The Real Weapons That Inspired Star Wars’ Iconic Arsenal - Loadout

The Star Wars universe is full of iconic weapons that feel like they could be real...and that’s because they sort of are. From their original creation back in the mid 1970s through to their appearances in the latest movies, and games like Star Wars Dark Forces, Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast, and Star Wars Battlefront 2, these iconic sci-fi weapons come from a place a lot closer to home than a galaxy far, far away. (Presented by PUBG MOBILE)
In this episode of Loadout, Dave Jewitt visits the Royal Armouries to talk to Keeper of Firearms & Artillery Jonathan Ferguson, to chart the impact and inspiration behind Star Wars’ iconic firearms.
You can check out more episodes of Loadout right here. - • How Games Are Lying To...
You can check out our Firearms Expert Reacts series here. - • Firearms Expert Reacts...
If you're interested in seeing more of Jonathan's work, you can check out more from the Royal Armouries right here. - / royalarmouries
If you would like to support the Royal Armouries, you can make a charitable donation to the museum here. - royalarmouries...

[@OLDSACKS]

12:01 Jonathan Ferguson namedropping the Bryar blaster so casually like that is absolutely BLESSED. It basically is an outer-space Obrez and one of my absolute favorite fictional firearms, thank you Jonathan.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

You're welcome - my first Dark Forces experience was my final year of school, hilariously. Someone came to demonstrate this amazing new operating system called "Windows 95" and to demonstrate that it ran DOS perfectly (ahem) they fired up Dark Forces - I was in love.

[@taxevasion4870]

Fell in love with that gun in Battlefront 2015, secondary fire is king

[@Ogranium]

@@jonathanferguson1211 mine was when I was about 4 or 5 playing Dark Forces 2 around 1999/2000 lol. Something about the Dark Forces series just really hits right.

[@mandogaming1313]

was cassian's pistol in the first half of andor essentially a briar pistol? It looked a lot like it

[@OLDSACKS]

@@mandogaming1313 Good eye, it is, but under the disney canon. Those bryar pistols have multiple models and are manufactured as pistols. Legends bryar pistols were never manufactured, they always were bryar rifles that have been sawed off.

[@Tuskin38]

Small correction, the Scatter gun first appeared in Republic Commando as a trandoshan ACP.

[@jonathanferguson1211]

Ah, thank you. I missed out on that game as I was being grumpy about the prequels at that time :D

[@strangewolf1261]

@@jonathanferguson1211 Really suggest playing it if you ever get a chance Jonathan! It's quite a unique experience as far as Star Wars shooters go & quite difficult as well. Even on Regular difficulties, or at least that's how I remember it from back then! XD I was like 10 or something when I last played it to completion.

[@iamover9000yearsold]

Absolutely recommend Republic Commando. It's starting to show its age but still is very interesting, if only for seeing the Star Wars universe from a soldiers perspective. It quite short at about 2½ hours.

[@sumbum117]

Republic commando is the first Star Wars game i played (besides Lego Star Wars) and it was absolutely amazing

[@MarvinCZ]

I'll echo the recommendations. Republic Commando is a great game. The gunplay and teamwork just work, it makes for a fun gameplay.

[@brambo3011]

Great video, only critique is that the Scatter Gun was actually first seen in Republic Commando, and then later appeared in Clone Wars and the new Battlefronts.

[@tostsalad6321]

Nerd

[@iamover9000yearsold]

Didn't know Trandoshians were so nostalgic

[@invisiblecarrot2400]

An energy weapon that looks like a slug-thrower. I didn't think lizards were that nostalgic.

[@sumbum117]

@@iamover9000yearsold trandoshans* no “i” in there

[@Neko_N7]

Thank you for pointing that out I thought the same think. Republic Commando Remastered plz?

[@PitFriend1]

I always liked how the DLT-19 Heavy Blaster was simply an MG-34 machinegun with the barrel removed from inside the shroud to make it lighter for the actors to carry around. In some shots you can actually see right through the thing through the cooling holes.

[@Aurik-Kal-Durin]

_"Shotguns? I didn't think anyone used projectile weapons anymore...?"_ _"Huh... an energy weapon that looks like a slug-thrower! I didn't think lizards were that nostalgic!"_

[@laernulienlaernulienlaernu8953]

The Royal Armouries even has space guns in it's collection! I must go there at some point and have a look at all the cool stuff they have.

