A while back I posted some pics of a work in progress, this being to make a cheap toy look like the 'real thing'. The 'real thing' in this case being the E-11 Blaster used by the Stormtroopers in Star Wars. Starting off with this cheap plastic toy::

Ending up with this:

https://i.imgur.com/lNSvdwy.jpg[/img

Making it presented a few interesting problems. I looked at pictures of one of the original props, which can be seen here. As you can see from that, the original prop was a bit ropey, in fact there were about 20 props made for the original Star Wars film, and of those, there were basically two versions, there were ones which retained the firing mechanism so that they could be fired with blanks to allow the actors and extras to shoot them so there would be a muzzle flash which could be used for reference to add the SFX blast effects in post production (if you watch the movie, you can see these ones actually ejecting spent shell casings). Then there were also some very simplified inert props which were (theoretically) made to be able to withstand rough handling (these had no working mechanism and had all the various add-on bits glued onto them to make them look like blasters for the movie. These ones had a lot of missing bits, such as no actual trigger, a replacement wooden dowel as the barrel and so on. Apparently these were prone to coming apart during filming, requiring them to be glued back together quickly to allow filming to continue. You might be interested to know that when making the original props, a few novel things were used, including windscreen wiper blades for the foregrips, a hengstler digital counter and old electrical capacitors for the power cells on top of the magazine feed. The magazine itself was a chopped-down ten round magazine, of which there really was one for the Sterling SMG used as the basis for the blaster, but on the prop versions these were full size mags which were just cut down in size.

So, rather than replicating the props, I decided to try and make something which would look like the 'real' E-11 was supposed to be in  terms of its fictional form, i.e with a functional power cell connector lead wire, proper fire selector switch etc.This meant I had to make quite a few bits to add to the thing as well as painting it up 'realistically', so you can see I've made/added a cocking lever, internal spring, ejection port, bolt, bayonet lug, barrel release screw, selector switch, metal magazine, metal trigger guard, metal counter, targetting reticule, connector lead socket, sights, a d-ring for the sling, rear tube release catch and so on. Here's some detail pics of it all painted up with those bits added:

 

 

Edited November 18, 20205 yr by Chock

You are, indeed, a man of many talents. Just outstanding work. Well done.

Some people are having too much fun...

the movie...

 

ComicCon:

Superb work, Al !

No wonder the stormtroopers couldn't hit a barn door - you can't see a thing through that scope! 

The numbers on the digital counter - is that a veiled reference to another movie by any chance?  🍻

@Fielder The ComicCon version is easier on the eye that's for certain. 

Now give it some REAL power. I challenge you!

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, HighBypass said:

The numbers on the digital counter - is that a veiled reference to another movie by any chance?  🍻

Yup, well spotted. 😀

😀

Someone actually measured the on screen speed of stormtrooper shots in the movie - 130 mph apparently - I bet you could dodge that.

2 hours ago, Chock said:

130 mph apparently - I bet you could dodge that

Depending upon how far away definitely! I mean our current airsoft regsof no more than 350 feet per second equates to a plastic bb travelling at 238 mph and many airsoft players including me and you no doubt have dodged ranged shots 

Doesn't the counter read 1138? I think I missed something.

Just now, W2DR said:

I think I missed something.

Yes. 

The counter is not a chrono of projectile speed..🍻

Got it. Thanks............

Thanks or maybe thx ?