colonial weapons

Ryan said:
I have a new iBook. I could take that iBook with me to Afganistan. I 
could not find parts or a full replacement unit in Afganistan. I 
could not make those parts there either. I could take my 1941 Lithgow 
Enfield Rifle there and get a local with some simple machine tools to 
make a new trigger spring or turn out a new firing pin. Thats the 
difference.

[Tomb] Correct. Now assume we deploy our early laser rifles by 2015. It
is now 2183. Your "new iBook" analogy fails because by this time the
laser rifle IS the Lithgow Enfield (actually, not the original laser
rifle, but a laser rifle refined for a further 120 years!). Now, if you
were to say "grav rifle" (or some other New-to-the-GZGverse tech), I'd
agree.