Putting it together

Ok, so things moved a little faster today than I expected. I received my Matsucorp parts: resin shroud assembly, 10-hole Hero barrel vent, metal stock, and Pulse Rifle grip. Below is a shot of these parts quickly assembled for a test fit.

And here's a classic profile shot of my Pulse Rifle's internal components. Note that the alignment of the hand guard and barrel vent are not perfect due to loose fitting.

I really need to cut down the SPAS-12 grip so that the hand guard doesn't look so bare in future photos.
Next time I'll have the shrouds installed. That's going to be a really fun set of photos to take. Stay tuned...

We've got movement...

This is just a small update. I received the machined Grenade Launcher front block from Phil S. and it is a beauty. Now that I have it, I can start to do some of the cutting on the SPAS-12 hand guard. I know where all the cuts need to be made, but I felt it was wiser to wait until I could test fit the alignment of parts relating to the cuts. I'm still waiting for my Maruzen M870 to arrive so that I can finish the Grenade Launcher assembly.

I also took the opportunity to black out the airsoft adaptor parts from Tom over at M41A.com. You can see that pretty clearly in these photos. I just noticed that my PR has been chosen for 'Pulse Rifle of the Month' over at M41a.com. What an honor! I'm just starting on my build, so I'll try not to let you down.
Some tracking numbers were given to me this week for some pretty important parts. I'm guessing I'll have some real progress in the next week or so. For now though, I'll keep taking small steps in preparation for the big leaps to come.

Take that James Cameron!

I'm building a replica of the M41A Pulse Rifle as seen in the 1986 film Aliens. This is one of the most iconic sci-fi weapons I can think of and that might be because it was designed by James Cameron himself. As a collector of replica weaponry from films, I've wanted a Pulse Rifle for some time. For my replica, I've chosen to source the various parts from different makers who I respect very much for both their knowledge of the weapon and their craftsmanship. Here's the first photo showing very early stages of the build:

Here's a list detailing the various parts required and the maker/source I have chosen:

Thompson M1A1 (Airsoft): Cybergun

Remington 870 (Airsoft): Maruzen M870 BV

SPAS-12 hand guard and slide action sleeve: OEM Franchi parts

Airsoft Adapter: M41A.com

Metal barrel vent and stock: Matsucorp

Shroud kit: Matsucorp

Replacement grip: Matsucorp

Metal grenade launcher front block: Phil S.

Short magazine: Tokyo Marui

8-stripe sling: mnoble2
LED '95' counter: Spatcave
Misc. M870-SPAS hardware: DATA

I'll post more as the parts arrive.