On the hips and in the hands of some of the most iconic characters in science fiction are these large-framed handguns that blur the line between the far future and the Old American West. When discharged, these weapons send a bolt of killer light and energy towards their enemies. These weapons are the "blasters" and they populate all media forms of science fiction since the introduction of the word into the general sci-fi lexicography in 1925, but their more accepted form came after 1977. In this latest entry into The Weapons of Sci-Fi, FWS will be exploring and explaining the most and celebrated type of sci-fi weaponry, the blaster.
What is an "Blaster"?
In general, the term "blaster" refers to an large-framed handheld weapon similar in style and layout to a conventional semi-automatic pistol, revolver, or even a more futuristic "ray gun" type. The majority of science fiction blasters are directed energy of various types, but they can be kinetic energy as well. Often, the blaster is seen as a powerful offensive anti-personnel weapon that can blow smoking holes into people, knock them down, or even burn them down to basic atoms with powerful bolts or blasts of energy. The blaster is the weapon-of-choice for heroes, soldiers, villains, space pirates, space western gunslingers, and half-witted scruffy-looking nerf herders.
What is the Difference between an "Blaster" and an "Ray Gun"?
Terminology is a tricky thing in science fiction, especially its early days. Most directed energy weapons seen in the early days of sci-fi were created weaponry that was fundamentally differently than the slug-throwers of today. This was achieved via directed energy beams being emitted from a hand weapon that was stylistically very different from most modern handguns. For generations of early sci-fi fans and the general public, these future DEW pistols were "ray guns". This term predates the term "blaster" by nearly a decade with "ray gun" being used for the first time 1917, and "blaster" in 1925. But what is the difference between the two?
To me, ray guns are pulp sci-fi weapons that are more outlandish looking with non-realistic design featuring dish-like emitters and firing beams. Their destructive power ranges all over the map with some examples being able to burn you down into ash and smoke. In some ways, the Star Trek classic phaser from the original series and the laser pistols from "The Cage" are a prime example of an ray gun type design. Blasters were more defined by Han Solo's DL-44, and were more akin to Old Western revolvers than Spaceman Spiff's ray gun sidearm.
Many of the classic heroes of science fiction have a blaster strapped to their hips especially after the emergence of Star Wars, and you have to wonder why is the blaster such a popular weapon in science fiction? The idea of an hero using an handgun over an assault rifle is rooted in both the nature of handguns and the gunslingers of the Old American West. Handguns are mostly a weapon of defense in close quarters situations and most handgun engagements are between 3-12 yards or they are a secondary, used when the primary weapon goes down. While any weapon takes skill to fire accurately, it is even more so with pistols, especially in CQC engagements.
This commonly held concept goes back to the Dragoon cavalrymen, pirates, and the gunfighters of the Old West. Pistols are short-range weapons that were not issued to every common foot soldier. Often, they were issued to soldiers that wielded heavier weapons or soldiers, like the Dragoons, that were the cavalry. This was due to the maneuverability of the pistol over the common flintlock rifles of the day during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was from there that pistol and their users earned a level of respect as tools of the more elite soldiers. It also helped that many pirates used pistols in ship boarding operations and that most officers carried them as well. The handgun entered into the hands of the common man when Samuel Colt developed his six-shot revolver in 1836, the world of personal firearms altered forever and the revolvers of Colt were bestowed the title of "the weapon that won the West". Unlike many of the rifles of the time, the Colt revolver and other handguns like it, could fire multiple times prior to being reloaded, and it helped the prestige of these weapons when larger-than-life figures used them in street gunfights and standoffs. The image of gunfighters quick drawing was intoxicating to the public, and these duels were romanticized and the best of these gunslingers were immortalized. 
Due to the revolving cylinder weapons technology, the time period, the setting of conquering a new frontier, the nature of these standoffs along with the public's appetite to consumer stories about these gunfighters, the tool of the trade was cemented into the global consciousness for all time. In some ways, the Colt Revolver of the gunslinger was like the Katana of the Ronin/Samurai of the Feudal Japan era. Both being worn by an individual marked them as an badass and one not to be fucked with. I grew up with the Old Western movies, a father who loved revolvers, and watching Samurai movies on my own, so I completely understand and celebrate the romantic element of the era, the people, and the tools of the trade. That idea of an individual being skilled enough to take down their target with a weapon designed for close quarters combat translated into the heroes and villains of our stories being seen with a pistol on their hip to symbolize their skill level status. It also assisted the mythos of the badass-with-a-pistol that the Old West film and the stars were incredibly popular around the world with heroes like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and the Lone Ranger adding their image to the tradition. Even today, the fact that Special Operations operators are allowed to carry pistols as reinforced this mindset that the elite, whether they are cowboys or DELTA Operators, carry pistols.
What Do Those Blasters' Fire?
Are There Real-World/Real-Steel Blasters?
Yes and no. There is no real-steel handgun that is marketed and sold as an "blaster" per say. Even the real-world laser and particle DEWs are not anything close to the blasters of science fiction. However, if we are to use the broad FWS definition for the sci-fi blaster, than we could make a case for some real-steel handguns meeting the definition of an sci-fi blaster. These would be the larger frame handguns that are designed to be of an physical presence over most normal sized pistols. They would fire larger caliber pistol rounds and be more "offensive" in nature over the more "defensive" nature of most pistols (this is subjective terminology). Interestly enough, some of these real-steel blaster-like pistols are used in sci-fi works to stand in as blasters, like the iconic misfit: the Desert Eagle handgun.