[@jvvl4703]

Wonderful place

[@thenoobgameplays]

4:34 me, a military history enthusiast and Star Wars fan: "a soul for a soul"

[@gabrielledebourg2487]

Seeing as all of the armorer's inventory of Sterlings were used for A New Hope, it made me realize that it's very possible it was also used on The Spy Who Loved Me, as they are from a similar era and both shot in the UK. Now that would be quite the CV of iconic franchises for a prop! Speaking of, an episode of weapons from Bond games and movies feels like a great continuation of this video!

[@peterclarke7240]

Oof... I might be imagining it, but I feel like you can see Jonathan do a very, very small involuntary flinch when the other guy swept the barrel of the E11 over him while turning it around. Shame- he normally does really well with his gun safety in other vids he's done with Jonathan. Remember, kids: Always treat all guns as though they are loaded, even if they're movie props! Never point them at anything you are not happy putting a hole in. 😅

[@thespecialbru]

Glad I wasn’t the only one who saw that

[@CaptainKeen]

The video cuts at the same moment but I don't see it.

[@toypaj]

Yeah, that made me wince too, came on here to post it but you had already done so.

[@peterclarke7240]

@@CaptainKeen 7:10 - 7:15 - Jonathan points out the box on the left-hand side of the E11, and Dave turns it around so the camera can see it. It's a fraction of a second, around the 7:13 mark, and like I say, I might be imagining Jonathan's very small reaction, but it does look like he involuntarily pulls his head back away from the barrel.

[@IrregularDave]

@@peterclarke7240 OOF is right. Damn I never realised I did that. I've always been so VERY careful with where I've pointed weapons when I've been shooting over the years. Maybe it's because I was seeing it as a movie prop, but you're totally right, especially in this environment, and I hold myself fully accountable on this error in handling - regardless of if it was a brief moment or not. Fingers off triggers until ready to shoot. Don't point them at anything you don't want a hole in. Treat every weapon as if it was loaded. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. I appreciate you pointing it out so I can be sure I keep these in mind, even if I know they're props/deactivated/etc

[@jarink1]

If memory serves, every hand-held gun used in the original movie with the exception of Chewie's Bowcaster was based on a real firearm. (It was a modified crossbow.)

[@smithwesson1896]

Gun videos are this channel's saving grace

[@GrievousReborn]

I won't be watching this channel otherwise because I do not like games journalists

[@oliverbrigstocke1306]

You mean Jonathan Ferguson is this channel’s saving grace

[@samholdsworth420]

God bless the USA and my second amendment rights

[@samholdsworth420]

@@oliverbrigstocke1306 gun videos containing Jonathan Ferguson are this channels saving Grace

[@CaptainKapitan]

1 gun I think that legitimately looks like a Star Wars gun is a Maxim-Silverman pistol event without modifications. Probably used by nobility. I think it never got a SW role which is a shame

[@EricHamm]

Should see the Luger SMG prototype that Jon showed off in a RA video.

[@alexanderhikel2350]

Star Wars weapons definitely are so awesome because most of them are based off of real weapons , so when we see them we get familiarity but also the added bonus of those cool add ons they create for them !

[@PrototypeSpaceMonkey]

And now we can add the .45 Liberator to that list, completely unmodified.

[@nat040496]

This is part of what makes Star Wars feel a bit more grounded than other scifi. Even their blasters look like real weapons cuz they're based on real weapons

[@GrievousReborn]

I love how Star Wars takes real life guns mostly from WW2 and the Cold War and ads bits and pieces or removes bits and pieces

[@TheSundayShooter]

The T-21 is practically just a Lewis gun without the ammunition pan

[@bigbrowntau]

When I was a nerdy kid back in 1977, seeing the firearms in Star Wars actually pulled me out of the movie for a while. I remember the first time I watched it, I spent part of my time playing "spot the firearm". I totally missed the cut down SMLE though. Second through to the hundredth time, the real-world firearms just fitted right in!

[@kimballbelliston5925]

One gun I'm surprised was never used in Star Wars is the Whitney Wolverine pistol

[@handlesarefeckinstupid]

Such a pretty gun.

