Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
Image Source
Intent: A personal firearm for [member="Julius Sedaire"]
Development Thread: If Needed
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: Mag Pistol mk 1 (MP1)
Affiliation: [member="Julius Sedaire"]
Modularity: No
Production: Production: Unique
Material: Nonferrous slugthrower components, magnetic coil
Classification: Electromagnetically propelled slugthrower
Size: Handheld
Length: 25 cm
Weight: 1200 grams
Ammunition Type: Mag pellets
Ammunition Capacity: 20 mag pellets stored in a magazine with integral 20 shot power cell
Effective Range: 50 meters
Rate of Fire: Semiautomatic
Special Features: Utilizes a proprietary electromagnetic propulsion system to accelerate the projectile to appropriate speeds
Description: If coil guns have a fault, it's that they're overly complicated. The more vital components you have, the more likely the chances of something going wrong in a big way. With the MP1, Rusty set out to simplify the system.
Rather than relying on sequenced coils around the barrel, the MP1 utilizes a single, powerful electromagnet at the base of the chamber. When powered on, the magnet produces a powerful electromagnetic field that will then push the unipolar mag pellet down the barrel at high velocity. The design is much more rugged than a traditional coil gun, and gets comparable muzzle velocity. It's not without its faults, however.
Due to the enormous velocities involved, the mag pellets are relatively small and lightweight in order to keep recoil manageable. While this means the average shooter will be able to handle the weapon with relative ease, it reduces its utility against armored targets, and also has a deleterious impact on range. It's also not as efficient as a coil gun, which can use a relatively small amount of energy in a big way. Each power cell is only good for 20 shots, and since it's integral to the magazine, the magazine cannot be reused until after recharging. This means that the customer will have to carry more magazines, rather than just carrying a few and reloading them with loose rounds.
The rounds themselves are tailored to the weapon. In order to work with the single electromagnet, they have to have a single magnetic pole. Until recently in the real world, this was thought to be impossible, but materials that meet this description have been discovered, and one can infer that they'd be fairly easy to produce with Star Wars technology. At any rate, this makes it impossible to crossload ammunition with other weapons.
Primary Source: N/A
