Small Arms and Light Weapons in Uprising: The Basics
Feb 7, 2014 2:11:42 GMT
Post by Screwface Romeo on Feb 7, 2014 2:11:42 GMT
Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Uprising Universe: An Introduction
First, what are small arms and light weapons? In short, small arms are any hand-held, man-portable weapon. That is, pistols, rifles, light, medium and general purpose machine-guns, etc. Weapons that are designed to be used by a single person. Light weapons are also man-portable, and often handheld, but are generally larger and designed to be used by a crew of multiple people. Examples include heavy machineguns, mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, anti-air missile launchers, etc. Small arms can be considered to include knives, clubs and grenades as well, but are generally accepted to refer to ranged kinetic or explosive weapons.
Within the category of small arms, there are several subcategories;
Rifles, or long-barreled, ranged kinetic line-of-sight weapons designed to be used by a single soldier. While originally the term "rifle" referred to chemically-propelled long arm with linear grooves, or rifling, cut into the barrel to spin-stabilize the projectile, by the time Uprising's primary story takes place, chemical propellant is obsolete, and the term has evolved to mean a primary weapon with a relatively long barrel. Rifles are the most common type of weapon, issued in some form by every military or security organization in the Galaxy
Machineguns, or ranged kinetic weapons designed for sustained, high-volume fire. Machineguns are usually belt-fed, but do not need to be. The definition of machinegun, and its subcategories of light, medium and general purpose, are less about the physical properties of a weapon so much as the manner in which it is used, or doctrine. Machineguns are usually crew-served, and fall somewhere between the definition of small arms and light weapons.
Submachineguns, or small, compact kinetic weapons designed to offer a high volume of fire at short range. Smaller, pistol caliber varieties are usually called submachineguns, while rifle caliber versions are often dubbed PDWs, or Personal Defense Weapons. The definition of SMG vs PDW is also rather fuzzy, and generally depends on usage or personal preference.
Pistols, or compact, small caliber kinetic weapons designed to be used one-handed, for personal defense. Pistols are somewhat rare within professional military or security companies; a pistol is a defensive weapon, and generally only issued to officers or police personal. They are highly popular with criminals, however, due to their compactness, relative cheapness, and ease of concealment.
Sniper Rifles are long-barreled, long-ranged kinetic weapons designed for precision fire over long distances. With the introduction of highly accurate, long-range guided munitions, combined with increased use of drones, snipers are beginning to become obsolete, though they still remain vital for urban combat and direct infantry support.
Shotguns, or short-ranged, large-bore kinetic weapons designed to fire a large number of small projectiles, or a single, larger munition, at once. Shotguns are among the most versatile of weapons, but are limited by small magazine, low rates of fire and relative inaccuracy with conventional munitions.
Small Arms in the Uprising Universe can be divided into five basic categories;
Railguns function by running an electric charge along two rails, with a conductive projectile between them which completes the circuit, accelerating the projectile to very high speeds. Designs vary, including plasma railguns and helical railguns, but the most common variety is the simple straight two-rail design. Railguns are the most common type of small arm, being simple, relatively cheap, and easy to manufacture. However, they have their downsides, primarily the need for relatively long rails and high heat generation, which make them less than suitable for very compact weapons, or weapons designed to have a high sustained rate of fire.
Coilguns use a series of electromagnetic coils to gradually accelerate a ferrous projectile to speed. Coilguns are heavier, bulkier and more complex and expensive, but offer a much more controllable rate of acceleration and produce far less heat. Coilguns are typically used as sniper weapons or machineguns, thanks to their increased accuracy and low heat production.
Pulse guns use a single, directed electromagnet to produce a pulse which repels the projectile down a short barrel. The pulsar is mounted on a spring-loaded bolt which picks up a projectile from the magazine and loads it into the chamber, where it is charged by an electromagnetic coil. The pulsar then fires an identical charge, repelling the projectile down the barrel while the equal and opposite reaction sends the bolt rearward. Pulse guns are cheap, simple and very compact, offering high rates of fire with relatively low energy consumption. However, they are weak, inaccurate and inherently short range weapons. Pulse guns function somewhat like 20th century chemical submachineguns in their usage, relying on close range and volume of fire to compensate for their relative weakness and inaccuracy.