[@chloesilverwolf739]

10:43 the scatter gun was actually first in republic commando found in the second and third sections of the game

[@Rster103]

Another relatively big Sci fi franchise is the Titanfall and Apex universe. Some weapons like the flatline are loosely based on the AK platform even having the same front gas block and even the CAR smg being multi calibre like the ACR in real life.

[@EricHamm]

Jonathan literally covered Apex legends in the react series.

[@Rster103]

@@EricHamm yeah I know I'm just saying there's lots of connections to real life weapons.

[@LaNoLaCola]

Its honestly odd that Dave skipped over Dark Forces 2: Jedi Knight when saying that the Bowcaster was added in Jedi Outcast

[@jtukko]

This was such a great and unique look no wonder it became iconic.

[@CoffeeKnife]

Seeing footage from republic cammando was a shockeave of nostalgia for me, I absolutely loved that game as a kid

[@LexusLFA554]

I love that we could just barely see the NT-242 in Star Wars 7, and just because of that it is in Battlefront 2

[@sheilaolfieway1885]

DC-15A my favorite gun of episode II and clone wars.

[@paulpaul3347]

Another excellent video, but I've been wondering something from the intro to these: "...keeper of firearms and artillery, Jonathan Furguson" Does Jonathan have any interesting stories about artillery and canons in history or games?

[@alexkang2897]

He says in one of the battlefield videos that he specializes in small arms, but I believe has an explanation about a cannon you can fire on one of the maps

[@Junior-eq7gb]

When you know firearm,it look weird to see an mmg being a sniperrifle in bf2

[@pierrealexander8183]

An interesting case of how adding one seemingly simple thing can distort our perception of an object so much because of the different silhouette. A scope on that WW2 blaster and suddenly its a brand new thing in our brain, yet still reminds you of something familiar.

[@Ayreontasia]

We need Jonathan to react to Republic Commando's guns

[@mastergecko1178]

I’m a Star Wars fan but “using real world weapons as an inspiration” is stretching it. They just added random bits on obscure (and sometimes just cool looking) guns they could get their hands on

[@arussianspy3114]

2:00 they should have used that storm trooper design

[@smithwesson1896]

Wasn't Cobb Vanth's blaster also made from a flare gun?

[@notkanyewest4134]

i would actually say no it looks more like a revolver

[@CallanElliott]

That was Boba Fett's gun.

[@imperialbricks1977]

Yes it was

[@smithwesson1896]

@@gales5680 Hah! Thank you ^^

[@edgychico9311]

This is why I love a Sten submachine gun and an MG42.

[@peony4175]

The best thing is you guys could easily make a part 2 and 3.

[@mcintoshpc]

The hologram over that sterling Perfection

[@legostarwarslad]

*me shouting very loudly* IT’S AN ABSOLUTE SHAME EA CANCELLED BATTLEFRONT II, WHICH WAS THRIVING, TO MAKE ANOTHER BATTLEFIELD TITLE THAT HAS YET TO LIVE UP TO THE SAME EXPECTATIONS

[@nicholaswinfield8424]

Stormtrooper blasters were a sten gun with a ten round clip instead of the normal 30 round curved mag, there are two scenes in "A new hope" where you can see and hear spent shells falling to the floor: the Prison break when han shoots the com console and the shaft scene where lea fires on the storm troopers a deck above, look closely and you can see them being ejected and actually hear them hitting the deck the sound is unmistakeable.

[@mateuszkowalewski4303]

Fun fact: the Bryar pistol's design includes a hammer, despite being an entirely gas-based gun

[@simonm6546]

question: due to not having any weight affected by grafity, there would not be any "bullet" drop with lasers (i assume). So wouldn't the laser shots go up over distance because of the earth being round but the laser keeps traveling in a straight line? and can different lasers produce different "bullet" speeds?

[@Awoken_Remmuz]

Technically blasters are not lasers, they are closer to plasma weapons as blaster shots are vespin gas being super heated and shot out of the gun. Just like plasma a blaster shot has mass to it, Very, very minuscule bit it's there.

[@brorjordas1979]

I really liked the Jedi Outcast game. Not been playing much SW games - but the weapons sure are awesome.

[@enlightenerofcryptozoology8761]

Another favorite Star Wars gun of mine from the franchise that wasn’t covered in this video was the cycler rifle based on the Afghan jahzeel matchlock firearm.

