Error creating thumbnail: File missing Join our Discord!
If you have been locked out of your account you can request a password reset here.

Star Wars (1977): Difference between revisions

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 20: Line 20:
[[Image:ANH DH-17.jpg|thumb|none|400px|Stunt prop of the BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol from the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise. This particular prop is from the 1977 film ''Star Wars''.]]
[[Image:ANH DH-17.jpg|thumb|none|400px|Stunt prop of the BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol from the ''[[Star Wars]]'' franchise. This particular prop is from the 1977 film ''Star Wars''.]]
[[Image:SterlingSMG.jpg|thumb|none|400px|Sterling L2A3 - 9x19mm]]
[[Image:SterlingSMG.jpg|thumb|none|400px|Sterling L2A3 - 9x19mm]]
[[Image:StarWars-DH-171.jpg|thumb|none|600px|Rebel soldiers with BlasTech DH-17s. Note the Singlepoint OEG attached to the weapon.]]
[[Image:StarWars-DH-171.jpg|thumb|none|601px|Rebel soldiers armed with BlasTech DH-17s aboard the ''Tantive IV''. Note the Singlepoint OEG attached to the weapon.]]
[[Image:StarWars-DH-172.jpg|thumb|none|601px|Rebel troops open fire on Stormtroopers invading the ''Tantive IV''.]]
[[Image:StarWars-DH-172.jpg|thumb|none|601px|Rebel troops open fire with BlasTech DH-17s at the Stormtroopers assaulting the ''Tantive IV''.]]


==BlasTech SE-14C Blaster Pistol (Rexim-Favor Mk5)==
==BlasTech SE-14C Blaster Pistol (Rexim-Favor Mk5)==

Revision as of 02:22, 21 January 2021

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Star Wars (1977)

Star Wars (retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. The movie is the first work of the Star Wars film series, and would spawn two direct sequels: 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi. These three films form the "Original Trilogy" of Star Wars.

The following lists the weapons used in Star Wars:


Blaster Pistols

DDC Defender Blaster Pistol (Vostok Margolin .22LR target pistol)

Early in the film, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) can be seen with a "Drearian Defense Conglomerate Defender sporting blaster pistol". The pistol is actually a Vostok Margolin .22LR target pistol, with some muzzle attachment fitted, selected for its diminutive size, keeping the prop gun from looking too bulky and unwieldy in Fisher's petite hands. Luke also briefly carries the Defender during the ceremony at the end of the film.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Leia with the Vostok Margolin pistol.

BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol

One of the weapons utilized by the Rebels is the "BlasTech DH-17 blaster pistol", used by Rebel troops against Stormtroopers on the blockade runner Tantive IV and are later seen being carried by guards and officers on the Death Star. These were nonfunctional props with the receiver and pistol grip based on casts from a Sterling SMG (hence the larger trigger guards) and a (back then) distinctive looking Singlepoint OEG (Occluded Eye Gunsight) attached. Consequently, the muzzle flashes were added in post-production. There is an interesting continuity error where a couple of Imperial guards start off carrying this weapon but then switch to the E-11, firing it one handed like a pistol no less. This is perhaps because they looked similar enough and blanks provided a better reference point for adding blaster effects later.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Stunt prop of the BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol from the Star Wars franchise. This particular prop is from the 1977 film Star Wars.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sterling L2A3 - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Rebel soldiers armed with BlasTech DH-17s aboard the Tantive IV. Note the Singlepoint OEG attached to the weapon.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Rebel troops open fire with BlasTech DH-17s at the Stormtroopers assaulting the Tantive IV.

BlasTech SE-14C Blaster Pistol (Rexim-Favor Mk5)

The "BlasTech SE-14C blaster pistol" is carried by Dr. Evazan, who draws his weapon after provoking a fight with Luke Skywalker at the Mos Eisley cantina. It was built from a Swiss Rexim-Favor Mk5 submachine gun with the stock, barrel, and magazine removed and two ASI 4x20 scopes attached.

