Mal's gun
POSTED BY: RIPWash
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 23:13
VIEWED: 55571
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Just very recently I was reading a thread where Mal's gun (available at Quantum Mechanix, think) is pretty high on most people's wish list. Needless to say, I needs me some o' dat, as well. 
I was just wondering if anyone here actually has it and what's it like? Is it as cool as it seems?
$150 is a pretty hefty sum, but with a little bit o' saving up and sweet talkin' the wife, I might be able to pull it off. LOL
Mal: You think she'll hold together?
Zoë: She's torn up plenty, but she'll fly true.
Mal: Could be bumpy.
Zoë: Always is
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Initially I had every intention of buying it when I got my paycheck today. But over the last week or so I did a bit of research. The gun is based off of the Serenity gun, though that's not really that big of a deal. The one big thing I noticed, though, is that for as nice as the gun is with its metal dust and hand weathering and such, it looks to be entirely the wrong colour. It's that goldish colour, and every time I've seen the gun on-screen it's been more black than anything. What I ended up doing was going with the Mal's Pistol you can get on the Austin Browncoats' shop site. It's $57 as opposed to $150, and if it winds up not being what I'd like (It's from a kit, but they put it together and paint it and all for you), then I can save for the $150 and sell this one fairly easily on eBay. It's not so great going the other way 'round I'd imagine.
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Mal pistols:
These are the three of the many available Mal pistols.
I own two of the resin models cast from the original Firefly screen-used versions.
The gold/brass replica is the officially licensed QMx version cast from the Serenity movie version.
If you liked this Mal pistol, which was considerably different from the Firefly version, this is the way to go.
The brighter, brass-ier finish is correct for the BDM "Serenity" pistol.
http://www.quantummechanix.com/stuntpistol.html
I would also note that support for officially licensed products is one measure of the viability of the Firefly/Serenity franchise.
Just sayin'....
The disassembled metal Mal pistol is the Sidkit version from Italy.
http://www.sidkit.com/mal-gun/metalgun.htm
I modified the barrel holding method with a shoulder bolt coming into the back of the barrel for support.
This method also gives me the means to have a dummy operating mechanism seen in the magazine well
when the clip is removed.
I also bought two sets of wood grips for my Mal pistols;
one set for the metal Mal and one set for one of the resin Firefly Mal's.
The only disappointment is that the wood used was oak,
which has a very different grain pattern than the walnut that was originally used.
I have the walnut, I just don't have the carving skills to do much with it.
Of the Mal pistols I don't own, the Arsenal Models/Coolmodels version is the WORST!
Badly proportioned, undersized and grossly inaccurate;
I recommend avoiding this version at all cost.
Wilco Models offers a Mal pistol kit made of resin in three pieces.
This is a fan-made effort that isn't accurate in the details,
but captures the essence of the original.
At forty bucks and easy to assemble, it is a good value for the fan who isn't wrapped up in the props from Firefly/Serenity,
but who just wants a pistol for costuming or casual display.
The best was a brass recreation with a working trigger and removable magazine,
known as the Model 47, that went for about a coupla grand.
You won't be seeing that one in my collection!
Below is a picture of one that a lucky collector did acquire.
I think there was a non-functioning brass version made, but I can't say for sure.
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2 questions.
1. Is the Sid-kit one still available anywhere? The sid-kit site is gone I do believe - every link I've followed has been dead.
Also, what are some of the 'details' missing in the Wilco one? I couldn't see any real differences between it and the "Official" one other than colour (And the blackish is truer to the show) and the little Shoulder Strap hole, which the movie version doesn't have...
EDIT: 3rd question: Which one is the best? I know that's sorta what was asked above, but the gun I ordered is on back order, so there's time to cancel it and order a different. Is the "official" one the way to go?
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I'm still waiting for some ingenious browncoat with a machine shop (and the proper licensing from the ATF, of course) to develop a working pistol of this design. I'd be first in line to get one.
Mercy is the mark of a great man.
Guess I'm just a good man.
Well, I'm alright.
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Quote:
Originally posted by AG05:
I'm still waiting for some ingenious browncoat with a machine shop (and the proper licensing from the ATF, of course) to develop a working pistol of this design. I'd be first in line to get one.
I'd be right behind you!
