Which metal were E11 scope rails made from?

[Psammead]

Finally getting round to the E11 conversions and was wondering if anyone knows what metal the original scope rails were made from and how thick it was.

I know this is probably covered in a thread somewhere around here but I can't find it to save my life. :$

 

[el loco]

I guess nobody knows what they used on org., screenused E-11's or from what it came from.
I guess they have take a simple Aluminium or Steel stripe, cut it and bend it.

On my Sterling E-11 i have made the rail out of steel, 1,5mm thick and 13mm wide.

Andre

 

[Hammerdon]

12l14 leaded steel is my guess. It machines well and
is durible. It also finishes well.

Don

 

[Darth Lars]

The original ANH scope rails were quite thin and long. I think they were about 1 mm thick. It was most likely made of steel. They were not wider than the holes in the receiver: 1/2" or 12.5 mm.

I have tried aluminium. It is much too soft and springy. Remember that the rail is attached to the receiver only at the ends. Even a light resin scope bobs up and down quite a lot on 1 mm thick aluminium.

Blasters in ESB were either the simpler ANH versions or a version with a scope rail that was twice as thick and 17 to 19 mm wide. (only resin casts have been seen in thewild and the width varies on the same rail.

 

[Lichtbringer]

And it is completly sure that they havn´t used modified original sterling scoperails?

They were available in 12mm and 20mm:

 

[Gatekeeper]

Not for ANH and ESB... you're thinking of ROTJ blasters.

 

[Lichtbringer]

Not for ANH and ESB... you're thinking of ROTJ blasters.

Aye. :lol

 

[Gatekeeper]

Aye. :lol

Interesting thought though. The ROTJ E-11's were MGC PFC shooters, and differ from real Sterlings dimensionally. It would take some tweaking in order to fit a Sterling rail to an MGC.

Or were there real Sterling hero shooters in ROTJ?

 

[Psammead]

As far as I know they were all MGCs in ROTJ.

Sorry should have been clearer, I meant in ANH, but thanks for the responses. Guess I'm going to have to get some thinner steel.

 

[Treadwell]

There were real Sterling shooters for a deleted bunker scene in ROTJ (Han fighting his way to the control room), which was shot in England. I think they pretty much just used leftovers, though, so they'd have had ESB rails.

 

[Treadwell]

And it is completly sure that they havn´t used modified original sterling scoperails?

They were available in 12mm and 20mm:

I didn't know these existed. Very cool! The ESB stunts had solid rails like this, but I don't know if they used real pieces for the castings or just machined something up. (Or otherwise filled the space under the ANH-style rail for molding.)