Star Wars ‘Han Shot First’ Blaster Sells for More Than $1 Million
The gun as used by Harrison Ford during the “Han shot first” scene in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope has sold at auction for more than $1 million – twice the expected price.
Based on a German pistol from World War II, the DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol prop was one of three made for the 1977 movie, and the last one known to exist. It was a key element in the scene where Han Solo takes part in a seated showdown with bounty hunter Greedo, who dies during an exchange of fire.
Director George Lucas upset fans by recutting the scene for a 1997 reissue to suggest a different sequence of events from that seen in the original movie, leading to the “Han shot first” fandom movement.
The Rock Island Auction Company announced the blaster auction with an expected price range of $300,000 to $500,000, but it eventually sold for $1,057,500. “Arguably the most iconic movie firearm of all time, it remains in fine overall condition and is converted to a non firing for blanks only,” the lot description read. “Do not miss this opportunity … because we all know: ‘Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.’”
The blaster listing also noted: “Much of Lucas' vision for Star Wars was based around the characters, gear, vehicles, and settings being believable, a concept he often called ‘used future,’ [which] relied heavily on the equipment the characters used and the vehicles they traveled in having a ‘lived in’ or well-used appearance.
“This drive to create a more grimy sci-fi world paired with quite limited initial funding led to some interesting solutions in the prop department, especially when it came to the weapons that would be used in filming. This specific pistol is a prime example of that resourcefulness, combining components from multiple different readily available surplus weapons.”
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