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OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide a sub for the standard-issue rifle used by PCs and NPCs of the Galidraan Imperial State.
- Image Source: Sergey Kolesnik | Artstation
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Repeating Blaster, Blaster Rifle, Blaster, Blaster Power Pack
- Manufacturer: Galidraan Imperial State
- Affiliation: Galidraan Imperial State; New Imperial Order
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: SA-65 Repeating Blaster Rifle
- Modularity: Low; certain barrel attachments, different optics, different sorts of bayonets, collapsible stock option.
- Production: Minor
- Material: Durasteel, Diatium and Tricopper Power Cells, Spin-sealed Tibanna Gas, Dallorian Alloy
- Classification: Repeating Blaster Rifle
- Size: Large
- Weight: Heavy
- Ammunition Type: Specialized Blaster Power Packs, consisting of a Diatium and Tricopper Power Cell mated with a Spin-sealed Tibanna Gas Cartridge.
- Ammunition Capacity: Average; 150 shots per standard power pack, 300 per every extended power pack for the Squad Automatic Rifleman.
- Effective Range: Long Range (up to 600m)
- Rate of Fire: High (approximately 1000 RPM cyclic rate)
- Damage Output: High
- Recoil: Average
- Rugged, dependable, and inexpensive to produce design
- Side-mounted, variable (1.5x-6x) optic that can uplink with helmet/ocular implant HUD systems, as well as back-up iron sights (standard combat zero at 300 meters)
- Heavy barrel for extra heat resistance under sustained fire
- Integrated bipod within forward handguard
- Full select-fire capability, ensuring that, in a pinch, any squad member is capable of giving suppressive fire support
- Easily disassembled (captive pin assembly mechanism) for quick field stripping for basic maintenance and repairs
- Chromium-lined barrel to prevent corrosion
- Multiple Dallorian Alloy components within the overall firing mechanism for enhanced heat resistance
- Heavy-duty heat sinks that extend over the barrel for excess heat dispersion
- Right Arm of the Free State: The SA-65 is not a particularly expensive weapon to produce, making it very easy to take and outfit large numbers of soldiers with a quality, multi-role weapon very quickly; it's even cheap enough that large numbers of them have been contracted out to the Galidraan Imperial State's New Imperial Order sponsors.
- "Suppressive Fire" Is My Middle Name: A true light repeating blaster, the SA-65 was designed with the philosophy in mind that every soldier should be issued an automatic weapon, such that, at any point, any one of them can fulfill a suppressive fire role if it becomes necessary; while it doesn't have the ammunition capacity of a normal squad repeating blaster, Galidraani tactical doctrine is that fewer, well-aimed shots are more useful against the trained soldiers they have often fought than a simple hail of gunfire that doesn't present nearly as direct a threat.
- Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka Dakka: Everybody loves a high firing rate. Especially if you need to provide covering fire. Thanks to incorporating multiple heat-resistant components and the massive heat sinks over the barrel, the SA-65 is able to reach a firing rate that is rather rare for a blaster of both its size and power.
- All My Rifles Are Bricks: Solidly constructed, rugged and dependable, the SA-65 is a durable, somewhat heavy weapon, meant to go into the most chaotic theatres of war and come out the other side still functioning without a problem; plus, the weight helps with recoil control, and makes it an effective club if things go entirely sideways.
- Ammunition? What Ammunition?: When you can dump all of your power pack's charge in nine seconds flat, well, it's easy to find yourself running out if you aren't careful...and if you don't have any ammunition, your rifle is pretty well useless, isn't it?
- Like a Mustafar Barbecue: With the heavy-duty heat sinks extending over the front grip, and with the metal vents that allow air to move through and cool the weapon, there's a lot of heat in one area, and a fair amount radiates right into those vents. If you aren't careful, or if you have noticeably larger hands than a normal human, well, you'll wish you were wearing gloves once everything starts to blister.
- Bricks Are Still Heavy: A solid, rugged, heavy quality of build does come with one major downside...and that is how heavy it is. It's more tiring to run around with than the smaller blasters that are in vogue with some of the larger militaries, and more weight in the weapon means less weight that can be carried in terms of total ammunition, other weapons, or various other supplies.
In the final stages of the Third Imperial Civil War, forces from the Galidraan Imperial State that were fighting to free their home system from Sith tyranny were also in the middle of troop trials for a new standard-issue weapon to replace their venerable SA-35 rifles. With the same engineers from Stonesfield Armoury working on the weapon that defected with the plans for the 35 in the first place, they set about designing a weapon that preserved some of the best features of the 35 (namely, its rugged dependability and high stopping power) but that would prove more suitable for the wide-spread arming of a modern military.
The first feature to hit the chopping block was the lever-action overcharge feature; while it was of great use in certain circumstances, it wasn't useful enough to the common soldier to maintain. The weapon was also shortened, and the traditional wooden furniture was done away with in favour of modern metal and polymers, quickly simplifying production and massively cutting back on the cost of having to source the wroshyr wood that was used for the 35. Alongside it went the famed ability to run on any blaster gas that could be fed into the weapon; the 65 is instead limited to its distinct, proprietary power packs, each of which is designed with Tibanna gas in mind.
In place of the overcharge and non-picky firing mechanisms, however, the blaster was made select fire capable, and the power packs designed with a high enough charge to feed the weapon for a much greater number of shots without nearly the loss of power that would normally be expected. In addition, design cues were taken from repeating blasters of millennia past, that had massive heat sinks extending over the barrel in order to handle the much greater heat production than found in normal blaster rifles; coupled with modern materials and components, this meant that the SA-65 was able to greatly exceed the cyclic firing rate of similar sized weapons with its power output, at the cost of presenting a bulkier profile—though still shorter than its big brother, and with an option collapsible stock to make it even easier to transport and store.
With the addition of a heavy profile barrel and an integrated bipod in the handguard, for greater control when using the SA-65 in fully automatic mode, the finished weapons were shipped out to the front in time to be used in the final battles precipitating the fall of the Sith Empire; afterwards, the weapon was formally adopted by the military forces of the Galidraan Imperial State as their new service rifle, with the SA-35 being primarily relegated to reserve and auxiliary use, though at least one can be found in every squad as the designated marksman's weapon. In addition, multiple shipments of the SA-65 were made available to the New Imperial Order on contract, due to the close relation many Galidraani military members have with the schismatic imperial state.
Note: All descriptions of the weapon's effectiveness are merely flavour, or can be chalked up to in-universe marketing, rather than any claim as to its effectiveness against PCs, as per roleplay rule #5.
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