SWS Motorized Pulse Rifle

SWS Motorized Pulse Rifle
Weapon Information
Cost	7,000 Credits
Technical Specifications
Ammunition	50 Pulse Rounds
Damage (DMG/PFD)	5 (9 max.)
Ammo Capacity (CAP)	175 Pulse Rounds
Rate of Fire (SPD/CHR)	Very High
Effective Range	Medium-Long
Secondary Fire	Dead Space - 360° Fire Dead Space: Extraction - Flechette Shot Dead Space 2 - Grenade Launcher Dead Space (2023) - Proximity Mine
Weapon Parts
Upper Tool	Military Engine
Upper Tool Tip	Repeater
Lower Tool	Survey Charge
Lower Tool Tip	None
Frame	Heavy Standard Frame
Attachment 1	None
Attachment 2	None
Upper Tool Circuits	None
Lower Tool Circuits	None

"A standard-issue ballistic firearm for P.C.S.I and CEC security forces, which can be loaded with grenades or proximity mines for riot conditions, or personalized for faster reloading."

—Weapon description.

The SWS Motorized Pulse Rifle is a military-grade, triple-barreled, rapid-fire assault rifle with large magazine ammunition capacity. The Pulse Rifle is the standard-issue service rifle of the Marines of the Earth Defense Force, and is also common among EarthGov security forces, corporate security officers, and sometimes civilians.

Design Details

Pulse Rifle design drawings.

The Pulse Rifle discharges ultra-low caliber rounds, each carrying tremendous amounts of kinetic energy: these rounds are designed to squash (or "mushroom") on impact, transferring their energy to the target and causing immense localized trauma. This effect is immediate and pronounced in unarmored targets, with impacts liquefying soft tissues and fracturing bones; in the event that targets are not directly killed by fire, they will be rendered incapacitated by grievous wounds and pronounced hydrostatic shock. As well, such low caliber rounds render the Pulse Rifle an ideal weapon for shipboard combat, as they lack the penetrative power necessary to rupture ship hulls. On the other hand, this leaves the Pulse Rifle variants that have been seen so far totally inadequate for the task of piercing tough body armor as the rounds simply bounce off the mining suits still worn by some Necromorph Slashers and the chitinous armor of Brutes. Kinetic shock absorbers are speculated to have been implemented into the weapon's stock, as Isaac/Gabe experiences little to no recoil even from protracted firing. When the Pulse Rifle is reloaded, the entire front end hinges forward, ejecting the spent cartridge and a new one is inserted into the magazine well.

There are four major variants of the SWS Motorised Pulse Rifle that have been seen as of yet: although all three possess identical primary modes of fire, they are differentiated by their distinctive modes of alternate fire.

An EDF propaganda poster featuring a Marine holding a Pulse Rifle.

The first variant of the Pulse Rifle seen in the original Dead Space causes each of the 3 barrels to turn 90° outwards with the user pointing the gun upwards, sending a spray of bullets all around the shooter. This variant of the standard SWS Rifle allows engagement of targets on all sides of the user.

The second variant of the Pulse Rifle seen in Dead Space: Extraction is capable of firing charged "shotgun-like" flechette blasts, changing its barrel configuration into a hexagon gear-like shape with seven laser sights instead of the normal four. When fully upgraded, after a second-long charge, it fires 14 rounds simultaneously from the barrels in a circular-type shot.

The third variant seen in Dead Space 2 is capable of firing high explosive grenades at the cost of 25 rounds, which is useful against clusters of hostiles. Fully upgraded, it can deal a high amount of damage to nearly every Necromorph variant.

The fourth and final variant seen in Dead Space (2023) has a similar alt-fire to that seen in Dead Space 2; however, instead of just being grenades, the projectiles launched can also act as proximity mines which can be placed on surfaces, exploding when enemies approach it.

SWS Pulse Pistol

A miniaturized version of the SWS Pulse Rifle exists, consisting of the same or very similar components as the larger weapon. The Pulse Pistol's gun mechanism, trigger, hammer, grip, and firing mechanism all appear to be components of the Pulse Rifle. The pistol was notably used by Kendra Daniels and P.C.S.I. security.

Location

Dead Space

The Pulse Rifle is available at the very first Store Isaac encounters and can be purchased for 7000 Credits.

