Skywalker Lightsaber

Why are there different versions from the different movies (Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi)?

Below: the Skywalker lightsaber seen in Star Wars: A New Hope

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Below: the Skywalker lightsaber seen in The Empire Strikes Back features numerous improvements made by Luke to increase his advantage in combat. This lightsaber's hand grips are now further secured with screws, the clear six bubble control box activator plate has been replaced with a more streamlined circuit plate and the bottom lens has been replaced by an additional control knob and button. 

Why are they different?

Luke's lightsaber prop used in Star Wars: A New Hope, was in reality, an antique camera Graflex flash gun. This flash gun was originally produced in England in the 1930's and 1940's. For conversion to a lightsaber, a six-bubble clear display panel taken from an old calculator was added to the control panel, and rubber grips added along the handle's base. A D-ring was also added to the bottom of the hilt. Otherwise, the flashgun was relatively unmodified from its original state.   

In The Empire Strikes Back the grips on the handle of the lightsaber were longer and the side panels on the control box were black (as opposed to being silver in A New Hope).