Firefly - Jubal Early's pistol - are we sure it was all scratchbuilt?

[Kaylee]

I ask 'cause looking again at the pictures of pennausamike's nicely done build in the other thread, that little bit sticking out the end looks awful familiar. It reminds me of the striker off a single-shot pistol akin to the old Liberator.

Now I'm not saying it was a Liberator of course, but I'm wondering if just maybe there might be some old post-war flare or blank/signalling pistol action or something similar underneath all the science fictiony high tech stuff. Any chance that's possible?

I remember Jubal uses it on Simon, but I can't recall if we actually see it being discharged on screen - do we? If so, does that bit in back move? (My DVDs are about 4000 miles away or so right now. )

-K

 

[pennausamike]

We never see any part of Jubal's pistol move.
There is no action, no magazine, no ejection port,
no sense to the design as a firearm.

The grips are the only parts I know of that are "real".
The grips are Pachmyr grips for N-frame Smith and Wesson revolvers.
I keep thinking of replacing the slightly muddy grips on my second (keeper) cast of Early's pistol with the $26 set of real Pachmyrs, putting real flat head allen socket screws in place of the cast ones, a working trigger and machined "striker" parts.

But then I realize that while I'm really happy to have the Jubal Early pistol in my collection, I'm not willing to put more time and effort ito making it more "real", when it is such an unrealistic firearm design in the first place.

Early notes, as he threatens Simon Tam, “I think this is very pretty. I like the weight of it. The design. Of the thing. It’s functional.”

 

[JOATRASH FX]

I've been studying the Jubal prop in between my Vera-induced dizzy spells and I've gotta agree... doesn't seem to be based on a real gun.

However, a few of the side greeblies do look like found parts.... I know I've seen something similar somewhere.

I've just bought a set of pachamyr grips and as soon as my Vera blueprints are done I'm going to start modeling up Jubal's pistol in 3D with the intent of making a run of kits... hopefully all-metal, that you can just add a pair of grips to. Not sure yet if I'll do the side parts separate or get it done in one solid piece, but the allen bolts will definitely not be integrated. (and I am trying to see if I can do a working trigger)

For me, the Jubal Early pistol is really almost as iconic as Mal's and Jayne's weapons. Especially since it's so unique (even if it is "impossible"). It'll be great once they've show Objects in Space in HD so we can see some nice hi-res shots of it.

I don't' remember either, but even if we do see it discharged in the episode, adding a muzzle flash and faking a good recoil is a breeze to do. (I did it waaay back in '97 when I was making a vampire flick and couldn't get a license to do squibs.)

 

[Sidewinder]

You never see it fire, the only shot happens out of shot IYKWIM

SAS

 

[Kadajiroth]

I've just bought a set of pachamyr grips and as soon as my Vera blueprints are done I'm going to start modeling up Jubal's pistol in 3D with the intent of making a run of kits... hopefully all-metal, that you can just add a pair of grips to. Not sure yet if I'll do the side parts separate or get it done in one solid piece, but the allen bolts will definitely not be integrated. (and I am trying to see if I can do a working trigger)

All-metal run of Early's pistol? Shiny! :love :thumbsup

 

[robstyle]

Id say with roughly 100% certainty, its 100% fabricated. I could be off by .0099% but Id say its pretty close. I also believe the trigger moves but what do I know.

 

[JOATRASH FX]

I'm in total agreement that it's fabricated in that there's no base gun underneath, but I still say those side greeblies look like found items. They're not completely dissimilar to the magnets that control the pickup inside a computer hard drive (though that's not what they are). One of them looks like part of some kind of latch/locking mechanism.

I've been a little slow in updating my build thread for a few days... but I'm currently thinking of building the master mold pattern myself instead of having it machined/prototyped. (There was not enough interest in the JY to justify the cost of having it RPed.)

Id say with roughly 100% certainty, its 100% fabricated. I could be off by .0099% but Id say its pretty close. I also believe the trigger moves but what do I know.

 

[Kaylee]

Neat!

To the original point of the question, I wasn't wondering if there was anything like a base revolver or auto underneath.. What I was wondering was whether since the dohickey on the back was not unlike the "pull to cock" firing pins we see on (among others) the crickett rifle and Liberator single-shot actions, whether there might be something just functional enough to set off a blank round. If we saw that dohickey move, it'd be good evidence for that. Since we didn't, well.. not much point to lookin.

It would still be neat to see an all metal buildup.. and I'm just glad to see work continues on Firefly stuff.

 

[switchblade_slinger]

I ask 'cause looking again at the pictures of pennausamike's nicely done build in the other thread, that little bit sticking out the end looks awful familiar. It reminds me of the striker off a single-shot pistol akin to the old Liberator.


-K

You know, I've always thought that it reminded me of a spraygun, either for paint or bug repellent. I dug up these images, and they look promising, but I'm still not sure. Good base for props in any case, I think.

 

[Kaylee]

hunh... you know switchblade, you may be on to something there. There are several models out there that have a similar profile to the receiver, but nothing quite like it.

I dunno.. as many other elements from the 'verse are either found items or recycled from other shows, I have a hard time believing the thing was custom made for one episide. Could be... but for some reason I'm still thinking at least the base for the receiver is still out there someplace, just minus the Pachmayers, copper pipe (or whatever) barrel, and maybe some greeblies.

say, spray adjust like the knobs on the side of this one -

and a bottom feeder, attaching to that "hump" in front of the grip like this one?

I dunno.. I'm thinking it's very possible there's just such a thing buried under all the rest of the goodies. The question is - if so, which one?

 

[pennausamike]

I'll vouch for the idea that paint guns, or as in my case sand blaster nozzles, can make good SF weaponry.

Below is the piece I made and carried as Alliance weaponry recently.
Both the pistol-grip and fore-grip were originally used up sandblaster parts.

Not screen accurate to the show, but I haven't purchased an L-85, and I probably won't.
I'd rather build my own "not-identifiable-as-something-already-in-existance" future weaponry.
I plan to build a bullpup weapon for my Alliance "purplebelly".
Also, the "stock" is a giveaway to the non-gun origins of the piece,
a useful asset in a public appearance.

 

[switchblade_slinger]

I like this thread. Bump so it doesnt get lost in the shuffle.