Armament / SR-2143 Field Carbine

Field Record: ARM-SR2-033Archive Node: Galactic FederationClearance: Science Field Operations / Level 02Review Status: Federation Service Weapon Record

Name: SR-2143 Field Carbine
Classification: Federation survey-defense carbine
Procurement Code: SR-2143: Scientific Reconnaissance weapon, 2nd generation, 14-frame, revision 3
Manufacturer / Origin: Galactic Federation science-field procurement line
Primary Role: Research team defense, specimen tagging, wildlife deterrence, field survival
Firepower Rating: Low-medium / sample-conscious defensive output
Primary Effect: Low-penetration defensive fire, scan tagging, specimen-safe suppression
Known Users: Federation researchers, xenobiologists, survey officers, containment escorts, frontier science teams
Safety Note: Designed to preserve evidence and habitat integrity; not rated for assault entry or heavy Pirate contact
Feature Summary: Federation field carbine issued to science personnel who need more resilience than a sidearm without carrying a full infantry rifle into specimen sites, ruins, or evidence-sensitive habitats.
Technical Profile: The SR-2143 uses a compact receiver, low-penetration field ammunition, scan-link tagging, and specimen-safe fire-control limits to help researchers survive hostile contact while preserving samples, records, and surrounding equipment.

Survey StatusService Hardware Record

Behavior IndexResearch Defense Weapon

Science ValueField Safety Systems Study

Field AccessScience Team Authorization

System Profile

SR-2143 Field Carbine

Federation survey-defense carbine issued to field researchers, giving science personnel a compact survival weapon that can deter hostile organisms, tag specimens, and avoid the collateral risk of an infantry rifle.

Weapon ClassSimple ranged weapon / Federation survey-defense carbine / scientific reconnaissance weapon

Attack RollRanged Weapon Attack: roll d20 + Dexterity modifier + proficiency bonus if trained with field carbines or Federation rifles.

DamageStandard hit deals 1d6 + Dexterity modifier ballistic piercing or shock damage. Sample-safe shot deals 1d4 + Dexterity modifier and avoids destroying fragile evidence on a controlled hit.

Damage TypeLow-penetration ballistic or calibrated shock impact, selected by mission ammunition order.

Range60/180 ft. The first value is reliable field-defense range; the second is long range and normally requires a clear scan or optic lock.

Ammo / Reload20-round field magazine. Standard shots spend 1 round; deterrent bursts spend 3. Reloading takes 1 action.

PropertiesTwo-handed, ammunition, reload, compact, specimen-safe, tag-capable. These terms control grip, magazine use, field portability, evidence preservation, and scan-link behavior.

AttachmentsCommon science modules include a scan-tag optic, low-light survey lamp, sample-safe ammunition selector, and environmental tracer. Only 1 major science module should provide a combat benefit at a time.

Equip ModifierCompatible research visors can receive specimen tags, warning pings, and ammunition mode data. Without that link, the carbine still fires but loses its survey coordination benefits.

ActivationUses the Attack action. Tagging and sample-safe shots require line of sight and a target the operator can identify.

Cooldown / ReloadNo cooldown during ordinary use. Reloading or changing ammunition mode takes 1 action.

LimitHeavy armor, major predators, shielded Pirates, thick cover, and swarm pressure exceed the weapon's intended science-field role.

Special Traits

Research Defense Frame. The carbine is stronger than a Paralyzer Pistol but lighter and less aggressive than an assault rifle, making it suitable for researchers who must survive contact without leading a breach.

Specimen-Safe Ammunition. Low-penetration loads are designed to stop or deter a threat while reducing damage to samples, lab equipment, fragile ruins, and pressure-sensitive habitats.

Scan-Tag Link. On a hit or successful aim, the operator can mark one visible organism, machine, or hazard so linked allies gain a clearer scan reference before the tag fades.

Special Actions

Fire Field Shot. Make a Ranged Weapon Attack. On a hit, deal 1d6 + Dexterity modifier ballistic piercing or shock damage.

