The E-11 blasters in Rogue One are most similar to the E-11 blasters in A New Hope, however there are actually several differences. Some are just minor differences, and some are more significant changes but every aspect of the blaster is different is some way big or small. Our detachment commander has requested that I start a thread and list the differences so this will serve as a 'Blaster Reference' for the Rogue One BlasTech E-11. The Rogue One Stormtrooper CRL is currently being developed for our detachment and there will be specific requirements concerning the blaster details similar to any other stormtrooper CRL. I will list the differences and show examples as best as I can.
I'll start off with this image from the Rogue One 'Ultimate Visual Guide', a very nice hard cover book full of great photos and information.
Here's a list of all the parts and how each component on the R1 version differs from the ANH version.
1. The Base Gun
The E-11 blasters in R1 are based on an airsoft S&T Sterling L2A1 AEG. The E-11 blasters in ANH were based on a real 9mm Sterling Mk4 L2A3 SMG (Sub-Machine Gun)
2. The Scope
The Scope used in R1 is a 1943 M38 Telescope made by M.H.R. Co (Minneapolis Honeywell Regulator Company).
The Scopes in ANH were mostly 1942 M38 Telescopes though at least one '43 can be spotted in the film too, they also used model M19 telescopes in ANH as well. The main difference between them is that a '43 has a wide front foot and a '42 has a narrow front foot.
3. The Counter
The Hengstler counter used in R1 has a small (mini) eagle logo and the more common plastic socket cover.
The Hengstler counters used in ANH all had the medium or large eagle logo and the rare vintage metal socket covers.
4. The Power Cylinders/Rangefinder/Targeting Sensor
The Power Cylinders used in R1 are believed to be taken from a SDS (Shepperton Design Studios) E-11 Blaster. This blaster is widely known to be inaccurate here on whitearmor.net and the power cylinders on it are nothing like the originals seen in ANH as it claims to be, the SDS power cylinders are a very unique design. The Power Cylinders in ANH are an unknown found part taken from electrical equipment that has yet to be identified to this day.
5. The T-Track
The origins of the T-Track used in ANH is also unconfirmed, however the T-Track used in R1 looks noticeably thicker than in ANH.
I believe the T-Track used in R1 was taken from an SDS (Shepperton Design Studios) E-11 Blaster similar to the power cylinders.
6. The Scope Rail
The scope rails in R1 appear to be mounted a bit higher than they were in ANH. The rails in R1 are also mounted differently with a block and screw type design. The rails in ANH utilized a bent tab at the front seated into the first receiver hole and another tab screwed to the rear sight aperture or riveted directly to the receiver.
7. The Flashlight
Last but not least and probably the most significant change aside from the airsoft gun or power cylinders is the addition of an entirely new greeblie on the right side of the blaster; an Element M300A Mini Scout Light (Knockoff replica of a SureFire M300 Tactical Flashlight)
8. The Flashlight Rail
The flashlight is mounted to the right side of the airsoft gun through the receiver holes using a short 3-slot picatinny rail.
There are many short 3-slot picatinny rails available but the screen used one has sharp corners with a rounded groove on the back surface to mount flush against the side of the airsoft receiver tube.
9. Extras
Some E-11 blasters in Rogue One have extra little differences, nothing significant but there are a few small noteworthy things that are not consistent across all the E-11 props.
1. The Base Gun
It is immediately fairly evident that the prop department had to use whatever was readily available at the time, due to production deadlines, filming schedules, ect. I was personally building an all metal E-11 blaster during the production of Rogue One and I can assure you that sourcing metal parts was very rare at that time, even replicas let alone vintage ones! There were not many options for E-11 builds then and mostly everything available were resin casts, it was pretty sad. I actually ended up resorting to the exact same steel Airsoft Sterling that the prop department at Lucasfilm did for Rogue One; The S&T Sterling L2A1 AEG. Most of the blasters seen in the movie along with most promotional media images are actually a resin or rubber cast, But I believe the one in this image below to be the master 'Hero" prop with the steel airsoft gun, real flashlight, ect. You can see through the slot for the charging handle that the receiver is actually hollow, and you can see the receiver holes that the ends of the T-Track are inserted into. Also notice the thickness of the folding stock. This prop would be used for closeups and such while the rubber casts would be used for background extras and stunts or any kind of considerable action where there is a concern for the actor's safety.
