DrMcoy
Sr Member
NOTE: I am posting this review even though my build is not 100% finished – I have yet to add the LEDS and apply chemical finish treatment to the triggers and weaver knob and glue the green-LED tube to the side of the pistol. However, in the interest of getting this review up more quickly, I am posting it now. I will supplement the photos when the piece is 100% finished.
NO PICS IN BODY TEXT -- HERE IS LINK TO PICS:
http://web.mac.com/tedeckel1/Site_5/Photos_2.html
MY REVIEW OF COYLE BLADE RUNNER PISTOL
I promised a review of both the SidKit and Richard Coyle’s WorldCon Blade Runner Pistol kits. Up first is my review of the Coyle kit – the SidKit review will follow in a few weeks, along with a possible comparison review.
First, a little background on me to help you put my opinions in context. If you’re inpatient like I often am, feel free to skip ahead a few paragraphs where I start the actual review.
I am 47 years old and have been collecting and/or building prop replicas since I was in high school. I have average building skills, and when I run into a problem that is beyond my skill level, I turn to fellow hobbyists for advice or help, most notably a fellow collector and friend named Sonny. Sonny is one of the few prop collectors I have met who is agreeably more anal-retentive than I am about accuracy and details. He is also more skilled than I am at such things as electronics, soldering and tapping metal. I have called on Sonny’s talents on several occasions when a project I was working on exceeded my skill level…in fact, Sonny helped me with several items on the Coyle kit, and I wanted to be sure to give him appropriate kudos for his help.
Those reading this are obviously interested in the nitty gritty on this Blade Runner pistol replica – probably trying to decide if they should chose it over other replicas available. I hope this review is helpful, but I feel the need to state up front that I am going to do my best to ignore all the heated controversy that has been debated by many members of this forum over this specific prop and its creator and provide as objective a review as possible.
It is also important to know that while I have obsessed over some of the tiniest of details on the many props I have built or collected over the years, I have come to realize that much, if not all, of this anguish and scrutinizing is, in the end, a somewhat insane and trivial pursuit when compared to other aspects of life that are far more valuable, such as personal relationships, taking a bike ride, blowing bubbles with my four-year old, reading a book, learning how to cook a new meal, etc. etc. In other words, this is a fun hobby if kept in perspective, which I am the first to admit that I have to remind myself of this every so often.
That being said, let’s move on with the review. I think a good prop replica kit review should cover two main issues – overall accuracy of the piece compared to the screen-used prop and ease of assembly. I’ll tackle accuracy first.
My credentials to make judgments on this replica’s accuracy are likely the same as yours. I’ve never held the actual screen-used prop in my hands but have simply scrutinized all the pistol scenes in the movie frame-by-frame, read most of the commentary and speculation on this piece from fellow board members and have studied the WorldCon photos until my retinas started to bleed. I have also built or owned about 6 or 7 different versions of this prop over the years, starting with the MARCO piece and working my way up to a Rick Ross PKD and then the first Coyle resin version of this prop, followed by one or two others as he upgraded them, and most recently the previous incarnation of the SidKit before he released his latest WorldCon version.
Based on what my eyes can discern (and I admit they are getting worse as I push 50), the Coyle BR gun appears to be 99% on the money. As it seems to be one of the most accurate metal replicas currently available, it is easier and quicker for me to explain the few things I don’t think are spot on…but before I do I will mention a few highlights that I appreciate on the Coyle piece.
First, I like the fact that this one appears to be so accurate overall. I like the feel and weight of the metal piece in my hands. I think the grips and buttplate are spot on, or so gosh-darn close that I likely couldn’t tell the difference even if you handed me the real deal. Although this wasn’t the most scientific way to handle this, I placed the completed kit on top of a picture of the actual prop, and the grips and buttplate (and rest of gun) appeared to line-up spot-on as far as dimensions go…especially on the grips, although I do wish they were cast in a more transparent finish – although this is, perhaps, more of a personal preference as it is hard to discern the exact finish and color on the hero prop grips.
