Plasma Revolver, Type 46

The Type 46 Plasma Revolver is a fully militarized version of the popular SiZi Model 38 Special Duty Revolver made expressly for the Star Army of Yamatai by Saika Mochikabu Kaisha starting in YE 46.

Soon after its introduction, the Model 38 Special Duty Revolver became a popular firearm across the Kikyo Sector and within the Star Army despite its limited adoption as a specialized sidearm for Intelligence Operatives and Infantry officers. This outsized demand for the weapon in part pushed the Saiga Corporation toward its industrial diversification as they ramped up production of the Model 38 SDR, which would later culminate in the company's later restructuring into the Saika Mochikabu Kaisha.¹⁾ By YE 40, the SMK was responsible for the manufacture of all new Model 38 pistols on the market while the original Nepleslian producer, Sitanin Zbrojovka Unlimited, quietly ceased making any new examples of the gun.

Through battles during the Kuvexian War the Model 38 earned its reputation as a reliable and powerful platform for use by soldiers expected to fight both in power armor and as standard infantry. This success was owed in large part to the firearm's sturdy construction that was capable of being loaded with ammunition used by unarmored personnel as well as more powerful rounds utilized by power armored infantry wearing suits such as the M2-4 Mindy 4.

Reports scraped from this extensive battle testing in the course of a galactic war trickled back to the wunderkind gunsmith Fiolina Jilad through SMK engineers, who hired the reclusive gun tech to create a next generation iteration of her plasma revolver. She would go on to modify the Model 38 to be better suited for deployment by the Star Army of Yamatai. The results of Jilad's effort to improve the weapon were finished in YE 46, and the new version was adopted by the Star Army that same year. While the Type 46 is sightly less expensive to purchase, it is only available for sale to the Star Army. Inventory of the earlier Model 38 will remain in service until exhausted.

• Designer: Fiolina Jilad
• Manufacturer: Saika Mochikabu Kaisha
• Name: Plasma Revolver, Type 46
• Nomenclature: Sp-W3-W38SA/46
• Type: Plasma
• Class: Anti-Armor/Special Service Revolver
• Length: 13 inches or 33.02 cm
• Weight: About 3 pounds or about 1.37 kilograms

Based on the SiZi Model 38 Special Duty Revolver's platform, the Type 46 Plasma Revolver is essentially the same weapon with a few minor tweaks. With an aim to make the weapon more standardized and increase its already rock-solid reliability, the Type 46 is absent some of the customization features present on its predecessor as to reduce accessory and component loss in the field. These changes include the removal of the Model 38's ability to accept micro weights to change the gun's balance and mass profile between 2 lbs and 4.5 lbs, and increases the weapon's base weight to 3 lbs. The Model 38's original interchangeable pistol grip was replaced with a more sturdy rubberized grip integrated more tightly into the gun's frame.

Beyond these technical revisions to the older Model 38, some modifications were made to the frame and body for the Type 46 iteration. A half inch has been shaved off the Type 46's total length. The cowling covering the Type 46's dual plasma emitter array—easily recognized as the revolver's “barrel”—has been made more boxy and flush than the Model 38 had been, back from the pistol's muzzle to where its cylinder is positioned above the weapon's trigger. Additionally, the Model 36's hexagonal cylinder itself has replaced with a rounded component for the Type 46. All of these alterations, while removing a measure of artistry Jilad first designed into the firearm, were made to reduce and prevent snagging on clothing or other equipment.

Though the Type 46 loses out on some of its predecessor's customizability, it is fitted with two picatinny rails on the dorsal and ventral axis of its length. This standardized mounting system allows for the addition of extra accessories such as a flashlight, laser targeting device, or enhanced gunsight.

The Type 46 has a blued gunmetal frame with Star Army Periwinkle accented furniture. The words “PLASMA PISTOL, TYPE 46” and “FOR STAR ARMY USE ONLY” are etched into the revolver's cowling near its muzzle. Its front integral iron sight is colored neon green for easy target acquisition in low light situations. There is a single teal indicator light behind the Type 46's cylinder that turns tangerine orange when the weapon's loaded Condensed Plasma Cartridges (Ammunition) reach half capacity and then turns off when the weapon's ammunition is empty; the illumination on this is very dim and cannot be easily recognized by humans in the dark from a distance greater than 3 feet. There is a Star Army Hinomaru emblazoned on the gun's pistol grip.

• Muzzle Flash: A bright blue-white flare extends from the weapon's muzzle while plasma coolant exhaust flushes out from vents along the weapon's barrel and underside.
• Projectile Appearance: A blue or green plasma “fireball” with intermediate shades depending on ammunition and charge cycle is materialized between an upper and lower vectoring barrel and then thrust forward.
• Effective Range: 935 feet/285 meters
• Rate of Fire: One shot per trigger pull. When loaded by hand, approximately 18 rounds per minute depending on the user's reload time and the ammunition type used.
• Recoil: Standard plasma shells produce a hefty kick. Heavy shells issue an explosive shock that is difficult to control without power armor and will severely burn unarmored users.²⁾ In both cases, excess plasma energy venting through the pistol's top vent serves to mitigate the shot's force. Special Purpose and Light ammunition have very little recoil in comparison.

• Ammunition: Condensed Plasma Cartridges (Ammunition)
• Damage Ratings: Light: Medium Anti-Personnel (Tier 2). Standard: Light Anti-Armor (Tier 4), Heavy: Heavy Anti-Armor (Tier 6).
• Round Capacity: 6 cartridges per cylinder, 2 charges per cartridge, 12 shots when fully loaded with standard or heavy cartridges. For light cartridges, increase the payload per shell to 8 shots, for a total of 48 shots when fully loaded with them.

• Firing Mechanism: Single action/double action revolver. When the hammer strikes a cartridge’s activation site, half of its energy is expelled through the barrel. The drained cartridge is rotated out-of-battery by the next cocking of the hammer. Then, the cylinder is rotated to the next cartridge, allowing the recently fired round to air cool from the super heated state it is left in after firing.
• Loading: The revolver's cylinder is pushed to the side on a swing arm and replaced with a new cylinder or cleared of its six depleted cartridges and hand loaded.
• Mode Selector: The T46 has no mode selector, but is capable of interfacing with most neural link hardware, allowing the user to manually cycle the T46's cylinder. This feature is particularly useful when loading a combination of ammunition types.
• Firing Modes: Single shot, double action revolver.
• Safety Mechanism: N/A
• Weapon Sight: Equipped standard with integral iron sights.

• Plasma Revolver, Type 46: 900 KS
• Additional cylinder: 100 KS
• Ammunition:

raz created this article on 2024/03/17 15:19 and approved³⁾ by Wes the same day. The Type 46's picture was created using Midjourney and edited by Wes.