So because I'm bored and I have gathered up enough info.

I have now gathered enough info to determine how faster blaster bolts truly are in SW.

But, let us first backtrack a little to somemore primitive weaponry.

Slugthrowers

Slugthrowers are essentially what we use on Earth, projectile based weaponry firing various caliber bullets or slugs as they are called. These Slugthrowers are considered outdated and useless for modern armies.

These various primitive projectile slugthrower weapons are almost never used by modern armies, due to their ineffectiveness against personal shielding and even the weakest of modern armor.

 

- Taken from SW Sourcebook 2nd edition

Among other sources n such saying how primitive they are....and YET, Slugthrowers can fire Slugs at HYPERSONIC speeds.

He dived into the street. He rolled, coming up to slam her hip joint with his shoulder. The impact folded her over him; he lifted her, turned, and sprang back for the corner. Bright flares of blaster bolts bracketed invisible sizzles and finger snaps of hypersonic slugs.

 

- Taken from Shatterpoint

The compound flooded with smoke and flame, with flashes of blaster bolts and snarls of hypersonic slugs. Mace paced through it all with relentless calm, his only expression a slight frown of concentration, his blades weaving an impenetrable web of lightning. He gave more and more of himself over to the Force, letting it move his hands, his feet, letting it guide him through the battle.

 

- Taken from Shatterpoint

There was no mention of any particular Slugthrower model or type used in the novel, it was just a general statement about slugs.

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Now for blasters, it's noted that they cannot be dodged by normal human means and the fastest moves in the galaxy cannot dodge them, they were also used in the same sentience as a slug.

It was hard even to imagine. Of course, the fastest moves in the galaxy couldn't block a blaster's particle beam or a projectile from a slugthrower.

 

- Taken from Medstar 1: Battle Surgeons

Kaird was no Jedi, able to dodge energy bolts; had he not already been in motion, diving for the floor, as soon as he saw his enemy reach for his weapon, he would have been fried where he stood.

 

- Taken from Courscant Nights

So it seems to be, with blasters being the superior weapon. They would have similar speeds to slugthrowers, plus...if they could be dodged. Then why aren't troops trained to do so? Why aren't regular guys dodging them? I mean since people say they are slow, just because you can see the tracer round which is a harmless byproduct.

Only those with the Force or droid reflexes or superhuman reflexes, can dodge/block blaster shots. It's been noted and stated multiple times, why people say blaster bolts are slow, no idea.

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Moving onto power, I have found a quote saying that blasters are indeed superior to slugs in stopping power.

Mace frowned at the slug pistols holstered on Nick's thighs. "You should borrow a blaster."

 

"Fine with these."

 

"Blasters are more accurate. More stopping power." Mace's voice was grim. "More shots."

Yes it's a character statement, but it's from Mace Windu of all people who has been around plenty of blasters and in Shatterpoint, he was also viewing Slugthrowers, so for him to make this statement isn't baseless.

Plus....blasters have shown to blow off entire limbs and the like...not even specifically named ones, just regular blaster rifles.

She was interrupted by a splattering thwop. Mace had heard that sound too often: steam, superheated by a high-energy bolt, exploding through living flesh. A deep-tissue blaster hit. He turned back to Flor and found her staggering in a drunken circle, painting the pavement with her blood. Where her left arm should have been was only a fist-sized mass of ragged tissue.

 

- Taken from Shatterpoint

Blowing off a woman's arm.

Loruss pointed the rifle and fired without hesitation-but a human’s aiming capabilities were not as sophisticated as IG-88′s.

 

As the bolt roared toward him, IG-88 assessed his body parts, chose the smooth reflective portion on the palm of his left hand, and raised it in a flash, calculating the precise angle of incidence. The burning laser bolt struck the mirrorized hand and sprang back toward Loruss. The beam struck her in the center of her bald forrehead, and her skull popped in an explosion of wet black-and-red smoke.She tumbled.

 

- Taken from I think, therefore I am

Exploding a woman's head.

Redirected blaster shot, decapitates a Stormtrooper.

Also of course where Han completely fried Greedo with his DL-44. Leia blowing a hole through a metal grate on the DS in the garbage chute.

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So folks, what do we have here?

Blasters are able to fire at the same speeds as Slugthrower weaponry? Check

Blasters are more accurate, more powerful than the Slugthrower? Check

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Anyway, enjoy the read people!

Good work, Wolf. Nice comparison between the two weapons.

Yep. yep.

You should post the scan of Vader taking off a Stormtrooper's head with a reflected blaster bolt. I think it was in Empire #1.

May be mis-remembering, though.

You should post the scan of Vader taking off a Stormtrooper's head with a reflected blaster bolt. I think it was in Empire #1.

