Blaster Empire Strikes Back EE-3 Barrel Mounts

[Art Andrews]

I have been working on trying to create accurate ESB barrel mounts for more than a year now and I am very happy with my progress (6 prototypes so far), but I am struggling with the alignment of the scope and want to get community feedback. After looking at every photo I can find, I feel like this behind-the-scenes shot from the Executor is the truest to a perfect side view.



I know a lot of people use this photo from Bespin, but when you look carefully, this shot is low and with the barrel of the gun facing slightly away from the camera. I WANT to use this one as it is a better photo, but I simply don't believe it is a true side shot.



I'd love to get your thoughts on this. Once I am done, I will share my files with the community.

 

[Builder]

I have been working on trying to create accurate ESB Scope Rings for more than a year now and I am very happy with my progress (6 prototypes so far), but I am struggling with the alignment of the scope and want to get community feedback. After looking at every photo I can find, I feel like this behind-the-scenes shot from the Executor is the truest to a perfect side view.

View attachment 173439

I know a lot of people use this photo from Bespin, but when you look carefully, this shot is low and with the barrel of the gun facing slightly away from the camera. I WANT to use this one as it is a better photo, but I simply don't believe it is a true side shot.

View attachment 173440

I'd love to get your thoughts on this. Once I am done, I will share my files with the community.

Hi Art
In the second photo I think that the center greeblie on the stock is the giveaway. It is seen as almost a perfect square with no shadow edges.
That indicates to me that the camera lens was perpendicular to the gun at that point. The rings then start to arc around the barrel as you move away from that point. In the top photo the gun stalk and therefore the ark of the rings appear to turn at a greater angle(not much) away from perpendicular than in the second photo.
Also looking at where the scope mounts lay on the top edge of the barrel shows that in the top photo you are looking down more
at the top of the gun.In the second they are clearly sitting right on the top edge of the barrel. A much straighter side view.
In my lowly view picture number two is more perpendicular in both the vertical and horizontal. Especially the perpendicular.
Happy building

 

[Art Andrews]

So, here is what I have come up with. Obviously, these are approximated, but you get the idea.

 

[Art Andrews]

Alright... spent the last 6 hours messing with this and I think this is where I am comfortable. Time to print version 7...

 

[Builder]

So, here is what I have come up with. Obviously, these are approximated, but you get the idea.

View attachment 173443

HI again Art
I looked at my own EE-3 front scope bracket, which I don't
claim to be perfect, and took these pictures (the top is how I see the bridge bracket rotation and the second the chamber rotation).

If you compare the screws at the bottom I had to shoot at a greater angle, from perpendicular, for the top one(the bridge).
You state there is a greater angle on the bottom one.
I think you are more correct using the bottom one as well. Taking into consideration that the photo angle does affect
the scope to barrel relationship in the pictures. Good luck!

 

[Art Andrews]

Thanks, Builder. After spending half of the day on this, I ended up splitting the difference between the two as neither is an exact straight-on shot. I ended up with a 1 degree down angle on my scope... and I still feel like it may be too much. It is so hard to say. One of the main things I see wrong with most replicas is that people try to make the scope make sense in terms of a real-world gun, but it simply doesn't. They usually make the front scope ring too tall which results in the scope having a bit of a floating effect above the gun instead of feeling like it is a part of the gun. I am sure I am reading way too much into it, but I desperately want to have the correct down angle on the front end of the scope.

 

[Builder]

You're right, in real life the scope will always run parallel to the center line of the barrel regardless
of the taper of the barrel back to front.In this type of film prop they are more concerned with form than function
figuring most will not know the difference when they see it in the movie.

 

[ConvergenceProp]

I used both shots primarily when I designed mine and aproximated similar dimensions using other photos from there at various angles as a sort of double check, but I agree both those are about the best side on shots of the blaster readily available.
That said I personally wouldnt rely too heavily on any one photo, especially those from the executor bridge as the barrel mounts appear to slide around a little side to side (and front to back) from him hugging that heavy-ass Webley to his chest and swinging it around vicariously. A good view of this can be seen in that side profile shot from the bridge where the mounts/scope assemy is tilted more towards his chest in comparison to the top of the breech locking lug on the Webley
Edit: whoops, missed you already caught this hahaha

That downward angle on the scope is a real pain to nail down especially with the whole assembly moving slightly from shot to shot. Tbh im still messing witn it. Ive never actually measured mine but somewhere around 1° sounds about right. Same for those god awful scope brackets. I literally Just made a new version, probably the 9th or 10th by now, and Im finally starting to be genuinely happy with it.
Yours are looking really nice so far. Very interested to see how they look in practice.
Im curious if you calculated the width of the clips to be at around 16 mm like I got. Just enough to let the fronts of the molex overhang just a smidge beyond the clip
Its a real pain in the neck regardless and much like the Unimax switch if the real deal is ever found Im sure we’ll all get a good laugh at the things we got wrong and surprised by the things we were damn close to lol

 

[Sidewinder]

All well n good Art, but these are 'barrel mounts' cos they go on the barrel and are for mounting things, 'scope rings' are the parts that go on the scope!

 

[Art Andrews]

All well n good Art, but these are 'barrel mounts' cos they go on the barrel and are for mounting things, 'scope rings' are the parts that go on the scope!

Doh! You are absolutely right!

 

[Art Andrews]

I know this is a terrible photo, but I finally have version 7 of the barrel mounts in hand and test fitted and I'd be hard-pressed to be happier with these pieces! This has been a really long process for me, but I think I can finally call these done! Will try to paint them up this week and add the molex connectors as well as the screws and hopefully I will be one more step to having completed this gun. Then I'll be able to turn my attention back to the breach greebles.

Note: It is very odd, because this particular photo visually gives the opposite appearance of what is going on here. The scope is actually pointing at a 1 degree downward slant, with the back higher than the front, as it should be.

 

[Funkyred]

Does the flash tube go underneath the barrel mount?

 

[Art Andrews]

Does the flash tube go underneath the barrel mount?

Yes. It goes back into the barrel of the Webley quite a bit.

 

[Funkyred]

Yes. It goes back into the barrel of the Webley quite a bit.

I think my barrel is to long?

The holes in the flash tube look further back on your EE3.

 

[Art Andrews]

I tried to measure my barrel placement as carefully as possible, and would be glad to share my findings, but my calculations aren’t gospel by any stretch.

I think my barrel is to long?
View attachment 179336

The holes in the flash tube look further back on your EE3.

 

[Funkyred]

I tried to measure my barrel placement as carefully as possible, and would be glad to share my findings, but my calculations aren’t gospel by any stretch.

I have had a sneaky suspicion mine was a bit long for a while as it looks long in images when trooping. This image kind of reafirned it also.

 

[RafalFett]

Here's what I got for the tube's position:

 

[Art Andrews]

RafalFett , we are pretty much right on the same page. Just measuremed mine.

The barrel is 121.8mm out.
Distance between mounts is 109.98.
Distance between rear mount and breach is 64.99.

For two independent efforts, I'd say those numbers verify one another very nicely.

 

[Funkyred]

Here's what I got for the tube's position:
View attachment 179339

These measurements mean my sidewinder barrel is 23mm to long and coming in at 143mm

 

[Art Andrews]

These measurements mean my sidewinder barrel is 23mm to long and coming in at 143mm

Can you cut it down from the backside and hide the join under the front barrel mount?