The original blaster used by Han Solo in Star Wars: A New Hope is expected to fetch up to $500,000 (£410,000) at auction.

The prop firearm, used by Hollywood superstar Harrison Ford who played Han Solo in the franchise, was previously missing and presumed lost.

However, it was rediscovered by Rock Island Auction Company (RIAC) in Illinois and will be available at the company’s premier auction.

The gun is the sole surviving blaster prop of the three used for filming the original Star Wars trilogy, according to RIAC.

Star Wars: A New Hope was released in 1977 and was the first movie to be released in the now iconic franchise.

The pre-auction estimate for Han Solo’s BlasTech DL-44 Heavy Blaster is $300,000 to $500,000 (£245,000 to £410,000).

The prop was based on the German-made Mauser C96, one of the first and most recognisable semi-automatic handguns ever made.

The prop designers had wanted to give Solo, the captain of the Millennium Falcon, an old west gunslinger feel.

Star Wars Hollywood memorabilia is highly desirable among collectors.

In 2018, Han Solo’s blaster from Return of the Jedi sold to Ripley’s Believe it or Not! for $550,000 (£451,000) dollars.

More recently an original X-wing miniature prop went for $2.3 million (£1.8 million) in June 2022.