As I mentioned in the last post, the next two parts on the Tallgeese build list were the second vernier and second leg. Since these are identical in appearance to the originals, I felt no need to write about them. The only item of note is that I cracked the ankle guard on the leg. These pieces snap onto the leg, but they are so thin and small that it is not immediately obvious how it attaches and stays secure. Somehow, though, it does, at which point it stays in place even when it is cracked:
I still put some superglue on just in case.
With that out of the way, we go to the main topic of this post - the Tallgeese’s primary firearm, the Dober Gun. This is by far one of the most iconic features on this mobile suit. It is also a bit controversial, as fans debate whether it fires ballistic shells or beam blasts. I think the confusion comes from the fact that there are scenes later in Gundam Wing in which the shots coming from the gun look like beams, but I imagine this was either a continuity error or an artistic choice to emphasize the power of the shot.
Either way, I think the truth is in the ammunition clip that attaches to the back. This is no doubt a ballistic weapon.
I decided a while back that I wanted the gun to have a shiny finish, much like the mecha itself. To that end, I went and got some glossy black paint.
When wet, the paint looks like plain black paint with some sparkles mixed in. That left me feeling pessimistic - I wanted shiny, not sparkly. When it dried, however, the results were much better. It is still ever so sparkly, but mainly it just looks like a very glossy black. This is the best photo I could get that demonstrates the way it looks when dry:
As for the construction, here are all the parts we need (minus one that I was missing at the time I took the photo, but have since found):
The gun is simple on the outside, but it has a lot going on inside. There is a firing mechanism of sorts that requires all the internal components to line up just right. You can kind of see them in this photo:
Once assembled, you get something that looks like this:
All told, this is an impressive accessory. It may be the most complicated and feature-laden gun I have ever built, and is certainly one of the largest. It also looks pretty darn cool. It resembles a cross between a bazooka and a sniper rifle, and its silhouette looks pleasantly busy. This definitely feels like a one-off weapon that was not designed for aesthetics and simplicity.
The Dober Gun has a number of gimmicks. Arguably the main one is its “blowback” feature. A number of parts, including the barrel, can be pushed backwards to simulate the blowback effect that comes from firing a gun (if you still needed proof that this is a ballistic weapon, this seals it). I can confirm that it works, but it causes the paint to strip off, so I doubt I will ever do it again. Here is a picture to give you an idea of what it looks like:
There are a few additional gimmicks, including:
- The ammo mag can be removed
- The trigger grip is on a ball joint, which should allow for precision adjustments when posing
- There is also a side grip as well for the left hand. This is typical for most Gundam guns, and it is typical for me to lose or break them. In this case, I lost the grip for about a day before it turned up.
- The trigger grip is on an additional swivel that allows it to out to the left or right.
With the Dober Gun complete, we are in the home stretch. Just two more parts to build, and the Tallgeese is complete.
Other Thoughts
- I originally thought this was called the Dover Gun, and I still think that is a better name.
- The color guide in the manual has no entries for the color of the gun, which is weird, because it is made out of a combination of (mostly) dark blue plastic and some grey. Is that really the color it is intended to be? I have NEVER imagined the Dober Gun being any shade of blue. It does not track with the rest of the color scheme.
- As cool as the Dober Gun looks, it is also an unfortunate example of how the writers of Gundam Wing poorly used the concept of Plot Armor. This is a gun that fires shells of some sort at Gundams made out of Gundamium Alloy. Sometime when the story moves to outer space, we are told that only Beam weapons of sufficient power can fully destroy a Gundam. Much later, at the end of the show, we see a Gundam be hit with the super laser cannon of the massive Libra battle station and not only remain intact, but keep its pilot safe. And yet we are also meant to believe that somehow these mobile suits something to fear from a standard cannon. Which is it folks?