Laser pistol (1980)

For the laser pistols used in the Original Series, see: Laser pistol.

Standard laser pistols of the Colonial Warriors being used on their "stun" setting.

The laser pistol is an energy-based weapon and standard sidearm of both Colonial Warriors and Cylons Centurions in 1980 CE.

Colonial counterpart

In addition to the regular, larger laser pistol worn by Warriors, smaller versions (a.k.a. "pocket pistols") are used by Warriors Troy and Dillon during their missions on 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 ^{(1980: "The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I")}. The stun setting leaves the target with a headache after they regain consciousness ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part II")}.

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

"Buck Rogers" Variant

Aside from the 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 ^{(1980: "Space Croppers")}.

Note: The "Buck Rogers" variant 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 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 Original Series' "Greetings from Earth", "Baltar's Escape", "Experiment in Terra".

Cylon counterpart

While Centurions previously used bayoneted laser rifles as their standard weapon during the end of the Thousand-Yahren War, they have adopted a laser pistol as well ^{(1980: "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

• 
  Dillon fires his laser at trees in Nazi Germany ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I")}.
• 
  Dillon and Troy fire their smaller laser guns at an offending jukebox at Maggies Truck Heaven ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part III")}.
• 
  The "derringer" version of the laser pistol.
• 
  The Cylon laser pistol variant is holstered.