From Rock Island Auction Company and a galaxy far, far away comes the BlasTech DL-44 Heavy Blaster that Han Solo, portrayed by Harrison Ford, carried in Star Wars: A New Hope, available in the company’s August 26th – 28th Premier Auction.
Han Solo’s blaster was previously considered missing and presumed lost forever, requiring new prop blasters to be built for “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.” The replacement wielded by Ford in “Return of the Jedi” sold at auction in 2018 for $550,000. The current offering by Rock Island Auction Company is the sole surviving example of the original three used for filming.
Star Wars fans refer to Han Solo’s blaster, one of the most recognizable weapons in movie history, as the “Hero” prop from “A New Hope.” Used to spring Solo out of several scrapes, it can also been seen prominently strapped to his thigh at the film’s triumphant conclusion.
Originally Han Solo’s blaster was a Mauser C96 broom handle pistol that had served as a prop in previous movies, such as the 1968 film “Naked Runner” where it was used by Frank Sinatra, playing an assassin.
Roger Christian, set decorator for “A New Hope,” told Esquire magazine that he wanted Han Solo’s blaster to look like a western gun so the Mauser was modified with a World War II era scope and the muzzle from an airplane-mounted machine gun. A few other modifications were also made. The blaster comprised of military surplus parts would go on to serve as the prototype for those carried by Solo throughout the original trilogy.
Han Solo’s blaster could set the new high water mark in the increasingly popular field of Star Wars collectibles. In 2017 an original R2D2 droid sold for $2.75 million and this June an original X-wing miniature prop brought $2.3 million. The preauction estimate for Solo’s blaster is $300,000 – $500,000.
