10-Hole Hero:
The SPAS Cage
EVEN THE SPAS CAGE WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER RIFLES
fig. 1: "Prototype" 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle with the additional holes in the SPAS cage.
On the 10-Hole Hero SPAS cage, there are two additional holes at the very rear of the SPAS cage, and the lower second slot from the rear has been modified. These details are not present on any other Pulse Rifles (except the Delta Pulse Rifle, which most likely was retrofitted with the complete Grenade Launcher section of the 10-Hole Hero after filming).
These holes line up perfectly with the trigger pins of the Remington 870. Member "dr_slurpee"'s theory is that the Remington 870 was assembled inside the SPAS cage, making these holes necessary.
The Remington 870 could therefore be slid inside the SPAS cage, attached to the Thompson M1A1 and the trigger mechanism then attached and removed at leisure, allowing access in case of jams without removing the whole shotgun.
This theory is supported by the theory of Bug Stomper that the complete Remington 870 receiver was screwed to the Thompson M1A1 foregrip mount through the SPAS cage with two countersunk screws. Therefore, not just the SPAS cage was attached to the M1A1, but the complete Remington 870 itself.
This is heavily supported by the fact that the Remington 870 is apparently not secured to the SPAS cage in any way on the 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle, and according to the "prototype" pictures could not have been secured any other way (no screws visible). Attaching the shotgun itself to the Thompson would stabilize the whole shotgun section much more than securing the shotgun only to the SPAS cage.
fig. 2: Visualisation of the two screws that go through the SPAS cage and the Remington 870 according to this theory.
For the Remington to be attached to the M1A1 through its receiver, the Remington 870 would need to be disassembled and then assembled inside the cage. This made the four holes in the SPAS cage for the Remington pins necessary.
As mentioned on the Front Block page, the screw on the top right of the SPAS cage securing the Front Block is missing on the 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle. This means that the Front Block on the 10-Hole Hero was not attached to the SPAS cage at all but only to the mag tube and barrel of the Remington 870. The M870 could therefore not have been held in place by the Front Block either.
fig. 3: SPAS cage of the "Delta" Pulse Rifle which shows the same two additional holes as the 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle.
Please note that only on the 10-hole Hero Pulse Rifle, the SPAS cage (and the M870) is attached to the Thompson M1A1 with two individual screws inside two small metal tubes (length: 9mm, outside diameter: 8mm).
On the rest of the Hero Pulse Rifles (very prominent on the Alpha or the Epsilon Pulse Rifle), the barrel vent was welded directly to the SPAS cage in four spots and there are no screws visible through the gap in the front of the shrouds.
One exception is the Delta Pulse Rifle, it seems that a metal block was added to attach the SPAS cage to the Thompson M1A1. The metal block can be seen through the gap in the shrouds. It is most likely that this was an addition when the functioning grenade launcher section was "transplanted" to the Delta Pulse Rifle, in order to attach it more securely.
fig. 4: The 8-Hole Rifles had the barrel vent welded to the SPAS cage (top) and there is a metal block securing the cage (bottom).
The SPAS pump grip was attached to the Remington 870 through the SPAS cage on the left side, and for that purpose, several of the slots on the left side were connected to form a long slot for the pump action to be racked.
However, the "prototype" images show that the slot also seems to have been significantly widened, most likely to allow easier travel of the screws connecting the pump grip. This is visible especially well on the Delta Pulse Rifle.
It must be noted that on all other Hero Pulse Rifles (that is: all Rifles of which images exist with the pump grip pulled back), it seems that the slots on neither side of the SPAS cage were cut (e.g. Beta Pulse Rifle).
fig. 5: The left side slots of the SPAS cage were connected and widened significantly on the 10-Hole Hero Rifle.
Lastly, it seems that the slot on the left side of the 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle was not only widened, but the front end was squared off (see fig. 5, top image). It can't be verified whether this was already present on the 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle during filming, since apparently no shots of that side of the Rifle exist with the pump racked back, but it is visible on the Delta Pulse Rifle. The reason for this might have been to have a clear stop of the pump grip at the front, but this is pure speculation.
For some reason, the slots on the opposite side (right side) of the SPAS cage were also connected, even though this seemingly serves no purpose. This can be seen especially well in the Aliens DVD special "The Risk Always Lives: Weapons and Action", which shows the 10-Hole Hero Pulse Rifle (see fig. 6) and also on the Delta Pulse Rifle.
fig. 6: The right side slots of the SPAS cage were also connected on the 10-Hole Hero Rifle, the purpose is unclear.
Based on measurements from my real SPAS cage, I have created a 3D model of the SPAS cage in Fusion 360 which I am sharing here in the hope that someone may in the future be able to provide the Pulse Rifle builder community with steel SPAS cage replicas. The model already includes all cut-outs for the 10-hole Hero Pulse Rifle.
