Perfect PC Sidearm

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

Originally posted by Elliot:
A question that has always bothered me = do Gauss Pistols/Rifles make any noise when fired - I understand that the needle slug breaks the sound barrier inside the barrel - so is there any sound?

Originally posted by The Mink:
If the projectile is travelling faster than the speed of sound then it will have the same sort of crack that a rifle bullet has (ie louder the faster it is)

Since the actual acceleration is smoot rather than explosive, I always ruled that it was as quiet as the best rifle silencers (ie still fairly loud)

Having said that, I also used to allow people to fire Gauss weapons in "disrete" mode where the round is subsonic - vastly reduced range and damage, but almost totally silent. Useful when sneaking through buildings.

Originally posted by BluWolf:
As far as the gun itself goes I always sort of pictured it like the handguns in 5th Element. When you turn it on (prior to being fired) it makes that high pitched whine as the magnetic accelerators power up.

When I fired I would assume they would all make some sort of "crack' or sharp "pop". Sort of like a bull whip without the whooshing buildup.

For Gauss weapons our group used to think that too...until we saw some video of the U.S. Navy's Miramar Gun in action about ten years ago. It's a prototype gauss gun...large scale since they were just starting experimenting with that type of thing. When it fired you would have thought they were firing a cannon. Not only was there a loud rapport, there was muzzle flame! Granted this is on an entirely different scale than a personal weapon, but considering after seeing how a real mag weapon behaves I'd have to say that to the untrained eye a Gauss weapon firing would look and sound like a normal chemical-round weapon.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Assuming that is a rail gun the flash is vaporized fuse material and ozone from the arc.

A coil gun won't be as dramatic.

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

Originally posted by Uncle Bob:
Assuming that is a rail gun the flash is vaporized fuse material and ozone from the arc.

A coil gun won't be as dramatic.

How so? Granted the coil and rail are two different configurations, but it's still magnetic acceleration and the end result (the round travelling extremely fast) is the same. What makes the coil variant different?

And yes, that is a rail gun...I can provide you with links if you'd like.

 

[Uncle Bob]

A rail gun works by jumping the current from one rail to the other through a "fuse" at the base of the projectile. The currents flowing through the rails causes the current running perpendicularly through the "fuse" to be accellerated carrying the fuse and the projectile with it.

This current is in the mega-amp range and can vaporise the "fuse." Also when the fuse leaves the rails there can be a temendous spark.

A coil gun runs a high current through a coil, acting as a solenoid. There is no spark.

 

[trader jim]

did I ever tell you all about my QUICK DRAW HOLSTER???.....I now im the FASTEST GUN ALIVE!!!
really upsets the GM....I am now Know as "ol Dead eye Trader Jim"...never lost a shootem up...Care to step out in the street??...Punk...

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

Originally posted by trader jim:
did I ever tell you all about my QUICK DRAW HOLSTER???.....I now im the FASTEST GUN ALIVE!!!
really upsets the GM....I am now Know as "ol Dead eye Trader Jim"...never lost a shootem up...Care to step out in the street??...Punk...

Hehe... we had Power Holsters in our CT game...the ones from Deathworld. Had to have at least a pistol of 3 to use them and preferably skill in power holster specifically.

 

[trader jim]

Darn..another good idea "shot" to hell!!!!!

get it---"shot".....heheheheh

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

I'm laughing hard inside. Oh wait, those are bullets. Hey!! <thud>

 

[trader jim]

GREAT COME BACK.....NICE LABS....laughed out loud....thanx...needed that

 

[N.I.C.E. Labs]

Hehe

I do my best

Thank you for encouraging my behavior

 

[Halleck]

In social situations my sidearm of choice was a gauss pistol neatly concealed beneath my uniform jacket.
For shipboard or starport wear the gauss would be supplemented by a neat little invention of my GM (Peter Scarrott) a sawn off double barrelled pump action shotgun carried in a thigh rig (very useful for intidation and clearing narrow corridors).
But when the brown matter hit the ventilation device my arguement solution was something big, the favourite being an ACR/2.5cm grenade launcher combo (Hey, when you're out in the wilds that thing is a sidearm )

 

[themink]

If you ever carry your gauss onto my ship, you would hit the brig so hard, there would be bruises on the metal. Do you have nay idea how much delicate equipment there is onboard a ship. The slug would just go round and round until it ran out of steam - leaving a trail of "Gearhead" and "Damage Control" tasks in it's wake. Even if you win the firefight, the ship isn;t going to be good for much for a long period afterwards - even assuming that non of the damage kills you.