Anyways, there are several real-steel pistols that I think are close to the sci-fi blaster: the Magnum Research Desert Eagle in the .44 and .50 calibers, the Taurus Judge, the MBA Gryojet pistol, the H&K Mark 23 SOCOM .45ACP Offensive Handgun, and the Mateba Autorevolver. My reasoning for these weapons being selecting is that they were either have an unique "futuristic" feature, that they are powerful handguns designed to deliver maximum damage in one or two rounds, and they are more offensive in nature. The failed Mark 23 SOCOM pistol designed for USSOCOM was created around that very concept of being an offensive handgun rather than an defensive one (I would carry one of these if I had been a SEAL). I've fired many of these, and I can tell you that having an .50 Action Express Desert Eagle in your hand makes you feel like Han Solo!Science Fiction and the Blaster
Since the foundation of the genre of science fiction, there has been attempt to have characters wielding the next generation of weaponry over the real-world slug throwers. That meant that these futuristic weapons, mostly pistol-like, were directed energy and took on the general-use names of "ray guns", "disintegrator", and "heat ray". Early sci-fi heroes like Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and Tom Corbett wielded futuristic energy sidearms like Buck Rogers' own XZ-38 disintegrator. These weapons were linked in some ways to revolvers of the American Old West, but they represented the next step in the technology evolution with space age cool names that fit within the pulp science fiction magazines of the day. During those early days of the genre, the term "blaster" was first used in an 1925 story in Weird Tales Magazine: "When the Green Star Waned" by Nictzin Dyalhis. This term was picked up and used by other authors, including Isaac Asimov for Caves of Steel, adding it to the common lexicology of science fiction, but is it wasn't until the 1970's that the term "blaster" was statistically separated from other common sci-fi weaponry terms and became a rockstar. 
Since the early days of science fiction, the toy industry has used the popularity of the genre to market futuristic ray gun toys that embraced all of the standard style tropes of these weapons of the time period. Buck Rogers' atomic pistols was put into the hands of boys back in the mid-1930's by the Daisy and were manufactured in various metal finishes and this was the first appearance of space gun toys. During the Space Race of the Cold War, there was a rush of popularity of sci-fi and space themed toys. This the market that fostered a number of space ray gun toys to made and put into the hands of future creators of science fiction...including George Lucas. When these kids of the Space Race craze grew up and began creating their own brand of science fiction, the memories of their space heroes having a trusty ray gun by their side influence the development of the modern sci-fi blaster.
Examples:
The BlasTech Industries DL-44 Heavy Blaster Pistol from the Star Wars Universe
This is the weapon that altered the term "blaster" for the general public as well as science fiction as a whole. Many of us that grew up with the original trilogy during their original theatrical release owned the toy versions of these and all of us wanted have a blaster on our hips during playtime. It very much helped that one of the coolest sci-fi movie characters wielded the iconic DL-44 blaster. Under the sci-fi prop covering, the DL-44 was like many of the original trilogy weaponry Star Wars, sci-fi stylized retrofitted World War One and Two weaponry. In the case of Han Solo's iconic handcannon was an Mauser C96 7.63x25mm "broomhandle" handgun that had been used in the 1967 film The Naked Runner with a custom scope from the 1972 film Sitting Target. All three of the films had the same company supplying the weapons: Bapty & Company Armours. In the SW universe, the DL-44 heavy blaster pistol was built by the massive firearms company BlasTech that constructed military and civilian arms. Both sides of the Galactic Civil War carried BlasTech weaponry. The DL-44 was not marketed to military customers nor standard law enforcement agencies due to massive power output that caused overheating . Most DL-44s were the tools of settlers, smugglers, space pirates, private military contractors, and anyone needing a powerful offensive armor-cutting sidearm.
The Colonial Warriors DE Sidearm Blaster from the Classic Battlestar Galactica
One of the cool elements of the Colonial Warrior blaster was how its directed energy bolts are featured. Throughout much of the series, the "bolt" is not visible save for the emitter muzzle flash and the impact of directed energy bolt, which is directly contrary to the Star Wars blasters and the Star Trek phasers and even the similar Buck Rogers in the 25th century TV show. When the show ended after one season, the blaster went with it. From an thread on therpf.com, I discovered that the prop was made from fiberglass to form the shell with an clear acrylic shower head to form an clear emitter barrel assembly that used an aircraft strobe light that ran off of batteries for the DE burst. Today, you can buy prop kits of the Colonial Warrior blaster and see them in cosplay circles. In the rebooted 2003 series, there was an attempt to bridge the original blaster and the BLADE RUNNER PK-D detective special pistol into a new design for the new series...it lasted one season. I've always wanted one for the FWS offices. One day... The Colonial Handgun/Revolver from the Rebooted BSG universe
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Why was the colonial revolver discounted? It was a pain in the ass to fire blanks through and reload. Due to the weapon being an S&W revolver, the sci-fi prop housing had to be nearly removed to reload the blanks or fix any issues. This took time and money away from the production and since they were already using the FN P90, the production just added the complementary pistol to ease the burden on the production staff and the actors. The main picture above is of an airsoft copy of the Colonial sidearm fitted around an revolver, and it seems if they could do it than why not the BSG prop-masters? Either way, the original Colonial handgun was interesting KEW blaster design. The 2019 PK-D .44 Detective Special from the BLADE RUNNER Universe
One of the most mysterious and compelling blasters in all of sci-fi cinema history is handgun that skinjob hunter Rick Deckard uses in 1982's BLADE RUNNER. Enchanting fans is the overall design of the world and the universe of the film, making this a fan favorite that has endured since the film premiered in 1982. Since then, this heavy framed weapon as gone on to inspire us and fork over our cash on replicas. Unlike many of blasters of the time, it is kinetic energy weapon, it is featured in several close up shots, yet it has no official name. Fans and prop/model makers had forged many unique monikers for "the blaster": "the M2019 Detective Special", and "the PK-D”. Another unknown element is what the PK-D fires?
Given that blank-firing real-steel weapon under the sci-fi prop cover is a Carter Arms Bulldog .44 magnum, we are going to assume that the Blade Runner issued handgun is an futuristic revolver that fires .44 magnum rounds...which would be a good round for stopping superhuman androids. This idea has been picked up by prop/firearms/airsoft makers who incorporate a .44 revolver into their designs. The original prop that once was owned by Jeff Walker was sold in 2012 for $275,000.
The original LAPD 2019 service gun design is back in the hands of Harrison Ford for the upcoming BLADE RUNNER 2049 sequel along with an upgraded version in the hands of the new Rep-Det Ryan Gosling, the LAPD 2049 blaster that is a nice design that seems to flow organically as an evolutionary step from the 2019 model. We shall learn more about the reappearance of these iconic weapons when the new film comes out in a few months.
