Gluon gun

The gluon gun (AKA the egon gun) was an experimental particle weapon developed in the Black Mesa Research Facility. It consisted of a handheld nozzle connected to a backpack by a thick hose.

Operation

The gluon gun in action.

The backpack contained a miniature fission reactor which used depleted uranium as a fuel (A similar device was used to power the tau cannon and displacer), which were also developed at Black Mesa). This power was used, through an unknown process, to produce gluon particles which were sent down the hose and projected, in a powerful beam, through the nozzle.

This beam appeared as a bright-purple helix with another, straight beam passing through its centre and did devastating damage to targets, usually blasting them into pieces. The gluon gun rendered most armour ineffective, making it an excellent anti-vehicle weapon, but it could not penetrate solid walls or damage heavy structures.

The gun had two major drawbacks; it was large and cumbersome and it consumed depleted uranium at an alarming rate, meaning that much of it would have had to be stored for a prolonged battle. This would have been difficult due to uranium’s large weight and need for correct storage. Carrying a nuclear reactor on one’s back would have also been unnerving for the wielder.

Trivia

• The nickname for the gun, the egon, is a reference to the similarities between the gun and those used by the protagonists of Ghostbusters, which were designed by a scientist named Egon Spengler.
• The nozzle of the gun has a handle that can be rotated from side to side but does not seem to affect the operation of the weapon in any way.