Stunner practice

[ResslynHalvik]

If I want to practice firing my stunner during some downtime, what am I shooting at?

If I have a slug hand gun or a laser pistol and I want to practice, I can paint a target on the cargo hold wall, or set up some cans, and see how well I do. If I'm practicing my stunner, what do I shoot at and how do I know if I hit it?

 

[Vormaerin]

That steward that always microwaves your dinner too long, probably.

More seriously, I would assume it would not be difficult to rig a test plate or something that would respond to the strike of the energy emitted.

 

[Arkathan]

Same way we do it today without expending ammo, except a higher tech version.
Very Low Power Laser ammo. For laser weapons, tune the output down to target painting mode.
If your version of stunners are like TASER rounds for shotguns, a mannequin will do.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Like this:

 

[rinku]

Robots can be used for target practice. Wouldn't even need to be a special one, and a cheap one is probably preferable.

If you're THAT kind of soft-hearted owner, or care about having to fix them, get one with enough armour.

"Good shot, mistress! I am very injured. Ow."

and

"I realise you need to practice, but those stunner shots scramble my circuits and bloody HURT!"

"No one cares, bot. Stand up again and start running..."

 

[CordwainerFish]

Probably any zero recoil weapon can be practiced using an appropriately weighted mockup with a camera in the barrel.

 

[Arkathan]

We currently have training weapons that simulate recoil, so we are not limited to just zero-G ready and lasers.

 

[ResslynHalvik]

Same way we do it today without expending ammo, except a higher tech version.
Very Low Power Laser ammo. For laser weapons, tune the output down to target painting mode.
If your version of stunners are like TASER rounds for shotguns, a mannequin will do.

Sure, but how does someone firing a stunner at a dummy know if they have hit it? Does it bounce around from the shock, maybe?

 

[ResslynHalvik]

That steward that always microwaves your dinner too long, probably.

More seriously, I would assume it would not be difficult to rig a test plate or something that would respond to the strike of the energy emitted.

That's what I'm thinking. Maybe some aluminium foil over the front of a white flat surface, and on a successful hit the white shows a scorch mark? So a 30x30cm square of wood or thermo-sensitive plastic, swinging from a cargo strap?

 

[Arkathan]

Sure, but how does someone firing a stunner at a dummy know if they have hit it? Does it bounce around from the shock, maybe?

Taser rounds stick in. They have two barbed needles that make a circuit. An electrical grid on a dummy would register rounds that just instantly discharge or are energy based.
Additionally, the laser practice rounds can be detected by a camera. Current day examples use a cell phone app. It uses the camera aimed at the target and evaluates your shooting.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[ResslynHalvik]

Is that how the stunner works? For some reason I assumed it's yobba rays.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Is that how the stunner works? For some reason I assumed it's yobba rays.

The stunner isn’t a Taser, but it does have a visible element according to the illustrations. The target could register the voltage.

 

[CordwainerFish]

Plus generally speaking, anything that can be emitted by something handheld and affordable can probably be detected by something target sized (or smaller) and affordable too.

 

[Sigtrygg]

You mean like the laser based dry fire kits that you can get for just about every common firearm - as shown in the videos I linked above.

 

[ResslynHalvik]

The stunner isn’t a Taser, but it does have a visible element according to the illustrations. The target could register the voltage.

What sort of "register" are you thinking of here?

 

[MarcusIII]

If I'm practicing my stunner, what do I shoot at and how do I know if I hit it?

Use a crew member who is not on duty. You'll know if you got it right.

 

[swordtart]

Electromagnetic stunners damage robots, so whatever is damaged on a robot (it takes hits, but the type of damage isn't specified, but logically it must be damage to the brain since I can't see a metal or plastic limb being troubled) could be made into a target.

Realistically a simple laser sight (and a light sensor as a target) would be the easiest way of practicing. There would likely be manufacturers or third party training aids (even a laser pointer taped to the barrel would be enough).

 

[swordtart]

Use a crew member who is not on duty. You'll know if you got it right.

Brutal, but really good training. You might allow the power to be set to training mode and only hurt like billy-o (maybe 1 point stun damage per dice of normal damage). Target practice against a stationary target isn't going to be half as effective as firing at a moving target that is also shooting back.

Since stunners are also governed by Gun Combat (Energy) any such training would also carry over to lasers and the like. This sounds like a first rate opportunity for simulation rather than having low power lasers and light detecting sensors.

 

[swordtart]

Robots can be used for target practice. Wouldn't even need to be a special one, and a cheap one is probably preferable.

If you're THAT kind of soft-hearted owner, or care about having to fix them, get one with enough armour.

"Good shot, mistress! I am very injured. Ow."

and

"I realise you need to practice, but those stunner shots scramble my circuits and bloody HURT!"

"No one cares, bot. Stand up again and start running..."

Robots take actual damage, not stun damage. That could get expensive quickly