BLEE'S DECREE
The Nerf Rival Atlas is big and beefy and an absolute blast to use, but it’s bulky size and some mild performance issues may be off-putting for some.
Pros
- Edgy Rival series design
- Comfortable pump-action grip
- Very fun to use and shoot
- Blasts 2 balls at once
Cons
- Big, boxy, bulky shape
- No shoulder stock attachment point
- Lower performance than comparable Rival blasters
Table of Contents
Nerf Nation! Hey guys, what’s going on? This is Blee from Nerf Gun Attachments Bleenga.com. Here today, we’ll be going over the recently released Nerf Rival Atlas, the first shotgun on the Rival line of blasters! Check it out!
The Nerf Rival Atlas Review Blast
This thing is a BEAST! A Nerf shotgun like only the Rival series could provide: it’s big, it’s bad, and it’s LOUD! The Nerf Rival Atlas is sure to intimidate everyone on the Nerf battlefield — and once you have that mental/emotional edge on your opponent? Well, that’s half the battle!
• Spring-action blaster has a trigger lock and tactical rail
• Experience ultimate precision and instense competition
• Includes blaster, 12-round magazine, 24 rounds, and instructions
• Ages 14 and up
What’s In The Box?
In the box, you’ll find the Nerf Rival Atlas XVI-1200 shotgun blaster in the flesh, which is red in my case. You’ll find the an easy load 12 round magazine and 24 High-Impact Rounds, which is strange, because the blaster only has a 12 round capacity. Usually Nerf only gives you just enough ammo to fully load the blaster. And it comes with the instruction manual that I’m never going to read. Ever.
External Features of the Atlas
So going over the external features of the blaster, let’s start at the front. The muzzle is a good size and even has air vent holes in it like a real steel firearm. This is where your High-Impact Rounds will be blasting out from.
Up top, you have a good sized Rival tactical rail and at the end of it, just above the muzzle, you’ll find a tiny ABS sight. Not as cool as the sights from other Rival blasters, especially for such a beefy blaster as this, but it’ll do.
I got my Nerf Rival Atlas in red because, you know, TEAM RED for life! On the side of the red paint, you’ll find that signature Rival black paint going down across the side. You see the same streamlined, yet “edgy” design of all the other early Nerf Rival series blasters.
At the back of the blaster, you’ll find only a sling mount. There’s no stock attachment point, but it’s a shotgun, so you don’t really need one (and it’s not like Nerf makes Rival stock attachments anyway). Not to mention, that’s also where you load the magazine into the Atlas, so that could potentially make things trickier when reloading. You’ll also find the mag release back here as well.
Under that, you’ll find the pistol grip at the bottom. The grip on this blaster looks a bit small, but that’s just because the Nerf Rival Atlas is so beefy. In actuality, the grip is a very good size and my hand fit well, with no problems.
The trigger guard is large and roomy and the trigger pull is smooth and not too stiff. Great for a beefy shotgun like this. Just behind the trigger, you’ll find the safety lock. If you engage this, your blaster will not shoot.
On the left side of the blaster, you’ll find a jam release switch and further up, the jam access door in case you get your balls stuck in there.
All of this leads us to the main external feature of any shotgun styled blaster: The pump grip. A weak or puny pump grip can ruin an otherwise decent blaster. A great pump grip can elevate a mediocre blaster to new levels. Which do we have here?
The pump grip on the Atlas is great! It’s so big (that’s what she said), and you can tell it was made for 14+ aged Nerfers. The Nerf Rival Atlas feels like it was made for Atlas himself! His godly hands would probably fit well on this pump grip. The travel is long and the pump-action is smooth and satisfying. I love it.
Atlas Level Aesthetics
How would I describe the aesthetics of the Nerf Rival Atlas? Two words: Big and Beefy. It’s not a slim blaster, it’s definitely got some weight to it. (She thicc!) It’s definitely a little blocky, but overall I like the aggressive look and styling of this blaster. It’s big and loud and should prove to be intimidating to Nerfers who haven’t seen it in action before.
Ergonomics to be Rivaled
There’s no stock, sure. That might take away from the maximum ergonomic rating of this blaster for some people, but… it is a shotgun blaster. You don’t always need to shoulder a shotgun, just watch me play Call of Duty. This blaster is fine shooting from the hip or higher up with a free grip.