If you want to know more...then check out my massively in-depth article on the weapon of BLADE RUNNER!
The Peacekeeper Pulse Pistol from the Farscape Universe
The AGL Arms Factory .45 Long Colt Revolvers of the Trigun Unvierse
A few years ago, FWS covered the return of Sci-Fi Revolvers and I missed the Long Colt revolver from Trigun and there is seemingly no end to the comments I get reminding me that I did indeed miss one of the most iconic revolver in all of sci-fi. It will not be missed here. Two AGL Arms Long Colt .45 Revolvers are seen on planet Gunsmoke in the Delta Tri system in the hands of the humanoid plants Knives and Vash. These long-barreled break-open revolvers house plant material to make otherworldly and bond them to Knives and Vash, who referred to the weapons as “our brothers”. These custom made revolvers fired a 20th century “Long Colt .45” cartridge which is an revolver/rifle round and is commonly seen in the Taurus Judge revolver, but the damage is projected as much more in the series than a standard Long Colt .45. These anime revolvers are not based a single real-steel, but elements of the S&W Schofield revolver and the Mateba 2006m auto-revolver. Given the Space Western setting of Trigun, the appearance of these fanasty revolvers is more to do with the Western tradition than sci-fi blaster…but this unique revolver needed to be finally discussed.
The Imperium Plasma Pistol from the Warhammer 40k Universe
The General Arms LawGiver Pistols from the Judge Dredd Universe
One of the iconic sci-fi weapons is the Street Judges' LawGiver pistol that attempted to bring law and order to the mean streets of Mega City One via the Street Judges. There several forms of the weapon that have been seen in comics and the films that all have become icons of sci-fi weaponry in their own right. While the LawGiver alters from different interpretations, they all have a security feature that prevents unauthorized personnel from using the weapon via electronic shock that can kill or even a self-destruct. FWS will cover the LawGiver in more detail in its own The Weapons of Sci-Fi blogpost in the near future.
The original General Arms Mk. I LawGiver semi-automatic pistol in the comics is smaller, more compact weapon with extended skinny barrel and the four double magazines and selector-wheel for seven ammunition types with 96 bullets total. It featured a scope system and heat-seeking bullet-missiles that fired from the barrel and a strobe light for stun effect. The Mk. I gave way to the Mk. II in 2120 AD that was more beefy weapon and close to an blaster...but it wasn't until the misguided 1995 film that we saw the LawGiver take on a more conventional sci-fi blaster look. The Mk. II was an improvement for doling out street justice that fired six ammunition types from an box magazine in both semi and full automatic. To select the various ammunition types, voice or button via the selector wheel could be used. Some munition was attached to the barrel along with an sound suppressor. Since its introduction, the Mk. II has been seen in both the comics to this day and the 2012 film. Are the comic Mk. I and the Mk. II blasters? No, not really, especially the second version that is closer to an assault pistol or machine pistol. When it came time to import Judge Dredd to the big screen in the mid-1990's, we see the more "blaster" type LawGiver.
Star Lord's Quad Blasters from The Guardians of the Galaxy
Major Magnum Handgun from 2000AD's Rogue Trooper Comic
2000 AD’s super-soldier comic book Rogue Trooper is an insane, beautiful gem of military science fiction comics. The “hero” of the comic is Rogue Trooper, an genetically engineered super-soldier designed to survive and fight in various hostile environments, like those on Nu-Earth. Bio-Chips allowed for the memories and personalities of the GI Troopers to be stored and placed into new bodies to retain experience and training. To keep these biochips alive and functional, slots were built into various GI Trooper’s equipment, like their weapons. One such weapon picked up by Rogue during his quest was an large framed, multi-barreled pistol designed for the GI program called “Major Magnum”. This was the name of the GI Trooper whose biochip inhabits the pistol, who attempted to Rogue for deserting the army and was even sold to the highest bidder. The weapon itself had 10 types of bullets, micro-missiles, and even less-than-lethal drug darts and was massive platform. I believe that the storyline with the hand cannon was limited and did not enter into Rogue’s standard equipment.
The Laser Blasters of Captain Power and the Soldiers of Tomorrow
The 1986 Worlds of Wonder Lazer Tag "Starlyte" IR Blaster
The Visitors' Directed Energy Blaster from the Original V Universe
The primary weapon of the Visitors that did fall into human resistance hands was the interesting designed large framed laser blaster pistol that featured an clear energy chamber tube. In the original V, the laser pistol had a powerful sounding bolt that was presented as a blue bolt fired in a semi-automate fashion. They would be used by both sides of conflict over Earth, but where never seen being reloaded...unless you read the DC comic series...which I did.
In the comic book, Donovan is seen reloading his iconic laser pistol with an small capsule-shaped object that was slipped into an small port on the trigger assembly portion of the DEW. The prop Visitor laser blaster pistol were made in large numbers due to the Visitor shocktroopers carrying both the pistol and rifle, however, the prop itself varied from series-to-series. According to the limited information I have, the laser blasters from the original 1983 V miniseries were better constructed with actual metal parts.
Even that released was limited to six figures, all armed with the DE revolver-like blaster seen in the series as the only toy gun in both hero and villain along three Z-100 robotic horses. There were prototypes of the “Six Shooter” DE blasters in both an battery operated light-up toy gun and a water gun that seemed to mimic the style of the Galaxy Rangers. Pity they were never released.
Eddie's Toon Revolver from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
The Legion's Standard Issue HEL-Gun from Alien Legion Series One (1984-1987)
The Imperial Klingon Disruptor Pistol from the Star Trek Universe
The original series Klingon weaponry was upgraded for the 3rd Trek movie in 1984 by Phil Norwood.
