Despite all the downside stuff, I still look forward to this!
MR Assualt Phaser Delivered!
- Thread starter yt
- Start date
Ok, here are my very quick pics. I'll probably take some more this coming weekend. Again, if you are a fan and have this on order I would wait and see what you think when you get it in your own hands. I think it's pretty nice considering everything that functions and works on it. I'm satisfied!
If mine had looked like this they would have never heard a word from me, I would have been happy.
darthgordon
Sr Member
Perhaps he got version not made in China.
The fact that there is a delay in the firing of the phaser
Just think if there was a 1 or 2 second delay between
rounds on a automatic pistol. Every trigger pull should
create sound, I'm sure that the MR TOS phaser has no delay
and I agree with Trip
I'll beLooking forward to the better constructed, nicer finish and electronics of the 40 dollar Art Asylum piece down the road.
I think that I will be passing on this sad MR phaser
and I have no great hopes on the tricorder, looks like
Master Replicas has saved me some money by their poor
construction choices.
Rad, thanks for the great pictures.
I agree with you about people waiting until they actually see one in person before they cancel thier order. From what I can tell, most of us who have received it, are happy with it, except for those people got bad examples, but I think that is more QC than anything else.
I agree with you about people waiting until they actually see one in person before they cancel thier order. From what I can tell, most of us who have received it, are happy with it, except for those people got bad examples, but I think that is more QC than anything else.
rad1701
Sr Member
I have to say if people really think the Art Asylum piece (if they make one) will be better than this they are dreaming. I own all the TREK MR items and all the AA/DS versions as well. While AA does a fantastic job at a great price they are not at the same level as the MR versions. I love what they do, but again it's not the same. I know there seems to be some variation in the phasers being received but I will tell you all this is a nice piece. Could it have been a bit better - of course. Is it worth the money? That's a question with any expensive prop replica you have to decide on your own. Again, my only point is judge one for yourself. Since MR takes returns easily I again urge the TREK fans to get one still before you make your final decision.
P.S. My final comment is after reading the pages of negativity on the prop here yesterday before I opened mine scared me a lot. I was fully expecting to not like it and would need to return it. But that wasn't the case at all. At least the one I received is extremely well put together and finished. Again, IMHO. She's a keeper! Now I have to go phaser my cat!
P.S. My final comment is after reading the pages of negativity on the prop here yesterday before I opened mine scared me a lot. I was fully expecting to not like it and would need to return it. But that wasn't the case at all. At least the one I received is extremely well put together and finished. Again, IMHO. She's a keeper! Now I have to go phaser my cat!
Luke Skyvader
Sr Member
Thanks for the pics Rad, your's looks much better than the earlier pics.
I'm feeling alot better about this as more people are getting thiers.
Pete
I'm feeling alot better about this as more people are getting thiers.
Pete
I have to say if people really think the Art Asylum piece (if they make one) will be better than this they are dreaming. I own all the TREK MR items and all the AA/DS versions as well. While AA does a fantastic job at a great price they are not at the same level as the MR versions. I love what they do, but again it's not the same. I know there seems to be some variation in the phasers being received but I will tell you all this is a nice piece. Could it have been a bit better - of course. Is it worth the money? That's a question with any expensive prop replica you have to decide on your own. Again, my only point is judge one for yourself. Since MR takes returns easily I again urge the TREK fans to get one still before you make your final decision.
P.S. My final comment is after reading the pages of negativity on the prop here yesterday before I opened mine scared me a lot. I was fully expecting to not like it and would need to return it. But that wasn't the case at all. At least the one I received is extremely well put together and finished. Again, IMHO. She's a keeper! Now I have to go phaser my cat!
Rad, well said and I couldn't agree more.
"I have to say if people really think the Art Asylum piece (if they make one) will be better than this they are dreaming."
I think if you compared the current AA TOS to the MR TOS that would be an accurate statement.
HOWEVER...
If you compared this new phaser to the AA TOS phaser, it is a whole different ball game. The plastic construction, used of electronics, quality and construction, all compare to the current Art Asylum TOS phaser. In fact, it looks like Corgi/MR took a in depth look at the AA phaser and incorporated all they could into this new version. It would be hard to better incorporate the construction techniques and materials from AA than they did with this piece.
