C5A Capacitor Coilgun

The C5A Capacitor Coilgun is an electrically accelerated sidearm that was produced by the colony. It uses a single stage solenoid to accelerate a 5mm ball bearing up to 224m/s. The C5A is the most common EAP weapon, and is often the first non-conventional weapon that characters acquire.

With only a single solenoid to accelerate the projectile, the weapon has the lowest muzzle velocity in the game; only 224m/s. The aerodynamic instability of a ball bearing, coupled with the low velocity of the projectile, make the weapon almost completely useless at anything other than close range. These factors gave weapon the nickname "electromagnetic slingshot".

Even so, the weapon still manages to find and carve out a niche for itself. The electromagnetic propulsion system, combined with the subsonic velocity of the projectile make the weapon almost completely silent. The only noises the weapon makes is during reloading, and a small whine that comes while it's capacitors are fully charged up. The weapon is ideal for stealth classes, as they can provide lethal damage silently, and can be used to create distractions.

At least one variant of the weapon is known, Erina's personal C5A. The weapon has been modified by Erina to remove the battery buffer, increase capacitor size and increase the rectenna area. These mods have increased the muzzle velocity to 330m/s, and by directly coupling the capacitor to the rectenna, charge time has been reduced to be essentially as fast as the trigger is pulled. Without the battery buffer, the weapon can only charge while outside, as it would otherwise only have the energy stored in it's capacitors.

Some users of the weapon have been known to place a small strip of electrical tape inside the barrel. As the projectile travels, the friction of the tape causes the ball bearing to gain a significant spin. This spin uses the magnus effect to cause the projectile to arc.