Dead Space 2

Unlike the first game, the Pulse Rifle in Dead Space 2 has to be unlocked via Schematic before it can be purchased. The blueprint can be found shortly after the train sequence in Chapter 2, on a shelf at the back of the room opposite of where Isaac is after the train explodes. Once the Schematics is uploaded, the Rifle can be bought for 7000 Credits.

Dead Space 3

Towards the end of chapter 9, there is a ladder to the right of a doorway you have to take for your objective, climb up and it will be on the left.

Dead Space (2023)

When entering the Medical Deck's Tram station in Chapter 2, the Pulse Rifle is held by a dying woman by the entrance to Medical. Simply pick up the Pulse Rifle when she drops it after her death.

Upgrade Parts

In the Remake, the Pulse Rifle has three Upgrade Parts to improve its capabilities:

• The Kinetic Autoloader increases the Pulse Rifle's rate of fire. It can be purchased from any Store for 11,000 Credits after activating the Engineering control console in Chapter 3.
• The P.C.S.I. Custom Magazine increases the weapon's maximum ammo capacity. It can be found in the "Electrical Systems Storage" room down in Floor 3 of the Bridge Deck. The room is locked by a fuse, which can be opened from a broken window behind the room with a body hanging from it; just remove the box covering the fuse using Kinesis, then shoot the fuse to gain access.
• The High-Yield Grenades increases the blast radius of the weapon's Proximity Mines. This can be found in a locker inside the "Water Purification Storage" room, found to the right immediately after ascending and exiting the elevator to Water Purification from the Bridge Deck. This room requires a Master Security Clearance to open.
  

  High-Yield Grenades

  

  Kinetic Autoloader

  

  P.C.S.I. Custom Magazine

Variants

Dead Space

• Astronaut Pulse Rifle (Astronaut Pack)
• Elite Pulse Rifle (Elite Pack)
• Heavy Damage Pulse Rifle (Heavy Damage Pack)
• Obsidian Pulse Rifle (Obsidian Pack)
• Hot Rod Pulse Rifle (Hot Rod Pack)
• Military Pulse Rifle (Military Pack)

Dead Space 2

• Agility Pulse Rifle (Supernova Pack [+5% reload speed, +5% firing speed])
• EarthGov Pulse Rifle (Martial Law Pack [+5% alt-fire damage, +10% reload speed])

Model preview of the EarthGov variant.

Model preview of the Agility variant.

Combat Tips

General

• The Pulse Rifle works well in most situations but is particularly recommended for taking out fast-moving enemies like Twitchers, since it effectively stops them from moving on impact.
• The Pulse Rifle burns through ammunition as quickly as it fires, especially with alt-fire modes. Make sure to keep an eye on the ammo counter.
• Pulse Rounds hit with enough force to halt the vast majority of enemies even if they are in the middle of a charge (Brutes are a notable exception). When it has been fully upgraded a skilled user can mow down hordes of Necromorphs from a safe distance.
• It is important to fire the Pulse Rifle in bursts, unless your target is at point-blank range; blindly firing at longer-range targets can result in a lot of wasted ammunition.
  • Any more rounds than 4-6 fired consecutively have a tendency to hit higher than expected because of the bouncing crosshairs; this isn't so much the case in Dead Space 2 as the Pulse Rifle's recoil is easier to control, but it's still important to be restrained with the trigger.
• A fully upgraded Pulse Rifle can kill a Slasher with just a few shots to the chest, without the need of dismemberment, therefore, it is advised that you upgrade it when other weapons are not more important or are not suited to your general playing style.
• On a shot-for-shot basis, the Pulse Rifle is the weakest weapon in the game, so be prepared to keep hammering away with those shots.
  • It should be noted, however, that you can carry 100 Pulse Rifle rounds per inventory slot. Because of that, the amount of potential damage dealt per inventory slot is relatively high considering other weapons and ammunition types.

Dead Space (2008)

• When adequately upgraded, the secondary fire will shred enemies apart with ease. However, low-lying enemies on the floor such as Leapers, Lurkers and crawling Slashers will barely be affected by the pulse-storm as most of the rounds will pass over them.
• The Pulse Rifle has a rather noticeable recoil "ceiling". Shots fired after maximum crosshair elevation has been reached will not deviate from the current impact point. Aim low purposefully when attempting fully automatic fire to compensate for this and retain shot accuracy.
• The Pulse Rifle is very effective against the Leviathan and the Hive Mind tentacles because of its rapid rate of fire and large (upgraded) magazine size.

