Luke's ESB Blaster - Model 57 or DL-44?

I have no real insight but...

I would guess it was a designation created by the CCG in order to have another card taking advantage of visual differences from other movies.

I'm not sure where any of these designators come from in the first place. I guess someone needs to fill in the blanks to make a reference guide, Novel, or RP game interesting so they make them up. Now that Disney and LFL has scrapped the known EU, I have to wonder if these types of designations will carry on.
 
Hah, I'll second that. I'm not well versed in the EU or the Storyline made up to fit the screen. To me, Han's and Luke's blasters in ESB are similar props, and just reincarnations of the ANH blaster Han carries. That being said - if I could fit a story to them, I'd say they were upgraded, more streamlined versions and our heroes just upgraded their personal arsenals off-screen.

To answer your question more specifically, every other reference I've seen refers to everything built off a C96 as a DL-44. I think on the back of an action figure card (and your links obv) It refers to Luke's as another model. Outside the SW universe, the explanation is a casual prop dept that didn't care about continuity. As for within - I've got nothing..
 
thd9791 said:
Hah, I'll second that. I'm not well versed in the EU or the Storyline made up to fit the screen. To me, Han's and Luke's blasters in ESB are similar props, and just reincarnations of the ANH blaster Han carries. That being said - if I could fit a story to them, I'd say they were upgraded, more streamlined versions and our heroes just upgraded their personal arsenals off-screen.

To answer your question more specifically, every other reference I've seen refers to everything built off a C96 as a DL-44. I think on the back of an action figure card (and your links obv) It refers to Luke's as another model. Outside the SW universe, the explanation is a casual prop dept that didn't care about continuity. As for within - I've got nothing..
Click to expand...

The bolded text really is the best or most accurate answer.

My own little in universe theory is that they are just different variations of the same blaster model DL-44 similar to say different models or generations of modern pistols like the Beretta, Glock, Sig, HK etc. with the ANH being the original model, the ESB being the "B" model and maybe the ROTJ being the "C" or newest model. Han, being such a fan of the DL-44 would accept nothing less than the latest and greatest version :D.
 
To me, the Mauser C96 with bull-barrel is the "BlasTech DL-44 Model A" and the MGC replica with thin barrel is the "BlasTech DL-44 Model B".
Scopes, scope brackets and flash hiders are interchangeable accessories.
The Model A has a fixed front sight on top of the barrel, where as the Model B can have a front sight or flash hider attached to the end of the barrel.

ANH:
Han's blaster is a BlasTech DL-44 Model A, modified to fit his large scope bracket. He has also added an after-market cooling flange over the power cell's housing, so that it wouldn't be hot when he needs to change it quickly.
The Merr-Sonn Power 5 is basically DL-44 Model A manufactured under license from BlasTech with some additional modifications by Merr-Sonn, such as cooling fins on the sides. The Merr-Sonn's without flash hiders are simply Merr-Sonn Power 5's without flash hiders.

ESB:
Han and Luke are both using BlasTech DL-44 Model B with a smaller, better scope. There is no Merr-Sonn Model 57.
Instead of the single large cooling flange on the power cell, Han has attached smaller cooling flanges over the power cell's hottest spots.

ROTJ:
Because Han got his blaster snatched by Darth Vader in ESB, he is now again using his old DL-44 Model A, but with a scope like the one he had used in ESB and therefore also a third type of scope bracket. He has also attached cooling fins to the power cell's hottest spots such as on his intermediary blaster seen in ESB.
 
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I always envisioned Han having a little armory in the Falcon. Maybe a spare DL-44 but mostly a lot of little attachments like various scopes, scope mounts, heat sinks, muzzles, and various other accessories that add functionality to the blaster. So basically you could have the a base model and make any of the known solo blasters you see in the movies by snapping on or removing pieces.
 
I also like to think that they are all variants of the DL-44. But with that, I imagine there were attempts to copy it, if it was that popular. I consider the Greedo killer an old Mk I that Han didn't mind carrying around on Tattoine. With the standard ANH being a Mk II. For the ESB model I like to think that Han gave Luke one from his collection and that they were modified for use in the extreme cold. With Han changing it up again in ROTJ. I can certainly see Han having some brand loyalty. So switching to a knock off doesn't feel right. As stated, I'm sure there were knock offs like the Power 5 and the Jawa variants. Not unlike Taurus copying Beretta's Model 92 pistols. But given the tech, I imagine there would be more obvious differences. That is my theory and with it I also disavow the Merr-Sonn M-57.
 
Now I'm imagining the scene where Luke and Han are hanging out at Echo base and Han spots a DH-17 strapped to Luke's side and Han is like, "Kid, what the **** is that? Seriously kid, those things are about as accurate as an E-11. Garbage." And he walks Luke into the Falcon and hands him the DL-44 he has for the rest of the film. "Here you go kid. I just finished converting this one as a backup. I changed out and customized the thermal regulators and frame seals to prevent condensation and power loss when using it in freezing and wet environments, while still working fine anywhere else. I also put a standard BlasTech scope on it, because frankly no scope is going to work for **** in the weather we have here and I'm not just going to sacrifice one of my babies.".

Sorry, can't help myself sometimes.
 
Alright guys lets let the experts that do the the Star Wars official display lables make the call note picture. rpf1.jpg
 
Way I look at it....in the real fake world... most of these parts would be interchangeable. In a rebel alliance type situation there would a broad array of blasters out there.
 
What is the story with Han's TFA? Maybe he got nostalgic and decided to modify his old "model A" DL-44?
 
His ANH DL44 was his sidearm as a young smuggler..

..until he was no longer about that life.

He put it in storage and started using a more streamlined, 'Rebel Alliance' version.

After everything happened with his son, he dusted off his trusty smuggler sidearm and went back to that life.

That's my theory anyway.
 
elr02k said:
What is the story with Han's TFA? Maybe he got nostalgic and decided to modify his old "model A" DL-44?
Click to expand...

The truth is that we really never know. The blaster may be meant to be the exact same in all movies and they never expected fans to get so wrapped up in the details. Remember that Solo's bunker blaster is very different in those scenes from his hero blaster in ROTJ, not to mention smaller variations in stunt props and the same in the other movies including the Greedo Killer differences. At no time in ROTJ do we assume he switch blaster before and after he left the bunker.

An argument can be made that Han would require a new blaster after he left his old one on Cloud City. But one could argue that it was later retrieved some way the same as it appears Luke's X-Wing Helmet and ship somehow made it back too. Even if you believe that the one blaster in ESB was left behind and never retrieved, the idea might be that his replacement was to be perceived as the exact change. In short, what the prop people wanted you to think may be very different from what is actually observed.
 
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