Here is a resin casting of the Rogue One E-11 blaster, notice the charging handle slot, receiver holes and the thickness of the folding stock.
The airsoft S&T Sterling L2A1 AEG is different than a real 9mm Sterling Mk4 L2A3 SMG in several ways, some greater than others. The airsoft gun is a close representation of a real Sterling meant for recreational sport, it was never intended to be an exact replica, It's fairly close but some of the dimensions are different.
It should also be noted that S&T actually produced a limited edition "E-11 Blaster" version of this airsoft gun, though this is not what the prop makers used in the film nor is it accurate to any E-11 used in any Star Wars film ever. The prop makers for Rogue One started with the standard S&T Sterling L2A1 as a base for the E-11 Blaster.
The main differences from a real Sterling are in the Grip, the Rear End Cap, Muzzle Cap, and the Folding Stock. Like I said before there are many other differences too but I will just focus on the most obvious ones for identification purposes.
As you can see the Airsoft Grip (top) is much more square and also a bit bigger than the real Sterling Grip (bottom).
The airsoft gearbox is right above the trigger which is why it looks much bigger and more 'bull-nosed' than a real Sterling trigger group. The selector switch on the airsoft is thicker and the letters for the selector switch are also in a different order.
And the other side. Airsoft (top), Sterling (bottom)
The next most significant difference is the Rear End Cap or the "Blaster gas cylinder cap" as it's referred to in the Rogue One visual guide. The Airsoft (top) is bigger and bulkier than a real Sterling (bottom) which is actually tapered towards the front of the gun unlike the airsoft version. Also the airsoft is pointed in the bottom back corner where the Sterling is rounded.
The Muzzle is fairly close but there is a difference. The Airsoft (top) has a sharper edge than a real Sterling (bottom) which has a rolled edge. Also the hex bolts on the real Sterling have a diamond cross hatch knurling pattern and the Airsoft ones have a standard spline knurling pattern. The barrel hole is clearly smaller on the Airsoft due to the difference in caliber to a real 9mm Sterling sub-machine gun. Also the receiver holes on the airsoft are slightly smaller than a real Sterling and the bayonet lug is different as well.
The Folding Stock is also fairly close but again there are some differences. The Airsoft (top) has bends that arch inwards where as real Sterling (bottom) has bends that arch outwards. The real Sterling also has a small block on the end of the support bar at the base of the 'Y', this block is completely absent on the Airsoft folding stock. The real Sterling folding stock is also made of thicker steel than the Airsoft one is. The Airsoft folding stock is mounted with slotted bolts and the real Sterling folding stock is mounted with carriage bolts.
The only real permanent modification the prop makers made to the Airsoft Sterling was cutting down the length of the magazine to be much shorter and removing the internal components. They also added a dome headed hex screw to the existing hole in the magazine bottom plate.
Unmodified Magazine Length.
Modified Magazine.
Dome headed hex screw in magazine bottom plate.
2. The Scope
Like the original scopes in ANH, the scopes in R1 are also M38 Telescopes, although for the most part a different model year was used. They are both a found part taken from an M4 Sherman Tank Periscope.
The scope or "Targeting Macroscope" as it's referred to in the Rogue One visual guide is a 1943 M.H.R. Co M38 Telescope while the E-11s in A New Hope had 1942 M38 or M19 telescopes. Although at least one 1943 M38 can also be spotted in ANH as well. The main difference is that the 1943 M38 has a wide front foot where as the 1942 M38 has a narrow front foot. The '43 also has a gap between the prism housing and the front foot where as the '42 does not.
Here is a 1943 M38 (top) and a 1942 M38 (bottom). Notice the difference in the front foot on both scopes.
Front view of a 1942 M38 (left) and a 1943 M38 (right). Notice the front foot on '43 is tapered and the '42 is straight.
This is a photo of a screen used resin cast scope. Notice the year in the engraving, this confirms a 1943 M38 was used.
The serial number on this screen used scope is No. 110332 as you can see.
Below is a confirmed photo of a DoopyDoos resin cast M38 scope, notice the matching Serial No. 110332.