A similar weapon, the "BlasTech SE-14r light repeating blaster" is also seen being wielded by Stormtroopers in publicity photos, but does not actually appear in the film.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Rexim-Favor Mk5 - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
SE-14C prop.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Dr. Evazan (out of frame) points his SE-14C blaster pistol at Obi-Wan.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
In a continuity error, Dr. Evazan's SE-14C blaster pistol on the ground with Ponda Baba's arm (which has changed from having a flipper-like hand to being werewolf-like) sliced off by Obi Wan's lightsaber.

DL-21 Blaster Pistol (Armalite AR-7)

The "DL-21 Blaster Pistol" is a chopped down Armalite AR-7 in pistol form with the tail section from a British 2 inch mortar shell fitted to the muzzle. The DL-21 was carried by Ponda Baba at the Mos Eisley cantina. However it is not certain if it actually appears in the film, as the only clear shot of the weapon was when it was shown in Ponda Baba's severed hand and George Lucas did not like the original hoof-like appearance of the appendage in question so the scene was reshot with a werewolf-like hand instead holding the SE-14C listed above. In this first appearance the pistol lacked a true grip instead having a simple rubberised tube, possibly a bicycle handle grip, and was fitted with a telescopic scope.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
DL-21 Blaster Pistol (rubber prop). This is the version used in The Empire Strikes Back with the full length barrel and finned muzzle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
A production image showing the original DL-21 in the original hoof-like hand of Ponda Baba. Just visible in this shot is the rubber ribbing (which was red) of the simple tubular grip.

BlasTech DT-12 Heavy Blaster Pistol (Ruger Mk I)

Greedo carries a BlasTech DT-12 during his famous/infamous confrontation with Han Solo. The pistol is a Ruger Mk I modified with a short barrel, finned flash hider, slightly modified grips, and several apparently targeting-related devices.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Ruger Mk I
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The modified pistol.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Greedo holds his DT-12 on Han Solo in his first seconds on screen.

BlasTech DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol (Mauser C96)

The "BlasTech DL-44 heavy blaster pistol" is the iconic sidearm of Han Solo (Harrison Ford). The weapon is also sometimes in the hands of other Rebels. The DL-44 blaster pistol prop was built from a Mauser C96 handgun with a custom bull barrel (it is unclear if this was a real heavy barrel or just a sleeve on a regular barrel), an added right-side mounted scope and a muzzle cone taken from either an MG81 machine gun, an M3 "Grease Gun", or a fire extinguisher depending on the film. The extra parts (known as "greeblies" and mostly consisting of model airplane parts) are obviously added on to the exterior, though the distinct "broomhandle" grips are still wooden.

A blaster built on an MGC replica is used in the closeup of Han drawing his pistol to shoot Greedo in the Mos Eisley cantina, since all the firing versions were held by Bapty & Co in England while this additional footage was filmed in Hollywood.

The live-fire C96 used in A New Hope was previously used by Frank Sinatra in The Naked Runner, where it also had a scope mounted to it, although the lower body was replaced. The scope and mount actually used in Star Wars were previously used in Sitting Target, where it was mounted to a Mauser M712 Schnellfeuer machine pistol: the mount in Star Wars was attached to a custom bracket on the right-hand side of the pistol rather than mounting on the left as in Sitting Target.

The scope mounted on the normal version of the gun is a Hensoldt Wetzlar Dialyt 3x scope in its original mounting, a WWI-era German sniper rifle scope. The MGC replica-based gun instead is mounted with a Japanese Compac Super 4x31 hunting scope. The replica-based gun also has an M3 Grease Gun conical flash hider, though no flash hider was actually fitted during filming, presumably to make it easier to draw the blaster from its holster. The scope on the DL-44 prop would change to a M19 brass azimuth-finding telescope sight in The Empire Strikes Back.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Pre-War dated Mauser C96 "Broomhandle" Commercial Version - 7.63x25mm Mauser. The base weapon for the live-firing blaster was a later "wartime commercial" version, identifiable by the lack of a hole in the safety lever.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Screen-used, live-firing blaster as seen in A New Hope.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Screen-used resin replica blaster as seen in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. This particular prop was sold at auction in 2013.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Han Solo draws his DL-44 blaster. This is the MGC replica: note the different placement of the adjustment knob on the scope and differences in the scope mount compared to the live-fire ANH blaster image above.