Sorry, but I stand by that statement and feel bad for those that spend the money on this one only to later feel the pinch as they get an Art Asylum look alike with possibly better construction at one tenth of the price.
You can justify the purchase all you want, but looking at this and an Art Asylum TOS phaser in hand, I will go with Art Asylum and spend my hard earned prop money on something else.
I think if you compared the current AA TOS to the MR TOS that would be an accurate statement.
HOWEVER...
If you compared this new phaser to the AA TOS phaser, it is a whole different ball game. The plastic construction, used of electronics, quality and construction, all compare to the current Art Asylum TOS phaser. In fact, it looks like Corgi/MR took a in depth look at the AA phaser and incorporated all they could into this new version. It would be hard to better incorporate the construction techniques and materials from AA than they did with this piece.
Sorry, but I stand by that statement and feel bad for those that spend the money on this one only to later feel the pinch as they get an Art Asylum look alike with possibly better construction at one tenth of the price.
You can justify the purchase all you want, but looking at this and an Art Asylum TOS phaser in hand, I will go with Art Asylum and spend my hard earned prop money on something else.
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rad1701
Sr Member
Trip I respect your opinion and viewpoint. But I disagree with it. I have one of these in hand and am basing my opinion off that - not off pictures online. There is a light year of difference between this and anything AA has put out. Again, vastly different price point of course. I am not knocking AA at all but it is not a valid comparison. Just as there is a huge difference between the MR TOS Phaser and the ones AA has put out.
Finally, I am not justifying my purchase at all. I have no need to do that for anyone. I was simply telling people that if they are interested to check one out for themselves and then decide. And if it's not for them they can return it. Pretty simple.
Finally, I am not justifying my purchase at all. I have no need to do that for anyone. I was simply telling people that if they are interested to check one out for themselves and then decide. And if it's not for them they can return it. Pretty simple.
Like I said, had I received one that looks like yours I would have been happy but there is a light year of difference between what you received, I received, and some others have received.
As with some of the last several releases from MR, the QC issues have taken the front seat over the product. One would think that with the past issues as a learning experience that someone would be looking a lot harder at new products before they ever get on the boat in China.
As with some of the last several releases from MR, the QC issues have taken the front seat over the product. One would think that with the past issues as a learning experience that someone would be looking a lot harder at new products before they ever get on the boat in China.
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SD Studios
Well-Known Member
Since there seems to be some confusion on this replica, and I doubt that anyone left at MR will even know the specific details and history of this piece, I will hop in and try to answer some of the questions (purely as a service to my fellow RPFers...I am not working at MR or endorsing anything :lol )
Barry and I referenced this piece back in 2003(?) Greg brought over his screen-used hero prop to the HMS shop. We took lots of pics and digitally scanned the P1 and P2. We were working on the development of this item for several months, but it was cancelled. It looks like they dug this one up from the grave. This was always one of my favorite pieces. If anyone has a "bum" one to trade or cash/trade, lemme know. I don't mind repainting it. I am NOT paying $500 for it though. Oy. It was originally supposed to retail at $399, but I know that production costs in China have skyrocketed recently...that probably explains the recent price-hike.
The P-1: It was on the original prop. It was a single piece of clear resin with the squares on the top and bottom masked off so a LED in the mag lit it from below. There was nothing holding it in place, so it just loosely fit on the top of the mag. What MR made is EXACTLY what the original looked like. If anyone did one with more detail, it is technically incorrect. You got exactly what it was. We can't blame MR for it being goofy. It wasn't really meant to ever be seen, so Greg just made a black blob.
Finish: The original was flat black, so the MR matches. For the people who are getting the hazy-finished ones, here is my guess at that. The base color was probably a semi-glossy black and they realized that needed to make it more “matt” so they sprayed a flattening coat (very poorly) over the base color. They should have just sprayed the matt-black color to begin with. Not sure why…maybe this was a correction during the production process?
