BrickArms creator Will Chapman has been hard at work developing designs for his mystical “third mold.”
We’ve already seen prototype weapons, but the latest designs include a scalpel and syringe. Click the picture and check them out in a couple new vignettes by corran101:
Corran101 recently won the Bladerunner vignette contest on the BrickArms forums, and his prize was a set of prototypes of new designs. The two designs are for the Auto-9 Pistol (the longer one) and PKD2019.
Click the picture above for the full photoset on Flickr, but here’s Corran101’s excellent winning entry:
Those of us who attended BrickCon 2007 last weekend learned that Will Chapman of BrickArms is working on some new weapons. Will generously gave me some early prototypes to show off to everyone out there interested in custom accessories for their minifigs.
The first two weapons should be familiar to fans of a certain trilogy of popular video games:
Will is also working on some real-world weapons, including the M1 Garand rifle:
In a session on Sunday morning, Will also described his development process, including how he uses test molds to create small batches of prototypes before committing to a final design. I thought the test molds were really cool, so he lent me an early version he used to design the M1 Garand:
Will asked me to remind everyone that he’s just experimenting at this point, and he can’t guarantee that any of these will make it into production. I personally think these are very cool, and can’t wait to see the final versions.
Today is Memorial Day here in the United States — a holiday that honors the men and women who have died in military service to this country. As a pacifist myself, I hope that someday our leaders will stop increasing the number of people we remember on this day each year.
But as a pragmatist, I also know that there are truly unique times in history when the world must come together to stand against evil. I believe that the Allied effort during World War II (against Nazism in particular) was one such time. With that in mind, I built a squad of WW2 U.S. Army minifigs:
Here’s a WW2-era U.S. Marine:
(With M1 helmets and Thompson submachine guns from BrickArms.)
If gold-toothed felons in black and white stripes overrun your LEGO town, it’s time to call in S.W.A.T. — armed with the usual gear.
Characters from the Xbox 360 game Gears of War:
From left to right, Pvt. Damon Baird, Pvt. Augustus Cole, Sgt. Marcus Fenix, and Pvt. Dominic Santiago.
(I’m not as happy with these four as I am with the FFIII characters or Lara Croft, but I was dying to use my new BrickArms weapons again. :D)
BrickArms manufactures injection-molded ABS accessories compatible with LEGO. Now, I’m what most LEGO fans call a “purist“; I don’t cut, paint, glue, or otherwise harm LEGO, and I don’t generally use non-LEGO parts in my creations. After I attended a presentation at NWBrickCon last October, though, I couldn’t help but pick up a few BrickArms weapons, including the AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) wielded by Rambo:
As Josh wrote earlier this week, BrickArms has released 13 new weapons. (See BrickArms.com for the full list of 21 weapons.) My weapons arrived on Thursday, and I’ve been building furiously ever since. Each photo in my Flickr photoset includes descriptions with links to the specific weapons I’ve used, like the Navy SEALs and Galactic Marines below:
My favorite new weapon by far is the M41A “Xeno” Pulse Rifle. I ordered two (shown above), and plan on ordering several more soon. Here’s a closeup on a futuristic S.W.A.T. officer:
One great thing about BrickArms is that the product line spans nearly all the classic and famous weapons from World War I through the present. Here are a trio of World War II soldiers from both sides of the conflict:
Other favorites include the Uzi and shotgun (go Lara Croft, go!):
In addition to looking very realistic, many weapons are designed with several points that fit into minifig hands. The shotgun’s pump fits in minifig hands, as do the barrels and stocks on several other guns.
BrickArms has also released several custom minifigs. I didn’t purchase any of the figs myself, but BrickArms was kind enough to send along one of the custom parts only available with “Spy Bond” — an ingenious suitcase with a hidden Uzi and spare clip. Typically, 007 blows something up as Q tries to show him his latest gadget:
Purchased individually at $1 each, BrickArms weapons are comparable to BrickLink prices for the newest Batman and Star Wars weapons. (Depending on the combination of weapons you want, you can also buy weapons packs at a discount.)
No, BrickArms weapons aren’t cheap, but that’s because they’re not cheap! Ultimately, I measure the success of any “custom” (non-LEGO) part by how well it integrates with my LEGO collection. BrickArms weapons look and feel like “real” LEGO, which is why a self-proclaimed purist like me can use them without guilt. ;-)
This week BrickArms announced brand-new weaponery for that special minifig in your life!
BrickArms, famous for being the only custom pieces that Andrew owns, previously brought us 8 incredible custom weapons. I know because I bought way too many of them at NWBrickCon last year. Also my Vikings really love ’em (yes, my Vikings).
This new offering is even better! Mr. Chapman (and his family I presume) will be selling their new hardware at BrickFest PDX, if you want to meet them in person. I am going to be so broke after Brickfest …