TOS Rifle Redesign (First concept, then prop)

[Johnnymuffintop]

A while back on TheRPF, there was an extremely talented artist who did a redesign of the TOS hand phaser. Sadly, he stopped selling 3D prints of his design so I chose to remake his as well as add a phaser rifle to the line up.

My major complaint of the TOS phaser rifle is that it's fairly inconsistent with the type II phaser, rather it's a leftover from the original pilot. So, based on KCPStudio's phaser design and heavily influenced by the Nerf Zeus this is what I came up with.

Feedback and constructive criticism encouraged. I want to iron out some kinks of the design before fabricating the prop of it to accompany me to Comikaze this year.

 

[Blip]

Nice! I'm not so sure about that much exposed metal of the emitter barrel, though. Might it be better with a forward grip (ie, covering the first half of the barrel)?

 

[starburst]

It was a shame when he cancelled his run of that Phaser, I couldn't afford to join at the time but was looking forward to seeing those take shape (and the hope that in the event of a second run I would have the cash).

Really great reimagining of the original Phaser and its a shame they didn't do something like that for the new movies especially in Beyond where they redesigned the original 2009 version (hey always the 4th if it happens).

I think your design for the rifle really takes the original WNMHGB prop and merges it really nicely with the update design of the hand phaser. I agree with Blip on the idea of covering the long barrel (or possibly shorten it) but I appreciate where you are coming from in modernising but keeping to the original shapes of the rifle which was very much a scifi "ray gun" styled prop. I would love to see you do a smaller variant like a carbine or SMG (the type of weapon built for close quarters on a Starship) as this as it is makes for a great looking interpretation of a field rifle.
Great job

 

[Go-Captain]

I like your update to the Type III, and I think it needs that kind of treatment to get rid of the stranger features like the spade handle buttstock and antenna sight. However, not looking like the hand phaser really is not a flaw, as rifles and pistols of the same vintage do not necessarily look alike, though they can look alike.

I think I found what you are basing it on, it is very cool. The designer even included the reflex sight. There are a few things I would change.

The controls are all over the place and a real weapon will try to group control so they can be worked without moving hands around, especially to make it so the firing hand can do all the manipulations. Grouping the power and beam settings together so they can be worked by an extended index finger or by the thumb of the firing hand would be great. The off hand should be left for nothing but stabilizing and replacing batteries.

The circle button on the side of the grip could stay on the side but be lowered to just below the trigger button. That is where modern guns place their magazine release, but older guns have the magazine release high.

I wouldn't bother with a safety.

It could use a sling.

Also, the slits in back, if they radiate heat they could burn a person's neck and face.

 

[publiusr]

The folks at Discovery need to take a look at this.

 

[fireproof78]

I like the look and design of the rifle as it feels very bullpup in style. The Type 2 also looks great.

My only concern would be weight and how it would be handled. Do you have an idea of where the stabilizing hand would go, since the barrel is so close to handle in terms of spacing?

 

[aridas sofia]

What I like is that the stock doesn't look like a stock because a ray weapon would presumably have no need of a stock - beams of energy not having much kick needing cushion.

I also think the sight up top may be a bit much unless it is as weird/futuristic/undefined as the pop up sight on the TOS phaser one that integrated with the glass see-through sight on TOS phaser two.

Finally, the handle on the TOS phaser was the "phaser three" and the planned big gun was to be "phaser four". Those handles were independent power packs, as you may remember from "Omega Glory". These ergonomic grips are great, but do they still receive a "clip" style power pack? I think that is a reall cornerstone of the TOS design. I can imagine those power packs as having the potential as independent "grenade" weapons and carried en masse by security troopers.

As someone that attempted this exercise more than once, I applaud your efforts. I like this better than what I did. With a few small tweaks it could really stand out.

 

[Albertese]

...

Finally, the handle on the TOS phaser was the "phaser three" and the planned big gun was to be "phaser four"

....

Were they? That's not quite what I get from the MJ drawing I assume you're referencing. To me it seems to be the so-called Type I Phaser being called "Unit 1," the hand phaser body being "Unit 2," the grip/battery being "Unit 3" and the receiving position being called out for "Unit 4," but not that these things would all be "Phaser 1" through "Phaser 4" but that all these were the components to the "Hand Phaser" which is just one weapon with a variety of pieces which are to be assembled in a given sequence. I don't imagine a Phaser 2 as you've described it here would be much use without the grip/battery. So why would there be such a thing as the Phaser 2 and the Phaser three in that case?

Maybe I've totally misunderstood what you're trying to describe.

--Alex

 

[Tenacity]

What I like is that the stock doesn't look like a stock because a ray weapon would presumably have no need of a stock - beams of energy not having much kick needing cushion.

It isn't just be a matter of recoil, placing a stock against your shoulder also helps stabilize the weapon.

There does need to be a fore grip of some kind.

 

[aridas sofia]

It isn't just be a matter of recoil, placing a stock against your shoulder also helps stabilize the weapon.

There does need to be a fore grip of some kind.

If the weapon is manually sighted, yes. I'd hope such a futuristic weapon would utilize another means of sighting, though. Like reading where the eye is trained and then aligning the beam to match.

 

[aridas sofia]

Were they? That's not quite what I get from the MJ drawing I assume you're referencing. To me it seems to be the so-called Type I Phaser being called "Unit 1," the hand phaser body being "Unit 2," the grip/battery being "Unit 3" and the receiving position being called out for "Unit 4," but not that these things would all be "Phaser 1" through "Phaser 4" but that all these were the components to the "Hand Phaser" which is just one weapon with a variety of pieces which are to be assembled in a given sequence. I don't imagine a Phaser 2 as you've described it here would be much use without the grip/battery. So why would there be such a thing as the Phaser 2 and the Phaser three in that case?

Maybe I've totally misunderstood what you're trying to describe.

--Alex

You may be right. Though I can imagine the pistol being usable without the handle, the handle certainly couldn't be fired without the pistol. And a "handle grenade" isn't really a phaser.