Chinese toy companies are well-known for producing their own versions of popular toys blasters. Zecong Toys is one such company. They are best known for their Blaze Storm blasters. However, they also put their own spin on products. In this case, theyve copied the Rival Zeus. But does it stand up to the original?
I will be selling these blasters again when they are not in my possession. Ill do my best to give an impartial opinion, though!
Looking Good!
The Blaze Storm Zeus (item zc7073) looks and feels different straight out of the box. It is wider than the original and has a glossy, smooth feel to it. It has a solid feel, and isnt cheaply constructed.
Although the components are identical functionally, there are slight differences between them. The handle isextended in order to featurea complete thumb hole. The magazine retaining tab is wider than on the Zeus, and the plastic ridges on the magazine and where it sits are also slightly different. Different enough, in fact, to make the magazines incompatible with the regular versions. Although slicing the plastic down fixes the problem, it’s still an unfortunate oversight by Zecong.
The Zecong version does not have any Rival rails to attach attachments or magazine holders. Instead, it features a functional Picatinny rail. You can use any type of airsoft, firearm optics, and accessories. Although firearm optics are not necessary for foam flinging, they can be a nice aesthetic touch.
This blaster uses six C batteries and is stored in a removable tray, just like the original. It also features the same safety switches, requiring a magazine to be present and the jam door to be closed before the motors will rev up. Quite frankly, this is the highest quality knockoff blaster Ive seen to date.
Internals
The semiauto blaster’s interior is as it should be.
A rev trigger sits below the main trigger, and it completes the circuit for the flywheel motors. The main trigger moves the next ball into the flywheel cage while the tab prevents the magazine from falling out. There is no rubber flap in the barrel that can induce spin in the balls. There is therefore a slightly smaller range. This is simply because aerodynamics generate lift when there’s enough hop-up.
The wider shell, meanwhile, actually makes this blaster easier to mod than the Zeus. Simply put, space. Its a simple matter to stuff wire connectors in front of the motors, or to drop a MOSFET elsewhere in the blaster. If youre new to modding electric blasters, theres enough room in the stock to throw in an automotive relay just wire the rev trigger to the switch side, and use the other terminals to dump current directly to the motors.
Performance
As mentioned before, the lack of hop-up means that ranges are 5-3.0 m less than the original Zeus blaster. The blaster works similarly other than the fact that the motors take time to rev up after firing a shot. Modifying the blaster will alter the results in a significant way. However, reloading will not be an issue with extra magazines. You really don’t need to modify a blaster to make it compatible.
Verdict
The Zecong zc7073is one of the best blaster clones to date, with performance similar to the original (if slightly inferior) and an attractive shell. Its hard to find in the United States, although it can be found with some difficulty on Taobao and similar websites. Is it worth buying one? It really comes down to whether you want a unique item or not. A Zeus is a good choice for most people. A Zeus is a great choice, but why purchase one when you can get a Khaos and (very soon) Nemesis?
