Air pistol The air pistol was a projectile slugthrower pistol that used compressed gases to fire its ammunition , instead of the chemical explosions used by conventional slugthrowers . The air pistol was manufactured by Field Sports and was widely available in a large variety of colors from before the Battle of Yavin to the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War . Even though the weapon looked like a toy , it was about as powerful as a striker projectile pistol , which was considered a standard slugthrower pistol design . However , the air pistol lacked the striker ' s range and had slightly less durability . Description . The air pistol was a slugthrower pistol commonly used as a sports target weapon that differed from standard slugthrower designs . The weapon ' s major distinction was that it fired projectiles using compressed gases instead of the chemical explosions used by conventional slugthrowers . This mechanism allowed the Air pistol to operate without the telltale flash and report of a standard slugthrower . Even though the air pistol was as lethal as a striker projectile pistol , which was considered a standard slugthrower pistol , it had the appearance of a toy with some similarities to a sporting blaster pistol . The weapon was found in black and gray , as well as in an assortment of brighter colors . The air pistol ' s design gave it both advantages and disadvantages when compared to a standard slugthrower . For instance , its forty - meter range was sixty meters less than the range of a normal slugthrower pistol . However , the weapon could be improved greatly if it was upgraded with a more powerful compressed air canister . In the hands of a trained user , these upgraded air pistols were highly effective . Like its standard counterpart , the air pistol could be held in one hand by most species , although it was slightly less durable than a normal slugthrower pistol . At eight tenths of a kilogram , the air pistol ' s light weight outclassed its striker projectile pistol competition by six tenths of a kilogram . Its silent operation could only be matched by another slugthrower if a silencer / flash suppressor was employed . Ammunition , too , was more abundant with the air pistol design ; it used a clip that contained twenty specialized slugs instead of the eight - slug clips used by normal slugthrower pistols . Nevertheless , the weapon had a slower rate of fire than the striker projectile pistol . History . The air pistol was produced by Field Sports and cost two hundred credits , seventy - five credits cheaper than a standard conventional slugthrower pistol . Its ammunition cost twenty credits a clip , which was fifteen credits more expensive than the eight - slug clips that were used in the striker projectile pistol . The weapon was available in sports shops across the galaxy before the Battle of Yavin preceding the year 0 ABY , throughout the remainder of Emperor Palpatine ' s reign over the Galactic Empire , and during the existence of the New Republic . During the time of the rebellion against the Empire , several extremely stealthy Rebel Alliance Special Forces units was commonly utilized air pistols in their operations . The pistols were still being sold when the extra - galactic Yuuzhan Vong species invaded the galaxy . The weapon was readily available for sale and did not require a license for an individual to own , unlike conventional slugthrower pistols . Due to the air pistol ' s toy - like appearance , it was rarely confiscated by authorities . Behind the scenes . The Field Sports air pistol was introduced in the weapons chapter of " " , a 1997 book written by Timothy S . O ' Brien for the West End Games . In 2002 , the gun was featured in the weapons section of the " Arms & Equipment Guide " , a sourcebook written by Owen K . C . Stephens and Jeff Grubb for the revised version of Wizards of the Coast ' s Star Wars Roleplaying Game .