Sidewinder
Sr Member
It looks more like sticks of something in some kinda cloth pouches wrapped over the grip area, rather than just a solid structure.
Poncho's Mulit-shot Grenade Launcher from Predator
- Thread starter Art Andrews
- Start date
Neroon
New Member
This is a really neat coincidence and an excellent find. I'm glad that somebody who realized the history picked it up. Predator '87 was one of my favorite movies and this brings back a lot of fond memories.
I'm looking forward to seeing your build on the piece.
It would be interesting to see what happened to some of the other pieces used in the film. It's unlikely that this was the only one cannibalized for other productions.
I'm looking forward to seeing your build on the piece.
It would be interesting to see what happened to some of the other pieces used in the film. It's unlikely that this was the only one cannibalized for other productions.
It is tough to say since there are multiple guns and each is different, but I think you are close to correct. I believe on the original there is a thin metal shell and they have wrapped some sort of ribbed rubber matting around it. It is the only explanation I have been able to come up with that answers all the discrepancies. From what I can see there are at least three guns in the film... all slightly different.
I spent the entire holiday weekend working on this project. Made for serious headway on the receiver and the barrel.
The seller on eBay mentioned it so I bought the movie and sure-enough... they were right.
Some days are simply better than others! I couldn't screen match the launcher until today. The launcher you see in the most clear scenes of the movie has a unbroken weld mark all the way around the barrel (as seen in the top photo). However, my barrel has a broken weld line around the barrel. Last night, I found a screen match (bottom photo)! You can even see the matching nib of the weld and the matching curvature of the weld marks which would be unique for each gun. While I was never in doubt about what this was, being able to match it makes it all that much more special to me!
And... this is why I went through 180,000+ frames in that movie.
And... this is why I went through 180,000+ frames in that movie.
Whoo hoo! So now you know which version to restore it to.
It won't be long before it has been ten years that I have owned this piece. I am determined to get it completed for that date.
I am very close to finalizing the connector and upper receiver. I can't believe how long this has taken or the endless revisions it has gone through, but we are nearing the end of the project!
I am very close to finalizing the connector and upper receiver. I can't believe how long this has taken or the endless revisions it has gone through, but we are nearing the end of the project!
It has been almost 9 years since I started this post, but I have a worthy update!
In 2022, Joel Silver, a Producer of Predator, sold several items via auction, including pieces from the Special Forces team members seen in Predator. Included in those items were Poncho's (Richard Chaves) Grenade Launcher Scabbard and the ugliest version of his Mulit-shot Grenade Launcher you have ever seen.
I missed the auction but have been in contact with the winner for a long time, finally bringing this piece into my collection. After buying it, I matched the scabbard (to at least two scenes) and the grenade launcher (to one scene). These are challenging matches, but I am convinced they match. The scabbard is matched by its creases and the position of the tape on the buckles over the shoulder straps.. The gun is matched by the poor trimming of the excess flashing, which matches beautifully to the film's opening shots.
The back half of the MGL is an extremely rough casting of an HK MP5 cut off just before the breach, with two thin aluminum pipes glued to it. One of the pipes goes into a filled PVC tube representing the barrel. The other is glued to a very rough casting of the foregrip. The bulk of the weapon's body is simulated by foam padding, painted black, and loosely wrapped with heavy gauge electrical wire to hold the padding in place. Some of the padding had disintegrated, so I have worked to replace it, but the core is still intact.
This is film-making at its best. It is quick and dirty. It is very low-quality, but it gets the job done and works well for the film. I love it!
In 2022, Joel Silver, a Producer of Predator, sold several items via auction, including pieces from the Special Forces team members seen in Predator. Included in those items were Poncho's (Richard Chaves) Grenade Launcher Scabbard and the ugliest version of his Mulit-shot Grenade Launcher you have ever seen.
I missed the auction but have been in contact with the winner for a long time, finally bringing this piece into my collection. After buying it, I matched the scabbard (to at least two scenes) and the grenade launcher (to one scene). These are challenging matches, but I am convinced they match. The scabbard is matched by its creases and the position of the tape on the buckles over the shoulder straps.. The gun is matched by the poor trimming of the excess flashing, which matches beautifully to the film's opening shots.
The back half of the MGL is an extremely rough casting of an HK MP5 cut off just before the breach, with two thin aluminum pipes glued to it. One of the pipes goes into a filled PVC tube representing the barrel. The other is glued to a very rough casting of the foregrip. The bulk of the weapon's body is simulated by foam padding, painted black, and loosely wrapped with heavy gauge electrical wire to hold the padding in place. Some of the padding had disintegrated, so I have worked to replace it, but the core is still intact.
This is film-making at its best. It is quick and dirty. It is very low-quality, but it gets the job done and works well for the film. I love it!
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