Version 2
Shotguns
Shotguns are relatively common weapons and ammunition is often readily available, particularly in rural areas. Ammunition can be minifactured or even can be handmade. Tube-magazine or even double-barrelled guns are still popular with the more conservative hunters. Military and police use shotguns for firing both lethal and less-lethal ammunition. For combat roles self-loading weapons with detachable box-magazines are preferred. The “riot gun” profile below is for a typical combat self-loader fitted with a folding stock. There is a pump-action override for firing low-impulse specialist ammunition, which reduces RoF to 2.
Guns (Shotgun) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
| Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range (yards) | Mass (lb) | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Recoil Shot/Slug | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Barrel 12-gauge | 1d+1 pi | 3 | 40/800 | 6.7/0.3 | 2×9 | 2(4i) | 10† | -6 | 1/5 | |
| Whippet 20-gauge | 1d pi | 2 | 40/800 | 3.8/0.2 | 2×7 | 2(3i) | 9† | -3 | 1/5 | [1, 2] |
| Pump gun 12-gauge | 1d+1 pi | 3 | 40/800 | 7/0.8 | 2×9 | 7+1 (2i) | 10† | -5 | 1/5 | [3] |
| Auto 12-gauge | 1d+1 pi | 3 | 40/800 | 7/0.8 | 3×9 | 7+1 (2i) | 10† | -5 | 1/5 | [3] |
| “Auto-stakeout” 20-gauge | 1d pi | 2 | 40/800 | 4/0.35 | 3×7 | 4+1(2i) | 11† | -3 | 1/6 | [1, 2, 3] |
| “Supershort Auto-stakeout” 20-gauge | 1d pi | 2 | 40/800 | 3/0.2 | 3×7 | 2+1(2i) | 12† | -2 | 1/6 | [1, 2, 3] |
| Police Riot gun 12-gauge | 1d+1 pi | 3 | 40/800 | 6/0.8 | 3×9 | 10(3) | 10† | -5* | 1/5 | [4] |
| Compact Riot gun 12-gauge | 1d+1 pi | 2 | 40/800 | 5.25/0.8 | 3×9 | 10(3) | 12† | -4* | 1/6 | [1,2] |
[1] Increased muzzle blast. +1 to Hearing and Vision to locate the firer in the dark.
[2] ST+2 if fired one-handed.
[3] Tube-magazine. Capacity given is for 2¾" length shotshells. Multiply magazine capacity by 0.9 for 3" loads or 1.1 for 2½", rounding down. For 1¾" mini-shells, multiply by 1.57, rounding down.
[4] Rof =2 when operated as a pump-action.
5.6mm Caseless Rifles
The 5.6mm caseless round (5.6mmCL or 5.6x45mm CL) was developed for end users who wished to minimize the resources needed to train personnel to shoot. Low ammunition weight, large magazine capacity and mild recoil favours shooters more inclined to “spray and pray” or quantity over accuracy. Most military 5.6mm rifles also mount 30mm mini-missile launchers.
The first 5.6mmCL caseless weapons were marketed at the same time that many organisations were looking into adopting the 6.6mmCL, and the 5.6mmCL succeeded in gaining a larger proportion of the market. Some countries only use the 5.6mmCL or the 6.6mmCL, while in others the different rounds are used by different agencies. As a rule of thumb, the 5.6mm is preferred by forces where much of the personnel have only a modicum of training. The 6.6mmCL is the preference of more highly trained units.
Guns (Rifle) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2) &
Guns (Gyroc) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -4)
| Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range (yards) | Mass (lb) | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Recoil | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.6mmCL Battle Rifle | 5d pi | 4 | 530/3,300 | 11/1.6 | 12 | 100(5) | 10† | -4 | 2 | 1 | [1, 2] |
| 30mm Missile | 12d-1 pi++ | 2 | 500 | 3.8/0.8 | 3 | 3(3i) | 5† | 1 | 1 | [1, 2] | |
| Xuan Feng 5.6mmCL Rifle | 5d pi | 4 | 440/3,200 | 12/0.5 | 16 | 40(3) | 9† | -4 | 2 | 1 | [1, 2, 3] |
| Xuan Feng-launched 30mm missile | 12d-1 pi++ | 2 | 500 | 3.8/0.8 | 3 | 3(3i) | 5† | 1 | 1 | [1, 2, 3] |
[1] THS Changing Times gives slugthrowers a low Acc. Acc has been increased so it is consistent with similar TL7-8 weapons in 4e High-Tech.
[2] Weight is for a rifle fully loaded and with a loaded 30mm pod. A loaded pod weighs 3.8 lb and an individual mini-missile 0.8 lb. (TS 3e p.156)
[3] The Chinese-made Xuan Feng is a simple to produce and operate alternative to the Fifth Wave Battle Rifle. The main difference is that it cannot use smart ammunition. Usual load is a 40-round magazine of unguided APDS (p.B280) rounds and unguided HE grenades or mini-missiles. The Xuan Feng does not have or require a virtual or heads up display but can be fitted with these at extra cost. $600.
The Xuan Feng is from TS Broken Dreams 3e p.137-6 and the description given is confusing. The text describes a weapon with a 40-round magazine and a 30mm grenade launcher with a two-round magazine. The table gives the profile for a standard three-shot 30mm mini-missile. The Xuan Feng is also a pound heavier than the generic battle rifle, even though it carries 60 less rounds. Treat the Xuan Feng as a battle rifle that can only fire 5.6mm smart rounds and mini-missiles in dumb mode. A grenade launcher that can be fitted instead of a mini-missile pod will be featured in a later post.