Dead Space: Extraction

• The Pulse Rifle is generally an overall poor choice throughout Dead Space: Extraction's 'normal' gameplay portions, as the weapon is considerably weaker than in Extraction's predecessor, including in areas which it excelled in Dead Space.
  • However, its alt-fire does make it useful for taking care of Lurkers, Exploders and Grabbers.
• Against bosses, it is very effective for the same reason as in the original Dead Space: instant damage over a long range with a fast rate of fire to boot.

Dead Space 2

• It's highly advised that the grenade alt-fire is used against a large number of Necromorphs such as the Pack, or around corners against Stalkers. Do keep mind that when you do it, it gobbles up half a base magazine, so pick the situation carefully.
• The alternate fire can be used to quickly mop up a group of already weakened Necromorphs, often with less ammo spent than the primary fire. That said, against large, singular enemies, the pulse grenade can be potentially far less effective and much more costly compared to primary fire.
• Be careful with the Pulse Rifle in general when a Pregnant is around - it is all too easy to let the recoil carry the line of fire into the Pregnant's belly and cause it to release its payload. Targeting the arms greatly reduces this risk, assuming they still have both legs.
  • Additionally, do not use the alt-fire on Pregnants under any circumstances; It will almost certainly cause them to burst and release their payload, which will lead to even more wasted ammunition dealing with it.
• The Pulse Rifle is an excellent choice when engaging a Guardian. The alt-fire grenade used immediately after the Guardian expels its tentacles will destroy both the enemy as well as prevent them from expelling any pods.
• The Rifle's alt-fire also seems to ricochet for a short distance off nearby hard objects, making it slightly more effective in very tight quarters or backed into a corner, directing the attack ahead of Isaac.
• In Zero-G environments, the alt-fire is an effective way of dealing with enemies such as Lurkers, Nests, etc. Its effectiveness in these situations relies on the lack of gravity which results in the grenade traveling along a linear trajectory, negating the guesswork involved in utilizing the pulse grenade at medium/long ranges.
• The primary fire is more powerful than it was in Dead Space. It takes fewer rounds to stun and dismember enemies, and even on the harder difficulties, it only takes a few rounds to stun a charging Enhanced Slasher.
  • Additionally, it is extra convenient in Dead Space 2 because the player is almost assured to fire at least one more shot than is necessary, which will cause enemies to drop items without being stomped.
• In multiplayer, even if a Necromorph is not killed when in the radius of the Pulse Rifle's alt-fire grenade, it will often knock the smaller enemies (such as The Pack or Lurkers) off their feet. This gives the Human team a brief window of time to dispatch the threats as they are completely vulnerable.

Dead Space 3

• The Pulse Rifle exists in Dead Space 3 as a blueprint using the "Repeater" modification for the Military Engine and the "Default tip" of the Survey Charge, creating a fundamental reproduction of the Dead Space 2 Pulse Rifle.
  • Due to the nature of Dead Space 3's Weapon crafting, the grenades do not consume the ammunition used for the primary fire, rather the primary and secondary fire have their own independent ammunition counters.
• Aside from a drastically altered appearance, the Pulse Rifle configuration holds considerably less ammunition per magazine than the standard Pulse Rifle from previous games, having a base of 25 compared to most game's un-upgraded capacity of 50. In combination with its high rate of fire, it is very easy to burn through all of your ammunition and have to reload in potentially dangerous situations.

Dead Space (2023)