Your shotgun on the other hand is a much more environmentally friendly weapon when shipboard.

 

[notagoodusername]

The problem with the shotgun is that if it is used in a computer-heavy area it is lots of little pelets to imbed in the circuit boards, which will do a ton of computer damage. Shotguns are better all-round ship board, though, I agree, though it's all six of one, half a dozen of the other where any firearm in a computer-heavy area is considered - they are all bad news.

Then again I'm a product of Pete Scarrott's approach to Traveller combat too - every time you pull the trigger there are consequences (something I've carried over to my GMing).

Crispy -> Hi John! Welcome to the boards!

Shane

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by The Mink:
If you ever carry your gauss onto my ship, you would hit the brig so hard, there would be bruises on the metal. Do you have nay idea how much delicate equipment there is onboard a ship. The slug would just go round and round until it ran out of steam - leaving a trail of "Gearhead" and "Damage Control" tasks in it's wake. Even if you win the firefight, the ship isn;t going to be good for much for a long period afterwards - even assuming that non of the damage kills you.

Your shotgun on the other hand is a much more environmentally friendly weapon when shipboard.

------------------------------------------------
A point well taken by my 1st gp of TNE players, Mink: when they boarded a raider ship bigger than theirs, they went packin' serious heat (laser weapons, ACRs, and a RAM GL, several Accelerator rifles as well.Oh, and one PGMP-13 for the fellow who had the one working suit of TL-13 BD.
AFter trashing the ship's crew (the raiders boarding element had the same idea the PCs did and EVA'd onto their vessel with similar results)..I had two ships in orbit with wrecked bridges, and two working computers between the two of them. A Mexican standoff settled by arrival of a freindly NPC vessel, tipping the hand into the air. The Raiders had killed the remaining crew (3) abaord the PC ship, and discovered they'd been snookered (there was no high$$$ cargo, the ship used to belong to the raider's outfit, and was in baling wire and chewing gum shape to start with.)
The PC's had captured engineering easily, it was the fight for the Bridge area that got nasty.
The fellow with the relic PGMP had done the worst damage.
How they got home was another story and three sessions later!

They didn't take near as much damaging hardware the next raider they encountered. AN expensives lesson--their dream ship was so costly to refit they had to sell her off to the RC. Which 80% of them did. The others kept their shares, and get to serve aboard her...

 

[themink]

Liam - If I could give you any more stars, I would. Thats brilliant - firing a PGMP onboard - Oooopps

 

[vutpakdi]

Originally posted by Shane Mclean:
The problem with the shotgun is that if it is used in a computer-heavy area it is lots of little pelets to imbed in the circuit boards, which will do a ton of computer damage. Shotguns are better all-round ship board, though, I agree, though it's all six of one, half a dozen of the other where any firearm in a computer-heavy area is considered - they are all bad news.

Then again I'm a product of Pete Scarrott's approach to Traveller combat too - every time you pull the trigger there are consequences (something I've carried over to my GMing).

Shane

Seems like there is room for different types of ammo for all guns that fire projectiles. There are probably variants on frangible rounds for onship use. Of course, the on-ship frangible rounds would have trouble with armor, but, at that point, perhaps people would carry a magazine or two of normal ball rounds for such situations.

I seem to remember some story in _The Fleet_ series where the boarders carried "disk" (or was it thud) rounds that were designed to incapacitate/kill by rounds that rapidly expanded once leaving the barrel but wouldn't penetrate walls (yes, aerodynamically unsound). Very short range, I would imagine.

Ron

PS: Perhaps this sort of thing was in Traveller's Aide #1?

 

[notagoodusername]

Originally posted by Ron Vutpakdi:

PS: Perhaps this sort of thing was in Traveller's Aide #1?

IN TA #1 there are stunning beanbag rounds for shotguns, that's all that I could find.

Shane

 

[trader jim]

Hey Guys....I just sold LIAM hes newest side arm....its a great big SUPER SOAKER....HA HA....
get it.....SQUIRT SQUIRT.......

 

[notagoodusername]

Originally posted by trader jim:
Hey Guys....I just sold LIAM hes newest side arm....its a great big SUPER SOAKER....HA HA....
get it.....SQUIRT SQUIRT.......

Yep, but I heard he filled it with high-strength Coffee Juice TJ, so beware.....

Shane

 

[Uncle Bob]

Uhm, you guys are aware that a high pressure water jet is used to cut thick plastic and sheet metal?

I won't laugh until I see the stats on that watergun.