DC-17 hand blaster

The **DC-17 hand blaster**, also known as **DC-17 blaster pistol**, was a heavy blaster pistol and the Grand Army of the Republic's standard-issue sidearm. Produced by BlasTech Industries, the DC-17 was usually given to weapon teams, the crews of vehicles, and officers. Of the Republic clone troopers who used the blaster during the Clone Wars, high-ranking commanders, captains, and ARC troopers were all users. During the conflict, ARC troopers, as well as other special forces units like Clone Force 99 within the Special Operations Brigade, used the DC-17 for close-quarters fighting and as a backup weapon.

The weapon was one of the most reliable and toughest models of blaster pistols created, as well as having remarkable stopping power in its small design. The weapon was also well balanced, possessed a respectable rate of fire, and lightweight.

## Characteristics

Like all blasters of the DC-line manufactured by BlasTech Industries, the DC-17 hand blaster fired blue plasma projectiles that were hyper-ionized to be especially devastating against droids while retaining its lethality against organic beings. As a blaster pistol, it could be utilized as a side-arm, and for these two reasons, it was similar in function to its more common cousin, the DC-15S blaster carbine favored as a standard secondary weapon among clone troopers.

Unlike the DC-15S, however, the DC-17 was not only more compact, but also more powerful. Alongside its superior firepower, it boasted lower recoil and a higher rate-of-fire, and consequently, it was far more efficient than its predecessors. Because of its status as an elite firearm, it was also known as a commando pistol and was regarded as an extremely deadly weapon.

The blaster carried a stun setting, as employed effectively by CC-3636 "Wolffe" against the Jedi Ahsoka Tano when she was framed for the bombing of the Jedi Temple. Besides this, it could be customized to accommodate a cable launcher, which CC-3714 "Fil" used to save his life when he fell down a trap door during a raid on Grievous's castle.

The DC-17 blaster pistol should not be confused with the DC-17m Interchangeable Weapon System, though it did share its designation with the larger weapon for a reason—they shared many of their interior components, a fact which helped explain the DC-17 hand blaster's unusually high stopping power and firing rate. This fact was widely appreciated by the users of the weapon, who tended to know them inside and out as part of their training. As a result, ARCs in particular tended to look down on uninformed people who puzzled over the similarity of the naming for two such apparently different weapons. High ranking ARC officers sometimes customized their DC-17s by writing on them or adding attachments such as revolving system or even a scope.

## History

During the Clone Wars, the DC-17 blasters was standard issue for clone jet troopers but was also favored among high-ranking clone troopers.

A popular trend adopted by clone commanders was to wield two DC-17 blasters simultaneously in a style reminiscent of their progenitor Jango Fett. Such examples include CC-3714 "Fil", CC-5052 "Bly" (whose DC-17 were modified with krayt dragon pearl handles), CC-6454 "Ponds", CC-1993 "Jet", and CC-1010 "Fox".

This style was iconic for the clone trooper captains ARC-77 "Fordo and CT-7567 "Rex", the former who led his forces at the Battle of Muunilinst and the Battle of Hypori in this manner. Unlike his brethren who switched off with a DC-15A blaster rifle or DC-15S in some battles, Rex utilized his twin DC-17 almost exclusively throughout the entire war.

The DC-17 blaster saw service with the Null-class Advanced Recon Commando Captain Ordo Skirata as well. In one incident, he employed them to great effect when he, along with Omega Squad, Delta Squad, Sergeant Kal Skirata, former Sergeant Walon Vau, Jedi Generals Bardan Jusik and Etain Tur-Mukan,and later Null-class ARC Lieutenant Mereel Skirata raided a landing strip to expose a terrorist operation on Coruscant.After the Clone Wars, clone stormtroopers such as Captains "Howzer" and "Wilco" continued to make use of the blaster. In the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War, the Twi'lek rebels Numa and Gobi Glie also used these blasters. Lieutenant Dicer of the Phoenix Cell also used this model when she was attacked by a Krykna, a spider-like creature native to the planet Atollon.