EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE
Used by: Ponda Baba

Ponda Baba should've been more careful where he pointed this blaster. It cost him his arm when a wise old Jedi Knight defended his new pupil against it. This pistol actually began as a rifle, an AR-7 Explorer made by Charter Arms.

AR-7 Explorer .22 LR Semi-Auto Survival Rifle by Charter Arms

The rifle's barrel was severely cut down and a muzzle was added onto the end.

British Mortar Shell Fin Assembly
photo: Darryl Lynn - The Grenade Recognition Manual

The muzzle of this blaster is the fin assembly off a British 2" Mortar shell.  The 2 inch Mortar was the platoon mortar of a British Infantry platoon used throughout WWII and for many years after.  The mortar shells came in a number of types, HE, Smoke, and illumination.  There are a number of different fin assemblies for the mortar shells.  This one is probably late WWII and was fitted to a number of different types of shell.  They simply screwed into the bottom of the shell, the center portion of the fins is hollow and contained the propellant charge. There is a threaded cap on the bottom, (tip of the muzzle on the blaster) which is how the propellant cartridge was loaded.

A scope was also added on top of the blaster. Note that the top photo is a preproduction photo, the final film version of the prop had the scope
reversed.

The stock was removed and replaced by a cylindrical handle. It is unknown what this handle was made from, it looks like a bicycle handlebar, but it may have been made from a piece of pipe with an added ridged red rubber grip.