ANH Hero DL-44 Discussion - Three ANH Greeblies Found

[kpax]

Eh? One of the things about both Merr-Sonn versions is the prominent T-track blade between the pushrods...

View attachment 975867

View attachment 975868



Or else the scope was originally flipped to be facing the functional direction, which would have seen it in-line over the receiver. One thing I'd love to have a time machine for is to go back and be a fly on the wall at Bapty in 1975/6...

The MerrSonn images you show have a center blade but no visible “base” that the rods would sit on.

I wasn’t clear in the description of the blade. I was comparing to the mill it sight that has a high blade like a normal front sight. Higher than the antenna heads. But you are correct to point out the long center blade.

 

[Halliwax]

Are we to believe this is the same exact Mauser used as the dl44? I’m confused on this topic

 

[mgoob]

The upper was used on a different lower, that's the difference.

 

[kpax]

Like he said^^

The upper receiver with bull barrel. ( threaded rifle barrel).

 

[thegnome]

To the people of RPF, how do you find out about these things? I have spent tens and tens of hours and found nothing about Luke Skywalkers Landspeeder and you guys find so many tiny little things about weapons like Han Solos blaster or Ben Kenobi's lightsaber. It is amazing! Any tips on how to find out about things like Luke's landspeeder?

 

[kpax]

To the people of RPF, how do you find out about these things? I have spent tens and tens of hours and found nothing about Luke Skywalkers Landspeeder and you guys find so many tiny little things about weapons like Han Solos blaster or Ben Kenobi's lightsaber. It is amazing! Any tips on how to find out about things like Luke's landspeeder?

I am sure there are threads on the RPF that have detailed notes and images of the speeder.

 

[Halliwax]

Thanks guys

 

[thegnome]

yeah thanks, but like how did you find the things that are so small about the Blastech DL-44 that is so minuscule that it amazing. Like is there websites with the info or did you simply just go on a long and amazing journey to find out things of the gun? It really is amazing what you people have found out about the gun. Truly is, no diss intended. Yeah and I have found out the vehicle that the speeder is attached to too and how they made the speeder to look like it was hovering (mirrors, mirage effect, camera angle). Thank you again for all the help.

 

[chubsANDdoggers]

thegnome Honestly just read this thread from the very beginning. This thread started back in 2011 I believe. A lot of great info can be found in it. That and time itself will add up so all this sort of stuff either makes sense or will allow you to ask specific questions about things that don’t. I only really know the DL-44 myself and I’m still learning to this day.


Another great read is this tested article and one of the DL-44 OG’s thats featured can be founfd right here on this very thread. I think he posted about 3 posts ago...

How Obsessive Fans Built a Better Han Solo Blaster - Tested.com

 

[kpax]

^^. Those were the days...

This thread got started because deadbolt and I could not find any kits or parts that were even near accurate and we decided to start a thread to try and discover some details.
Many many discussions with so many dedicated RPF members that had gathered info from all over the galaxy for years. ! Theories and conjecture and testing over and over until we pinned it down. Deadbolts 3d modeling and comparisons to 2d mock ups got us very close. Then Deadbolt actually located the Tomtitt model parts used for the grill and antenna greeblies ( also used on the speeder control panel! )

Finding the actual parts and maker after 30 years of people searching and guessing at what they were. Great job by Deadbolt!

We found out the 3d machined parts were within a few 10ths of millimeters.! Not too shabby!

Adam built that “Tested” model with DEC parts and an MGC I got for him. Great info there.

Love that many of the original contributors are still around and joining in the conversation!

 

[deadbolt]

Wow, it seems I've missed a lot of discussion in my absence! haha

I should mention that this project was honored in a Chicago Art Exhibit featuring a set of DEC Dave's Mega-Run parts, an original vintage set of Veron parts and the magazine that helped me find the parts. The exhibit was active from May - June of 2018 curated by a Chicago based art professor, Kate Conlon.
So a huge thanks to Kate and her colleagues for all of their interest in this project and their work on the exhibit!!

A 109 page Art Catalog was also authored by Kate documenting the project, some may still be available but I'm not sure. You will have to contact Kate if you're interested in a copy.

Here's a link to her site showing some photos of the exhibit:
KATE CONLON

And a link to Kate's DL-44 Art Catalog / Book
DL-44 — fernwey

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As far as the barrel greeblie is concerned, there still aren't any photos proving everything...yet
But there are things that have been ruled out already such as absolutely no evidence of T-Track ever being present, therefor no foundation for supporting the T-Track theory. And also Kpax is correct about the Antenna/Push-Rod sitting directly on the barrel. When Pat noticed, we both worked to prove the theory waay back in the thread with these 3D charts, both for the Hero and the Merr Sonn blasters.


-Carson

Edit: The 'Merr Sonn' chart above is a false on my part, they don't appear to have had T-Track either as it turns out. Due to newer/better photos and realizations that came to light, it appears to be a round cylindrical tube of some sort in it's stead, as per Greedo's Blaster. (Photos suggesting otherwise are posted here in this thread further on...somewhere =b)


-Carson

 

[thd9791]

To Halliwax - The Merr Sonn shows a sawed-off rear weld mount near the hammer, and it's most likely a cast of this base gun

View attachment 975870

with a Michell pulley disc covering the front mount area.