I like that the LED housing is resin, to match the feel/look of the styrene plastic used on the hero prop. I like that Richard provides the two small set screws that go into the side of the LED housing, and that he paid attention to the fact that these set screws are slotted, like on the original prop. And while this action was never seen on screen, I do think it’s pretty cool to flip out the magazine and load in the shiny fake ammunition that comes with the kit…”ya see this bullet, Roy, well, it has YOUR name on it!”
So, what’s not to like? One thing that bugged me a little was that the small tubular piece that rests beneath the barrel (the piece that connects the barrel to the LED housing) is made from a hollow plastic tube. On the WorldCon prop, it appears to be gun metal in color, not solid black, so it would have been nice if Richard had made this piece out of the same metal as the rest of the prop, so it would accept the PERMA BLUE finish (or whatever finish you decided to use to match the gunmetal color). So, I swapped this piece out for one that Sonny made for me from aluminum…it feels more solid, but just so you know, aluminum will NOT accept the PERMA BLUE finish, so I had to use metalizer paints to match the Perma Blue finish on rest of pistol as closely as possible. I could’a done the same with the plastic tube Richard provides, but the piece was cut a bit short, so I would have had to replace it anyway, and as our hobby shop had the proper diameter aluminum tube, Sonny offered to cut a piece for me that would fit better. So, while not a huge deal, it would have been nice had this piece been provided in metal.
Here’s another really small anal-retentive note – my kit did not contain the little metal collar seen on one of the tiny set screws on the LED housing. It was easy enough for me to fashion one out of a piece of plastic tube from a local hobby shop -- but I do get fussy when I have to buy ANYTHING for a kit that I feel is being sold as complete. Not sure why Richard doesn’t simply throw in a small piece of tubing for this, as it could only cost a fraction of a cent to do so. Also, in my kit, the two set screws were different sizes – I believe they are the same length on the actual prop, so I’m not sure why Rich just didn’t make his both the same length.
As far as accuracy is concerned, I don’t have any other beefs. Others may take issue with a few details on the side plates as they are not 100% on in extremely subtle ways regarding curvatures and shapes that are best explained by looking at pictures of kit and then the original prop, but they are close enough for me. I think that overall, Richard’s done a nice job matching the details on his replica to the actual WorldCon hero prop.
An important side note is that I opted NOT to have the white wires running alongside the left side of the gun, but Richard DOES provide these should you wish to use them. And while I have made mine with the Weaver knob, I am still debating whether to switch it out for the slotted screw which appears to be SCREEN accurate, and will likely remain a detail that is screen accurate until someone can provide more info on when the weaver knob was actually added. Richard does provide a nylon slotted screw for this purpose, should you prefer it over the weaver knob.
As for the assembly of the actual Coyle kit, it is easy in some regards, challenging in most and, at times, extremely frustrating. At the time I purchased the kit, Richard didn't have actual instructions, but did send links to a few sites that had pictures of his build in progress…but some of these pictures were of earlier versions, and as these pictures were sort of all hodge-podged together, it became a bit of a challenge to figure everything out, especially as there are so many little screws and bolts. However, if I wasn’t already familiar with having built the earlier SidKit version (which does offer detailed on-line instructions), I would have been pretty lost. In fairness to Richard, he did offer to provide any needed assistance via e-mail, but if he continues to offer kits, I would encourage him to offer more detailed step-by-step instructions.
I will note that the kit comes COMPLETELY unassembled. You get a box of parts and screws. I wish Richard would have protected some of the pieces a little better as a few got dings and dents during shipment (I assume this as I don’t think they would have come out of the molds this way).
Overall, the kit was cast okay, but there were a few dings and wrinkles that needed to be smoothed out, a few more glaring than others. I expect to smooth out some things in a kit, but there was an area on the bolt assembly that was a bit rougher than I would have liked. I managed to sand most of it out, but it still sticks out a touch on the finished build…perhaps a more skilled modeler could have made it pristine.
Sonny was invaluable help in piecing the kit together for me, meticulously studying each and every screw, spring and bolt. In fact, he discovered that a few of the screws/bolts Richard provided were simply too short, most notable being the largest bolt that connects the LED housing to the barrel. I am sure Richard would have gladly sent a replacement, but sometimes my impatience gets the best of me, and Sonny volunteered to hit a few hobby shops and hardware stores to see if he could find what was needed, which he did.
