Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
It's weird watching a modern tank on the move - the vehicle can be bouncing about all over the place, but the barrel is steady as a rock.
LMGs from "Aliens"
- Thread starter Blue Ghost
- Start date
Ganidirsii O'Flynn
SOC-12
I remember being a just-fresh-from-training soldier in Germany serving aboard one of the first production run of the M1 Abrams. My tank commander gave me a little demonstration of what 'stabilization' meant.
He had the driver park our track on a sloping hill, bow down. Now one track was significantly higher than another (say a little over a foot) and then he locked the sight onto a building off in the distance. He tells me to get up in the TC hatch so I can see, then orders the driver to 'rotate'....
The lower (automotive) section of a 65 ton behemoth put one track in gear forward and the other in gear in reverse, so that that portion of the tank spun 360 degrees in place while canted and yawed and the gun never lost it's target lock.
I found out later that he'd use any excuse for doing that. He was as awed and amused by it as I was.
He had the driver park our track on a sloping hill, bow down. Now one track was significantly higher than another (say a little over a foot) and then he locked the sight onto a building off in the distance. He tells me to get up in the TC hatch so I can see, then orders the driver to 'rotate'....
The lower (automotive) section of a 65 ton behemoth put one track in gear forward and the other in gear in reverse, so that that portion of the tank spun 360 degrees in place while canted and yawed and the gun never lost it's target lock.
I found out later that he'd use any excuse for doing that. He was as awed and amused by it as I was.
I think that's probably how and why a unit with a steadi-cam mounted LMG might want it. If the weapon had a high accuracy rating (particularly at long range), then such a mount would be very handy indeed. An individual could walk with partial cover behind an earthwork, wall, berm or some other fortification, and maintain a "lock" as he fired his weapon.
Very cool.
A LASER LMG with a similar contraption would be interesting too.
Very cool.
A LASER LMG with a similar contraption would be interesting too.
Ganidirsii O'Flynn
SOC-12
There were some articles in the later issues of Challenge that dealt with the support weapon gap between a gauss gun (or laser rifle) and a pgmp. There were two articles in separate issues, one dealing with energy weaps and the other dealing with slugthrowers. The stats were for MT, but we all know how to 'quicky-convert'. I'd look somewhere in issues 65+. (My collection is in storage or I'd happily look them up for you.
) And I know that the T4 Emperor's Arsenal had quite a bit on weapons development thru Traveller's tech level chain.
Pagan priest
SOC-12
Well, according to the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, the M-56 Smart Gun is a 10mm squad support machine gun with infrared target tracking system and a self-aiming stabilised mount with a total mass of 17.82 Kg.
The self-aiming bit is decribed as based on the transponders that each trooper is supposed to have on, so you can hose the bad guys even if they are intermixed with your buddies. Once you pull the trigger, it will put one (or several) rounds into the center of mass of each elegible target in the fire zone.
The self-aiming bit is decribed as based on the transponders that each trooper is supposed to have on, so you can hose the bad guys even if they are intermixed with your buddies. Once you pull the trigger, it will put one (or several) rounds into the center of mass of each elegible target in the fire zone.
Now that's what I call a support weapon!
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Bummer if your PDT (Personal Data Transmitter) goes down. </font>[/QUOTE]Or the weapon's internals are off by even a few cm or a fraction of a second.
Keep your weapon clean
Pagan priest
SOC-12
One of the battle descriptions talks about a unit getting torn up by the other side's sentry guns because they had their transponders turned on... be a bummer if they switched them of for the sentries and then forgot to switch them back on before firing the "smart" guns...
Straybow
SOC-14 1K
Instead of RF/microwave type transponder you need a directional laser transponder with sophisticated encryption.
You still end up giving the support weapon position away, but you're counting on taking out targets before they can capitalize on that knowledge.
I suppose you could use a remote transponder-interogator. An RPV will get targetted as soon as it is launched, but you only need it over the target area for the fraction of second necessary to discriminate targets.
Another possibility is rocket/mortar-launched, single-use unit. Like a smart grenade but instead of exploding to shower shrapnel it interrogates, collects and transmits transponder locations back to the firer.
Once targets are discriminated you should be able to use on-board imaging and AI to track them reliably for a few seconds while you "hose down" the area.
You still end up giving the support weapon position away, but you're counting on taking out targets before they can capitalize on that knowledge.
I suppose you could use a remote transponder-interogator. An RPV will get targetted as soon as it is launched, but you only need it over the target area for the fraction of second necessary to discriminate targets.
Another possibility is rocket/mortar-launched, single-use unit. Like a smart grenade but instead of exploding to shower shrapnel it interrogates, collects and transmits transponder locations back to the firer.
Once targets are discriminated you should be able to use on-board imaging and AI to track them reliably for a few seconds while you "hose down" the area.
Renaissance Man
SOC-12
Under-barrel grenade launcher?
This link has been dead for months, but here goes...
How would one go about designing an under-barrel grenade launcher for an ACR? Seems to be a really useful thing for any Traveller-era army. A magazine-loaded, low ROF, large calibre anti-armour/anti-personnel weapon a la Aliens should be within the grasp of TL 11+.
Anyway, I'm no gearhead, and I haven't been able to figure out how to design one using FF&S2.
