Ship's Locker: Out of the Closet

[Condottiere]

I tend to think that starships are more likely to carry Ikea buggies, that the crew will have time to figure out how to put together during the transition.

[Linwood]

Leading to the inevitable argument over why they have three bolts left after assembly....

[Condottiere]

Spares.

[Condottiere]

Something Really Massive Punched Through Our Galaxy

Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about a discovery of something very massive shooting through our galaxy and leaving a trail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRTw2am7TdI

[Condottiere]

The Suitcase-Sized Minigun is Going into Full Production

Two years after generating a lot of buzz at the 2017 SHOT Show, Empty Shell returned to announce that their XM556 suitcase-sized minigun is going into full production.

Half the size of an M134 Minigun, the XM556 Microgun achieves it’s compact size by firing the smaller 5.56mm round. Traditional miniguns fire the 7.62mm round. Designed as a defensive suppression weapon, the XM556 aims to be cheaper and more flexible, albeit less powerful, than the original minigun that dates back to 1960,

According to Jeff M. Pitts, Empty Shell’s CEO and president, his company spent the last two years fine tuning and tweaking the gun. He expects the weapon to be in the hands of militaries in the next six months.

Although he couldn’t give exact details since they’re classified, he was able to point out a number of improvements that were made to the XM556 since it’s release two years ago. The gun’s barrels now rotate in either direction making it easier to clear jams. The gun can be fired at 90 degree angles up and down, as well as completely upside down. The rate of fire has been increased – somewhere around the 6000 rounds per minute mark.

Pitts was proud to say that the XM556 is a highly customizable weapon system that can be fit to a variety of platforms and vehicles. “You let your imagination run wild,” he said. “You tell me where you want it, and we’ll put it there.”

Currently, the XM556 is only available to the military and law enforcement. You can stay up to date with XM556 developments by visiting the Empty Shell website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdGueKkjQlk

Say hello to my little friend.

[Moppy]

Who is the customer for the 5.56 minigun "going into full production"? Such a gun has been made before but had no buyers the last time. With my (admittedly limited) knowledge of such matters, only thing I can think of that might use it is lightweight drones. I don't think helicopters or trucks have a problem handling the weight of the more capable 7.62 and I can't imagine infantry backpacking all the 5.56 ammo this thing will chew through.

[Old School]

Advanced Survival Rifle

1. Semi automatic survival round rifle

2. Twenty two long rifle with electrothermal compound

3. Twelve gauge shotgun module attached below barrel

.22 long rifle? The picture certainly looks like an AR, the vast majority of which come with .223. I certainly wouldn’t want my life to depend on .22LR, which is a much smaller and lower powered round.

[Condottiere]

1. Apparently, it can take down a grizzly at short range.

2. Also, I estimate the cost at a credite imperiale per hundred rounds.

3. At technological level ten, I estimate two hundred fifty percent range, and possibly twenty five hundred feet per second muzzle velocity, if you replace the propellant with eletrothermal compound at the same volume.

[Condottiere]

Predator kill teams.

Urban combat.

[Moppy]

40 kilo (88 lb) gun firing 3 kilos (7 lbs) of ammo per second.

I think we found the OTHER alien in that movie.

[Old School]

1. Apparently, it can take down a grizzly at short range.

2. Also, I estimate the cost at a credite imperiale per hundred rounds.

3. At technological level ten, I estimate two hundred fifty percent range, and possibly twenty five hundred feet per second muzzle velocity, if you replace the propellant with eletrothermal compound at the same volume.

Just because a 22lr has been documented killing a grizzly once, at a range of less than 10 feet, does not make it the ammunition of choice. There’s a reason its only accepted hunting purpose is very small game. As for your estimated muzzle velocity, a .223 is a heavier round, and exceeds your estimated velocity at TL6. And even this larger, heavier, faster round is considered to be of questionable stopping power. Many states actually require a larger round than the .223 for deer hunting for ethical reasons.

If you have to defend yourself from a grizzly, wouldn’t you rather kill it at range? Wouldn’t you want a round that can reliably take down game at range, where a precise in-between-the-ears shot is unlikely? Oh, and if you’re defending yourself within 10 feet, you’re using the shotgun.

The ONLY advantage of 22lr is that it is an absurdly cheap round. I’m not sure this still applies when you have to upgrade it technologically. Lower price is also of no value if your game animal runs away after being hit, or that grizzly eats you.

[Condottiere]

Even if we don't upgrade the underlying technology, take an existing semi automatic twenty two long rifle, and just add on a twelve gauge attachment.

The twelve gauge is meant to deal with the big fish.

The whole setup is somewhat bulkier than the default survival rifles, which would be compacter, but the template is ArmaLite Fifteen style with a grenade launcher.

I'm betting twelve gauge and twenty two long rifle are easier to source locally, and a lot less traceable.

[Linwood]

Not to mention 22LR has very low recoil, making it easier for relatively untrained shooters to have some degree of accuracy.

[Linwood]

The Suitcase-Sized Minigun is Going into Full Production


Currently, the XM556 is only available to the military and law enforcement. You can stay up to date with XM556 developments by visiting the Empty Shell website.

Law enforcement? For what? Shooting down drones?

[Condottiere]

Traffic stops.

[Condottiere]

How to Spend Your Gold in 5e Dungeons & Dragons | Web DM

What do you spend money on in 5e Dungeons and Dragons? Today, we're talking a bit about D&D Economics, how to tackle the problem of players who have tons of wealth but aren't sure what to do with it, and how we make spending gold a character-building and worldbuilding activity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMgk5bfuRCQ

Of course, our money pits are our spaceships.

[Linwood]

And our battle dress....

[Condottiere]

Cloth plus five.

[Condottiere]

VFX Artist Reveals How Much Water is Actually on Earth

__________________
Today's Adventures!
Wren uses visual effects to show you how much water is actually on Planet Earth!
__________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3_Abb2Vqnc

Aqua Star.

[Condottiere]

Daisy-Heddon V/L Rifle: Caseless Ammo .22

Here's a video looking at the workings, potential, rise, & fall of the Daisy-Heddon V/L .22 rifle. It will always have a place on the currently short list of firearms to utilize caseless ammunition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHNg6laaiWo


Curator's Corner: Daisy Caseless .22 Rifle

NRA Museums Special Projects Coordinator Ernie Lyles joins John Popp with another gem from the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia. It's a Daisy V/L rifle, the first to use caseless ammo. The idea is to avoid the cost of brass. The .22 bullet has gunpowder pasted on the back. There's no primer. It uses 2000 degree, compressed air to ignite the powder. The line ended in 1969 when the BATFE ruled it was a firearm, not an air gun. Daisy made about 23,000 before production ended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MHA8uws7-4


Early prototype technology level six.