USAF_Vet
Member
So since I was a kid, I've been a big Sci-Fi nerd, with Star Wars being my biggest source of geekdom. (We had the Star wars edition of Trivial Pursuit, and they had to make special rules just for me so I wouldn't win in the first round).
Now that I'm older, wiser, and have a bigger disposable income, the nerd in me wants functional firearms that are close as possible replicas to the blasters and ray guns I grew up with. Painted toys and resin cast replicas are neat for wall hangers, but I want something that actually shoots.
Sadly I'm much too late to get my hands on large amounts of WWII and post WWII military surplus to construct Sci Fi guns like George Lucas did back in the 70s and 80s, but I have the desire nonetheless.
But Sterling parts kits (for the Imperial Stormtrooper E-11 and Rebel Alliance DH-17 blasters) run about $150 online. Making them functional semi auto conversions is not an endeavor I'm willing to undertake, but I still have eyes on a kit for a non functional, screen worthy replica.
C-96 Mausers aren't abundant, and even if they were, I wouldn't want to turn on into a Functional DH-44 just to play Han Solo. Although, Jerry Miculek did just that not long ago, in this galaxy, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
I've never even seen or heard of the Russian Vostok Margolin .22LR Target Pistol prior to this endeavor, but even if they were inexpensive and abundant, Leia's blaster from A New Hope isn't high on my list of functional guns I want to build.
My grail gun would be a Webley & Scott No.1 Mark 1 37mm flare gun, to replicate the iconic blaster rifle used by Boba Fett in ESB and ROTJ. Again, neither common nor inexpensive, and also not something I'd use at the range (unless outfitted with a 12 gauge barrel and Form 1'd as an SBS).
I'm running into the same dilemmas with Lewis guns and MG34 light machine guns.
So I'm looking at a lot of rare and expensive firearms that would be a travesty to butcher into functional props. Until I came across the A280 blaster rifle, an updated version of the A295 which used an StG-44 as it's base.
The A280 blaster rifle, used by Rebel commandos during the ground battle of Endor in ROTJ, used nothing less than an AR-15.
So while not as iconic or distinctly Star Wars!!! it's a start to fulfill this childhood dream turned adult reality.
So why not? Everyone and their brother seems to have a run of the mill or decked out AR-15, but so far I've never seen anyone with an A280 blaster rifle.
And I'm still looking at modern production, functional Sterling rebuilds (last one I saw went for about $700 retail) for an eventual E-11 or DH-17 blaster.
PS, if anyone has a lead on a British Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII in functional, but sporterized condition, let me know. I've got a project for a Jawa ion blaster from ANH, but it'll need a Form 1 as well.
So fellow Sci Fi nerds who are also into guns... what else comes to mind? I'm not limited to Star Wars functional props, lend me some ideas as to what else is out there that uses functional guns as props. I know about Vera from Firefly, of course, so no need to make that suggestion.
Now that I'm older, wiser, and have a bigger disposable income, the nerd in me wants functional firearms that are close as possible replicas to the blasters and ray guns I grew up with. Painted toys and resin cast replicas are neat for wall hangers, but I want something that actually shoots.
Sadly I'm much too late to get my hands on large amounts of WWII and post WWII military surplus to construct Sci Fi guns like George Lucas did back in the 70s and 80s, but I have the desire nonetheless.
But Sterling parts kits (for the Imperial Stormtrooper E-11 and Rebel Alliance DH-17 blasters) run about $150 online. Making them functional semi auto conversions is not an endeavor I'm willing to undertake, but I still have eyes on a kit for a non functional, screen worthy replica.
C-96 Mausers aren't abundant, and even if they were, I wouldn't want to turn on into a Functional DH-44 just to play Han Solo. Although, Jerry Miculek did just that not long ago, in this galaxy, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
I've never even seen or heard of the Russian Vostok Margolin .22LR Target Pistol prior to this endeavor, but even if they were inexpensive and abundant, Leia's blaster from A New Hope isn't high on my list of functional guns I want to build.
My grail gun would be a Webley & Scott No.1 Mark 1 37mm flare gun, to replicate the iconic blaster rifle used by Boba Fett in ESB and ROTJ. Again, neither common nor inexpensive, and also not something I'd use at the range (unless outfitted with a 12 gauge barrel and Form 1'd as an SBS).
I'm running into the same dilemmas with Lewis guns and MG34 light machine guns.
So I'm looking at a lot of rare and expensive firearms that would be a travesty to butcher into functional props. Until I came across the A280 blaster rifle, an updated version of the A295 which used an StG-44 as it's base.
The A280 blaster rifle, used by Rebel commandos during the ground battle of Endor in ROTJ, used nothing less than an AR-15.
So while not as iconic or distinctly Star Wars!!! it's a start to fulfill this childhood dream turned adult reality.
So why not? Everyone and their brother seems to have a run of the mill or decked out AR-15, but so far I've never seen anyone with an A280 blaster rifle.
And I'm still looking at modern production, functional Sterling rebuilds (last one I saw went for about $700 retail) for an eventual E-11 or DH-17 blaster.
PS, if anyone has a lead on a British Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII in functional, but sporterized condition, let me know. I've got a project for a Jawa ion blaster from ANH, but it'll need a Form 1 as well.
So fellow Sci Fi nerds who are also into guns... what else comes to mind? I'm not limited to Star Wars functional props, lend me some ideas as to what else is out there that uses functional guns as props. I know about Vera from Firefly, of course, so no need to make that suggestion.
