Star Wars: A New Hope, E-11 Blaster Rifle

replica movie prop weapon

Variable-fire particle beam weapon, standard issue for Imperial Stormtroopers throughout the Galactic Civil War.  Initially offered by BlasTech, the design proved extremely popular and versatile, spawning a number of variations, and even licensed production by other manufacturers like SoroSuub and Merr-Sonn in order to meet the high demand. Consequently, multiple slightly different versions of the E-11 are used more or less interchangeably by Imperial troops.

As with the original props from ANH, this replica has been crafted from an authentic Sterling Mark 4 / L2A3 submachine gun, produced in Great Britain after WWII.  Although many of the screenused weapons were blank-firing, this unit has been demil'd and the receiver replaced with a solid block of aluminum. The trigger and safety remain mobile, and the folding shoulder stock functions. 

Front grips are fashioned from hard plastic T-track, molded and attached to the barrel vent holes. Scope is a resin replica of the M38 azimuth tank scope used on some of the original props, attached to a thin metal scope rail fixed to a vent hole and the rear sight. Control box to the left of the scope is an authentic Hengtsler industrial counter; older Hengtsler counters as seen onscreen had an eagle logo on the side, which was discontinued by the company after WWII due to the symbol's association with Nazi Germany. Solid resin magazine replica; actual Sterling smg mags were used on some props in the film, although all were cut down to less than half their normal length. Missing the cylinders and connector wires seen on some screenused props above the mag well (where they conveniently obscure the original Sterling markings.)

Assembled, painted and weathered by clutch.