Not sure what happened to the post but I am reposting for clarity.
It's presumed to be at least one of the (two) factually known NR Masers, one of which possibly wasn't needed or used in NR which is the one that became the ANH Hero..and many other films/shows before it, haha. There's still no proven evidence that there were more than those two made with the same modifications. Although they claimed (3, or 4 now?) that were modified in the same manner, yet no proof of such claims. All of us here and the general public even have that we can factually state, is there were two Mausers proven to be made in that manner by Bapty, no photos or proof otherwise.
Until better, higher res images surface of the 'Bunker/Bizarro Blaster', we can't really know more than what we can see sadly. All we can see is that it's clearly a bull-barreled Mauser (only the Bapty NR/onward Mausers are currently known to have that), and the mount and HW scope was visibly present too, though reversed and mounted to an ROTJ style mount as noticed by @OdiWan72 I think?
The Mauser has obviously been molded at least twice, first known is the Merr Sonn with the NR lower, the other for the ESB/ROTJ stunt blasters with the Hero ANH upper and lower. No proof or evidence as of yet suggesting that the mount and/or scope were ever molded and cast and used at all.
But the length of the Bunker blaster's barrel suggests the likelier possibility that it's not a stunt casting being used and modified with that ridiculous barrel and such. The real Mausers had threads in the bull-barrel to accommodate for the extension. Though, all of the known stunt casts from that Hero ANH Mauser were molded with the FH on it. Thus making the bunker blaster less likely to be a casting, since removing the section where the FH is cast in would shorten the visible Bizarro blaster's bull-barrel substantially, and noticeably.
I have absolutely no clue as to why they made that crazy blaster that way, it removes full continuity completely from Han's blaster throughout the film.
Maybe the scene was intended to show a blaster stolen from an imperial officer or something? But who knows.
Interesting when the scope and mount come in to play, they've only been seen in two films so far, ST and SW (but, possibly/likely on the bunker blaster in ROTJ too).
We have no solid evidence (or any implication even) of any known castings from the full ANH Hero at all in the first film, none. Only the Merr Sonn with the different lower. But our unknowing doesn't mean they didn't exist, it's possible that we just simply haven't seen them or didn't make it into the film(s). But as far as screen-used goes, all of the current evidence and reference seems to show that the ANH Hero appears to be the same odd, unique, swapped lower, lumped, Pat's patched Mauser throughout the entirety of ANH. The same Mauser that all of us here have been studying with extreme passion over all of the...well, decades now..
-Carson
Click to expand...
I agree with most above but:
IMO the MerrSonn castings are casts of the ANH HERO upper AND lower as is the ESB Stunt.
I had done the comparisons a while back and there are many details and witness marks that show the same Upper and Lower.
THE GRIP WITNESS MARK COMPARISON IS NEW.
I posted a full history I believe to be accurate based on the evidence a while back.
These are my assumptions:
Based on these images it seems the ANH Mauser was first given to Lucas with the LEFT side lug mounts and scope from possibly Sweeney or NR or other Lower. This is NOT the R&H LOWER.
Note there are NO Right side lug mounts. The art dept. made a mold of it which we see in the MerrSonn castings.
Logically, the MerrSonn casting was either molded from a Mauser with the 2813 upper and a lower with NO mounts at all OR it had LEFT side lug mounts when first shown to Lucas... which makes sense since it seems the rear lug on the castings were cut off. The front covered by the pulley.
I have always assumed that Lucas tested the blaster with the left side mount and scope and realized Han needed a right side holster so they gave it back to KCarl to change to a right side mount. We now know that KCarl easily brazed on and off and refinished these Mausers many times so no problem. Lucas likely explained the holster use to KCarl and he changed the scope and mount to the ST to be a little more compact.
KCarl gave it back to Lucas which is the PreProduction HERO image. The art Dept. made another mold of the HERO with RIGHT side lug mounts which eventually became the ESB Stunt blaster castings.
So, the MerrSonn castings are of the 2813 HERO entirely but with the original LEFT side mount lugs. IMO.
For me, there are just too many "actual" witness marks that match exactly the HERO preproduction image.
These images also prove the HERO lower can not be the H&R. Possibly be the NR Lower or Sweeney if it was different or another Lower entirely since KCarl added Lugs as needed.
Wow Pat, I wish you shared this earlier! Now I think the Merr Sonn actually does share the same lower as the Hero..
I wonder why they molded it twice?
With the Merr Sonns, the FH was much further outward, vs. the ESB/ROTJ stunt being almost right-on to the Hero FH position)
Thank you for sharing this buddy, I hadn't even noticed those identifying marks!!
..t
hough I wonder now how they removed the spacers so cleanly?
Also on the Merr Sonns, if that 'possible' antenna post wasn't in the way of the slight radius cut in the Hero's frame right where the top of the Mystery Disk is, that would absolutely prove it for sure.
Though, we can't factually claim it's a pushrod stem there, it might be just part of that possible Bic Pen tube-like thing in the center of the Merr's barrel greeblie.
Great stuff, man. I think I know now what my favorite feeling is, a 'New Realization'..it feels good..
-Carson
Click to expand...
I did share these thoughts months ago. I know you were out of the loop a while. I speculated an entire history a while back.
The FIRST (MerrSonn) mold with Left side lugs and FH and longer barrel may have been molded just to be a "different" blaster type for their arsenal.
After the right side mounts were brazed on they seem to have made a second mold maybe to have a record of the HERO in case. These are the ESB Stunts.
It seems KCarl brazed on and off lugs and "sleeve" bull barrels according to Tony, and refinished the frames. Not too difficult really. Heavy duty soldiering really. A little cleaning and bluing.
