SPACE MAYDAYS: FIVE REAL FIREARMS THAT LOOK LIKE SPACEGUNS

Posted on by The Beard

FIVE REAL FIREARMS THAT LOOK MORE LIKE SPACEGUNS

            Art imitates life and sometimes life imitates art. We’re all used to seeing phasers, and blasters, and ray guns in countless sci fi movies and TV shows. And we understand they are props manufactured for the production. But lately I have come across some real-life firearms that look like they belong in a space movie rather than a gun shop. 

            These are not guns made for a movie. They are not concept guns, or toys, or even collector’s items. These are actual firearms manufactured to be mass produced and purchased by serious gun owners. 

            They are presented here in no particular order. 

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  1. VEKTOR CP1

First on our lift is the Vektor CP1. It is a semi-automatic pistol made in South Africa from 1996 to 2001. It was used by the South African Police Service but is popular in civilian markets and private security firms. It uses a .9mm cartridge in a box magazine. 

Do not ask me why but this gun makes me think of BLADE RUNNER (1982). The gun used by Harrison Ford is nothing like this one and I know it. 

But I can’t help it. Every time I look at this gun it makes me think of BLADE RUNNER. 

  • MATEBA MTR-8

Mateba is a contraction for the Italian words MAcchine TErmo-BAlistiche – which means Thermo Ballistic Machines. It was a company based in Pavia, Italy. MTR stands for Ma Teba Revolver and the MTR-8 fires 8 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition.

This firearm succeeds in looking like the illegitimate offspring of a semi-automatic and a revolver. 

  • MATEBA 2006M

Also in the Mateba family. The 2006M fires 6 rounds of either .357 or .38 caliber ammunition.

This gun succeeds in looking futuristic and retro all at the same time. I think it’s the wooden handle.  

  • BERETTA NEOS

The Beretta U22 Neos is a .22 caliber Long Rifle semi-automatic, single action pistol. It has a 10 round box magazine. 

Beretta is a company with a long history. In fact, James Bond’s first gun was a Beretta 418. The company itself admits that their inspiration for this pistol was sci fi ray guns and it shows.

  • WHITNEY WOLVERINE

Last and best we have the Whitney Wolverine. It is an advanced, “space-age” (their words not mine) lightweight aluminum, semi-automatic, .22 caliber Long Rifle pistol. It uses a 10 round magazine.

Holy Mackerel! Now this looks like a sci fi ray gun.  

Before I go I would like to present an honorable mention. Anybody that knows me knows if I present a list I’m going to have an honorable mention.

  • C96 BROOMHANDLE MAUSER

The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol originally produced by the German company Mauser. It fires a 7.63mm cartridge from a 10 round internal magazine fed by a stripper clip. 

In its time the Mauser was very popular and used by over fifteen different countries with over a dozen variants and ten countries making their own copies. 

Now, you may ask why is this an honorable mention? It is certainly interesting looking and as mentioned popular but it doesn’t really look very sci fi. How does it fit in? 

Well, it seems that the C96 Mauser was popular enough to be used as the basis for not one, not two, but three sci fi guns. 

It is the inspiration for Buck Rogers’ atomic pistol. You remember Buck Rogers don’t you? The guy who taught Captain Kirk everything he knows. 

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It is the inspiration for the Green Hornet’s original gas gun. You remember the Green Hornet, Bruce Lee taught him everything he knows.

And if all that is too retro and you want something more topical, the Mauser also inspired Han Solo’s blaster in STAR WARS (1977).

Any firearm that can inspire three different sci fi guns spanning over 30 years deserves an honorable mention. 

That is it for this go around boys and girls. As a gun enthusiast thank you for letting me share my interest with all of you. Until next time, “Slap leather, pardner!”

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Published by The Beard

I’m Eliseo Figueroa Jr. and you’re not. I was born in Saint Francis hospital across the street from Saint Mary’s Park in the Bronx. I was born there because that was where my mother was and I wanted to be near her. My parents came from Puerto Rico and moved to New York City when they were kids. My dad spoke fluent English – with an accent – but he’d had a stint in the army and had mastered the language. However, he needed a little work on reading and so everyday on the way to work he would buy a comic book and read it on the subway. In those days they were ten cents, a quick read, you could fold them and put them in your pocket, and when you finished you threw them away. Back home my mom would tell my dad to read me a story to put me to sleep. My dad had no desire whatsoever to read me any of my baby books so he read me one of his comic books instead. While other kids dreamed of Mother Goose, the Old Lady who lived in a shoe, or Little Red Riding Hood, I dreamt of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. And this went on for years. When I got older I asked him to give me the comic books. At that point he stopped throwing them out and I had a comic book collection even though I still didn’t know how to read. During the day I would make my mom read me my comics over and over again. I was dying to learn how to read and had been told that you learn to read in first grade. I remember being so excited the first day of school for the first grade. I couldn’t contain myself. I thought it was like magic – poof! – I was going to come back home and be able to read all of my comics. My mom had to sit me down and explain that it was a process. That over time I would learn how to read and by the time I finished the first grade I would be reading. I must say I was disappointed but more determined than ever to master this thing called reading. Over the years my comic collection grew (my dad had to keep building bigger and better shelves) and so did my interests. I mastered reading and went on to read books. I discovered the library where they actually let you borrow books – what a concept! And my interests in literary science fiction and fantasy expanded to include television and movies. Yes, I was and still am a full-blown geek! By the way, I’m the beard in our little duet. I have a goatee and no moustache. In all that time while growing up my dad never once complained. How could he? This was all his fault and he knew it. One time we were in a store where I was purchasing some comics and it all came to twenty bucks. As my dad was paying the man the owner commented on how much I was spending on comic books. My dad’s reply was, “Well, at least he’s not on drugs!” Science fiction, fantasy, horror, secret agents, giant monsters, and more are my drug of choice. Anyone who has ever sat in a darkened theater and has had their heart start racing in excitement as the music to STAR WARS begins to play knows exactly what I mean.