Han Solo’s original DL-44 blaster prop from Star Wars: A New Hope sold for $1,057,500 at Rock Island Auction Company in Illinois in August 2022. Guinness World Records later recognized it as the most expensive prop gun sold at auction. The record concerns that specific original—not every DL-44 prop or replica.
What was the record-setting sale?
The original A New Hope DL-44 sold at Rock Island Auction Company’s August 2022 auction for $1,057,500. Guinness World Records published its account of the record on February 6, 2023; the auction house announced the recognition in November 2023. The sale happened in 2022, while the record coverage followed later. Guinness World Records and Rock Island Auction Company report the result.
Guinness described the object as the surviving original among three DL-44 props made for the 1976 production, and one of three high-detail “hero props.” That identification is Guinness’s account of the prop, not a separate authentication report presented here.
What made the DL-44—and how was it assembled?
The prop was built from existing components rather than manufactured as a purpose-made science-fiction pistol. Guinness reports that it combined a Mauser C96 pistol, an MG81 flash-hider, a Hensoldt-Wetzlar rifle scope and added surface details. It credits set director Roger Christian with selecting the basic components and armourer Carl Schmidt with assembling the prop.
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How did the original prop survive?
According to Guinness’s account, the components were rented from prop supplier Bapty for filming and returned afterward. The added details were removed and the assembly was taken apart. In 2010, Bapty owner Terry Watts asked Schmidt to search the company’s archives; the parts were found and reassembled. This unusual custody history helps explain why the auctioned object is distinct from later DL-44 props and licensed replicas.
How does the sale compare with other DL-44 results?
Prices attached to “Han Solo blaster” can refer to very different objects. Guinness reported that the prior comparison point for a movie blaster prop was a Return of the Jedi blaster sold for $550,000. Later auction records for a The Force Awakens prop and a licensed replica are not like-for-like comparisons with the original A New Hope hero prop.
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| Object | Reported result | What the result represents |
|---|---|---|
| A New Hope original DL-44 | $1,057,500; Rock Island Auction Company, August 2022 | The sale Guinness recognized as the most expensive prop gun sold at auction. Guinness World Records |
| Return of the Jedi blaster prop | $550,000; reported by Guinness in 2023 | A separate film prop, cited as the prior comparison point. Guinness World Records |
| The Force Awakens action-static DL-44 prop | $22,500; Heritage Auctions, 2026 | A different prop from a later film. Heritage Auctions |
| Master Replicas licensed DL-44, numbered 565 of 1,500 | $1,875; Heritage Auctions, 2026 | An auction result for one used collectible, not a current retail price. Heritage Auctions |
Guinness also said the original had initially been expected to fetch $500,000, and that the final price was more than double that estimate. That was the reported expectation for this auction, not a current appraisal or a general valuation for DL-44 collectibles.
Was Han Solo’s DL-44 a real gun?
The screen prop was assembled around a real Mauser C96 pistol, according to Guinness, but its science-fiction appearance came from the added components and detailing. That does not mean every DL-44 replica is a firearm, or that the record-setting prop should be treated as an ordinary functioning pistol. The auction story is about a film prop and its production history.
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Can you buy a Han Solo DL-44 replica?
A licensed full-scale Master Replicas edition was released in 2002 in a limited run of 1,500. Heritage describes it as including a display base, case, plaque and certificate of authenticity. Its $1,875 sale in 2026 was one auction result for a used collectible; it does not establish current availability or retail pricing. Replicas are display collectibles, not the original screen-used prop, and do not share its production history or provenance.
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