Praetorian Biker Scout Holdout Blaster Comparison and Review

[Chopper]

Hey everyone, so I recently picked up one of the new Praetorian Biker Scout holdout blasters. As you can see in their thread here, they were able to 3D scan one of the original holdout blasters from ROTJ.

Having done a comparison on various other available blasters in a previous thread, I thought it might be useful to compare the new Praetorian biker scout blaster against what I would consider the current top tier scout blaster -- the Darth Voorhees (DVH) blaster.

Weight and Construction:

Both blasters are molded from rubber, though I believe the Praetorian blaster uses foam internals, similar to the old Hyperfirm blasters.

The DVH blaster is slightly lighter. However, the Praetorian uses a molded trigger guard vs. DVH's metal guard. Also the DVH blaster has magnets molded into the rubber, which the Praetorian does not.

Praetorian:

DVH:

 

Size, Shape, and Features:

As noted in Pandatrooper's original scout blaster thread here, as well as seen on the original 3D scan used by Praetorian, the original scout blasters did not have a hex nut on the back side of the blaster. There is a hex nut used on the "hero blaster", used by the scout who captured Leia, but the hero blaster also used a drilled blaster nozzle and scope. Still, this is a small detail and certainly not a deal-breaker, given the model's lineage.

Otherwise, size and shape seem nearly identical, which is a testament to Lou/DVH's work in creating an outstanding screen derived blaster!

DVH on the left. Praetorian on the right.

Overall:

It's pretty close. Both have different factors going for them and I would consider either blaster to be extremely accurate for what you get.

There is a price difference -- the DVH blaster is currently $100. The Praetorian blaster is $150.

Hope this small review ends up being useful for all you scouts out there.

-Chopper

 

[mickeymark34]

Thank you for this post. I currently have a Praetorian Blasters E-11 for my Stormtrooper, and I absolutely love it. I was debating on who to go with for the Hold Out Blaster, and this will certainly help me out. 

[BikerScout007]

Thanks for doing this, @Chopper.   These days, Scouts have so many options and it's nice to see us getting closer and closer to complete screen accuracy with the props that are available.

[Aliaz]

Thanks Chopper! The praetorian looks great, but man Lou really did a great job!

[Strider]

Wow, just came across this thread. Awesome to see that comparison. I didn't even know the Praetorian blasters where 3D scanned from an original but after comparing it to my reference images that claim seems legit.

[Chopper]

Thanks Constantin. I still wish they had left off the hex nut, as it wasn't present on the original they scanned, but this is still about as close as most of us are gonna get to an original. 

[Strider]

9 minutes ago, Chopper said:

Thanks Constantin. I still wish they had left off the hex nut, as it wasn't present on the original they scanned, but this is still about as close as most of us are gonna get to an original. 

Well, that's an easy fix with an exacto knife 😉 Would love to see a scout blaster cast from an original one day with warts and everything. That 3D scanned blaster is almost a bit too clean for my taste.

[JBar]

Great review! Where exactly are the DVH magnets located? I'm working on a holster and I'm not sure where to magnetize it yet. 

[BikerScout007]

Great review! Where exactly are the DVH magnets located? I'm working on a holster and I'm not sure where to magnetize it yet. 

Right there in the grip. But you should probably wait to receive it before you put a magnet in the holster. You don't want to have opposing sides repelling each other.

[JBar]

5 minutes ago, BikerScout007 said:

Right there in the grip. But you should probably wait to receive it before you put a magnet in the holster. You don't want to have opposing sides repelling each other.

Thanks so much. Yeah I better wait then. I heard there is another magnet in the tip?

[Chopper]

With the DVH there's also a magnet just under the barrel as well. 

[JBar]

Just now, Chopper said:

With the DVH there's also a magnet just under the barrel as well. 

Awesome thanks. I've heard it fits well for an sc holster? Now I have to either be patient for the blaster or go ahead and modify my new holster to fit my pre-existing one. 

[Chopper]

It will fit in the SC holster, yes. However, keep in mind that the SC holster is oversized when compared to the CFO/Strider; RS; Mon Cal holsters, so the magnets will be extra useful. 

 

[JBar]

2 hours ago, Chopper said:

It will fit in the SC holster, yes. However, keep in mind that the SC holster is oversized when compared to the CFO/Strider; RS; Mon Cal holsters, so the magnets will be extra useful. 

 

Thanks again. One more question, since now is my chance before I rivet on the holster, if I were to get a CFO, RS, or Mon Cal holster, would they also fit the blaster? The holster I have does feel really big on me, and this might be a good opportunity to find a smaller fitting holster that fits my size (I'm a little short for a stormtrooper haha).

[Chopper]

Yes indeed. The DVH blaster is almost exactly the same dimensions as the screen used pistol, so it would fit in all 3 holsters.