Just another ANH Hero DL-44 build

I'm building another kit and this time it's for myself! The kit is from Field Marshall complemented with a set of Tom-Tit greeblies that I got from Reade Models before they ceased production.
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This will not be a detailed build thread because I got carried away and neglected to document every step. Purists may also want to look elsewhere because I wanted this to be a personalized prop and yet loosely inspired by the ANH Hero blaster. So it will not check all the boxes that qualify this as an ultra-accurate prop.

Test fit and assembly. It took me a while to figure out the lock frame assembly since the kit didn't come with instructions and it's completely different from the MGC. Deburring and some machine oil were essential to ensure smooth operation of the trigger/hammer mechanism.
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The hardest part of this build had to be sanding the milled marks out. I used 120, 240, 800 and 1,500 grit sandpapers to get the job done.
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Blued the flash hider with Super Blue from Birchwood Casey. It took 2 coats to get it this dark.
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Fast forward one day. Blued the scope and aged the brass parts.
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Some of the Mauser parts were hot-blued while several remain steel colored.
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Carved the grill into shape.
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'Antennae' greebly from the Tom-Tit set.
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As of this post, 95% of the blaster is done and all that's left is staining the walnut grips. I dulled the steel parts with black oil wash so I'll let it cure over the next 2 days or so.
 
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The black oil wash on the steel parts certainly brings them to life.
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I actually like the pitted imperfections on the safety catch so I left them.
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Another detail added.
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Here's the ensemble sans grips as it is now. This thing weighs a ton!
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On to the grips!
 
Here's how the walnut grips originally looked like.
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A friend alerted me to staining them with shoe polish. I'll admit I was initially skeptical, but here's what happened after the first coat.
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Then I installed them and aged them with black oil paint.
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I'll leave her alone for about 2 days to allow the oils in every nook and cranny to cure.
 
This looks fantastic! I'm considering taking the plunge on one of these FM replicas. Question for you: I see you went for the pre-trimmed barrel option. Does the bull barrel come pre-affixed to the barrel, or is it loose/intended to be epoxied in place? I can't find these details anywhere on his website.

Thanks!
 
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