Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Since we're going for quality, mostly, lightweight modularization of the longarm receiver would be two and one fifth kilogrammes at seven hundred twenty starbux, as opposed to seventeen hundred sixty grammes at five hundred forty starbux.

I tend to think lightweight would be the result of later technological level developments. The next stage basically doubles the cost at forty percent weight savings, and that may be only something a professional sniper or assassin would need.

 

[Condottiere]

Full Modularisation allows multiple parts to be swapped around quickly and easily with only basic tools. For example, a Traveller expecting close combat might remove the barrel and stock of their rifle, swapping the barrel for an assault-length one.

My interpretation would include the receiver, which means you'd need strictly adhered to standards to permit interconnectivity, and that means the costs, and possibly the weights, won't tally with the book canon designed ones, only actual dimensions would matter.

Maybe an assault receiver that we could upscale to two and a half kilogrammes might qualify.

 

[Condottiere]

Apparently, no customization to increase size of any default component, whether furniture, barrel, or receiver.

So no interchangeability between assault and longarm receiver.

In theory, you can lighten the longarm receiver by twenty percent, which would make that two kilogrammes; however, I think we should restrict it to just differently modified longarm receivers that are dimensioned to fit different components, even if their features widely differ, like semi automatic instead of full.

 

[Condottiere]

Generally, barrel options would be rifle, carbine and assault.

In most cases the cost is irrelevant, it's the effect that's important.

Carbine drops range by ten percent, and damage to three dice minus one, and I suppose this would be the default configuration, considering current usage.

The assault barrel halves range and drops a dice, makes up with a plus two on quickdraw. You're more likely to use full automatic at close range, and at twenty five metres, also remove the stock, so another two points of quickdraw.

 

[Condottiere]

AssLite would be characterized by an adjustable, collapsing stock, which most obviously, as with other stocks, really shouldn't be based, costwise, on the receiver.

The sling should help with aiming, if it's adjusted properly.

 

[Condottiere]

One use of caseless ammunition would be with bullpups, since nothing will be popping out near your face.

 

[Condottiere]

So the default range of the intermediate rifle bullet is two hundred fifty metres, a quarter more than the stated assault rifle, and we can manufacture them at technological level five, two under.

Full automatic increases cost by twenty percent, but no weight gain; as I recall, you could fiddle with a semi automatic mechanism to make it automatic, though that may be illegal in some jurisdictions.

So that's four hundred and eighty starbux, two and a half kilogrammes, with a thirty round magazine.

Carbine rifle barrel appears to have little advantage over the default rifle one, ay least by Traveller rules, so I think Darwinian momentum has eliminated that; the point would seem to be able to fit more easily in a personnel carrier, and I would suppose reaction time.

Which leaves us with assault and rifle sized barrels; though, I suppose, since this is meant to be highly customizable, if you want a carbine barrel, you'll find someone to sell it to you.

 

[Condottiere]

The direct competitor for the assault barrel variant would be the medium handgun bullet.

The handgun medium bullet has three dice minus three, which at full automatic would need a longarm receiver to compensate for recoil, while at assault receiver, that would be two points of recoil overflow.

Halved range of one hundred twenty five metres at two dice, does seem more attractive than fifty metres at two and a half dice, and short range at thirty one and a quarter metres, versus six and a quarter, which means the salty variant can outshoot all submachineguns, even at lesser damage, before you apply recoil.

 

[Condottiere]

That should mean that the salty variant of the Clash Nine should be very popular.

 

[Condottiere]

Weapon
. Clash Nine
Technological level
. nine
Range
. four hundred fifty metres
Damage
. four dice
Kilogrammes
. 3.6
Cost
. nine hundred starbux
Magazine
. heavy advanced combat rifle: thirty
Magazine cost
. heavy advanced combat rifle: fifteen starbux
Quickdraw
. zero
Traits
. physical signature (high)
. full automatic
. folding full stock

 

[Condottiere]

Weapon
. Clash Nine/assault barrel
Technological level
. nine
Range
. one hundred twelve and a half metres
Damage
. three dice
Kilogrammes
. 3.15
Cost
. nine hundred starbux [minus sixty equals eight hundred forty]
Magazine
. heavy advanced combat rifle: thirty
Magazine cost
. heavy advanced combat rifle: fifteen starbux
Quickdraw
. zero
Traits
. physical signature (high)
. full automatic
. folding full stock

notes
. modularization rule allows one item to be exchanged without extra cost or weight, and barrel change is it
. it would be the cost and weight if the gun was sold with only an assault barrel, though I tend to think the stock would be exchanged for the basic folding/collapsing/adjustable one, which if using the one described in Field Catalogue, would make the gun just a tad cheaper and slightly lighter
. playing chicken with someone using submachineguns, especially with aftermarket sights and night vision added on to the gun, even at one less dice, it's very likely the user is going to win

 

[Condottiere]

Let's find out if I can make a disposable submachinegun.

