The EMG

[Blue Ghost]

I was going to publish this in an adventure, but I'll share it here just to get some thoughts.

The EMG is a "large bore" Gauss weapon that doesn't fire needles, but more standard type rounds, and leaves a signature because of its high powered nature. The report is an essentially electrical spark coupled with a snap as the round leaves the barrel, much like a conventional percussion weapon.

The ammo is heavier as are the battery backs, but do more damage. The range may be limited given the type of round (HEAP, SABOT, SQUASH/HESH) and may not be aerodynamic at all in favor of surface effect. A specific type of round may in fact have a flat head with some fins for guidance and stabilization, etc.

Less accurate than its smaller Gauss cousins, these are usually considered support weapons, though smaller calibers exist, and, again like standard percussion weapons, have a "kick".

Note; I came up with this way back in the early 90s (I can't exactly remember when), but never found an opportunity to publish it with any system, though again I always favored it for Traveller as a "rage" weapon for the player who likes to play the high-tech Rambo with lots of FP in his hands.

I don't know. What do you think?

Could this have anti-armor/vehicle capability? Big as a HE weapon? Smaller?

 

[kilemall]

I was going to publish this in an adventure, but I'll share it here just to get some thoughts.

The EMG is a "large bore" Gauss weapon that doesn't fire needles, but more standard type rounds, and leaves a signature because of its high powered nature. The report is an essentially electrical spark coupled with a snap as the round leaves the barrel, much like a conventional percussion weapon.

The ammo is heavier as are the battery backs, but do more damage. The range may be limited given the type of round (HEAP, SABOT, SQUASH/HESH) and may not be aerodynamic at all in favor of surface effect. A specific type of round may in fact have a flat head with some fins for guidance and stabilization, etc.

Less accurate than its smaller Gauss cousins, these are usually considered support weapons, though smaller calibers exist, and, again like standard percussion weapons, have a "kick".

Note; I came up with this way back in the early 90s (I can't exactly remember when), but never found an opportunity to publish it with any system, though again I always favored it for Traveller as a "rage" weapon for the player who likes to play the high-tech Rambo with lots of FP in his hands.

I don't know. What do you think?

Could this have anti-armor/vehicle capability? Big as a HE weapon? Smaller?

Well, my first thought would be the ATR form factor, which is what the LAG is.

Using Striker pen, I would tend to make pen=TL, so the Gauss-LAG would be pen-12, good enough to penetrate TL12 CA and TL13 BD reliably.

The TL8 LAG also comes with flechette and HE ammo options, so assuming a similar Gauss-LAG 14mm diameter round, probably higher pen and range, and a larger burst radius for the flechette.

 

[Blue Ghost]

I thought maybe something like an over sized Barret 50 Cal on steroids or something, but with a really cool heat sink cowl.

I also thought maybe a full auto support version, and maybe a "sniper" AT rifle version ... not sure really. Just tossing out ideas.

 

[kilemall]

I thought maybe something like an over sized Barret 50 Cal on steroids or something, but with a really cool heat sink cowl.

I also thought maybe a full auto support version, and maybe a "sniper" AT rifle version ... not sure really. Just tossing out ideas.

For a support version, depends on what you mean. A VRF GG will do the auto role and take care of most any incoming, missile or man. Might be room for something with a little less ROF and huge ammo bin for the HMG role.

An ATR IS an Anti-Tank Rifle, LAG is Light Assault Gun from LBB4 Mercenary and is an updated version of the TL6 ATR from 1930s-40s. However both, historically and in Striker various HEAT based warheads including RAM GLs takes care of the light armor role.

What I described would be the Barrett sniper rifle version for killing high end armored infantry. The HE and flechette rounds would be for CES/Cloth and unarmored targets respectively.

 

[Blue Ghost]

That's interesting. When I think ATRs I think of the huge 20mm deal used I think by the Norwegians. That's a little big for what I'm thinking.

Or rather, perhaps not as long barrel wise, but still bulky to accommodate larger rounds and the batteries to power the barrel.

And yeah, going after armored infantry is probably the design intent or parameter. Maybe the thing sees deployment with marines that are on the K'Kree end of space (not that the Imperium even comes close to K'Kree space). Or maybe it's just another "punch through Zho combat armor" weapon.