 

May be mis-remembering, though.

Oh yeah...good thinking. Done n done.

Esplain please. So, pew-pew blaster fire is purely visual and has nothing to do with actual projectile speed.

Let's take sniper rifle. Let's say effective range is 1 km. This distance will take a lot of time for "pew-pew". Are you saying that target will die almost instantly, long before beam arrives? How will it look like?

Esplain please. So, pew-pew blaster fire is purely visual and has nothing to do with actual projectile speed.

 

Let's take sniper rifle. Let's say effective range is 1 km. This distance will take a lot of time for "pew-pew". Are you saying that target will die almost instantly, long before beam arrives? How will it look like?

By pew, pew, I take it you're meaning the visible bolt that is seen?, Yes it's purely visual and harmless. Example, Turbolasers operate under the same principals really, the beam seen, is just a harmless byproduct of the shot.

Like most energy weapons, turbolasers fire invisible energy beams at lightspeed. The 'bolt effect' seen when a turbolaser is fired is actually a glowing pulse that travels along the beam at less than lightspeed.

 

- Taken from Fact File 45

The final particle beam or bolt, contains high energy particles that cause tremendous damage to anything they hit. The bolt's visible light is a harmless byproduct of this reaction.

 

- Taken from Essential guide to Weapons & Tech

As for a more visual example, here.

Scan 1

Scan 2

A bolt traveled across from one building to another in quite a distance, moving fast enough before Candra could finish her warning to Dooku and Dooku unable to react

Wow. Thanks a lot

Yep, yep.

See it pays to have knowledge on the Non-Force side of things in SW. You can gain a ton of new info and there are a ton of awesome things/characters in the SWU, not just Force Users.

Your know modren ballistic weapons fire bullets at hypersonic speeds its not that impressive.

You missed my point, point here is that blaster bolts aren't slow like many say.

So blaster bolts travel at the speed of light and have decapitating stopping power?

Well that adds a whole new level of appreciation to this feat.

So blaster bolts travel at the speed of light and have decapitating stopping power?

 

Well that adds a whole new level of appreciation to this feat.

Lightspeed? What? No, hypersonic.

Lightspeed? What? No, hypersonic.

I assume most energy weapons include standard blasters.

Its never actually stated that blaster bolts move at hypersonic speeds, they are just compared to slugs.

Like most energy weapons, turbolasers fire invisible energy beams at lightspeed.

 

I assume most energy weapons include standard blasters.

 

Its never actually stated that blaster bolts move at hypersonic speeds, they are just compared to slugs.

No Beni, what that quote means, is that they fire invisible beams, not saying all blaster weapons fire at lightspeed. Turbolasers? Yes, Personal blasters? No, that's just really ridiculous tbh.

Also yes, you're right it's never actually stated but considering the info it's not out of reach to say that they aren't the same. Why wouldn't they be?

Even then you could scale down from the Turbolaser to get it.

Also should have clarified, it's for blaster rifles and the like. Not blaster pistols and such, blaster pistols would still be fast, but I'm not sure about hypersonic.

No Beni, what that quote means, is that they fire invisible beams, not saying all blaster weapons fire at lightspeed. Turbolasers? Yes, Personal blasters? No, that's just really ridiculous tbh.

 

Also yes, you're right it's never actually stated but considering the info it's not out of reach to say that they aren't the same. Why wouldn't they be?

 

Even then you could scale down from the Turbolaser to get it.

I was just pointing out that there would not be a contradiction.

So most energy weapons doesn't include standard blasters?

 

I was just pointing out that there would not be a contradiction.

I know and you're right it wouldn't, it's just, I don't see personal blasters being lightspeed, it just seems strange to me. This would mean that all Jedi/Sith would have lightspeed reflexes, which doesn't make sense to me considering they have been challenged by slower things.

No Beni, what that quote means, is that they fire invisible beams, not saying all blaster weapons fire at lightspeed. Turbolasers? Yes, Personal blasters? No, that's just really ridiculous tbh.

 

Also yes, you're right it's never actually stated but considering the info it's not out of reach to say that they aren't the same. Why wouldn't they be?

 

Even then you could scale down from the Turbolaser to get it.

 

Also should have clarified, it's for blaster rifles and the like. Not blaster pistols and such, blaster pistols would still be fast, but I'm not sure about hypersonic.

Why can't they move at hyper sonic? It's still a lot slower than light speed and as I said even current ballistic weapons travel at hypersonic speeds so a fancy plasma launching space age ray gun should be able to manage it.

Why can't they move at hyper sonic? It's still a lot slower than light speed and as I said even current ballistic weapons travel at hypersonic speeds so a fancy plasma launching space age ray gun should be able to manage it.

