The Copycats - Star Trek TOS
Prop Replica Reference Guide
Richard A. Coyle & Associates
Company created by former TV repairman and convention goer Richard A. Coyle. Originally he made Sci-Fi weapons of his own design for conventions and for sale, and then entered into TOS prop replica fabrication among other genres. He was also a sub contractor for Paramount, and was occasional supplier to Lincoln Enterprises and Roddenberry.com. He is well known in the field of prop replicas.
Years active: 1980 - 1995 (TOS) on his own
Wholesale to resellers: 1984 - 2009 (sporadic)
(dates are estimates)
Items Sold
Phaser II pistols
Phaser I hand units
Communicators
Tricorders
Production runs: Mr. Coyle was contacted in regards to this, and declined to provide production amounts for his products, citing he has no recollection or records of same.
Phasers:
3 known versions
Version 1: His first offering was an all resin unit, with no metal parts whatsoever except where noted, and is believed to have been partially copied from the Starfleet Command phaser 2 unit, with the exception of the handle grip, and trigger. Gloss grey/gloss black paint scheme. Trigger was a radio shack square red momentary button.
Unit also had metal mesh under hand unit, with speaker behind it for adjustable LOUD analog screeching sound, (not unlike stepping on a large rodent) which was adjustable from rear rotary knob, varying pitch. Early runs were of crude construction. Thumbwheel molded in the hand unit detail. Hand unit connected to speaker wires from under. Once hand unit was removed, it allowed access to lower half to install 9 volt battery.
At the time of this version, he also made a non functional solid resin hand phaser for resale to Lincoln Enterprises.
Version 2: Cleaner more defined phaser body. Still grey/black paint scheme. Better finish quality on paint application. Nozzle now cast or machined metal as well as rear rotary switch, aspirator pile. He was still using the radio shack square red momentary button. Hand unit upgraded so that it is now removable completely with no restrictive wiring. Better sound, however still analog.
Version 3: Roddenberry Units. These particular units were manufactured for the Roddenberry.com website for retail sales. Therefore they seem to have been the finest quality and very last run made by Mr. Coyle that he could muster.
Dark grey/grey paint scheme. All proper machined aluminum metal parts consisting of ratcheting nozzle, thumbwheel on hand unit, dilithium crystal cell door, forward lockplate, rear fins, and brass hand unit release pin (non-functional), and finally the trigger was actually upgraded to an aluminum one. Hand unit upgraded to digital sound, and works independently from lower half. Sold with presentation red lined carrying case.
Phasers - Version 1
Version 2
As previously noted, most metal parts casted. Still using the infamous square red Radio Shack button for trigger.
Version 3 - Roddenberry units
Communicators and Early Hand Phasers
Communicators: Various versions were available from Mr. Coyle. The first were Starfleet Command units purchased wholesale, with custom electronics installed for resale for roughly 2 years. Moving forward it is believed that Starfleet Command's molds and dies were leased and then assembled and sold. After that, Mr. Coyle made his own version from copying Starfleet Command's shells and metal parts, with which he used N scale train wheels for his control knobs, and fabricated and painted his own grids for resale to Lincoln enterprises. They varied in quality. His last run was HMS Associates units in which again, he bought wholesale in kit form and installed his own electronics for convention and mail order sales. Early hand phasers were made strictly of resin for sale to Lincoln Enterprises.
Lincoln Enterprises units. Note poor quality grid, later 1980's style Starfleet Command shells, and N scale train wheels on communicator.
Tricorders
2 versions were available:
The first was Starfleet Command units with lights and sound.
His last version again, were HMS Associates versions which were purchased as kits wholesale, and assembled which included electronics again, custom made by Mr. Coyle for convention and mail order retail sales. See Starfleet Command and HMS Associates categories for examples.