Random part of the day: Spring Shooter 1X4

Ey! It's one of my personal favorite parts!

This is Lego's 3rd best launcher. Only behind Arron's crossbow and the Midak sky blaster.

Initially I didn't like these when they were introduced. Too big and boxy. 75037 still looks weird with the spring shooter to me.
Now though, after they've appeared in a plethora of sets, I've come to appreciate their usefulness and how they can either be used as purpose-built canons and weapons, or subtlety integrated into vehicles such as Tie Fighters, AT-AT, U-Wing etc.
Great piece.

Interestingly, there seem to be two variants. This one, and 15400. I wonder what the difference is.

As time progressed, the piece got more integrated into the builds and much nicer compared to flick fire missiles imo.

I love how this looks on 70364 : Battle Suit Aaron

Nexo did use a lot of different systems, but I think this one still works best for play imo.

Ball Shooter and Flick Fire are inconsistent

The old rubber tip system got replaced by a nicer looking brick system at least, even gets newer missiles in 2023. 71785 : Jay's Titan Mech also uses a slightly different flick fire design.

Stud/tile/crossbow bolt shooters can look cool on display when filled with bright colored ammo, but for play, I think the projectiles just too tiny, or don't work that well in the more recent 3-tile shooter.

@Harmonious_Building said:
"Shot through the studs and you're to blame
You give LEGO Star Wars a bad name "

I see somebody here likes Bon Jovi...

I'm more of an Autumn Shooter 1X4, myself.

What did spring do to get shot at? And why does everyone seem to happy about it?

@Murdoch17:
Nah, that's a Winter Shooter, 1x200.

Interestingly, the model Ralphie asks for didn't even exist until Daisy produced a model called "A Christmas Wish" in 2020. The compass and "thing that tells time" (a sundial that required insertion of a matchstick to cast a shadow) were available on the Buck Jones rifle, but it was a pump action, not a lever action like Ralphie's.

@MeisterDad:
It's probably named "Will".

I don't own many sets with these, but I've accumulated about 60 of them (with ammo) after adding them dirt cheap to various BrickLink orders...

@allthenamesaretaken said:
"If you put them onto a chain of https://brickset.com/parts/design-15379 with a crank and a high gear ratio you can shoot 22 of them (that's how many I had when I tried it, more would work too) in about 2 seconds, and loose about half the ammo..."

...and this is what I will be trying with them next. Thanks :)

Has something happened to brickset's database? According to it, I don't own any of these, but also according to it, I do own five sets with this piece.

Flick-Fire walked so Spring Shooters could run.

Only a week or so from the winter solstice and we’re already getting a spring shooter? Hold your horses, we’re not quite out of winter yet!

The sets I have that include this part are all Star Wars, I did not know it was used in other themes.

Has it ever been used in sets or MOC's for any other functions than as a shooter? Can any other parts be fitted into the holes and still work? I wondered if it could be used in things like a trapdoor or portcullis, but I guess it would be seriously over-complicated!

Stacked on top of each other creates a beautiful texture for a bridge or corridor that fits in any Star Wars scene.

Probably most famous appearance where 4 of these in 75218: X-wing Starfighter,
but eight were put to great use in 71736: Boulder Blaster.

@Rob42:
The one thing that can honestly be said in flick-fire's favor is...that it wasn't US springless shooting cannons. I had one, and even Vitruvius would agree that, no, they really were the worst the whole time.

I can't believe I missed out on this part not having bought any sets since this came out. And yes, flick fire was the worst.

This is a specialised part that was designed to be a shooting brick. And it does it's job very well. But in the same time this can work as normal 1x4 brick. And that's why it's a perfect Lego design.

The only place I've encountered this piece is in Jyn Erso's rifle in 75119; but it works very well, I'm impressed.

Definitely a big step up from that most infamous of Lego shooters, the squid launcher!!

@Jackaroo1701 said:
"Interestingly, there seem to be two variants. This one, and 15400. I wonder what the difference is. "

The other is much more an autumnal shooter

@Jackaroo1701:
Brickset shows this being in 80 sets, and 15400 being in 144 sets. Bricklink has one listing for 15301c01, and a total of 224 sets, which is exactly the two smaller numbers combined. So let’s do a test. I’ve got two from 76022, with trans-blue bolts. And I’ve got two from 76181, with silver bolts. None of these pieces have been fired before. These sets are from the first year of 15400, and the last year of 72387, so they should definitely be different parts.

Aaaaand results are inconclusive. Mounting all four on the same platform, and firing them up a flight of stairs, they landed on, or bounced off the top edge of, the same step every time. The 15400 has 15301 molded into the bottom, and the 72387 have 41946, so they’re definitely using different molds. I don’t see a physical difference beyond the mold numbers and their placement. But I can _hear_ a difference. When shaken, the older springs make a high-pitched rattle. The newer springs make a lower-pitched rattle. They may have changed the gauge and size of the spring, forcing the molds to be updated accordingly. It’s possible to pop the clips on these, I believe, but I don’t have time to do it before the comments close.