And who cares about any of that when you have this big glorious pump grip? The pump grip on the Nerf Rival Atlas is perfect for the big and beefy blaster that it is. Like I mentioned earlier, the massive oversized pump grip is definitely large enough for adult hands.
The regular pistol grip is nice and comfy and fits my hands well. No complaints here.
How To Operate the Nerf Rival Atlas
Lots of Nerf blasters look like a shotgun, but not all of them operate like one. The Nerf Rival Atlas fires two high-impact rounds every time you pull the trigger, in true shotgun form. To operate the Atlas, first we must load it up with the HIRs. So grab your bag of balls and load up 12 of them into the Rival magazine.
Once you’ve got your mag loaded, hold it with the flat side down and insert it on an angle into the mag-well at the back of the Atlas. The loading can be a bit tricky at first, but you’ll get used to it soon. It’s better than trying to load a Nerf Rival Zeus.
Now that you’re fully loaded, make sure the safety is off and you’re good to go. Pump the grip and pull the trigger to shoot. Two HIRs will blast out of the barrel of the Atlas. Success!
Nerf Rival Atlas – Titan Level Performance?
As always, I ran a bunch of rounds through the Atlas to find out the answer to that very question and sadly, the answer is no. The performance of the Nerf Rival Atlas would NOT impress the Titan it’s named after. Not on a power level, anyway. But, it’s still super fun to shoot and play around with.
The fact that this blaster shoots two rounds at once, like a shotgun, is what hinders its performance. The power is always going to be lower when firing multiple projectiles. And honestly, that’s fine. It may not impress the real Atlas, but it’s good for medium close range and it even has a tiny bit of spread so you’ll be sure to tag your enemies.
At Las(t), The Bottom Line
Alright, guys, that’s it. That’s the Nerf Rival Atlas: A BLAST to use. Very fun, very comfortable pump grip. This thing is so much fun to use. The loading can be tricky and it almost feels like you need both hands to load this thing at times. There’s definitely a learning curve, for sure. But, it’s still better than the Zeus.
The grip is comfortable, no complaints there. Some people I know will be disappointed in the lack of a buttstock. But newsflash: You can fire shoulder level without a stock, or you can shoot from the hip like a bad action movie.
The power and range are definitely down from the other Rival blasters, especially the Apollo. But, it’s a shotgun, guys. I know people don’t like to compare real guns to Nerf, but the role of a shotgun is spread and just massive damage at close range. A shotgun is supposed to wipe out anything in front of you at close ranges and I believe the Nerf Rival Atlas will do that.
It’s so fun, I don’t know what else to say. I like it. No batteries required, just pump action. You can only fire six times before your mag is empty, but you probably already have extra magazines if you have a Nerf Zeus and you can buy the 12 round mags separately.
Overall, I’m impressed with the Nerf Rival Atlas. I’m gonna be dry firing this thing for days.
The Competition
Back when I first reviewed this blaster, there was really no competition for what this thing did. The Atlas was the first Nerf Rival shotgun and so nothing compared. Nowadays, though? There are other Rival shotguns. And they are sweeeeeeeet.
Off the top of my head, there’s the Nerf Rival Saturn XX-1000 from the limited Edge Series and there’s the Nerf Rival Takedown XX-800. The Saturn is beginning to be hard to find and the Takedown is more of a smaller sawed-off looking shotgun blaster. Both of those blasters only fire one HIR at a time, though, so the Atlas still has something different if you’re looking for that.
Should I Buy?
If you’re asking yourself that question, the answer is YES. If you like what you’ve read here, go ahead and buy it. If you want a shotgun styled Nerf blaster that fires multiple rounds at once, get this thing.
But If you like the look of the newer stuff better, and won’t miss the “buckshot,” skip this and go for one of those other Nerf Rival shotgun styled blasters.
• Spring-action blaster has a trigger lock and tactical rail
• Experience ultimate precision and instense competition
• Includes blaster, 12-round magazine, 24 rounds, and instructions
• Ages 14 and up
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Last update on 2025-06-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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