Whats the difference between these two model phaser pistols?

[Lant]

Hi

Im looking for an TOS model phaser. I found out there are mainly two different versions floating around, both by Art Asylumd / Diamond Select. A grey one with a grey handle, and a blue one with a black handle. Depending on where you look, sometimes the black one is more expensive, and sometimes the grey one is more expensive.

I have heard the grey one is original in size 1:1, while the blue one is not. Is that true? If not, what are the differences between those two:


Grey: Star Trek Original Series Gray Handle Phaser - Diamond Select - Star Trek - Prop Replicas at Entertainment Earth
Blue: Star Trek Tek Classic Phaser - Diamond Select - Star Trek - Prop Replicas at Entertainment Earth

Or another shop:

Grey: Amazon.com: Diamond Select Toys Star Trek Exclusive Classic Phaser Grey Handle: Toys & Games
Blue: Amazon.com: Star Trek the Original Series Black Handle Phaser: Toys & Games

 

[FormerLurker]

Color.

I have both versions, as well as the white handled and bronze handled versions. They were all made with the same molds, and have the same internal parts. The only difference is color.

 

[Lant]

Ah allright. Which one is closer to the series? Or did they use them both about the same amount?

 

[Maurice]

The following articles on RacProps covers a lot about the phaser variations.

White Handled Phasers

Second Season Phasers

Black and Blue Phaser Ones

Hope that helps!

 

[Botany Bay]

Wow - so you use that silver wheel thing on the Phaser 1 to fire it, rather than a hidden button underneath, as in the Diamond select editions.

And by spinning the wheel, you firstly raise the silver plate, then a small emitter thing pops out the front, then finally a light goes on to show that it is firing. Man, talk about attention to detail!

Anyway, I'm a big fan of the Diamond select prop replicas - they are detailed enough to display, but sturdy enough to survive frequent landing party missions (very handy if you have kids!).

 

[Nero's Shadow]

They also made a gold handled phaser pistol that's always going for good money on eBay. I truly appreciate diamond select toys the TOS phaser and tricorder is the best I've ever seen.?

 

[EEE]

The Art Asylum phasers are great for the money. Another option that shouldn't be discounted is the (now semi-rare) phaser squirt gun. Other than the typical squirt gun trigger, they actually look good. But if you want to really go for the gusto, Master Replicas phasers can't be beat. Their weight, metal construction, and sound quality, are tops. The worst thing about the Master Replicas phasers (aside from price... usually well over $1,000) is that they feel like they should be "real" phasers. Making their inability to shoot a spouse on stun setting, rarely gets the silence one sometimes craves.

 

[Captain Robert April]

The Master Replicas version has the added feature of being able to be completely disassembled to its various components (phaser I, phaser II body, power pack).

What I'm curious about is if you can stack the power packs, something that's certainly implied in the original design (and a major aspect of my phaser rifle design).

 

[Captain Robert April]

Wow - so you use that silver wheel thing on the Phaser 1 to fire it, rather than a hidden button underneath, as in the Diamond select editions.

You missed this update...

Timothy Leming chimed in:

Phaser details:

By the way, in the recently published book "Star Trek Sketch Book", by Herb Solow, the sketches by Matt Jefferies indicate the knurled wheel on the phaser one was the sight adjustment knob, and the plate the was lifted when you turned the knob was the sight. The button on the bottom of the phaser one was the trigger! So you would raise the sight with your thumb and fire it with your trigger finger in a very natural position.

As I said before, the button on the bottom of the hand phaser was the trigger. The rectangular "ring" on the front of the phaser above the brass tube muzzle was the sight opening and on his sketch is labeled "clear" (as in you can see thru). The brass plate on top was simply the sight cover. The translucent piece that raised the cover was an illuminated sight screen. I guess the idea was you turn the knurled wheel, raised the sight, looked into the translucent part and it was like a lens that let you see thru the rectangular opening in front on the same line as the phaser beam would be emitted. It certainly goes a long way in explaining how they expected you to accurately aim such a small weapon. Evidently this is why there is a clear piece on the phaser 2 in front of where the hand phaser mounts. That way the sight on the hand phaser, that "looks" thru the rectangular piece on it's front, is still usable when mounted on the phaser 2.

