Hi All,

Firstly thanks so much for your help, you guys are just wonderful!

I bought a General Lando and a Luke Poncho that arrived today but I'm not convinced by either palace blaster in their originality and I dont have a definite real one to compare against.

One sinks in water and it doesn't have the raised dot in the handle, so I'm certain that's a repro.

However the Poncho Luke blaster:
1)  DOES have the raised dot in the handle,
2) however it SINKS every time it's placed in water,
3) but the sound it makes when dropped is a slightly LOWER TONE to the 90's repro I have (see youtube video down below), and
4) it DOES have the small dot on the barrel too

Also I just noticed the "knob" on the back of the blaster (not the sight, but below that) is missing - perhaps but off as excess flashing?

The TIG guidelines don't explicitly state that the black blaster should float or sink so I'm not so certain about it.

Please help!? I need confirmation either way.

Left side


Right side


Bottom - this shows its not very smooth moulded on the bottom which I'd expect from original accessories, this could be a result of excess flashing having been removed manually perhaps with a knife


Top - same again, this might be showing excess flashing having been removed. sorry its not quite in focus but you get the idea, it's like the bottom of the weapon in the pic above.


Alongside a 90's repro (right) and the blaster I'm testing (left)


I also have a video of the sound it makes when dropped on a wooden table:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC2ewmxIi74

Hi mat8yr, if you  click the link below you will see there is a very similar palace blaster to yours it is the V3 repro, it has the bump on the barrel and the grip, it also has excess flashing that if removed would look like yours, but it floats like the originals. It may be the same reproduction mold but a different plastic or resin used to cause it to sink this time around?

It would be good to get some other opinions at this time??

I have never heard of an original palace blaster that sinks but maybe one of the other guys have just incase?


http://www.imperialgunnery.com/palaceblasters.htm

Hey!

Yeah, I think this was a V3 repro that had a little nip/tuck to look good. It's scary good but luckily the roughness and sinking help ID it

Looks like a slightly cleaned up (still has roughness look to it though) version.  Here is a report on them. https://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t7878-special-repro-report-debunking-the-float-test-myth

Note that the ones in the report float, but if they changed material the same could be found sinking. Given the roughness of it, I don't have a doubt it is reproduction though.

Looks too "gritty" to be original vintage. Unless a small woodland creature nibbled on it.

beachboy19 wrote:

Looks too "gritty" to be original vintage.  Unless a small woodland creature nibbled on it.

Small woodland creature.........................................Like a mouse?....................................................................

Thanks guys for your awesome help as usual. I returned the figure and hopefully educated another seller in the fight against repros.

I have to say the repros are getting better, the 90's ones you could spot a mile off but if this repro v3 had floated like the others found on the guide I'm not sure I would've noticed. I to tend to use a 10x opticians magnifier on any figure and accessory that looks too good to be true for paint touchups or repro parts but I'm going to have to step it up to EVERY item I receive now I think.

And thanks Brian for putting a smile on my face this morning - you seem to have a graphic for everything