ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion - Three ANH Greeblies Found
- Thread starter deadbolt
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kpax
Sr Member
Fantastic images Carson!
Thanks so much.
This will settle a few questions for sure!
Posting these here too.
Thanks again for the new sharp clear image Carson!
I have studied the new images Deadbolt graciously posted again and found details on the HERO, MerrSonn, Power 5 and stunt blasters that all match up. They must be the same base gun and cast BEFORE the right side mounts were brazed on.
The mold seems to have been made of the 2813 upper and lower with left side mount. Possibly the Sweeney.
The mold had to have been made of the base 2813 gun without the FH attached (as we can tell by the details of the barrels of the MerrSonn images) and only the left side disc mounts clayed up.
The Merrsonn's/Stunt do not yet have the right side mounts and since the details match, the timeline I suggested must be pretty close.
For some reason the Protectors gun was not available or broken?
At some point they decided they needed it to be right side scoped so Carl flipped the discs and used the ST mount and scope.
I have zero doubt the castings are the 2813 HERO upper and lower.
The casting of the stunt also shows the grip and screw match.
What do you all think?
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Also, these sharp images seem to show the "antenna" sitting directly on the barrel as I always suspected. No track base to be seen. This must be true especially if it's not T Track.!
It could very well be the same part used on the Greedo blaster! Good eye Carson!
Note the shape and shadows on the Greedo blaster sight part. Looks the same to me!
Not T track in my book.
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Thanks so much.
This will settle a few questions for sure!
Posting these here too.
Thanks again for the new sharp clear image Carson!
I have studied the new images Deadbolt graciously posted again and found details on the HERO, MerrSonn, Power 5 and stunt blasters that all match up. They must be the same base gun and cast BEFORE the right side mounts were brazed on.
The mold seems to have been made of the 2813 upper and lower with left side mount. Possibly the Sweeney.
The mold had to have been made of the base 2813 gun without the FH attached (as we can tell by the details of the barrels of the MerrSonn images) and only the left side disc mounts clayed up.
The Merrsonn's/Stunt do not yet have the right side mounts and since the details match, the timeline I suggested must be pretty close.
For some reason the Protectors gun was not available or broken?
At some point they decided they needed it to be right side scoped so Carl flipped the discs and used the ST mount and scope.
I have zero doubt the castings are the 2813 HERO upper and lower.
The casting of the stunt also shows the grip and screw match.
What do you all think?
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Yes! The center greeblie does not look like T Track in these images. Looks much rounder and paint chips on top showing whitish under?Another set from our Anonymous hero, to help get things back on track..with approval of course..
See anything?..maybe a Round/Tube center greeblie between the antennas?..as per the Greedo Blaster, instead of the T-Track we all thought was there for so many years
-Carson
Also, these sharp images seem to show the "antenna" sitting directly on the barrel as I always suspected. No track base to be seen. This must be true especially if it's not T Track.!
It could very well be the same part used on the Greedo blaster! Good eye Carson!
Note the shape and shadows on the Greedo blaster sight part. Looks the same to me!
Not T track in my book.
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Vanitas
Sr Member
Keep in mind that you are comparing it to a different lower than the Hero prop; only the upper from Randall and Hopkirk was later used for the Hero prop.
When you compare the better images of the cast stunt pistols a lot of details actually align with the hero lowers; the chips in the grips are a dead giveaway that the lower may, in fact, be the same as the Hero's.
EDIT: Pat beat me to it; I was just about to point out some of the various details of the lower that matched too
kpax
Sr Member
The greeblies were glued on the castings after they were cast. That's why some have fallen off and the pulley is at a different angle.
The HERO c96 2813 was molded with left side disk mount spacers, likely the Sweeney gun... and no FH.
Base gun as seen in Sweeney without the thumbnuts molded and cast.
The "spacers" were likely brazed on the frame and a threaded rod screwed in.
They take out the threaded rod and make the mold.
When they cast the gun, you get a c96 with bull barrel and 2 spacer disks on the left side.
Maybe too thick so they grind them off the castings leaving the thin rear disk with varying cut off marks.
The front one is covered by the pulley.
Why they leave the rear like that... ?
All the other greeblies are glued on which is why they are different on the two MerrSonns.
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Vanitas
Sr Member
Yes, I now understand that. I just recall having previously been told that the castings were made using the Hero's upper and the NR's lower, as people believed the two greeblies were the NR's brazed discs.
I think it is now clear that both the upper and lower are the Hero's, just before the scope mount was affixed to the righthand side (ie; pre-Bapty images).
Vanitas
Sr Member
It absolutely WAS a greeblie; the evidence for that can be determined by the shape of the grill alone.
The entire reason the grill was cut in such a way is to fit around existing pieces; on the righthand side the grill was shaped around the front stud of the scope mount, and on the lefthand side it is shaped to curve around the mystery disc - because there USED TO BE SOMETHING SOLID THERE.
If there was not a physical disc of some sort there at one point, then the grill would not have been carved on the lefthand side to curve upwards as it does. It would just continue to run straight upwards instead.
