Rebel Endor Blaste rifle - good pics?
- Thread starter Sluis Van Shipyards
- Start date
I am confident the visual dictionary pic is of a made for production rifle. There are extra greeblies (Fett stock plates, piston halves, etc) that are not on any other rifle that I know of. Since those parts were also used on other props in ROTJ, I think it's safe to say it's authentic. It does have the less common triangle butt plate which is interesting and some of the parts look a little different than an original....could possibly be a refurb by LFL of a production used rifle too.
As far as building a replica, only the M16 upper and lower reciever was used, along with barrel. There are manufacturers out there that will sell lower recievers which are known as 80% recievers, meaning they are cast and milled less a few final machining steps. This means, especially with regard to the lower, that you can purchase them outright (no FFL needed) and at a substantial savings over a finished reciever. This is of course all done legally.
If I was building a replica, this is what I would use.
As far as building a replica, only the M16 upper and lower reciever was used, along with barrel. There are manufacturers out there that will sell lower recievers which are known as 80% recievers, meaning they are cast and milled less a few final machining steps. This means, especially with regard to the lower, that you can purchase them outright (no FFL needed) and at a substantial savings over a finished reciever. This is of course all done legally.
If I was building a replica, this is what I would use.
LizardJedi
Sr Member
My understanding of the VD pic is that its a variant.
LizardJedi
Sr Member
Asking this as a total gun newb, does this mean that you would not be able to construct a full receiver out of this? As in, is this legal in CA (where there is still an AWB)?
No problem....unfortunately, I cannot answer that question with any sort of authority as every state has different gun laws, CA and NY having the strictist (thank the dems). If you are really interested, I would advise you to do the following: 1) Contact a vendor and ask them about shipping to California - if they say no right away, it's probably a no go. If they say yes, go to next two steps to be sure 2) Contact your local BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms) office and ask - don't be surprised if they don't know either 3) Contact your local law enforcement office, either city or county police and ask. I probably wouldn't even go into the whole prop story, just tell them you are a collector and are wanting to build a dummy gun using an 80% reciever.
lonepigeon
Master Member
Those aren't real pistons. They are the ROTJ repros as used on Han's blaster and the ROTJ DH-17s.
For anyone who is interested, I'm using this metal airsoft receiver set: http://www.redwolfairsoft.com/redwolf/airsoft/ProductDetail?prodID=15924
It's a repro of an early Vietnam M16 so it doesn't have the assist or whatever it's called on the right side.
It's a repro of an early Vietnam M16 so it doesn't have the assist or whatever it's called on the right side.
Do we know whether the t-shaped stock on the blaster was made or if it was a found item?
I don't have a larger pic to show, but is the indicated area a collar with a set screw? It has a set screw in it and doesn't seem to be part of the receiver.
I think you're indicating the "castle nut" that's on all AR15/M16 pattern collapsible stock tubes. It doesn't have a set screw, it has little holes so you can use a stock wrench to tighten it down. It holds a metal plate on the back of the receiver to hold in the rear take down detent spring.
They changed some not long ago - you want the pre-M4 type.
As to the stock itself - it looks like they just welded (or something) an oval plate to the back of a regular carbine buffer tube. Note the "square" part along the bottom of the tube. If they used functioning ARs with blanks it makes sense they would have kept this part - you need that tube for the bolt carrier to recoil into as the rifle cycles.
Anyhow - just look for an older style "CAR" buttstock assembly. It'll run you 25-35 dollars prolly, and comes with the tube, the back plate, the retaining nut, and some assorted other stuff you can just trash. You DO NOT want a "postban" type, which has the stock part permanently affixed to the tube. On the "preban" types you can just pull the stock off the tube easy as pie. Look for the older smooth-sided type, not the modern "M4" type. The newer one has a slightly different nut and (I think) is a little longer. Might have an angled back to, can't recall. I don't *think* so though.
edit - ah - like this one:
http://retroblackrifle.com/ModGde/CrbGde/CmpGdeCrb.html
(2nd or 3rd generation)
and here's one for sale. It has the newer castle nut (also called a receiver extension nut) - the older ones just had holes, not "castle" looking cutouts on one side.
http://www.galatiinternational.com/...Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GIO&Product_Code=MD100
edit again - looking at LizardJedi's picture of the rifles on the table, I'm wondering if the picture you're pointing to Sluis is a firing "hero" version. It pretty clearly uses a real buffer tube under all that getup, and though it's hard to see at that size and angle, I *think* there may be room for a gas tube under that upper "barrel" part. If so, even without a visible magazine it could have been modified to fire say 5-7 shots from a modified flush fit magazine without reloading. I see the charging handle is missing, but that could have been removed later.
The rifles on the table though don't use the buffer tube - those stocks are too narrow in diameter to accept all the recoiling greeblies that spring around on the inside on the real rifles.
So.... maybe a blank firing hero? Or perhaps fan made after all? I couldn't say.
