Blasters in Star Wars

Ronaldo · Post by **Ronaldo** » 2003-06-11 09:35pm

Does anyone know how Star Wars blasters are supposed to funcion? I have been trying to find an internet source regarding that, but I haven't been able to find anything. I would appreciate any help you can offer.

Thanks,
Ronaldo

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-06-11 10:19pm

From The Turbolaser Commentaries (excerpted from SW: EGW&T):

When a blaster is fired, a small amount of high-energy blaster gas moves from the gas chamber to the gas conversion enabler (commonly called an XCiter). There the gas is excited by energy from the weapon's power source, which is a small power pack for hand weapons and a reactor or a power generator for a larger weapon. The excited gas passes into the actuating blaster module, where it is processed into a beam comprised of intense energy particles coupled with light.

In addition to this, there is a visible portion and an invisible portion of the bolt. The latter, the destructive portion, strikes first, as evidenced by various instances in the OT. The light is merely a byproduct.

Ronaldo · Post by **Ronaldo** » 2003-06-11 11:15pm

Durran Korr wrote:From The Turbolaser Commentaries (excerpted from SW: EGW&T):

When a blaster is fired, a small amount of high-energy blaster gas moves from the gas chamber to the gas conversion enabler (commonly called an XCiter). There the gas is excited by energy from the weapon's power source, which is a small power pack for hand weapons and a reactor or a power generator for a larger weapon. The excited gas passes into the actuating blaster module, where it is processed into a beam comprised of intense energy particles coupled with light.
In addition to this, there is a visible portion and an invisible portion of the bolt. The latter, the destructive portion, strikes first, as evidenced by various instances in the OT. The light is merely a byproduct.

Thanks for the information.

Ronaldo · Post by **Ronaldo** » 2003-06-13 09:30pm

Is there an "in universe" explanation as to why the stormtrooper blasters eject shell casings in Star Wars A New Hope? Or is this just regarded as a special effects mistake?

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2003-06-13 09:34pm

Ronaldo wrote:Is there an "in universe" explanation as to why the stormtrooper blasters eject shell casings in Star Wars A New Hope? Or is this just regarded as a special effects mistake?

They eject casings? Pics please.

Ronaldo · Post by **Ronaldo** » 2003-06-13 09:42pm

YT300000 wrote:
Ronaldo wrote:Is there an "in universe" explanation as to why the stormtrooper blasters eject shell casings in Star Wars A New Hope? Or is this just regarded as a special effects mistake?
They eject casings? Pics please.

I will have to hunt around for some pictures. I'll post them if I find any. If I can't for some reason, I believe you can notice a shell casing flying out of the blaster Han Solo is using after he fires at the garbage monster once they escape from the garbage smasher. The scene where Chewie is afraid of the monster when you hear it growl.

YT300000 · Post by **YT300000** » 2003-06-13 09:44pm

If it happened once and only once, it might have been the power pack being ejected after being spent.

It is possible, however unlikely.

Ronaldo · Post by **Ronaldo** » 2003-06-13 09:52pm

YT300000 wrote:If it happened once and only once, it might have been the power pack being ejected after being spent.

It is possible, however unlikely.

That is what I used to think as well, but I read somewhere ( I don't remember the website) that there are other examples of that happening in the movie multiple times.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-06-13 10:59pm

The blasters used in Endor were altered 9mm SMGs. They were firing blanks. So you can see shell casings ejected from time to time.

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-06-13 11:03pm

Yeah, but you need to find an in-universe explanation of it, Alyeska

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-06-13 11:26pm

Crayz9000 wrote:Yeah, but you need to find an in-universe explanation of it, Alyeska

Cheap guns that just kept having parts fall off.

Ronaldo · Post by **Ronaldo** » 2003-06-14 03:48pm

neoolong wrote:
Crayz9000 wrote:Yeah, but you need to find an in-universe explanation of it, Alyeska
Cheap guns that just kept having parts fall off.

I have a possible in-universe explanation. Perhaps that particular model of of Stormtrooper blaster used shell casings as it normal method of operation? For example, the shell casings could contain the energy and/or the gas that the blasters needed to fire their energy bolts? Maybe the shell-casing version of the blasters allowed each bolt to be more powerful, at the expense of a higher rate of fire and shot capacity for the clips?

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-06-15 08:00am

E-11s ejecting shell casings? Never spotted that one before.

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2003-06-15 08:53am

A possible explaination for the shell-casing (inspired by the powerguns used in David Drake's Hammer's Slammers series): Because of the high amount of power that gets thrown around by blasters, and the heat that inevitably comes with it, something is needed to be done to keep them from overheating. The answer? Small disposable containers filled with some kind of coolant fluid, which is flushed through a blaster every so many shots (depending on the weapon).