Lasgun

Standard Cadian pattern Lasgun

The Lasgun is an energy based weapon, and is the most common and widely used type of laser weapon in the Imperium. It is standard issue for the Skitarii¹, all Imperial Guard infantry and most lower officers. Lasguns are reliable, easy to maintain and to produce, and are readily available on most Imperial worlds. It has a longer range than a Laspistol, but is nowhere near as powerful as a Lascannon or with the rapid firing qualities of the Multi-laser or the Hellgun.

The lasgun uses the same basic technology and operates along the same lines as other las weapons, emitting a beam of focused light. The high amount of energy of the beam causes the immediate surface area of a target to be vaporized in a small explosion². It is a relatively unimpressive weapon when compared to many other weapons of 40K, but is capable of cleanly severing limbs and potentially even piercing the power armour of a Space Marine (but usually only through a vulnerable spot in the armour). Most designs have iron sights mounted along the top of the weapon. It is powered by a small rechargeable power pack located beneath the weapon and in front of the trigger guard which can be recharged in many ways e.g. by sunlight. These power packs can also be "overcharged", a trick used by guard veterans, causing the pack to explode, turning the weapon into a makeshift grenade. This tactic is only used in last ditch situations as it results in destruction of the weapon. Lasguns have numerous power settings for adjusting the power of each shot and to conserve power (resulting in a weaker laser shot fired). The weapon can be overpowered with a "Hotshot" laser pack, providing more powerful but fewer shots.²

The lasgun mounts a bayonet lug, allowing the weapon to be fitted with bayonets or combat knives. The sniper variant of the lasgun, known as the long-las, is the preferred weapon of Imperial Guard sharpshooters. The barrel of the long-las is extended to bolster the weapon's accuracy. The barrel requires replacement every 20-50 shots depending on the power setting and cool down time. For this reason, the long-las is outfitted with a "slide-lock" barrel, which is easily locked and unlocked from the weapon's housing. Mad Larkin from the Gaunt's Ghosts novels by Dan Abnett carried one such modified Lasgun.

The standard pattern is known as the 'M-Galaxy' style although hundreds of thousands of variants exist, with the Cadian variant being very different from that used by the Tallarn Desert Raiders, Tanith First and Only or Elysian Drop Troops. The M-Galaxy was first put into use in 2546789.M35².

The lasgun and laspistol are possibly the weakest weapons in pure killing power of all the weapons in common usage by Imperial military forces, and are known widely as 'flashlights'. However the power of lasguns is in their massed, concentrated use. It has also been demonstrated that even a laspistol beam is fully capable of killing an unarmoured target, slicing limbs off and, if fired into a target's eye, searing the brain and causing immediate death.

Known Lasgun Patterns

• M36 Kantrael - Standard lasrifle used mainly by Cadians and Shock Troops³
• Mk4 Catachan Lascarbine³
• Mars Pattern Lasrifle - Jouran Dragoons
• M35 M-Galaxy³
• MkIV Accatran pattern used mainly by Elysian drop troops³
• Necromunda-pattern lasguns - manufactured on Necromunda
• Number 98 Lucius_(Forgeworld) Pattern Lasrifle⁴

Related articles

• Laser weapon
• Laspistol
• Lascannon

Sources

• ¹:Death or Glory (Novel)
• ²:Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition Rulebook, p. 61
• ³Codex: Imperial Guard (5th Edition)
• ⁴:Imperial Armour Volume Five - Siege of Vraks, p. 16
• Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, 2nd Codex)
• Warhammer 40,000: Wargear
• Cain's Last Stand (Novel)