HFx Hyperfirm B-Grade E11 Review

[QuartZ]

I recently purchased a Hyperfirm B-grade E11 when slavefive posted a sale thread saying they had 4 available. Let me start by saying up front that I am very pleased with the product I received. It's what I expected. And I think that's important to understand so here's a bit about why I feel that way:

 

I had heard really good things about these rubber blasters and I was looking for something as a backup/trooping blaster since I've read some nightmare stories about precious, accurate, resin blasters being harmed while out in "the field". In researching the various HFx options available, I decided that I wanted to put the least amount of money down for one of these as possible so that I wouldn't be disappointed in case the B-Grade was really rough. Choosing this option also helped me feel OK with attempting to fix whatever was undesirable to me given the lower price point. I knew going in that there would be seams, holes, etc. and that the weathering probably would not be what I wanted. Anyway, what I'm hoping comes across here is that I had a fair idea of what I was getting and what might be involved even though pictures and details are hard to find when it comes to these B-Grades. My hope with this thread is to shed some light on what you might receive if you order one too and so that others have more information when considering a purchase.

 

When I received my blaster I was very excited. For a rubber blaster it feels really nice. I'm sure others have written volumes on the subject, but the weight feels great. It's lightweight but solid feeling which makes it a joy to hold/carry. There is very little flex in the blaster so it actually feels hard like plastic. The details overall are sharper than I expected. There are plenty of issues scattered about that could use some tweaking (and I'm going to attempt a few of the major ones). I planned to tweak the paint as well and slavefive was helpful in letting me know which brands/colors of paint were used to make the blaster and that CA glue is used to assemble certain areas. That's good because it means I can paint match what's already there. There is a very authentic feel to the piece even though aspects may not be accurate. All in all, I think it's a great starting point.

 

Here's are some shots showing my blaster:

 

 

 

 

I took some additional photos that I'll post and write about soon. They show some areas up close so you can really see the details as well as some of the issues present in these castings. Check back here!

 

Hope this helps someone out there,

-Dana

Edited February 1, 2017 by QuartZ

[RynoHawk[501st]]

Great pics. I agree that his B grades are typically real good and I'm happy with mine. Should call them "A-" grades.

[inklegg[TK]]

I have purchased three of his "B-grades", an E11, DLT19, and Scout Pistol. Love them all!

 

 

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[scottdm62[TK]]

I'm waiting<br>

On my B-DLT and it's great to hear such a glowing reviews for the product.

[kman[TK]]

I've been extremely pleased with my HyperFirm B-grade.

 

My sole complaint was that I managed to snap off the counter, but that's hardly their fault, and I was able to epoxy it back on, with some wire nails for reinforcement, and it's all good again.

[QuartZ]

Ok, here's some close up photos highlighting some of the strengths and weaknesses of my B-Grade. I'll call out what I like and don't like about each image to help draw attention to why I took each photo.

 

Below, I don't really like the filled in front sight, but I know they probably do it to make it easier to mold and stronger than a hollow part. The molded in screws in the muzzle are the wrong knurling type (straight not cross) but that doesn't bother me for a "stunt" blaster. Also the front of the stock has a pretty chunky looking seam that I'm not sure is present or as rough on their higher grades:

 

Others have mentioned how short the magazine is, this photo shows how sharp some of the edges are. Look at the Hengstler! Even though there are some small bubbles here/there overall the cast counter is pretty sharp:

 

The end cap is pretty good despite a few little holes. Obviously it's missing a D-Ring. The slot that the charging handle slides in is filled in and the spring is not present, again this makes total sense from a solid casting standpoint:

 

I like that the T-Tracks are bent nicely into the Sterling receiver holes. I think I read that earlier versions of their blaster had them terminating before bending. So cool! You can see some little "warts" in the crease of some of the T-tracks. This is the worst side and the other side of the blaster does not have this issue:

 

The detail on the grips is fantastic, really pretty sharp. However there are also a few damaged/scuffed areas where the checkered pattern is gouged/missing. Not a big deal. I imagine their master pattern part exhibited these real signs of wear and tear. Makes it look more real/used. The trigger looks pretty clean and the way they connected it to the trigger guard is pretty minimal and really most people will never notice it while you carry the blaster around:

 

This shot of the top near the magazine well shows a nasty seam with some offset problems (see the screw that mounts the rail). But, look at the Sterling mag well detail! That's nice. There's some goobers near the magazine release button. Looks like there is a tear in the mold in this location. And as expected, there's some more small holes around this area:

 

I like that the muzzle is a separate cast piece that has been glued in, but this one was glued in crooked when viewed from directly overhead. Luckily, it's also loose on mine and I think it will tear free easily so that I can re-glue it in straight. slavefive was good enough to tell me that they use CA glue to assemble these, so I'll do the same when I fix this spot. Again, you can see the seam on the top of the center T-Track here as well:

 

Below is another angle of the scope rail and the front of the scope itself. There's another goober present in the front bezel of the scope:

 

And the last image that I took shows the butt of the grip (and some of the underside of the trigger guard/folding stock area. You can see a bit of a gnarly seam on the grip bottom and an ugly screw/offset. Of note if you didn't know is that they filled in the cavity between the side arms of the stock and the grip frame area. It's actually pretty well executed and definitely provides structural integrity:

 

As I mentioned before, I am absolutely happy with my purchase. I also can't wait to try to fix most of these issues. The purpose of this thread is not for me to complain or point of flaws to be a troll. I really just want to contribute some more to this community as I had trouble finding enough info on the B-Grade when I rolled the dice. Especially images that canvas the whole blaster and show what you should expect if you "pull the trigger".