This link has been dead for months, but here goes...
How would one go about designing an under-barrel grenade launcher for an ACR? Seems to be a really useful thing for any Traveller-era army. A magazine-loaded, low ROF, large calibre anti-armour/anti-personnel weapon a la Aliens should be within the grasp of TL 11+.
Anyway, I'm no gearhead, and I haven't been able to figure out how to design one using FF&S2.
Aspect is the total weight of the weapon system.
TL7 GL less a shared stock (1kg) assume 3 round "pump" action improvement, (6D, 200g, 3 rd magazine 650g, 25mm 'cause it looks cool they are lighter doin less damage than the 40mm ones)
TL 8 CAW Close Assault Weapon:
2000g unloaded, 2650g loaded 3 rd clip (650g) 25mm 6D HE grenade 200g
2500g unloaded, 3000g loaded 30rd clip (500g) pistol ammo (SMG TL5)
4500g unloaded, 5650g loaded.
So this is a "upgraded" TL5 SMG with a upgraded TL7 GL
Suffers at long / very long range with the SMG due to lack of fancy sight, only full auto fire, is a more compact system ala the aliens stuff. (say actually 14 rounds are shot every burst and a magazine holds 100 rounds, get same number of shots from a magazine but neater 3-digit counter LED. Heck even have em be 10round bursts, get the 3x chance to hit as it *is* a full-auto-only weapon.) Maybe add in gyrostabilization ala ACR for "free" and take the mods from assault rifle:ACR as a guideline, resulting in...
-4 long range -7 very long?
Another version would be a LAG instead of GL, the STR 9 due to recoil fits the movie well as the "grenade launcher", it has a 5 round clip, are 20mm rounds, TL8 (again losing a shared stock, clip reduced to 3 rds for weight savings)
3000g unloaded, 3300g loaded (3rd mag 300g) 20mm
2500g unloaded, 3000g loaded (30rd mag 500g) pistol ammo
5500g unloaded, 6300g loaded
Kinda heavy, i think, but then i love the LAG alone, forgo the autofire (it's usually illegal anyhow lol)
Hope this helps, interested to hear what others have done for this situation.
TL7 GL less a shared stock (1kg) assume 3 round "pump" action improvement, (6D, 200g, 3 rd magazine 650g, 25mm 'cause it looks cool they are lighter doin less damage than the 40mm ones)
TL 8 CAW Close Assault Weapon:
2000g unloaded, 2650g loaded 3 rd clip (650g) 25mm 6D HE grenade 200g
2500g unloaded, 3000g loaded 30rd clip (500g) pistol ammo (SMG TL5)
4500g unloaded, 5650g loaded.
So this is a "upgraded" TL5 SMG with a upgraded TL7 GL
Suffers at long / very long range with the SMG due to lack of fancy sight, only full auto fire, is a more compact system ala the aliens stuff. (say actually 14 rounds are shot every burst and a magazine holds 100 rounds, get same number of shots from a magazine but neater 3-digit counter LED. Heck even have em be 10round bursts, get the 3x chance to hit as it *is* a full-auto-only weapon.) Maybe add in gyrostabilization ala ACR for "free" and take the mods from assault rifle:ACR as a guideline, resulting in...
-4 long range -7 very long?
Another version would be a LAG instead of GL, the STR 9 due to recoil fits the movie well as the "grenade launcher", it has a 5 round clip, are 20mm rounds, TL8 (again losing a shared stock, clip reduced to 3 rds for weight savings)
3000g unloaded, 3300g loaded (3rd mag 300g) 20mm
2500g unloaded, 3000g loaded (30rd mag 500g) pistol ammo
5500g unloaded, 6300g loaded
Kinda heavy, i think, but then i love the LAG alone, forgo the autofire (it's usually illegal anyhow lol)
Hope this helps, interested to hear what others have done for this situation.
Renaissance Man
SOC-12
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
I just tend to use assault shotguns, and devise weird and wonderful ammo for them: Light shot, heavy shot, solid slug, tracer, rubber, HE, HEAP, Flechette, Tranq, Tazer, Phosphorus, Napalm, Rocket-assisted KEAP... You name it.
One character even had a gyro-stabilised belt-fed version - LMG with attitude!
One character even had a gyro-stabilised belt-fed version - LMG with attitude!
G. Fieendish
SOC-12
Re: last post
The irony is that most of these loadings exist in some form or another already....
I have seen images of a shaped charge (HEAT) Shotgun round, & someone's currently marketing a Taser round, in the U.S for police use....
The irony is that most of these loadings exist in some form or another already....
I have seen images of a shaped charge (HEAT) Shotgun round, & someone's currently marketing a Taser round, in the U.S for police use....
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
Thanks, Grimly, That doesn't surprise me - although some of them were definitely sci fi back when I first used them.
If you have any ideas for higher tech ones, I'd be happy to adopt them.
If you have any ideas for higher tech ones, I'd be happy to adopt them.
Pagan priest
SOC-12
Thanks, Grimly, That doesn't surprise me - although some of them were definitely sci fi back when I first used them.
If you have any ideas for higher tech ones, I'd be happy to adopt them.
Current tech, not high tech, but metal powder. Opens any locked door, with no blow through to cause unintended casualties.
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