There is no single definitive Colonial Blaster from Battlestar Galactica original prop, rather there are several different ones, each with their own idiosyncrasies. A single ‘kit-bashed’ master pattern was created by the prop team. This was hand built using a variety of found parts including elements from various period off-the-shelf model kits.
Hero props incorporated a light-up barrel, created using a powerful flash bulb, requiring the use of a bulky external battery pack with wires that ran down the actor’s sleeve to the prop’s handle, a fairly innovative technique for the 1970’s. The limitations of broadcast technology at the time meant that the props did not need to be clean or precise. The original props were quite rough, with multiple flaws including bubbles, distortion, asymmetry, soft detail and uneven edges.
THE REPLICA The Factory Entertainmen Team spent many hours studying surviving original props as well as various videos and images. Charming as the eccentricities of the original props are, a deliberate choice was made to refine the replica by removing irregularities and anomalies that the original prop makers never intended to be seen. A 3D model was created from scratch using the source material as reference.
All asymmetry was corrected, any distortion was removed, and any incomplete detail was restored. This resulted in a single optimized version of the blaster, and self-contained electronic light and sound effects were added. The body of the blaster is crafted from high-quality resin and features hand-painted details.
The barrel is made from metal. A certificate of authenticity is included.