The problem with plasma DEWs is that any technology which makes them feasible   
   also renders them obsolete. If you can confine fusion-temperature plasma then   
   you can also make a shield that deflects that plasma. If you can project a   
   containment field at    
   range to keep the bolt from expanding then you can just skip the plasma   
   altogether and build an implosion gun--because the amount of force needed to   
   keep star-hot plasma compressed into a half-centimeter bolt is enough to crush   
   a human target into paste.    
   And of course, your shield generator/implosion gun will probably be *smaller*   
   than the plasma weapon because it doesn't need the extra plasma generating   
   components.   
      
   Also, you do *not* want your containment field to be magnetic, because that   
   leads to unintended (and disastrous) consequences--especially if it's a   
   man-portable weapon being fired inside a habitat. You know those videos where   
   they switch on an MRI and    
   its magnetic field sucks in metal objects like staplers, chairs, and oxygen   
   tanks? Imagine your gun doing that every time you fire. Would make an   
   entertaining way to clear orbiting space debris though, the magnetic bubble   
   would suck up debris and then    
   the bolt would vaporize it.   
      
   If you really want a gun that shoots plasma bolts, make the containment field   
   100% handwavium, and go with either "it's hyper-advanced precursor tech that   
   isn't fully understood", or "the oversight committee really wanted plasma   
   bolters like on TV, and    
   wouldn't listen to the science team's objections" as the reason you haven't   
   weaponized the containment field instead.   
      
   As for its effect on a human target, if your bolt is hot enough to kick   
   tungsten into a plasma state it's going to obliterate the molecular bonds of   
   just about anything it comes in contact with--including the barrel/emitter of   
   your gun. Honestly, at    
   those temperatures density and velocity are secondary concerns. You don't need   
   to deliver a hefty kinetic impact if your target has already been flashed into   
   monoatomic ash. In atmosphere, just standing next to a passing bolt will get   
   you cooked, which    
   means the person firing it will fry too unless you stick to vehicle mounted   
   weapons with some pretty absurd heat shielding. On the plus side, heat doesn't   
   transfer the same way through vacuum so in space you might be okay on a near   
   miss and firing the    
   weapon would be be safer--if you can somehow keep the gun from vaporizing   
   itself.   
      
   Of course, you could always solve that problem by saying that your handwavium   
   containment field somehow blocks heat as well. It's basically space magic at   
   that point, so it can do anything you want it to.   
      
   Basically the SciFi notion of a gun that fires a self-contained 'plasma balls'   
   is pretty silly on a number of levels. If you want a realistic plasma weapon,   
   you're better off replacing the bare bolt with a physical projectile that   
   detonates at or near    
   the target. If you go the Casaba-Howitzer route you still get your glowy   
   plasma lance and focused energy output, and you avoid the technical problems   
   that come with trying to fire a nuclear blast out of a gunbarrel. Just have   
   the shell travel a minimum    
   safe distance before arming, though you'll still need eye protection if you   
   expect to be looking downrange when it goes off.   
      
   Further reading on plasma weapons: http://www.stardestroyer.net/   
   mpire/Essays/PlasmaWeapons.html   
      
   Further reading on the Casaba-howitzer:   
   https://toughsf.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-nuclear-spear-casaba-howitzer.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)