Squib Boarding Cutter

[lion]

Official Name: Squib Boarding Cutter

Faction/Affiliation: Squib Merchandising Consortium/Civilian

Dimensions-

Length: ("Rifle" Wand: 55 cm, Backpack cannisters: 40cm tall)
Weight: (Overall: 25 lbs)

Magazine / Power Cell Capacity:
Variable, 2 hours burn at maximum, less with richer mixtures. 
RPM:
Continuous stream.
Effective Range:
Up to a metre with full-mixture burns, best used at near contact ranges for neater work.
Projectile: Ignited mixture of oxygen and acetylene 
 
Description:

A small yet powerful salvaging tool, the Squib Boarding Cutter comes from the recycling-minded Squib people, posing a solid answer to the challenges brought on by boarding derelict ships out in space, to better strip down the wrecks from inside-out. Ported over by extra-vehicular salvage teams, the backpack-sized cannisters of fuel carry more than enough to tackle most starship hulls, armoured or not; a skilled recovery team bearing these will make short work of even a military-grade vessel wreck in short order.

Operation is simple, and each member of a Squib reclamation vessel involved in extra-vehicular scrapping operations in space is very competent in the use; the operator selects the necessary mixture of acetylene and oxygen through a series of valves upon the backpack tanks, then releases the flow valve.  Ignited via sparking from a copper electrode within the wand tip, brought on with the pull of the trigger and charged through an internal power-pack, the oxygen-acetylene mix creates a very hot-burning flame, capable of heat-slicing its way through most metals and alloys with careful application. As oxygen is provided from the gaseous mix, the Boarding Cutter is capable of being ignited outside of atmosphere; it will burn in space without hindrance.

Whilst not as fast as, say, a lightsaber, the Boarding Cutter will make its way through even battle-grade hulls with enough time and the appropriate flow (adjusted through dials upon the wand to control flow), and is precise enough for its Squib operators to carve out tailor-made holes and slices as they see fit.

Despite its likeness to a flame-thrower, the Squib Boarding Cutter is far from a suitable combat weapon; it can cause serious harm if incorrectly used, but is entirely unsuitable to use in any form of fighting, thanks in part to its short range and the danger posed by the back-worn tanks. Since it's rare that a recovery team ever has to actually fight, combat is rarely an issue, with its potential threat being considered better to flee from than fight through. Of course, owing to its diminutive size, the Boarding Cutter is somewhat unsuitable for other species; the Squib are a less-than-tall species by nature, after all; taller creatures would find it difficult to use correctly.