The Earth Defense Directorate Directed Energy Blaster from Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
The character of Buck Rogers has been in science fiction since its near beginning and he has been a hero for generations of fans due to Buck being reinvented and reworked throughout his history. I grew up with the Glen A. Larson vision of Buck Rogers that ran for two seasons on NBC from 1979-1981 that was developed to capitalized on the Star Wars popularity. As with any good sci-fi at the time, there had to be blasters, and there were a number of them. The one that I've always had a soft spot for is the Earth Defense Directorate DE blaster that fired yellow beams. This large blaster was more angler than the Colonial Warrior blasters from Glen A. Larson other TV show: Battlestar Galactica. There is very little about the blaster online and its seems that the props were about 12 inches in length and had a small push button trigger with the trigger possibly being tied to an light at the end of the barrel. Few of the actual props have been seen with several stunt props sellings. Some sites have cited poor quality of the hero props and that there were few hero props that exist.
Jim Reynor's Revolver Blaster from the Starcraft Universe
The Deep Sleep Operative Flame Gun from Logan's Run (1976)
One of the great sci-fi movies prior to the emergence of Star Wars was 1976’s Logan’s Run (a scene was filmed at the Water Gardens in Fort Worth, Texas!) and features one of the most popular sci-fi weapons in the hands of the Deep Sleep Operatives (AKA: the Sandmen). In the original novel, the weapon is more of a sci-fi revolver with a six shot capacity and can hold different ammunition. The movie and TV series use a similar prop whose style was something of an hybrid between the ray gun and the blaster…but what makes the DS gun unique is its operation. Unlike many other sci-fi weapons, the DS blaster’s muzzle burst was not a visual effect, but a practical one emitting from the prop itself. According to the extensive article by propmaster Richard Coyle, who may or may not be the designer of the DS flame gun prop itself, the greenish flame effect was generated by carbide gas and water via the trigger acting as the opener to the valve.
The Bahauser M571 Armor Magnum Hand Cannon from Armored Trooper VOTOM
The Hand Cannons of the Destiny Universe
The Good Samaritan Revolver from The Hellboy Universe
Magic firearms are an interesting outgrowth of magical bladed weapons of fantasy or legends. The Good Samaritan massive revolver blaster from the Hellboy universe fits into the same ranks as the Caster from Outlaw Star. Given to our red-skinned hero as a young boy by the Touch of Liberty to deal with various supernatural and demonic assholes, the weapon and its ammunition are special beyond belief. Constructed from pieces of the True Cross, metal from church bells, and blessed; it is a holy weapon that fires holy bullets of a massive size and power. These bullets have magic loads and often made from special materials to deal with the special dark enemies Hellboy faces.
Ronon's Particle Magnum Blaster from Stargate Atlantis
During the second season of SG: Atlantis, we were introduced to the Satedan badass runner known as Ronon Dex played by equally badass Jason Momoa. Unlike his fellow SG Recon Team members, Ronon carried a directed energy large frame blaster, known as an “particle magnum”. Given this time as a runner, Ronon had picked up this powerful semi-automatic weapon randomly during his travels, but did not the origin of the weapon. Powered by a cylinder shaped power cell that was fitted into the dome assembly at the rear of the handgun, it could be set to three power levels: stun, kill, and incinerate.
The Blaster from The Caves of Steel by Issac Asimov
While the word blaster is used over and over again in the novel, there is no description of how the directed energy weapon looks, but there much given to its grim effect on the human body. The Spacer that was murdered was missing an chest after the blaster impact. Some of the cover art did feature the blasters used by R. Daneel and Baley, but most were more ray gun like than what we understand about blaster. However, given the similarities between The Caves of Steel and the movie BLADE RUNNER, some of the newer cover art, like the 1991 cover by noted sci-fi illustrator Stephen Youll. In Stephen Youll’s 1991 cover art piece, Elijah Bailey looks more like Rick Deckard and even sports a close copy of the 2019 blaster in his hand! In the Eastman Kodak Company Isaac Asimov's Robots VCR Mystery Game from 1988, you play along to solve the mystery of the murder of an Spacer before the wraith gets called down NYC. In the game, we see Detective Baley reload his service blaster with an green glowing tube from the "blaster charger station". Baley loads the green cylinder into the handle of the very basic sci-fi blaster prop. In the game, the blaster bolts are shown as bright neon green slow moving bolts.
The Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model "B" from the Firefly Universe
In the 25th century space western magnum opus Firefly and its accompanying feature 2005 film Serenity we see a number of futuristic firearms of all shapes and sizes. One of the best and lovingly designed is the handgun of Malcolm Reynolds: the Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model "B". This iconic sci-fi firearm was used by Mal throughout the series and the film in a style similar to an Old West gunslinger with an similar holster. According to Joss Whedon, Mal's space revolver-blaster was based on the .41 Volcanic Repeater pistol from 1855 and the prop was construction around an Taurus Model 85 .38 revolver with an brass sci-fi covering.
For the 2005 film, Mal's sidearm was slightly modified with an box magazine There is little hard data on the blaster itself, including what it fires. However, in the 2005 film, Mal is seen loading the Model B before the bank heist with an small box-magazine loaded with a traditional looking bullet that is likely an .38 revolver round. Since Firefly, Mal's blaster has become an iconic of sci-fi firearms and the prop community.
The "Astro Automatic","Cosmogun", and "Cosmo Dragoon" Blasters from the Leijiverse
It is widely known that the three major series developed by Leiji Matsumoto ( Yamato, Galaxy Express 999, and Harlock) are connected and that they share stylistic elements as well. In fact, there were plans for Captain Harlock was to appear in the original Space Cruiser Yamato television series. One of the technologically items that all three series share is an directed energy blaster whose original design predates the emergence of the Han Solo DL-44 blaster by three years.
The blaster would first be seen in the Space Cruiser Yamato film released in 1974 as well as the manga, released the same year. In the hands of the good crew of the Yamato, it was known as the “astro automatic” in the English dub and the “Cosmo Gun” in the original Japanese. It was a pretty standard directed energy blaster at the time with an impressive militaristic design that was not a ray gun type. I’ve always felt that the astro automatic of Yamato/Starblazers was inspirited by the Imperial Japanese Nambu pistol of the 2nd World War while others believe it was based around the funky 8mm 1908 Hino-Komuro pistol.
