DL 44 Blaster
Sr Member
[attachmentid=4108]Amish...here's a pic of my last BD ANH flash suppressor. Quite an evolution IMHO.
Han Solo ANH Hero Blaster Flash Hider *FOUND*
- Thread starter amish
- Start date
DL 44 Blaster
Sr Member
My theory all along.....(mumbles from the back of the class) :angel
The Jawa looks exactly like it only more disorted and much larger.
Steve
Seems the gun suppressor theory set the cat among the (lone)pigeons.
For the record, I chatted with JJ about a lot of Star Wars props and he proved helpful and knowledgeable about many things that I'd had previously corroborated via other sources who were better placed on the productions to know. I have no reason to believe he tells porkies.
What JJ told me about the Han ANH Blaster was roughly as follows, and hopefully I'm not breaching any confidences -
The Han ANH Blaster came from Baptys.
It had been stripped down and not all the parts, including the Flash Suppressor were on it, but markings for where those parts had been attached were in evidence.
He was informed that the Suppressor was from a WW2 aircraft gun, the kind that you set up on the ground, or balance on a wing to use in defence when the aircraft has landed.
He has photographic reference of the part.
End of Story.
That's all the light I can shed on this interesting debate.
Barry
For the record, I chatted with JJ about a lot of Star Wars props and he proved helpful and knowledgeable about many things that I'd had previously corroborated via other sources who were better placed on the productions to know. I have no reason to believe he tells porkies.
What JJ told me about the Han ANH Blaster was roughly as follows, and hopefully I'm not breaching any confidences -
The Han ANH Blaster came from Baptys.
It had been stripped down and not all the parts, including the Flash Suppressor were on it, but markings for where those parts had been attached were in evidence.
He was informed that the Suppressor was from a WW2 aircraft gun, the kind that you set up on the ground, or balance on a wing to use in defence when the aircraft has landed.
He has photographic reference of the part.
End of Story.
That's all the light I can shed on this interesting debate.
Barry
Durasteel Corporation
Well-Known Member
Thanks Barry..
All I do remember is that I did a bunch of mounts. I think I ended up doing 10 different vertical bracket/cradle variations before I came up with the final one. After doing every one of them, I mounted it, compared it with the photos I had and then went and tweaked things.
I started on the interior and centered the cradle (which I didn't believe it was) and worked my way out from there. The one I did before the final one was more centered like the Worley until someone (either CKing or Lordsandy) mentioned I should look closer at the front washer that hte horizontal bracket is attached to.
It was not as thick as the rear washer which made the front end of the scope point in towards the muzzle. Once I did that, the set up similar to the Worley didn't work. So I put them all back on there and the one I actually sold was the final version based on the front washer being thinner then the rear washer.
After doing that I thought about it. If these were a one piece design, then it was more feasible for the cast parts if the vertical extension came directly down from the interior side of the cradle. Which is how other cradles were done (see Kurtboy's photo for clarification). Based on the pre shots of the cradle, the interior side of the cradle goes all the way up to the base of the top rings (IE: covering half the scope). Placing it where Worley and MR did it wouldn't be as feasible from a casting perspective.
If anything, on my cradle, there should be a radius transitioning between the vertical bracket and the cradle. Didn't do it as it would have made the mating up of the 2 parts more difficult.
I think Cking and I worked on it as a joint thing. I honestly don't remember. That photo you posted of the Worley is the one I was thinking of so I quite obviously remembered things incorrectly. I've never said I had a good memory.
Here are 2 more shots of my gun. All I can find so far.
One shows how I modified the hider and hte bull barrel, other shows the cradle/vertical bracket mounting.
Darth Lars
Master Member
I have been looking through a lot of web sites with WWII weapons. This is the closest I have found. It is the German MG81 gun. It was mounted on aircraft and u-boats, often in a twin configuration.
Some of these don't have the cones and some have no flash hider at all. The variations confused me a bit.
Scallops are visible below, but the knurled section looks longer.
I will keep looking for better pics. Just hoping this isn't false alarm .... :$
The RAF Aircraft Museum in the UK has a few of these guns, but I don't know if they are on display.
Edit: The MG81 was based on the MG34... so I guess that many of the parts were interchangable.
Some of these don't have the cones and some have no flash hider at all. The variations confused me a bit.
Scallops are visible below, but the knurled section looks longer.
I will keep looking for better pics. Just hoping this isn't false alarm .... :$
The RAF Aircraft Museum in the UK has a few of these guns, but I don't know if they are on display.
Edit: The MG81 was based on the MG34... so I guess that many of the parts were interchangable.
amish
Sr Member
This is the MG 131
Here is the MG81 again. You can see the holes in the Flash Suppressor.
Pics from this website:
http://www.luftarchiv.info/bordgerate/waffen.htm
Here is the MG81 again. You can see the holes in the Flash Suppressor.
Pics from this website:
http://www.luftarchiv.info/bordgerate/waffen.htm
lonepigeon
Master Member
These latest pieces look much closer than the muzzles posted in this thread so far.
They give the most credibility to the actual flash suppressor theory than anything else.
I remember that modern muzzle that darkside72 posted back in the day Jeff posted his find. For a short time we were actually researching other models as possibilities for ESB DL-44's since that particular one has three knurled rings.