They changed some not long ago - you want the pre-M4 type.
As to the stock itself - it looks like they just welded (or something) an oval plate to the back of a regular carbine buffer tube. Note the "square" part along the bottom of the tube. If they used functioning ARs with blanks it makes sense they would have kept this part - you need that tube for the bolt carrier to recoil into as the rifle cycles.
Anyhow - just look for an older style "CAR" buttstock assembly. It'll run you 25-35 dollars prolly, and comes with the tube, the back plate, the retaining nut, and some assorted other stuff you can just trash. You DO NOT want a "postban" type, which has the stock part permanently affixed to the tube. On the "preban" types you can just pull the stock off the tube easy as pie. Look for the older smooth-sided type, not the modern "M4" type. The newer one has a slightly different nut and (I think) is a little longer. Might have an angled back to, can't recall. I don't *think* so though.
edit - ah - like this one:
http://retroblackrifle.com/ModGde/CrbGde/CmpGdeCrb.html
(2nd or 3rd generation)
and here's one for sale. It has the newer castle nut (also called a receiver extension nut) - the older ones just had holes, not "castle" looking cutouts on one side.
http://www.galatiinternational.com/...Screen=PROD&Store_Code=GIO&Product_Code=MD100
edit again - looking at LizardJedi's picture of the rifles on the table, I'm wondering if the picture you're pointing to Sluis is a firing "hero" version. It pretty clearly uses a real buffer tube under all that getup, and though it's hard to see at that size and angle, I *think* there may be room for a gas tube under that upper "barrel" part. If so, even without a visible magazine it could have been modified to fire say 5-7 shots from a modified flush fit magazine without reloading. I see the charging handle is missing, but that could have been removed later.
The rifles on the table though don't use the buffer tube - those stocks are too narrow in diameter to accept all the recoiling greeblies that spring around on the inside on the real rifles.
So.... maybe a blank firing hero? Or perhaps fan made after all? I couldn't say.
Last edited:
Thanks for the links! I thought maybe they might have used some kind of real stock because in the picture with all the rifles on the table, you can see the recoil pad on the end. I'll look around and see what I can find.
BTW, I got one of the straight delta rings from www.sherluk.com that you posted and they are perfect. Only $10 too!
BTW, I got one of the straight delta rings from www.sherluk.com that you posted and they are perfect. Only $10 too!
Look back on Pg. 3 at LizardJedi's post with all the blasters on the table. All of them appear to have a cut down M16 magazine that is cut at an angle with the fake mag on the front. Am I seeing things? Everyone has said that the M16/AR15's magwell was plugged or something.
I see what you´re talking about and totally agree...
Anyway...I´ll stick with the VD appearance for now and decide wheter or not to add the cut down mag later on
Markus
I see what you´re talking about and totally agree...
Anyway...I´ll stick with the VD appearance for now and decide wheter or not to add the cut down mag later on
Markus
Thanks, I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Was there any extra parts added to the left side of the t-stock rifle? The MG34 stock version in the VD has a visible V8 part on the left side of the magwell to cover the Colt logo and manufacturing info. I haven't seen pics of that side of the rifle for the t-stock version. I think it would make sense they would have both used the same basic details other than the stocks.
Last edited:
Since I don´t know of any official reference pics of the T-stock version, that show added detailing on the lower receivers left side...I left it off.
During the construction of mine I came a cross two pics that were from a cast of a SU rifle and it didn´t have this detail either. I just can´t remember anymore where I found these pics :wacko
Maybe I´ll do a second version some day WITH the V8 details...who knows?
Oh wait...then I´ll HAVE TO build all the other variations (different stocks) as well "nooooooooo!!!!" :lol
Markus
During the construction of mine I came a cross two pics that were from a cast of a SU rifle and it didn´t have this detail either. I just can´t remember anymore where I found these pics :wacko
Maybe I´ll do a second version some day WITH the V8 details...who knows?
Oh wait...then I´ll HAVE TO build all the other variations (different stocks) as well "nooooooooo!!!!" :lol
Markus
Matsuo
Sr Member
I found some more of those straight delta rings if anyone needs one.
Wizzardoflight did some scale drawings of the gun, which would be very useful for scratchbuilding and getting the overall shape down.
I printed a set at 100% and glued it to a piece of foam board, Couldn't have done my scratchbuild without it.
I took a few liberties with the design but the overall look is what I was going for.
M
Wizzardoflight did some scale drawings of the gun, which would be very useful for scratchbuilding and getting the overall shape down.
I printed a set at 100% and glued it to a piece of foam board, Couldn't have done my scratchbuild without it.
I took a few liberties with the design but the overall look is what I was going for.
M
Looks good!
Were the add on pieces behind the pump and in front of the lower receiver, attached with rivets? I don't plan on doing them that way, but I still want the right detail on the outside.
Were the add on pieces behind the pump and in front of the lower receiver, attached with rivets? I don't plan on doing them that way, but I still want the right detail on the outside.
