In the infamous Mos Eisley cantina scene, Harrison Ford used the prop.
The blaster that helped the Rebel Alliance defeat the Empire could soon be yours.
Rock Island Auction Company will sell Han Solo’s DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol from the original Star Wars trilogy next month. Harrison Ford used this prop on the set of 1977’s A New Hope, the original film in the Star Wars franchise. It’s not just a lovingly crafted replica, either.
In Episode IV, the DL-44 appears on screen for the first time moments after we are introduced to Ford’s character, but nowhere else is it closer to the hearts of Star Wars fans than Han’s blaster.
The Millennium Falcon’s pilot can be seen wielding the weapon during his shootout with Greedo in the cantina in Mos Eisley, but it also appears in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as well.
This particular prop was used to film that infamous scene—there’s some argument over who shot first, though anyone who’s seen the original cut knows the truth—but was lost after filming finished and labeled missing, according to a press release. However, it is the original blaster rediscovered and has a letter of authenticity stating that it is the rediscovered original blaster that will be used in the next two films in the franchise.
A New Hope isn’t the only time this prop appeared on the silver screen. Han’s blaster is actually a heavily modified Mauser C96 broom handle pistol, used as a prop in several other movies, including Naked Runner, starring Frank Sinatra in 1967. This means that the fake weapon has been used by two of the coolest movie stars ever.
On August 27, Han’s DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol will be auctioned. It comes with a signed photo of Ford and is expected to fetch between $300,000 and $500,000. As one of the replacement props for Return of the Jedi sold for $550,000 in 2018, we wouldn’t be surprised if it sold for much higher than that.
As there is nothing better than the original when it comes to Star Wars.