 

I want to say thanks again to slavefive and HFx for this great option!

 

-Dana

[baldormoline[501st]]

I paid for my B-grade on Wednesday, and cannot wait to get it. I am going to follow this topic, to see how you deal with some of the issues that you pointed out. I am already going to replace the muzzle and forward sight with some nice 3D printed pieces, along with a set of the correct knurling bolts for the muzzle and bottom of the hand-grip.

 

Being a long time model builder, I am thinking that I want to repaint the entire blaster, and weather it my way. This will give it an even better individuality when trooping.

[Toddahhhh[TK]]

For the D ring on mine, I didn't like the roughness of 3D printed one that came with it, so I used a link of chain from a hanging light fixture, it fits perfectly.

 

 

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[kman[TK]]

For the D ring on mine, I didn't like the roughness of 3D printed one that came with it, so I used a link of chain from a hanging light fixture, it fits perfectly.

 

 

I did the same.  $0.50 of chain from Lowe's gave me enough links to add d rings for about 8 blasters.  (minimum they'll sell is one foot)  Two minutes with a hack saw and 1 drilled hole later, and I had a d ring.  Black lamp chain so I didn't even need to paint it!

[baldormoline[501st]]

I actually found a broken off link of chain at Home Depot, sitting on the floor under the chain display area. And yes, it is perfect size and all.

[BuckeyeTK]

Great thread and info... I'm actually in the midst of a Hyperfirm decision right now. Deciding what to get between a b-grade E-11, a DLT-19, and a scout pistol.

 

Thinking I will definitely get the scout since it is off a new mold and looking really sharp (planning a TB build in the next year or so)

I really want (but definitely don't need) the DLT-19. Once again it is off a new mold, and sharp... and these just look badass lol.

I have been on the fence with the E-11 B-grade. I only have a handful of troops under my belt so far & have been using a modified Rubies blaster which actually looks pretty good but I still need to add some power cylinders & a D-ring. The nice thing about the Rubies is I don't have to worry if it gets dropped or broken because I only have about $15 invested in the project. I also have a full Doopy's kit on hand to build a more accurate version to use for my EIB and Centurion submission so I really cant decide if I want to spend another $160 to on an additional E-11.

 

If anybody has any thoughts or input, please chime in!

 

Also, I heard from another member of my Garrison that Hyperfirm may not be putting out blasters too much longer. Has anyone else heard this rumor? If it's not true then it would make my decision much easier as I won't feel I need to buy more than I can comfortably afford at the moment to stockpile for the future!

[baldormoline[501st]]

I haven't heard anything about them ceasing production of the great replica weapons.

 

However, I do know that their E-11 also comes from a new mold that started with the new elites early last year. As far as I know, the B-grade replicas should be from the pulls of this mold. I will know a little more when I get my B-grade in a week or so.

 

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[TK-42134[TK]]

Looking forward to ordering mine. I did lots of homework and found the Hyperfirm blaster to be the one I want.

[Xanthais]

On 8/1/2018 at 3:00 PM, TK3443 said:

Looking forward to ordering mine. I did lots of homework and found the Hyperfirm blaster to be the one I want.

Likewise. I can't find any online store for Hyperfirm, so no idea on the cost. I shot them an e-mail, however.

[TK-42134[TK]]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 10:18 AM, Xanthais said:

Likewise. I can't find any online store for Hyperfirm, so no idea on the cost. I shot them an e-mail, however.

If you have Facebook Messenger, that may be a better way to get a hold of them.

 

I ordered mine twelve days ago. They said there was a ten to fourteen day turnaround time, so it should be close. Do they send you tracking information once its sent? 

 

[Xanthais]

16 minutes ago, TK-42134 said:

If you have Facebook Messenger, that may be a better way to get a hold of them.

 

I ordered mine twelve days ago. They said there was a ten to fourteen day turnaround time, so it should be close. Do they send you tracking information once its sent? 

 

I ordered mine last Wed, and yeah got the same message on lead time. 10-14 days, so it should arrive next week.  I'm guessing tracking number will be forthcoming.

[TK-42134[TK]]

34 minutes ago, Xanthais said:

I ordered mine last Wed, and yeah got the same message on lead time. 10-14 days, so it should arrive next week.  I'm guessing tracking number will be forthcoming.

Did you get the "B" grade?

 

[Xanthais]

1 minute ago, TK-42134 said:

Did you get the "B" grade?

 

I actually sprung for the top A-Grade.

[TK-42134[TK]]

Just now, Xanthais said:

I actually sprung for the top A-Grade.

I got the "B". Ill modify it a bit.