Small Arms in The Fringe
Although there have been technological advancements and moderate changes in appearance and design, the small arms of The Fringe would be fundmentally recognizable to most modern people - much the same as the early revolvers of the 19th century are understandable today. As always, the primary factor playing into this is cost and efficiency. Using a propellant to send a high-velocity mass into another being remains one of the cheapest and most reliable means of doing damage during conflict and hunting situations. While there have been some advancements with Gauss and Laser weapons, they remain bound by power constraints and high-tech support needs; this tends to limit their appearance to worlds nearer the Core, or well-supported military units. On the other hand, any colony with a decent fabrication and printing system can quickly manufacture reliable slugthrowers to support their needs.
Certain advances have become near universal. Most TL8+ worlds have transitioned to some form of caseless ammunition, as a means of saving weight and reducing the use of valuable metals. Similarly, frangible ammunition is in common use, to avoid the ever-present fear of puncturuing a ship's hull or a habitat structure. However, this has not completely removed the market for TL7/8 cased rounds, due to lower tech and manufacturing requirements on those colony worlds. As for other technical enhancements, things such as integrated holo-sights, laser aiming aids, and some form of thumprint/DNA ID security (if desired or mandated by law levels) can be found on almost all modern weapons.
In terms of game play, the vast majority of these facts have absolutely no influence on the dice, and are there for background and role-playing elements.
One house rule that I DO make in all my games is getting rid of the "each weapon is it's own skill" standard. It's not logical, realistic, or particularly effective IMHO. Instead, I divide "Gun Combat" then into "Handguns/Long Arms/Heavy Weapons (covering machine-guns and auto cannon)/Grenade Launchers/Laser Weapons". Just a house conceit - and the only reason I subdivide LAZGUNS is because they're generally new and have some different employment considerations for most users. Also note, this is based on an LBB1/CE type character with associated skill numbers, NOT on a Mercenary/High Guard expanded system.
With that said, here are some of the general weapons categories, and some notes, which a Traveller might encounter in The Fringe:
Snub Pistols - These are specifically designed for shipboard use, with minimal recoil and intended for long-term storage in a ship's locker. The typical snub pistol is an 8-shot 10mm revolver; cylinders come pre-loaded with alternating flechette and frangible slug rounds. They operate off of a high-pressure compressed gas plenum, and a reciprocating piston counterweight. Due to their intent as shipboard defense, and operation by vacc-suited personnel, Snub Pistols tend to have oversized controls and large surfaces, and are not easily concealed.
Body Pistols "Chillers," "Hush-guns," "Hide-outs" - All variations of extremely concealable, low-profile, short range handguns; intended as either a last-ditch personal weapon, or one used in covert government (or illegal) activities. Body pistols are typically manufactured from synthetics and ceramics, and their ability to evade detection is viewed questionably in some regions. Most body pistols will include some form of integrated sound suppression, either through mechanical means, or a compressed gas propellant system. Body pistols will typically hold 8-15 rounds of their particular ammunition. Rumors of UEA Agents using special disolving organic compound rounds to avoid leaving evidence behind are the staple of many tabloid conspiracy sites.
Revolvers - Although the technology is hundreds of years old, revolvers do maintain a presence in The Fringe. This stems from their ease of manufacture, general reliability, and capability of handling larger calibers on worlds with more native threat species. Revolvers do tend to carry less ammunition than other weapons, with most holding 6-10 rounds in a manner which would be recognizable to any 21st Century observer. The archetype of the modern revolver is the Krom-12 "NordHammer", a high-powered, traditional metal cased round firing handgun prefered by big game hunters and showmen throughout the colonies.
Auto Pistols - The default standard sidearm for most military forces, law enforcement or armed civilians; the polymer-framed auto-pistol is little different than advanced handguns of our era. The auto-pistol typically will have adjustable grip components to fit the user, a thumbprint-activated safety mechanism, and a wide-view green dot projected holographic sighting system. Auto pistols will typically hold 12-20 rounds of ammunition, with most being caseless closed sytems to ensure maximum reliability.
SMG - The role of the SMG in The Fringe is generally that of a Personal Defense Weapon for non-front-line troops, or in providing a concealable platfrom that allows for more capability than the auto-pistol without the bulk of a carbine. Of course, certain criminal elements make use of the potential as well - although never as many as the holodramas would portray. Two divergent approaches typify the SMG of the period. UEA and Trading Syndicate weapons are generally in a carbine caliber caseless round, with a short (possibly suppressed) barrel and reduced magazine capacity. The Mandarin Hegemony has followed a different route, using very-rapid fire, small-diameter saboted rounds at a high velocity. These "zip-guns," named for their distinctive sound, are another example of new tech coming from the Chinese sector.
Carbine/ACR - The epitome of the modern trooper's small arm, the developed balance between lethality, reliability, and portability. The UEA Mark 8 Carbine fires from a 100-round bullpup magazine of caseless frangible ammunition, with integrated holo sighting, laser target identification, and available under-mount grenade launcher. Maintenance is simplified by the fact most components can be easily printed by shipboard systems, or on-planet at licensed facilities. Similarly to their SMG advances, the Mandarin Hegemony has recently transitioned front line troops to a new ACR system, using saboted 2mm needle projectiles from drum-fed magazine, using an initial chemical propellant followed by an electromagnetic boost.
Rifles - Rifles are typically used in regions where the local law level prohibits more "military" style weapons, or where larger calibers might be used for hunting or anti-material purposes. The most common rifle throughout the Fringe is the Kalamash "Burya" series, with plans found legally and otherwise throughout many worlds, and capable of being manufactured by any decent machine shop.
Laser Weapons - Personal use laser-weapons are still relatively limited by the power needs and recharging times. Most laser-rifles and carbines are issued to forward observer or air-control troops, allowing for dual use as target markers as well as personal defense weapons.