Another aspect of the kit I disliked was the fact that the bottom two screw holes weren’t tapped out to secure the buttplate to the grip frame. The holes ARE drilled in the buttplate, but NOT in the bottom of the grip frame. When I put the grips on, I also noticed there was a noticeable gap between the grip frame and the buttplate…and as I prefer the bottoms of the amber grips rest flush on the buttplate, I had a bit of meticulous sanding to do. You may be able to see the before/after difference in my photos.
Is this a HUGE issue? No….after all, it is a kit and therefore one should expect to do work of this nature. But I do feel like the kit should have all needed holes drilled/tapped. If it wasn’t for Sonny’s assistance, tapping tools and skill, I would be standing here before you buttless.
Another tricky bit is the mechanism that allows the inner bullet chamber to flip out. In short, the pieces of brass rod that Richard provides will indeed work, but it is engineered, in my opinion, a little wonky. Sonny devised a variation on this mechanism that works quite nicely – which I have featured in some of the pictures and will try to explain in more detail later in a future post.
If you are seeking a metal replica of the Rick Deckard sidearm that is accurate in appearance to the screen-used prop, the Coyle piece is one of the best I’ve come across to date. It appears to be extremely accurate in most every regard. I would, however, consider it more of a display piece, and if you are looking for a prop for costume play, I would suggest Richard’s resin stunt version, as it is liable to withstand the kind of rough handling that typically occurs with cos-play. And, unless you are a skilled model maker and/or are intimately familiar with all the pieces and how they fit together, I would strongly advise you to avoid the kit and buy a FINISHED piece from Richard.
The benefit of having this as a kit, aside from saving a few bucks, is that you can finish it out exactly the way you like…whether this be a pristine factory finish or a more worn and corroded appearance. I believe Richard offers any finish you desire, but with all the subtleties associated with a “weathered” finish, it’s nice to be able to do it the way you like.
I should also mention that Richard’s replica comes with a nice acrylic display stand and metal plaque, which required very minor assembly (popping the clear rods into the stand and gluing plaque on).
There you have it…hope you found this review helpful, and, as always, I welcome your comments and questions.
NO PICS IN BODY TEXT -- HERE IS LINK TO PICS:
http://web.mac.com/tedeckel1/Site_5/Photos_2.html
MY REVIEW OF COYLE BLADE RUNNER PISTOL
I promised a review of both the SidKit and Richard Coyle’s WorldCon Blade Runner Pistol kits. Up first is my review of the Coyle kit – the SidKit review will follow in a few weeks, along with a possible comparison review.
First, a little background on me to help you put my opinions in context. If you’re inpatient like I often am, feel free to skip ahead a few paragraphs where I start the actual review.
I am 47 years old and have been collecting and/or building prop replicas since I was in high school. I have average building skills, and when I run into a problem that is beyond my skill level, I turn to fellow hobbyists for advice or help, most notably a fellow collector and friend named Sonny. Sonny is one of the few prop collectors I have met who is agreeably more anal-retentive than I am about accuracy and details. He is also more skilled than I am at such things as electronics, soldering and tapping metal. I have called on Sonny’s talents on several occasions when a project I was working on exceeded my skill level…in fact, Sonny helped me with several items on the Coyle kit, and I wanted to be sure to give him appropriate kudos for his help.
Those reading this are obviously interested in the nitty gritty on this Blade Runner pistol replica – probably trying to decide if they should chose it over other replicas available. I hope this review is helpful, but I feel the need to state up front that I am going to do my best to ignore all the heated controversy that has been debated by many members of this forum over this specific prop and its creator and provide as objective a review as possible.
It is also important to know that while I have obsessed over some of the tiniest of details on the many props I have built or collected over the years, I have come to realize that much, if not all, of this anguish and scrutinizing is, in the end, a somewhat insane and trivial pursuit when compared to other aspects of life that are far more valuable, such as personal relationships, taking a bike ride, blowing bubbles with my four-year old, reading a book, learning how to cook a new meal, etc. etc. In other words, this is a fun hobby if kept in perspective, which I am the first to admit that I have to remind myself of this every so often.
