Editing Laser pistol (1980)

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: ''For the laser pistols used in the {{TOS|Battlestar Galactica|Original Series}}, see: [[Laser pistol]].''

[[File:Large laser pistols.jpg|thumb|Standard laser pistols of the [[Colonial Warrior]]s being used on their "stun" setting.]]
The '''laser pistol''' is an energy-based weapon and standard sidearm of both [[Colonial Warrior]]s and [[Cylons (TOS)|Cylons]] [[Centurions (TOS)|Centurions]] in 1980 CE.

== Colonial counterpart ==

In addition to the regular, larger [[laser pistol (TOS)|laser pistol]] worn by Warriors, smaller versions (a.k.a. "pocket pistols" or "laser derringers"<ref>{{Bsgwiki term}}</ref>) are used by Warriors [[Troy (1980)|Troy]] and [[Dillon]] during their missions on [[Earth (1980)|Earth]]. 

Both variants of these pistols have various settings, including a stun setting, a destructive setting, and a setting that places the stricken target in paralysis, thus freezing them in the position they were in prior to being hit {{G80|The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I}}. 

The stun setting leaves the target with a headache after they regain consciousness {{G80|Galactica Discovers Earth, Part II}}. Depending on their stunning strength, they may even place subjects into a form of coma that cannot be properly addressed by Earth medical practices circa 1980 CE, as was the case with Colonel [[Jack Sydell]] {{G80|Spaceball|The Night the Cylons Landed, Part II}}.

The smaller pistols do not register on 1980 CE medal detectors, as they are made of carbon-synthetic material {{G80|The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I}}; presumably the larger ones are made of the same material as well.

: ''Note: The "laser derringer" prop is reused in [[Buckwiki:Buck Rogers in the 25th Century|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]'s "[[Buckwiki:Mark of the Saurian|Mark of the Saurian]]" as a weapon employed by the [[Buckwiki:Saurian|Saurian]] infiltrators aboard ''[[Buckwiki:Searcher|Searcher]], ''who too made use of repurposed versions of the [[wrist computron]] prop as a camouflage device.''

=== "Buck Rogers" Variant ===

Aside from the [[laser pistol|standard issue]] "knob" muzzle, a second variant is used by Dillon and Troy on Earth featuring a translucent conical, flat-edged facing muzzle with a built in front sight fin and a black body. Unlike the standard issue version, the variant features a smooth surface with rounded edges and is mostly untextured, outside of a dial to alter the power output. This variant is seen only once, deployed by the aforementioned Warriors in order to till fields for seeding by the [[Super Scouts]] {{G80|Space Croppers}}.

: ''Note: The '''"Buck Rogers" variant'''<ref>{{bsgwiki term}}</ref> is a dual term referring to both the appearance of the pistol in the eyes of Earth's people and the fact that the weapon is first used in the production of ''[[buckrogers:|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]]''. ''Buck Rogers'' and ''Galactica 1980'' often shared many of the same resources and props, as they were produced during the same time period.''
:
: ''It should be noted that this variant are previously used as [[Eastern Alliance]] enforcer pistols in episodes of the'' {{OS|Greetings From Earth|Baltar's Escape|Experiment in Terra|prose=y}}''.''  

== Cylon counterpart ==

While Centurions previously used bayoneted [[laser rifle]]s as their standard weapon during the end of the [[Thousand-Yahren War]], they have adopted a laser pistol as well {{G80|The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I|The Return of Starbuck}}.

== Notes ==

* The laser effect used in ''Galactica 1980'' is a beam effect, different from the Original Series in coloring, either blue or a white-yellow as opposed to the red.

== Related imagery ==

<gallery mode="slideshow">
Image:Laser pistol blast.jpg|[[Dillon]] fires his laser at trees in Nazi Germany {{G80|Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I}}.
Image:Laser blast at jukebox.jpg|Dillon and [[Troy (1980)|Troy]] fire their smaller laser guns at an offending jukebox at [[Maggies Truck Heaven]] {{G80|Galactica Discovers Earth, Part III}}.
Image:Laser pistol.jpg|The "derringer" version of the laser pistol {{G80|The Night the Cylons Landed, Part II}}.
Image:Cylon laser pistol.jpg|The Cylon laser pistol variant is holstered {{G80|The Return of Starbuck}}. The holster itself is a repurposed element from the [[Buckwiki:Draconian guard|Draconian warrior]] costumes from ''[[Buckwiki:Buck Rogers in the 25th Century|Buck Rogers in the 25th Century]].''
</gallery>

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[[Category:Technology (1980)]]
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[[Category: 1980]]
<references />{{Indicator|1980}}