Glenn, LOL, I'll think about it.
I've actually asked Darren whether there's a waiting list...if I can score a second one I might stash this one unmodified. Or do a VERY careful rework based off the MNU test gun, only. I really want to cut loose and do one in the overall orange scheme though...dammit...
Anyway, on with the show!
Proof! I know it shouldn't matter but I can't help being pleased!
BIG box. Red tape - Customs? There's a scrawled sig on the box but no Customs notification:
Big inner box too:
Usual standard of packaging. Actually this time there are no twist ties or other complications; it's really easy to open up. Just slice three bits of tape. I didn't unpack or shoot the mounting hardware, but it's there.
Ta daaa! So fresh it's still covered in polystyrene, sorry, I was in a frenzy. :lol
Canister:
One downside: the paint chipping is even WORSE this time, if that's possible!
Yuck:
This one's not as bad:
Goo is more yellow this time:
Trigger is noticeably fixed/integral, that'll need tweaking:
Middle fittings:
Other side:
Finish is even more matte than the Arc Gen. The large marking is upside down and undersized VS the one in the MNU scene. Overall it should be quite a bit glossier, and the silver HAS to go:
Middle:
Business end. Airbrush splatter is also a bit meh. The barrel is quite long but you can see raw fibreglass inside. The finish is smoother than the Arc Gen - only faint CNC tooling marks visible on the upper surface of the barrel and a few other places:
Worst feature of these guns. Weta, ask the factory not to bother, wouldja?
Middle canister:
Lugging handle. This is absolutely solid enough to hoik the thing around with. :thumbsup
So there you have it. It's overall slightly smaller than the Arc Generator, as you'd expect. It feels very solid, it's nicely detailed (really crisp), reasonably heavy and very decently finished for the price. It is a GREAT base for more complex custom paintwork.
From the point of view of a customer wanting just to buy and display it without fiddlefarting around with the paint job, the only niggle is the silver chipping/scratching. I understand that it would be prohibitively expensive to do a Weta-level job in mass production but I do think these props might look better without the attempt even being made. Let customers do it themselves if they want it.
Overall rating: top notch! Do want a second one.
