Here's an idea I had for a new type of gauss weapon in SFRPGs.

It's a type of gauss weapon that allows extended barells to be screwed onto a basic weapon, granting increased range and power because the screwon barell adds more magnetic coils, thus accelerating the gauss dart for a longer distance and giving it more speed, range and power.

A basic model might resemble a large SMG with comparable range, power and RoF. Good model for most police, security and other civil needs. Need more? Screw on a longer barell, click on a shoulder stick and you now have a gauss assault rifle. It takes more juice per shot, of course, but gives range and power equal to a full fledged assault rifle.

For those special circumstances when you really need a long reach, screw on the really long barrell, click on a scope and targeting system, switch over from the under mounted ammo reciever to the special side mounted reciever and you now have a fully servicable sniper rifle firing a longer, heavier dart or the same diameter for maximum possible range and power.

A weapon like this, assuming the tech made it feasible, would simplify logistics, maintanence and training drastically while providing tactical flexibility.

If you're running a SFRPG where gauss weapons are used, feel free to try this out.

Unless I'm mistaken, the reason conventional guns aren't customarily made with adjustable length barrels for similar flexibility is the difficulty in maintaining a true barrel -- that is to say, properly straight.  Screwing on or clipping on another length of barrel may throw the initial tragectory of the projectile off its path.

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaUnless I'm mistaken, the reason conventional guns aren't customarily made with adjustable length barrels for similar flexibility is the difficulty in maintaining a true barrel -- that is to say, properly straight.  Screwing on or clipping on another length of barrel may throw the initial tragectory of the projectile off its path.

!i!

Well, once can assume that by the time new tech makes gauss weapons like this feasible, new materials like composites, carbon nanotubes, etc, will make lighter, stronger barells possible, and that advanced computerized manufacturing will ensure a greater degree of accuracy and finer tolerances than we have today.

Also, as I understand, there were a few weapons made that had variable barrells you could change. I think there was this one that could be anything from an assault carbine to a light machine gun by swapping barelly and accessories. It wasn't too successful, but it shows the concept can work even with todays. technology. A few decades from now...?

But your point in valid, today. I'm simply saying that it's quite plausible that in the future technologiucal advances will solve the issue you raise.

Hmmm.. I seem to recal that the future replacement for the current US standard military infrantry weapon would be reconfigureable in the field with different barrells. Though due to some of the issues already stated it didn't seem to be exactly an adhoc plug and play design. i.e. it seems that it'll work similar to field striping a weapon.

XM8 The X is for experimental. Ok that article is full of hype, but thats what I was refering to. From what I've heard the original HK that the xm8 is based off of is the real winner.

Damn! That xm8 looks Suh-Weeeeeet!!! Thanks for posting the link, guy!

I see one tiny problerm with it, it seems to be made to use the same round as the M-16, the 5.56mm, and from what I've heard that round may be on the way out.

It seems that it lacks the stopping power to drop a fanatical, suicidal enemy fast enough to keep him from doing harm. At least that's the grapvine word coming out of iraq. I hear stories about some of these fanatics taking a full 3rb from an M16 and not stopping. The problem is so serious the pentagon was, and maybe still is, considering fattening up the m16's ammo to a 6.something mm round, making it as large as they can while only adding a new barell. This would give it more killing power on body hits.

At least that's some of what I've heard here and there, it seems that the philosophy behind the smaller ammo that was prevelant when the m16 was designed, that it's better to wound an enemy rather than kill him outright, dosn't seem to apply to suicide bombers and other fanatics who don't care if they die or not.

So if this xm8 is firing the 5.56 it may need a little retooling.

But hey, I'm not knocking this gun, it looks sweet and a lot of thought obviously has gone into it. I think it might have a future, even with a fatter round eventually.

Besides, I kinda have to love it, it looks just like something out of a good SFRPG. Hell, this might look cool in traveller, transhuman space, shadowrun, cyberpunk or any future setting. Might want to make it caseless for more futuristic settings.

If the mods at the SJG forums weren't such a bunch of assholes I'd post this link there on the THS or general RPG forums, maybe even the traveller one, but since they wrongly banned me, fuck 'em.

besides, most of the users are ass kissers or neocon scum...

The HK it was based off of (the name of which escapes me now) used a heavier caliber. It is the main reason that it is more popular. However, I think the philosophy is that it's the amount of firepower that can be brought to bear that is the important thing, so smaller rounds means more of them.

Edit: I have to ask, do you have a program that generates that? If so, I'd love to know what it is.

Quote from: darThe HK it was based off of (the name of which escapes me now) used a heavier caliber. It is the main reason that it is more popular. However, I think the philosophy is that it's the amount of firepower that can be brought to bear that is the important thing, so smaller rounds means more of them.

Edit: I have to ask, do you have a program that generates that? If so, I'd love to know what it is.

Well, there's an old military saying that goes "In WW2 our guns were made of wood and steel and fired a .30 calibur bullet that killed the enemy.

Now our guns are made of aluminum and plastic and fire a .22 calibur bullet that wounds the enemy."

The issue is that body hits with a 5.56 (About a .22, actually) round often fail to instantly stop someone, and if that guy's a suicide attacker or a fanatic with a real hardon to get to his 72 sex slaves in paradise you have to literally stop him dead to stop him. The 5.56 just doesn't do it in a lot of cases, so the pentagon is beginning to look at heavier rounds, like the old days.

Yea. Different times/wars call for different strategies. I personally would lug around more of the heavier rounds.

Quote from: darYea. Different times/wars call for different strategies. I personally would lug around more of the heavier rounds.

The whole :wounding beats killing" idea may have worked in europe during ww2 when dealing with the germans who, hard as it is to believe given the way they acted, came from a civillized culture and would not leave wounded behind, tended their wounded, etc.

It may not have worked so well against the japanese in ww2, it really wouldn't have worked in korea or vietnam where, unfortunately, the m-16 was introduced, the perfect weapon FOR WW2 IN EUROPE.

I favor going for a higher calibur myself, and for saving weight and adding ammo capacity by going developing caseless ammo. I understand a HK weapon was caseless, so the tech may exist.