Factory Entertainment Battlestar Galactica 1979. Colonial Laser Pistol

[Jintosh]

Wait, what? Are you guys seriously going to modify these over priced hunks of plastic?! You just SPENT 500.00 on this underwhelming piece. Now you’re going to spend more money and put in the worko make it better?! For 500.00 you shouldn’t have to!

Hello Funky.

I've been wanting to do this build for YEARS. I'm 3D sculpting a blaster from scratch and 3D print it. Add my own electronics. I've been looking at The Dutch Cylon's blaster, and a solid cast resin blaster I bought many years ago, and looking at the Hero blaster from ByYourCommand.net. Mine is going to be my own unique sculpt. I'll spend a fraction of what FE's blaster is. Theirs is a nice commercial piece, mine is DIY...I don't think people will be flocking to me to buy mine, but I'll have a nice replica for myself.

I guess I should start my own build thread, but I wanted to talk about FE's so I could see where they could have improved.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Wait, what? Are you guys seriously going to modify these over priced hunks of plastic?! You just SPENT 500.00 on this underwhelming piece. Now you’re going to spend more money and put in the worko make it better?! For 500.00 you shouldn’t have to!

Me with the dremel....

​

 

[Robot Monster]

I can't take a Dremel to it, I'm ok with it. Yes it could be better but it looks nice where it is on my display and makes me smile when I look at it so I'm good.

 

[Funky]

I can't take a Dremel to it, I'm ok with it. Yes it could be better but it looks nice where it is on my display and make be smile when I look at it so I'm good.

So long as you’re happy with it, isn’t that all that really matters?

 

[JiminSTLouis]

I can't take a Dremel to it, I'm ok with it. Yes it could be better but it looks nice where it is on my display and make be smile when I look at it so I'm good.

As much as I like the heft and cold feel of my FE TNG Tricorder, it spends its life in a lucite box not being touched. So the color of the lights, the sequence of the flashing, and the shape of the screen mean very little. It just looks great sitting on my shelf. My Wand Co. Pip-Boy gets the most attention because of its interactivity and it’s just sitting on my desk being used as a clock, and not locked away in a display box.

If the Battlestar blaster looks great on display, awesome! I’m sure very few collectors run around the house blasting the cat, so the sound and flash don’t mean much in this case either. But there’s nothing against those that wish FE would have improved on some of these features.

 

[CessnaDriver]

The speaker as you can see is not much. Which explains a lot. It's louder now, I'd like to say twice as loud but it was a mouse squeek before so. A shouting mouse, perhaps a perturbed mouse. It may be possible to get a different speaker in there, the wires you can sort of just get to, there is a little slack to pull them close to the opening, but what to use and would it matter? Could a small amp be installed too? Questions questions questions.

Anyways I give you the Colonial Armorers safety upgrade. This sensor grill detects a human hand OR non human, or Lords of Kobol forbid a Cylon. And will disable or enable the weapon as needed. After a few negligent discharges by personal that shall remain unnamed, something had to be done.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Hmmmm I think I could fit this in there. My cut is corner to corner is 35mm and this 37mm x 30.5mm x 7.2mm.
So I think it could go in. Then you need power source, needs minimum of 3.0 V, maybe you could use the onboard batteries if you can string the wires back.

https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/adafruit-industries-llc/3885/10481842?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_adgroup=&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax%20Shopping_Product_Low%20ROAS%20Categories&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_id=go_cmp-20243063506_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-10481842_sig-Cj0KCQjwqv2_BhC0ARIsAFb5Ac_FFdzvQLv6bGriYcQeU8USraaiopgvbfpU9UMMFpQvt3s4Ls6ffJ4aAuwfEALw_wcB&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqv2_BhC0ARIsAFb5Ac_FFdzvQLv6bGriYcQeU8USraaiopgvbfpU9UMMFpQvt3s4Ls6ffJ4aAuwfEALw_wcB

 

[dproc]

