E11 Blaster-What do you have and what do you recommend

[lightwave000]

I have been researching E11 blasters and one thing I have found is that there are a ton out there. Ive read up to 4 versions were used in ANH alone. I am on the hunt for an E11 from ANH and hoping to get some clarity. I am wanting to source one already built with weathering (or weather it myself) but there are so many options for cosplay or just all around prop that sits on the shelf.

 

What do you guys/and gals have and would you buy it again? What would you do different if you were getting your first E11 now knowing what you know? Most accurate, best build, best price?

 

Anything E11. I have been warned against the SDS version and am not sure I want to go a Hasbro mod route. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any and all input!

Edited September 4, 2019 by lightwave000

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

Hi Andrew, Welcome to FISD.

 

I have started with a Hasbro Mod E11 , but when I decided to go for Centurion Level I had to change it, now I'm trooping with a Praetorian E11 Blaster, hard Rubber made and very accurate and excellent, (my own opinion), for trooping in case of droping it.

 

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Cheers

 

 

 

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

[lightwave000]

I am considering a Praetorian E11 Blaster. How easily do they bend? Are they extremely light?

[TKSpartan[Staff]]

1 hour ago, lightwave000 said:

I am considering a Praetorian E11 Blaster. How easily do they bend? Are they extremely light?

They are made of hard rubber, it doesn't bend and its weight is fine for trooping but not  too light. I heard Praetorian are the same people of Hyperfirm.

 

Hope this can Help.

[TheRascalKing[TK]]

20 hours ago, lightwave000 said:

I have been researching E11 blasters and one thing I have found is that there are a ton out there. Ive read up to 4 versions were used in ANH alone. I am on the hunt for an E11 from ANH and hoping to get some clarity. I am wanting to source one already built with weathering (or weather it myself) but there are so many options for cosplay or just all around prop that sits on the shelf.

 

What do you guys/and gals have and would you buy it again? What would you do different if you were getting your first E11 now knowing what you know? Most accurate, best build, best price?

 

Anything E11. I have been warned against the SDS version and am not sure I want to go a Hasbro mod route. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any and all input!

Depends on what you want, what you're gonna use it for, and your budget! I've had a couple, so I can share some thoughts.

 

Rubie's Rebels mod is definitely the cheapest - you can find them for like $15 on eBay and they're plastic so they're pretty indestructible for trooping. They're easy to paint black and weather with some Rub n Buff. For funsies, I went the extra mile and added some power cells off of Shapeways, modded the end cap to have a functioning D-ring, drilled out some of the vent holes on the barrel, flattened the T-tracks out a bit, and added a couple screws here and there. I probably spent $30-40 on it. It's very lightweight so I mostly use it as a secondary blaster - either holstered or on the side of my HWT pack when I carry my DLT-19. Great intro blaster and a fun little project.

 

Resin blasters from most manufacturers are going to be much more accurate looking, still not too heavy, but not super durable. I have one from MadScientist back when the Force Forum was a thing (LOL) and broke the shucks out of it trooping. Pieces would crack or fall off regularly and one time, it got super hot in my garage and the whole thing bent and warped slightly. Other than maybe for a display piece, I won't be buying resin again. The accuracy isn't worth the problems.

 

Rubber blasters are my current favorites. I have an older (but not OLD) Hyperfirm DLT-19 and E-11 and I love them. They're a bit pricey, but hands down the best thing for trooping, in my opinion. They get  decently accurate and detailed, hold up to a ton of abuse, and aren't too heavy either. Praetorian isn't the exact same people as Hyperfirm, but the two companies have some kind of ties, yea. Their quality has improved slightly since Hyperfirm went under as well. If you can afford it, Praetorian has my standing recommendation. I've never worried about it bending - even my long DLT. The weight is very reasonable considering how sturdy they are, but not light.

