— Ch. 1 · Real-World Prop Origins —
Blaster (Star Wars).
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
The E-11 blaster rifle held by stormtroopers in the original Star Wars films was not built from scratch. It began as a Sterling submachine gun, a weapon used by the armed forces of the United Kingdom during the second half of the 20th century. Filmmakers modified the magazine and other components to fit the galaxy far away aesthetic. Han Solo's DL-44 pistol had a different lineage entirely. That weapon traced its roots back to the 7.63-caliber Mauser C96, an automatic pistol that saw service in World War I and World War II. The prop department added a scope and an emitter nozzle to transform the historical firearm into a futuristic tool. A blaster made for the 1977 film A New Hope went missing before production ended. Craftsmen created a replacement using resin cast from the original mold. This second version appeared in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Other heavy repeating blasters found their origins in Lewis light machine guns with barrel shrouds removed. The DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle started life as an MG 34. The RT-97C heavy blaster rifle derived from an MG 15.
Sound Design And Aesthetics
Ben Burtt created the iconic sound of blaster fire during a family backpacking trip in the Pocono Mountains in 1976. He struck the guy-wire of an AM radio transmitter tower with a hammer while recording the impact close up. The resulting noise became the signature crack heard across the galaxy. Functional Sterlings firing blank cartridges provided the visual muzzle flash on screen. In some scenes, the actual sound of the blank cartridge remained audible instead of being dubbed over by a sound effect. Michael Kaminski noted that Akira Kurosawa's Ran influenced the exchange of blaster fire in the prequel trilogy. Color coding helped depict opposing forces clearly to the audience. Rebels employed red blaster fire and often attacked from the left side of the frame. The Empire used green blaster fire only when TIE fighters were involved, attacking from the right. Attack of the Clones reversed these colors for the Republic versus Separatist conflict. Republic forces fired green and blue bolts while attacking from the right. Separatists utilized red fire coming from the left direction.