New Handguns

[JulianXSJ]

Hears a question for you firearms types: this shell mentioned is used ina TL9-12 projectile weapon series.

Reading up on the EDF standard 8mm shell, it reads as a "military shell and subcaliber hard bodied saboted dart (4mm inner core) coated in a friction reducing substance (such as teflon).
Assuming an SMG round, I'm thinking treating it as a 9mm round with some spiffy penetration factors vs soft armours. Suggestions are welcome.

 

[Spud]

I gotta vote for the Captain's Sidearm, as carried by Alacrity Fitzhugh (of Hobart Floyt and Alcrity Fitzhugh fame, by Brian Daley). A BIG honkin' revolver designed for exaggerated flash and bang to focus the attention of a panicky crowd or a surly (mutinous?) crew. Included a snap-out bayonet and a basket-hilt sort of guard (a la good rapiers) to protect the hand, and enhance close-combat/melee blows. Sounds even better than the classic Wild West munchkin dream gun, the LeMAt (9 round .44/.45 caliber cap and ball revolver with a coaxial 9 ga. shotgun round centered in the cylinder)

 

[Falkayn]

Well, here's my 0.02Cr ...

Attack technology has never advanced alone, it is always in dynamic tension with defense technology.

That said, many of the threats we see appearing in today's world are well camouflaged (looks just like civilians), don't wear armour and may exert deadly force just for the heck of it (e.g. suicide bombers). Therefore modern arms development is focussing on fast acting, less-than-lethal solutions, because:
a) They'll stop the enemy before he blows everyone up.
b) You can say sorry if you confused a nice loyal civilian and a terrorist.

Traveller varies, mostly because people who play it often draw inspiration from real world events. In terms of canon conflicts, it would seem that there is still a lot of 'conventional' armed conflict going on. That means the other guy IS going to be wearing armour, wielding carefully applied deadly force, whilst in a uniform.

So I see that IMTU, the hot areas of weapons development are concentrated on:
a) Defeating battledress and other vehicular armour (when taking on the Imp Marines).
b) Defeating masses of more lightly armed/armoured foes (when taking on low TL hordes with a few Imp Marines).
c) Avoiding being targetted by auto-aimed weapons (anyone reading John Ringo's Hymn Before Battle stuff will remember God-King saucer weapons).
c) Varying ranges of effect so that in an close-quarters combat setting your weapon range is short, and in a nice open setting it is long (this might minimise nasty collateral damage).