A280 blaster rifle
Production information
Manufacturer	BlasTech Industries
Model	A280
Type	Blaster rifle
Cost	1,300
Physical and technical specifications
Size	Large
Weight	6.7 kg
Range	300 meters
Usage and history
Era(s)	Rise of the Empire era Rebellion era
Affiliation	Planetary Security Forces Republic Outland Regions Security Force Alliance to Restore the Republic

[Source]

The A280 was a blaster rifle produced by BlasTech Industries, and was considered to be one of the best armor-piercing blasters produced during the Galactic Civil War.

CharacteristicsEdit

Though much heavier than Imperial-issue rifles such as the E-11, the A280 was a sturdy weapon and was reputed to be able to cut a fully-armored stormtrooper in half at medium range. This weapon, along with its predecessor, the DLT-20A, were marketed as Longblasters. The A280 was different from the DLT-20A in that its galven circuits were clustered near the focusing crystal, giving the weapon a slight bulge at the midsection. This also provided the A280 with more power over a longer range.

HistoryEdit

During the final years of the Republic the A280 was standard issue rifle for the Planetary Security Forces.The A280 was the standard blaster rifle for Ranulph Tarkins Republic Outland Regions Security Force. After the Declaration of a New Order, the A280 became available for the Black market. Several of these rifles were stolen by Janse for the Alliance to Restore the Republic when he left BlasTech shortly before the Battle of Endor. The Alliance had already been using these weapons prior to this battle; Rebel soldiers wielded them during the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY.^[source?]

ModelsEdit

By 8 ABY, a model of the weapon, known as the A280-K was used by Gottu, a member of the New Republic's Page's Commandos, during the Battle of Kal'Shebbol.^[1]

Behind the scenesEdit

The BlasTech A280 blaster rifle prop was based on the M16/AR-15 series of rifles as an attempt to replicate the overall appearance of the A295 blaster rifle, which was built from the World War II-era German StG44 Sturmgewehr rifle. Many of the cosmetic features that assisted in this goal were made from stock parts of the Sussex Armoury "Jackal" air rifle.

The depiction of the A280 has varied over different sources. The image used in this article is that from Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary. Another version was depicted in the Endor Limited expansion of the Star Wars Customizable Card Game, and yet another in its original appearance in the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook.

AppearancesEdit

• Rebel Dawn
• Star Wars: Empire at War
• Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
• Rebel Force: Renegade
•  Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
• "Marooned"—Star Wars Tales 22
• "First Contact"—Star Wars Adventure Journal 1
•  "The Saga Begins"—The DarkStryder Campaign (First mentioned)
• The Last Command
• Shades of Gray

SourcesEdit

• Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
• Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, Second Edition
• The DarkStryder Campaign
• Galladinium's Fantastic Technology
• Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited (Card: A280 Sharpshooter Rifle)
• Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited (Card: Lieutenant Greeve)
• Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Endor Limited (Card: Corporal Janse)
• The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology
• Arms & Equipment Guide
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 10 (REB5, Rebel Troops)
• Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary
• Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 10
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 3 ("A280 blaster rifle")
• Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game – The Nightsister's Revenge (Card: A280 Blaster Rifle)
• The Essential Guide to Warfare

Notes and referencesEdit

External linksEdit

• A280 Blaster Rifle on SWG Wiki