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Vader
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Tue 24 May 2022, 18:45

I see what you mean about the Mannlicher bolt now, I hadn't noticed how far back the image shows it being pulled back.

I'm sure in the physical prop I saw the bolt arm revolved to open the ejection port but didn't slide back much, if at all (maybe the handler just made sure this didn't happen I've watched so many BR pistol you tubes I can't remember which one).

I think any workable compromise would need to feature and explain the mechanics of the prop due to its prevelance.

With that in mind, I'll probably move away from my thoughts as the top barrel having more utility. Instead of being able to fire a wide variety of .223 calibre munitions it is instead purely some form of taser.
The bolt rotates and draws back allowing the cartridge to be hand chambered through the side port. When the mechanism is locked back it crushes the cartridge releasing and compressing the gas propellant ready for discharge.

I don't consider Blade Runners or the Voight-Kampff test to be infallible, it would be useful to have a non-lethal option to hand for those times when they are not certain.

But not a stick thin sonic blaster ;)

The prop's Steyr bolt slides back about one centimetre — nowhere near as far back as the drawing shows.

Again, for my own part ... I don't really see elaborate non-lethal functions being a priority for police sidearms in such a Noir world as Bladerunner's. The only concession to reducing collateral damage would be not having every round be explosive, but only those specifically activated to be.
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
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Vader
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Tue 24 May 2022, 19:50

Oh, and by the way — here's some icing on the cake:

See where Ligan's write-up says Only Blade Runners are allowed to carry these versatile [no kiddin' — they've turned it into a veritable Victorinox!], powerful pistols?

In the world established as per the original movie that would be, well ... not quite correct. One might even say, wrong.

Have a close look at the uniformed police officers you see milling about in a number of scenes. You will see several of them packing iron identical to Deckard's. In other words, this is not some unique "Rep-Detect Unit" sidearm; it's quite obviously the standard issue sidearm for the entire LAPD!

...oh, well.


In production terms, those extras are carrying "Stunt Props" — inert rubber castings of the Hero Prop. These are also used e.g. when Roy pulls Deckard's hand (and gun) through the wall.
As a bit of trivia — these Stunt Props were for 24 years the only sources around for prop enthusiasts to try to figure out how the Hero prop was built. Reason for why the early attempts at reproduction get the shape of the grip cap (a.k.a. "butt plate") wrong, as the castings were made before the plate was machined out to accommodate Harrison Ford's mitts. The earlier Adam Savage video also makes some short reference to this.
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
Vagrant
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Tue 24 May 2022, 20:53

I was slightly intrigued to see that it is only issued to Blade Runners as well. From the films that wouldn't need to be a big production run ;)
Maybe the regular patrol officers carry Series A, B, or C ;)
And maybe, given they would be as likely to be encountering human criminals rather than Replicants they might need to show at least some nod to a non-lethal option.

I guess they can't go with the Steyr-Mannlicher branding on the left side of the upper barrel for licensing reasons?
Although the 'Made in Austria' remains, I guess that's the Pflager part of Pflager-Katsumata.

I don't know if I'm reading too much into the model number of Series D 5224, where the 5224 refers to the number on the upper barrel, which is on closer examination 5223.
I recall that actually being an issue number rather than a model number, so each pistol would carry a unique number.
 
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Vader
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Tue 24 May 2022, 23:29

I guess they can't go with the Steyr-Mannlicher branding on the left side of the upper barrel for licensing reasons?
Although the 'Made in Austria' remains, I guess that's the Pflager part of Pflager-Katsumata.

I don't know if I'm reading too much into the model number of Series D 5224, where the 5224 refers to the number on the upper barrel, which is on closer examination 5223.
I recall that actually being an issue number rather than a model number, so each pistol would carry a unique number.

The number is indeed the Steyr rifle’s serial number — the correct one being “5223”. Using it as a model designation instead of a serial number I thought was a brilliant idea … but this, too, gets let down, as the illustration gets it wrong.

The Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G. branding is as you say on the left side of the receiver, and is actually correctly reproduced in the one of the line drawings that shows the side in question.


