What do you get the discerning Star Wars fan that has everything? A functioning BlasTech DT-12 Heavy Blaster Pistol, of course.
Even if you’re not a Star Wars mega fan, you’ve likely seen the terse exchange between smuggler Han Solo and otherworldly bounty hunter Greedo in a seedy bar on the outskirts of a galaxy far, far away. Despite Greedo having the upper hand, plucky Han emerges unscathed, drawing and firing his Blaster , a “broom handle” Mauser C96 converted by British prop supplier Bapty.
Greedo’s “firearm” is a BlasTech DT-12 Heavy Blaster Pistol, which, according to the Internet Movie Firearm Database, is built off a Ruger Mk I modified with a short barrel, finned flash hider, slightly modified grips, and several apparently targeting-related devices. Custom gun builder Phil Larocca and Connecticut-based Mad Pig Customs took it upon themselves to build the coolest pistol no one asked for off of a Ruger Mk I donor—just like the original.
Guns.com reports that Phil Larocca cut the Mk I’s barrel down to 2.5-inches, threaded it to accept the custom muzzle device, and machined the bolt so that it cycles standard velocity loads. To really set the gun off, he mounted Single Point Occluded Eye Gunsight, a processor to today’s red dot sights.
The team at Mad Pig Customs added a set of Lyman G10 grips and applied an Endor-style camo cerakote finish to the blaster, along with some artificial distressing to simulate the beating the Blaster would have taken in battle during Episode V1.
Many of the other guns were converted from existing iron, such as Princess Leia’s long-barreled Defender Sporting Blaster. Perhaps one of the most iconic images from the entire film series is the Princess fighting off Stormtroopers with the Defender Sporting Blaster before being captured at the beginning of the first film. She uses a similar blaster again on Endor in “Return of the Jedi,” but with a shorter barrel.
The long, thin appearance of the small-caliber Russian Vostok Margolin .22LR Target Pistol lent itself well to a sleek, alien blaster that looked natural when wielded by someone of Carrie Fisher’s stature. The real gun is a simple blowback pistol with a fixed barrel, which makes it conducive to target shooting. Today, it’s highly sought by collectors—not gun collectors, “Star Wars” collectors.
