Page 192 - 86-Book2

ACCOMPANYING THIS LOT IS A SIGNED IMAGE OF HARRISON FORD AS HAN SOLO USING ONE OF THE THREE BLASTERS PRODUCED FOR THE FILM
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“When I acquired the stock of Bapty & Co. in the year 2000 I had little knowledge of this film. It was only when a film memorabilia company bought the last of our prop Sterlings and other known pieces from ‘Star Wars’ that the question of what happened to the Han Solo blaster awakened my interest.
I asked Carl Schmidt, who was the lead armorer on the film, what the true history was. As often the case the reality is something more complicated and sometimes much simpler than ever imagined, confounded with a near fifty-year memory gap.
In liaison with the production company’s Art Department it was decided to use a Mauser C96 pistol with a vintage German Hensoldt scope, the scope having been used previously on a Frank Sinatra film amongst others, and an added MG81 flash hider on a cut down barrel for the Han Solo pistol.
The Production wanted real blank firing guns for the action scenes to help with synchronisation of special effects and to aid actors in their reactions. As is standard practice on a film set, more than one firearm is required for filming. Between Second Unit and stunt double needs, publicity requirements and spares in case of malfunction with blank- firing conversions during filming, extra guns are always
necessary and present.