We are excited that it’s finally May 4, because we’ve been sitting on this information for months, waiting for the perfect time to share it. What follows is an adaptation of a longer article I wrote for The Captain’s Table, the digital VMM member magazine.
During this period of self-isolation people are taking advantage of the many streaming services available. This past winter the Disney+ streaming service released an original series The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian series follows the story of a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter, Din Djarin, at the edge of the galaxy.
Did you know the museum has an artifact with a connection to the most famous bounty hunter in the Star Wars story world? It’s true.
The No. 1 Mark “I” Flare Gun, first manufactured by Webley & Scott of Birmingham,England was used as the base for the EE-3 Carbine blaster used by Boba Fett, the bounty hunter, seen in The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi.
We can’t share an image of Boba Fett’s blaster here for copyright reasons, but you can see it on the Star Wars website. [https://www.starwars.com/databank/boba-fett]
The unusual design of the flare gun must have made it an appealing design for the weapon of choice for Boba Fett.
For the blaster, the barrel of the Mark “I” was altered and a scope was added. However, the unique fashion in which the stock is attached to the handle of the pistol makes it easily identifiable as the Mark “I.”
The Mark “I” has also appeared in the movies G Men (1935) and Murderers’ Row (1966), and in the TV Series Mission: Impossible.
The Mark “I” was originally made as a flare gun, but many were later repurposed as tear gas launchers. The flare gun in our collection (2019.999.132) has “VCPD” stamped on the butt of the stock, which may indicate that it was used as a tear gas launcher by the Vancouver Police Department.
The full article about this unique was published in the March edition of The Captain’s Table. Want to read the full story? You’ve got options.
- Become a member and we’ll send you the last issue of The Captain’s Table
- Share this post on social media and email marketing@vanmaritime.com and we’ll send you the full article.