"Upside down" Otherworld pistol

K

Kaylee

Well-Known Member
when I was really little, I fell in love with that TV show "Otherworld" back in the 80's. Sure there was a lot of schlockyness, and in retrospect it was prolly a disaster of a show.

But gosh did I like it. :)

Anyhow.. the Sterling family lifted two items off the Zone Trooper guy -- a pistol that was "upside down" - being activated by thumb stud on the top, with the mass of the weapon underneath the hand (I never could figure out how they aimed the thing, but since none of the heroes ever died, maybe that answers the question right there)

The other item was an "access crystal" -- a tan-colored crystal thing about 6" long, and I think it was supposed to have some kind of electronics inside it.

I don't suppose anyone has better pictures of these, or better yet info on the source? I imagine the crystal was scratch-made, but I recall seeing a picture once upon a time saying the pistol was made of some 80's camp lantern and a regular ol' air pistol grip that hand been turned upside down.

Please please help? :)
 
scifihollywood.com used to have a couple of good pics of that gun (as well as others).

I wish I would've archived that site before it went away. If anybody has that site copied with all the pics, please let me know.

don't forget the zone trooper car that was a Logan's Run tv show car in there as well as Galactica blasters, and whatever else they could scrounge up for props.
 
I have all those episodes on vhs somewhere - Sci-Fi reran them all in 1994. Zonetroopers. Motorpigs.

That show was awesome.
 
yep that's it.

I was using the wayback machine but was going about it wrong and trying to click on the page link itself and that wasn't working. it did but just no picture was showing.

that's one of the show next on my list to convert to DVD. Moff, are your show's in SP or EP? They have all the end credits and such? Maybe you would care to lend them out and I'll make sure you get a set when converted to DVD.

you by chance don't have the last episode of Human Target do you? Only episode I'm missing :)

Lowell
 
Ooh yes, that is it.

Kinda chunkier and clunkier than I remembered, but hey it's been ages.. I don't suppose anyone can ID the parts?

Thank you thank you.

-K

(PS -- let me know when the DVD's ready? I could stand a trip down memory lane. If I recall correctly, the intro music was all kinds of 80's synthesizer goodness. :p )
 
Otherworld"
CBS Television, 1985
This weapon was used in the short-lived television series about the 'Sterling family' becoming lost in another dimension and trying to return home. Used by the Gestapo-like Zone Troopers, this pistol is constructed of a camping lantern with an attached grip and barrel with extensive wiring inside. Of the four working ones known to exist, this is in the finest condition.



The main body came from a lantern from Colman. it was the type that has a red gel on one side and a clear one the other side running the length of the gun. I remember that muchfrom somewhere.
 
Judging from the photo, the light cross section is triangular, I remember seeing those years ago, but I don't remember what brand it was.

Unfortunately, the archive doesn't appear to have all the photos.

David.
 
Is this it? If not, it seems similar...
90_1.jpg

58_1.jpg


I just bought the thing on eBay.. I figure it might at least be worth seeing in person. Hey, seven bucks shipped, not much lost if it don't work out. :D

I don't suppose anyone recognizes the pistol grip or "flash suppressor" from somewhere?

Here's the photo mentioned above:
2-15.jpg
 
The pistol grip is likely from an airgun considering it doesn't have removable grip plates. It bares a resemblance to the Umarex Panther because of the tear drop but it's not.
 
Good one Kaylee. I thought I was going to be the first to post the info about that light. I happened to have one of the things (or one very close) back in around 83. I also concur that the handgrip is from an airgun, although I don't have a speculation as to which. Dumb looking weapon, not to mention awkward.. The muzzle.. Could be PVC plumbing pipe, could be part of a vacuum wand with some holes.. Bunch of nasty wires inside, did it light up or anything?

I wonder if the picture of the prop has been mirrored. Look at the switches on the light, then the top left part of the gun. There's a recessed area and a hole where the switches would be, on the OTHER side of the gun/flashlight.