That being said, let’s move on with the review. I think a good prop replica kit review should cover two main issues – overall accuracy of the piece compared to the screen-used prop and ease of assembly. I’ll tackle accuracy first.
My credentials to make judgments on this replica’s accuracy are likely the same as yours. I’ve never held the actual screen-used prop in my hands but have simply scrutinized all the pistol scenes in the movie frame-by-frame, read most of the commentary and speculation on this piece from fellow board members and have studied the WorldCon photos until my retinas started to bleed. I have also built or owned about 6 or 7 different versions of this prop over the years, starting with the MARCO piece and working my way up to a Rick Ross PKD and then the first Coyle resin version of this prop, followed by one or two others as he upgraded them, and most recently the previous incarnation of the SidKit before he released his latest WorldCon version.
Based on what my eyes can discern (and I admit they are getting worse as I push 50), the Coyle BR gun appears to be 99% on the money. As it seems to be one of the most accurate metal replicas currently available, it is easier and quicker for me to explain the few things I don’t think are spot on…but before I do I will mention a few highlights that I appreciate on the Coyle piece.
First, I like the fact that this one appears to be so accurate overall. I like the feel and weight of the metal piece in my hands. I think the grips and buttplate are spot on, or so gosh-darn close that I likely couldn’t tell the difference even if you handed me the real deal. Although this wasn’t the most scientific way to handle this, I placed the completed kit on top of a picture of the actual prop, and the grips and buttplate (and rest of gun) appeared to line-up spot-on as far as dimensions go…especially on the grips, although I do wish they were cast in a more transparent finish – although this is, perhaps, more of a personal preference as it is hard to discern the exact finish and color on the hero prop grips.
I like that the LED housing is resin, to match the feel/look of the styrene plastic used on the hero prop. I like that Richard provides the two small set screws that go into the side of the LED housing, and that he paid attention to the fact that these set screws are slotted, like on the original prop. And while this action was never seen on screen, I do think it’s pretty cool to flip out the magazine and load in the shiny fake ammunition that comes with the kit…”ya see this bullet, Roy, well, it has YOUR name on it!”
So, what’s not to like? One thing that bugged me a little was that the small tubular piece that rests beneath the barrel (the piece that connects the barrel to the LED housing) is made from a hollow plastic tube. On the WorldCon prop, it appears to be gun metal in color, not solid black, so it would have been nice if Richard had made this piece out of the same metal as the rest of the prop, so it would accept the PERMA BLUE finish (or whatever finish you decided to use to match the gunmetal color). So, I swapped this piece out for one that Sonny made for me from aluminum…it feels more solid, but just so you know, aluminum will NOT accept the PERMA BLUE finish, so I had to use metalizer paints to match the Perma Blue finish on rest of pistol as closely as possible. I could’a done the same with the plastic tube Richard provides, but the piece was cut a bit short, so I would have had to replace it anyway, and as our hobby shop had the proper diameter aluminum tube, Sonny offered to cut a piece for me that would fit better. So, while not a huge deal, it would have been nice had this piece been provided in metal.
Here’s another really small anal-retentive note – my kit did not contain the little metal collar seen on one of the tiny set screws on the LED housing. It was easy enough for me to fashion one out of a piece of plastic tube from a local hobby shop -- but I do get fussy when I have to buy ANYTHING for a kit that I feel is being sold as complete. Not sure why Richard doesn’t simply throw in a small piece of tubing for this, as it could only cost a fraction of a cent to do so. Also, in my kit, the two set screws were different sizes – I believe they are the same length on the actual prop, so I’m not sure why Rich just didn’t make his both the same length.
As far as accuracy is concerned, I don’t have any other beefs. Others may take issue with a few details on the side plates as they are not 100% on in extremely subtle ways regarding curvatures and shapes that are best explained by looking at pictures of kit and then the original prop, but they are close enough for me. I think that overall, Richard’s done a nice job matching the details on his replica to the actual WorldCon hero prop.
