New discoveries: pix of Blade Runner Blaster PRE-production condition

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

Thanks folks!

Mark: Hmmm.. you may be right about the wire not going back from the sight rod to the grip.

The hole in the grip strap is evidence that the lit grip might have been powered by a wire up the actor's arm. But it's not proof.

Thanks for keeping me on my toes!

Karl

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

kpax said:
So why are the white wires not in the new Polaroids with the wire attached to the screw?

My theory is when they removed the external metal wire with spade clip attached to the grub screw, they replaced it with the bundle of four white-coated wires. These run internally from the batteries in the ammo clip, to the cylinder cover where two run outside and two run inside. I'm guessing so that it's more durable what with the need to open the cover to access the cylinder.

Karl

kpax · Feb 13, 2014

...so they didn't have any black wires...or a sharpie! : )
Just funny they let the wires be so obvious... but then again, they never expected anyone (us) to be looking so close all these years later as is evidence by the lack of clear screen shots of the prop from the actual film.
Fun stuff.

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

For some shots, the wires are chopped off and covered with black electrical tape. I don't think the green LEDs on the sight rod appear lit at any time during the film.

We're seeing the wires here. Staring right at us the whole time.

No wires apparent here.

The green LEDs might be lit here....

kpax · Feb 13, 2014

..very nice pics...thanks Karl!

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

racprops said:
In my defence that is what I was told by one of the propmasters, when working from the Stunt prop which had two holes (about were we now see the two screws) I asked what the two holes were for, he said they were the on/off switch, a common practice used in Hollywood, a toothpick hidden switch.

I wonder if at some early stage, they expected to do it that way, but changed their minds and added the big "ON/OFF" switch to the clip instead?

The nice thing about the switch is that each magazine would have its own switch (and we know they made multiple battery magazines). The holes-method means you would have to line up the toothpick, through a hole in the magazine housing, to line up with a switch on the magazine. That would have been kind of annoying if you had to do it every time, and the switch wasn't in exactly the right place.

The more I think about it, the more that seems to make sense. The big ON/OFF switch on the magazine always looked kind of odd and inelegant, and I doubt they would have done that unless they had to.

Also the switch catches on the leather when you pull the gun out of the holster. As it happens that turns the lights on, but it seems more accidental that not, I doubt they put the switch there for that reason.

Karl

racprops · Feb 13, 2014

I have a couple of shots of clips that seem to ONLY have the lever switch in front for a automatic on when loaded into a housing, (and auto shut off when removed)

I believe these were for the mythical reloading scene we have heard about.

Rich

Here is one with NO switches of any kind:

And here is one with the front lever switch and the side switch:

phase pistol said:
I wonder if at some early stage, they expected to do it that way, but changed their minds and added the big "ON/OFF" switch to the clip instead?

The nice thing about the switch is that each magazine would have its own switch (and we know they made multiple battery magazines). The holes-method means you would have to line up the toothpick, through a hole in the magazine housing, to line up with a switch on the magazine. That would have been kind of annoying if you had to do it every time, and the switch wasn't in exactly the right place.

The more I think about it, the more that seems to make sense. The big ON/OFF switch on the magazine always looked kind of odd and inelegant, and I doubt they would have done that unless they had to.

Also the switch catches on the leather when you pull the gun out of the holster. As it happens that turns the lights on, but it seems more accidental that not, I doubt they put the switch there for that reason.

Karl

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

Hm, some sort of evolution then. Or different implementations to accommodate different needs for particular scenes.

I suppose they would have preferred to have no visible switch at all, and have the lights come on automatically when the magazine is inserted. But then the lights would burn all day, unless you removed the clip between takes, which would have been a hassle. And as I speculated, using a toothpick through a hole to a hidden switch, would have gotten old quickly as well. Hence, the big external slide switch.

I wonder what the other side of the prop looks like, in its pre-production state. There wasn't a photo of it that I've seen. By the time you get to that set of photos where the gun is displayed from several different sides along with a Blade Runner production company business card, it's in its final filming condition.

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

racprops said:
View attachment 285934

Wait a minute, have I been thinking about this all wrong? Were there even batteries IN the ammo magazine? Perhaps there was only the switch and the five LEDs (and that resistor)... was there another wire, now gone, that ran from the gun up Harrison Ford's arm after all? Maybe this wasn't a self-contained prop.

Do we actually know there were batteries in the ammo clip, ever?

k

racprops · Feb 13, 2014

I think this hints or shows the battery pack hanging from the wires, it seems to be taped up.

Rich

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

Ah, that's probably right. Batteries held together with electrical tape.

It also looks like they must have RECAST the ammo magazine to make copies!

Karl

racprops · Feb 13, 2014

They all look real with the Steyr clear back plate.

Rich

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

Hah! I figured it was clear resin, :lol

k

racprops · Feb 13, 2014

They look totally real.

Rich

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

As you recall, we didn't remove the clip when we examined the prop at Worldcon, and I'd never seen a real Steyr magazine. And the clip on the prop appears to have black paint over the edge of the clear plate, I guess, since I don't see any clear there in the photos available.

See, there's still plenty to learn about this thing. :lol

k

racprops · Feb 13, 2014

I know funny...

I have seen a few real ones and and the had clear backs I think so you can check the rounds, and it is a rotary clip, the rounds are on a revolver like holder, like the Ruger 1022 rifle.

Rich

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

Ah, so I suppose that's how they get four rounds in there (it is four I guess?)

k

phase pistol · Feb 13, 2014

In the "interesting but not particularly significant" category:

Looks like the rearmost LED on the left side of the gun, plus its collar, are pushed-in quite a bit compared to the other one! Never noticed that before. Huh.

racprops · Feb 13, 2014

Rats neither did I.

Now I need to do a whole new model to make that change....

I don't remember what the load is i think it was 5...

Rich

phase pistol · Feb 14, 2014

Shinji Nakako of Tomenosuke informed us yesterday that he intends to include a dry transfer of the "5223" in the next iteration of the PRO, the "Retailer Edition."

Box cover artist Jakob Stærmose leaped into action, and has already done the artwork!

Well dones

New discoveries: pix of Blade Runner Blaster PRE-production condition

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