Papercraft M-41 Pulse Rifle

OK so this one is a bit left field. I've been a massive (massive) fan of everything James Cameron for years, particularly Aliens. In addition I'm keen on weapon technology, to which the venerable "M-41 Pulse Rifle" is one of my favourite firearms of all time.

For years, I've wanted a mockup of one, whether it be made of steel or plastic, I didn't care. Unfortunately, the laws in my home state are so severe, that even something which resembles a firearm is strictly illegal. So, my options were limited.

Until in 2003, I found this. Yes, it's a Papercraft model of the M-41 created by a fellow by the name of Jan Rukr.

Here's a pic of Jan holding the completed model:


And here's a couple of profile shots:


Jan provides a RAR file containing images of all the sheets included in this kit, which is 30 pages to be printed on white card stock (250gsm paper). In all, it's about 200 parts, and somewhere near 1,000 folds which need to be made. I've never done papercraft before, but on my first night, I did manage to create this:



This picture shows the result of about six hours of effort. I imagine it will take me something like 30 hours to complete the model, so as I progress through the build, I'll put more posts up. I'm already a bit further in than this pic shows but I can't find my camera for the life of me, so I'll post those updates tomorrow.

I will say this though. It's BIG - and it's 1:1 scale too so the original prop must also have been pretty darn big!