[@yoface2537]

Lucas: asks prop designers to make weapons more Sci fi Prop designer: sticks a scope in it Lucas:👍

[@harozuken]

this is precisely why whenever I make a star wars character in any kind of star wars fiction, I use IRL guns to describe their weapon. for example im playing a Mando pilot who uses a Mr-90 proton rifle (based off the Heckate II), and a Westar-35 Blaster pistol (based off the Hudson H9) even the new movies did something similar by using the AR-15 platform to design one of their new blasters. without it being a normal gun that shoots lasers. They LOOK like blasters while still LOOKING like they would work, and work well. there is no reason to have a weapons ejection port/exhaust port point right at the users hand, or for a trigger to have no guard.

[@rulath6611]

Black guns on a black background was maybe not a great choice. Content of this video was awesome. Just had that minor production issue.

[@afd19850]

Bar the noisy cricket, its the real world weapons with greeblees bolted on that are probably the most well known. Even guns like Morita in Starship troopers or Dredds lawgiver are built over real world firearms.

[@Madjo-qj2ge]

Stallone Dredd or Karl Urban Dredd?

[@seanselig3797]

Can't wait till you guys do a Loadout for the AK47 and or the minigun

[@spencerjacobs4906]

The scatter gun was introduced in republic commando and pretty much the second metal projectile based firearm in Star Wars second to the slug throwing cycler rifle

[@gwoody4003]

I love that the MG-34 is a unique enough design that despite being 40 years old, well known and regualrly featured in war movies... It fit right in with the rest of the weapon designs and didn't even require any modification. Meanwhile... the AKs in Andor stick out like sore thumbs. There isn't much about that show I have to complain about... its very well written and performed, and sticks out like a sore thumb itself in comparison to the other drek that Disney has produced. But when I saw them... I was like 🙄 lol. The AK-47 is tooooo iconic to be inserted into the show with nearly no modification.

[@Silo1195]

The scatter gun was in Republic Commando. I remember them making fun of it being the only projectile weapon left (and a shotgun too).

[@iycephoenixx4249]

0:32 That Storm Trooper looks badass, way better than anything of the ot

[@r_gos]

See GameSpot you have to put Jonathan in the thumbnail or people just won't click.

[@devforfun5618]

the cooling going from holes to dissipators makes sense, lasers generate heat, but not gas like guns

[@antoniousai1989]

The E11 is not a laser weapon. It shoots plasma bolts from Tibanna gas in the cartridges. Also, the weapon, even in the schematics from the Lore, has those holes for cooling.

[@civilwarfare101]

It's really fascinating how even sci fi guns are based on real world weapons.

[@soloyoujo]

I wanna be friends with Jonathan. That man is a treat to listen to.

[@Madjo-qj2ge]

So, can next week episode be the Legendary pistol M1911 and It's influence?

[@DeMZIrus]

Cool episode!

[@PURPLECATDUDE7734]

Keeper of Firearms and Artillery and Encyclopedic Knowledge of Star Wars it seems 😆

[@ryantheminer1]

The Vanguard in BF2 is literally a sideways SPAS 12 😂😂😂

[@ipwinston]

The scattergun is from Republic Commando, then used on Clone Wars later.

[@sammydoodlew]

wake up babe new loadout dropped

[@TheGosslings]

Pretty good mini-doc on the weapons of SW, Dice's "Battlefront" shilling aside of course.

[@mohammedaljanaby8506]

Hey bruh boba is going absolutely filthy

[@DeltaWolf1000]

“Ancient religions and hokey beliefs are no match for a good a blaster by your side, kid”

[@gestaposantaclaus]

Gritty and lived-in, that’s what separates the originals from the prequels.

[@ayelmao1224]

Makes sense, prequels depicted what was basically the height of civilization in the Star Wars universe, and the OT was in a desolate, authoritarian regime lead galaxy

[@MrDirt]

8:23 Wold up! So this right here isn't just a fan made DOOM mod, this is a official Star Wars retail game? Wow, amazing.

[@theocousins6386]

Dark Forces was conceived as a DOOM clone, but evolved into something with a very distinct identity. Noah Caldwell-Gervais has a great video reviewing the whole Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series. From a developmental perspective, it has a lot of connections to DOOM/Quake.

