the M14 rifle, the M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun, the M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol, and the Browning M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun. This allowed him to easily translate his experiences in Vietnam to a science fiction context. The specifics of the powergun are inspired by Drake's interest in Fortean phenomena; the mechanism by which powerguns produce destructive plasma is similar to the working of a Tesla coil, and the destructive power of copper plasma is said (in the Slammers universe) to have resulted in the deaths of thousands in the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee. (In reality, this was the result of a pyroclastic surge.) Other weapons The Slammers have few standard issue weapons other than powerguns. Slammers infantry troops use grenades of various types in addition to their powerguns. The Regiment also maintains several batteries of self-propelled howitzers which fire rocket boosted shells. These include simple high explosive and smokescreen rounds, antipersonnel cluster bomb shells ("firecracker rounds"), sophisticated anti tank munitions with self-forging warheads similar to the present day CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon ("tank killers"), and tactical nuclear warheads ("red pills"). The Slammers occasionally use poison gas or incendiary weapons as area denial methods, and for eliminating threats in bunkers they do not choose to assault. The Slammers (and similarly advanced units) make extensive use of powerguns for defense against aircraft, incoming artillery shells, and missiles. The powerguns are computer controlled in air defense mode to achieve the needed precision and reaction time. Although Hammer's hovertanks have computers which are capable of individual air defense operation, the usual practice is for the regiment's Fire Central computer to take control of whatever tribarrels bear on the threat and use them to eliminate it. Some mercenary forces in the Slammers universe are specialized antiaircraft units (e.g., the United Defense Batteries; see Counting the Cost) which provide this service to clients who cannot afford to field the sophisticated technology required. Forces other than the Slammers also use powerguns, along with a wide range of weapons. Most are similar in type to present day weapons, although they are generally smaller in size and of greater lethality. Newly established colony planets, which devote most of their production to bare survival, might produce low tech improvised firearms; at the other end of the scale, some well established planets can produce weapons such as high powered lasers or electromagnetic railguns and Gauss guns. These advanced weapons