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"The Pulse Rifle of the future."
Lacrima 99 description (from Aliens/Predator Collectible Card Game)

The Lacrima 99 Shockrifle,[4] also known as the Burner[5] or the Pulse Rifle,[6][7] was a pulse-action assault rifle primarily used by the United Systems Military as their standard issue assault rifle in the 24th century.

During the Xenomorph infestation aboard the USM Auriga in 2381,[8] Lacrima 99s were used by both the crew of the Auriga and Betty to combat the Xenomorphs.

Overview[]

The Lacrima was a technological descendant of the venerable M41A Pulse Rifle,[4] using a similar electronic pulse action to fire solid slugs from a magazine loaded into the pistol grip. Notably, it is keyed towards combat at longer ranges than traditional rifles.[3] As a result, the weapon is favoured by USM Scouts and Snipers, who are well-trained in its use and extremely proficient with it as a result.[3]

Halogen Attachment[]

The Lacrima can also be fitted with an underbarrel Halogen Attachment device,[3] which can deliver a short-range electric shock to targets. The power of this shock depends on how long the Halogen Attachment is charged, with a short charge being able to instantly kill a Facehugger and a long charge being able to instantly kill a Cloned Xenomorph Drone.[6] The Halogen Attachment is capable of delivering charges that would be instantly lethal to humans,[9] and is even effective against Synthetics.[10] The Halogen Attachment runs on Electric Gun Energy Packs.[6] This optional unit also incorporates a flashlight for illumination.

History[]

Shockrifles were notably used aboard the USM Auriga in 2381 to combat the Cloned Xenomorphs that escaped and infested the ship.

Behind the Scenes[]

All of the USM weaponry in Alien Resurrection was designed by the movie's production designer Nigel Phelps.[11] In contrast to the fictional weapons that had appeared previously in the film series, the props were not built around any existing firearms but were fabricated completely from scratch. In fact, the prop Lacrimas contained no genuine firearm components whatsoever and were therefore incapable of firing blank ammunition. Instead, some of the weapons were able to fire pyrotechnic charges that simulated gunfire on set. In the larger rifle weapons, these charges were loaded into an electrically-operated rotating drum, similar to a revolver, hidden within the weapon. The Lacrima props were made mostly from machined aluminum.

While the weapons used in filming were not based on real firearms, in the years since several functioning (blank-firing) replicas of the Shockrifle have been made based on Cobra M11/9 machine pistols.

Trivia[]

  • Notably, the weapon's primary (rifle) function is only ever seen being used once in the film, when Ripley 8 fires a single round into the mouth of a Cloned Xenomorph through the hole in Elgyn's body. However, the weapons are heard being fired off-screen during the initial Xenomorph outbreak.
  • The Lacrima 99 has often been labelled the AR-1 (or AR1[12] and Ar-1[13][14]) on many prop websites. Similarly, the Draco Double Burner has often been labelled the AR-2 (or AR2[15] and Ar-2[16]). Exactly where these names originate from is unknown. However, it is possible they are behind-the-scenes names used during the design process, used to identify them before the designers had decided on the specifics of each weapon.
  • It is unknown exactly what the name "Lacrima" refers to, although it could be the name of the weapon's manufacturer. The word lacrima means "tear" (as in teardrop) in Italian.

Appearances[]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. http://www.proparchives.com/science-fiction/science-fiction-1990s/alien-resurrection/alien-resurrection-ar-1-pulse-rifle
  2. http://www.screenused.com/?sectionID=item-detail&subsectionID=index.cfm&item_id=5678
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Aliens/Predator Collectible Card Game trading cards — Alien Resurrection Expansion Set — 69. Lacrima 99 (1997), HarperPrism.
  4. 4.0 4.1 S. D. Perry. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report, p. 150 (2014), Insight Editions.
  5. http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Alien-Resurrection.html - "The guards keep their weapons -- 'burners', these shockrifles are called."
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Alien Resurrection video game
  7. http://thesandystamper.com/hiveseeker/ar_weapons.html
  8. S. D. Perry. Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report, p. 9 (2014), Insight Editions.
  9. A. C. Crispin, Kathleen O'Malley. Alien Resurrection, p. 43 (2015), Titan Books.
  10. A. C. Crispin, Kathleen O'Malley. Alien Resurrection, p. 118 (2015), Titan Books.
  11. Andrew Murdock, Rachel Aberly. The Making of Alien Resurrection, p. 108 (1997), HarperPrism.
  12. http://www.screenused.com/?sectionID=item-detail&subsectionID=index.cfm&item_id=5437
  13. http://www.proparchives.com/science-fiction/science-fiction-1990s/alien-resurrection/hero-ar-1-pulse-rifle-from-alien-resurrection
  14. http://www.proparchives.com/science-fiction/science-fiction-1990s/alien-resurrection/alien-resurrection-ar-1-pulse-rifle
  15. http://www.propstore.com/product/alien-resurrection/sigourney-weaver-hero-ar2-flame-thrower-rifle/
  16. http://www.proparchives.com/science-fiction/science-fiction-1990s/alien-resurrection/sigourney-weaver-hero-ar-2-rifle-from-alien-resurrection
  17. http://www.yourprops.com/Auriga-Shock-Rifle-original-prop-weapons-Alien-Resurrection-1997-YP8662.html
  18. "Trade Cards Online - Lacrima 99". Retrieved on 2013-10-07.
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