KC-47 Hybrid Strike Rifle

Production Information

 * Manufacturer: Karavin Concern
 * Model: KC-47 Hybrid Strike Rifle
 * Affiliation: Open-Market, Eternal Empire
 * Modularity: Yes (Optics/Sights)
 * Production: Mass-Produced

Technical Specifications

 * Material: Durasteel, Wood


 * Classification: Blaster/Slugthrower Hybrid Rifle
 * Size: Large (870mm Long)
 * Weight: Heavy
 * Ammunition Type: Power Cell, Tibanna Gas Cannister, Slugs
 * Ammunition Capacity: 30 Blaster Bolts / 20 Slugs
 * Reload Speed: Slow
 * Effective Range: Average
 * Rate of Fire: Average (Blaster Bolts) | High (Slugs)
 * Stopping Power: High
 * Recoil: High

Advanced Features

 * Dual-Feed Operation: The KC-47 is a hybrid assault rifle which is capable of switching between two types of ammunition. Intended as a general-purpose weapon capable of dealing with conventional targets as well as Force users, the KC-47 features an internal mechanism that allows it to switch between blaster bolts and slugs by pressing a toggle on the receiver.

Strengths

 * Dual-Feed Operation: The KC-47 is designed to be able to fire both blaster bolts and slugs, allowing it to be used effectively against both conventional enemies and Force users alike
 * Kalashnikov: The KC-47 is a reliable weapon. Its rugged design insures that the rifle will suffer few breakdowns, even in harsh environments such as deserts and jungles

Weaknesses

 * Kalashnikov: Emphasizing reliability and effectiveness, the KC-47 is a relatively inaccurate weapon which performs very poorly in situations that require a high degree of precision
 * Sack of Potatoes: Despite all attempts to reduce weight as much as possible the KC-47 is still a bulky weapon, weighed down by having two separate internal assemblies and carrying the ammunition for both

Description
"This is not just any blaster. This is blaster." - Excerpt from promotional brochure

Unveiled after a lengthy period of development, the KC-47 is one of the Karavin Concern's first products in the small arms sector. Envisioned as an end-all, be-all type of weapon aimed at both civilian and military clients, it is essentially a two-in-one platform which, on one side, features a fairly conventional blaster mechanism fed by a power cell and Tibanna gas, while also being able to swap to a slugthrower mode if engaging a Force wielding opponent.

Built around the concept of arming every soldier with the means to effectively counter both Force users and conventional opponents without having the requirement for troops to carry two separate weapons, the KC-47 is a rugged, reliable rifle which will rarely suffer malfunctions, as long as standard field maintenance is provided. Much of the promotional material offered by Karavin Concern claims that this rifle "will run until the end of time" and although this is meant in a metaphorical sense, the KC-47 scores very highly in reliability tests.

The weapon's unique design does lead to several drawbacks, however. As a hybrid weapon, it has to have the mechanisms for firing both conventional blaster bolts and slugs, housed within the same receiver, as well as requiring the use of two separate ammunition feed systems at the same time. All of these factors drastically increase the weight and size, compared to other weapons within the same class. Additionally, being required to have the ability to propel two very different types of ammunition down the same barrel, with blaster bolts being contained by a magnetic field so as to avoid slamming into the barrel itself, results in a design which sacrifices accuracy for the sake of functionality.

Aimed at both the civilian and military markets galaxy-wide, the KC-47 has already been adopted as the standard infantry service rifle by the Eternal Empire and has also gained popularity amongst mercenaries, bounty hunters and less reputable organizations which may find themselves facing Force Sensitive opponents.

On the civilian side, the rifle is distributed to a number of retailers throughout the galaxy and is heavily marketed as a multi-purpose personal defense weapon especially in areas in or nearby conflict zones, where the risk of having to face a Force user in combat is a very real possibility, as well as on lawless frontier worlds.