ANH - Blaster on the left hand or right hand?

[Ripper_L[Admin]]

This is a question we have on every troop.

ANH - Blasters on the left hand or right hand?

 

 

 

These guys have it on the right hand:
 

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These here on the left:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Now I'm totally confused!

 

 

Is there a right way to hold your blaster? Is there a common way? What do you prefer?

 

Best regards,

 

Danny

TK-55550

Edited August 8, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link removed no longer working

[Tee-Kay Fisto[TK]]

I'm right handed so blaster is in my right hand


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[CableGuy[TK]]

Lol. I’ve never seen a compilation of pics showing so many of each!! :-)

Personally, I go left. I’m right handed but prefer to go left, based on the first scene in ANH and the trooper line up that you pictured. With the holster on the left too, I imagine it’s what they had intended for TKs (not that it’s an exact rule). After a few times of kitting up and practicing with my left, it feels quite natural now.

I’d hazard a guess though that more TKs worldwide go right, based on pictures of troops and here on FISD, so it’s certainly not an issue.


I’d also say it could depend on the troop. I guess if all of the others on your troop are going left, go left for consistency.

Good question though. :-)


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[jethroskull[501st]]

I noticed when they took Leia off to detention one of her guards had changed hands mid-scene... continuity editor much?

Edited January 24, 2018 by jethroskull

[Daetrin[Admin]]

Wow, I didn't notice all the rightys.  I'm a left handed shooter, so I tend to hold it in my left simply because it feels natural, and also because it keeps the magazine away from me chest.

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I'm a rightie most of the time, depends which version I'm wearing  

[darthcue[TK]]

I go left and right


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[CableGuy[TK]]

A couple of friends and I watched the Original Trilogy back-to back yesterday. I always had a feeling ANH and ESB were (mainly) lefties, then ROTJ went right. However, it appears that the majority of ‘set pieces’, rather than action scenes, the troopers are primarily lefties throughout all three films.

I get the feeling that ‘force of habit’ kicked in for some of the action sequences and, as you would if you’re right handed, some blasters were in the right.
I know that there are some exceptions to the rule but, as per pic below, the big, staged scenes are primarily left.

Personally, this encourages me to troop as a lefty, just to bring that extra level of detail to the character as that how I believe they were “intended”.

Don’t get me wrong, though - I’m not judging the righties - this is just my personal preference. :-)




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[TK 71627[TK]]

A couple of friends and I watched the Original Trilogy back-to back yesterday. I always had a feeling ANH and ESB were (mainly) lefties, then ROTJ went right. However, it appears that the majority of ‘set pieces’, rather than action scenes, the troopers are primarily lefties throughout all three films.

I get the feeling that ‘force of habit’ kicked in for some of the action sequences and, as you would if you’re right handed, some blasters were in the right.
I know that there are some exceptions to the rule but, as per pic below, the big, staged scenes are primarily left.

Personally, this encourages me to troop as a lefty, just to bring that extra level of detail to the character as that how I believe they were “intended”.

Don’t get me wrong, though - I’m not judging the righties - this is just my personal preference. :-)




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Whenever I get accepted and TROOP, I will do so with my E11 blaster as a LEFTIE !!!


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[Linus]

This may provide some insight into the differences in action scenes  where their firing and what I'll loosely refer to 'carry' shots. Then again, it may not. I say this because it depends on whether the screenplay, Directors or Consultants had any intent to resemble Military bearing. Now let me qualify this by saying it certainly appears, from those pictures, they had some consistency in mind so I'm guessing they benefited from some Military Advisers and wanted the Stormtroopers to appear every inch, the professional soldier. Personally, I think they did a fair job in this regard but I'm not comparing it to my training, which was very rigid with regard to Close Order Drill.

 

The consistency I'm referring to is the carry mode or what we refer to as "Port Arms". This is a mode where all (military) troops are trained to carry their weapons in an and exact, specific way. I noticed the Stormtroopers are almost always carrying the E-11 in their Left hand when they are either in formation, marching, or just plain shuffling about. Since they don't have slings and it would have looked very un-military to carry them around in a holster, they went with two common modes (all seem to be left handed).

 

A "high Port Arms" which you can see in the picture above where they're following closely behind Vader, and a "Low Port Arms" where they're in formations or marching and seems to be level with the deck and carried about the waistline, height-wise. So the carry mode seems consistent the majority of the time.

 

As far as what hand you are or what hand you shoot with, that does not having any bearing on the carry mode (Port Arms) because this is intended to be the same.

As far as what hand you shoot with in an action shot or pose, I'd say this, just like most Military training, depend on which hand you use to shoot or pull the trigger with.

 

• In short, if I interpret these pictures correctly, I'd say Trooping should involve attempts to adhere to the intent of the Stormtroopers which was to maintain consistency in how the weapons were carried as in a high or low "Port Arms" mode where the left hand is on the grip and the right hand is on the barrel guard.
• This part I say with some humor intended: If your in a hero shot (see both Han and Luke tot-in em around single handed with the weapon pointing toward the deck), then it certainly seems appropriate to 'cowboy' it. Whether this is ironic or intended to display their lack of military bearing, I couldn't say but it certainly seemed appropriate for the characters they played.
• With regard to shooting poses, this, just like the military, could vary (and is acceptable) among Troopers depending on which hand you shoot with.

 

Again, this is my interpretation/opinion with the assumption that you want to play the part of a Stormtrooper in addition to just looking like one. I also don't want to infer that all Trooping should be rigidly military affair. Now if you want to get really good and do some formations with close order drill movements, I'm your man!

 

Hope that helps :-)

Edited April 17, 2018 by Linus

[justjoseph63[Staff]]

While no definitive explanation has ever been given, from what I have read this would be my best guess:  Since the E-11s were constructed using Sterling sub-machine guns, the original long curved magazine clip is on the left, thus the holster had to be on the left.  This created a nuisance for the right handed actors, as the magazine would constantly knock into the chest peice, so most of them went to a left handed grip to avoid this.  The curved magazine was eventually replaced with a shorter version and modified for the film.

 

[Linus]

Great point Joseph! Supports the notion that they carried them left handed (more often than not) so they could easily holster them on that side as well, as you pointed out, to avoid the magazine.

[Copper[TK]]

With the knee/sniper plates being on the left knee, and the holster on the left side, I always assumed TK's were intended to be lefties. This will make for awkward troops for me as I shoot right.


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[TK 71627[TK]]

I spent a lot of time (& still working on my approved TK), looking like a TK, therefore I will USE IT on my left hand

[Scalawag]

I remember seeing an interview with Roger Christian who put together a lot of the weaponry for ANH including the E-11.  He says in the interview that they had to make the holsters left handed, and that a lot of the troopers carried the E-11 left handed because of the magazine sticking out of the left side of the gun.  He did not realise that using the Sterling for the E-11 would have this effect as he is left handed and it only became apparent to him when the actors started using them.