Cameron's original MP5 based Aliens Pulse Rifle

[ghostryder]

 

[Jodo]

I remember someone here selling their replica about 15 years ago, and I really loved the look of it.

 

[Sahare Studios]

It looks very interesting. It's a surprise it actually has more detail and greeblies than the final. Looks like the Spas cage and pump handle are the only things carried over. You can really tell how Cameron loved the Vietnam war analogy, the M16 carrying handle was a very iconic design detail of arms of that era. Here we see it more rounded with soft edges as on the original M16.

What's also unchanged from this concept is again the issue of the magazine not being the right shape and size to hold 99 (or 95) rounds of 10 mm anything, and the 30mm grenades not being 30mm wide, but shotgun shells.

In the end I don't feel it looks as iconic or aesthetic/"pretty" as the final. It's one of the few instances I remember where a final actually looks better and more believable / real than the concept. In a "less is more" way.

I had posted this in the other thread, it maybe pertinent here as well:


This is a personal opinion on why I believe the Aliens 1986 Pulse Rifle is so iconic to this day. Being a designer I'm familiar with the golden ratio (1.618, or approximately 60 percent). A lot of the angles and ratios in the original pulse rifle are in a golden ratio. In fact, almost everything on the rifle is in a 2/3rds ratio, not precisely, but generally. Also, the design doesn't have any "greeblies" or details added with no obvious function. Even the pyramid shaped "tab" forward and above the digital counter for example is a metal tab to hold the shroud together, same as the one forward of the stock.

Thought like minded designers might find this interesting.

Again, just my opinion.

 

[drusselmeyer]

A 27 lb combat rifle would be pretty brain dead.
Keeping it under 10 lbs would be standard. A combination of polymers and good engineering would make this possible.

 

[Sahare Studios]

A 27 lb combat rifle would be pretty brain dead.
Keeping it under 10 lbs would be standard. A combination of polymers and good engineering would make this possible.

Is there a listed weight of 27lbs for these somewhere? I never saw that listed anywhere?

When I was in the army we used Heckler & Koch G3 7.62x51mm NATO which iirc was around 10lbs and we all considered that rifle on the heavy side. It was heavier than an M16 and even an AK. We would have competitions who could hold two of them with outstretched arms the longest. I also remember it kicked like a mule.

I can't imagine any combat rifle that weighs 27lbs, that's even heavier than a belt fed machine gun.

 

[drusselmeyer]

It's not generally listed anywhere, but there are a few builders who have made working models and they are far too heavy to be useful.

 

[bingoh]

A 27 lb combat rifle would be pretty brain dead.
Keeping it under 10 lbs would be standard. A combination of polymers and good engineering would make this possible.

That's the difference between the realities of the prop and what would be its in-universe equivalent. The prop was, at its very core, based on the already heavy Thompson and then added a chopped down shotgun and a metal shotgun cage, plus various shroud components...obviously not how a real weapon would work. From what I can find, an M4 with an underslung M203 launcher weighs in at around 7.5 lbs, so the in-universe pulse rifle could easily come in under 10 lbs with various technological/material advancements of the near future.

 

[Sahare Studios]

That's the difference between the realities of the prop and what would be its in-universe equivalent. The prop was, at its very core, based on the already heavy Thompson and then added a chopped down shotgun and a metal shotgun cage, plus various shroud components...obviously not how a real weapon would work. From what I can find, an M4 with an underslung M203 launcher weighs in at around 7.5 lbs, so the in-universe pulse rifle could easily come in under 10 lbs with various technological/material advancements of the near future.

Agree. In the scene where Hicks hands Ripley the rifle it feels like he is impressed by how light it is when he says "feel the weight".

In my head canon the rifle is actually very light (5-7 lbs) but kicks very fierce.

Also going by the way it fires in scenes. It's almost like Cameron wanted to expand on the "new" three round burst/flechette thinking of the 80's where a weapon would fire a three round burst (M16A2), one where it was aimed and two around the area it was aimed to ensure a hit. The sound effect of the pulse rifle almost makes it seem like the gun is regurgitating rounds in the general area its fired, in an uncontrolled way. Like the gun is saying, I'll fire at where you're aiming, but I'm taking out everything around that area as well.

Hence the: "Remember, short controlled bursts".

 

[treeboar]

Great image that ghostryder

You triggered me

I didnt think anyone had tackled JC's original idea, based on the MP5 instead of the on-screen Thompson M1A1 - but Jodo seems to think so! Would love a pic if you have it?

As mentioned in another thread - t's always really annoyed the OCD-me that the perspective and proportion was 'off' on his sketch.

So when I saw this higher res version... I couldnt help myself, and I corrected it, and then rendered it - Suprised me at how close to the original idea it actually was.

 

[eethan]

oh wow, that is a super cool design! they could have used this in the new movie I guess! would have been cool
thanks for sharing, never seen that before

 

[Sahare Studios]

Yeah very cool thanks!

Makes me think that the large "plate" under the magazine is also supposed to hold rounds as I can't imagine it being that large for nothing.

 

[Krel]

I remember reading when the movie came out, that Cameron decided on the Thompson because the 9mm blank didn't produce a large enough muzzle flash for what he wanted.

David.

 

[Jodo]

Great image that ghostryder

You triggered me

I didnt think anyone had tackled JC's original idea, based on the MP5 instead of the on-screen Thompson M1A1 - but Jodo seems to think so! Would love a pic if you have it?

As mentioned in another thread - t's always really annoyed the OCD-me that the perspective and proportion was 'off' on his sketch.

So when I saw this higher res version... I couldnt help myself, and I corrected it, and then rendered it - Suprised me at how close to the original idea it actually was.

I actually had it saved on an old laptop, but I think there’s little chance of ever finding it.

 

[SciFirepower]

Posted on the Aliens Legacy forum quite a while ago. I don't have any specific details about the build.