• Unlike previous games, the Pulse Rifle cannot stun lock and kill Necromorphs just by shooting them in the chest.
  • The new damage system in the remake also makes it harder to dismember limbs with the Pulse Rifle as you first need to strip the flesh off the limb before placing follow up shots on the exposed bone to dismember it.
• The Pulse Rifle primary fire is an excellent choice for dealing with Drag Tentacles due to its sheer fast fire rate and relatively high starting magazine size.
• The Pulse Rifle is great for targeting yellow weak points on enemies like Exploders and Tentacles and bosses like the Leviathan and the Hive Mind due to its high accuracy at long range and fast fire rate.
• The Pulse Rifle's proximity mine is useful to deal with enemies for the early game where the player isn't fully kitted and may only have one or two damage upgrades at most for their weapons. However, it gets easily outclassed in terms of damage output once the player picks up the Contact Beam.
• In Zero G environments, the Pulse Rifle alt fire's trajectory travels in a straight line due to the absence of gravity making it very effective when engaging with Leapers and Lurkers in said scenario.
• The Pulse Rifle's proximity mines, even when the weapon has damage fully upgraded, cannot kill a regular Slasher with one mine. At least two mines are needed, making it very ammo intensive. The Line Gun's alt fire, which creates a laser trap, is much more effective.
  • It is not known if the damage upgrades apply to the proximity mines.

Trivia

• The Pulse Rifle is the archetypal assault rifle of Dead Space, due to its rapid firing and trigger holding for activation.
• In Dead Space, there is a whirring noise after each shot. While it might suggest that the noise was the audio report of the weapon firing, it may actually be the sound of the rifle's motor systems powering down.
• The Pulse Rifle is the first weapon to make an appearance in the entire series, in the hands of the crew of the USG Kellion at the start of Dead Space.
• In Dead Space 2, a single press of the primary fire will release a two to three round burst. However, in environments where oxygen is not available, the Pulse Rifle will fire one bullet at a time.
• The Pulse Rifle is the only weapon in the Dead Space series to have four different alternate fires: a bullet cyclone in Dead Space, a grenade launcher in Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3 (when using the blueprint), a shotgun in Dead Space: Extraction, and a proximity mine in Dead Space (2023).
• The green advertisement posters on the USM Valor showcase the Pulse Rifle and read: "Introduce Your Enemies to Your Friend" is possibly a reference to a line from Scarface, "Say hello to my little friend!".
  • It is also possibly a reference to the movie Aliens, wherein Corporal Hicks tells Ripley he would like to "Introduce you to a personal friend of mine", and then teaches her to use the Pulse Rifle, a weapon of the same name as that in Dead Space, which also has a Grenade Launcher secondary fire.
• A clicking sound can be heard when Isaac toggles between aiming and idling mode, which is the sound of the ammo cartridge clicking in and out of place.
• The practical application of the secondary fire in Dead Space is most likely extending a single barrel to the side or the top in order to fire around corners or from behind chest high cover without exposing the operator to return fire. It may also serve as a "panic button" option used in riot control.
• The Extraction and 2 variants can be recreated in Dead Space 3.
  • The Extraction variant can be created by placing a Repeater-tipped Military Engine on a Heavy Frame as the Upper Tool, and either a Conic Dispersal-tipped Telemetry Spike or Military Engine as the Lower Tool.
    • Neither are perfect recreations as the Military Engine config is simply a standard shotgun with no flechettes, and the Telemetry Spike config has considerably larger spikes.
  • The variant seen in the second game follows the same Upper Tool configuration, but with a default-tipped Survey Charge as the Lower Tool.

Gallery

Concept Art and Posters

Concept art of the SWS Motorized Pulse Rifle.

Concept art for the Pulse Rifle.

Another concept of the Pulse Rifle.

Early concept art for the Pulse Rifle in the remake.

A poster with the Pulse Rifle on the USM Valor.

A poster with the Pulse Rifle in the remake.

Screenshots

Render of the Pulse Rifle in Dead Space (2023).

Another render of the Pulse Rifle in Dead Space (2023).

The Pulse Rifle in the remake.

Isaac finding the Pulse Rifle in the remake.

Render of the Pulse Rifle in Dead Space (2008).

The Pulse Rifle in the original game.

The Pulse Rifle in action in the original game.

The Pulse Rifle's alternate fire in the original game.

The Astro Pulse Rifle.

The Pulse Rifle in Dead Space 2.

Normal Pulse Rifle wielded by Isaac in a Security Suit.

EarthGov Pulse Rifle with a matching EarthGov Security RIG.

Agility Pulse Rifle with a matching Agility Advanced RIG.

Gabe Weller using the Pulse Rifle in Dead Space 2: Severed.

The Pulse Rifle in Dead Space: Extraction.

The "Autofire" achievement/trophy from the original game.

The "Autofire" achievement/trophy from the remake.

The Pulse Rifle in Dead Space 3.