Merr-Sonn Model 44

It is believed, because the sawed-off rear weld is not present on Han's gun - but the bull barrel is - they slid out the entire lower frame with the handle, and put a new one on. here comes the cross bar, and maybe a michell disc to match the prototype blaster. Those have a hole in the center, so it may have left a dot of paint when they painted the lower, leaving the upper rail and barrel blued.

 

[Halliwax]

To Halliwax - The Merr Sonn shows a sawed-off rear weld mount near the hammer, and it's most likely a cast of this base gun


with a Michell pulley disc covering the front mount area.

Merr-Sonn Model 44

It is believed, because the sawed-off rear weld is not present on Han's gun - but the bull barrel is - they slid out the entire lower frame with the handle, and put a new one on. here comes the cross bar, and maybe a michell disc to match the prototype blaster. Those have a hole in the center, so it may have left a dot of paint when they painted the lower, leaving the upper rail and barrel blued.

Yes!!! That makes total sense!!! I never knew this until now! Good thinking!

 

[Dann]

Wow, it seems I've missed a lot of discussion in my absence! haha

I should mention that this project was honored in a Chicago Art Exhibit featuring a set of DEC Mega-Run parts, an original vintage set of Veron parts and the magazine that helped me find the parts. The exhibit was active from May - June of 2018 curated by a Chicago based art professor, Kate Conlon.
So a huge thanks to Kate and her colleagues for all of their interest in this project and their work on the exhibit!!

A 109 page Art Catalog was also authored by Kate documenting the project, some may still be available but I'm not sure. You will have to contact Kate if you're interested in a copy.

Here's a link to her site showing some photos of the exhibit:
KATE CONLON

----------------------------

As far as the barrel greeblie is concerned, there still aren't any photos proving everything...yet
But there are things that have been ruled out already such as absolutely no evidence of T-Track ever being present, therefor no foundation for supporting the T-Track theory. And also Kpax is correct about the Antenna/Push-Rod sitting directly on the barrel. I helped him prove the theory waay back in the thread with these 3D charts, both for the Hero and the Merr Sonn blasters.


-Carson

View attachment 976319

View attachment 976320

Oh holy Bejeezus, that is so awesome, I'm gonna check out that link right now!

Very cool that all that research got the recognition it deserves!

And good to have you back!

 

[chubsANDdoggers]

To Halliwax - The Merr Sonn shows a sawed-off rear weld mount near the hammer, and it's most likely a cast of this base gun


with a Michell pulley disc covering the front mount area.

Merr-Sonn Model 44

It is believed, because the sawed-off rear weld is not present on Han's gun - but the bull barrel is - they slid out the entire lower frame with the handle, and put a new one on. here comes the cross bar, and maybe a michell disc to match the prototype blaster. Those have a hole in the center, so it may have left a dot of paint when they painted the lower, leaving the upper rail and barrel blued.

Sorry why is it again that the lower is believed to be painted while the top remained blued? These pics make it seem like the whole thing remained blued. You can see the contrast against the heatsink?

 

[Dann]

I don't believe the lower was painted, either, but I've been wrong before!

 

[kpax]

I have made up this timeline to discuss the disk appearance.

I have suggested before that there "may" have been an attempt to soldier a short crossbar to the LEFT side first,- similar to the ST set up.,, but the pre-production images confirm that the right side scope mount set up was in place with no sign of the mystery disk at that time so it could not be so.

Any "highlights or ridges" seen around the mystery disk can be explained by a slight glue residue edge. Would not need much to reflect light. After reviewing all the images including the "Luke Stunt blaster" which was cast after the ANH build.

IMO, This resin cast shows a few telltale hints that it may have been cast after the mystery disk fell off. Note the details.

I am only guess that the grill either was not yet added OR was removed from the casting to be different than Han's.

They certainly could have reglued the knob/pulley if they wanted but probably figured it would just fall off again with the production firing of the half-power blanks.

My thinking is that they left the blaster with the worn spot because it looked "worn" and more interesting.

Have a look and discuss.

 

[Gregatron]

As with the barrel sight greeblies, this theory makes perfect sense. The same parts and the same build methods used on both the DL-44 and the Merr-Sonn. They’re like Rosetta Stones for each other.

Betcha that the Merr-Sonn was originally cast and built to essentially match the DL-44 (the initial version of it, at least, minus the Tomtit grille, and with the sight greeblies and pulley disc), but, perhaps due to a lack of extra Hensoldt-Wetzler scopes, they just threw on the other greeblies to help disguise the Mauser and give it some extra flavor. And then the lower receiver on the DL-44 was swapped out and replaced after casting for technical/firing reasons.

 

[H0llyw00d]

...It’s an easy mistake to make if you aren’t aware or overlook this detail..View attachment 975745
View attachment 975755

These are the two pics that have me convinced that everything but the scope mount and scope are painted black. The rail, posts and knobs are obviously painted and... well.. blued steel doesn't chip. It will wear, or gouge... but not chip.

 

[thd9791]

For me, the silver scuffs around the bottom of the mag well and the silver mystery disc show the bare metal with a little blueing on there. Just like the mount, for the lower front of the receiver to have gotten scratched up, my guess would be something other than blueing on its own.