Blaster (Star Wars)
In the fictional Star Wars universe is a class of rayguns called blasters. This class includes various handheld laser guns and mounted rifles.
The standard ranged weapon of both military personnel and civilians in the galaxy, the blaster pistol fires cohesive bursts of light-based energy called bolts. Blasters come in a variety of shapes and sizes, delivering a wide range of damage capability. Many blaster pistols have stun settings that incapacitate a target, rather than inflicting physical damage. While blasters do deliver a searing concussive blast, they can be foiled by magnetic seals and deflector shields.
The basic blaster technology of intensifying a beam of light into a deadly bolt is scalable, and largely the same despite the differences in weapon types and sizes. The interior mechanisms of a tiny hold-out blaster, a blaster pistol, a large blaster rifle, and a turbolaser cannon are based on the same theories and principles. A squeeze of a trigger emits volatile blaster gas into a conversion chamber, where it is excited by energy from the weapon's power source. The agitated gas is then funneled through the actuating blaster module, where it is processed into an intense particle beam. A prismatic crystal focuses the beam, and passes it through a refinement chamber which "galvens" the beam into its final bolt shaped like a cone, similar to the shape of the ballistic coefficient.
Most of the blasters used in the Star Wars movies are existing real world machine guns and pistols redressed to appear futuristic. Many of the weapons have a small explosive charge that provides the muzzle-flash on-camera, though the laser bolt is animated in post-production.
DC-15 blaster rifle
The DC-15 blaster rifle is a fictional weapon from the Star Wars saga.
The DC-15 blaster rifle was the weapon of choice of the Republic clone troopers. Using magazine cartridges filled with tibanna gas, the weapon fired blue plasma bolts, foregoing the need for projectile ammunition. Though hard to aim, the blasters were deadly in the hands of the specially trained clone troopers.
The DC-15 primarily came in three versions:
- The DC-15A, a long-barrelled blaster rifle used as the standard issue clone trooper weapon, but also suitable for snipers.
- The DC-15S, a pistol blaster
- The DC-17 blaster rifle, a modular version designed for the clone trooper commandos.
Trivia
The DC-15A blaster rifle that the majority of the Clone Troopers carry in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith is based from parts from the German MG-34 General Purpose Machine Gun from World War 2, and components from the BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle that were carried by the Imperial Stormtroopers from the original Star Wars trilogy.
DC-17m Blaster Rifle
The DC-17m Blaster Rifle is a fictional weapon from the Star Wars saga. It is the standard issue blaster for the Clone commandos. This weapon is a variant of the DC-15 blaster rifle, which is what standard Clone troopers use. The DC-17m is much smaller and lighter than the DC-15. It is an effective weapon that can be used with deadly force, and can be field-stripped, and outfitted with a modular sniper attachment or anti-armor attachment. The DC-17m's primary Blaster attachment has a magazine capacity of sixty rounds, with Clone Commandos carrying up to five magazines for a total of three hundred rounds. The Sniper attachment has magazines holding five high-powered rounds, with each Commando carrying up to four magazines for a total of twenty sniper shots, while the anti-armor attachment only chambers one shaped-charge anti-armor grenade at a time though a Commando may carry an additional three in reserve. The weapon has a readout that keeps track of and displays the total amount of compatible ammunition and ordnance currently being carried by the Clone Commando.
E-11 blaster rifle
See E-11 blaster rifle. This gun appeared after the previous guns in Star Wars time chronology, but before them as movie props in the real world.