Chewbacca's original bowcaster found and restored

[lonepigeon]

https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/449/lot/157212

Surprisingly, I didn't see a thread on this yet.
Propstore has Chewbacca's original bowcaster prop up on the auction block!
The bowcaster that once hung in a Planet Hollywood looking nothing like it's former self has been confirmed to be the ONE and ONLY original bowcaster prop from the original trilogy. All the scratches and wear confirm that it is the original ANH prop, later reconverted for the Holliday Special and subsequently used in ESB and ROTJ. It's very surprising that they never made another, not even a stunt or backup as far as I can tell.

Vintage audio coiled cable, sideplates, knobs, scope rings, balls, barrel, and front pieces are all new - accurate to ROTJ configuration.
Horton crossbow with string and custom Sten stock extension are original. Singlepoint and 4x20's are from Bapty and were part of the post-filming conversion in the 1990's. The 4x20 scopes match the type used originally so they could be from SW.

Video here:

 

[Cantina_Dude]

I started a thread on this two weeks ago, but it got moved to the "Screen Used Costumes and Props" section so it pretty much died a quick death there.

Screen-Used OT Chewbacca's Bowcaster - Propstore March 2025

 

[lonepigeon]

That's disappointing that it was moved to the other forum.
Most threads here discuss screen used props and how they were made.

Maybe we can discuss the prop's usage in the movies and conversion parts.
Here's a good publicity shot that clearly shows the stock extension added near the beginning of filming ROTJ. It does appear without the stock in a few early studio shot scenes from the beginning of production.

The stock was custom made, presumably by Bapty, from a Sten submachine gun.

Sten - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The two mounting bolt heads were covered by the same metal domes used on the Endor bunker charge

 

[Halliwax]

That's disappointing that it was moved to the other forum.
Most threads here discuss screen used props and how they were made.

Maybe we can discuss the prop's usage in the movies and conversion parts.
Here's a good publicity shot that clearly shows the stock extension added near the beginning of filming ROTJ. It does appear without the stock in a few early studio shot scenes from the beginning of production.

View attachment 1911046

The stock was custom made, presumably by Bapty, from a Sten submachine gun.

Sten - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 1911047

The two mounting bolt heads were covered by the same metal domes used on the Endor bunker charge

View attachment 1911048

Wow! The sterling stock!

 

[PAULH]

That's disappointing that it was moved to the other forum.
Most threads here discuss screen used props and how they were made.

Maybe we can discuss the prop's usage in the movies and conversion parts.
Here's a good publicity shot that clearly shows the stock extension added near the beginning of filming ROTJ. It does appear without the stock in a few early studio shot scenes from the beginning of production.

View attachment 1911046

The stock was custom made, presumably by Bapty, from a Sten submachine gun.

Sten - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 1911047

The two mounting bolt heads were covered by the same metal domes used on the Endor bunker charge

View attachment 1911048

I thought the stock was from the crossbow that was used ?

 

[eethan]

It looks like the sterling stock is shorter on the propstore photos than it is on the Chewie photo, but I guess that's just the photos tricking me.

 

[lonepigeon]

It looks like the sterling stock is shorter on the propstore photos than it is on the Chewie photo, but I guess that's just the photos tricking me.

It's more clear in the profile view. The Sten stock is roughly the same length as the curved part of the Horton stock.

I thought the stock was from the crossbow that was used ?

The added extension is from a Sten (left in photo above). Where the original Horton stock ends the Sten extension was bolted on with two bolts.
The extension was added for ROTJ. The Horton was it's standard length in ANH and ESB.

 

[Jamesfett]

I thought this was in a private collection in Germany?

They did not explain how they got it? Did they?

 

[lonepigeon]

I thought the stock was from the crossbow that was used ?

I thought this was in a private collection in Germany?

They did not explain how they got it? Did they?

It was in Planet Hollywood and recently sold by Heritage, but they didn't know what they had.
I'm not sure if anyone else owned it between those two.

 

[PHArchivist]

https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/449/lot/157212

Propstore has Chewbacca's original bowcaster prop up on the auction block!
The bowcaster that once hung in a Planet Hollywood looking nothing like it's former self has been confirmed to be the ONE and ONLY original bowcaster prop from the original trilogy. All the scratches and wear confirm that it is the original ANH prop, later reconverted for the Holliday Special and subsequently used in ESB and ROTJ. It's very surprising that they never made another, not even a stunt or backup as far as I can tell.

Off the top of my head, I believe the Beverly Hills location had this (or I'm not worthy of my screen-name!)...

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Looks like we need to merge this thread, and this one:

Screen-Used OT Chewbacca's Bowcaster - Propstore March 2025

It seems that what is purported to be the one and only screen-used bowcaster prop from the OT is going to be going up for auction at Propstore in March. It's not clear how much of the add-on greeblies and other components are supposedly original at this point, but there is mention of some...

www.therpf.com

 

[Halliwax]

Lonepigeon had me up all night looking at bowcaster photos…

And to top it all off… blaster factory has those stinka’s on sale right now…

 

[Halliwax]

There are any photos of how the rear strap attaches?

 

[cwoodreplicas]

Cool to see the ROTJ Bunker Bomb Pieces on the stock.

 

[Halliwax]

View attachment 1911656

Cool to see the ROTJ Bunker Bomb Pieces on the stock.

Wicked exciting to see they weren’t a one of

 

[PVmodels]

It was in Planet Hollywood and recently sold by Heritage, but they didn't know what they had.
I'm not sure if anyone else owned it between those two.

Wasn’t this also listed on eBay for a while? I seem to remember seeing it listed as coming from Planet Hollywood and was in a case. Didn’t have the shoulder extension though.

 

[lonepigeon]

Wasn’t this also listed on eBay for a while? I seem to remember seeing it listed as coming from Planet Hollywood and was in a case. Didn’t have the shoulder extension though.

That's definitely a different one. It would be interesting to see that one up close but I suspect it has no real lineage to the original movies.

The bowcaster currently at Propstore matches perfectly to the prop seen on screen and in stills. By al accounts it's the only one they made/used.

 

[Halliwax]

Have the rotj balls ever been IDed? Teecrooz pointed out to me the rotj balls are smaller

 

[teecrooz]

They looked smaller in this shot:

 

[Halliwax]

They looked smaller in this shot:

View attachment 1913340

I never picked up on it until you told me