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Blaster

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"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."

―Han Solo, to Luke Skywalker on the supposed advantages of a blaster over a lightsaber^[src]

A blaster (also addressed as a gun) is a ranged weapon that fires bursts of particle beam energy called blaster bolts from a replaceable power pack. The most commonly used weapon in the galaxy, blasters' intense beams consisting of compacted high-energy particles and intense light can kill or paralyze their target, depending on their setting. Blasters range from compact pistols, all the way up to large, heavy rifles and starship-mounted blaster cannons. Some beings use blasters ever since their youth: Anakin Skywalker owned a small ion blaster in his childhood, Leia Organa was given a sporting blaster when she was a teenager, and Mandalorian children are given blasters, along with extensive training, prior to becoming thirteen standard years old. Throughout the Clone Wars, a clone trooper usually held a blaster rifle if not any type of specialist.

1 Technical information
2 Laser mechanics
- 2.1 Blaster mechanics
3 Electronic enhancements
4 History and usage
5 Blaster variants
6 Appearances
- 6.1 Non-canon appearances
7 Sources
8 See also
9 External links
- 9.1 In other languages

Technical informationEdit

The term blaster is often used interchangeably with the term laser in everyday conversation, both denoting the same type of particle beam weapon. However, strictly speaking, the laser is a much older weapon design than the blaster. And, unlike those of lasers, blasters' firing cycles have more proficient recharge rates, allowing them to attain a much higher rate of fire, though at a loss of range and accuracy.

There is also some dispute as to which size restrictions denote a "blaster". For example, blasters are commonly thought of as handheld weapons only, but starship-mounted blaster cannons may fall in this category as well.

Laser mechanicsEdit

A laser beam is a coherent shaft of light. When referring to light (or any other wave pattern for that matter), coherence refers to the pattern's "sameness" in multiple waves. In other words, each light wave emitted from the laser device has the same wavelength and amplitude as all other waves emitted from the same device, and all "crests" and "troughs" of every wave are aligned with the others.

Lasers are generated by stimulating a "gain medium", this substance is charged with electricity, radiation or even by chemical reaction so as to release energy in the form of photons. The gain medium can come in the form of a solid (often a crystal), liquid or gas (Tibanna gas is reputedly a favored medium). The "gain medium", when charged, saw the rapid excitement of its constituent atoms. These atoms would experience increases in electron energy levels. Said electrons, seeking equilibrium, then released photons, or packets of electromagnetic radiation, so as to self-stabilize. The produced radiation, reflected and amplified by the optical cavity can then be released as a high-powered and potentially destructive beam of coherent radiation. The output coupler is responsible for the release of the beam from the optical cavity.

Blaster mechanicsEdit

Blasters are a considerable improvement over the archaic laser design. Instead of a coherent beam of light, the blaster fired a compressed, focused, high-energy particle-beam that is very destructive, commonly referred to as a "bolt". The composition and characteristics of the blaster bolt can vary depending on the means used to produce it.

The less common blaster is a plasma based design, like those used by the Grand Army of the Republic. Plasma-based blasters were effective against all targets, but even more so against droids because of the nature of plasma as a superheated, ionized gas. Droids are vulnerable to ion energy, so ion weapons are a natural choice against a droid army. This explains the use of the BlasTech DC-series in the Clone wars.

In plasma-based blasters, a high-energy gas (tibanna gas, for example, used in the BlasTech DC-series) will move from the gas chamber into another chamber where it is altered into a plasma state. It is then released from a magnetic "bottle" effect through the collimating components. This turns the mass of plasma gas and energy into a coherent energy beam as a coherent energy bolt of light and plasma. This combination of light and plasma forms the deadly bolt fired from a blaster.

The more common type is the blaster that fires a high energy particle beam that is more deadly to humanoids and other biological targets than superheated plasma (which was quite deadly anyway), but it is still effective enough against droids to put a B1 battle droid down and keep it down. Particle-beam types are also more efficient because they use less blaster gas to produce the beam than is necessary to form a plasma bolt, as plasma, as a state of matter, requires a far greater amount of energy to produce.