If in accordance to the Desperado, we skip the rifling and have smoothbore barrels, that would imply inaccuracy trait and/or low quality; going by smoothbores, possibly factor two?

 

[Condottiere]

Carbinization doesn't have any practical benefits in Traveller.

Weight is almost an abstract concept in roleplaying, which is why no one blinked an eye with the overweight weapons in Dungeons and Dragons; the fighters who'd use them were overmuscled to begin with, and the rest tended to opt for the lighter side, in any case.

You could give a carbine barrel plus one quickdraw, to compensate for the loss of damage and range.

 

[Condottiere]

Weapon
. Submachine Gun
Technological level
. six
Range
. twenty five metres
Damage
. three dice
Cost
. four hundred starbux
Magazine
. twenty
Magazine cost
. ten starbux
Traits
. fully automatic three

The Desperado example does emphasize that you build it around an existing bullet, and magazine, though the new Field Catalogue would make that a parabellum with three dice minus three.

There's not much difference the assault and long rifle receiver, at twenty percent more weight, except better recoil and heat soakage.

Traveller design mechanics really can't secure much advantage for the submachinegun, especially once actual costs get involved, and if you have access to higher technological level weapon platforms.

So, the question would be what you'd want the submachineguns for.

If you're partisan warfare behind the lines, automatic firepower at the squad level, and a mad scramble to produce firearms, assault rifles fulfill those aspects quite nicely, post Great Patriotic War.

I tend to view them more as deterrence.

If you can keep people from shooting you by just carrying or waving them about, they've served their purpose.

But four hundred starbux seems a bit steep, for what's basically a truck gun.

So, since recoil isn't an issue, we can move downwards from assault receiver with four recoil points, to handgun receiver, with two.

I bet someone is thinking about heat.

I think I've found a loophole.

Heavy barrel doubles the number of rounds in which sustained fire can be maintained before malfunctions become possible.

 

[Condottiere]

Barrel length controls range in general, and damage for rifle rounds specifically.

Base ammunition capacity is ten.

If you use light handgun, that would be twelve; a rifle barrel would be range forty metres at two dice.

If you use light rifle, that would be also be twelve; a rifle barrel one hundred fifty metres at two dice.

To give the illusion of a high capacity magazine, you superglue two together, on the bottom, with a disposable cap on the bottom one.

The light rifle would give you range, but the light handgun allows same damage with smaller barrels.

 

[Condottiere]

It's at this point, that evolution spits out two branches.

Optimal use of the light rifle is as an ultralite assault rifle; now, I can't say if this would actually work, but with a handgun receiver, you're going to have to account for two or three points of recoil at burst or full automatic, at range. Probably more interesting within thirty seven and a half metres.

The light handgun round could select between short, handgun, and assault barrels; minimal is off the menu, since I assume to have a heavy barrel, you need a barrel, and minimal has no weight.

 

[Condottiere]

Handgun receiver is one hundred seventy five starbux, weighs in at eight hundred grammes.

Fully automatic increases the cost to two hundred ten starbux.

Range is a basic forty metres, but barrels make it short one/four/eight/sixteen metres, handgun two/eight/sixteen/thirty two metres, and assault five/twenty/forty/eighty metres.

Respectively, twenty one starbux, eighty grammes; thirty one and a half starbux, one hundred sixty grammes; forty two starbux, two hundred forty grammes.

The heavy barrel would double cost and weight.

Heavy short barrel version: two hundred fifty two starbux, nine hundred sixty grammes; recoil zero to three, quickdraw plus ten, penetration's minus one, non-explosive armour piercing effects are lost, heat threshold twenty/thirty/forty, heat dissipation two, physical signature (normal).

Magazine twelve round; two and one tenth starbux.

Two magazines each superglued on the bottom to the other; disposable cap.

 

[Condottiere]

You should be using something more substantial and expensive in a mass firefight.

My estimate is four bullets per six seconds, three pulls per magazine, flip, repeat, new magazine set; ten combat rounds is forty heat minus twenty dissipation, twenty point threshold, consecutive subsequent trigger pull subject to possible malfunction.

Basically, on the first half of your fourth twin magazine.

In theory, you should be able to kill, disable, hold off or deter upto three opponents, and make a run for it.

The fact that physical signature is normal should actually be in your favour, since it would appear that you have a more powerful gun, than just a plinker. If you could bulk it up, say with bling, it would be more convincing.

 

[Condottiere]

You could follow the John Wick School of Gunfu, at least the first three tenets.

Get close.

Carry lots of weapons.

Drop them.

Possibly, exchange them for weapons of now dead opponents.

Buy expensive, possibly customized, sidearms.

Adopt pet.

 

[Condottiere]

Remember, what he can do with a pencil.

And while the light handgun plinker isn't that spectacular, it is fully automated.

I should name it something memorable.