As for all the other stuff however … piling increasingly elaborate and contrived excuses on top of one another to rationalise their not deigning to make the effort to do their homework right, despite having every opportunity at their fingertips … holds, with each new iteration, increasingly little appeal to me.
Still possible to rectify though; all the information they need is made freely available. But, as I’ve had occasion to observe a number of times already, the force of NIH is strong here.
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Thu 26 May 2022, 10:08

I would like to know where the theory of non-lethal sonic blaster comes from? And if it does exist in canon somewhere what does it say about Deckard and K that they never felt the need to use I?

I realised I never answered your question!

No, this is not a feature ever used in the films. And as I noted earlier, I doubt the filmmakers ever even considered that a police sidearm in this world would need a non-lethal option — lethal and more lethal should do just fine.

The idea of the Blaster having a Sonic actually comes from old fan speculation around the functionality of the Steyr receiver. After all, it has from the outset been obvious to everyone “in the know” that the one thing it can’t be — that is physically impossible for it to be — is an actual rifle…

As the receiver terminates in what is somewhat reminiscent of a rough bell shape (truncated by the Bulldog barrel), and a bell shaped muzzle would work well with the idea of a sonic weapon — voilà! What if the Steyr part is a sonic weapon!?

So yeah. Congratulations due — they managed to find that little tidbit floating around, too, just like the .44 revolver and .222 rifle. Yoo-hoo.
But pairing it with the “sight rod”…? Oh please!
Pity they didn’t dig a bit deeper…
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
paladin2019
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Sat 28 May 2022, 00:43

Looking at the stats, what is the Crit Die? It seems this game will use a different critical hit determination than T:2k.
Rereading an old KS message,
CRITICAL HITS

If you roll for an attack and get two successes or more, you inflict a critical hit, allowing you to roll on the critical hit chart using the Crit Die for your weapon. Deadly weapons like the Blade Runner blaster have high crit dice.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/11 ... ts/3505938
So it seems, unlike T2k, additional successes don't deal more damage but trigger crits. It will be interesting to see if the crit charts mimic T2k's, with progressively more grievous wounds higher on the chart.
 
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Vader
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Mon 30 May 2022, 15:02

Here is a close-up of how the Steyr receiver terminates — what Ligan has ruled to be the muzzle of a removable .222 high-precision rifle. The aperture on the left is of course the muzzle of the .44 Magnum Bulldog.

The rough bell shape caused fans of the prop to hypothesise it might be the business end of a sonic weapon (apparently in turn causing Ligan to define the rod on the weapon's side as one).
In my own hypothesis, I define the Steyr receiver as containing the magazine and loading mechanism of the weapon.

The first picture shows what it looks like with the Steyr bolt closed, with the bolt's extension protruding through the small hole in the centre. The second picture shows it with the bolt open and retracted the centimetre or so that it is able to move.


Image
Image may not show in certain browsers. Try right-click and open image in new window or tab.
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Mon 30 May 2022, 18:12

I do wonder, by the way — is Ligan planning to pay Rick Ross a license fee, or something? Or at least credit him?

The "Pfläger-Katsumata series D" is a string of basically random names that Rick stuck together decades ago, to give the first replica he released a name that "by coincidence" got the initials "PKD".

For "Philip K. Dick". Of course.

He used it for each new generation he released since (PKD-1, PKD-2...) so, although plenty of replica makers have "borrowed" it since, it is, in all honesty, certainly reasonable to claim that it is his brand name.

Would certainly be ... becoming of Ligan to somehow acknowledge their use of fan-created lore.
Before you use the word "XENOMORPH" again, you should read this article through:

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/aliens-throwaway-line-confusion
 
baldrick0712
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Thu 09 Jun 2022, 19:29

Someone should start a similar thread about the gun Leon shoots Holden with at the start of the original movie, which I believe was a 4 barrel COP357 derringer.

Image
 
Vagrant
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Re: 2019-era LAPD Sidearm (aka. "Deckard's Blaster")

Fri 10 Jun 2022, 10:53

I think there's far less, if any, ambiguity about Leon's holdout pistol.
Other than the seeming fact that Tyrell has no security in place. Or, that Holden was sent out without any briefing from Bryant.

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