Magazine: The original just had it friction-fit into place. It actually had electrical tape on it to keep it in place. When I wrote the specs, I said that there should be a mechanical mag-release, instead of electrical tape. The slide-lock lever on the side of the Beretta 93R frame was my first choice. It looks like the moved it to another switch. There's no “right” choice here, so any lever is as good as any other…
Trip…You are saying that the AA stuff would be BETTER? I love ya, you know that, right? But, that is just crazy. The AA products (which I have and like) are produced for about (guessing) $5 or less. They use a cheaper grade of plastic and they don’t fill seams, don’t do any detailed hand-work, they generally try to mold parts in color to save on painting costs, don't fix minor glue-smears, etc. The AA stuff is nice, but it is toy-grade production. Just NOT better in any way…This item cost well more than 15 to 20 times what an AA cost to produce. The electronics that they use are MUCH better than the lower-grade electronics that AA uses. I know from being at the factories and having first-hand involvement there. Plus AA probably makes 100,000+ units. The MR is only like what? 1500 to 2000 units? That jacks up production costs dramatically.
And as someone noted, the cowl and rear portion on the MR ARE diecast? I read that somewhere. The specs changed several times and I haven’t seen one up-close, so I can’t say for sure. You can’t take something that is metal and say “Well, *I* think it is plastic, so I am mad at them for making it plastic. If it is metal, give them credit for that. If it is plastic, that doesn't automatically mean it is crap. My $7000 computer has a plastic case.
The original MR phaser was metal because I said I wanted it to be metal. I got a LOT of fighting from marketing on that, but I stood my ground. There was no "right" or "wrong" on that point...that is just what I decided from my personal experience. The “new guard” at MR wanted to use more plastic here, and I am sure they had good reason.
Despite what you may think, replica-grade ABS isn’t THAT much cheaper that Zamac, so this was not a substantial cost-savings measure. And I don't see any "bait and switch" here. EVERY replica company changes specs along the way with some products. Plans evolve. And sometimes changes are forced upon you by the factory and no matter what you do, you can't alter it (looong story). Sometimes, there are limitations with the diecast process where you just CAN’T use metal for certain components. This may have been the case…you can’t diecast a wall much thinner that 1/8-inch for example and lots of shapes can't be diecast due to tooling limitations. It is also very difficult to sand and fill seams in diecast parts where they meet. (like body halves).
I think it is a great replica that has obviously some draw-backs in the production and QC process and that is disappointing. It doesn't mean that MR is about to go out of business because some people don’t like the quality of ONE product. MR's recent product quality is another long story...
As always…vote with your wallet. If you hate it…tell them so and SEND IT BACK! If you see others are having problems…don’t buy it! Nobody is forcing anything on you. Exercise your rights as a consumer!
Again, if you got one to trade or cash/trade…let me know. I will be happy to take it off your hands and fix it up.
Amen…
Barry and I referenced this piece back in 2003(?) Greg brought over his screen-used hero prop to the HMS shop. We took lots of pics and digitally scanned the P1 and P2. We were working on the development of this item for several months, but it was cancelled. It looks like they dug this one up from the grave. This was always one of my favorite pieces. If anyone has a "bum" one to trade or cash/trade, lemme know. I don't mind repainting it. I am NOT paying $500 for it though. Oy. It was originally supposed to retail at $399, but I know that production costs in China have skyrocketed recently...that probably explains the recent price-hike.
The P-1: It was on the original prop. It was a single piece of clear resin with the squares on the top and bottom masked off so a LED in the mag lit it from below. There was nothing holding it in place, so it just loosely fit on the top of the mag. What MR made is EXACTLY what the original looked like. If anyone did one with more detail, it is technically incorrect. You got exactly what it was. We can't blame MR for it being goofy. It wasn't really meant to ever be seen, so Greg just made a black blob.
Finish: The original was flat black, so the MR matches. For the people who are getting the hazy-finished ones, here is my guess at that. The base color was probably a semi-glossy black and they realized that needed to make it more “matt” so they sprayed a flattening coat (very poorly) over the base color. They should have just sprayed the matt-black color to begin with. Not sure why…maybe this was a correction during the production process?