These resin kits from DoopyDoos are very common, the prop department seems to have used whatever parts were readily available
for all of the E-11 components. It is difficult to confirm if the scope on the steel airsoft based 'Hero' prop is actually a real metal one or not due to the low resolution photos available. Though due to this discovery I assume it is a resin cast as it is highly unlikely that Lucasfilm is in possession of the original M-38 Scope that DoopyDoos made their molds from.
3. The Counter
The Hengstler counter used on the R1 E-11 is similar to the originals used on the ANH E-11 aside from a few key differences.
The counter used in R1 has a small (mini) eagle logo and the more common plastic socket cover.
The counters used in ANH all had the medium or large eagle logo and the rare vintage metal socket covers.
It should be noted that the plastic socket cover in R1 is modified to have a window cut-out for the eagle logo.
You can clearly see the mold injection points which confirms a plastic socket cover was used instead of the original metal socket cover.
Also the counters in R1 have the wire terminal connectors removed and in ANH they are still attached.
Here is a comparison photo of the three different eagle logos that have been used in Star Wars movies.
The first small eagle on the left was used in R1, the medium and large eagle logos were both used in ANH (middle, & right)
It should also be noted that these all have two screws, any versions of the eagle logo with only one screw are not screen accurate though they are much better than using Hengstler's current "H890" logo.
This photo shows an unmodified plastic socket cover on the left, and on the right is a modified plastic socket cover with a window cut out for the small eagle logo.
Here is another photo of a plastic socket cover modified with a window cut-out to expose the small eagle logo.
Similar to the scope it is difficult to confirm whether or not the counter on the 'Hero' prop is actually a real one or not due to the low resolution photos available. Though I assume it is a resin cast.
The Counter is attached to the blaster using a Bracket mounted to the scope rail between the scope feet.
The image below is actually a screenshot from The Mandalorian but it is the exact same prop that was used in Rogue One as well as the SOLO movie (Disney Era E-11)
Notice the Counter Mounting Bracket visible under the Scope.
The Counter Bracket is actually a sideways 'T' shaped bracket with 4 Hex screws holding it to the back of the counter.
Then the Counter Bracket is mounted to the Scope Rail with 2 Hex Screws.
If it helps to demonstrate; here is a blaster with the Counter & Mounting Bracket, and another blaster without the Counter & Mounting Bracket.
It should be noted that all the blasters in the film appear to have counters on them, I cannot see any that are missing in the movie.
4. The Power Cylinders
These are images of screen used power cylinders from Rogue One.
The power cylinders in R1 are very different than the original ones seen in ANH. Here is a comparison photo of both kinds.
Rogue One on the left, A New Hope on the right.
The original power cylinders in ANH were cut from racks like this one, the origins of which have yet to be discovered to this day. These cylinders were used on many other props in ANH aside from the E-11. including the hood of Luke's Landspeeder as seen here, The MSE Mouse Droid, The targeting systems in the Y-Wings, and Luke's X-Wing while approaching Degobah.
The power cylinders in Rogue One are believed to be taken from a Shepperton Design Studios E-11, another example of the prop department using whatever was readily available.
These blasters are made of plastic infused with a dense foam filler but the power cylinders were most likely recast in resin or rubber for the movie props.
The SDS E-11 blaster is widely known to be considerably inaccurate here on the forums, and the power cylinders on it are definitely not cast from original parts as it claims to be. The fact that 40 years later they've now been used on screen in a star wars movie is an ironic coincidence, and one that takes place before the original at that. Long story short Andrew Ainsworth at Shepperton Design Studios was involved in a lawsuit from Lucasfilm Ltd. for public sale of stormtrooper armor without licensing rights. Liz Moore and Brian Muir sculpted the original stormtrooper design which is owned by Lucasfilm Ltd. Andrew Ainsworth being a maker of canoes and fish ponds at the time was contracted by the costume department to mold Liz & Brian's sculpts into HDPE plastic for the original Star Wars production back 1976 (film released in '77) To be clear Andrew Ainsworth at Shepperton Design Studios did not assemble the original armor or any other screen used movie props for that matter. That was all done at Pinewood Studios including the E-11 blaster. Andrew Ainsworth only molded and cast the armor pieces, he did not sculpt them, it's not his design, and he did not assemble them.
