BlasTech Industries' DL-18 Blaster Pistol was an inexpensive blaster commonly used during the time of the Galactic Civil War.
The DL-18 Blaster Pistol was manufactured by BlasTech Industries. They weighed one kilogram, and the blaster power pack carried one hundred shots. The weapon had a range up to one hundred and twenty meters. DL-18s cost five hundred credits to buy, and replacement power packs retailed for twenty-five credits.
The D-18 Liquidator variant of the DL-18 Blaster Pistol
For decades, the DL-18 was one of the galaxy's most prevalent blaster pistols. The basic design was the foundation for several of BlasTech's later designs, and the weapon was versatile to be used in multiple situations. The DL-18's chief competition was Merr-Sonn Munitions, Inc.'s Model 44. The weapons were often modified by their owners. Various spacers used them during the Galactic Civil War. The weapon was considered to be practically disposable due to its inexpensive price.
Luke Skywalker aims Nizuc Bek's DL-18 at Jabba the Hutt.
Officers serving in the Alliance to Restore the Republic, such as Bria Tharen, favored the lighter, sleeker, DL-18s over heavier blaster pistols. The Rebel Alliance officer Rannd Delckis carried the weapon during the Bakura Incident in 4 ABY. The Sith Shadows also favored the weapon. The weapon was also known as a "Mos Eisley Special"—named after the Tatooinian city—due to the fact that it was a common weapon in use amongst the criminals of the settlement. The weapons were common among the guards working for Jabba the Hutt. The gunslinger Longo Two-Guns armed himself with twin DL-18s. After the Battle of Yavin, a DL-18 was awarded by Jabba the Hutt's supervisor droid EV-9D9 to a spacer who attacked the Valarian Depot on Tatooine. Another was awarded by Sergeant Snopel to a commando who defeated the Mountain Poachers on Naboo. A variant of this weapon was the D-18 Liquidator, which Lieutenant Joth of the Corellian Security Force once offered a spacer as a reward for successfully shutting down Doctor Maldien's illegal lab on Corellia. A spacer later collected a D-18 Liquidator on Vreni Island.
The The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook and Arms & Equipment Guide both feature incorrect images of the DL-18. The correct image is sometimes referred to informally as a "Skiff guard pistol" and can be seen clearly in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.