DL-3 blaster pistol

"The only time you'd ever see a Marine without his DL-3 was after he'd been killed."

- Sergeant Denaas Bekuur, in his memoirs

The  was the second, and by far most successful, military-issue sidearm produced by the in its first centuries of existence. Originally developed to fulfill a order for a standardized heavy blaster for use by all branches of its military, this weapon saw widespread use throughout the. A favorite sidearm of soldiers, it was often used as a backup weapon, or as an alternative to a full-sized rifle in close-combat situations. It was eventually augmented by the refined and longer-ranged DL-5.

Details
A medium-to-large pistol, the DL-3 was easily recognizable by the shape of its barrel and housing. The outer shell, which ran from the tip of the barrel to the butt of the grip, roughly resembled an inverted right triangle. The trigger, located at the junction of the lower angle and handle/power cell casing, was large enough for a thickly-armored finger to have comfortable pull. The handle itself extended from the body at a rear-facing 20° angle, and could be fitted with different-sized grips to accommodate different-sized hands. The top of the blaster was flat, with slotted sights, and could be fitted with a variety of scopes.

History
The first DL-3s were delivered to the Marines in 4,006 BBY for testing, with approval for general use following shortly afterward. The Marines who tested the weapon praised it for its stopping power and mobility at close quarters; however, they admitted that the weapon was somewhat heavy for its size. They considered this a worthy tradeoff, however, as the blaster's heavy grip could be used in a pinch as a melee weapon. The design was also found to be quite rugged, requiring little maintenance in the field, and capable of standing up to considerable abuse.

With approval granted for full production, Aratech engineers tweaked the design, reducing its weight by ten percent. Within three years, nearly every frontline unit within the Republic Armed Forces were equipped with the DL-3, with second-line and reserve units receiving theirs by the outbreak of the on the planet. It was there that the blaster saw its first action, with the s and Marines sent in to aid the in their goal of ending the dark-side conflict. The weapon proved to be effective against armored foes, however it lacked the power and range of a dedicated battle rifle, and was typically used as a backup weapon, or for close-quarters fighting where the length of a rifle was at a disadvantage. As the years progressed, the DL-3 became a ubiquitous sight amongst the military of the Galactic Republic, with soldiers choosing to buy their weapons from the government upon the completion of their term of service, usually at a fraction of its original value.

Though the Republic attempted to restrict the DL-3 to military use, nevertheless, a number of examples were obtained illegally, with black-market manufacturers making either direct copies or, far more often, cheaper knock-offs that typically lacked the same quality of production. Imitations such as the DKL-7, produced on by factories under the control of, were carried in great numbers by pirates and other criminals, despite its propensity to misfire if not cleaned often enough. Professional mercenaries, however, turned their noses up at these crude copies, preferring the GL-4 produced by, who cared little about who bought their weapons. Despite a court order handed down by the Judiciary in 3,989 BBY, a result of a copyright violation lawsuit brought against Czerka by Aratech, the former company continued to manufacture their version, which was slightly heavier and not quite as powerful. The of Darths  and  became a major purchaser of the GL-4 during the.

Invention
Based on the idea of reducing the size of a 's power pak, gas chamber, and other mechanicals so that they could fit into a pistol-sized frame, the DL-3 was an improvement over the preceding DL-1 that was Aratech's first foray into heavy pistol development. Though not as far-reaching as a military-issue rifle, the DL-3 nevertheless packed the same punch, particularly at close range. The drawback to this level of power was that each cell could only fire a limited number of shots before needing replacement. The weapon's gas chamber, however, remained at normal capacity.

After the conclusion of Exar Kun's war, specially-engineered and modified versions of the DL-3 began to be utilized in competitive shooting matches. These specialty models were typically rebuilt almost literally from the frame up, with advanced materials making these weapons lighter, faster on the draw, and giving an increased rate of fire as well as the ability to, with training, swap out the power cell with incredible swiftness.

Obsolescence
Eventually, Aratech produced the successor version of the DL-3, designated the DL-5, which incorporated designs purchased from Mandalorian manufacturers in the years after the. These innovations allowed for a weapon that, despite an increase in maximum and effective ranges, could fire more shots per power cell. The frame was also fractionally lighter and stronger. However, these improvements were not cheap; an individual DL-5 cost over five hundred credits more than its predecessor. Because of this, the Republic military was slow to adopt it, and so it never saw the popularity of the DL-3. Amongst the special forces, such as commando units within the Republic Marines, the DL-5 was eagerly embraced.

Appearances

 * A Marine Went to Jedi Camp