Gunstick

The gunstick was the standard personal Dalek weapon. Though it was replaceable, it almost always occupied a space in a socket to the side of the manipulator arm. Though the Daleks sometimes replaced the manipulator arm with a more specialized tool, they almost never replaced the gunstick, except with another kind of weapon.

History

The effect of the gunstick remained standard throughout most of the history of the race from their creation onwards. During the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War, the Imperial Daleks used a different kind of weapon than the Renegade Daleks. The Renegades appeared to still use what looked like the standard weapon. It was yellow-orange in colour, rather than blue. (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks)

Characteristics

Physical effects

As stated above, the gunstick was an energy weapon. (DW: The Five Doctors) The discharge beam appeared blue and had a trademark "negative effect". On occasions this exposed the skeletal structure of the victim.

Early sources of information about the Daleks described being hit by the weapon as being akin to being struck by lightning, suggesting the energy involved was roughly analogous to an electric charge. Sometimes victims of the weapons appeared charred (DW: The Daleks' Master Plan).

Rachel Jensen, examining the body of a Human killed by the discharge of a Renegade Dalek's gunstick during the Shoreditch Incident said the lethal damage appeared to her like, massive internal disruption... his insides were scrambled which may suggest a different kind of weapon had been used on this occasion. (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks) She later theorised that they might be using plasma weapons. (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks (novelisation))

The Dalek Factions present in the area at this time were using what appeared to be slightly different weapons, in that they fired bolts of energy rather than beams (and the weapons of the Imperial Daleks discharged yellow-orange rather than blue). (DW: Remembrance of the Daleks)

During the massacre inside the GeoComTex Vault, the Dalek involved was able to use conductive substances such as metal and water to considerably extend the effect of its gunstick, strongly suggesting this was the case here also. (DW: Dalek)

Settings

This weapon had a non-lethal setting which paralysed the target. The Daleks said that repeated exposure to the paralysis effect would result in permanent neural damage. (DW: The Daleks)

Weaknesses

The beam could reflect back and destroy the user if it struck a reflective surface. (DW: The Five Doctors) Also, if removed from the Dalek the Doctor found that it could still be fired by an enemy. (DW: Genesis of the Daleks)

This was shortly after the Daleks' development by Davros, however, and later Daleks may have corrected this feature.