So when will the At-AT Driver costume be ready? Any progress pics? Will you put it on a mannequin or wear it and apply for 501st?
When talking about a real deactivated Sterling Mk4/L2A3 converted as E-11 Stormtrooper blaster there are a few things you might want to know first:
1. First thing is to read carefully the gun laws regarding the deactivated/demilled weapons in your country and especially your state. VERY important to know if allowed to own one and in what conditions. There are 501st members from US who didn't get a real Sterling conversion because they were not allowed by law (Californie IIRC). It's easier to get a real gun in US than a deactivated one. Insane but true...
2. Second. You need greeblies. The Sterling itself is just a part of the equation. See here:
http://www.partsofsw.com/index.htm and click on the purple
Item button on the lower part of the page and then go to:
BlasTech E-11 (Stormtrooper Blaster) , and read the info there. You can go 2 ways for the greeblies: originals or resin copies. Personally I have originals on the Sterling and copies on the SDS blaster.
a. Thus first you need a tank scope: M-38, M-40 or M-19. All rare and expensive ($100-$500). Then you need to make a scope rail for it to hold the scope. b. You also need accurate T-tracks to be put on the barrel of the gun ($20-$80). c. Then you might want a Hengstler counter to attack to the scope rail, even better if you get the accurate but the VERY rare Eagle version with metal socket ($70-$200) - I just got an Eagle one after looking for one since last year. d. The last thing you might want is a set of cylinders ($70-$150). So in the end these greeblies are quite expensive and hard to find.
The MR Stormtrooper blaster doesn't come with replica cylinders or Hengstler, just with scope and rail and T-tracks. But is quite accurate.
3. Third, you need your gun to be deactivated by US laws and not EU for example. In EU a deactivation means a bit of reworking inside and welding by a professional authorized gunsmith, the overall appearance of the weapon remains identical. But deactivation in US means that gun is cut into pieces like this:
Thus you need someone to get it fixed for you, with authorization of course. There you have the spring removed and many parts welded back. So a Sterling deactivated in US will never look as good as one deactivated in EU. And it is not allowed to own in US an EU deactivated weapon. Sorry.
4. If you get a deactivated, but unmodified Sterling you need to cut the magazine to be shorter like it was in SW.
5. You need to get a
Sterling MK4 L2A3 and not other versions.
Still you can get a cool deactivated Sterling converted as E-11 Stormtrooper blaster from here:
http://yhst-5672966975550.stores.yahoo.net/swste11.html and here:
http://yhst-5672966975550.stores.yahoo.net/swstbl.html (some greeblies might need updating and changing) or a simple demilled Sterling from here:
http://www.ima-usa.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=sterling&x=0&y=0 (but in last case you need all those greeblies)
DO NOT buy a real working Sterling because the last time we meet will be with you behind bars. Only deactivated/demilled as per your country and state laws!
I haven't seen too many Sterlings for sale especially if modified/converted as Stormtrooper blasters. On forums there were not more than 4 or 5 in many years (one was mine). The last UK deactivated blaster sold last week on RPF for $1000 plus shipping (UK only) and it sold VERY fast. These are RARE and hard to find and not all countries allow them. And if you have extra greeblies on them they are even more expensive.
But real deactivated Sterlings professionally converted as E-11 are the closest thing to the real SW prop. Nothing will beat that.
Or you can go for the MR Stormtrooper blaster, which is easier to acquire due to more permissive laws, but also quite expensive.
Glad I collect only OT Imperials otherwise I would have to go for Denix Mausers and others LOL.
Sergiu
