Kadus27
Active Member
Hello 405th! It’s my great pleasure to bring you a completed project that I started nearly 8 years ago. The RX-27 Handheld Magnetic Acceleration Cannon (HMAC) is a primarily 3D-printed prop of my own design inspired by the weaponry of Halo. Let’s dive right in!
Every great weapon needs a great carrying case.
And now with the lights on!
Next is a close up of one of the “acceleration units”. These three repeating elements are probably my favorite feature of the HMAC with sharp angles, clean lines, and a fun blend of colors. I used painter’s tape and window frosting spray to achieve the pattern on the plexiglass, and a blue bendy straw inside to diffuse the light. You can also glimpse the barrel cap that I 3D-printed in transparent plastic.
Due to its length, the HMAC uses an anti-gravity stabilization system in place of a bi-pod. The design is loosely based on the Halo 3 gravity hammer, specifically the little glowing blue nubs on the front of the hammer.
In all my props I like to include witty warning labels. They were custom made in MS Word and printed on white sticker paper. The little red triangles and electricity warning on the accelerator unit were also made this way. Finally, the tube on the top right is lit by UV LEDs and fluoresces instead of just regular blue LED illumination.
A close up of the scope shows the sun-glass lens placed in the front, etched with an exact-o knife similar to my JFO helmet. Thanks to Carpathia for this little trick!
This area has a lot going on. It’s the merger of about 6 major pieces (scope, barrel, magazine holder, heat sink, mid receiver and main receiver) and what can’t be seen is the intricate sliding, locking, and screwing mechanisms that fit together like an intricate puzzle.
The name RX-27 HMAC comes from a few different things. I used the RX from my favorite Gundam, the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. 27 is my favorite number. Magnetic Acceleration Cannons or MACs are the main weapon for large UNSC fleet ships from Halo, so I threw an H in front and there you have it.
The “batteries” here actually hold the 12 AA’s that power the HMAC. The warning label here also has a little nod to the Chief.
A rear view of the gun shows off the illuminated scope. This part was inspired by the Halo assault rifle and even has a compass and round counter decal similar to the Halo 3 version.
The three accelerator units.
I also printed a few “rounds” that the HMAC would theoretically fire. Similar to the US Navy’s rail-gun, the HMAC’s round consists of an outer shell that helps accelerate the round to near Mach 10 speeds, and an explosive round that travels down range.
A few shots of me with the gun.
I’d like to give a huge thanks to my close family friend Ed, who lent his workshop, his expertise, and an incredible amount of time working on the HMAC. He never understood the desire for “battle damage” or in his words, “messing up a perfectly good piece of art”. So here he is holding a pristine version of the HMAC before weathering.
And also a big shout-out to my mom for being my mom.
I’d also like to thank my good friend Vince for his amazing pictures, my friend Cameron for his continuous support in prop-making, my sister for her generous gift of a 3D-printer last Christmas, my girlfriend Sarah for putting up with long nights of building, and all my roommates for dealing with the constant whir of my printer in the living room.
I also made a brief video of the finished gun showcasing the electronics. I forget to show it in the video, but the other sounds are random movie quotes (“I am your father”, “I’ll be back”, “ET phone home”, etc.) and a bit of the Halo 3 soundtrack. Stay tuned for a follow-up post after the video for progress pictures and the story of constructing the HMAC.
Every great weapon needs a great carrying case.
And now with the lights on!
Next is a close up of one of the “acceleration units”. These three repeating elements are probably my favorite feature of the HMAC with sharp angles, clean lines, and a fun blend of colors. I used painter’s tape and window frosting spray to achieve the pattern on the plexiglass, and a blue bendy straw inside to diffuse the light. You can also glimpse the barrel cap that I 3D-printed in transparent plastic.
Due to its length, the HMAC uses an anti-gravity stabilization system in place of a bi-pod. The design is loosely based on the Halo 3 gravity hammer, specifically the little glowing blue nubs on the front of the hammer.
In all my props I like to include witty warning labels. They were custom made in MS Word and printed on white sticker paper. The little red triangles and electricity warning on the accelerator unit were also made this way. Finally, the tube on the top right is lit by UV LEDs and fluoresces instead of just regular blue LED illumination.
A close up of the scope shows the sun-glass lens placed in the front, etched with an exact-o knife similar to my JFO helmet. Thanks to Carpathia for this little trick!
This area has a lot going on. It’s the merger of about 6 major pieces (scope, barrel, magazine holder, heat sink, mid receiver and main receiver) and what can’t be seen is the intricate sliding, locking, and screwing mechanisms that fit together like an intricate puzzle.
The name RX-27 HMAC comes from a few different things. I used the RX from my favorite Gundam, the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. 27 is my favorite number. Magnetic Acceleration Cannons or MACs are the main weapon for large UNSC fleet ships from Halo, so I threw an H in front and there you have it.
The “batteries” here actually hold the 12 AA’s that power the HMAC. The warning label here also has a little nod to the Chief.
A rear view of the gun shows off the illuminated scope. This part was inspired by the Halo assault rifle and even has a compass and round counter decal similar to the Halo 3 version.
The three accelerator units.
I also printed a few “rounds” that the HMAC would theoretically fire. Similar to the US Navy’s rail-gun, the HMAC’s round consists of an outer shell that helps accelerate the round to near Mach 10 speeds, and an explosive round that travels down range.
A few shots of me with the gun.
I’d like to give a huge thanks to my close family friend Ed, who lent his workshop, his expertise, and an incredible amount of time working on the HMAC. He never understood the desire for “battle damage” or in his words, “messing up a perfectly good piece of art”. So here he is holding a pristine version of the HMAC before weathering.
And also a big shout-out to my mom for being my mom.
I’d also like to thank my good friend Vince for his amazing pictures, my friend Cameron for his continuous support in prop-making, my sister for her generous gift of a 3D-printer last Christmas, my girlfriend Sarah for putting up with long nights of building, and all my roommates for dealing with the constant whir of my printer in the living room.
I also made a brief video of the finished gun showcasing the electronics. I forget to show it in the video, but the other sounds are random movie quotes (“I am your father”, “I’ll be back”, “ET phone home”, etc.) and a bit of the Halo 3 soundtrack. Stay tuned for a follow-up post after the video for progress pictures and the story of constructing the HMAC.