Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a viable weapon for [member="Lyth Meran"]
- Image Source: https://meckanicalmind.deviantart.com/art/Laser-Pistol-361176065
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
- Model: N/A
- Affiliation: [member="Lyth Meran"]
- Modularity: No
- Production: Unique
- Material: Plastoid, alusteel, solid state laser components
- Classification: Laser pistol
- Size: Handheld
- Length: 4cm
- Weight: 60 grams
- Ammunition Type: Proprietary button power cells
- Ammunition Capacity: 5 seconds on burn, 15 seconds on dazzler, 6 hours on pointer
- Effective Range: 8 meters
- Rate of Fire: Continuous (Beam produced as long as trigger is held)
- Small, lightweight design suited to the customer's diminutive stature
- Functions as a potentially lethal weapon, a nonlethal stunner, and a handy laser pointer
- Proprietary button power cells that may have further use in the world of tiny electronics
- Tiny- The customer is tiny, and so is the weapon. Lightweight materials were used in the construction to shave off as much weight as possible.
- Multipurpose- The weapon uses an adjustable output solid state laser that has three settings: burn, dazzler, and pointer. The burn setting, as the name implies, is an intense beam capable of burning flesh and starting fires. Though not especially powerful, in comparison to larger beams with more robust power sources, it has the potential to burn through unprotected flesh, set non-fire retardant clothing and hair on fire, and burning out eyes. Dazzler pulses the laser at a much lower setting. When shined into the eyes of a target, it can cause disorientation, temporary blindness, and in nausea in more photosensitive species. Pointer mode uses a trickle of power, and is essentially just a laser pointer.
- Button Cells- Essentially a modified version of the button cells used in small electronics such as watches and hearing aids, this variant carries a bit more energy and is capable of discharging that energy rapidly.
- Relatively Heavy- Though the weapon is positively minuscule by most standards, it is still relatively heavy from the customer's perspective.
- Weak- There just wasn't enough room to fit in enough power for this weapon to be a rival to blasters or slugthrowers. Extreme care must be exercised, because it has no ability to penetrate armor whatsoever. Or, for that matter, a decent leather jacket. The customer is advised to aim for unprotected throats and eyes. If the target is wearing eye protection or anything heavier than a turtleneck, they are advised to run.
- Backscatter- Any sort of reflective surface can bounce the beam back towards the customer. Extreme caution is advised.
- Button Cells- The button cells are, so far, only available from RCFC, and standard store bought models won't provide enough power to operate the weapon. Furthermore, in relation to the customer, they're bulky enough that carrying more than a few reloads will be impractical.
This is a project that stumped Rusty for a long time. How do you build a weapon for a being roughly the size of a child's doll?
Very carefully, as it happens.
This weapon is, in essence, a hopped up laser pointer. Even store bought laser pointers can be dangerous if you know what you're doing. Rusty simply took that concept, built a tiny little pistol frame to house it, and designed a power cell to fit. Given the size constraints, there was simply no way to pack in the sort of firepower a being of a larger stature might enjoy, so the only option was to give the weapon enough power to give the customer a fighting chance if they are very, very careful.
The weapon has three preset fire modes: burn, dazzle, and pointer.
Burn mode drains the power cell in a matter of seconds, but creates an intense beam that has the potential to sear flesh and start fires. It's not going to chop any limbs off, or even fingers, but a draw across an exposed throat may potentially sever the carotid arteries or jugular, maybe sear the trachea closed. Not a sure kill by any means, by it's better than nothing. It should be noted that the eyes of most species are particularly vulnerable to this sort of attack, if left unprotected.
Dazzler mode is specifically designed to take advantage of this fact, while using less power and generally being nonlethal. In short, the laser pulses at a lower output. Though it's not strong enough in this setting to cause burns, it's plenty bright enough to potentially cause temporary blindness and disorientation, and in particularly photosensitive species, nausea. The great weakness of this setting is that it can be defeated by just about any sort of polarized eye protection.
The final mode is just a laser pointer. Dead useless as a weapon, but useful if you're a 7 inch tall whatsit trying to point out things to the lumbering giants you deal with on a daily basis.
