The Nerf Super Soaker XP30-AP is a modern re-release of the original Super Soaker SS 30 (1991). This water blaster has not been further tested, thus limited information is available about its actual performance.
Brief Overview .:
The Nerf Super Soaker XP30-AP appears to be a remake, but updated mold on the original Super Soaker SS 30. The handle appears a little thicker, the trigger is larger, the pump grip is beefier, and some other stylistic detailing differs from the original. On the packaging, Hasbro is highlighting the fact that the reservoir is made from recycled plastic (though one wonders if that is the case, why not make the majority or allof the water blaster from recycled plastic?)
As an aside, it s interesting that the XP30-AP is mounted in its packaging with its pump extended. It may just be to reduce the number of ties needed to secure the water blaster to its box, but may also have some benefit regarding being better for the internal pump rod seals. When storing water blasters, it is preferred to have pumps slightly extended such that one can push the pump in instead of having to pull it outwards, especially if the rubber seal/O-rings have gotten slightly stuck to the inner-side of the pump.
Given its sturdier build, the performance of the XP30-AP is probably slightly better than the original Super Soaker SS 30. Granted, with the limited reservoir capacity, having higher output also means that battlefield lifetime becomes shorter.
Overall, the Nerf Super Soaker XP30-AP probably makes for a good back-up blaster (or primary in very small skirmishes).
* Note: at present, this blaster is being kept in its original packaging and iSoaker.com has no plans to do additional testing
Pros
Decent build; easy to operate; can continually shoot as long as sufficient pressure and water remain
Cons
Limited resevoir capacity being a small water blaster
Submitted Review
By: Hydrogen31
The Super Soaker XP30-AP is a small sized water blaster that is mostly used as a secondary weapon, but can be a primary weapon in small, non serious water fights. These days most water guns are piston based, but this one is one of few that is air pressurized, wich makes it an instant win in my books. That said, its not to say this gun is perfect, as it shares some of the issues incountered on the XP20-AP and XP50-AP. Here is a list of its pros and cons:
Pros:
1 ) Nice retro design.
2) Easy to use, good grip, and nice and lightweight.
3) Pretty decent water output considering its size. It presents the same nozzle dimensions (a 1X) as the Super Soaker XP20-AP as well as the XP 100, meaning it can output quite a bit of water per second, but at the same time, this does not make the tank last long at all.
Cons:
1) The shot time is decent on paper, but it deteriorates quite quickly and only the first 6 seconds of the stream are actually usable in a fight. After that, the rage reduces under 4 meters (this is true for many air pressure based water guns, but the problem is more severe on this one than average)
2) The reservoir capacity is not horrible but you still need to reload quite often, meaning you can’t run off too far from a water source.
3) Similarly to the XP50-AP, the pressure does not accumulate very well when the tank is completely full, meaning that the first shot you fire will be a lot less effective, and the same can be said for when you have less than 40-50% capacity left, meaning that the maximum power reported below is able to be used only for maybe 2 shots out of the full tank.
4) After reaching a certain pressure level, similarly to the XP20-AP and XP 100, a small stream of water starts coming out of the nozzle even if you don’t pull the trigger, making you waste water and making you incapable of increasing much further the pressure level. At the same time there is to say that this is a safety mechanism that was made so that there aren’t any chances or the tank exploding due to too much pressure (something that was reported to occasionally happen in the original version of this soaker in the 90s). That said, i still would have preferred to have a mechanism that let out the excessive air instead of pushing out the water.
The last thing to note that is not necessarily a con,is that, differently from the XP 100, the tube that picks up the water is very short and is located in the front part of the tank, meaning that to be able to shoot (especially when the tank is low on water) you need to keep it facing up, otherwise air is going to come out instead.
Weapon statistics:
Tank capacity: 280 ml
Max range at 45°: 7.5-8 meters
Max range aiming flat: 6.2 meters
Effective range (the max range you will actually be able to get a decent hit on someone): 5-6 meters
Shot time: 13 seconds, 6 seconds at effective range
Shot Output: 80ml
Average output per second: 6.2 ml/s (*note: this would make it seem quite bad and lower that the XP20-AP, however this is due to its much longer shot time, so the actual output per second in the first few seconds, while the stream is powerul, is much higher and around the same as the XP20-AP).
Conclusions:
The XP30-AP is an ok secondary backup weapon, but i still wouldn’t recommend it as a primary gun in a water fight (unless its a super casual light fight) as it is still outclassed by many modern alternatives (even piston based Super Soakers) and by all Spyra blasters, as well as all older SC and CPS Super Soakers. Overall, due to its nice retro looks and air pressure based system, i still like this gun and, if you are intrested in it, i would reccomend it if you can find it for 15 bucks or less (of course if you are reading this many years after its release the price may be higher).
Images
Related Content .:
Product Listing Page | Predicting Pump-Action Performance
Additional Resources
Water Blaster: Basics | Care, Cleaning, and Storage | Soaker Use: Basics|Repair Articles
:: Nerf Super Soaker XP30-AP
