Vortex Tornado X/2

When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to have anything that even sort of resembled a gun, with two exceptions. The first was one of the old pullback Vortex Ring shooters, although I cannot remember which one. The second was a Vortex Tornado X/2. As a kid who loved toy blasters yet couldn't have them, I treasured my Vortex blasters, but over the years and over two movings, they were lost. So I was overjoyed when I found a Vortex X/2 in a grab bag at my local Goodwill for $4.

The Vortex Tornado X/2 was released in 1998, along with the original Vortex series. It was priced at $19.99, and was created as a replacement to the larger Vortex Tornado. Although it lacked a stock and got less range than it's predecessor, it had several ergonomic improvements which made it much easier to load and fire. As with all of the Vortex series, the Koosh ring ammunition gave it a superior range over most Nerf blasters and it had great accuracy in the absence of wind. 

The most exciting part about the purchase is that it came with 8 original Koosh Vortex rings. Koosh rings are no longer in production, so they are very difficult to find. To have gotten just the two that the Tornado X/2 came with would have been great, but to get 8 total was excellent.