A Duel Propulsion system, sometimes refereed to as a chemrail or DP gun, combines a chemical propellant, as seen in 20th and 21st century firearms, with an electromagnetic propulsion system, usually a railgun. Duel Propulsion weapons are very powerful and accurate, but also very complex, heavy and expensive. Most DP guns use polymer-cased telescopic ammunition, pioneered in the late 20th century as an alternative to heavy, expensive brass cased cartridges, fed through a pushthrough action from a belt. Cartridges are pushed out of the belt and into a rotating chamber, ejecting the spent cartridge forward, then rotating the chamber in line with the barrel, somewhat like a revolver. DP guns are most commonly used on vehicles, as well as serving as the main weapons of heavy combat exoskeletons like the General Exoskeleton Company Hercules MkIV or the Chan-Kruger Kinetics EY-800 Titan.
A Stacked Projectile weapon, also called Metal Storm or Thunderguns, is a single barrel which is loaded with multiple projectiles stacked end-to-end. Propulsion can be achieved either with chemical propellant or magnetic acceleration, and generally serves to eject the projectile from the barrel so that a rocket motor can take over. Stacked Projectile systems are almost always used for smart munitions or grenades, since they allow very compact, large caliber repeating arms. Stacked Projectile weapons may use disposable, pre-loaded barrels, or be loaded with individual projectiles one at a time, like a shotgun. Stacked Projectile weapons are incredibly simple, reliable, compact and cheap, but have very limited ammunition capacity and are not particularly accurate without using a guided smart projectile. These weapons are very popular in the slums and ghettos, since they can be easily made by converting conventional single or double-barreled sporting shotguns (which can be purchased by non-humans and are very cheap and available), and have the potential to be quite effective against power-armored humans.
Additionally, we have Smartguns, which is a catch-all term referring to any weapon firing a guided or inteligent round. Developed and fielded in the early 21st century for use against insurgents hiding in buildings or behind cover, most smartguns use an airburst fragmentation projectile in excess of 15mm diameter, and are very effective weapons for urban warfare. Most Smartguns are stacked-projectile weapons mounted under or over the barrels of conventional line-of-sight small arms, but self-loading standalone varients also exist. Most heavy combat exoskeletons mount a large, multi-barrel smartgun on the shoulder for use against barriers, vehicles and other exoskeletons. The Hercules Mk.IV is infamous for its devastating 7-barreled, shoulder-mounted smartgun which can fire both 40mm missiles and 80mm Casaba Howitzers.
All magnetic or DP weaponry functions in the same basic manner, known as a Cycle of Functioning;
This can look radically different, depending on the mechanism used, but the steps are always the same.
First, what are small arms and light weapons? In short, small arms are any hand-held, man-portable weapon. That is, pistols, rifles, light, medium and general purpose machine-guns, etc. Weapons that are designed to be used by a single person. Light weapons are also man-portable, and often handheld, but are generally larger and designed to be used by a crew of multiple people. Examples include heavy machineguns, mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, anti-air missile launchers, etc. Small arms can be considered to include knives, clubs and grenades as well, but are generally accepted to refer to ranged kinetic or explosive weapons.
Within the category of small arms, there are several subcategories;
Rifles, or long-barreled, ranged kinetic line-of-sight weapons designed to be used by a single soldier. While originally the term "rifle" referred to chemically-propelled long arm with linear grooves, or rifling, cut into the barrel to spin-stabilize the projectile, by the time Uprising's primary story takes place, chemical propellant is obsolete, and the term has evolved to mean a primary weapon with a relatively long barrel. Rifles are the most common type of weapon, issued in some form by every military or security organization in the Galaxy
Machineguns, or ranged kinetic weapons designed for sustained, high-volume fire. Machineguns are usually belt-fed, but do not need to be. The definition of machinegun, and its subcategories of light, medium and general purpose, are less about the physical properties of a weapon so much as the manner in which it is used, or doctrine. Machineguns are usually crew-served, and fall somewhere between the definition of small arms and light weapons.
Submachineguns, or small, compact kinetic weapons designed to offer a high volume of fire at short range. Smaller, pistol caliber varieties are usually called submachineguns, while rifle caliber versions are often dubbed PDWs, or Personal Defense Weapons. The definition of SMG vs PDW is also rather fuzzy, and generally depends on usage or personal preference.
Pistols, or compact, small caliber kinetic weapons designed to be used one-handed, for personal defense. Pistols are somewhat rare within professional military or security companies; a pistol is a defensive weapon, and generally only issued to officers or police personal. They are highly popular with criminals, however, due to their compactness, relative cheapness, and ease of concealment.
Sniper Rifles are long-barreled, long-ranged kinetic weapons designed for precision fire over long distances. With the introduction of highly accurate, long-range guided munitions, combined with increased use of drones, snipers are beginning to become obsolete, though they still remain vital for urban combat and direct infantry support.
Shotguns, or short-ranged, large-bore kinetic weapons designed to fire a large number of small projectiles, or a single, larger munition, at once. Shotguns are among the most versatile of weapons, but are limited by small magazine, low rates of fire and relative inaccuracy with conventional munitions.