Barry-
Jason Joiner might not tell "porkies" but Bapty surely has and that's where he gets much of his info.
Gabe - I don't appreciate the condescending "use simple logic" comments especially when you have to make up such convoluted stories to explain how a pile of these things ended up at a fire station.
They give the most credibility to the actual flash suppressor theory than anything else.
I remember that modern muzzle that darkside72 posted back in the day Jeff posted his find. For a short time we were actually researching other models as possibilities for ESB DL-44's since that particular one has three knurled rings.
Barry-
Jason Joiner might not tell "porkies" but Bapty surely has and that's where he gets much of his info.
Gabe - I don't appreciate the condescending "use simple logic" comments especially when you have to make up such convoluted stories to explain how a pile of these things ended up at a fire station.
There was a thread a while back researching a trooper pistol - the one seen in the U.K. poster fold out with Vader.
That's why I started this thread:
http://www.therpf.com/index.php?...topic=96443&hl=
IIRC the machine gun was identified as a 'model 99' or similar - a Japanese weapon - which had been cut down.
Somebody then posted a pic of three Japanese heavy machine guns and one of them had a hider which looked VERY close to what we're after here.
Someone pointed it out in the thread, and someone else said something along the lines of:
" Nah, that's not it. "
The ' ' was very telling IMHO.
Find that pic / poster and I'm positive you've found the correct hider.
Howard.
That's why I started this thread:
http://www.therpf.com/index.php?...topic=96443&hl=
IIRC the machine gun was identified as a 'model 99' or similar - a Japanese weapon - which had been cut down.
Somebody then posted a pic of three Japanese heavy machine guns and one of them had a hider which looked VERY close to what we're after here.
Someone pointed it out in the thread, and someone else said something along the lines of:
" Nah, that's not it.
"The '
' was very telling IMHO.Find that pic / poster and I'm positive you've found the correct hider.
Howard.
Darth Lars
Master Member
The four guns in Amish' second pic are also MG81's btw. From the same site as one of the pics I posted.
I have not found a pic of any japanese gun that is as close as the MG81.. yet. The suppressors for the model 99 have been too elongated and lacked holes.
I have tracked down a few gun collectors who might own the MG81 and emailed them a retouched pic of the Han's flash suppressor with the hope that one of them could confirm or deny.
I have not found a pic of any japanese gun that is as close as the MG81.. yet. The suppressors for the model 99 have been too elongated and lacked holes.
I have tracked down a few gun collectors who might own the MG81 and emailed them a retouched pic of the Han's flash suppressor with the hope that one of them could confirm or deny.
amish
Sr Member
Thanks Darth Lars, I was reading the descriptions wrong.
The website where i got the images from is here:
http://www.luftarchiv.info/bordgerate/waffen.htm
The website where i got the images from is here:
http://www.luftarchiv.info/bordgerate/waffen.htm
Durasteel Corporation
Well-Known Member
I have located a shop that refurbishes MG31s and MG34s about 5 miles from me. I am going up there this monday to see if they have the correct flash hider.
Cross your fingers gents.
Cross your fingers gents.
Darth Lars
Master Member
I just received a reply from a gun collector who claims it to be from the MG81. I will try to acquire photos from him. I will keep you updated.
Durasteel Corporation: Bring a picture. Even if they don't have it, someone there might have seen it somewhere.
Durasteel Corporation: Bring a picture. Even if they don't have it, someone there might have seen it somewhere.
Prop Runner
Sr Member
FANTASTIC progress, guys. :thumbsup
Chris - sorry if I came off condescending - I value all the contributions you've made in the course of archiving and publishing all your findings on Star Wars props. If I offended you, please forgive me. The tone was a product of exasperation, not disrespect.
I won't be back in this thread "full time" until Sunday night, as my weekend has been jammed with activities.
Would love to get my hands on the real thing, if it's finally found, and reverse-engineer it....
- Gabe
Chris - sorry if I came off condescending - I value all the contributions you've made in the course of archiving and publishing all your findings on Star Wars props. If I offended you, please forgive me. The tone was a product of exasperation, not disrespect.
I won't be back in this thread "full time" until Sunday night, as my weekend has been jammed with activities.
Would love to get my hands on the real thing, if it's finally found, and reverse-engineer it....
- Gabe
Durasteel Corporation
Well-Known Member
DLars
I believe the MG31 is essentially the same as the MG34 (one for planes, one for ground troops).....but there were regional (ie, country) differences, model versions and very likely experimental parts runs.....so its probably gonna be a challenge.
Either way this is definately a gun part now. Id bank on it.
I find this picture to be extremely convincing:
http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www....weapon/mg81.jpg
I also came across a website that showed a picture of a flash hider with a thick bull barrel type extension behind it....I got to wondering...hmm.
Drew
I believe the MG31 is essentially the same as the MG34 (one for planes, one for ground troops).....but there were regional (ie, country) differences, model versions and very likely experimental parts runs.....so its probably gonna be a challenge.
Either way this is definately a gun part now. Id bank on it.
I find this picture to be extremely convincing:
http://images.google.com/url?q=http://www....weapon/mg81.jpg
I also came across a website that showed a picture of a flash hider with a thick bull barrel type extension behind it....I got to wondering...hmm.
Drew
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