The Golden Rule
Image Source: https://gndn.wordpress.com/2015/12/20/the-expanse-martian-long-gun/sdcc2015_20150708_235932-a/
Intent: To create a versatile battle rifle for the Kiribians and a the Galactic Republic
Development Thread: N/A
Manufacturer: Kiribian Systems Armory
Model: Famos Series Particle Rifle, Mk-1
Affiliation: Kiribian Systems Union, Galactic Republic
Modularity: Yes. Attachments like alternate sights/scopes and grips can be added or swapped on the top and bottom rail. An optional suppressor unit can be added to the top barrel (separate submission).
Production: Production: Mass Production
Material: Titanium, ceramics, polymer housing, components for particle beam generation and a mass driver.
Classification: A combination of a neutral particle beam weapon (top barrel), and a mass driver (bottom barrel).
Role: Anti-Personnel, Anti-Material
Size: Handheld
Length: 790 mm
Weight: 8.0 kg (feels much lighter, explained blow)
Damage Type: Kinetic, heat (Top Barrel), variable (Bottom Barrel).
Ammunition Type: Gas canister (top barrel, loaded from the side of the buttstock), 20 mm slugs/shells (bottom barrel, loaded from the bottom of the buttstock).
Ammunition Capacity: 10 shot gas canister (top barrel), 10 round box magazine (bottom barrel). 300 shot power pack.
Effective Range: At its default setting, the top barrel has an effective range of 500m, and a maximum range of 750m. In stun mode, this range is greatly decreased to an effective range of 60m, and a maximum range of 150m. The bottom barrel has an effective range of 300m, and a maximum range of 500m.
Rate of Fire: Semi-automatic for both barrels. Moderate fire rate. (Basically fires as fast as one can pull the trigger.)
Special Features:
- Two barrels for firing particle beams, and solid projectiles.
- Optional suppressor attachment.
- Rails located on the top and the bottom of the rifle for accepting different attachments.
- Optional sling.
- Biometric lock.
- A non-lethal stun mode.
- Comes standard with a full spectrum sight.
- Uplink to personal HUD.
- Resistant to EMPs and ion attacks. (Enveloped in a polymer insulator, redundant wiring and capacitor banks to channel excess electricity, weapon will immediately power down if these mechanisms are not sufficient.)
Description:
With the rise of Force Users on the battlefield, and soldiers sporting increasingly tough armor systems, it was deemed by the Kiribians military the line of basic issue GR blasters were not a sufficient counter. KSA was then called upon to design new battle rifle with better penetration, and secondary launcher for firing specialized projectiles. KSA's solution was the development of neutral particle rifle with a secondary launcher system integrated into the main body so that it could draw from the same power source as the main weapon. To keep the rifle from becoming cumbersome to wield, it was built in a compact bullpup configuration, and light weight polymer was used for creating the furniture. A repulsor-based mass driver was used as the basis of the secondary launcher, giving the weapon an inherent feeling of lightness.
Operation
The main weapon of the system is the neutral particle beam component, which is the barrel. Inside a chamber, a portion of the tibanna gas from the gas canister supply is subjected to a great surge of electricity, ionizing it into a highly charged plasma state. The plasma packet is then accelerated down the barrel of a coil gun as a charged particle bolt. Right before exiting the barrel, the charged beam passes through an ion filter located at the muzzle, stripping it of excess electrons to convert the charged beam into a neutral beam.
As a neutral beam, it travels a much farther range than a charged particle beam of comparable output (e.g. a basic blaster or ion weapon). Charged particle beams quickly diffuse as the like charged particles repulse from each other, and they can be further diffused or outright deflected by electromagnetic fields. Neutral particle beams do not share these shortcomings, so it carries much more of its kinetic energy in flight. This results in greater energy being transferred into the target, causing more destruction. Then unlike standard particle weapons, the neutral beam of the Famos does not naturally disperse on impact, but all particles hit at one point. The potential of splash damage is sacrificed for much greater penetration.
In stun mode, the production of the charged particle bolt is identical, but instead of ion filter stripping the bolt of electrons, it disperses the bolt to produce a wide shot of charged particles. While this type of shot is meant to be non-lethal, the shot still can knock someone over and overload their nervous system through shock. In a pinch, the stun mode is highly effective at dispatching droids and cyborgs. It's also very handy against melee centric opponents, as the wide beam of the stun shot cannot be parried by the narrow beam of lightsaber or comparable weapon.
The operation of the launcher is fairly simple. After a new round is loaded by a servo feed, it is accelerated out of the barrel by a line of repulsor coils. Aside from the ergonomic benefit of the repulsor coils, they have a practical function in allowing non-ferrous projectiles being launched by the driver. The launcher can fire just about any slug or shell type at 20mm.
Primary Source:
Star Wars Wiki
Particle beam. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2016, from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Particle_beam
Blaster. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2016, from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Blaster
Real World Inspirations
Neutral Particle Beam (NPB). (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2016, from https://fas.org/spp/starwars/program/npb.htm
