Verpine shatter guns were a type of portable projectile weapon manufactured by the Verpine people. These weapons came in a range of sizes, from compact handguns to potent sniper rifles. The operational principle of these weapons was based on magnetic field technology, similar to that of a rail gun. Upon firing, the weapon produced no audible sound, yet it inflicted substantial kinetic damage akin to a slugthrower, despite using projectiles of a small caliber.
Employing advanced magnetic fields, shatter guns propelled metal alloy projectiles. Their near-silent operation, combined with exceptional range and precision, allowed them to inflict substantial kinetic damage. Verpine shatter guns were known for their ease of use, enabling even inexperienced users to cause significant damage with a single shot. This characteristic made them a favored choice among assassins seeking to eliminate targets discreetly with a single, silent shot. Certain customized versions of these weapons were also capable of firing almost any small projectile (less than one inch in diameter), thanks to a costly feature: a multicaliber magazine and bore. Kal Skirata, a possessor of several such custom shatter guns, once quipped that they could even fire rocks if necessary. The projectiles fired from these weapons were notoriously difficult to deflect with a lightsaber due to their diminutive size and incredible velocity.
The Verpine sniper rifle represented a high-end, expensive sniper rifle variation derived from the Verpine shatter gun design. The Mandalorian bounty hunter Kal Skirata was a known enthusiast of Verpine sniper rifles, owning multiple high-end models. During an anti-terrorism operation on Coruscant, Omega Squad utilized Verpine sniper rifles to neutralize several Separatist terrorist cells that had infiltrated the capital city. The initial iteration of the Verpine weapon, the Shatter Gun, employed magnetic coils to launch projectiles and, according to Kal Skirata, could "even be loaded with rocks, if necessary". The weapons harness gravity coils to accelerate projectiles to extremely high speeds, enabling them to inflict significant damage even on heavily armored targets. The commandos employed these rifles to tag suspected terrorists with Dust for tracking purposes.
Raymond Ramirez, an American soldier and dedicated fan with a special connection to Karen Traviss, created a custom Verpine Sniper Rifle equipped with a bipod at Traviss's request, which she subsequently showcased on her website. Ramirez's blog has been spotlighted on StarWars.com, featuring a smaller image of the Verpine sniper rifle with the bipod. One of his blog posts delves into the weapon's operational details.