BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon The Merr - Sonn BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon was an anti - personnel weapon used by heavy weapon specialist s in the Sith Lord Darth Krayt ' s Imperial Army during the Second Imperial Civil War . The BB - 23 was of considerable size and could unleash a great deal of damage against enemy infantry , gaining it the nickname " big gun . " However , the blaster cannon had to be reloaded after every four shots , requiring the user to carry around a large amount of ammunition . The stormtrooper Jes Gistang of Joker Squad used a BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon during the Empire ' s assault on Borosk , a planet controlled by the rival Empire - in - exile , in 137 ABY . During the second day of fighting , Gistang was killed in an explosion that also incinerated her BB - 23 . Description . The BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon was an anti - personnel blaster manufactured by Merr - Sonn Munitions , Inc . . The BB - 23 was larger than most standard blasters , weighing twenty - two kilograms , and could be braced to provide additional support . It caused a large amount of damage in a single shot , and wreaked havoc on groups of ground infantry that were spaced too close together ; for these reasons , the blaster cannon was given the nickname " big gun . " It cost 4 , 200 credits and was available for military use only . However , the BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon ' s main drawbacks were its size and copious use of ammunition . The user was required to wield the blaster cannon with two hands to support its weight , and , because of the weapon ' s power , it expended a great deal of energy per shot , requiring a new power pack after every four rounds . Due to this limitation , it was necessary for the user to carry several power packs into battle and to reload the BB - 23 constantly , both of which could become a hindrance on the battlefield . The power packs themselves were susceptible to detonation if hit by a laser bolt . The heavy blaster cannon had an optimum firing range of up to 75 meters and a maximum range of 375 meters . History . The BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon was used by heavy weapon specialist s in Darth Krayt ' s Imperial Army during the Second Imperial Civil War . Jes Gistang , a heavy weapon specialist and stormtrooper in Joker Squad — a unit in the 407th Stormtrooper Division serving Krayt ' s Empire — utilized a BB - 23 during the war . In 137 ABY , Joker Squad and the rest of the 407th were dispatched from their headquarters on the planet Yinchorr to participate in an assault on the planet Borosk , defended by the 908th Stormtrooper Division , which had recently defected to former Galactic Emperor Roan Fel ' s Empire - in - exile . On the first day of fighting , Joker Squad was among the first forces that attacked the 908th ' s headquarters . During the battle , Gistang used her BB - 23 to great effect , killing a number of enemy stormtroopers with her powerful blaster cannon . However , she was forced to continually reload her weapon , and , at one point , her squadmate Anson Trask had to shoot a 908th stormtrooper who was targeting Gistang while she tried to put a fresh power pack into her blaster cannon . During the second phase of the battle , Joker Squad pushed deeper into the 908th ' s base , eventually reaching a mess hall containing a number of 908th stormtroopers . In the resulting lightfight , a stray blaster bolt hit one of the many power packs that Gistang was carrying on her belt for her BB - 23 , releasing the energy within . Both she and her weapon were consumed in the resulting explosion . Behind the scenes . The BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon first appeared in the fourth issue of the " " comic series , " " , published on October 11 , 2006 . The BB - 23 was only identified by its nickname , the " big gun , " in the comic . It was finally given its official designation with the publication of the " Legacy Era Campaign Guide " on March 17 , 2009 . In that same year , an action figure of Jes Gistang , along with her BB - 23 , was released as part of Hasbro ' s " " Joker Squad six - pack . The " Legacy Era Campaign Guide " states that the BB - 23 heavy blaster cannon held ten shots per power pack . However , this contradicts " Noob " , which makes it clear that the BB - 23 had to be reloaded after every four shots . For consistency , this article assumes the BB - 23 held four shots per power pack .