Seeking to free the Rebel Alliance’s most iconic weapons from the clutches of dusty old boxes in attics on Hollywood Boulevard, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! has been on a quest to give fans new hope that they can see their favorite props—handled by their favorite characters—in real life.
We just bought Han Solo’s blaster for $550,000, our most expensive Star Wars purchase yet. Han Solo’s blaster is only eclipsed by lightsabers and death stars. The fast-firing modified DL-44 blaster is closer to Han than even his furry friend, Chewbacca.
Han’s blaster started as a real pistol. The base is a German Mauser C96 model made by a Japanese company. The accouterments included bits of spare parts that were later replicated with resin molding. A scope and iron sights sit atop the frame, supposedly allowing Han to quickdraw more easily. Apparently, he got a little too zealous on set, though, as our model has a damaged scope.
Firing and non-firing versions were made for Return of the Jedi , and ours is a non-firing type. Unfortunately, this means we won’t be doing any blaster-forensics to determine whether Han actually shot first. Since it didn’t necessitate a firearms safety officer on set, it was likely used quite a bit before it was broken.
September 19, 2024
Strong winds at Slope Point, New Zealand, have left trees with a permanent crooked shape.
Robert Ripley began the Believe It or Not! cartoon in 1918. Today, Kieran Castaño is the eighth artist to continue the legacy of illustrating the world's longest-running syndicated cartoon!
