, but the sheer number of BBs flying out of the barrel of your launcher is damn intimidating. It really just shoots out a cloud of BBs. These are also great shells to use for 40mm based large bore mortars and launchers. The CO2 capable valve assembly makes these capable of big power buildups. A Nerf Vortex type projectile can slide down the barrel, with the main “football” portion sticking out the front. I’ve also tested this with several Milsim Labs projectiles, with great results in my 60mm bore launcher.

Milsim Labs round with long shell

Fits quite well in the barrel

Overall, even if you never shoot the included foam balls out of these shells, they are fantastic for launching other things, from clouds of BBs to foam rockets. The high power capabilities and one of a kind design really makes them a great option for any aspiring grenadier.

Here is a quick video of this launcher firing a single foam ball using CO2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j5Pi5uudbE

Pros:
Huge payload capabilities
CO2 compatible
High quality anodized aluminum construction
Available in a variety of lengths and colors
Easy to reset and reload

Cons:
Long shell is too long for some launchers
Pricier than some other shells, but has unique capabilities and is CO2 compatible

Overall:
I wasn’t sure what to expect with these foam ball grenade shells, but I was pleasantly surprised with their versatility. I’ve always been an advocate for using 40mm shells to power all manner of launching machines, from mortars to shoulder fired units, and these are an excellent power plant for those buildups. They allow you to put some big bore firepower in your launcher, and that is certainly a good thing!

To Order S-Thunder Products For Your Store Please Call 414-943-7527

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Introduction
S-Thunder is continuing their line of compact grenade launchers with these two new launchers, a polymer long barreled 40mm pistol, and a metal short barreled 40mm pistol. These complement the polymer short barreled pistol that is already on the market, and give you additional usage options, including the use of longer shells, as well as the ability to mount optics on the metal launcher. This will be a brief review, as there aren’t too many differences between these launchers and the one I’ve reviewed HERE, so I will try my best to keep this brief and to the point!

First impressions/Packaging:
The launchers came packaged in foam lined cardboard boxes, to keep them safe during shipping. Unlike the first launcher I received, these launchers had orange plastic rings glued onto the muzzle to comply with federal regulations. The launchers also included a basic manual to show the proper functioning and maintenance.

Gun Specifications:
Long Launcher
Weight: About .5 lbs
Length: 11.75″
Width: 2″
Height: 6″

Short Launcher
Weight: About 1 lb
Length: 8.75″
Width: 2″
Height: 6″

Externals:
As mentioned, these launchers differ mainly in their construction material, as well as their barrel length. The long launcher’s barrel is a bit longer than 7″, while the short is the same length as the older model, just under 4.5″.

Comparison of the three launchers

Starting with the short, metal launcher, you can see the other major difference, which is the top rail. This allows you to mount optics, as well as perform a rail to rail mount to place this launcher underneath another gun, like an M203. The rail is slightly smaller than spec, however, it will mount the vast majority of optics with no issues.

Short launcher

Top rail

Optic mounted

The latch system on the short launcher is made of metal, instead of the plastic on the polymer launchers. It feels a little bit sturdier, and it uses a spring opening device on the barrel. The overall construction is pretty much the same as the old launcher, aside from the metal build material.

Barrel opened

Spring opening system

The long launcher is pretty much identical to the old launcher I reviewed, aside from the additional barrel length. It does not have a top rail, so you cannot mount optics on it without custom work. The balance of the longer barrel allows the long launcher to flip open and closed much easier than the old short launcher.

Long launcher

Shell inserted

Both launchers feature the same M4 type pistol grip, which can be replaced with a real steel grip if you so desire. They also feature the same S-Thunder trademark on the side of the frame. The trigger pull is dependant on the shell/gas used, but it is certainly manageable for skirmish use. This isn’t a high precision tactical pistol we’re talking about here, it’s a grenade launcher that can fit in your pocket, and in that regard, it certainly does its job well.

Magazines:

These launchers are chambered in 40mm, and as such, can use the wide variety of 40mm grenade shells that are on the market. I haven’t had any issues with my cache of 40mm shells, so it’s pretty safe to say that these will work with anything on the market currently. I prefer to run S-Thunder shells, mainly because they can run a wide variety of gasses and projectiles, plus they are damn loud, and quite powerful.

Performance:

As mentioned above, these are tools to fire 40mm shells, so your performance will vary depending on the shell used. You can have everything from hundreds of BBs in one shot, to large rubber slugs. The sky is the limit with 40mm power.

Modifications:
Since these use M4 style pistol grips, you can install pretty much any real steel aftermarket grip you want to make it more comfortable, or to add a unique look. The rail on the short launcher will mount optics to allow for more precise aiming, or, with some additional hardware, let you mount it onto another rail for underslung use.

Pros:
Tiny little 40mm launchers
Relatively inexpensive – Sub $100
Fits most inexpensive universal holsters
Able to fit aftermarket grips

Cons:
No iron sights
Slightly out of spec rail on short launcher

Overall:
I continue to be impressed with S-Thunder’s products, especially their launcher pistol lineup. They keep tweaking their launchers, adding new materials, barrel lengths, and in the future, additional barrels. My hope is that they eventually make a full size launcher with a stock, but for now, I love the launcher pistols!

To Order S-Thunder Wholesale Products For Your Store Call 414-943-7527