Greetings!
Perhaps due to my Texas upbringing, I decided to begin my Mando kit with the guns.
Having carried rifles for my 501st and RL kits, I decided to do something different with my Mando and go with dual pistols. My favorite Star Wars blaster pistol has always been the modified Bryar pistol from the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series of games. I'd seen the various iterations of the pistol that Woodchuck has made in the past, so I contacted him to commission my own set.
The Bryar is meant to be a hand-modified weapon, always looking a little different in every appearance, so I figured I'd go with that spirit and have mine crafted a little differently too. The main difference is size: I asked Woodchuck to build mine a bit shorter than his past versions; since I'd be carrying two of them I wanted mine to be true pistol size, rather than big sawed-off rifle/shotgun scale. Additionally, since the mag sticks out to the side, I also asked that he mirror the magazines so I could have a dedicated "lefty" and "righty".
From the first image, I knew he'd nailed what I wanted:
Woodchuck built them quickly and at exceptionally high quality, and shipped them super-fast. I wish I'd taken more pictures of how the various pieces go together, as the construction is ingenious, and the fit of the various parts is flawless. No wiggling or rattling at all.
I'm not a spectacular painter or anything, but I grabbed a few pics while I worked. First, I spray painted several layers of metallic silver, so that any scuffs or stratches would weather realistically in the future:
(I taped the pistol bodies together so that I could hang both at once. It worked surprisingly well!)
Once that was done, I smoothed with ultra-fine steel wool, then added flat black and metallic bronze, and assembled with Elmer's Pro wood glue:
Once I had glued on the first two of the four grip panels, I decided that I needed to stain them a bit darker. Woodchuck did a beautiful job on the cherry stain he shipped them with, but I ultimately decided that a darker color would match the rest a bit better. Don't be like me - test how everything looks together before you glue it!
The final result was exactly what I'd imagined - I really couldn't be happier. My favorite Star Wars blaster brought to life - twice!
With my hand for scale. Even "shorty" Bryars are pretty sizeable!
I haven't added clear coat yet, so I may still use the steel wool to add some mild weathering, but I prefer my weapons clean overall - a Mando should keep his blasters in good condition IMO
I really can't say enough good things about Woodchuck. His work speaks for itself, but his customer service is just as awesome - he gave me tons of great information and tips on gluing and painting along the way. I have ordered lots of custom items over the years, and I have literally never had service as prompt, friendly, and accurate to my specifications as I did with Woodchuck.
Thanks for reading! Now to get back to picking colors for my armor...