Small Arms in the Uprising Universe can be divided into five basic categories;
- Railguns
- Coilguns
- Pulse Guns
- Duel Propulsion Systems
- Stacked Projectile Weapons
Railguns function by running an electric charge along two rails, with a conductive projectile between them which completes the circuit, accelerating the projectile to very high speeds. Designs vary, including plasma railguns and helical railguns, but the most common variety is the simple straight two-rail design. Railguns are the most common type of small arm, being simple, relatively cheap, and easy to manufacture. However, they have their downsides, primarily the need for relatively long rails and high heat generation, which make them less than suitable for very compact weapons, or weapons designed to have a high sustained rate of fire.
Coilguns use a series of electromagnetic coils to gradually accelerate a ferrous projectile to speed. Coilguns are heavier, bulkier and more complex and expensive, but offer a much more controllable rate of acceleration and produce far less heat. Coilguns are typically used as sniper weapons or machineguns, thanks to their increased accuracy and low heat production.
Pulse guns use a single, directed electromagnet to produce a pulse which repels the projectile down a short barrel. The pulsar is mounted on a spring-loaded bolt which picks up a projectile from the magazine and loads it into the chamber, where it is charged by an electromagnetic coil. The pulsar then fires an identical charge, repelling the projectile down the barrel while the equal and opposite reaction sends the bolt rearward. Pulse guns are cheap, simple and very compact, offering high rates of fire with relatively low energy consumption. However, they are weak, inaccurate and inherently short range weapons. Pulse guns function somewhat like 20th century chemical submachineguns in their usage, relying on close range and volume of fire to compensate for their relative weakness and inaccuracy.
A Duel Propulsion system, sometimes refereed to as a chemrail or DP gun, combines a chemical propellant, as seen in 20th and 21st century firearms, with an electromagnetic propulsion system, usually a railgun. Duel Propulsion weapons are very powerful and accurate, but also very complex, heavy and expensive. Most DP guns use polymer-cased telescopic ammunition, pioneered in the late 20th century as an alternative to heavy, expensive brass cased cartridges, fed through a pushthrough action from a belt. Cartridges are pushed out of the belt and into a rotating chamber, ejecting the spent cartridge forward, then rotating the chamber in line with the barrel, somewhat like a revolver. DP guns are most commonly used on vehicles, as well as serving as the main weapons of heavy combat exoskeletons like the General Exoskeleton Company Hercules MkIV or the Chan-Kruger Kinetics EY-800 Titan.
A Stacked Projectile weapon, also called Metal Storm or Thunderguns, is a single barrel which is loaded with multiple projectiles stacked end-to-end. Propulsion can be achieved either with chemical propellant or magnetic acceleration, and generally serves to eject the projectile from the barrel so that a rocket motor can take over. Stacked Projectile systems are almost always used for smart munitions or grenades, since they allow very compact, large caliber repeating arms. Stacked Projectile weapons may use disposable, pre-loaded barrels, or be loaded with individual projectiles one at a time, like a shotgun. Stacked Projectile weapons are incredibly simple, reliable, compact and cheap, but have very limited ammunition capacity and are not particularly accurate without using a guided smart projectile. These weapons are very popular in the slums and ghettos, since they can be easily made by converting conventional single or double-barreled sporting shotguns (which can be purchased by non-humans and are very cheap and available), and have the potential to be quite effective against power-armored humans.
Additionally, we have Smartguns, which is a catch-all term referring to any weapon firing a guided or inteligent round. Developed and fielded in the early 21st century for use against insurgents hiding in buildings or behind cover, most smartguns use an airburst fragmentation projectile in excess of 15mm diameter, and are very effective weapons for urban warfare. Most Smartguns are stacked-projectile weapons mounted under or over the barrels of conventional line-of-sight small arms, but self-loading standalone varients also exist. Most heavy combat exoskeletons mount a large, multi-barrel smartgun on the shoulder for use against barriers, vehicles and other exoskeletons. The Hercules Mk.IV is infamous for its devastating 7-barreled, shoulder-mounted smartgun which can fire both 40mm missiles and 80mm Casaba Howitzers.
All magnetic or DP weaponry functions in the same basic manner, known as a Cycle of Functioning;
- Firing - The projectile is accelerated out of weapon
- Unlocking - The feeding mechanism unlocks and retracts
- Feeding - The feeding mechanism extracts a projectile from the magazine
- Chambering - The projectile is fed into the chamber of the weapon
- Locking - The feeding mechanism locks into place and the weapon is ready to fire
This can look radically different, depending on the mechanism used, but the steps are always the same.