I never said they couldn't, I just showed that they pretty much should be the same, when taking into account the info. Also what personal handheld weapon can fire at hypersonic speeds? Because I only know of the railgun and that isn't a handheld weapon.

I never said they couldn't, I just showed that they pretty much should be the same, when taking into account the info. Also what personal handheld weapon can fire at hypersonic speeds? Because I only know of the railgun and that isn't a handheld weapon.

Never mind I appear to have misjudge the speed of normal bullets by a few... Thousand miles an hour.

I never said they couldn't, I just showed that they pretty much should be the same, when taking into account the info. Also what personal handheld weapon can fire at hypersonic speeds? Because I only know of the railgun and that isn't a handheld weapon.

If you've read any of the Honor Harrington series by David Weber, you'd know that the handheld weapon (including derringer sized) everyone uses is a hypersonic needle thrower. In other words, a rail gun.

Why can't they move at hyper sonic? It's still a lot slower than light speed and as I said even current ballistic weapons travel at hypersonic speeds so a fancy plasma launching space age ray gun should be able to manage it.

Actually today modern weapons are VERY close to hypersonic. The Winchester .223 super short magnum has a velocity of 2700 mph... Almost Mach 4. So as chemistry continues to advance I see little reason to believe that in the medium term we would not have such hand held weapons, though WHY you would want one is beyond me. They would not necessarily have better performance over other hand held weapons at medium and long range because of the amount of energy lost to aerodynamic heating. The round also due to the forces involved could be impractical as they would be smaller (.223 cal/5.56 millimeter is NOT a big round) and with the high penetration value could well go clear through a person and without hitting a vital organ not really stop the target all that much.

Also I think people are forgetting that the Star Wars universe has more than one kind of blaster. There is the particle beam blaster AND the plasma based blaster (those used by the Grand Army of the Republic). If not the plasma variant they are particle beams (different from lasers.). As such neither is traveling at the speed of light (though still crazy fast, not susceptible to "bullet drop", cross winds etc.)

Slug throwers have some advantages though. Over time since blasters made most body armor moot, people stopped wearing them as much, so not a big issue. Second you can't see a bullet. Third you can silence a slug thrower. Also they are harder to deflect with a light saber than blaster bolts (smaller, basically invisible etc) made it so the Jedi Hunter who would later become General Grievous carried them. Lastly they are typically, according to the books more durable.

From Shatterpoint

Slugthrowers. I hate 'em. But they're easy to maintain. Day or two in the jungle and your blaster'll never fire again. A good slug rifle, keep 'em wiped and oiled, they last forever. The guerrillas have pretty good luck with them, even though they take a lot of practice—slugs are ballistic, y'know? You have to plot the trajectory in your head. Shee, gimme a blaster anytime.

Republic Spec forces (at least in a lot of the books) liked them over blasters a lot because you could silence them and could swap ammos... Stun rounds, High Explosive rounds that were good against armor etc. Then again these guys and girls eat, sleep and likely fornicate with their guns by their side so the training bit isn't an issue...lol

 

Slug throwers have some advantages though. Over time since blasters made most body armor moot, people stopped wearing them as much, so not a big issue. Second you can't see a bullet. Third you can silence a slug thrower. Also they are harder to deflect with a light saber than blaster bolts (smaller, basically invisible etc) made it so the Jedi Hunter who would later become General Grievous carried them. Lastly they are typically, according to the books more durable.

 

From Shatterpoint

 

 

 

Republic Spec forces (at least in a lot of the books) liked them over blasters a lot because you could silence them and could swap ammos... Stun rounds, High Explosive rounds that were good against armor etc. Then again these guys and girls eat, sleep and likely fornicate with their guns by their side so the training bit isn't an issue...lol

Nice to see another know bout weaponry in SW, although it's not really hard for Jedi. Because there are several instances, where Jedi can clearly see and block slugs from Slugthrowers, infact they are trained to do that. Though yeah, they can't bounce a slug back to the shooter unlike a blaster bolt, the slugs just vaporize upon contact with a saber.

Heck even a Je'Daii was able to react and block slugs with her bare hand and she was basically a no name fodder character.

You can also silence blaster bolts actually, can't recall what the device is offhand, but it's possible. Though yeah, Slugthrowers do have some advantages.

The only thing I would question is the "silencing" bit. You can't silence a SIZZLE as superheated matter passes through the air and I can't remember a single instance in any of the novels or comics where it is attempted to boot. A supppressed slug thrower though (a better term than silenced tbh) is suppressed.

This isn't to say a slugthrower is better BTW. For a slug thrower to be a viable alternative takes cash and training in the Star Wars Universe because they do have a steeper learning curve and their rarity (at the blleding edge of combat) commands a premium price.