I have been a huge fan of the Star Wars Franchise from a young age. I was captivated by the world-building created by the original trilogy of films and the extensive use of real military equipment in the props department. When it came to the initial design of my own blasters, I first sketched out silhouettes of 50s era ray guns and pieced together collaged images of various WW2 handguns I had photographed in museums. I settled on several key features I would like my blaster to have, such as a distinctively swept-back grip, a scope and a large barrel relative to the size of the overall prop.
The next decision in my design process was how I would construct this prop. My first idea was to carve several component bucks out of wood and then vacuum form a shell from plastic. The benefit of this method would be a safe, lightweight prop with cavities inside for electronics. My second idea was inspired by how the original props were made using real functional firearms. Instead of a real firearm, I used an airsoft replica as the basis of my blaster design. That way it would have a convincing weight and mechanical functionality.
I opted for the second idea and modified an airsoft pistol with a functional scope and the ability to fire glowing BB pellets. The modifications to the blaster involved machining away material from the airsoft pistol to fit the other parts. Painting and distressing the surfaces of the blaster to replicate extensive use and add an element of storytelling to the prop.
My First prototype blaster is constructed from a “Ruger MK.2” replica made of ABS plastic, an air rifle scope and a replica russian PBS-4 Suppressor. I was initially pleased with the look of this first attempt, but the functionality of the prop left some things to be desired as I was unable to retain the prop’s ability to fire BBs. It also felt very lightweight and “plasticy”, which was not the aim of this project. I wanted to create a prop that felt like a tool when handled and had satisfying mechanical functionality. So I set about creating a Second version of the blaster, reusing the replica PBS-4 suppressor. This time I acquired a replica of a P08 Luger airsoft pistol and a long eye relief pistol scope. All the major components on this prop are metal and add a convincing mass to the piece. I also kept the mechanical functionality of the parts, the prop can be aimed using a functional scope and fire glowing BBs. There is also a large enough cavity in the suppressor body for potential electronic sfx such as a speaker and flash/smoke unit.
Finally, I created a holster from vegetable-tanned leather to house the blaster. The panels were hand-stitched together and I used warm water to mould the leather to the contour of the prop blaster.