Here is a confirmed photo of the power cylinders on a Shepperton Design Studios E-11 blaster.
Again these Shepperton Design Studios blasters are made of plastic infused with a dense foam filler but the power cylinders seen onscreen were likely not taken directly from the SDS E-11 but recast in resin or rubber by the prop department. Notice the air bubbles/voids on the front of these power cylinders, clearly a recast with obvious casting defects. They are also slightly smaller than an actual pair of SDS power cylinders due to the recasting process.
The prop department also removed the coiled wires and added a second screw for stability.
5. The T-Track
The T-Track used in R1 is noticeably thicker than the original T-Track in ANH.
Here is a comparison of both; R1 on top and ANH on the bottom.
The origins of the T-Track used in ANH is firmly believed to be hard black plastic T-Track from old cupboard sliding doors.
This same T-Track was also used on several other props in the original trilogy such as Boba Fett's EE-3 Blaster as well as various Lightsabers.
The T-Track used in R1 is believed to be the exact same kind used on a Shepperton Design Studios E-11 Blaster, it is sourced from a company in the U.K. called Tubeway Sales LTD. It is called "Insert Track" and it is designed for sliding doors, this T-track is sold under the product code: ER060B8. https://www.tubewaysales.com/cat/plastic-trims-and-miscellaneous-items/plastic-insert-and-t-track/
Like the SDS power cylinders this T-Track is quite unique. Here are confirmed photos of the T-Track on an SDS E-11.
Here is a photo of screen used T-Track from R1. Notice the thickness and shape of the fins on the T-Track match that of the SDS T-Track above. The ends of each track have also been trimmed/modified to fit the receiver holes on the airsoft gun.
Here is a photo of a resin cast blaster with the flashlight missing, notice how the T-Track is not covering these receiver holes to allow for the weaver/picatinny rail to be monuted. This is very different to the way the T-Track was installed in ANH as there were no flashlights on the blasters in that movie.
Other than this difference, the T-Track is installed the same way as in ANH; T-tracks covering all rows of holes except the bottom left row with the bayonet lug. Also the first receiver hole on top is left open to mount the scope rail, and obviously the very bottom row of holes under the folding stock is also left uncovered.
6. The Scope Rail
The scope rails in R1 are fairly different than ANH in the way that they are mounted to the blaster. For the most part the E-11 blasters in R1 use a block and screw type design while the blasters in ANH use a bent tab type design.
The majority of the blasters are resin cast which use the block and screw type mount.
There is also this alternate rail mount which is possibly a rubber cast if not resin. The front has a post and screw type design as well as a 90 degree bend in the rail while the back has a "Z" bend screwed directly to the blaster between the rear sight guards.
Then there is the 'Hero' prop that the rest were cast from, based on the actual steel airsoft gun and other real parts. This particular prop has more of an original ANH style rail mount though it is taller than the ones in ANH. The front of the rail uses the same bent tab type design which is seated into the first receiver hole. The back of the rail has a "Z" bend where it is mounted to the rear sight aperture, some of the rails in ANH had a similar "Z" bend although they were riveted directly to the receiver just in front of the rear sight guard. Most of the rails in ANH were screwed directly to the rear sight aperture except they were flat in the back and mounted much lower than R1 without this "Z" bend.
7. The Flashlight
Last but not least and probably the most significant change to the E-11 aside from the airsoft gun or power cylinders is the addition of a flashlight on the right side of the blaster. There were no flashlights used on the E-11 blasters in ANH whatsoever.
The flashlight used is an Element M300A Mini Scout Light which is actually an airsoft replica of a real SureFire M300 Tactical Flashlight. The difference is the knockoff costs around $50 while the real thing is worth around $300. Several of these replicas were purchased for the props and many of them were mounted on resin blasters. They were also recast in resin for some of the props.
You can still faintly see the text printed on some of the screen used flashlights.
8. The Flashlight Rail
This image of the Flashlight Rail is actually from The Mandalorian but it is the exact same E-11 Blaster prop from Rogue One & the SOLO movie, obviously this blaster is missing the Flashlight exposing the Rail for all to see which is why I used it as a reference example here.
