Bombshell Genius
A Caluula without the 360-degree scope
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create an anti-materiel rifle for infantry based on the electromagnetic plasma cannons.
- Image Source: HeroScapers
- Canon Link: N/A
- Restricted Missions: N/A
- Primary Source: Electromagnetic plasma cannon, SI-74 anti-tank rifle
- Manufacturer: Ringovinda Systems
- Model: Caluula anti-matériel rifle
- Affiliation: Open-Market
- Modularity: No
- Production: Minor
- Material: Alusteel, blaster components
- Classification: Anti-materiel electromagnetic plasma rifle
- Size: Handheld
- Length: 170 cm
- Weight: 15 kg
- Ammunition Type: Power cell, gas canister
- Ammunition Capacity: Power pack and gas canister capacity of 15 shots
- Effective Range: Battlefield (ca. 3 km)
- Rate of Fire: Semi-automatic (about 8 rounds per minute)
- Free-floating barrel
- Recoil buffer
- Collapsible bipod
- Detachable 360-degree scope
- Advanced cooling system
The free-floating barrel is a feature that allows the recoil to be reduced at a manageable level, while the barrel and the stock do not touch along any point along the barrel length, even though it is attached to the trigger assembly, called the receiver. In addition, a recoil buffer mounted into the stock allows the shooter to reduce the recoil felt, while the collapsible bipod helps stabilize the weapon while fired. Despite this, the recoil is still comparable to the recoil of firing a conventional .50 BMG caliber slugthrower, which is highly unpleasant to be on the receiving end of. Also, the tubes mounted around the barrel are actually extruded alusteel heat pipes with internal zirconium coating, with the contact area maximized so as to maximize the outward flow of heat from the weapon to the outside environment.
Strengths:
- Great penetration power (can penetrate up to 200mm of reinforced duracrete, or equivalent, while more heavily armored vehicles would have a dent into their armor)
- Explosive firepower
- Cannot be redirected by lightsabers
- Slow rate of fire
- Heavy
- Difficult to aim
- Very easy to detect using thermal and EM sensors
- Large amount of recoil
- The shooter must be in a prone position to fire
- Cannot be used in a prolonged firefight
The Caluula anti-matériel rifle is borne from the realization that, in a ground ambush, infantry is often preferred to vehicles over many types of terrain. The use of miniaturized electromagnetic plasma cannon technology was chosen due to the various advantages of electromagnetic plasma, especially when used against lightsaber-wielders: if a lightsaber-wielder tries to block a shot fired from a Caluula with a lightsaber, the contact of the round against the lightsaber would cause an explosion that would release the plasma contained inside the lightsaber back onto the wielder. Which, given the nature of electromagnetic plasma weapons, would likely result in the vaporization of the areas hit by the plasma explosion, potentially reducing the targets into molten slag or possibly causing severe burns. Heavily armored targets would get holes punched into the armor, creating weak spots through which a second shot may be fired and penetrate the same spot. However, such miniaturization comes at the cost of lowered rate of fire and lowered durability in battle: it only fires about eight rounds per minute in a sustained rate, and a shooter can only shoot about three magazines (which are fed in the stock) within a 20-minute period until the weapon has to be taken out of service for a period of four hours, despite the use of heat pipes containing zirconium and flared fins in its advanced cooling system, with HFC-134a inside the pipe. Of course, such heat makes a Caluula very easy to detect on thermal sensors upon firing, while the very nature of electromagnetic plasma makes it very easy to detect on EM sensors.
Nevertheless, it can penetrate up to 200 mm of reinforced duracrete, making it a good weapon to use in ambushes and other types of surprise attacks against several kinds of targets: vehicles, fortified positions, lightsaber-wielders, tightly-packed infantry, to name a few. To say nothing of the recoil engendered by a weapon with such explosive firepower: it is highly uncomfortable and it kicks the wielder like a mule, making aiming for another shot after firing a difficult or lengthy proposition and making some users fire it wildly if fired in quick succession. And also it forces the wielder to be in a prone position to fire it, regardless of whether the collapsible bipod is in use or not. For these reasons, the Caluula is best used when one has the element of surprise.