When Yamato was finally given a live-action feature film in 2010, the astro automatic was featured, but in a more conventional form that mimicked the original design somewhat but is rumored to be based around an airsoft Glock 26. Given Matsumoto penchant for recycling designs, the cosmo gun was restyled for inclusion in the Galaxy Express 999 and Harlock animes/mangas. In this more stylized form, called an “Cosmo Dragoon”, it was extreme powerful and rare weapon of which there was only five in the galaxy with one in the possession of Captain Harlock. These powerful handguns, also known as “the warrior’s gun” were constructed by Harlock’s running buddy Tochiro and where the only weapons able to kill the machine people like the human hunting-and-skinning Count Mecha.
The overall design of these very similar Leijiverse DEW blasters resemble the overall style of the Colt 1847 Walker or Colt 1848 Dragoon Cap-&-Ball revolvers and this could be due to the 1972 western manga done by Matsumoto called Gun Froniter that featured some of the same characters as the space series. Even Tochiro said that he pattern the Cosmo Dragoon after Old West six-shooters. These have been favorite anime blasters and model kits and replicas have been made since the release of Space Cruiser Yamato that greatly varied.
The Cygnus Sentry Laser Blasters from Disney's The Black Hole (1979)
The massive success of 1977’s Star Wars launched a thousand greenlit sci-fi projects with other studios attempt to hit the iron while it was hot. Some were classics in their own right like ALIEN, some were cheap intimations like Battle Beyond the Planets and somewhere just odd…like Disney’s 1979 live-action sci-fi film The Black Hole. This was a film I grew up on and I have a soft spot for it, which includes the twin-barreled laser blaster used by the crew of the Palomino and the “robotic” sentries of the Cygnus.
This dual-emitter robotic sentry laser blaster was seen on-screen firing two beams of red directed energy and was often dual wielded by the sentries and the Palomino human crew during the climax of the film. The props themselves were a nice marriage of the ray gun and the blaster and the laser battle scenes were quite nice in the film. Since The Black Hole was following the tradition of Star Wars there was to be a major rollout of toys by Mego. Action figures, playsets, and even a role-play toy sentry laser blaster were going to be released. There was some release of the Mego Black Hole toyline in the United Kingdom around 1980 by Marx, but much of it never made to market. The action figures that were released did not feature the same iconic blaster design as the film and it seems that toy sentry laser pistol blaster was also unreleased. Pity.
Captain Blasto's Blaster from the 1998 Blasto PlayStation One video game
It would be criminal of me to not discuss the over-the-top space hero character of "Captain Blasto" from the 1998 PlayStation One 3rd person shooter video game Blasto. The title character is an space hero that would be more at home in a plup era sci-fi magazine or an episode of Futurama than the 1990's. Captain Blasto is a space hero of the Earth and lover to the babies of planet Uranus that takes out evil alien invaders from the 5th dimension with his trusty laser blaster. To me, he looked like the father of Spaceman Spiff from Calvin & Hobbes! Blasto's sidearm was a pretty normal blaster that tended more towards the ray gun blaster type than an DL-44. The blaster would be overcharged for a more powerful blast and it often took out most enemies in a few bolts of red energy. Prior to this game's release, there was heavy press and buzz about the game and the voice acting of Phil Hartman in the role of Captain Blasto himself. The game itself was developed by Sony and released by Sony to be an exclusive to their mega-hit, the PlayStation.
I can clearly remember this game being in development with it being heavily advertised in gaming stores and magazines followed by the released that hit with a thud. I barely played Blasto on an ex-girlfriend's son's PSOne when I was in college back in 1998, and did not care much for the game. So, what happened to Captain Blasto? That is a sad story. The much-hyped game was panned by critics for being too difficult, and sales were only lukewarm with the praise for the voice-acting by Hartman being the best element of the game. There was rumors of an sequel in the works until Hartman was killed by his wife just six weeks after the games release...ending any hopes of a sequel. Sony even let the trademark for "Captain Blasto" slip...despite this and the length of time that has gone by, there is continued rumors of an sequel coming.
The Earth Military EM-33 Plasma Blaster from ST:Enterprise
The universe of Star Trek has never been one that featured blasters in the traditional sense...besides the three mentioned on the list. One of the most forgotten Starfleet weapons that is a blaster is the EM-33 plasma pistol from Star Trek: Enterprise. This was only really featured in the hands of NX-01 personnel in the pilot episode "Broken Bow", when it was replaced with the phaser processor, the Phase-Pistol, but not before Cpt. Archer dual wielded some EM-33s in a firefight! Not much exists on in-universe explanation on this blaster save for the name and that it was used by Starfleet, the Earth Cargo Authority, and MACO.
With the missing history of this unique early Starfleet weapon compelling me, I designed and wrote an entire history behind the weapon and how it inspirited the 23rd century "assault phaser" and why the MACOs still use the EM-33. It was a labor of love. The prop itself was designed by Craig Binkley and Jim Martin, who designed the EM-33 around the Desert Eagle and the Jericho pistols. This makes the EM-33 a bit of interesting sci-fi weapon; it is an DE blaster that was based on one of the real-steel pistols that can be compared to an sci-fi blaster. This is one of my favorite Star Trek weapons.
The Cybernetic Soldier Pistol from Angel Cop
There have been three "waves" or invasions of Anime/Manga to America. The first began with works like Astroboy and Speed Racer, and ended around the time of Battle of the Planets, Gundam, and Starblazers. The second wave was during the 1980's, with works like ROBOTECH, Ulysses 31, Captain Harlock, and Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. The 2nd Wave was also marked by the greater importation of VHS tapes, toys, models,and comics to the shores of America. The 2nd Wave was when I was kid, and was a great deal of fun. Today, we live in the 3rd Wave. During the crush of import titles via American distributors like US Manga Corps, Viz Media, and Manga, it seems that a little bit of everything was imported to the states to reap in the cash.