 

[Condottiere]

Usually, militaries equip and train their forces for the doctrines they're currently employing, adjusted for the opposing forces they expect them to face.

My take on the Solomani is that they compensate for the one level technological difference they'll face against the Imperium, for the ground troops by having a higher percentage of heavy weapons.

 

[kilemall]

Outside of Striker, this little gem might scratch your itch for weapons design-

http://crucible.cc/traveller/docs/armoryandordinance.pdf

Popping open LBB4, the LAG-8 is 900mm and 4kg, so basically rifle sized. The rounds are 20mm, so pretty much the same sort of thing as the ATRs (which were deployed by most everyone in WWII but armor design quickly outstripped their capabilities and RPGs got the man-portable job done).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tank_rifle

You could probably spec a longer barrel and get more range, slightly more pen.

The Gauss HMG might be something that is TL11, an in-between step on the way to miniaturizing the mass drivers and VRF GGs of earlier TLs to the TL12 GR.

Call it Pen -12 and +4 autofire DM, 15 kg so normally crew served and definitely two-man move, 3 targets.

As I like pointing out, by TL15 the HMG is the RP-A plasma gun, light enough even for CA grunts to set up and mow down BD forces like chaff.

 

[Blue Ghost]

That's an interesting booklet. I'll have to read it and see what it says.

One of my big beefs with the Gauss Gun is that they're "absolutely silent". Well, okay, but how does that work if you're shooting needles at hypersonic velocities? And if that's the standard infantry issue weapon at high tech levels, then why bother with ACRs? It's one of those fiction verse rules write issues that I personally think is broken. But, it's part of the game, so... here we go.

So, I was thinking something that could be slapped together using the basic science, but perhaps wasn't as refined, and could still deliver a death blow to a high tech soldier, possibly man portable, possibly mounted on a vehicle.

Just tossing out ideas. I'm not sure where this concept is going to end up.

 

[kilemall]

I ignore such silliness, of COURSE anything hypersonic is going to make sound.

 

[atpollard]

I ignore such silliness, of COURSE anything hypersonic is going to make sound.

Busemann's Biplane

 

[Blue Ghost]

Busemann's Biplane

...... ....... ya know ...... I was going to add to my last post that "perhaps it's a hollow lattice in the shape of a needle to allow air to pass through"

Oh you people are killing me. I should be painting ... but the beach beckons.

 

[kilemall]

Hmm, really puts the hollow in hollow point to shame.

I guess I would be thinking a 'silent Gauss' round would be exotic sniper material but have slightly less pen (more vee less weight/possibly pyrophorics to impact). So maybe the GAG gets them but not the HMGG.

Later I will post a Striker design sequence for a TL11 20mm Mass Driver that won't be quite the monster the VRF GG is. At TL12 the RP-A starts coming in cheaper for the same approximate destructiveness.

 

[jec10]

Your thinking matches that of people back in the TNE days. Armed with FF&S designers came up with a similar solution for low-tech forces facing Space Vikings in Battle Dress : an anti-tank rifle.
It was nick-named the "crunch-gun" by TNE authors. At very low tech it fired normal bullets, while higher tech versions fired discarding sabot penetrators to make a mess of any Battle Dress wearing pillager at handy ranges.
We also designed the LRFGG using FF&S, which was as you guys described above a lighter, smaller ammo box gauss gun that was actually usable by an individual.

PS the RP-A from CT/Striker as a manportable weapon looks great at first glance, but you'd have to handwave away the extraordinary power input requirements. Lugging around a 60MW fusion powerplant is not for anyone!

 

[Blue Ghost]

PS the RP-A from CT/Striker as a manportable weapon looks great at first glance, but you'd have to handwave away the extraordinary power input requirements. Lugging around a 60MW fusion powerplant is not for anyone!

And that's the thing that really gets me, and I briefly thought about batteries as "propellant". That is to say each round carries a minibattery, the circuit is connected and a discharge goes the length of the barrel, propelling the projectile forward.