Edited September 5, 2019 by TheRascalKing

[kman[TK]]

Two people started Hyperfirm, and parted ways long ago.  Hyperfirm continued in business until it closed up about a year ago, for reasons involving the sole remaining owner that have nothing to do with the quality of their blasters.

 

The other original Hyperfirm guy, who had left, opened Praetorian Blasters after their split, but didn't do much until about 2-3 years ago, when they resurfaced and started selling high quality blasters... better detail than Hyperfirm, frankly.  More money, too.  Noticably lighter than Hyperfirm, which makes them great for trooping.  (Hyperfirm had a nice satisfying weight, but for long troops, the lighter the better)  They've become a lot more popular since Hyperfirm closed up, being the sole remaining high quality option.

 

Praetorian is the best bet out there, IMO, for trooping, today.  There's a UK-based company called ShearTech that is popular for our UK brothers, although IMO the detail is not as high as Praetorian, from what I've seen.

 

If you want a high detail shelf queen, you can build a resin kit (beautiful detail, and inexpensive from places like DoopyDoos), but resin is fairly fragile and one drop that lands wrong can shatter it or break big chunks off.  There are people who troop with them, but I personally never would.  There's also the all metal kit from FieldMarshall which is a lot more money, but absolutely gorgeous.  Metal, so far more durable than resin, but it's not an all steel legit Sterling submachine gun conversion, so it could dent or deform badly if dropped wrong.  And much heavier than any of the rubber or resin blasters discussed.  (although nowhere near as heavy as the 12lb+ Sterling conversions!)

 

I wouldn't bother with the Hasbro conversion anymore.  They were popular when they first came out, but there are a lot of details that are wrong (which is why they're explicitly called out for higher levels) and we have better options today.

 

The Rubies blaster is stupid cheap, and great for the money, but other than an extreme budget choice while saving for a better option, I'm not a fan.  (I do keep one in my bin as an emergency backup / loaner).

Edited September 5, 2019 by kman

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

I love trooping with my Hasbro conversion, although not as accurate as my other blasters is light, has sound and lights and an amp jack so it's pretty loud, great for trooping with for those long troops, arms hardly get sore  

 

A few other names which have come up recently:

Sheartech

Quest Designs

Praetorian Blasters

Fieldmarshall

 

[CableGuy[TK]]

Hi there,

I’ve done 14 troops now with my resin Doopydoos and haven’t have a single problem. I’ve never dropped it and treat it with care and it’s doing fine. I took my armour up to Centurion and wanted a blaster to match.

I modded mine with Tino’s completion set so it’s much more realistic now and I couldn’t want for a better trooping blaster.

For rubber Blasters, Praetorian Blasters look really, really nice from the pictures I’ve seen. :-)

:-)

[T-Jay[TK]]

37 troops with my DoopyDoo's full resin blaster. No serious problems.

So far I managed to break off a magazine and a front sight guard. Both was fixed the same day with CA glue.

Weighs about 1.1 kg (2.43 lbs). Good for long events. Some full rubber blasters weigh more.

 

[Novak Dimon[TK]]

I‘m trooping with a Hyperfirm rubber E11 and wouldn’t change it... well perhaps against a Praetorian Blaster... but only because the better detail. 

Rubber is my favorite for trooping because I don’t have to care about damaging the thing. 

If you want electronics in your Blaster, resin is the way to go. There you have the space for the parts and the weight is good for trooping. 

[humperdingle]

I currently troop with a Sheartech rubber ANH E-11 - It’s durable enough that I don’t feel that I need to be careful with it.

 

Having said that, i’ve built a few Doopy kits and they’re accurate and cheap as chips in comparison to most ready made blasters. You just need to be a bit more gentle with them, because if you drop them, they will most probably break.

 

For trooping, though, you can’t beat a rubber or foam blaster IMO

[lightwave000]

Thanks for all the advice! I will most likely go with a m38 E11 from Praetorian. While its not as accurate as I would like, its pretty darn close and the pros seem to outweigh the cons.