Editing Nobledark Imperium Imperial Forces (section)

=== Lasguns ===

The first instances of las-weapon technology came from Terra itself. Thought to be a recreational weapon used in mock battles during the Dark Age of Technology, at that time these las-weapons beams had the power of 4mm stubber pellets, thus even thick cloth was effective armor against it. These relics were present on Terra and other worlds during the Warlord Era, but it was the Emperor who reshaped it to become a lethal weapon. The Emperor’s scouts had presented him with some prototype weapons while preparing for the unification with Mars. One such weapon was a proto-Lascarbine that was superior to stubber carbines in all but firepower. The Las beams still had the power of a 4mm stubber pellet, thus the Emperor - in his intelligence - recrafted the weapon so that it fired with the power of an 8mm stubber round. The Lascarbine first saw service as a replacement for the Autorifles, which were the standard weapon for the Imperial Army at the time, in the unification of the Sol system. Next were the Laspistols, which were designed to replace the stubber pistols. The mass use of Las-weapons found that Lascarbine barrels started to warp after ~5,000 shots, and the Laspistol barrels warped after ~2,000 shots. When these barrels warped, what would have been unmodified hitscan fire devolved into looser and inaccurate beams, such that Guardsmen had to fire two or more times in the same place to hit. Even worse, when the Laspistol barrels warped, soldiers had to fire at point-blank range to hit their targets at all.

The Imperial Army Handheld Weapons Development Bureau would develop the Lasgun in response, which featured a longer barrel and limited the power to 7.9mm stubber round strength. The iron sights of the weapon were changed to allow attachable optics, and a stock was added for increased accuracy. The first Lasguns were deployed to the front during the Hunting Era, where it was noted that these weapons had effectively the same firepower as the Lascarbines but the barrels didn’t warp until after ~10,000 shots. When the Apostasy Era started Guardsmen on both sides reported that Lascarbines and Lasguns in night-time fighting left noticeable muzzle flashes, thus making the shooter an easy target. The Weapons Development Bureau would again work on the Lasgun and Lascarbine just after the Apostasy Era, creating the attachable flash suppressor, for better night-time combat, and the light attachable stock for the Lascarbine.