Gray Raxis
Blind and Broken
Image Source: Google search
Intent: To update the old WESTAR m5 rifle and add a few upgrades to it
Development Thread: N/A unless needed
Manufacturer: WESTAR
Model: WESTAR m5
Affiliation: WESTAR, Raxian Empire
Modularity: Yes- barrel & stock adjustable in length, attachments both under and over barrel, scopes
Production: major production
Material:
-durasteel
-plastiod
Classification: Blaster rifle
Size: Hand-held
Length: 1-1.5 meters depending on barrel and stock length
Weight: 4 kilograms
Ammunition Type: Power cell
Ammunition Capacity: 200 rounds per cell
Effective Range: 200-350 meters depending on barrel length
Rate of Fire: semi-automatic, fully automatic, 3 round burst
Special Features:
-adjustable stock and barrel
-increased ammo capacity
-increased optimal range
-modular design
-on the fly adjustability
-legacy of awesomeness
Strengths: Versatile- The WESTAR M5 v2 has been updated and upgrades from its original version. It has been given a stock that can be adjusted in length as well as a barrel that can do the same. It was also given the option of both semi-automatic, fully automatic, and 3 round burst rates of fire. This change means the basic weapon can be made to fit the situation its wielder is dealing with. Be is close quarters urban warfare or open field battle, the M5 v2 can effectively be adjusted on the fly to fit the best setting. This was then taken a set further and the gun was given the ability to have attachments both under and over the barrel.
Weaknesses: Heavy- While the WESTAR M5 v2 has been updated and upgrades, it has come at the cost of making the weapon heavier. While not as bad as a minigun might be, the blaster rifle is much heavier than most other blaster rifles would be. This means the one using the weapon has to deal with the added weight, and it only gets more heavy as additional attachments are added to both the bottom and top of the barrel.
Description:
The WESTAR m5 blaster rifle has a long, glorious history. They were the blaster used by the ARC troopers of the Republic during the Clone Wars and were highly successful using them. This has lead to the weapon gaining a reputation of reliability that continues on to this day. And so with that in mind, Gray had his designers get to work on both updating the weapon into the modern era as well as upgrading it to be superior to its original version. They went straight to work on this and decided upon focusing on the weapon's versatility as the main draw. This was inspired by the same ARC troopers who had so effectively used the old version of the weapon, because they had to have a weapon that could handle anything thrown at it just as they had to do. The designers eventually came upon a satisfying level of adjustments without sacrificing what made the weapon so effective to begin with.
The first upgrade that was made was to the weapon's ammo capacity. It originally held only 100 shots before it would need to be reloaded, but with some minor adjustments the designs were able to fit in a larger power cell into the weapon that allowed for double the number of shots before reloading. They then next focused on the stock and barrel of the weapon. They needed to figure out a way to make them able to be adjusted so that the weapon could be more reliable and better able to handle multiple situations. The stock was the easiest to deal with as all they needed to do was create one that could be extended or compressed by closing in on itself. The hard part came with the barrel though, but after several brainstorming sessions they finally settled upon the solution. Without the need for rifling like a slug round would demand, the barrel was able to do a similar collapse-extend & lock mechanic as was on the stock. This allowed the weapon to be able to have a shorter or longer range based on the barrel length, and gave the weapon added optimal range at maximum length.
The designers decided to give the weapon the ability to do all semi-automatic, fully automatic, or 3-round burst firing modes to compliment its adjusted ranges. With WESTAR being a company that produces attachments for both arms and armor, they gave the barrel the ability to have attachments added to both below and above it. They finished it off by making scopes able to be changed out or just removed to finish up its versatility. The weapon was effected by these changes by becoming much heavier than before, but it was deemed acceptable for what it had gained.
Primary Source: WESTAR m5