Stole one of your old pics Scott; my apologies haha
kpax
Sr Member
Seems right and good points. ^^
There was a time I and others speculated that the mystery disc was remnants of a left hand scope mount like ST. Just one front mount disc for the HERO scope mount and scope which would also have possibly explained the shape of the grill cut out. But now the knob is more likely for sure.
Definitely bigger than the pulley.
Maybe it was some round knob with a part that attached on the rail where the discolored damage is.
Theory.
Firing the c96, the upper moves back about 1/4 inch as the gun cycles.
If some plastic greeblie was “connecting” the upper AND lower. As soon as it was fired the first time it would rip both parts off.
The prop guys maybe would not have known how the gun cycles. Or not thought about it. Just trying to make a cool looking laser gun.
This could make sense why both are missing and never put back.
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Totally. I'm on board, I was just confirming that this specific lower wasn't used for anything, since the two molds and the hero all matchKeep in mind that you are comparing it to a different lower than the Hero prop; only the upper from Randall and Hopkirk was later used for the Hero prop.
When you compare the better images of the cast stunt pistols a lot of details actually align with the hero lowers; the chips in the grips are a dead giveaway that the lower may, in fact, be the same as the Hero's.
EDIT: Pat beat me to it; I was just about to point out some of the various details of the lower that matched too
Wild idea - does the "sawed-off" disc match the size of the mystery disc? I am pretty sure now it is a separate piece..
kpax
Sr Member
No. The sawed off piece is the sawed off left side brazed on spacer.
The mystery disc is bigger.
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Hmm - I was checking because a brazed spacer wouldn't be able to move or change orientation, like here
ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion - Three ANH Greeblies Found
If it's bigger, then forget it
Those differently angled strokes aren't necessarily an indication that these are different lowers. It's possible that the molded spacer was sawed off, photographed, then someone further sawed or filed at that nub (going in a different direction) in an effort to make the nub sit more flush. Just a thought!
kpax
Sr Member
The HERO and MerrSonn/Power5 are 99.95 % the same upper and lower based on my previous comparisons.
The CU rear disc area match on the 2 MerrSonn castings.
The prop dept must have molded the 2813 c96 with the left side brazed mounting discs in place and FH off.
Either the discs had threaded rods welded on OR screwed in. If screwed in they would remove the rods, fill the hole with clay and make the mold.
If welded, they would mold with the rod in place and then fill the rod hole in the mold when casting or cast the rod as well if it didn't cause too much trouble.
After casting, they would cut off the rod and disc. The thickness looks to me to be the same height at the rear lock lug.
There is no other logical reason to have the rear black discs on the castings. Not glued on. No fun greeblie. They just didn't want to try and square it up.
On the Luke Stunt the disc is gone. SAME upper and lower. It has the right side mount. This is a second mold made after ANH.
They removed the left side mount spacers on the 2813 C96 and brazed them on the right side and refinished the left side giving us our HERO pre production image.... IMO... ; )
When comparing the images I allow for a slight offset and camera angle.
NOTE: The Randall and Hopkirk lower is NOT the same as the HERO or castings.
R&H was made in 1969. The Sweeney was 1975- just before ANH filming which is why I believe it is the best contender for the HERO upper and lower.
I used the R&H as the best side view of the left side mounts. The scope and mount looks to be the same as the NR/Sweeney so the position should be the same as well.
The CU rear disc area match on the 2 MerrSonn castings.
The prop dept must have molded the 2813 c96 with the left side brazed mounting discs in place and FH off.
Either the discs had threaded rods welded on OR screwed in. If screwed in they would remove the rods, fill the hole with clay and make the mold.
If welded, they would mold with the rod in place and then fill the rod hole in the mold when casting or cast the rod as well if it didn't cause too much trouble.
After casting, they would cut off the rod and disc. The thickness looks to me to be the same height at the rear lock lug.
There is no other logical reason to have the rear black discs on the castings. Not glued on. No fun greeblie. They just didn't want to try and square it up.
On the Luke Stunt the disc is gone. SAME upper and lower. It has the right side mount. This is a second mold made after ANH.
They removed the left side mount spacers on the 2813 C96 and brazed them on the right side and refinished the left side giving us our HERO pre production image.... IMO... ; )
When comparing the images I allow for a slight offset and camera angle.
NOTE: The Randall and Hopkirk lower is NOT the same as the HERO or castings.
R&H was made in 1969. The Sweeney was 1975- just before ANH filming which is why I believe it is the best contender for the HERO upper and lower.
I used the R&H as the best side view of the left side mounts. The scope and mount looks to be the same as the NR/Sweeney so the position should be the same as well.
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Ya it definitely looks way to thick (circular and hallow as well) to be than a T track.. and even if it was it looks to be the way you cut ur hero t track down on the bottom kpax so the antenna greeblie rests right on the bull barrel.
Not familiar at all with Greedo’s blaster but is that the best pic available for reference? I have this one but I don’t know where I got it or if it’s just a replica someone made? Wasn’t organized in my files like my DL-44 pics..
Lastly thank you Anonymous!
Just for fun, I put my Mitchell parts on my blaster.
The pulley was too small, as we already knew, but the stylus brush base seated itself within my painted circle perfectly...
kpax
Sr Member
That's pretty interesting.
I assume the stylus brush disc part of the same record player? So it was available with the pulleys?
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