Shotgun:
The Shotgun in DUST is a Plasma weapon. It fires a number of small supper heated pellets of plasma. Initially the ammo pellets are held in electromagnetic suspension in the reaction chamber where they are supper heated until they reach a live plasma state. When the Shotgun is fired the plasma pellets are expelled by electromagnets in a process somewhat similar to how a Rail weapon works. (This is why both Plasma and Rail are calcified as Hybrid weapons.)

These superheated pellets contain an immense amount of energy in an unstable state. When they impact the target they release that heat energy, vaporizing the surface they impact, causing an explosive out-gassing of vaporized material. These projectiles are very deadly at close range, but as the pellets travel through the air they out-gas and cool, losing much of that stored energy. At 15m they impact like hot paint balls and by 25m they would have literally evaporated.

The reaction chamber and power packs used in the operation of the Shotgun make it one of the heaviest of the light weapons. This results in lower aiming/tracking speeds, as well as making it slow to bring to bare after a sprint. While the pistols can be aimed quickly, and the Infantry Riles are still fairly light to handle, the Shotgun is a ponderous thing for a light or medium suit to be carrying. Only the heavy weapons are slower to aim, and slower to bring to bare when coming out of a sprint.

The slower rate of fire of the Shotgun is a result of the time it takes to superheat the amo pellets into plasma.

Ion Pistol:
The Ion Pistol of course has a much smaller reaction chamber and smaller battery packs. For it to achieve the heat and damage potential comparable to a shotgun it requires an extended charge time, which in turn tends to overhead the pistol after a single charged shot. When not charged, the Ion Pistol shoots cooler plasma pellets which contain less heat energy and therefor do less damage.

Assault Rifle:
The Assault Rifle does not attempt to heat the plasma it fires to such a high degree, so uses a different reaction chamber configuration and smaller batteries. The Assault Rifle achieves its damage through a high rate of fire, while using cooler, lower damage, plasma. Since the plasma the Assault Rifle fires is cooler and denser, it does not degrade as quickly. This allows the Assault Rifle to achieve much greater ranges than other plasma weapons. There may also be other technologies used to assist in containing the plasma over such long ranges, but if so it is classified and I do not have access to it at this time.

Plasma Cannon:
The Plasma Cannon does not fire pellets. It super heats a 6" cylindrical rod into a fist sized ball of plasma which is expelled electromagnetically as a single flaming ball of bone searing ferry. While the surface of the ball out-gasses the same as a shotgun pellet, the shear volume of plasma in each shot insures that it retains massive damage potential over considerable distances. The massive heat buildup in the reaction chamber is expelled through a vent pipe that extends over the operators shoulder when the Plasma Cannon is fired. It is usually not a good idea to stand directly behind someone who is operating a Plasma Cannon as the blowback will toast marshmallows.

this makes me think i could make a IRL plasma SG

Just helping you out with a few typos

Shotgun: ...
The slower rate of fire of the Shotgun is a result of the time it takes to superheat the amo pellets into plasma.
...

I recomend reading up on Blaster technology in eve :)

Also my own thought.... what happened to all the light? Plasma bolts are like tiny suns (literally)

Is this the reason why SG proficiency is 3% reduction ROF per level?

So slower ROF would mean more heat, therefore more range or damage?

I've only gone as far as level 3 in SG operation because the proficiency didn't make sense to me.

BTW thanks for your informative threads.

Would pellets stay distinguishable once heated to plasma or would they merge into a blob similar to a plasma cannon round, albeit smaller?

Assuming the latter, and understanding that damage results from the plasma state and not the muzzle velocity, would the shotgun conceivably benefit from an optional, linear charge shot (similar to NKs)?

More plasma put into firing chamber = more dmg/shot
Time to heat plasma = longer charge time
More mass proppelled by limited field intensity = lower velocity/range

I'd be ok with a 3s charge consuming 3 shells and doing 1200+ dmg at 3m...just an idea.

Plasma is one of the four states of matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas, and Plasma. The energy required to produce enough plasma to make a weapon would be substantial. If you did manage to replicate a DUST shotgun with todayGÇÖs technology you would be lucky if you could fit it on a truck.

But yes, the principles of the DUST Shotgun are based on current science.

the shotgun proficiency description is a typo. it actually INCREASES the RoF for each level. based on Fox Gaden's explanation to shotguns, it means that you are reducing the amount of time it takes to heat the plasma after each shot, allowing you to fire faster.

Just helping you out with a few typos

Just helping you out with a few typos

Wait...The Ion Pistol is a mini Shotgun? That I can haz? For my very own?

But you didn't correct "bone searing ferry" shouldn't it be "fury"?

Please know that this is not a jab, and I very much enjoyed reading about Plasma weapons (my favorite weapons)

My bad, sorry.

Again, didn't mean to sound like a ass...but I did.

... and a fist fight broke out among the copy editors. There was blood and ink everywhere!

So if the 15 meter statement means I would decimate with the sg, why is fall off at 10? I literally gotta be at nova knife range to be successful , the proto seems more forgiving but even at pro 4 I'm disappointed with its performance.

A RR should not be able to spin 180GÇó before I land that 2nd shot for that remaining 40 armor, i mean the amount of times I die this way made me give up on the sg, with 40 left it shoulda just been a ohk.

(Early models had required batteries and admonition be loaded separately.)

The misspelling of "ammunition" makes this version of the AR sound like it was built by the Amarr.