Bolt

This article is bad, and you should feel bad about it.

Due to the new "Weapons" articles, this page now serves the goal of defining and specifying the ammunition of "Bolt Weapons," such as the Bolter or Psycannon. Not that it does this well, mind you.

The basic Bolt used in a Bolter is an armor-penetrating, explosive RPG based roughly on modern-day gyrojet ammunition technology. The term "Bolt" is actually Imperial slang, and the terms "shell", "round", and "Bolter ammo" all apply to that very same projectile. Since bolt rounds vary in size and manufacture between different types of bolt-based weapons, different patterns of bolt-based weapons, and different factions wielding the bolt-based weapon is question, this preamble will create a general idea of what a Bolt is, so that the variants can show you how they differ. By design, Bolt shells penetrate the outer armor of a target, and then explode in a concussive and shrapnel-filled blast once inside the target. The idea is to maximize the amount of squishy flesh that gets liquified and dun-goofed when the shell explodes, literally ripping the target apart. They use a rocket charge, not a single explosion, as propellant. This is pretty much all that is similar over EVERY bolt design.

1.Bolter

Bolters are submachine guns, if submachine guns fired 20mm armor-piercing rockets. The bolts (read: rocket propelled explosive bullets) are about as big around as your fist, and detonation upon impact. Imagine getting a grenade fired into a random orifice mach 2, which then detonates. It literally violates everything everything in the immediate vicinity (and not in a good way). But of course, it doesn't just stop there now does it? No, it's a mother fucking assault rifle, so the bitch has seven more like it following it, and they all think your head isn't "mooshy" enough, so they all just kinda blow you up. Does it end there? NO, of course not. Bolter rifles are used by Spess Muhreens, so they're followed up by a nine foot tall giant in a suit of armor that even Oprah Winfrey would have no problem hiding behind, and they proceed to kick your ass with their giant fucking swords and uber fists.

 Now you're fucked.

2.Bolt Pistol

Bolt Pistols, are like, a Bolter's Daughter. But the really slutty one, so everyone can have go with her. These things are about the size of a modern-day submachine gun. All Commissars have them, and they'll all be like, "HERESY" while your on the shitter, or, "HERESY!" while your shooting at the range, or doing your girlfriend, or getting severe head wounds checked out by the medic. Spess Muhreens use them, too. What's derpy is that Bolt Pistols have NO drop in stopping power from the aforementioned Bolter, so the Bolter is kind of a stupid weapon. Why would you carry a heavy Boltgun when a Pistol is just a good? Because in the 41st Millenium there are more fucktards per 1000-head of population than in, say, Alabama.

Bolt Pistols fire a smaller shell than their heavier cousins, giving them even less recoil because the propellant has less time to fill the shorter barrel with gasses before exiting. This in turn leads to a lighter payload. Since the potency of Bolt weapons comes from their explosive charge and not the shell's velocity, the amount of propellant was reduced to keep the charge the same size. Similarly, the Bolt Pistol is less accurate than the Bolter is because the Bolter has inbuilt targeting devices accessible by Power Armor helmets, and the Bolt Pistol has less rifling to keep the bolt shell straight. In all the time the Imperium had, hey never developed smaller bolt shells that spin themselves. Go figure. It's not like the Commissar cares, he always fires it point blank anyway.

2.Heavy Bolter

Heavy Bolters are basically machine guns on PCP. They are a Heavy Weapons choice for Guardsmen, who require a two man team just to operate it. However The Giant space Marines wield them like a fat baby's lollipop and have even attached bayonets to them. If you weren't squishy enough, getting hit by one of these will make you squishy...er...

In Summary

 Be a part of The Imperium of Man, and you get these weapons. 
 Chaos is not your friend. 
 The Emprah is your Savior.
 *BLAM*