E5 blaster carbine

For other uses, see E-5.

The E5 blaster carbine, or E-5 blaster carbine, was a blaster carbine used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems throughout the Clone Wars and later by criminal, paramilitary, or Rebel groups during the Galactic Civil War. It was shortened version of the B1 battle droid's famous E-5 blaster rifle manufactured by Baktoid Armor Workshop.

Description[]

The E5 blaster carbine was a carbine version of the famed E-5 blaster rifle. Like its predecessor, it was originally a BlasTech design that was reverse-engineered by Baktoid Armor Workshop for wide use by battle droids. However, contrary to the E-5 rifle, the carbine was largely intended to be used by vehicle crews and rear-echelon droids. The carbine E-5 was lighter and shorter than its rifle counterpart. Designed for mass production, the E5 family was made with substandard materials that rendered the weapon fragile and prone to overheating.^[2] The fact that the weapon was intended for use by non-living wielders allowed Baktoid to skimp on some of the finer points—such as the fact that short barreled weapons were comparatively fragile and produced a great deal of heat over repeated firings.^[1] The E5 carbine also lacked precision over long distances but had a retractable stock that improved its usability.^[2]

History[]

The E5 carbine was introduced during the Clone Wars to equip Separatist B1, BX and OOM battle droids. The weapon was manufactured en masse to equip Trade Federation and later Separatist forces, and was a frequent sight in the hands of B1 battle droids, particularly among vehicle crews and special operatives.^[2]

LegendaryE5Carbine — A "legendary" E5 carbine

Following the Clone Wars, huge amounts of E5 carbines were made available^[2] to paramilitary units,^[4] pirates, smugglers,^[1] spacers,^[5] and cash-strapped groups such as the Rebel Alliance. Although not held in the highest regard by its users, its high availability and its cheap price made it a common sight throughout the galaxy.^[2] During the Galactic Civil War, it was favored by officers.^[6] After the Battle of Yavin, a spacer discovered a heavily-modified E5 Carbine, dubbed "legendary" E5 carbine.^[7] E5 carbines were also used by B1 battle droids serving HK-47 on the planet Mustafar^[3] in 1 ABY.^[8] One such weapon, OR-5's E-5, was later found by a spacer in the Kubaza beetle cavern.^[9]