On 4/13/2017 at 10:03 AM, Kaigen said:

Lately I've taken a shine to the Merr-Sonn Model 53 "Quicktrigger" from Fly Casual. It's nothing jaw-dropping as far as basic stats go, but it is easier to repair and modify than other pistols. and it's only 50 credits more expensive than a standard blaster pistol. I like it for a character who isn't prepared to sink a lot of credits into a gun at character creation, but wants the option to build their way into a hand cannon later.

I'd second this. My Gunslinger/Pilot has a pair of these beauties and they do major work for me. Mine are both modded with Blaster Actuation Modules, Superior, Custom Grips and Paired Weapons. The ease of modding helps with the 4 Hard Points the weapon has.

Don't know the stats of the character, but with 4 int and 2 ranks of mechanics you could craft something interesting out of the gate and describe it as a weapon you've heavily customized. And it's cheap enough that you could add the custom grip attachment, nodded and still be under budget.