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The blastech E-11 blaster rifle was declared the standard sidearm for imperial storm troopers because it offered the great
range and heavy damage of a traditional long-barreled rifle in a compact easy-to-wield weapon. The E-11 has a light, well-balanced design that permits accurate one handed fire, allowing soldiers to move unencumbered and use the weapon in close quarters almost as easily as one wields a pistol. The rifle has good long range targeting beacause of the extendale sighting stock, the barral's advanced galvan circuitry, and the computer-enhanced scope, which filters out smoke and haze and enhances vision in low-light conditions.
The E-11 blaster rifle has a maximum range of three hundred meters and an optimum range of one hundred meters, nearly three times the reach of a blaster pistol. This range is achieved because the barrel runs almost the entire length of the weapon, producing a tightly focused and very powerful particle beam. To accomadate this barrel design, only the actuating blaster module and the prismatic crystal housing are placed behind the barrel. Other components are mounted to the side or underneaththe galven circuitry, while the gas chamber has a unique tubular design that wraps around the back of the barrel. These components are mounted on a single module that slides out the back of the weapon for repair or replacement. To prevent dangerous heat buildup, the E-11's cooling coils force-feed a liquid cooling agent called freelol through an intricate capillary system that carries heat away from vital components and into the forward vent capacitor.
While the E-11 was sold exclusively to the Empire during the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance managed to acquire thousands of these weapons through black market purchases and outright theft. The E-11 and its technological "clone," a SoroSuub-manufactured blaster rifle called the Stormtrooper One (later renamed the Freedom One), remained favorites of both Imperial and New Republic forces. Other blaster rifle models frequently used by military forces include the SoroSuub Heavy Tracker 16, the Merr-Sonn G8, and the very powerful BlasTech A280, but none of these weapons matches the versatility or reliability of the E-11. |
The side-mounted power pack supplies enough energy for a variety of power levels, from stun to full blast. Because of its large quarter-centimeter bore, the E-11 is quite lethal at full power. Although Imperial and New Republic soldiers normally use the semiautomatic setting in order to conserve ammunition and allow adequate cooling, the weapon has full automatic and pulse fire settings. Extended automatic fire may throw the barrel out of alignment.