HCG ALIENS HERO M41A PULSE RIFLE - Modification Thread

Art Andrews

Art Andrews

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The purpose of this thread is not debate the accuracies/inaccuracies of the HCG Pulse Rifle but to discuss how to go about making various modifications to it to create an even more accurate replica.

We just came back from Star Wars Celebration V to find our Pulse Rifle sitting on the front porch (thanks for leaving it unattended Mr Postman) and couldn't wait to tear into it! This is not a review thread, but overall, we are impressed and are keeping the rifle. We also have one of Matsuo's PRs which we love dearly, but will probably end up selling now that we have the HCG (the metal shrouds have spoiled us already).

While we love the HCG, there are certainly some areas that we feel need attention and since we hope this to be our final gun, we are willing to destroy the "collectibility" of it to get what we want.

I will be the first to admit, I know a little about Pulse Rifles but certainly am not well versed like Matsuo, Harry, Tommin or Willie. I hope those guys will join in this thread with their own thoughts and opinions as well.


At the moment, I think we are going to most closely try to match the 8 hole hero gun seen in these pics:

attachment.php


We have no delusions about making a perfect Pulse Rifle because the HCG isn't a perfect base and since ever rifle seems to have been slightly different anyway, there is only so much that can be done.

We hope others will join us in posting up their work as well.
 
This is only a quick pic/comp of our HCG to our Matsuo. When compared like this, the differences really begin to stand out, especially in regard to the shells.

Just to be sure there is no confusion, this is a comped pic, but the guns were shot seconds after the other in the same position on the backdrop because I wanted to make sure they had exactly the same light. This really emphasizes how much darker the HCG is than Matt's.

attachment.php
 
Honestly, I don't see one in the barrel. I do see that the GL is SLIGHTLY higher in the back than the front and I mean SLIGHTLY. As I have posted in the other thread, I think this issue is being blown WAY out of proportion. Maybe I got a good one but I think the truth is that some people are making a much bigger deal out of this than it is.
 
I took another pic to try to show the front end better (and I apologize for the lighting) and once I added in the lines, I can't see any real droop at all on ours, not even from what I thought was a slight droop on the GL.

attachment.php
 
I'm not a photography genius but what type of set up did you use to take that picture? Because to me it seems unreal...almost CGI like. Could you do me a huge favor and take photos not using that set up and do it like others have? Like sitting it on the magazine on a flat surface like the kitchen counter and/or against a wall?


RH
 
That is just beautiful ,congratulations ,on your PR ,I hope you folks enjoy it ,I feel so bad I couldnt afford one ,I wanted one of those.....
 
RustedHero said:
I'm not a photography genius but what type of set up did you use to take that picture? Because to me it seems unreal...almost CGI like. Could you do me a huge favor and take photos not using that set up and do it like others have? Like sitting it on the magazine on a flat surface like the kitchen counter and/or against a wall?
Click to expand...

I'm not a photography genius either but that is basically straight off the camera, only scaled down to fit and with the yellow lines added. As you can see... my lighting is horribly uneven (because I only have one softbox down here right now) with a lot of light on the left and nothing to even it out at the right).

Not to get catty or insult anyone, but if you are asking me to take crappy pics in even poorer lighting or with an on camera flash... no, I won't... why would I do that? Including my sink won't change the barrel angle.

This is taken like virtually all my pics are taken, with the prop sitting on the floor, on a piece of cardboard (in this case light blue, which washed out to white on the left because of the overexposure to the lighting), with one medium softboxed strobe on a stand coming in overhead from the left.

If your implication is that there is some sort of digital trickery going on here, you are dead wrong... and no matter what the lighting, it isn't going to straighten or bend the barrel and GL more.
 
Art Andrews said:
I'm not a photography genius either but
If your implication is that there is some sort of digital trickery going on here, you are dead wrong... and no matter what the lighting, it isn't going to straighten or bend the barrel and GL more.
Click to expand...

I apologize man I didn't mean it that way. It's just how I judge things better. For instance I prefer the magazine Perfect 10 over Playboy. Why? Cause I don't like how Playboy airbrushes those girls so much they just don't seem real. Perfect 10 doesn't airbrush anything so I enjoy it more for the realism factor. I'm sorry but your photos reminded me of that. The PR's looked so good that it just didn't seem real to my eyes to believe. Again I apologize if I made you feel like I was accusing you of trickery. It was just my OCD talking.

RH
 
Disclaimer: Modifying your HCG pulse rifle will void any warranty you may be entitled to with an otherwise un modified prop.

We are free to operate under the reasonable assumption that as long as your replica was procured by legal means it is yours to do with as you please as long it does not involve unauthorized reproduction and distribution.

I have successfully grafted an HCG shroud set to an airsoft already... No pix yet but soon.

The shroud swap has been mentioned elsewhere. It is not exactly easy and the shrouds as they come off the resin HCG Thompson are not readily usable on the real Thompson or the airsoft. The side rails need to be widened (top and bottom, not deepened), clearance needs to be widened on some of the fire control components.

There are locating lugs molded into the metal shrouds that protrude into the resin components. Those have to come off as well as clearance needs to be made for any aftermarket stock locking mechanism.


I've omitted the actual removal process... I need to refine how I present it, I don't want there to be any confusion and cause anyone to do great harm to the shrouds, not likely but in my business anything will break if you bang on it hard enough.

There is much much more to it and I will be posting as time allows.

M
 
Art Andrews said:
Matt, just for the record... I aim to void my warranty... ;)
Click to expand...

Hahaha that sounds like something Mal Reynolds would've said!

Great thread Art. I'm considering possibly doing some swapping to mine; maybe putting my real spas cage from my old rifle on there.

Matt, can you tell us what kind of glue is holding the SPAS assembly in place?
 
Last edited:
Art,

Thanks for posting this thread. When I get mine, if it is one of the bad ones and they don't take it back, I will seriously consider these mods.
 
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