Strangely, as points out, the new props are modified replica ‘Schnellfeuer’ machine pistols rather than the true C96. A handful of live firing prop replicas have even been built in the United States. As many fans will know, this was a modified Mauser C96, one of the first semi-automatic pistol designs and the first to see commercial success (over one million were made).įans spend a great deal of time and money replicating the props of the movies, and blasters are no exception. Han Solo’s iconic ‘DL-44’ blaster pistol also draws on a familiar firearm design. The movie ‘Dredd’ also used this approach to create the ‘Lawgiver’ pistol. Just as before, this too is based upon a real gun – a Glock pistol fitted with a carbine chassis system to change its appearance (the Glock being a rather well-known movie gun). The distinctive curved magazine of the ‘Sterling’ was also cut down to hold only a few rounds, to alter the fairly well-known silhouette of the weapon and suggest a ‘power pack’ in place of a conventional box magazine.Ī less obvious example of a real-world gun adapted for the movie is the blaster pistol issued to some Stormtroopers and dubbed ‘Sonn-Blas SE-44C Blaster Pistol’. Still a service weapon at the time of production, the firearm was modified with additions including a WW2 German machine gun sight, black flanged ribs (actually plastic drawer runners from B&Q) and a photocopier part. Look familiar? This was actually the Sterling Mk.4 submachine gun, or L2A2 in British Army speak. One of the most iconic designs in the ‘Star Wars’ universe is the blaster used by the Imperial Stormtroopers.

In this post, we delve into the galaxy of ‘Star Wars’ blasters and take a closer look at some of the real-life weapons that inspired them. from 1950s vintage Sterling submachine guns for the original ‘Star Wars’ film franchise, will be displayed at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. This pair of ‘blasters’, created by film armourers Bapty & Co. With your help, we hope to display two of the iconic blaster pistols used in the original ‘Star Wars’ films – an Imperial Stormtrooper ‘E-11’ and Rebel trooper ‘DH-17’. In May, we announced the launch of a £20K+ crowdfunding campaign to add two iconic weapons from a galaxy far, far away to the Royal Armouries collection. “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no substitute for a good blaster at your side…”

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