TRI-BREAK vs BULLDOG

 NERF N-STRIKE MEGA TRI-BREAK & NERF ACCUSTRIKE MEGA BULLDOG  Comparisons and Review 

I thought we'd take a side-by-side look at these two 3 shot, smart AR system, Mega blasters.


First let's see what you get... The TRI-BREAK which was released last year (2018), comes with the blaster itself, 3 Mega Whistler darts, and an instruction sheet. This will set you back about $15, although Wallymart and Target have them for about $12 now.

TRI-BREAK off the shelf

The BULLDOG is a couple of bucks more, at about $19, and was released earlier this year (2019). It comes with blaster, 6 AccuSrike Mega darts, flip-up sight, dart holder, and instruction sheet.

BULLDOG off the shelf

As you might have come to expect from the Hasbros. both blasters look awesome in the box, with that right side profile... but once freed from its box  the left hand side reveals a lack of any highlight paint.

the ugly side of the retail toy market... 

 The features or "gimmicks" as I like to say, of these blasters are as follows... The TRI-BREAK has a break-open barrel. To load you push a "second trigger" opposite the firing trigger,  to release and swing open the barrel. Load 3 Nerf Mega darts inside and close the barrel. It is very satisfying to close it up with a little one handed flip/snap... kind of Hellboy style!

MEGA TRI-BREAK closed and open

It primes by the plunger rod on the bottom of the handle, similar to the Mega BigShock, it also could be considered the Mega version of the TRIAD EX-3.
I think it's worth mentioning that the blaster can be loaded with the barrel closed, and it can also be fired with the front barrel shroud open, in fact removing the front barrel shroud completely would not affect the performance of this blaster. This blaster also features a single, short tactical rail on the front top of the barrel, and  two sling mounts on the top and bottom of the front end.

The BULLDG's main gimmick is the ability to fold up into a more compact form. Change modes by moving the grip down to make the stock extend and the sight flip up. Press the release button located just ahead of the trigger on the right side, swing grip up to retract the stock and make the sight flip down. The extendable TRI-BREAK  is a little reminiscent of the old N-Strike DEPLOY.

MEGA BULLDOG in collapsed and extended positions

Other features of the Bulldog are the storage rack that holds three darts on the left side of the blaster. Of course the 6 Mega AccuStrike darts themselves... Neither the flip-up sight nor the dart rack come attached to the blaster and need to be snapped on. They're in the packaging along with the instruction sheet so be sure not to throw them out. However the blaster works perfectly fine without them too.

Mega AccuStrike darts in holder

It also has 3 sling mounts. One at the front of the blaster, one on the bottom of the pistol grip, and one at the bottom of the stock. There is one tactical rail behind the flip-up sight. The flip-up sight cannot be forced down unless the blaster is collapsed. This may cause problems when a tactical rail accessory is attached and the sight collides with it. It may be necessary to remove the sight if you want to use certain accessories.

Style and performance 

While neither of these blasters really brings us anything  we haven't seen before functionally,  both have a certain unique quality that make them appealing. The BULLDOG has a comfortable, contoured handle and fires much like a NITE FINDER when compacted. When extended it functions the same but definitely has a very cool SMG type of profile. The front handle and stock are also good and sturdy when extended. The stock is a little bit short for my taste but it's a good fit for a kid.
The TRI-BREAK is 100% pistol. I know I'm not alone when I say I can't help but thinking of Hellboy's Samaritan with this one.

Hellboy and his big gun

It's big, with a big grip. Perhaps not the best choice for small handed NERFerS. It may however be the best choice to mod. Two Maverick springs, a single Glow Show Sticker Launcher spring, or other spring which  has the same dimensions but twice the coils.Thread them over the plunger rod, doing only that improves chronograph readings from 80-90 fps on the first shot.

left- BULLDOG right- TRI-BREAK

although both blasters would seem to be internally very similar (less the obvious plunger alignment), and both fired at between about 60 to 67 fps.

the insides of both blasters...
left- BULLDOG right- TRI-BREAK

The slight losses in velocity are to be expected with any blaster using a smart AR system. My TRI-BREAK  seemed to get considerably more range than my BULLDOG. Of course this was obviously because of the difference in darts. While the Mega AccuStrike darts flew much straighter, they only reached an average range of about 38 feet (11.5 m). On the other hand the Mega Whistler darts reached an average of nearly double that, most whistling through the air with a less accurate trajectory...My solution, my default Mega ammo, the  Whirlwind Head Soft Bullet for Nerf Mega Blaster Toy. The WHMD (Whirlwind Head Mega Dart) as I like to call it for short. Using this aftermarket ammo available from NFStrike (see more about that here) I was able to hit average ranges from both blasters of between about 45 to 55 feet (13.7 to 16.8 m), with impressive accuracy. No whistle but an in creased range of nearly 29 feet (9 m) compared to NERF MEGA AccuStrike darts. Not only is the NWHD better than the NERF AccuStrike Mega dart, it's cheaper too.

left- NWHD   right- Nerf AccuStrike Mega dart

In conclusion I'd like to say that I liked both of these blasters very much. They were both very FUNctional which I think is as important in a blaster as performance. For less than 20 bucks either one would be a  fine addition to your NERF arsenal, especially if your a fan of the MEGA series. They are both pretty evenly matched, the only real difference being the ammo that they are packaged with. Keep in mind that the TRI-BREAK has been out for a while and can be found on sale. I'm sure soon it will be the same with the BULLDOG.

                                                                    NERF on NERFerS!!!