Mk 12 ‘Viper’ Sidearm

A highly unique weapon that borrows elements of underwater weapons and flechette guns from the 21st century. Although primarily designed to be used in a vacuum, the Viper is just as effective in an atmosphere. It has a guard around the trigger which extends from the bottom of the magazine well to the bottom of the slide, and has a roughly textured, rounded barrel shroud. A recoil dampening rod is embedded in the frame underneath the barrel, and a HUD-compatible targeting laser is mounted beneath the muzzle. The gun loads from a cylindrical spiral-type stacked magazine with a 12 round capacity, using cartridges of +C propellant to fire long, fin-stabilized darts made of tungsten at extremely high velocity. These darts are able to achieve speeds high enough to penetrate hardsuits, light vehicle armor, and even the armored shells of the Krut. In addition, low-velocity variants of the Viper cartridge are available, which are extremely effective at defeating ballistic gelatin armor. The Viper earned its name from the use of highly caustic, poison-coated ammunition by Special Forces on the front lines.