One of the titles was the pure-shit Angel Cop OVA. There no words how bad this anime is. Like many animes of the time, Japanese creators culled from BLADE RUNNER and other popular American works. In the 3rd episode of the OVA, mad scientist Dr. Ichihara whips out a pistol that appears to be an ugly mating of the M9 Beretta, the 2019 Blaster, and the Auto-9 from Robocop. According to the fucked up logic of Angel Cop, this pistol is for enhanced cybernetic bodies only, like Raiden, because...and get this shit...the gun's recoil is so high that it can break an normal human beings arm after two shots. There are handguns like this in the real-world, the .600 Nitro Express revolver being the best example. However, when Angel loads the arm-breaker, it is a relatively small magazine cartridge. During the finally part, Raiden dual-wields these pistols and Angel uses it as well to kill Raiden and Lucifer. Never watch this.
The Eternia Laser Blasters from The Masters of the Universe Live-Action Motion Picture (1987)
One of the iconic toylines of the 1980's was The Masters of the Universe, and an entire generation grew up playing in the oddball sci-fi/fantasy universe of He-Man and Skeletor. This included me. I had most of the original 1983 toyline which included Castle Greyskull. In addition to the toyline (because it was the 80's), there was an accompanying cartoon called He-Man and the Masters of the Universe that was equally popular in the early 1980's. Once again, an entire generation watched the adventures of He-Man & Company with the phase "I have the POWER!" being part of our daily lives, including me. Good times.
Naturally, this made The Masters of the Universe very popular and successful,a fact not lost on Mattel. From the very beginning of the development of MOTU toyline there was discussions about bring the struggle of good & evil on Eternia to the silver screen. In an odd twist, as Mattel was developing MOTU, producers of the Conan film were attempting to sell toy rights to their fantasy film. Given the surface similarity between Conan and He-Man, the Conan toy rights were rejected and Mattel began developing their own film to MOTU. Scripts were ordered to be targeted to adults and kids.
Unfortunately, the MOTU toyline was cooling down along with the genre of Sword & Sorcery by the time that film was in production by Orion Pictures. When the live-action film came out in 1987 it was too late, too odd, and too distant from the original source material alienating fans. It flopped in the theaters. I can remember the film coming out in 1987 and I was well beyond my He-Man days...and then there was the other incorporated element that made me question the film entirely: laser blasters that mimicked Star Wars being including into the MOTU.
While there were some DEWs in the cartoon and toyline, it was more rooted in classic weapons of the Sword & Sorcery setting. When the film came out, He-Man battled the forces of Skeletor with both his sword and a trusty laser blaster that fired colorful bolts of blue. In these battles, red and blue directed energy bolts fly across the screen. So, why the hell are there blasters in the 1987 MOTU film? Originally, Mattel did not want He-Man to kill or harm anyone, leading to the incorporating of less violent beams of colorful light, reducing his use of his sword. Also, there was still the afterglow of the effect of Star Wars, and laser battles were still part of the sci-fi landscape. To help with this commandment, Skeletor's minions were these robot black armored stormtroopers that only served to distance the film from the original source material.
For the film, two main blaster pistols were produced: one for Skeletor's army and one for He-Man's forces. Among the blasters, there were variations, like Teela's.These fired different colors of directed energy and to their credit, the prop blasters were of good quality, design, and construction. For the overall design, the MOTU film blasters follow in the familiar footsteps of the Star Wars weaponry. Sadly, given their inclusion into The Masters of the Universe meant that these blasters are nearly lost to forgotten sci-fi history. In an odd twist of Hollywood trivia: the Captain of the NX-01 Enterprise actor is married to the actress that played Teela in the Masters of the Universe 1987 universe. Crazy.
The Earth Alliance Auricon PPG from Babylon 5...is it even an blaster?
In terms of 1990's American TV science fiction, Babylon 5 was the other side of the coin to ST:DS9, and for some of us, B5 the better of the two. For four good season, B5 wove a tale of returning dark enemy, a Terran space station devoted to peace, and alien governments politics. It was a brave piece of sci-fi writing and storytelling. Throughout the show, there was one iconic piece of science fiction weaponry: the Earth Alliance PPG compact pistol. But, it is an blaster in the traditional sense? I thought it was worth devoting some space to examining the case of the B5 PPG. The Phased Plasma Gun was the standard DE sidearm of the Earth Alliance personnel that was manufactured by Auricon. The power cell, called an power cap, that feed the PPG seen in the series had a capacity based on the level of power chosen by the user. At maximum setting, only four shots were possible, while there was 20 shots at the standard setting. The PPG was a rather unique DEW seen in science fiction that was a hybrid of the Star Trek phaser and the Star Wars blaster that seemed to me to be patterned after the old-school police snub-nosed revolver preferred by detectives and police chiefs. Adding evidence to this, was that the on-screen used prop PPG used an real .38 revolver grip. This means that the PPG flies in the face of the traditional post-Star Wars blaster being a large-framed weapon, but it does maintain the use of energy (plasma) bolts. I think the case can be made that the PPG is one of the more unique weapons of modern sci-fi and while it may not be an space revolver, an phaser, or an blaster; it is in some ways all of them.
Outlaw Star is one of the more famous (and popular!)of the recent crops of animes and is often compared to the legendary Cowboy Bebop. In this fusion of fantasy and space sci-fi, Outlaw Star features one of the most celebrated weapons of anime: the magic blaster Caster. In fact, Bennett the Saga even called the Caster “the best weapon in all of anime”. The term “Caster” was originally applied to users of Mana old magic, but the term is applied to a “spell gun” that fires magic shells of massive power and various loads. The Caster pistol seen in the hands of Gene Starwind is a relic and allows an non-wizard the ability to wield magic in the form of caster shells that house various offensive spells. While merely a vehicle for the magic ammunition, the Caster Blaster (rhyming like Vanilla Ice!) is a breach-load, single-action large-frame pistol that is reserved for special encounters. It is due to the rarity of the ammunition (shells that are numbered) that prevents the wider use of the Caster. Ammunition is always scarce and has to be acquired from special sources.