Blaster Rifles

BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle (Sterling L2A3)

The "BlasTech E-11 blaster rifle" is the standard issue blaster rifle of the Imperial Stormtroopers. The E-11 props were built from the British-made Sterling L2A3 submachine gun (provided by Bapty & Co.) equipped with Sherman tank gunsights. Numerous main characters, including Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) use the weapon. Some details differ between the weapons shown here in A New Hope and the other two movies in the original trilogy, most notably the method of scope attachment and battery pack beside it (or lack thereof).

A revealing mistake is that spent cartridge cases can be seen ejecting from this "blaster" rifle. It is most noticeable in the bridge swing scene of A New Hope and when Lando is firing at Stormtroopers in The Empire Strikes Back. In Return of the Jedi the hero props were built from MGC Sterling replicas, explaining why there were no blanks used as in the previous two films.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Sterling L2A3 - 9x19mm
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Replica of the BlasTech E-11 blaster rifle from the Star Wars franchise.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Stormtroopers fire their E-11 blaster rifles at the Rebels on the ship Tantive IV.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Han Solo (Harrison Ford) fires his E-11 blaster rifle at Stormtroopers while trapped in the Death Star.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) fires his E-11 blaster rifle while stuck on a bridge in the Death Star.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
A stormtrooper opens fire on a bridge in the Death Star.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) fires an E-11 Blaster. Note a spent cartridge case is visible in the bottom left when she fires.

BlasTech DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle (MG34)

The "BlasTech DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle" is the standard issue heavy blaster of the Imperial Stormtroopers. The DLT-19s were World War II German MG34 general purpose machine guns painted solid black with added "rails" on the barrel shroud (like the E-11): these were just metal drawer runners that Bapty & Co purchased from a nearby B&Q hardware store.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
MG34 - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
DLT-19 Heavy Blaster
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The Sandtrooper officer on the left carries the DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle (MG34).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
One of the stormtroopers investigating the Millennium Falcon carrying the DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Chewbacca fires a DLT-19 at the Death Star's security alarms.

BlasTech T-21 Light Repeating Blaster (Lewis Gun)

The "BlasTech T-21 light repeating blaster" seen carried by the Sandtrooper Officer. It is a British Lewis light machine gun with its drum magazine removed and other minor cosmetic alterations.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Lewis gun - .303 British
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The T-21 light repeating blaster.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The Sandtrooper officer in the middle carries the T-21 Blaster (Lewis Machine Gun sans drum magazine).

RT-97C Heavy Blaster Rifle (MG15)

Imperial Sandtroopers can be seen carrying "RT-97C heavy blaster rifles" while on patrol on Tatooine. The RT-97C prop is in fact a modified German MG15 machine gun. Notably, until the release of Star Wars Blueprints: The Ultimate Collection in 2008, the weapon did not have an official designation, and had been simply referred to as the "MG-15" by fans. The name references Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas, the artists of the blueprints, and the year they first met - R(eiff)T(revas)-(19)97C(hris).

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
MG15 machine gun - 7.92x57mm Mauser
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The Stormtrooper to the far left is seen carrying an RT-97C with a 75 round "saddle" drum magazine. A scope is also fitted on the weapon.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
There are two troopers carrying the RT-97C in this scene. The other weapon's barrel is barely visible throughout the scene.

Ion Blaster (Cut-down Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII)

The "ion blaster" utilized by the Jawas who shoot R2-D2 were built from a cut-down British Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII* series bolt-action rifle with a No.1 Mk.I Cup Discharger grenade launcher attached to the shortened barrel. Due to the fact that the shortened rifle lacks the nosecap to which the grenade launcher normally mounts, the redundant clamping mechanism has been removed and instead the launcher is attached directly to the barrel.

Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Lee-Enfield No.1 Mk.III* - .303 British. This was the main battle rifle of British and Commonwealth forces during the First World War, introduced in 1907 it has seen action throughout the 20th century.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
No.1 Mk.I Cup Discharger
File:SWJawab.jpg
Ion blaster.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The Jawa aims the ion blaster at R2-D2.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The Jawa fires the ion blaster, disabling R2-D2.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
The Jawa with the ion blaster as he calls out his fellow Jawas.