Jay
 
Dumb and awkward yeah, but really nostalgic to me. I think I was reading the Narnia books about the same time as that show was on, and between those I was looking for secret doors into other worlds all the time. :D


I think I may have found the donor pistol -- how does this Crossman 150 look to y'all?
crossman150b.jpg


The picture *may* be reversed.. I can't recall whether the bottom lit up, but I do remember seeing one episode where the mother picked the thing up and slid that little switch forward, and a tiny red light came on. I though it was towards the back of the gun, but it's been years since I've seen it.

So.. about those DVDs? :)
 
Jedi Lawja I believe the scifihollywood photo from the way back machine is mirrored either that or some props were built with the handle attached to one side of the lantern and others attached to the other. That seems unlikely though. I have been working on creating pages for more of my prop weapons. Here is a prototype page I have about the Other World gun and a replica. The images are not optimized yet so the page loads slow. But thought it might be of help to the thread. Will have a more detailed page up on this prop soon.

http://movieprop.com/otherworldpropgun.htm

The Crossman 150 looks close for the grip but I can't tell for certain. The screw on the grip is in the right place at least. The cap on one end of the handle section of my Other World gun says U.K. Design Registration NO 988991. Can't find anything with a brief google search on that though but haven't tried hard.
 
it looks like the barrel is just a piece of aluminum tubing stuck into the opening of the flashlight, with slots milled into it. wouldnt be all that hard to make.
 
Oooh -- firstmark, thank you.. :)

Um.. some questions, if you don't mind...

Is the muzzle piece metal then? It looks like a piece of metal piping that's been painted. And the bottom of the lantern is just a pice of clear plastic?

Is the wiring inside the body actually accomplishing anything, or is it just there for looks?

And is there any chance I could ask for a photo of the rear part, where the handle meets the lantern? (ie - is it a single piece, or a grippart over a cut off air pistol frame, or a replacement "frame" for joining to the body?)

And what, if anything, do the various switches do?

Finally.. I don't suppose anyone has a good picture of either the Zone Trooper logo ot their access crystal?

Thank you thank you.
(feels like I'm in the first grade again. :) )




Originally posted by firstmark@Feb 27 2006, 09:21 PM
Jedi Lawja I believe the scifihollywood photo from the way back machine is mirrored either that or some props were built with the handle attached to one side of the lantern and others attached to the other. That seems unlikely though.  I have been working on creating pages for more of my prop weapons. Here is a prototype page I have about the Other World gun and a replica. The images are not optimized yet so the page loads slow. But thought it might be of help to the thread. Will have a more detailed page up on this prop soon.

http://movieprop.com/otherworldpropgun.htm

The Crossman 150 looks close for the grip but I can't tell for certain. The screw on the grip is in the right place at least. The cap on one end of the handle section of my Other World gun says U.K. Design Registration NO 988991. Can't find anything with a brief google search on that though but haven't tried hard.
[snapback]1195243[/snapback]​
Click to expand...
 
The barrel seems to be metal not very heavy duty though. The wiring inside the body I suppose was from the lantern it has a plastic like material you can see through I think and that is covered with black paper inside.
There is a trigger button custom made and built into the handle. Not really sure what is was supposed to do possibly just the trigger button is for show and the switch is to turn on the light on the lantern for effect. Maybe the trigger is meant to light something up I don't see which I think is most likely. A lighting effect was used on the show I believe though.
 
Originally posted by Kaylee@Feb 26 2006, 10:46 PM
Is this it? If not, it seems similar...
90_1.jpg

58_1.jpg


I just bought the thing on eBay.. I figure it might at least be worth seeing in person. Hey, seven bucks shipped, not much lost if it don't work out. :D
Click to expand...


Nice find Kaylee. I believe that that lantern is also the one used in Aliens.

David
 
They have one of these, perhaps even the one pictured on Ebay. If nothing else, you might get some information from the photos in the auction.

David.
 
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