In the realm of first person shooters rarely does the starting weapon, often a pistol, get much love or use after the first shotgun comes along...and its no different here. In the sequel to the Medieval Fantasy/Sci-fi darkgrim world of the original 1996 Quake, we get a total change in the story and setting with it being more conventional Military SF with you playing an normal space marine attempting to prevent an invasion by the Borg...I mean...the Strogg. Your beginning weapon is an oddball recharging blaster that fires a orange plasma bolt that has major kick to it given the amount the player jerks back. Once you scour new more powerful weapons, you leave it behind to be forgotten save for using as an DEW flashlight! The weak sauce blaster of the space marines makes another appearance in Quake IV which picks up the story of the Strogg vs. Terra. In this game, the blaster is more akin to a standard military sidearm that you would see in DOOM over the 2nd Quake game that is complete with tactical mounted flashlight.
The most well known blaster manufactured by BlasTech Industries is the DL-44, there is another had received some attention from the Outer Rim: the DL-18. This more sleek blaster was cheaper than the DL-44 along with being more customizable. The longer barrel and the undermounted over-concentrated beam allowing for more penetration. This blaster is not as well known as some of the others in the SW movies, but it was featured repeatedly in Return of the Jedi in the hands of Jabba the Hutt's guards. Luke even Force-grabbed one off of an guard and aimed at the gang leader. It has been seen in SW: Battlefront and in SW: Rebels. I've always really liked the look of this blaster since ROTJ and it was packed into Jedi Luke figure I got in 1983 when ROTJ was in theaters and even featured on the packaging art.
Since most of the Star Wars blaster pistols and rifles are constructed around a core real-steel weapon of some type...what is under the sci-fi covers of the DL-18? From my research, it seems an old West German air gun, the BSF S20 .177. Today, prop markers use secondhand BSF S20s for their props...but they can be hard to get, and some use the more common (and cheaper) Crosman American Classic .177 air pistol.
Okay, before we start in on this KEW blaster type pistol, I just have to say that fucking hate the 2004 I, Robot film. Hate it to the point that I wished it never existed. It is heresy of the original work and the film does not deserve to use the title of one of the founding classics of robot sci-fi literature. It is a paint-by-numbers story that lacks any magic of the original book. Okay, the Chicago Police Department standard issue sidearm blaster that seen in the film in the hands of Det. Spooner and other officers was constructed around an Taurus Model 85 .38 revolver that channeling the style of the PK-D blaster from BLADE RUNNER. Oddly, the weapon is portrayed as an magazine-fed weapon that chambered possibility an 9mm cartridge. The same revolver and similar prop construction were applied to Malcolm Reynolds Firefly handgun.
Next Time on FWS...
The genre of Military SF comes in all forms and forges new fans through the various forms of media. For me, witnessing Mobile Suit Gundam and Starblazers at age two and three and then later, ROBOTECH all converted me into a lifelong fan of the genre via military science fiction anime. Via exploration of the genre since the founding of FWS, I discovered that there needed to a dedicated serial devoted to exploring and explaining the realm of anime military sci-fi. The first subject of this new serial is an relatively unknown 1980's "Real Robot/Mecha" centered MSF television series that descend from the success Mobile Suit Gundam: Fang of the Sun Dougram. While the series was never exported to the US market, the mecha was in the form of models and the designs that became "incorporating" into one of the great works of American 1980's military science fiction.
The Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model "B" from the Firefly Universe
In the 25th century space western magnum opus Firefly and its accompanying feature 2005 film Serenity we see a number of futuristic firearms of all shapes and sizes. One of the best and lovingly designed is the handgun of Malcolm Reynolds: the Moses Brothers Self-Defense Engine Frontier Model "B". This iconic sci-fi firearm was used by Mal throughout the series and the film in a style similar to an Old West gunslinger with an similar holster. According to Joss Whedon, Mal's space revolver-blaster was based on the .41 Volcanic Repeater pistol from 1855 and the prop was construction around an Taurus Model 85 .38 revolver with an brass sci-fi covering.
For the 2005 film, Mal's sidearm was slightly modified with an box magazine There is little hard data on the blaster itself, including what it fires. However, in the 2005 film, Mal is seen loading the Model B before the bank heist with an small box-magazine loaded with a traditional looking bullet that is likely an .38 revolver round. Since Firefly, Mal's blaster has become an iconic of sci-fi firearms and the prop community.The "Astro Automatic","Cosmogun", and "Cosmo Dragoon" Blasters from the Leijiverse
It is widely known that the three major series developed by Leiji Matsumoto ( Yamato, Galaxy Express 999, and Harlock) are connected and that they share stylistic elements as well. In fact, there were plans for Captain Harlock was to appear in the original Space Cruiser Yamato television series. One of the technologically items that all three series share is an directed energy blaster whose original design predates the emergence of the Han Solo DL-44 blaster by three years.
The Cygnus Sentry Laser Blasters from Disney's The Black Hole (1979)
Captain Blasto's Blaster from the 1998 Blasto PlayStation One video game
The Earth Military EM-33 Plasma Blaster from ST:Enterprise
The Cybernetic Soldier Pistol from Angel Cop
There have been three "waves" or invasions of Anime/Manga to America. The first began with works like Astroboy and Speed Racer, and ended around the time of Battle of the Planets, Gundam, and Starblazers. The second wave was during the 1980's, with works like ROBOTECH, Ulysses 31, Captain Harlock, and Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. The 2nd Wave was also marked by the greater importation of VHS tapes, toys, models,and comics to the shores of America. The 2nd Wave was when I was kid, and was a great deal of fun. Today, we live in the 3rd Wave. During the crush of import titles via American distributors like US Manga Corps, Viz Media, and Manga, it seems that a little bit of everything was imported to the states to reap in the cash.
