Props of A New Hope (part 2)

Here are some in-progress renders of the next two props from A New Hope. The DH-17 Blaster used by Rebel Marines aboard the Tantive IV, and trusty (if inaccurate) E-11 Blaster used by Stormtroopers the whole galaxy over.

Both props started out as Sterling Submachineguns, popular during WWII, and had lots of greebles piled on top to make two distinct blasters. One of the unique features of Star Wars was the use of modified real world weaponry, which often fired blanks during filming (to which laser bolts and sound effects were added in post-production) In Pre-Star Wars movies laser weapons were completely static, and actors would pretend (or not) to feel any recoil from them. Props that fired blanks in Star Wars, adding a real kick to the action, gave the film a much more realistic feel. That said, in the opening scenes of A New Hope, only the Stormtroopers had functional blank-firing guns, the Rebel weapons were crude rubber castings.

and here's a collection of all the props I've modeled from A New Hope so far...