Pestris Pistol

The Pestris is a semi-automatic Elysian Pistol designed for use in the infantry and based on a rather unconventional basis of being designed to transport payloads rather than bullets to the target.

Designer: Elysian Empire. Manufacturer: Elysian Empire. Price: Military issue. Not for sale.

Name: Pestris. Type: Pistol. Role: Anti-Personnel, anti-Material (depending on cartridge). Length: 7.4 inches. Mass: The Petris makes use of large amounts of composites and ceramics in its construction and so keeps its weight down to a respectable 700g.

Projection/ammo type: Cartridge. Firing Mechanism: The pistol functions by a cartridge being loaded into the barrel. At this point a capacitor in the pistol is charged up from the battery in the magazine. When the trigger is pulled there is a quick surge of energy into the electro-magnetic coils of the barrel which accelerates the cartridge to a speed comfortably below the speed of sound (230 m/s). Effective Range 220m. Maximum Range: 323m. Minimum Range: It is not advised to fire it within 2 metres. Muzzle Velocity: 230 m/s. Muzzle Blast: None. The weapon fires its cartridge at below the speed of sound, if only a little underneath. Firing Mode(s): Semi-automatic, automatic or timed burst. With timed burst the cartridge explodes a certain amount of time after being fired. Recoil: Relatively low given the fact that it’s firing at below the speed of sound with a relatively small projectile.

Name: Magazine/battery.

• Visual Description: The magazine of the Pestris is also its battery. It is a black rectangular box which contains ten cartridges in the double column arrangement. The cartridges can be loaded into the magazine by hand. The walls and based of the magazine are a battery.

The cartridge which the Pestris fires is an inch long by a centimetre wide cylinder which is designed to contain 2 cc’s of liquid within a highly stable environment. The cylinders are created as to explode when their head makes contact with a solid object and does so in such a way to project its contents largely forwards. An alternative setting can be activated where it explodes after a certain passage of time – thus allowing for area burst attacks. There are several different contents to these cartridges:

• Ammo: 10 Cartridges
• Charge: 10 rounds.

Name: Cartridge.

• Description: The cartridges which the Petris firews are one inch long by a centimetre wide and are metallic cylinders with a bullet like tip. They are designed to contain 2 cubic centimetres of material (usually liquid) in a highly stabilised environment; the interior is formed out of one of the very few substances known to be unreactive with Fluroantimonic acid. The cartridges are designed to explode when the tip makes impact with a solid object (the impact has to be somewhat beyond simply dropping the cartridge). Alternatively the setting can be adjusted so that the cartridge explodes after a certain length of time – allowing for it to explode in the air for an area effect. The Fluroantimonic acid cartridge has a phosphorescent green stripe down the side, the Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine has a red strie and the Plague a yellow-white stripe.
• Damage Description: The three main types of cartridge each damage differently.
  • Fluroantimonic acid: The strongest acid known to science - 2×10^19 times stronger than 100% sulfuric acid. Once the capsule explodes this will burn through almost anything in its path with great sped, chewing through armour and flesh with equal ease.
  • Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine: This cartridge contains crystallised Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (known in our world as RDX), with a small amount of Primary Explosive Mercury fulminate at the tip of the cartridge in order to facilitate the explosion. When it hits this combination causes a small but powerful explosion (comparable to a shotgun blast). Almost useless when used as an area effect weapon.
  • Plague: This cartridge contains a liquid which itself contains a deadly biological agent. This agent is quickly absorbed through the skin or lungs (especially when used as an area effect weapon) and within minutes makes the afflicted person extremely contagious – the slightest skin to skin contact will result in transfer. However the pathogen does not kill the host, indeed they do not feel any symptoms until the third day (beyond being a little sweatier than normal) where they die quickly. The pathogen is designed only to affect a single species, but once contracted it is almost impossible to cure – only Soul Transfer is a likely way to assure survival. On the fourth day the pathogen kills itself.

Safety: Yes. There is a little button to be pressed on the left hand side of the weapon. Alternatively it can be voice activated.

Fire mode selector: There is a button on the top of the pistol just above the grip which can switch in between fire modes. On touch – semi-automatic, two touches – automatic, three touches – timed blast. For the third effect the default will be after 1 second. Otherwise a vocal command will be required, or the range finder.

Weapon Sight: Iron sight and a infrared laser which the small onboard computer uses.

Really cool built in thingy: The Pestris has a small onboard computer. This can be useful when choosing options, but its greatest purpose is for programming the weapon for area bursts. By aiming the pistol at an area and activating the auto-aim function the weapon will work out the velocity needed and the time after firing the cartridge needs before exploding – as well as providing directions on aim on the small inbuilt screen. When fired this results in an extremely accurate shot – particularly if using the area effect option. The screen normally shows the number of cartridges left, as well as their type.

Field Maintenance Procedure: The weapon is fairly low maintenance in the field and tampering around with the insides is not to be advised. Replaceable Parts and components: The weapon is pretty much self-contained, its compactness meaning that getting specific replaceable parts is not overly easy. Normally a soldier will simply be issued another one while the old one is repaired.

The Pestris Pistol is similar in shape to the average large semi-auomatic pistol, although with a more fluidic and organic shape. There are small shallow grooves running over the design in an organic fashion, vine-like. The magazine for ammunition fits into the grip of the pistol, and there is a display on the top which is used both for the auto-aim function and to display the cartridges left in the gun. The color scheme is usually a dark gunmetal grey with black patterns.

The Pestris Pistol was designed for use of the Elysian infantry, however it has been called into question whether the weapon suits mass use. As such it is currently being used by a select few officers in order to establish whether it could be used effectively on a large scale.

Zakalwe created this article on 2006/12/20 16:23; Wes approved it on 2006/12/20 22:24.