I'm firmly in the mind that if you like something and its worth it to you then that's great. It makes you happy then that's all that matters. I have more than once spent a lot more than I should on something because of this justification! What I do find hard though, is as soon as you label something an "Authentic Replica" it seems to give a justification to charge a ludicrous price for it, regardless of the build quality. Looking at all the images of the FE model it really just looks like a cheap plastic toy. Sorry. Id say $40 is a stretch for it. The design of the original doesn't help, but its just that look. I can also get that screen accuracy is important and people spend a long time going over details designing it, but this is not a $500 item. If I don't like it, don't buy it, you say? of course.. but this is not my point. What my gears are ground by is, as collectors, I feel we are just being ripped off and its ok because "its the nature of collecting". If it was machined from aluminium and lacked nothing that people had to modify and add themselves to be happy with it, then maybe it deserves a decent price. Today an item like this can be modeled and 3d printed to just as good a quality, as demonstrated in this thread, for a fraction of the price. But limited run manufacturing costs heaps you say? Sure.. so dont tool for limited run that costs that much. Why cant they be printed and finished in a limited run for a fraction of the cost? It's not worth the company to do it then you say... then don't do it. All it does it justify an overpriced market that makes it ok for everyone to charge these prices. Things like small figurines that are $400 or poorly made licenced replicas in general are merely a detriment to the community, not a good thing. Actual props with history and emotional value can be expensive enough, but at least have some identity. I dont justify an official license as a pass for a crazy price tag of a barely average toy. No offence whatsoever to anyone that wants one or has bought one. Thats totally cool and enjoy it. Its the ethics and effect on the hobby, not the love of collecting that is my rant. *Gets off soap box.

 

[CessnaDriver]

Was able to pry the speaker off where they glued it, relocated to my grill. At least the speaker is getting all it's worth to the outside now. Way better. I suspect if they had done something like this in the first place people probably would not have complained. Though it should be louder and pack a punch. I may still try something else.

 

[goldcylon]

How hard was it to remove the grill area ? A little prying or ????

 

[CessnaDriver]

How hard was it to remove the grill area ? A little prying or ????

Nothing to pry, just cut. I etched a square that matched the bottom of that grill piece I got off Etsy. Nothing fancy, Drill drill drill holes as much material away as possible within the square, cut with dikes I use for models what the drill didn't remove, then dremel to remove more, then file until the grill fit flush. It's nasty nasty dusty resin, so outdoors with mask on, you don't want to breath this stuff. The little speaker I gently pried loose with an exacto. It's not glued on too bad. The grip can get in the way, I was careful but covering it with tape or something might have been somethign I should have done to protect it while working. I got the grill to be pretty much press fit in, easy to take out again. If something catches my eye down the road that will look better than that grill I can replace it easy enough. I put alittle black tape behind the speaker so as to hide the lighter color inside if anyone gets looking in there, and maybe deflect a little sound out better. It's loud enough now if you handed it to a non prop friend to play with, they aren't going to laugh, well until they hear the price anyways. Testors flat black seems to be a great match.

 

[KitSmasher]

I was on the fence about this one, it's something I've really wanted for a long time- I'd been collecting model kits to source the parts to build my own version, and this would save the hassle- but given it seems pretty stylized and the electronics kind of lackluster I'm gonna pass.

Incidentally- the price point (while high, IMO) might reflect the costs of them obtaining the license and whatever their guarantee with Universal is. They likely would be trying to recoup those costs ASAP because of the low number of possible replicas for the line and frankly a relatively limited audience for original BSG pieces.

 

[Luuke]

Here’s the thing. They could have EASILY so this for under 300.00 but they are greedy as usual.
Keep your cheap toy, I’ll keep my money. Jerks.

My feelings exactly. A lot of their prop products are ridiculously overpriced. Hard pass for me too.

 

[Lost in Trek]

So I purchased one and it’s a solid 3 out of 5.
Issues,
Too expensive for what you u get.
Electronics seem cheap. Light should be brighter and sound better.
I’m also not a fan of the included stand.

Positives
Details are nice.
Overall seems well constructed.
Nice packaging.
Size seems more correct than my replica which is smaller than the FE version.

I think I’m done with FE. They so often seem to fail in some area that detracts from the overall piece. I’ve got better places to spend my limited funds.

 

[Funky]

I think I’m done with FE. They so often seem to fail in some area that detracts from the overall piece. I’ve got better places to spend my limited funds.

Yup. I totally agree. I stopped buying from FE years ago. Good, bad or ugly, they are WAY overpriced. They don’t have to be. I guess they figure us prop guys have bottomless pockets. Disgusting.

 

[Luuke]

Yup. I totally agree. I stopped buying from FE years ago. Good, bad or ugly, they are WAY overpriced. They don’t have to be. I guess they figure us prop guys have bottomless pockets. Disgusting.

I agree 100%

 

[Robot Monster]

I kept mine, it's a prop I wanted but I never had the skill to pull it off. I have more that a few in my basement that I have been been able to find the time to develop the skills to pull off. Yes i wish it was a strobe flash and MUCH louder. I can look at it and enjoy.