The Water Warriors Aqua Master Pre-Charge Argon is the smallest of the new Aqua Master Pre-Charge line by Buzz Bee Toys. This line employs a new system of pressurizing water in the firing chamber. As opposed to simply pumping in water into a firing chamber and compressing the air that was in there, the Aqua Master Pre-Charge line allows one to first pre-charge the 'back side' of the firing chamber, thus increasing the amount of pressure initially available when starting to pump in water. This is similar to pre-pressurizing one's soaker when using blasters with separate firing chambers. However, unlike pre-pressurizing, one will not get mist shots with the Aqua Master line since the pre-pressurized air is kept separate from the water in the firing chamber. The overall effect is better performance, though the increased stream power still does not perform as well as the Hydro Power or CPS-system when it comes to consistency of pressure.

The Blaster ::

Nozzle / Firing Chamber ::

The Argon features a single nozzle setting. While relatively small compared to the larger nozzles available on larger blasters, the Argon's nozzle yields a good, solid stream once the trigger is pulled on a pressurized soaker.

As noted above, the special feature of this series is the ability to pre-charge the back-side of the firing chamber. This is done by pressing a large button on the size of the blaster, switching the pump to air and pushing in water into the rear of the firing chamber. A sliding piston divides the two halves of the firing chamber, keeping the water and pressurized air separate. One continues to pump until this button pops back up, signalling that adequate pre-pressure has been achieved. The firing chamber, however, is actually on the small side despite the decent volume held in the reservoir. While the smaller firing chamber volume means more full shots per fill, each full shot has a more limited amount of soaking power available. Without additional pumping while firing, shot time is limited to roughly 4 seconds at most.

As water and pressurized air do not mix using this system, the streams produced by the nozzle feels quite coherent and mist shots are mostly non-existant.

Unfortunately, the design of the Argon has the pressure chamber hidden within the opaque body of the blaster. Thankfully an analogue pressure gause was included in the design just behind and to the side of the nozzle. When pre-pressurized, three full pumps is typically all it takes to reach full pressure.

Pump ::

The pump for the Argon is relatively long and pushes a good amount of water if using a full stroke. However, due to the extended pump shaft that protrudes from the front of the blaster, the pump grip tends to hit the end of the housing when pumping, giving a slight awkward feel.

Pre-pressurizing the firing chamber is done fairly quickly. The box recommends pre-pressurizing before filling the reservoir. However, it appears that when the button is pressed, the intake for air is not from within the reservoir, thus reducing the likelihood of accidentally pumping water into the back-side of the firing chamber. Air-pressure can be released by pressing a small orange button near the back of the blaster (this button can be seen in the upper-right of the Trigger/Grip region image).

On the box, it notes that after pre-charging, the blaster can then achieve full pressure by just a few additional pumps of water. Due to the now increased pressure in the firing chamber combined with a fairly substantial pump volume, pumping water is slightly more difficult than on other soakers, but not to the difficulty level found in the Water Warriors Aqua Master Pre-Charge Krypton. However, as it only takes roughly three pumps to pressurize the firing chamber, attempting to pump one additional time can leave one with an extended pump that is much harder to push back in unless the firing chamber is partially (or completely) emptied.

Trigger / Grip ::

The trigger/grip region of the Argon is on the shorter side, but still comfortable to hold and simple to operate. Those with larger hands may find the grip short, thus meaning some fingers may have no place to hold onto. However, the fact that the grip area is open means at least fingers will not be forced into a cramped space.

Just behind and above the trigger/grip area is the pressure-release button for the Pre-Charge chamber. Its location reduces the likelihood of accidentally releasing pressue.

The Reservoir ::

Similar to the Water Warriors Blazer, the Argon's reservoir is top-mounted, and opaque. One nice feature is the tethered cap that reduces the chance of losing the reservoir's cap. However, the tether is made of a piece of external plastic akin to some sport-bottle caps and may get damaged if hit. The reservoir has a gerat capacity for a blaster this size, but being top-mounted, makes the blaster feel slightly top-heavy when filled.

Overall ::

As a whole, the Water Warriors Aqua Master Pre-Charge Argon is a solid, high-performance smaller soaker. Performance-wise, the stream settings behave better than other air-pressure soakers and act closer to CPS-type power without being CPS-based. Were it not for the limited firing chamber, the Argon would receive an even higher overall rating. Recommended as a back-up for most water fights or as a main blaster in smaller ones, the Argon should be able to hold its ground against even slightly larger soakers thanks to its solid stream performance and relative ease of use.

Pros

Pre-charge system separates the pressurized air from water, reducing misting and improving general stream performance. Large reservoir and pump volume for a blaster this size. No batteries required for any part of the soaker.

Cons

Small overall firing chamber volume. Single nozzle setting. Opaque reservoir makes judging fill level difficult.

---

:: Submitted Reviews

Review by Shadowstrike Prime | Posted: 20050514

Well, seeing as how it was such a nice day, I walked to Walmart to see if they had their summer assortment out yet. Sure enough, they had a the Water Warriors 2005 line out for sale. I picked up the Argon.

Right out of the package, I could tell this sucker was sturdy; beefier feeling than most Super Soakers of that size that I can recall. Colours aren't half bad either; I'm not normally big on purple, but the Argon is just screaming to have a Decepticon logo painted on it. As with other Water Warriors blasters I own and have seen in stores, the paint applications seem to be a little sloppy around the edges; this is a really minor point though. I also like the pressure gauge, I'm not big on the electronic ones the larger models offer, I'm seriously hoping Buzz Bee Toys will consider phasing those out in exchange for more conventional ones.

I went out back and fired the Argon off a few times and was pretty impressed. Range is as advertised, and the Pre-Charge system is interesting if not different. I wasn't sure what to expect, but after precharging, pumping three times at a blast to keep a full charge is rather handy. It's weird though, and since the shot time per blast is short, I wouldn't go around trying to continuously hose someone with the Argon. Plus, I like the fact that the blaster won't lose its precharged pressure; and "powering down" the Argon by depressurizing it after use just seems neat to me, somehow.

My only quibble with this blaster is that the handle is slightly too small. The grip isn't blocked in though, so my pinky finger can just sit below the grip. That, and the shape seems alittle odd to my hand, that could just be me though.

Overall, I like the Argon. It's a solid blaster all around, and I'd recommend it to anyone as an addition to their arsenal.

---

Related Content .:

 Product Listing Page | Water Warriors Product Evolution Tree 

Water Warriors Aqua-Master Pre-Charger Based System

Additional Resources

Water Blaster: Basics | Care, Cleaning, and Storage | Soaker Use: Basics|Repair Articles|Separate Firing Chamber Tech Troubleshooting|Separate Firing Chamber Blaster Usage

iSoaker.com .:

• News
• Armoury | Database
• Tech / Repairs
• Battle / Water Warfare
• General Information

Quick Links .:

• Help
• About
• Glossary
• Search
• Site Index

 

• Contact Us
• Terms of Use
• Support This Site

©2000-2024 iSoaker.com.
All rights reserved.