One of the titles was the pure-shit Angel Cop OVA. There no words how bad this anime is. Like many animes of the time, Japanese creators culled from BLADE RUNNER and other popular American works. In the 3rd episode of the OVA, mad scientist Dr. Ichihara whips out a pistol that appears to be an ugly mating of the M9 Beretta, the 2019 Blaster, and the Auto-9 from Robocop. According to the fucked up logic of Angel Cop, this pistol is for enhanced cybernetic bodies only, like Raiden, because...and get this shit...the gun's recoil is so high that it can break an normal human beings arm after two shots. There are handguns like this in the real-world, the .600 Nitro Express revolver being the best example. However, when Angel loads the arm-breaker, it is a relatively small magazine cartridge. During the finally part, Raiden dual-wields these pistols and Angel uses it as well to kill Raiden and Lucifer. Never watch this.The Eternia Laser Blasters from The Masters of the Universe Live-Action Motion Picture (1987)
Unfortunately, the MOTU toyline was cooling down along with the genre of Sword & Sorcery by the time that film was in production by Orion Pictures. When the live-action film came out in 1987 it was too late, too odd, and too distant from the original source material alienating fans. It flopped in the theaters. I can remember the film coming out in 1987 and I was well beyond my He-Man days...and then there was the other incorporated element that made me question the film entirely: laser blasters that mimicked Star Wars being including into the MOTU. 
While there were some DEWs in the cartoon and toyline, it was more rooted in classic weapons of the Sword & Sorcery setting. When the film came out, He-Man battled the forces of Skeletor with both his sword and a trusty laser blaster that fired colorful bolts of blue. In these battles, red and blue directed energy bolts fly across the screen. So, why the hell are there blasters in the 1987 MOTU film? Originally, Mattel did not want He-Man to kill or harm anyone, leading to the incorporating of less violent beams of colorful light, reducing his use of his sword. Also, there was still the afterglow of the effect of Star Wars, and laser battles were still part of the sci-fi landscape. To help with this commandment, Skeletor's minions were these robot black armored stormtroopers that only served to distance the film from the original source material.
For the film, two main blaster pistols were produced: one for Skeletor's army and one for He-Man's forces. Among the blasters, there were variations, like Teela's.These fired different colors of directed energy and to their credit, the prop blasters were of good quality, design, and construction. For the overall design, the MOTU film blasters follow in the familiar footsteps of the Star Wars weaponry. Sadly, given their inclusion into The Masters of the Universe meant that these blasters are nearly lost to forgotten sci-fi history. In an odd twist of Hollywood trivia: the Captain of the NX-01 Enterprise actor is married to the actress that played Teela in the Masters of the Universe 1987 universe. Crazy.The Earth Alliance Auricon PPG from Babylon 5...is it even an blaster?
The Caster from Outlaw Star
Outlaw Star is one of the more famous (and popular!)of the recent crops of animes and is often compared to the legendary Cowboy Bebop. In this fusion of fantasy and space sci-fi, Outlaw Star features one of the most celebrated weapons of anime: the magic blaster Caster. In fact, Bennett the Saga even called the Caster “the best weapon in all of anime”. The term “Caster” was originally applied to users of Mana old magic, but the term is applied to a “spell gun” that fires magic shells of massive power and various loads. The Caster pistol seen in the hands of Gene Starwind is a relic and allows an non-wizard the ability to wield magic in the form of caster shells that house various offensive spells. While merely a vehicle for the magic ammunition, the Caster Blaster (rhyming like Vanilla Ice!) is a breach-load, single-action large-frame pistol that is reserved for special encounters. It is due to the rarity of the ammunition (shells that are numbered) that prevents the wider use of the Caster. Ammunition is always scarce and has to be acquired from special sources.
The Standard Space Marine "blaster" Pistol from Quake II and Quake IV
In the realm of first person shooters rarely does the starting weapon, often a pistol, get much love or use after the first shotgun comes along...and its no different here. In the sequel to the Medieval Fantasy/Sci-fi darkgrim world of the original 1996 Quake, we get a total change in the story and setting with it being more conventional Military SF with you playing an normal space marine attempting to prevent an invasion by the Borg...I mean...the Strogg. Your beginning weapon is an oddball recharging blaster that fires a orange plasma bolt that has major kick to it given the amount the player jerks back. Once you scour new more powerful weapons, you leave it behind to be forgotten save for using as an DEW flashlight! The weak sauce blaster of the space marines makes another appearance in Quake IV which picks up the story of the Strogg vs. Terra. In this game, the blaster is more akin to a standard military sidearm that you would see in DOOM over the 2nd Quake game that is complete with tactical mounted flashlight.
The BlasTech DL-18 Blaster from the Star Wars Universe
The most well known blaster manufactured by BlasTech Industries is the DL-44, there is another had received some attention from the Outer Rim: the DL-18. This more sleek blaster was cheaper than the DL-44 along with being more customizable. The longer barrel and the undermounted over-concentrated beam allowing for more penetration. This blaster is not as well known as some of the others in the SW movies, but it was featured repeatedly in Return of the Jedi in the hands of Jabba the Hutt's guards. Luke even Force-grabbed one off of an guard and aimed at the gang leader. It has been seen in SW: Battlefront and in SW: Rebels. I've always really liked the look of this blaster since ROTJ and it was packed into Jedi Luke figure I got in 1983 when ROTJ was in theaters and even featured on the packaging art. 
Since most of the Star Wars blaster pistols and rifles are constructed around a core real-steel weapon of some type...what is under the sci-fi covers of the DL-18? From my research, it seems an old West German air gun, the BSF S20 .177. Today, prop markers use secondhand BSF S20s for their props...but they can be hard to get, and some use the more common (and cheaper) Crosman American Classic .177 air pistol.
Detective Spooner's Chicago PD Duty Pistol from I, Robot (2004)
Okay, before we start in on this KEW blaster type pistol, I just have to say that fucking hate the 2004 I, Robot film. Hate it to the point that I wished it never existed. It is heresy of the original work and the film does not deserve to use the title of one of the founding classics of robot sci-fi literature. It is a paint-by-numbers story that lacks any magic of the original book. Okay, the Chicago Police Department standard issue sidearm blaster that seen in the film in the hands of Det. Spooner and other officers was constructed around an Taurus Model 85 .38 revolver that channeling the style of the PK-D blaster from BLADE RUNNER. Oddly, the weapon is portrayed as an magazine-fed weapon that chambered possibility an 9mm cartridge. The same revolver and similar prop construction were applied to Malcolm Reynolds Firefly handgun. 