Below is a visual compilation and info on pulse rifles you
might currently have access to if you don't wish to build your own. I plan to include this information in the "Costuming guide v2.0" when we get to it. Some are harder to find than others (a couple long out of production and only available on the secondary market), but each can eventually be located and has their own advantages/disadvantages.
-Disclaimers-
*I have cited each image and its source in hopes of keeping everything on the up-and-up, however if anyone has problem with any image used (be it an etiquette or permission issue), I will rework the file immediately to remove the portion that is under objection. Similarly, if you have a better picture, and want it included, let me know!
**The 'classic' resin and garage kits have not been included due to rarity, lack of accuracy, and/or perversion through recasting in their current forms. Those old kits are not generally recommend and especially not from ebay where recasting runs rampant.
***As always, it is strongly recommended you do your research regarding quality of the product and integrity of the seller. I would never knowingly steer anyone wrong, but when dealing with any unlicensed prop vendor is on YOU to do your research and decided what you are comfortable with.
Attachment:
Pulse Compilation v2.jpg [ 765.33 KiB | Viewed 12541 times ]
So in no particular order (just doing the chart in columns top down, then left to right):
-HCG Pulse rifle. (1st release with Aluminum shrouds). Only the second “licensed” M41A ever produced. Originally ~$800-950, but no longer available. They go for far more now on the secondary market due to the popularity among custom builders who hunt them to harvest the metal shrouds. These have excellent accuracy and many moving parts. Illuminated counter is static (not counting). Metal shrouds, barrel, barrel vent, and stock (which does lock in multiple positions). The rest is resin. Came in 2 colors: BB and limited edition OD.
-HCG “Stunt” rifle (2nd release, resin). Retails for $500 and currently/soon to be available. All of the looks from the first HCG rifle, but none of the metal or moving parts. Completely solid/static prop. Comes in 4 versions: OD clean, OD ‘weathered’, BB Clean, BB ‘weathered’
-“Matsuo” rifle: Custom builds using own sculpted cold-casted resin shrouds and many metal parts. Prices vary wildly as there were many options available with each originally built-to-order taking several months for completion. Excellent quality, but Matsuo is semi-retired upon the last update (only catching up on past jobs). Contacting him directly is best bet for most up to date info. If you see someone online claiming they built the most accurate rifle ever and wanting several thousand dollars, there is a ~95% chance he is just trying to flip a Matsuo rifle (Veterans of the community know this guy by many different names, but his hustle of flipping other people's custom props at quadruple the price while claiming he built them is always the same).
-“SD Studio’s” Rifle: A custom builder (image is one the very first in the initial run) and pioneer as one of the first producers of pulse rifles that included actual metal parts. Usually they even included real deactivated Thompson components, actual SPAS 12 parts, and deactivated Remington 870s. When new (several years ago) the rifles were reportedly sold at or near $4,000 each. While purchasing a completed rifle may be cost prohibitive, ‘SD Studios’ is still active today in selling the metal components to build your own custom pulse rifles. Stocks, blocks, vents, and grenades are readily available now.
-Screen Used ‘Hero’ Rifle. Image is for reference only. Picture is that of a ‘live fire’ Thompson with a resin ‘dummy’ grenade launcher, and 8-hole vent. Indications are that only 1 ‘Hero’ pulse actually had a functional 870 in the grenade launcher and it had a 10-hole vent that did not include sling mounts. There are some screen used rifles that survived and do exist today, but they have been altered heavily since filming and would not necessarily be a good reference for accuracy.
-Screen Used “Stunt” rifle: This image is of course for reference only. Picture is of rifle from private collection and not for sale, but some ‘stunts’ do still exist. The solid/static ‘stunt’ props are easily identified by their filled-in barrel vents, no moving parts, and barrel assemblies that are ‘too far forward’ and overhand the GL. Little if any ‘stick out’ from the barrels are present.
-“Spulse” Rifle: Custom sculpted, cast and produced in ‘kit’ form by the AL’s own Spat Oktan. If you find a group of colonial marines, odds are good many of them are carrying ‘Spulse’ rifles. Available now on spatcave.com, they go for ~$175 each and have optional illuminated (but static) LED ammo counters. Spat is the only kit-form resin rifle we safely recommend.
-“Icons” Rifle: The first ever “licensed” M41A rifle from the film. It is a solid/static prop with no working parts. Of course they are long out of production and can only be found on the secondary market. Fox signed off on it and it was supposedly modeled after a screen used rifle in the possession of the ‘Icons’ team. That screen used rifle had surely seen some better days as some soft details and minor inaccuracies were the result. By today’s standards it can appear very ‘dated’, but it is still a classic bit of pulse rifle history.
-“Matrix”/”Snow wolf” airsoft Rifle: Arguably the most easily found pulse rifle (and certainly only commercially available Airsoft Pulse rifle) world wide. These things are currently available all over the internet in multiple countries starting ~$280. They include many moving parts, some of which are metal. There are some minor accuracy complaints but overall they are generally pretty nice. They come in many color schemes (OD, a ‘tan’, a forest camo, and bright blue [UK]). These are actually straight re-releases of the G&P kit that are installed on a CYMA Thompson. Upgraded shrouds include more roll-pins adding to the stability of the carry handle, but no other improvements made from G&P kit (below)
-“G&P kit on a “Tokyo Marui” Thompson: This is another bit of "pulse history" that is no longer practical, but must be recognized. This was the first ever mass produced ‘kit’ to convert Thompson airsoft guns into pulse rifles. At the time, the Tokyo Marui Thompsons were the clear choice as a foundation. Kits sold for upwards of $400 new (plus another $400 for the TM Thompson) and are now long out of production. You really had to love pulse rifles back then! Today the kit has now been re-released by ‘Snow Wolf’/’Matrix’ (see above) and the prices are much more affordable. In overall design, it seems to have taken some ques from the “Icons” rifles as a few of the inaccuracies from it have carried over into the airsoft version.
-“M41ASlinger” 3D printed rifle: Custom modeled and printed by the AL’s own ‘M41ASlinger’, a new era of pulse rifle creation has been tapped into. Price, availability and details have yet to be worked out, but the idea of just “printing your own” pulse rifle is an exciting advancement!
**Not pictured are the extremely common "3-D printed" rifles on ebay. They are all over the place right now, and the vast majority are NOT original works, but rather 3-D mocked up copies of the Snow Wolf/Matrix Airsoft rifles (including accuracy flaws from them). They may be affordable, but just beware.
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