Eh...it's kind of hokey, I think. It's sort of like a "high tech" LMG with a lot of hand wave tech, but the alternative is to have it slaved to a LR or LC power pack. I guess the power situation is something that could be either a rules breaker or a credibility stretcher.

But otherwise some great ideas you guys are tossing out here.

 

[Blue Ghost]

killemall; how do you see the matrix for penetration for your version of the standard base model?

 

[kilemall]

Your thinking matches that of people back in the TNE days. Armed with FF&S designers came up with a similar solution for low-tech forces facing Space Vikings in Battle Dress : an anti-tank rifle.
It was nick-named the "crunch-gun" by TNE authors. At very low tech it fired normal bullets, while higher tech versions fired discarding sabot penetrators to make a mess of any Battle Dress wearing pillager at handy ranges.
We also designed the LRFGG using FF&S, which was as you guys described above a lighter, smaller ammo box gauss gun that was actually usable by an individual.

PS the RP-A from CT/Striker as a manportable weapon looks great at first glance, but you'd have to handwave away the extraordinary power input requirements. Lugging around a 60MW fusion powerplant is not for anyone!

At TL15 you don't lug a power plant, you carry batteries, 25 megawatt seconds per kg. BD buddy drops off the batteries, 100 kg of batteries, that's 2500 megawatt-seconds. 38 shots for the top of the line RP-A, and that's a lot of targets eating light vehicle death.

Course, economically speaking, probably smarter to go with the TL14 model that uses half as much juice and the TL14 batteries, 1500 megawatt-seconds gets you a couple more shots at a much cheaper price for gun and 'ammo'. 20 kg to haul around, just be the strong guys in a CA outfit lugging that.

At TL12 it's strictly a vehicle weapon but will do nicely for facing off BD forces that don't have their own armor.

 

[kilemall]

killemall; how do you see the matrix for penetration for your version of the standard base model?

Er, can you restate the question with a little more detail? Penetration of what weapon base model using what rules?

 

[aramis]

I ignore such silliness, of COURSE anything hypersonic is going to make sound.

More than a few aviation engineers have assured that it's possible at that scale to make it almost silent, as long as you're not within 10m of the path, and the speed is under Mach 2. And, at Mach 2, it's still a devastating thump on hit.


Firearms have 4 sources of noise:

• The mechanical sound of the action
• The hypersonic velocity of the combustion product
• The air disturbed by the hypersonic projectile
• the partial vacuum collapse in the gas track

The gauss round lacks most of #1, all of #2, and has almost none of #4...

and #3 can be worked around by making the round as smooth an airflow as possible. And there ARE tricks for doing that on bullets. They are not cost effective, as no one wants a $100 projectile except assassins.

The signature should be low, not no. This is corrected in MegaTraveller.

 

[Travellerspud]

...and #3 can be worked around by making the round as smooth an airflow as possible. And there ARE tricks for doing that on bullets. They are not cost effective, as no one wants a $100 projectile except assassins.

I recall reading about an electrostatic coating Nasa developed which created an envelope around flying things that dramatically reduced the air resistance....not practical today due to the power consumption required, but at higher tech levels....who knows - maybe it's a varnish that converts during flight and lasts a few seconds (long enough to hit the target).

I have always wondered what would happen if one took the gravitic elements out of an FGMP-15, and combined them with a small CPR gun (the gravitics elements hacked to counter the "kick" of the CPR gun)....

and then there is this; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUoBb3h9HWA

 

[kilemall]

I recall reading about an electrostatic coating Nasa developed which created an envelope around flying things that dramatically reduced the air resistance....not practical today due to the power consumption required, but at higher tech levels....who knows - maybe it's a varnish that converts during flight and lasts a few seconds (long enough to hit the target).

I have always wondered what would happen if one took the gravitic elements out of an FGMP-15, and combined them with a small CPR gun (the gravitics elements hacked to counter the "kick" of the CPR gun)....

and then there is this; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUoBb3h9HWA

Once that gravitic bit is available, everything should be able to be recoilless-effect.

Course, then you have a gauss rifle that costs 30,000 Cr. MAy not be something you give the average trooper, but adventurers, specops, snipers and elite guards might find it worth the cost.