I'm wondering if the drawback's a typo. The Augmented Spin Barrel gives a Setback to maintaining the weapon and the description supports this by explaining increased wear and tear. The BAM (zing!) description explains the same, however is gives a Setback to use. Is the BAM penalty wrong?

Nope. Working as intended. I'm sure it was to off set people tricking out a pair of handguns and dual wielding them. You get the same Setback with a pistol grip attachment to turn a Rifle into a Pistol for skill checks in Dangerous Covenants. I don't think it's a big deal if you want to skip it honestly, given that Autofire weapons outclass that dual wielding option in damage output so badly anyway.

It is a pretty stiff penalty if you're just using the basic mod. Once you get all the mod options its not as bad, but as it is the basic +1 damage for one setback die is a poor choice. Especially compared to the equivalent mod for rifles.

In my group we made a "Match Grade" Blaster actuating module. It costs a 1000 credits and moves the setback to repairs like the other mods. The lore I wrote for it is that this BAC is designed specifically for your model blaster.

It just seems weird that the fluff is all about upping damage while making it harder to maintain, but the mechanics make it harder to use. A SB die isn't the end of the world, though.

I view the attachments in the book as a beginning, not all inclusive or the end of all things. I think they give the options they do to provide some insight into when groups design their own attachments that there should be balance and offsets to what they create. An attachment for pistols that provides some benefits need not absolutely have Setbacks as well, but when it provides upwards of 4 additional mods on top of the attachment, then perhaps some sort of drawback is warranted.

Maybe, but there is some discrepancy between some equivalent upgrades.

Like the BAM and the ASB.

The BAMs drawback is a setback to ALL checks made with the weapon.

The ASBs drawback is a setback to mechanics checks to repair the weapon.

The ASB's drawback might as well not exist because of how simple it is to eliminate Setback die on mechanics checks, and any group's mechanic is most likely tossing at least YYYG at any check he makes, plus possibly a boost die or 2.

The same can't be said of the BAM.

I suppose if you want to limit things to simply comparing the two attachments. My point is though there is nothing that precludes a GM from introducing other custom attachments. One need not draw hard and fast conclusions about how they should be set up solely using the exact detail of the rifle and pistol mod in the game. Put another way, the rifle attachment is better than the pistol one, of course rifles are better weapons than pistols anyway.

Unfortunately I'm siding with 2P51 on this one... (don't get used to it)

The ASB costs 1,750. That Setback could be costly in the middle of a battle when your gun is damaged or disabled and you try to "tap, rack, bang" it yourself.

Saw this in a climactic firefight in our last game. The ST kept rolling Triumphs for his sniper droids, so he had them shooting the guns out of the PCs hands, leaving them disabled or damaged as well as dropped (multiple Triumphs in some cases). I started just "assembly lining" guns to keep at least one or two PCs in the fire fight while our Scoundrel sliced some blast doors (she kept failing).

It was tense. Even a single Setback die would have been terrible.

My PC uses 2 Blaster Pistols both w/ BAM and I modded them w/ +1 Pierce on both but missed the Dmg on 1 of them. And I offset the SB Die w/ a Bantha Sight anyway so that was mute.

Though when I roll I have...YYYY-Blk-Blk-PP (B when I aim) Of course I get another Black if I go against someone w/ armor on so it is an intense dice pool, but I do ok. When doing a John Woo Manuever I usually get another Blue die, because if one of my group members get enough Adv. they give it to me since I am the 2nd Gun in the group.

You don't have to count both Setbacks from the attachments in the two weapon check because you designate one weapon for making the check to determine overall success of the attack.

So wait, you mean since technically I am firing 1 weapon and the 2nd one doesnt go off unless I have 2 Adv, I don't have to count the 2nd setback die???? KICK @$$

You designate one weapon for determining the overall success of the attack. So technically you can't use extra Advantages from attachments on the second weapon for determining whether you score the second hit but can for other features like weapon effects and criticals. Technically you don't have to count the Setback in the roll to determine success. Technically you also wouldn't add in Boost dice on the second weapon either. Now the rules get a little cumbersome and to be completely accurate what you would probably do is roll any Setback or Boost dice for Accuracy on the side and not count the results for determining the success of the attack or whether the second was landed, but then add their results in after the fact. That's a little clunky but is the most accurate way of taking all features into account. Talk to your GM.

What I usually do, is Roll, 4Y - 2Blk - 2P - 1B for aim, and then add the Adv. After I hit w/ the 1st wpn then I use the 2nd Adv to determine all other stuff. Because I am holding both guns and the 2 wpn rules say that you have to add 1P for the added difficulty and you have to roll whatever the dice pool is for the 2 wpns. Since both have BAM then you have to roll for both even though technically you are firing 1 1st. Right???

Yes but you designate one weapon for determining the overall success of the attack to include the two weapon hit. You can roll everything at once as long as you don't factor in the stuff from the second gun on the initial attack. So whatever you need to do, i.e. roll dice in both hands.

I usually factor in both guns, just not the extra Adv. and I have hit about 90% of the time. So next time hold back 1 Setback die...write out what my Die pool should be plz (4Agl, 4 Ranks Range Light, BAM on Both wpns, Bantha Sights on both guns) I will add aim after you put up pool thanks