Magazine: The original just had it friction-fit into place. It actually had electrical tape on it to keep it in place. When I wrote the specs, I said that there should be a mechanical mag-release, instead of electrical tape. The slide-lock lever on the side of the Beretta 93R frame was my first choice. It looks like the moved it to another switch. There's no “right” choice here, so any lever is as good as any other…
Trip…You are saying that the AA stuff would be BETTER? I love ya, you know that, right? But, that is just crazy. The AA products (which I have and like) are produced for about (guessing) $5 or less. They use a cheaper grade of plastic and they don’t fill seams, don’t do any detailed hand-work, they generally try to mold parts in color to save on painting costs, don't fix minor glue-smears, etc. The AA stuff is nice, but it is toy-grade production. Just NOT better in any way…This item cost well more than 15 to 20 times what an AA cost to produce. The electronics that they use are MUCH better than the lower-grade electronics that AA uses. I know from being at the factories and having first-hand involvement there. Plus AA probably makes 100,000+ units. The MR is only like what? 1500 to 2000 units? That jacks up production costs dramatically.
And as someone noted, the cowl and rear portion on the MR ARE diecast? I read that somewhere. The specs changed several times and I haven’t seen one up-close, so I can’t say for sure. You can’t take something that is metal and say “Well, *I* think it is plastic, so I am mad at them for making it plastic. If it is metal, give them credit for that. If it is plastic, that doesn't automatically mean it is crap. My $7000 computer has a plastic case.
The original MR phaser was metal because I said I wanted it to be metal. I got a LOT of fighting from marketing on that, but I stood my ground. There was no "right" or "wrong" on that point...that is just what I decided from my personal experience. The “new guard” at MR wanted to use more plastic here, and I am sure they had good reason.
Despite what you may think, replica-grade ABS isn’t THAT much cheaper that Zamac, so this was not a substantial cost-savings measure. And I don't see any "bait and switch" here. EVERY replica company changes specs along the way with some products. Plans evolve. And sometimes changes are forced upon you by the factory and no matter what you do, you can't alter it (looong story). Sometimes, there are limitations with the diecast process where you just CAN’T use metal for certain components. This may have been the case…you can’t diecast a wall much thinner that 1/8-inch for example and lots of shapes can't be diecast due to tooling limitations. It is also very difficult to sand and fill seams in diecast parts where they meet. (like body halves).
I think it is a great replica that has obviously some draw-backs in the production and QC process and that is disappointing. It doesn't mean that MR is about to go out of business because some people don’t like the quality of ONE product. MR's recent product quality is another long story...
As always…vote with your wallet. If you hate it…tell them so and SEND IT BACK! If you see others are having problems…don’t buy it! Nobody is forcing anything on you. Exercise your rights as a consumer!
Again, if you got one to trade or cash/trade…let me know. I will be happy to take it off your hands and fix it up.
Amen…
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Have you heard back from MR Customer Service about returning yours and getting a new one yet?
I do agree that the main problem seems to be QC and from what I've read so far, most of them seem to be okay. I hope your new one is one them. Good luck.
PS,
Thanks Steve. A lot of that needed to be said and I'm glad it was you.
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Just this morning, they apologized for the delay and said they would send a prepaid return tag as soon as possible, no mention as to if replacement units are on hand or not.
I’m hoping the next one will be better (if you could see mine in person this will not be hard)
If they are smart, they will make sure you get the best one they have.
QuasiOdo
Well-Known Member
Well I haven't recieved mine yet, but from what I can tell, it looks pretty good- in fact, TOO good. Why? Because I've played with screen-used versions, and not only were they weathered as hell, painted with printshop black opaque- and ALL black- actually more of a charcoal. But they were NOT very heavy, and they did have p1s as included features.
If I can find the photos, I'll post 'em. (Those were from back in the film days...)
If I can find the photos, I'll post 'em. (Those were from back in the film days...)
kuyadavid
Well-Known Member
My thanks also to QMX Steve for taking the time to fill in some of the details about this replica. It's amazing how easily our imaginations can fill in those gaps if we don't have actual info.
Also, you have my heartfelt thanks for influencing the MR TOS Phaser to be made of metal. That choice and the overall superb execution have made it my most prized replica. I cannot imagine another ever coming close to it in my heart.
With some more positive reviews coming out I am again hopeful and looking forward to getting mine once the dealers get their shipments.
Also, you have my heartfelt thanks for influencing the MR TOS Phaser to be made of metal. That choice and the overall superb execution have made it my most prized replica. I cannot imagine another ever coming close to it in my heart.
With some more positive reviews coming out I am again hopeful and looking forward to getting mine once the dealers get their shipments.