In particle-beam based blasters, like the E-11 used by stormtroopers, a small amount of high-energy gas moves from the Heter valve to the chamber commonly called the XCiter. In the XCiter chamber, the gas is energized by the power pack, then passed into the actuating blaster module, which, when assisted by the components in the barrel, processes the now extremely high-energy gas into a compressed beam of intense energy particles, coupled with intense light, which generates the deadly high-energy particle beam fired from most blasters. In these blasters, the combination of super hot laser-light and a compressed bolt of intense energy particles form the deadly bolt.

Most personal blasters have two kinds of ammunition: a gas cartridge and a power cell. Less powerful weapons, like the Drearian Defense Conglomerate Defender sporting blaster pistol, rely largely on the power cell and use only a small quantity of gas, while very powerful weapons, like the illegal Tenloss DX-2 disruptor pistol, use much larger amounts of gas. Still other weapons, namely those dating from earlier times, employ a kind of removable power cell/cartridge which supplies enough energy (though at weaker levels) to make total expenditure seldom.

Blaster bolts usually dissipate in a small, but violent, explosion of extreme heat and force upon contact with an unshielded surface, sometimes leaving blast points. Weapons such as Han Solo's DL-44 heavy blaster pistol and the E-11 blaster rifle can cause incredible destruction, and have the power to blow large chunks from stone walls and smaller holes and pockmarks out of durasteel bulkheads, as seen in Han Solo and Luke Skywalker's raid on Detention Block AA 23. An ion accelerator uses an electrical charge to stun or kill enemies.

Electronic enhancementsEdit

Many blasters have side attachments and accessories to aid in targeting, accuracy, rate of fire, and grip. Some known attachments includes targeting lasers, electronic scopes, and larger power packs. Delta Squad's DC-17m interchangeable blasters have sniper and anti-armor attachments for adaptability in unpredictable situations. Boba Fett's EE-3 carbine rifle had a small scope which could interface with Fett's helmet for increased accuracy. Jango Fett's two WESTAR-34 blaster pistols have dallorian alloy plating, which keeps the weapon from overheating. Clone trooper's DC-15A blasters can interface with their helmets.

History and usageEdit

"So uncivilized."

―Obi-Wan Kenobi, after killing General Grievous with the latter's own weapon.^[src]

The oldest known type of blaster is used by a(n) ancient droid of an unknown model employed by the Rakatan Infinite Empire. This weapon is considered to be extremely up-to-date compared to the blasters of the year 3,956 BBY. Besides that, the oldest and most venerable example of blaster technology is the triple blaster, which dates back to the Galactic Republic. It works by using three separate blasters connected to the same targeting system, often coordinated in sets of two or four and fired simultaneously at a target. Triple blasters have become exceedingly rare by the beginning of the rise of the Empire, triple blasters have also become exceedingly rare. Prior to the innovation of the triple blaster, beam-tubes were used. They consist of backpacks with a hose coming out of the side that connects to a focusing tube. All of the equipment that creates the blaster beam is contained in the backpack and is fired out of the hose. These lost popularity quickly once triple blasters became invented.

Triple blaster technology began to wane as what is traditionally thought of as "the blaster" was created, as it is a self-contained unit that could produce bolts by itself with no additional equipment.

An updated version of blaster technology is the autoblaster. Designed for the B-wing starfighter, it has an even higher rate of fire than other blasters but has not become as available until after the Battle of Endor.

The most common personal weapon in the galaxy by the rise of the Empire, blasters are often used not only by military personnel, but by civilians as protection. They are more commonly seen in the Outer Rim worlds, though small, concealable Hold-out blasters are frequently used by social elite, such as Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian. Many establishments, such as the Cantina in Mos Eisley have restrictions against use of blasters, though these are often overlooked if the conflict remains small.

The most common manufacturer of blasters during the Galactic Civil War was BlasTech, which had contracts with both the Imperial Military and the Alliance to Restore the Republic. It also manufactured the Protector civilian fighter-grade blaster line.