This is a photo of the E-11D Blaster from Rogue One but it has the exact same Flashlight Rail as the standard E-11 as well as the flashlight itself. I only used this picture here because it is a great reference image for the rail.
The flashlights were mounted to the blaster using an Unmark System Rail base for 416 Black(GTA1193) from the U.K. which now seems to be discontinued and sold out everywhere but there are still other identical short rails available; HERE and HERE. There is also a North American equivalent of this exact same 3-slot rail from Green Blob Outdoors; https://greenbloboutdoors.com/collections/rails/products/pair-of-black-3-slots-polymer-rail-sections-for-handguards. These were bolted to the right side of the airsoft gun through the receiver holes, and in the case of resin blasters they were likely screwed into the same position.
Notice the tapered ends and the corners match the screen used rails, most short 3-slot rails have a flat bottom or different corners.
Here is a photo of the bottom of the rail. Notice the curve on the bottom surface, this is ideal for mounting the rail flush to the side of the airsoft tube through the receiver holes. I believe this was done using the included screws.
These are photos of several other short 3-slot rails available, close but the bottom surface is flat.
Although these rails would technically work they are not screen accurate.
Notice the tapered ends of the screen used rails
9. Extras
Some of the E-11 Blasters in Rogue One have a Decal present on the front of the Magazine, It has a zig zag & border pattern with a transparent background, the pattern itself is white in color or possibly even a chrome like reflective foil.
As a side note; this same Decal is on the bottom of the SE-14r blasters in Rogue One.
Some of E-11 Blasters in Rogue One, in particular the ones used by the Shoretroopers also had a Sling attached to them. I have yet to spot them onscreen but it has been seen on several screen used E-11 props on display.
Here is the rear sling attachment point, the hook is simply clipped onto the existing Airsoft Sterling D-Ring.
The Sling strap itself is made from 1-1/4" wide Polypropylene webbing.
Sling leading to front attachment point.
The front sling attachment point; The existing Bayonet Lug on the Airsoft Sterling has been removed and replaced with Swivel Sling Stud.
The Swivel Sling Connection is a TALON brand.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HBH2P8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_D36FJ789HZ9RZPAWXKSB
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QVX2C3R/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VJS9GV2JYZH1JQA1AG68?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Additional Information
Just like in A New Hope the E-11 blasters in Rogue One also had some issues. In ANH some of the blaster props were inconsistent in terms of all the components on them. Some of the blasters were missing Hengstler Counters and Power Cylinders, they were assumed to have fallen off during production as they were only crudely glued onto the Sterling to begin with. Coincidentally some of the E-11 blasters in Rogue One had the same issue.
These images are from Celebration Europe and the Rogue One Visual Guide, I have yet to spot these inconsistent blasters in the actual movie. These inconsistencies will not be allowed in the new R1 Stormtrooper CRL just as they were never allowed in the ANH Stormtrooper CRL. I'm assuming these components also came off the blaster during filming as props are often heavily abused during action sequences.
This photo from Celebration Europe shows an E-11 blaster missing the Power Cylinders.
This image from the Rogue One Visual Guide shows an E-11 missing the Hengstler Counter.
This photo from Celebration Europe shows an E-11 missing the Element M300A Flashlight and mounting rail, as well as the Hengstler Counter.
I found another screenshot that confirms the extended antenna down the side of the A.L.I.C.E. pack. You can barely make out the antenna against the black dyed A.L.I.C.E. pack but you can clearly see the bottom end of the fishing rod protruding from the bottom of the pack. With MrPaul's reliable source of information and these screenshots I believe we can confirm the prop makers intended the antenna to extend the entire length of the pack. The Hot Toys Jedha Patrol action figure reflects the same design as well, which is a Lucasfilm licensed product. With these screenshots we now have confirmation that the antennas for the packs in the movie were like this too. Both the extended fishing rod, and the end of latex tubing going into the side of the grenade case. I have updated my pack and installed my fishing rod and latex tubing just like this as I feel it is screen accurate where as the antenna & cable displayed at Celebration Europe was not screen accurate. I used the screenshots above as well as this image of the Hot Toys action figure for reference. Here's my updated antenna/cable.