As to some detail on the pistol phaser, the aluminum ring on the muzzle that turns is the Range Adjustment Ring. The Lucite "beam emitter" on the muzzle, or "probe" as labeled on his sketch, is supposed to extend or retract with the adjustment of this Range Adjustment Ring.

The phaser 2 handle was definitely the power pack and the trigger was to unlock only when the power pack was rotated into place.

Tim

 

[EEE]

What I'm curious about is if you can stack the power packs, something that's certainly implied in the original design (and a major aspect of my phaser rifle design).

What do you mean by "stacking?" If you mean physically, the MR power packs aren't especially formed/shaped to do so. Nor are they setup electrically to do anything in series or parallel. They are attached via the 50's/60's "round plug," which you occasionally ran into in real life in those days.

As to the "Trigger" of the phaser one's... both MR & AA phasers are triggered there, and if you watch Shatner, that is definitely where the prop's trigger was (Shatner seemed to be the only person on the show who consistently treated props like they were real, on screen). However, the question in my mind is whether that location was more a side effect of making the special effect cue "workable" in both configurations (P1 and P1+P2), than of the actual "design."

I love my Master Replicas Phaser. (So much so, that I bought a second one, just to have a backup!) If you can swing one, it is THE toy you wanted when you were young and made phaser 1's out of wood.

 

[Captain Robert April]

If you take a look at the bottom of the power pack, you should find the same type of socket as on the phaser II body, for the attachment of a second power pack.

Additionally, in Matt Jefferies' original design sketch, there's a notation of a small notch in the rear of the phaser II body, for attachment of "unit #4", which I can only conclude is a part that turns the thing into the never-seen post WNMHGB phaser rifle. (Here's a cleaned up version of that sketch...)

Here's my idea of where MJ was going...

Add another power pack to the pistol grip and you really get that Special UNCLE Gun feel...

 

[EEE]

If you take a look at the bottom of the power pack, you should find the same type of socket as on the phaser II body, for the attachment of a second power pack.

No, like the AA, the MR's can only take one.

Here's my idea of where MJ was going...

That is along the lines of what I envisioned when I read The Making Of Star Trek, in the 60's. Not the untenable thing we got in the 2nd pilot.

Add another power pack to the pistol grip and you really get that Special UNCLE Gun feel...

And if you just remove the stock, you get the Harry Callahan feel! Versatility in a design! From Robert to Clint, with some William in the middle!

 

[Maurice]

Timothy Leming chimed in:

...The button on the bottom of the phaser one was the trigger! So you would raise the sight with your thumb and fire it with your trigger finger in a very natural position.

Except I've handled such props and there's nothing natural about holding it it all. You can't really put your fingertip on the trigger and see the sight without holding it rather awkwardly.

 

[Tom Lake]

The Art Asylum phasers are great for the money. Another option that shouldn't be discounted is the (now semi-rare) phaser squirt gun. Other than the typical squirt gun trigger, they actually look good. But if you want to really go for the gusto, Master Replicas phasers can't be beat. Their weight, metal construction, and sound quality, are tops. The worst thing about the Master Replicas phasers (aside from price... usually well over $1,000) is that they feel like they should be "real" phasers. Making their inability to shoot a spouse on stun setting, rarely gets the silence one sometimes craves.

Don't forget the Wand Co. Phaser. It's much better than the Art Asylum plastic model and, arguably as good as the Master Replicas model while being about 1/5 the price. It was produced by laser scans of the hero version used on the show. The heft and feel are as close to real as you can get. The handle is removeable but has no battery pack in it. When you press the trigger on Phaser II with Phaser I locked into it, you feel a vibration that makes the light and sound effects seem even more real.

 

[1001001]

Don't forget the Wand Co. Phaser. It's much better than the Art Asylum plastic model and, arguably as good as the Master Replicas model while being about 1/5 the price. It was produced by laser scans of the hero version used on the show. The heft and feel are as close to real as you can get. The handle is removeable but has no battery pack in it. When you press the trigger on Phaser II with Phaser I locked into it, you feel a vibration that makes the light and sound effects seem even more real.

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