DC-15S

The DC-15S was the blaster carbine variant of BlasTech's DC-15A blaster rifle. This weapon was carried by the clone troopers of the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars.

Description
Smaller in scale than the DC-15A blaster rifle, the DC-15S blaster lacked its larger cousin's range, but was easier to handle than the bulkier "A" variant, with a higher rate of fire. The DC-15S also featured a folding stock for enhanced aiming with braced firing. The length of the trigger pull determined the firing setting (semiautomatic or automatic). This blaster was not a true repeating blaster, but it could handle braced firing much better than its larger cousin, with more accuracy and a less chance of overheating. DC-15 blasters fired charged plasma bolts, with tibanna cartridges activated by power magazines (replaced by sliding them out of the side of the gun and inserting a new one) and projected down an magnetic accelerating barrel.

The gas cartridges always lasted for around 500 shots, due to the fact the DC-15S had no power settings, except for the nonlethal stun setting, while the power magazines lasted around 100. Many troops carried spare energizer packs on them, but due to the fragility and difficulty of replacing the tibanna cartridges in combat, few troops carried more than the one in their gun on them. Instead, the cartridges were replaced by the trooper in his spare time, by opening by a hatch near the back of the weapon, popping out the old cartridge, inserting the new one, and closing the hatch.

They were extremely powerful weapons, especially in the hands of experienced clone troopers, and were more than capable of piercing heavy armor. This gun was known to be dual wielded and sometimes held as a pistol. The blaster could also fire a grappling cable which was attached to the butt of the folded stock, requiring the stock to be folded when using the cable. Captain Rex and the Torrent detachment of the 501st Legion utilized this capability most noticeably during the Battle of Teth, using them to scale the sheer cliff below their objective. This famous clone blaster was often used by Commander Cody of the 212th Attack Battalion. Additionally, the blaster had a stun setting, as shown by Boba Fett when he attacked CT-1477 on the Endurance.

History


The DC-15S was widely used by clone troopers during the Clone Wars, though most notably in the conflict's final days. It became increasingly common just before the Battle of Teth, though its popularity did decrease after the Battle of Ryloth. While its popularity would rise and decline, it was used extensively throughout the Clone Wars as both a primary and secondary weapon. While the longer range of the more powerful DC-15A blaster rifle was often preferable to the DC-15S, its higher rate of fire and shorter build made it useful in combat, particularly in close-quarters battles. It could be set to a high pressure rapid fire, as demonstrated by a member of the 212th Battalion on Utapau. The DC-15S became more common during the later period of the war.

The weapon was used by the Christophsian resistance against the invading Separatists on their planet of Christophsis, however, all their attempts at fighting of the droid army failed until they were reinforced by the Republic.

The weapon was also carried by the bodyguards of the Pantoran Chairman Chi Cho during their border dispute on Orto Plutonia with the native species, the Talz.

The design of the DC-15S would later be enhanced by BlasTech for the introduction of the E-11 blaster rifle, commonly known as the "stormtrooper rifle".

Behind the scenes
In Death Trap, Boba Fett mistakenly identifies a DC-15S as a DC-15A.

In the video games Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Battlefront II, the DC-15S is used as a blaster pistol by clone troopers.

The weapon strongly resembles the British Sterling L2A3 submachine gun. As such, it also resembles the E-11 blaster rifle, which is based on the same weapon.