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Between 30k, Inquisitor, FW and the 40k RPGs, there have been a lot of variant weapons. We know that Lasguns can vary between the "standard" Mars-Pattern, the "autofire" Necromunda Pattern, the "variable power" Triplex Pattern, the "bullpup" Accatran pattern used by Elysians and many more. Likewise, Tigris-Pattern Bolters were more temperamental but hi-impact, Godwyn-Diaz Bolters were easy dor unaugmented humans to use, and Maxim Bolters are shorter-range but faster, akin to a Bolt-SMG.

Scrounging through Lexicanum, and the assorted splats is a bit of a headache, so I'm trying to put together a "cheat sheet" of variant weapon patterns. Does anyone have any recommended starting point, other than dumping every thing into a thread and assembling a master list from the pieces?

I think dumping it into a thread and sorting it all out is the only real way to go about it. Whenever the writers need to justify something but doesn't wanna upset current canon, they just invent a new planet.

Also, it appears that several patterns of a given weapon can be outwardly physically identical, if Imperial Armour books are anything to go by.