Tag Specimen. On a hit, or by spending 1 action to aim, mark one visible target within 60 ft.; the next scan, tracking, or weak-point analysis check against that target gains +1.

Sample-Safe Shot. Fire a controlled low-trauma round for 1d4 + Dexterity modifier damage; on a hit, the GM should avoid collateral damage to adjacent samples or fragile evidence unless the scene is already unstable.

System Overview

The SR-2143 Field Carbine fills the gap between a restraint sidearm and a military rifle. Federation science teams often work far from secure laboratories, and a Paralyzer Pistol alone is not always enough when a survey party encounters hostile fauna, raider scouts, compromised drones, or a specimen that reacts badly to containment equipment. The SR-2143 gives those personnel a real defensive option without turning the research role into infantry service.

The weapon's defining feature is restraint by design. Its ammunition and fire-control limits favor low penetration, predictable impact behavior, and scan-tag compatibility over raw lethality. A researcher can drive off a smaller organism, interrupt a charging threat, or mark a dangerous target for the security element without shredding the sample bed they were sent to study.

Its designation follows Federation procurement logic: SR-2143 means Scientific Reconnaissance weapon, 2nd generation, 14-frame, revision 3. The SR family marks weapons issued to survey and research personnel whose job is to observe, preserve, and survive rather than seize ground through fire superiority.

Evidence from an SR-2143 incident should look different from assault rifle use. Investigators would expect fewer impacts, lower penetration, tracer residue from scan-tag loads, and deliberate shot placement near approach lanes or specimen movement paths. The pattern should imply caution: a field team trying to create distance and preserve records, not win a firefight by volume.

Technology And Function

The SR-2143 is plausible as a compact carbine built around a sealed low-pressure receiver, selectable ammunition feed, recoil-light stock, and a survey optic tied to Federation research visors. Its mechanical side is deliberately ordinary so science personnel can maintain it in the field, while its software and ammunition controls make it different from a line rifle.

The carbine's magazine can carry low-penetration kinetic rounds, calibrated shock rounds, tracer-tag loads, or deterrent rounds selected by mission order. These options do not make the weapon exotic; they make it careful. Each load is meant to solve a field research problem: stop a bite, mark a moving organism, avoid overpenetrating a habitat wall, or drive a creature away without destroying the evidence around it.

The scan-tag optic is the system's most important nonlethal feature. When the operator lands a hit or holds a target long enough for a clean mark, the carbine can hand a temporary reference to linked visors. That reference helps another researcher track behavior, helps a medic judge exposure risk, or helps an escort identify the target that should be stopped first.

Its limitations are engineering choices rather than failures. The barrel, ammunition, and recoil system are not built for heavy armor or long suppression. Against Space Pirate soldiers, major predators, or shielded machinery, the SR-2143 can buy time and information, but a proper security weapon must take over if the encounter becomes a battle.

Application And Uses

In field research, the SR-2143 is used during specimen surveys, ruin approaches, perimeter checks, sample recovery, and emergency retreats. It gives a researcher enough authority to survive the first dangerous seconds of contact while preserving the option to observe, contain, or withdraw.

In security terms, the carbine is best issued to personnel who are expected to leave protected spaces but are not expected to clear rooms. A xenobiologist, archaeological surveyor, containment officer, or science vessel crew member can carry it without adopting the posture of a marine. That distinction matters in civilian contact, diplomatic survey work, and evidence-sensitive environments.

For field records, investigators should log ammunition mode, tag duration, target behavior, sample condition, and whether the weapon was used before or after security personnel engaged. Those details determine whether the SR-2143 functioned as a warning tool, a specimen marker, or an emergency survival weapon.

At the table, the SR-2143 should make the Researcher more resilient without stealing the Marine's role. Let it tag targets, protect samples, and deter smaller threats. When heavy armor or real battlefield pressure appears, the carbine should create a chance to reposition rather than solve the fight outright.

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