Han Solo's ROTJ Bunker Buster DL-44 Blaster

[ogrotesque1]

OK, I have been searching and searching for some descent reference material on Solo's ROTJ Bunker Buster DL-44 Blaster with not much luck at all. Don't get me wrong here, I am in no way trying to build a prop of this Blaster whatsoever. I personally think the thing is the ugliest, weirdest, incorrect looking piece of junk ever to not see the silver screen! What I want to know is:
Why the Hell was that weapon ever handed to Harrison Ford in the first place?!? What is the story about that perticular Blaster? Who decided that it was ok to use while the camera was rolling? How did they find a Mauser with a foot long barrel and why? Basically everything about that hideous prop and any kind of photos and any stories about how that Blaster came to be on set. Does anybody here know these things? Does anybody else here share the same opinion as me about the look and lineage of this Blaster, who made it and why, anything and everything about this particular ROTJ Bunker Buster DL-44 Blaster? So if anybody has any photos or history about it, I ask that you please post it here in this thread because there has got to be other Star Wars fans, Han Solo fans, or even just DL-44 Blaster fans that want to know about this prop. Below I am posting the best photo I have found which is actually a screen capture from a video, so please excuse the grainy look. I hope this thread explodes with loads of information about the ugliest of all our favorite smuggler's sidearms! Thanks for reading and MTFBWY.........

 

[Captain Dunsel]

So ugly....

It almost looks like they tried to make a life-size, 1:1, version of the DL-44 blaster that was packaged with the vintage Kenner Han Solo action figures at the time (based on the flash hider at the end).

 

[newmagrathea]

It looks like the ANH blaster with the scope backwards and the flash hider replaced with.... I don't know what that is.

 

[scottjua]

It's what a lot of us think is that last appearance of the ANH Hero. It's a weird or "bizzaro" combination of The Naked runner/anh hero upper... with the naked runner extended barrel... the ANH hero/sitting target scope mount and scope... on a ROTJ scope bracket... with some weird flash hider/muzzle break thing. .

Totally bizarre and why it's there... I have no clue. It HAD to be shot in the UK though.

 

[OdiWan72]

It´s been discussed before.
Check the Han ANH blaster discussion thread for more information and some pictures of how I set up mine (will re-post some pics asap)

 

[cayman shen]

Man, they weren't even trying with that one...

 

[matty matt]

Still better than the Force Awakens blaster.

 

[OdiWan72]

Only have that one picture handy.
It´s a rough setup of the reversed ROTJ bracket with the Han ANH mount and reversed HW 3x scope, which I posted back then to support the discussion...



The blaster is done now with the exception of the weird flashhider. Still have to make a drawing and have it machined.
Like I said...will post more pics asap

- - - Updated - - -

Still better than the Force Awakens blaster.

QFT!

 

[cayman shen]

We'll have to agree to disagree. The TFA blaster looks MUCH more legit than this hardware blaster looking thing.

 

[OdiWan72]

We'll have to agree to disagree. The TFA blaster looks MUCH more legit than this hardware blaster looking thing.

As much as I like having multiples and variations (!) of a specific prop, I still don´t like the approach of simply putting Han LE parts on a Schnellfeuer Mauser...but that´s just me.

Is this weirdo blaster FUGLY?...YES :lol
Is it an OT prop and based on this fact alone -much more- appealing to me?...HELL YES :cool

 

[Lichtbringer]

As much as I like having multiples and variations (!) of a specific prop, I still don´t like the approach of simply putting Han LE parts on a Schnellfeuer Mauser...but that´s just me.

Is this weirdo blaster FUGLY?...YES :lol
Is it an OT prop and based on this fact alone -much more- appealing to me?...HELL YES :cool

You are not alone. :lol

 

[Wolfsburg]

We'll have to agree to disagree. The TFA blaster looks MUCH more legit than this hardware blaster looking thing.

Lol! I would have to agree. The TFA blaster actually looks like Han's blaster at least. This thing just looks like something he found on the ground during the battle that has some vague resemblance to his old blaster!:lol

 

[OdiWan72]

Lol! I would have to agree. The TFA blaster actually looks like Han's blaster at least. This thing just looks like something he found on the ground during the battle that has some vague resemblance to his old blaster!:lol

But it is OT.....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTT :lol

sorry, can't help myself, call me old-fashioned

 

[kurtyboy]

:darnkids

 

[Wolfsburg]

But it is OT.....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTT :lol

sorry, can't help myself, call me old-fashioned

Trust me, I totally understand! Haha! The OT was a special place and time...

 

[thd9791]

I think it was suggested in the ANH thread that with this mount available, that was the best place for the ANH set up and the scope might have been put on that way to lessen the obviousness of the uncut barrel, making the design larger altogether

 

[ogrotesque1]

Wow, thank you SO much guys for expressing your true feelings about the ROTJ Bunker Buster! I would also agree with a few of you and say I have to go with Han's newer The Force Awakens Blaster over the ROTJ BB. At least I'm not left scratching my head when I look at the newer TFA Blaster like I am with the ROTJ BB! Even though it's just a glorified airsoft gun, there's no confusion and you know exactly who it belongs to. If it weren't for Han hold the ROTJ BB, you wouldn't ever think it was his Blaster! At least I wouldn't.... I knew I was gonna get a few of you posting "this has already been discussed in another thread" and I'm sorry if anyone finds it annoying that I started a new thread. The thing is I want this thread to be only about the ROTJ BB Blaster and I honestly wouldn't know where to start looking for it in the ANH Hero Blaster thread. Isn't it like ninety some-odd pages long by the way?!? I think that's totally awesome that you actually made one OdiWan72!! Maybe it will grow on me if I keep seeing it on this thread? I don't know though, that's a tough call..... Anyway, out of all the props used in the SW OT, the ROTJ BB has to be the biggest anomaly there is to me. I find myself loving to hate it, but in a good way! Please keep posting pics and give your opinions? Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and of coarse, MTFBWY..............

 

[thd9791]

Another thought - theres a reason this was a deleted scene. I feel like that must have been a last resort firearm prop

 

[Treadwell]

It was the only scene shot in the UK that required a firing Solo blaster. The firing props used in the States might not even have been made yet (UK shooting was first), and in any event, bringing firing weapons back and forth between countries was a hassle even then. So they probably just told Bapty they needed them to supply one again, assuming they knew what it looked like, and this is what they came up with. My hunch is that all of the holstered Han blasters filmed in the UK were resin "Muppet Blasters" (ESB stunt props, as seen on Mark Hamill's Muppet Show appearance).

 

[thd9791]

It was the only scene shot in the UK that required a firing Solo blaster. The firing props used in the States might not even have been made yet (UK shooting was first), and in any event, bringing firing weapons back and forth between countries was a hassle even then. So they probably just told Bapty they needed them to supply one again, assuming they knew what it looked like, and this is what they came up with. My hunch is that all of the holstered Han blasters filmed in the UK were resin "Muppet Blasters" (ESB stunt props, as seen on Mark Hamill's Muppet Show appearance).

That might explain the mount's weird shape too. Inspired by the muppet blaster and with whatever Bapty sent over this time, they had to cut one to mount the Hendsolt and bracket.