[@ArmouredProductions]

I want to see the EM-2 in Star Wars some day. It's perfect to be greeblied into a blaster

[@samwalker7567]

I would imagine that the reason it hasn't yet appeared and the Sterling has is that EM-2s are fantastically rare in the first place, and were so even in 1977. Finding just one able to be spared enough be modified is probably prohibitive, let alone enough to equip an entire faction or just a unit. Of course, with the current generation of CGI, resin casting and 3D printing, I think it would not be unfair to say that there's a distinct possibility of prop replicas and CG models taking this from pipe dream to real possibility.

[@sagesbananatime5318]

The scatter gun is from republic commando

[@guyemu1211]

actually the scattergun was from Republic commando

[@3lectric220]

Have u ever watched the prequels because the dc-15a used by the clones looks almost exactly like the sterling with little to no extra attachments

[@OLu_Bastin]

Dunno why the scatter gun keeps getting referenced as first showing up in a clone wars episode when it actually showed up in Republic Commando years prior. Come on guys

[@connordavies1138]

The black backdrop may not be the best idea around black guns

[@kennyobrienaiti]

Great video as ever

[@samlincoln]

Love Harry Maguire's gun videos

[@janmorabito9178]

Hi you talked about the clone wars, what is about the DC 15 A and C? And more important, the Z 6 rotary canon? I would have liked your thougts on that too

[@JoeySher]

Can your channel please do Titanfall 2 with Jon Ferguson!

[@samholdsworth420]

You forgot to put Jonathan's name in the title of this video you won't get as many views that way 😂

[@djhollis8841]

So this is Jon’s channel now right?

[@andrewrash1931]

Look at the weapons of the Halo tv show!

[@joaquinvelasquez6252]

More of a cult classic but the weaponry of Starship Troopers felt "futureistic" enough to be inspired by today's weaponry.

[@jarink1]

The MI's rifles were Ruger AC556 (full-auto Mini-14) housed in modified bullpup stocks with an Ithica pump-action shotgun slung below. They also had an M-60 style muzzle device.

[@Dragonfist12185]

So what are Jango Fett's blaster pistols based on?

[@C_Papi]

GEORGE LUCAS BUILT THESE GUNS WITH A PILE OF SCRAP

[@MercutioUK2006]

Sunday Lunch and gun nerdery. This is the way.

[@Capper_Bra]

name a more iconic duo ill wait

[@jake.klusewitz]

I find these videos so interesting, you’ve earned my subscription. And I don’t even like Star Wars… 🤣

[@new7055]

Ninja theory video games are cool

[@FullMetalBaldo]

No rebel rifle/ STG44 :(

[@amiraliebrahimy1957]

An atheist: what's your religion Star wars fans: 2:37 him: now im interested

[@WohlfePac]

"George Lucas built a franchise in a cave... with a box of scraps!"

[@IceGuadian]

scattergun was first seen in republic commando come on now it's simple

[@betweenthedimensions8315]

I love how they handle the weapons so carefully but then flag each other with the barrels

[@peterclarke7240]

I spotted Dave doing it with the E11, but when did Jonathan do it? He either keeps the barrels aimed to his left or, when he has to show the other side, at an angle so it's never swept past Dave, although I may have missed it.

[@ClonedGamer001]

My favorite thing is when a real world weapon makes its way into Star Wars without any changes because it already looks so weird. Like the FP-45 in Book of Boba or Rey's blaster in TRoS (which seems to literally just be a Mosin-Nagant Obrez with some silver paint)

[@lt.reubenrozeyt5716]

Jonathan reacts to Far Cry 3 weapons

[@snipercan007]

So what gun did the death troopers gun correlate with in the real world

[@peterclarke7240]

I'mprobably wrong, but it looks like it's still based off a sterling, but with a much more heavily modified barrel. The folding stock and grip look very stirling-esque to me.

[@snipercan007]

@@peterclarke7240 yeah I can see that

[@baxoneo]

No way the guns have cheese graters!

[@new7055]

Ninja theory video games are cool (1)

[@devonmorrowii7670]

Hmmm

[@DavidCowie2022]

Once again, men in black clothes handling black guns against a black background. Contrast, people, contrast!

[@scaredhunter672ded5]

5:13, bruh this dude really just mispronounced boba

[@benwallbanksl2807]

Are you related to Scott tailford from whatculture? I swear you were separated at birth.

[@lelandgrubson2736]

Is this vid sponsored by PUBG Mobile?