The things you find at your local machine gun dealer

wtac

wtac

Well-Known Member
When I was at my mates recently cutting up Sterlings he showed me this as he knew that I collect Lee Enfield rifles. I am sure that you will know it as somthing else, but in fact it is a grenade launcher that was used on British vehicles. It was so nice I have had to buy it as they are mega rare in the UK ( in case you are worried it is deactivated)


jawa%20launcher.jpg
 
Wow, nice find there!

First thing that came to my mind was "Jawa Ion Blaster" :)
(Even though it might not be the correct gun, I don't know anything about it

Edit: I just checked partsofsw: It is the gun used for the Ion blaster, so my gut feeling was right.
If I were you, I would try to dig up the rest of the parts and convert it to one of those. The way it looks, you really won't have to change a thing to the gun, so its actual value won't be altered. Just a hose attached with some sort of canister on a strap.

Lucky you!
 
Last edited:
Reelo said:
Wow, nice find there!

First thing that came to my mind was "Jawa Ion Blaster" :)
(Even though it might not be the correct gun, I don't know anything about it)
Click to expand...

Spot on :Dit is the correct gun. they were made up in the field by regimental armourers to a authorised pattern. The Jawa one from memory did not have the mounting lugs. Some were also made up with a hook underneath, others were simply bolted onto the side of a tank with bowden cables so that it could be fired from inside. They also made them up from p14/17 (known in the USA as an enfield) and even from 19th century Martini rifles.
 
this is the widest thread i have ever visited.

nice find though

i want a jawa blaster some day.
 
AnsonJames said:
Your mate really needs to vacuum his carpet!
Click to expand...


That was his gun room, and that was the cleanest bit!!!. When I visit I am like a kid in a sweet shop as he had Bren guns, MG42s, PPSH 41's, Argentine SLRs and a couple of .50cal brownings in one corner, I will not bother to give a full list of what else there was.
 
Just to be clear:
you're saying that the Brits would take one of these:
enfield_grenade.jpg


and chop it down so it could be used out of a tank.

I'm really curious as to what those protruding pipes are: just a piece of plumbing that was used in the field to adapt the launcher to a shorter stock?

Or is it something else?

BTW: I think this is a fantastic find, proving that it wasn't just made up for the movie.


Curious,
Mike
 
mgoob said:
Just to be clear:
I'm really curious as to what those protruding pipes are: just a piece of plumbing that was used in the field to adapt the launcher to a shorter stock?

Or is it something else?

BTW: I think this is a fantastic find, proving that it wasn't just made up for the movie.
Click to expand...

This came up several years ago. I have a book article that explains it more.
Those lugs are for the mounts in the tank I believe.

It's still unclear if the one used in ANH was a real military modified one or if Bapty made it themselves.
The military models seem to be pretty consistent from the examples I've seen (same shaped stock etc.).
Personally I think Bapty made it as a replica of the tank mod version for some other movie and then reused it for ANH.
 
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Mike, I don't think it was a field mod, but something designed for a specific use, using pre-existing parts.

But the question begs, why does the jawa blaster have a much narrower barrel (what looks to be the stock .303 barrel) and is missing those lugs?

The lugs look like they're just there to twist the grenade cup or entire end assemble on and off, but that's just my guess.

-Fred
 
lonepigeon said:
This came up several years ago. I have a book article that explains it more.
Those lugs are for the mounts in the tank I believe.

It's still unclear if the one used in ANH was a real military modified one or if Bapty made it themselves.
The military models seem to be pretty consistent from the examples I've seen (same shaped stock etc.).
Personally I think Bapty made it as a replica of the tank mod version for some other movie and then reused it for ANH.
Click to expand...

Maybe the lugs fit into prexisting grooves and act as swivol/pivot points, kind of like a hard-point mounted machine gun.

-Fred
 
mgoob said:
Just to be clear:
you're saying that the Brits would take one of these:
enfield_grenade.jpg


and chop it down so it could be used out of a tank.

I'm really curious as to what those protruding pipes are: just a piece of plumbing that was used in the field to adapt the launcher to a shorter stock?

Or is it something else?

BTW: I think this is a fantastic find, proving that it wasn't just made up for the movie.


Curious,
Mike
Click to expand...


Hi Mike

Nice Grenade SMLE.:love

Yes that is exactly what we did. the protruding parts with large bolts in were intended to just drop onto a simple welded cradle. The launchers were intended to be used to fire smoke grenades mainly. They were made mostly from shot out rifles that were beyond easy repair.

If you think that is strange the DeLisle carbine which is a silenced rifle for commando use were built from shot out film prop rifles obtained from Baptys who of course later made E11s for the Star Wars films. The barrels were spare Thompson SMG barrels supplied under the Lend lease scheme. The DeLisle is one of the best silenced rifles ever built and rumor has it that a certain unit in Hereford still has some.
 
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