Ares X
Sr Member
I have the Master Replicas EE-3 blaster from many, many years ago. Will have to measure it and see how it compares. That one isn't made of plastic nor does it shoot foam darts.
Mandalorian Reference Thread
- Thread starter Lunsfuhd
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I have the Master Replicas EE-3 blaster from many, many years ago. Will have to measure it and see how it compares. That one isn't made of plastic nor does it shoot foam darts.
Ares X
Sr Member
Thanks! You saved me from having to do it. Getting the acrylic case off is not simple since I have something directly above it.
I have to wonder if Hasbro felt the Amban rifle didn't do as well as it should've because of the inaccuracy and decided to step it up with this one.
I ended up putting an order in with Amazon. I figured they were the safest bet since they have the pre-order price guarantee. I'll be watching to see if GameStop offers it at a discount. The nice thing about going through them is that it's easy to return if I don't like it. Though getting the Dark Saber from them took quite a while.
I just picked up my Amban from GameStop last week and I love it, inaccuracies and all. Even foreshortened lengthwise it's still almost as tall as I am, and I love the action and sound effects. I'm going to be looking to see if I can find a second one for less than a ridiculous price so I can cannibalize the worky bits and incorporate them into a more accurate 3D printed rifle.
Repainted, it'll make a fine table maven at conventions.
Repainted, it'll make a fine table maven at conventions.
I know its probably been discussed - but I can't seem to find it... How "off" is the Hasbro Pulse Rifle from the prop. Is it just a question of barrel length?
To keep the topic current - I ordered the new Boba Nerf gun... To me it looks "close" with something wrong with the Scope area... But I haven't really dug into it as I won't see the thing for over a year...so Yeah...
Thanks in advance,
Jedi Dade
To keep the topic current - I ordered the new Boba Nerf gun... To me it looks "close" with something wrong with the Scope area... But I haven't really dug into it as I won't see the thing for over a year...so Yeah...
Thanks in advance,
Jedi Dade
The whole thing is foreshortened by almost a foot, lengthwise. Stock, breech, each barrel section, tuning fork, all of it. The round details are still round and such, but the substrates they're on have been compressed.
AnubisGuard
Master Member
The Mando phase rifle or the Aliens Pulse Rifle? I think Jedi Dade was asking about the latter.
Vagabond Elf
Well-Known Member
I would think it's more that the Amban rifle gets into oversized shipping rates and would be an absolute pain in the derriere for a retail to shelve if it was the correct length, so they shrunk it for logistics reasons. A 30" prop is small enough to avoid that issue so they can keep it full size.
They could have/should have separated the barrel and made a slightly taller, but much shorter box. They have experience with locking lugs with passthrough electronics with their Clone Commander blaster of years past.
Ares X
Sr Member
Agreed!
Vagabond Elf
Well-Known Member
Could they have done that? Almost certainly.
Should they have done that? Only if their goal was to create a toy that was as accurate as possible to the filming prop.
I submit that Nerf's actual goal was to allow 12 to 30 year old to pretend they were Mando whilst shooting their friends, classmates, and co-workers with bits of brightly coloured rubber and foam. To me, that suggests the design targets were to create a toy that is as accurate to the filming prop as practical while retaining acceptable range and accuracy of the dart, and without exceeding limits of manufacturing cost, shipping cost, and safety regulations. Evidently that couldn't be done without shrinking the length of the toy.
Since the EE-3 is shorter (and much smaller proportion of its length is barrel, thank you benhs1898 for pointing out the mechanical issue) making a working dart gun within financial and regulatory limits will probably require a lot less compromises to the screen accuracy. That's just my opinion, of course! Unless Hasbro decides to release sales targets and results on the Amban, we'll never know if it undersold.
Having stated that opinion, let me acknowledge that the Amban does still seem to be fairly available in stores (at least in Canada), the reviews are low, and that complaints are fairly evenly split between "it doesn't look right" (though when they specified, the reviewers were more upset with the paint job than the proportions) and "it doesn't shoot well." I guess Nerf's attempt to split the difference between appearance and performance just resulted in no-one being happy.
Ares X
Sr Member
While I get you point, if you read the description of the product it appears that they're trying to pass this off as a life-sized replica.
Originally, I ordered this on the first day it was announced. Then I realized how out of proportion a lot of the parts were and the length not even being close and realized it was not at all what I was wanting. I canceled my order. If I were to find it at maybe a 50% off clearance price I would pick it up, but probably not otherwise.
The main reason I like it as one piece is that the box is designed to open up to display it. So there's that. But I do feel a full-length and functional version could've been made. They keep making ever more ambitious Nerf blasters -- this could've been their chance to try making one that had the spring-driven air piston in the breech drive the dart far enough along the barrel for friction wheels that spun up when the breech was locked (and covered by the sound effects) to boost it out of the barrel and on its way.
Hypothetically speaking... If I were to cut the barrel and add add a 12 inch extensions to the top and bottom rods, it would be pretty close to the correct length... I really could care less if it actually fires anything... but adding that extension seems like it would be a pretty simple matter. 2 careful cuts, 2 lengths of pipe or rod the correct length, some epoxy, and some putty to smooth things out as needed and a good paintjob... Seems totally doable to me...
Thoughts?
Jedi Dade
Thoughts?
Jedi Dade
I mean, yes... But it's not just the barrel. Every section had proportional inches trimmed out. I can replace the stock with one carved by WoodChuck or a 3D printed one... I can replace the various sections of barrel with longer shells... I can replace the tuning fork with 3D printed parts... But the whole breech/receiver section is foreshortened, too, and would need to be completely reshelled, with detailing from scratch.
I am that insane to do it just to see if it can be done. Only you can decide whether it's "worth it". But it's definitely deeper than "make the barrel longer".
I am that insane to do it just to see if it can be done. Only you can decide whether it's "worth it". But it's definitely deeper than "make the barrel longer".
Ares X
Sr Member
Yeah, but if you compare a picture of the Nerf rifle next to a picture of the Amban, you're going to see many things that don't match other than just the length. The stock has a different shape for one.
I guess I'm going to need to do a bit of research and see how far off it really is. If the entire thing is squashed by 20% it might not be worth it - but if its primarily the length is 20% off and the rest is only off by 5% I think I can live with it by adding a barrel extension to be "close enough". I mean as a nerf gun its NOT going to be a prop replica - its going to be a cool toy, and good enough for a halloween costume, or going to a Con... 501st maybe not... but likely good enough for me. gotta go do the math 
Does anyone have some good profile shots they don't mind sharing?
Thanks,
Jedi Dade
Does anyone have some good profile shots they don't mind sharing?
Thanks,
Jedi Dade
