84-U hunting rifle

The Czerka Arms 84-U hunting rifle was a blaster rifle produced around the time of the Galactic Civil War. One 84-U hunting rifle was dropped into the rancor pit of Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tatooine prior to 4 ABY, and the Yuzzum Wam Lufba later utilized this rifle to escape from the pit after falling into it. Following his exit from the rancor pit, Lufba became the henchman of the gun-runner Pote Snitkin and would continue to often carry the 84-U blaster rifle.

Description[]

The 84-U hunting rifle was a model of hunting blaster that had a large stock and trigger, such that it could be held and operated by a Yuzzum's large hands and fingers. The black rifle had a long barrel with a rotatable scope fixed halfway down the barrel's length. The weapon also had a removable shoulder strap attached to the stock and the barrel in front of the scope.^[1]

History[]

WamLufba-PhotoMasher — Wam Lufba with the rifle

A Czerka Arms product, the 84-U hunting rifle was manufactured around the time of the Galactic Civil War.^[1] Several years prior to 4 ABY,^[2] on^[1] the planet^[3] Tatooine, an 84-U rifle fell into the pit underneath the throne room of crime lord Jabba the Hutt's palace.^[1]

The rifle remained in the pit until Jabba had a poacher and four of their Yuzzum captives thrown into the pit to be executed by the predatory rancor that lived within. As the group was devoured, one of the Yuzzums, named Wam Lufba, found the 84-U hunting rifle. Lufba took the rifle and fled into the rancor's holding pen. The male Yuzzum killed three of Jabba's guards with the weapon, proving himself to be a great marksman.^[1]

Pote Snitkin, a Skrilling gun-runner in the employment of Jabba,^[4] witnessed Lufba's marksmanship and, impressed by his skill, rescued Lufba from the pen. Following his escape, Lufba became Snitkin's henchman and was given the nickname "Blam" for his skill with a blaster. Lufba would often continue to carry the 84-U hunting rifle that had saved his life.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

WamLufba-TheMakingOfReturnOfTheJedi — The model of Lufba holding the rifle for *Return of the Jedi*

The 84-U hunting rifle was created for the third film of the original trilogy, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi,^[5] released in 1983.^[6] The rifle was created as part of a sculpt of Lufba during the film's development by Nilo Rodis-Jamero and Judy Elkins in 1981. Although the rifle was created in model form and as a prop for the film,^[5] it did not appear in the film itself, with Lufba shown empty-handed in his Jabba's palace scenes.^[6]

The rifle was not pictured until 1998 on Lufba's card for Decipher, Inc.'s Star Wars Customizable Card Game expansion Jabba's Palace Limited.^[7] The rifle would later be identified^[1] in 2005 in the winning entry for Lufba, written by Tim Veekhoven under the alias "Sompeetalay," in the StarWars.com Hyperspace contest What's The Story?.^[8]

Veekhoven had been inspired to write about Lufba by From Star Wars to Jedi: The Making of a Saga, a 1983 documentary, and linked the rifle to his story due to the discrepancy of such a weapon being wielded by a Yuzzum. The author also named the rifle due to feeling that there was a lack of official names for weapons featured in Star Wars films,^[8] including Return of the Jedi.^[6]