E-5 blaster rifle/Legends

The E-5 blaster rifle was a basic, light, cheap, and fragile blaster rifle manufactured by Baktoid Armor Workshop. Being the the standard-issue armament of the Trade Federation and Separatist B1-Series battle droids, it was produced by the millions in the last decades of the Galactic Republic, in particular during the Clone Wars.
==Description==
The E-5 was a blaster rifle characterized by its short barrel. At the bottom of the weapon was the handle that contained at the front end of which the trigger and a trigger guard. Minimal and single pressure on the trigger permitted continuous fire.Star Wars: Episode I The Visual Dictionary The blaster gas cartridge was introduced at the rear end of the weapon while the power pack was inserted on the left side. A waste energy conduit was attached to the top of the barrel to remove excess heat from the barrel and gas-charging chamber, limiting overheating. The weapon was made of detachable modules that could be replaced. The barrel itself was interchangeable and could be changed with broad-fire pattern tip. The E-5 usually fired red blaster bolts. It could fire in space and underwater.
The E-5 blaster was developed to be used by battle droids with minimum processing. The handle was designed for the three-fingered hand of the B1-Series battle droid but the weapon could also easily be used by organics such as Humans. B1 battle droids were programmed to use the weapon with their two hands but the light and small-sized blaster could also be fired with one hand.
The E-5 blaster rifle originated a BlasTech E-series blaster design that was reverse-engineered by Baktoid Armor Workshop for the needs of the Trade Federation. Ultimately, the E-5 was a very basic and light-weight blaster rifle. Hence, it was developed to be manufactured with light raw materials. The objective of the Trade Federation was to reduce the costs of production and to augment the number of weapons transportable. This made the E-5 quite fragile but its detachable modules could readily be removed to be repaired or replaced. Beyond economic considerations, the light and cheap design of the E-5 blaster favored mass-production and permitted its production to be easily moved to any industrial plant. Despite these flaws, the E-5 was a very accurate riffle, though battle droids were usually not capable of precise shots. In addition, the blaster was designed to be attached to a B1 droid backpack, the usual form of storage in the compressed form of the battle droid in transit.
==History==
The E-5 blaster rifle was developed by Baktoid Armor Workshop on order from the Trade Federation prior to the Invasion of Naboo. The objective of the Federation was to provide a light, cheap and easy-to-use weapon for its Droid Army. During the conflict on Naboo, the E-5 rifle was the primary weapon worn by the B1-series and OOM-series battle droid of the Trade Federation. The production of E-5 blaster rifles was then moved from the Baktoid premises to Geonosis.
During the Clone Wars, Baktoid Armor Workshop manufactured E-5 blasters for the Confederacy of Independent Systems as the weapon was still massively used by the B1 battle droids. The weapon also equipped BX-series droid commandos, rocket battle droid, droid marines, and tactical droids. Beyond droids, the E-5 blaster rifle was used by organic troops, such as the Neimoidian Home Defense Legion, the Koorivar Fusiliers and the Gossam Commandos In the first months of the Clone Wars, Baktoid also introduced a shorter and lighter version of the E-5 rifle, the E5 blaster carbine to equip vehicle crews and rear-echelon droids. Nevertheless, the E-5 blaster rifle remained widely used until the end of the conflict.Star Wars: The Clone Wars Even after the Clone Wars, the E-5 rifle was still in service among battle droids of the Separatist holdouts.
The bounty hunter C-21 Highsinger used an modified E-5 during the Clone Wars. Hondo Ohnaka's pirates also made use of this modified weapon, particularly Gwarm.
E-5 blaster rifle were also used by IG-86 sentinel droids during the Clone Wars.
==Behind the scenes==
The E-5 blaster rifle first appeared in as the weapon that equipped the Trade Federation battle droids. It was later identified as E-5 blaster by The Official Star Wars Fact File. Although many sources described the weapon as a blaster riffle,Star Wars: Episode I The Visual Dictionary the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and its Saga Edition identified the weapon as a blaster carbine.Arms & Equipment Guide In addition, the video game Star Wars Galaxies introduced an E5 carbine that was virtually identical to the E-5 blaster rifle, but without specifying whether it was intended to be the same or a different weapon. Finally, the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game clarified that the E5 carbine was a shortened version of the E-5 rifle. The sourcebook Stay on Target later developed some historical background for the difference between the two weapons.
In Star Wars: Battlefront II, the shotguns of engineer droids, the Bulldog RLR of the IG-100 MagnaGuards, and the flamethrower used by Jango Fett use the same model as the E-5 blaster rifle.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
*LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
*LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
*LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Baktoid Armor Workshop products
Category:Blaster rifles
Category:Confederacy military