500 riot gun
The BlasTech 500 "ESPO" riot gun was manufactured specifically for the Corporate Sector Authority's brutal Espo Troops.
Description
The ESPO was a short-barreled rifle with an open-frame stock. Its strength was not in accuracy—indeed, it did not have much of that—but rather in its ability to hit anything within a general field of fire. Critics of the CSA have said that the rifle matched the CSA philosophy perfectly—when in doubt, shoot into a crowd, or so the cynics say.
This riot gun also had a close-range stun setting as well, meaning the wielder could switch the weapon to fire stun shots instead of lethal fire, however the close-range stun setting was limited to a range of only 9 meters. The sale of this weapon was restricted to legitimate military organizations and police forces only.[1]
It appears that during the years from the Clone Wars up to the Rebellion era, this weapon underwent some improvements including a reduced weight from 4.5 kg to 2.2 kg as well as improvement to its long-range accuracy. The result was a cost increase of 1,000 to 1,200 credits.[1][2]
History
The Blastech 500 riot gun was standard issue for all Espos.[1] Espos were known to use this weapon on constant-fire mode the majority of the time, as they could afford to waste power hosing it around without regard for collateral damage or innocent bystanders.
Sources
- Galladinium's Fantastic Technology (As "BlasTech Riot Gun")
- Gundark's Fantastic Technology: Personal Gear
- Arms & Equipment Guide
- The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
"Blasters and Rifles" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)- Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
- Star Wars: Edge of the Empire Core Rulebook