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--- Warbwunian Library Datum 98721574 ---

Common Blade Guns I

Though lack of standardized manufacturing infrastructure in Human Space produces many duplicate and variant designs, several common blade guns--ranged weapons that use kinetic force to propel a sharp metal bolt or disc--can be found throughout the Union and Imperium.

The Vailai Spinblade features a bronze alloy stock and a single long blade that is inserted diagonally. When fired, the blade spins wildly through the air, producing a characteristic "springing" sound. First used by Imperial Shield Brothers during the defense of Thidimai, it proved ineffective against armored units but devastating against unarmored mobs, where its characteristic sound and tendency to ricochet made it popular with riot police and unpopular with tightly-packed knots of shrieking, bloody civilians. A sidearm version, the Vailai Spingun, is popular in close combat situations, as the gun is reinforced to serve as a parrying weapon. [First appearance: Volume 1, Page 9 (Vailai Spingun)]

The Kaed Quad Hammer is a sophisticated weapon popularized in the Union by the gearplays of Ukaedi Lai, whose hero, the bandit-spy Neptuna, used this gun to defend herself from the minions of the Smiling King. The first effective quad gun priced within the reach of non-military personnel, the Quad Hammer is a small holdout weapon with four cobalt blue bolts and a sophisticated gyroscopic aiming nodule of questionable utility, given the gun's short range. The Kaed Quad's small size and lethal punch give it a reputation for assassination, and it is often found in the hands of crime lords and wealthy thugs. [First appearance: Volume 1, Page 10]

The Glorsh Knifegun Mk. 6 is a triple-shot non-revolving pepperbox design with a single protruding knife blade. Considered an inferior line for many years, the latest Knifegun does away with the cumbersome knife-launching mechanism. The knife is now fixed in place for close combat, the handle rotated to improve grip in a melee, and the triple-shooter realigned for increased accuracy. Despite the weapon's utility as a close-combat weapon, it still remains cumbersome to reload due to the protruding blade, making this weapon most popular with those who expect to get close to their enemies. [First appearance: Volume 1, Page 11]

The Azukiyamac Nullgun AE-3 is a simple design from a company better known for its line of collapsible batons, axes, and double-stilettos. Built as a complement to those weapons, the Nullgun is a two-gun design made entirely of wood (except the blades, of course), which collapses into a sleek cigar-case when not in use. The use of the Nullgun in the high-profile assassination of Duke Chalwei has led to its ban on several Imperial Worlds. [First appearance: Volume 1, Page 19]

The Sliriai Benefactor C112 is the standard sidearm of Imperial security forces close to the core. A glossy new quad, the Benefactor features superior range and accuracy due to its long, chrome barrel, but the reloading mechanism is complicated: a lever-and-bolt setup under the barrel feeds new rounds into the chamber, which results in a middling reload time (about a second and a half, enough to be felt in a gunfight) and enough moving parts that, like most Sliriai guns, the weapon is useful only in comparatively sterile urban environments. [First appearance: Volume 2, Page 7.]

The Arcane Wendigo, by master gunsmith Hidekora Valmezz, is a six-shot gun with a baffling mix of pepperbox and revolver mechanics, considered one of the most accurate sidearms in known space. Though not designed to punch through armor, it features an adjustable gear--an experiment on Valmezz's part--that lets the user "overcharge" the rounds, greatly reducing accuracy but ramping up the velocity enough to, at its highest levels, crack an Enforcer's helmet. Like all Valmezz designs, the Arcane Wendigo is far outside of an average civilian shooter's budget, and can be found in the hands of Core World security specialists, bounty hunters, and personal bodyguards. [First Appearance: Volume 2, Page 9]

The Glorsh Rotary-55 was Glorsh's moderately successful answer to the Kaed Quad. A heavier weapon with five shots in a mixed revolver/pepperbox design, the Rotary-55 suffers from a disturbing tendency to discharge all five shots with a single pull of the trigger. However, this is not the disadvantage that Glorsh originally thought: a simple (and often illegal) modification allows for the addition of a "blossom switch" allowing an easy five-shot discharge, which is enough to scare away many non-military enemies even if none of the shots hit. [First Appearance: Volume 2, Page 11]