__________________________________________
Holding the line since December '02!
Richmond, VA & surrounding area Firefly Fans:
http://www.richmondbrowncoats.org
Color Officer / Battalion O.I.C.
http://76thbattalion.homestead.com/index.html
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Quote:
Originally posted by Beatlesfan:
2 questions.
1. Is the Sid-kit one still available anywhere? The sid-kit site is gone I do believe - every link I've followed has been dead.
As far as I know, the owner of Sidkit recently passed away.
They sold new for $250 plus shipping and now go for $200 and up when you find them.
Ebay is a possible source and the RPF junkyard occasionally sees them come up for sale.
Sorry, I just copied and pasted the post from my collection thread here,
http://fireflydvd.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3541&sid=763e6c14e3876e56
1d8e6098d4d844a4
Quote:
Originally posted by Beatlesfan:
Also, what are some of the 'details' missing in the Wilco one? I couldn't see any real differences between it and the "Official" one other than colour (And the blackish is truer to the show) and the little Shoulder Strap hole, which the movie version doesn't have...
The contour of the grip is different than the original.
The Mal pistol grip has swoopier lines like a Colt percussion pistol.
To my eyes, the Wilco rendition loses some of the "grace" of the original Firefly-version of the Mal pistol.
The rear sight and hammer are not like the original; different enough that I don't care for it.
Because it is a fan interpretation and not scaled off an original, its not dimensionally perfect.
But like I said, the Wilco captures the essence of the Firefly Mal pistol.
Quote:
Originally posted by Beatlesfan:
EDIT: 3rd question: Which one is the best? I know that's sorta what was asked above, but the gun I ordered is on back order, so there's time to cancel it and order a different. Is the "official" one the way to go?
Define, "best".
They are all different.
The Wilco is the least expensive and the least accurate.
The Sidkit is metal, accurate, the most expensive and out of production.
The QMx is cast from the original movie version and is the best value IF YOU LIKE THE MOVIE VERSION.
I personally do not care for the attempt to turn the graceful old-west lines of the series pistol
into a bright, brassy Sci-Fi looking thing.
QMx only has the license to do props from the BDM.
The dark finish of the original series pistol was a plum-bluing over brass.
But to my eyes, the finish is secondary to the bulked up magazine and the changes that take away from the western look of the series pistol.
Mike
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By 'best' I meant that I have enough to get the Quantum Mechanix one right now, but is it worth the extra money to get it over the Wilco one?
I hadn't seen those differences you pointed out looking at the pictures, but now that you've mentioned them, they kinda stand out. I KNOW I would have picked up on it when it got here.
I'm tryin' to find a Sidkit one since I have the money and it would be easier (I think) to fix the finish on that than to do so with the QMx one.
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An excellent thread and well timed for me. I was chatting with a fellow about the fan film we're working on and one item of requirement has always been an Independent Army NCO sidearm.
aka: Mal's Pistol
My only point of frustration exists in the vein of many other issues: constant inconsistancies. The largest we have run into so far is "Independent Flag, star up or down? Black or Blue?" With Mal's pistol, new issues arise.
Those being that several different styles exist and to confuse the issue just a little more, the canon pistol of the show differs slightly from the canon pistol of the film. From what I see this relates to the Brass finish of the film that stands in contrast to the more "gun metal grey" of the show. I think I have a solid notion of what happened here: Just like the engine of the ship, the firearm was "improved" for a major motion picture. With the larger engine one could rationalize the change by proposing that Serenity recieved a much needed upgrade retrofit after the crew scored a great heist (Can you see the happy Kaylee now? No more broken compression coils!) but with a unique Independent Army war-relic...uh...change is kinda a problem.
My current plan is to carefully examine the films depection of the sidearm & cross-reference it to the sidearm from the show via frame freezes. Then I will compare them with the protrayal of the weapon in the comics Those Left Behind and Better Days to find some kind of a "best-fit" middle ground. At the moment I'd say I lean more towards gun-metal grey, but that's just because I'm more loyal to the TV show than the film.
Pennausamike: you seem to possess a wagonload of knowledge on this subject, perhaps you could help me? What would you recommend? The $2000 model is certainly out of my film budget price range but the others are all in line. I'm not planning to go cheap.
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