The HB-5 Assault Rifle designed and created by Endara Arms and put into circulation in 4028 and remains in production today. Developed and produced parallel to the HB-1 Blaster Pistol, the HB-5 uses many of the same components as the HB-1 which allows Endara keep production costs down on both of the weapons. The HB-5 Assault Rifle was designed to be the primary weapon of Hapan ground troops and security forces.
Overview
Development & Function
As a relatively new company for providing firearms, Endara executives found it necessary to have a complete product line to offer for sale, rather than just one or two products to offer. The HB-5 was designed to help fulfill that goal, complementing the HB-1 Blaster Pistol, and the HB-11 Heavy Blaster Rifle. Each of these new designs were included in a contract to the Royal Council in which the entire armed forces would be rearmed at a fraction of actual cost. Endara Arms took an initial loss on this contract, but the profit expected over the course of the ten-year contract is estimated to be quite generous, even in the less favorable circumstances.
--hb5 Created in 4028, the HB-5 was the second firearm to be produced in the factories of Endara Arms, and replaced the aging RAGC-A45 as the official assault rifle of the Hapan Armed Forces.
Usage
Used as the official assault rifle of the Hapan Armed Forces, the HB-5 assault rifle, like most all other firearms is used by simply pointing the gun at your target and squeezing the trigger. Due to the length of the barrel, the HB-5 has an average range for a blaster rifle, which is nearly 3 times the range of a blaster pistol. While the blast from the HB-5 is less powerful than many other publicly available blaster rifles, however, due to the extreme precision and high quality of craftsmanship, the HB-5 is significantly more accurate than most other rifles on the market, making it far easier to use and become proficient with, with less than 1% of the total shot fired going astray from its target. The gun has three different firing modes, semi-automatic, burst, and fully-automatic. Each mode can be quickly switched between via a switch near the users thumb on their firing hand. This switch is present on both sides of the gun, allowing both righties and lefties to switch between modes without having to remove either hand from the gun, or taking their sights off a target. The shoulder pad was designed to be collapsible for maximum portability and to save on storage space. The should pad collapses all the way down to the grip, allowing the gun to be used even when the shoulder pad is in stow. Using the gun in collapsed mode is generally not preferred, as users tend to find it more difficult to be accurate with without the extra stability provided by placing the gun against the shoulder. However, firing in collapsed mode can be useful in tight quarters where there just isn’t room for the shoulder pad to be extended.
Semi-automatic
The gun can be set to three different modes. The first, and most commonly used mode is semi-automatic, which is used most frequently in close quarters combat where the risk of hitting a friendly target was very real. In this mode, each squeeze of the trigger, one blaster bolt is fired from the barrel, making it easier to ensure the bolts fired hit their intended target.
Burst
The second mode is burst fire, in which each squeeze of the trigger quickly fires three successive bolts of energy at the target. This mode is mainly used in assaults when it is necessary to make sure the target is quickly eliminated, but there is still some risk minor risk of hitting a friendly target or innocent bystander. This firing mode is less accurate than the semi-automatic mode, but more accurate than the fully automatic, or “repeater” mode seen on some heavier blaster, and is seen as a fair balance between the two modes.
Fully Automatic
When firing in this mode, the gun will continue to fire blasts for as long as the user pulls the trigger so long as ammunition remains. This mode tends to be highly inaccurate, and is used only when there is little to no risk of hitting a friendly target.