An important side note is that I opted NOT to have the white wires running alongside the left side of the gun, but Richard DOES provide these should you wish to use them. And while I have made mine with the Weaver knob, I am still debating whether to switch it out for the slotted screw which appears to be SCREEN accurate, and will likely remain a detail that is screen accurate until someone can provide more info on when the weaver knob was actually added. Richard does provide a nylon slotted screw for this purpose, should you prefer it over the weaver knob.
As for the assembly of the actual Coyle kit, it is easy in some regards, challenging in most and, at times, extremely frustrating. At the time I purchased the kit, Richard didn't have actual instructions, but did send links to a few sites that had pictures of his build in progress…but some of these pictures were of earlier versions, and as these pictures were sort of all hodge-podged together, it became a bit of a challenge to figure everything out, especially as there are so many little screws and bolts. However, if I wasn’t already familiar with having built the earlier SidKit version (which does offer detailed on-line instructions), I would have been pretty lost. In fairness to Richard, he did offer to provide any needed assistance via e-mail, but if he continues to offer kits, I would encourage him to offer more detailed step-by-step instructions.
I will note that the kit comes COMPLETELY unassembled. You get a box of parts and screws. I wish Richard would have protected some of the pieces a little better as a few got dings and dents during shipment (I assume this as I don’t think they would have come out of the molds this way).
Overall, the kit was cast okay, but there were a few dings and wrinkles that needed to be smoothed out, a few more glaring than others. I expect to smooth out some things in a kit, but there was an area on the bolt assembly that was a bit rougher than I would have liked. I managed to sand most of it out, but it still sticks out a touch on the finished build…perhaps a more skilled modeler could have made it pristine.
Sonny was invaluable help in piecing the kit together for me, meticulously studying each and every screw, spring and bolt. In fact, he discovered that a few of the screws/bolts Richard provided were simply too short, most notable being the largest bolt that connects the LED housing to the barrel. I am sure Richard would have gladly sent a replacement, but sometimes my impatience gets the best of me, and Sonny volunteered to hit a few hobby shops and hardware stores to see if he could find what was needed, which he did.
Another aspect of the kit I disliked was the fact that the bottom two screw holes weren’t tapped out to secure the buttplate to the grip frame. The holes ARE drilled in the buttplate, but NOT in the bottom of the grip frame. When I put the grips on, I also noticed there was a noticeable gap between the grip frame and the buttplate…and as I prefer the bottoms of the amber grips rest flush on the buttplate, I had a bit of meticulous sanding to do. You may be able to see the before/after difference in my photos.
Is this a HUGE issue? No….after all, it is a kit and therefore one should expect to do work of this nature. But I do feel like the kit should have all needed holes drilled/tapped. If it wasn’t for Sonny’s assistance, tapping tools and skill, I would be standing here before you buttless.
Another tricky bit is the mechanism that allows the inner bullet chamber to flip out. In short, the pieces of brass rod that Richard provides will indeed work, but it is engineered, in my opinion, a little wonky. Sonny devised a variation on this mechanism that works quite nicely – which I have featured in some of the pictures and will try to explain in more detail later in a future post.
If you are seeking a metal replica of the Rick Deckard sidearm that is accurate in appearance to the screen-used prop, the Coyle piece is one of the best I’ve come across to date. It appears to be extremely accurate in most every regard. I would, however, consider it more of a display piece, and if you are looking for a prop for costume play, I would suggest Richard’s resin stunt version, as it is liable to withstand the kind of rough handling that typically occurs with cos-play. And, unless you are a skilled model maker and/or are intimately familiar with all the pieces and how they fit together, I would strongly advise you to avoid the kit and buy a FINISHED piece from Richard.
The benefit of having this as a kit, aside from saving a few bucks, is that you can finish it out exactly the way you like…whether this be a pristine factory finish or a more worn and corroded appearance. I believe Richard offers any finish you desire, but with all the subtleties associated with a “weathered” finish, it’s nice to be able to do it the way you like.
I should also mention that Richard’s replica comes with a nice acrylic display stand and metal plaque, which required very minor assembly (popping the clear rods into the stand and gluing plaque on).
There you have it…hope you found this review helpful, and, as always, I welcome your comments and questions.
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