ROTJ Fabricated Scopes

thd9791

Master Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Wanted to document, discuss, etc. the replacement for the M19 scopes in ROTJ.

They are found on the MGC Sterling E-11 Blasters and the Han DL44 Blasters. Parts of Star Wars already confirmed a couple parts and some are still unidentified. After going through ROTJ the other day, looking for repeat greeblies, I noticed how many live action Stormtroopers there were in the hanger or on Endor. Some of them had cast blasters from ESB but there were quite a few MGCs, which means there were quite a few of these scopes. Originally, I thought just Han's DL44s and the Stormtroopers that captured Luke had them.

Anyway, this past year I learned the knurled cap was a Japanese scope adjustment knob cap (ala the 4x20s on Fett's rifle.. maybe the bowcaster and the Deck Gun on the Skiff). The front is a plastic cap, and it's riveted to a piece of tubing that acts as a spacer for the 3/4" scope tube. Some of the rear cone is slid into the 1" scope ring too, it doesn't just sit where it's supposed to. That is... on some of the scopes.

Most are totally fake. They have the plastic cap and a lathed Derlin scope bell. Note the smooth no-detail surface and flat lens area. I don't know if these needed a spacer or if they were lathed to fit the 1" scope ring.
ROTJE11.jpgROTJE112.pngfullsizeoutput_1c54.jpegROTJScope6.jpgROTJScopeinLukeHolster.jpg

but I believe some have a real piece of a scope. You can see the lens retainer on the edge, most likely a lens, and different weathering. Thankfully it fell a part so we can see how it works.
fullsizeoutput_1c5f.jpegfullsizeoutput_1c5d.jpeg CEScope.jpgROTJScope7.jpgRare-LFL-Lucasfilm-Archives-Movie-Prop-Lost-Photos-Star-Wars-Indiana-Jones-Historic-Visit-Orig...jpg

I don't know if the Ripley's blaster back-half is real or not. If not, it's much more detailed than all the other fake ones
Ripley'sblaster rear.jpgfullsizeoutput_1c55.jpeg

I tried to find black plastic end caps that matched. See here with the classic 1" scope ring. I did buy a cheap 3x9x28 or something and fashioned my own scope with a replica front - I replaced my 4x32 piece, seen on the side
UZBs9S3URIWF+arryeDIEQ.jpgfullsizeoutput_1cac.jpeg

They are not the 4x32 scope size, and they are not 4x20 size... I don't think. Closest I've found is a Webley 1.5x scope - which also happens to have the right adjustment knob caps
Webley1.jpg
Webley2.jpg


Interesting right? There was an auction for resin/fake pieces leftover from ROTJ possibly from Bapty? Someone made a replica blaster with them, and told me the scope was original, and the back was solid Derlin
PostBlaster.jpg


Still can't find the original scope though. The brass front seems to have a countersunk tip. I almost want to say they dremelled a countersunk bolt with cross-hatch and used it to screw everything to the tip of the scope. See the retaining ring line at the rear? Much more detail than they did with all the other fake scopes.. if it isn't a real found scope bell.
Blaster.00_00_59_13.Still004.jpg
 
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There was an auction for resin/fake pieces leftover from ROTJ possibly from Bapty? Someone made a replica blaster with them, and told me the scope was original, and the back was solid Derlin
Not resin/definitely not "fake" - it was a second set of Bapty-made parts that were sent to Stembridge for the live fire ROTJ Han blaster. The flash hider was machined aluminum, the scope bracket was white Delrin, the mounting screws and spacers were brass, the piston halves were machined black Delrin, and the small plate to cover the Mauser logo on the left side was aluminum.

The scope was as you described - machined black Delrin rear bell w/ a shaft that fit the scope ring (no spacer), plastic cap front that was pop riveted to the Delrin shaft, scope adjustment knob cap for the small knurled cap on the front. And I'll be damned... I always wondered what the hell that thing was in the tip - definitely a steel screw.

PSoL Solo17.jpg
 
Not resin/definitely not "fake" - it was a second set of Bapty-made parts that were sent to Stembridge for the live fire ROTJ Han blaster. The flash hider was machined aluminum, the scope bracket was white Delrin, the mounting screws and spacers were brass, the piston halves were machined black Delrin, and the small plate to cover the Mauser logo on the left side was aluminum.

The scope was as you described - machined black Delrin rear bell w/ a shaft that fit the scope ring (no spacer), plastic cap front that was pop riveted to the Delrin shaft, scope adjustment knob cap for the small knurled cap on the front. And I'll be damned... I always wondered what the hell that thing was in the tip - definitely a steel screw.

View attachment 1365752
I apologize, i was being really casual with my wording. Everything is fabricated, from the derlin pieces, metal, etc. And not found parts (like the broken scope) ... although that big plastic cap looks like a found part, along with the scope knob cap

I didnt mean fake as in not authentic. Man I didnt realize the FH was part of the kit.

Thank you for such a great shot of the tip... i did that to an older replica mystery chunk with a triangular file recently, very cool
 
Ya I also noticed that. It’s as The 48th Ronin said I believe. When I was designing my Jedi scopes I left that off but it’s always bothered me a bit in doing so. I did get them off center to each other as you pointed out in your first post. But now thanks to you we all see how that front sight was actually built. 3 individual parts including that screw, I might just revisit it all so maybe I’ll redo that front indent when I do.

Thanks again for bringing attention to this!
 
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I found resin (or white derlin) versions - one broke off a stormtrooper gun and is sitting on the shelf with the cast scope rail... snapped off the gun sitting next to it. A full gun is sitting on top of everything. Shelf in the upper right.
ROTJScopeRail.jpeg
 
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I found resin (or white derlin) versions - one broke off a stormtrooper gun and is sitting on the shelf with the cast scope rail... snapped off the gun sitting next to it. A full gun is sitting on top of everything. Shelf in the upper right.
View attachment 1372896
You wrote that the scope rail was casted, is it not machined aluminum? It seemed to be assumed the rail was made of metal.
 
I'm pretty sure I do see a spacer in a couple of these pics to get the bell to fit the scope ring. Particularly visible here:
rotjscope7-jpg.jpg
 
Just judging by that photo I thought it was a solid piece. Maybe its solid aluminum - definitely thought the original part was a found part since the rail needed to be cut to fit a scope ring
 

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