Re: COLONIAL WEAPONS

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Bilderback" <bbilderback@hotmail.com>
> >The real advantage of conventional firearms with cased ammo is that
the
> >equipment needed to manufacture/maintain them are generally useful
for a
> >lot of other things and the chemical facilities required for nitrate
based
> >fertilizers can easily produce nitrate based propellants (but not
both at
the same
> >time).

What would a Laser rifle need ?
The body of the weapon - 'Lock stock and barrel' if you wish - would be
made
of some general-purpose plastic or metal. Easily produced in a
generalized
hardware factory.
The energy supply - some high-power rechargeable battery - pretty useful
for
a lot of purposes.
Electronics - again, production can be easily converted from other
purposes
Optics - slightly more critical, but again , optical lenses are a
reasonably
ubiquitous product
The Laser itself - depending on what type it is, it probably will
require
some high-purity materials, probably the most critical part. But not,
IMO a
single-purpose product. Normal Lasers, electronics, chemistry etc. may
require similar products.

I am not easily convinced that an industrial SF infrastructure able to
produce modern/SF conventional firearms (as opposed to a blck-powder
weapon,
which is rather easier) would not also be able to produce a Laser rifle.

Greetings