FFS designs
Armat M41A Pulse Rifle
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Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 13:37:33 +0100
From: Liam_McCauley@qsp.co.uk
Subject: Armat M41A Pulse Rifle
Thank you to those who sent me stuff on materials, or who pointed me
in the right direction. Below is my interpretation of a Pulse Rifle
from the film "Aliens" (I'm sure a lot of these terms are (c) or TM,
but WTF). Feel free to use, abuse, whatever...
Notes:
* I started with the ammunition, using the dimensions given, rather
than the muzzle energy (probably the wrong way to go, but...).
* I used Composite Laminate for the receiver and barrel to reduce
weight (see TML 181).
* The cyclic rate should have resulted in a RoF of 10, but that would
have required a heavy receiver. Also, it should have a 4 round burst
capability. I just simplified things and gave a RoF of 5.
* I added Gyroscopic compensation to reduce recoil.
Comments:
* Not all that impressive for TL12, but then it's meant to simulate
something from a film, not be the optimum design.
* It actually came out pretty close to the dimensions and weight given
in the book.
* I never got round to designing the 30mm canister round for the
grenade launcher.
References:
"Aliens, Colonial Marines Technical Manual" by Lee Brimmicombe-Wood
"Aliens - Adventure Game" by Leading Edge Games
"Aliens" - the film
Pulse Rifle - Traveller TNE
Armat M41A Pulse Rifle
TL 12
Weapon Length 55 / 75 cm
Weapon Weight 5.25kg loaded, 4.6kg empty
Weapon Price 2,955Cr
Magazine Weight 1.35kg loaded, 1.17kg empty
Magazine Price 11.65Cr
US M309 10*24mm Standard Light Armour Piercing, Explosive Tipped Round
Weight 19g, 0.18Kg for 95
Price 1.13Cr, 107Cr for 95
30mm Grenade
Weight 0.12Kg, 0.48Kg for 4
Grenade Price
M40 HE 1.2Cr
M38 HEAP 1.8Cr
M60 WP 2.4Cr
M72A1 Starshell 1.2Cr
-Recoil-
Weapon RoF Dam Pen Blk Mag SS Burst Range IFR
10mm Pulse Rifle HEAP 5 5 2-2-2 3/4 95 1 4 31 -
30mm Grenade HE PA C:2, B:10 Nil - 4 0 - 86 345
HEAP PA C:1, B:3.5 29C - 4 0 - 86 345
WP PA C:2, B:6 Nil - 4 0 - 86 345
Starshell PA C:0, B:144 Nill - 4 0 - 86 345
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WorkSheet
10*24mm, necked, caseless, HEAP
Bullet Diameter 10mm
Cartridge Length 24mm
Ammo Length 44mm
Ammo Weight 18.85g
Avge Muzzle Energy 3920.7J
Price 1.131 Cr
30mm, HE, Low Velocity Propelled Grenade
Diameter 3cm
Concussion 2
Burst Radius 10m
Penetration Value Nil
Total Mass 0.12Kg
Volume 2.4*10-5 m^3
Price 1.2Cr
PN 30mm pump-action grenade launcher
Barrel Length 5 calibers (15cm)
Direct Fire (Short) Range 86.25m
Indirect Fire (Max) Range 345m
Length 30cm
Material Composite Laminate
Empty Mass 0.75Kg
Loaded Mass 1.23Kg
Muzzle Energy 337.5J
Price 897.75Cr
Armat M41A Pulse Rifle 10mm Assault Rifle
with PN 30mm pump-action grenade launcher
1. Light Barrel
Average Barrel Length 39.207cm
Actual Barrel Length 24.7cm
Material Composite Laminate
Barrel Weight 0.165Kg
Barrel Price 131.4Cr
Actual Muzzle Energy 3195J
Explosive Energy 2744J
Damage 5
Penetration 2-2-2
2. Light, Self-loading receiver with selective fire option
Rate of Fire 1, 5
Receiver Length 25.046cm
Material Composite Laminate
Receiver Weight 1.31Kg
Receiver Price 1303Cr
3. Retracting Stock
Stock Length 5/25cm
Stock Mass 0.5kg
Price 50Cr
Short Range 30.64m
4. Box Magazine
Capacity 99 (95 usually loaded to avoid jams)
Magazine Weight 1.165Kg
Magazine Price 11.65
5. Options
Folding SA Stock
Gyroscopic Compensator
PN 30mm grenader launcher
Component Length (cm) Weight (kg) Price (Cr)
Barrel 24.7 0.17 131.4
Receiver 25.05 1.31 1,303
Folding SA Stock (5/25cm) 25 0.7 200
Gyroscopic Compensator 0.5 300
Grenade Launcher 0.75 897.75
Magazine 1.17 11.65
Weapon, Empty 74.75 4.6 2,843.8
95 rounds 10*24mm 0.18 107
4 Grenades 0.48 4.8
Weapon, Loaded 74.75 5.25 2,955.6
Bulk 3/4
Recoil Single Shot 1 (1.49)
Burst 4 (3.74)
Grenade 0 (0.47)
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1995 09:47:35 +0100
From: Liam_McCauley@qsp.co.uk
Subject: Re: Pulse Rifle
Thanks for all the help with materials & caseless ammo for my Pulse
Rifle design. Thanks also for any compliments. I'm especially glad
to hear that it might get used in someone else's campaign.
I've re-done the design using Lahtinen's caseless ammo notes, and will
put the summary at the end of this post.
The low short range for the weapon is due to the very short barrel
length (24.7cm c.f. average barrel length of 49cm for the ammo), and
because the ammo is HEAP (0.75 multiplier). I imagine that this would
give it a hell of a muzzle flash.
The cannister round for the grenade launcher that someone asked about
simply holds buckshot. Being lazy, I couldn't be bothered going
through the full sequence for the ammo again, so I just left it as an
exercise for the reader ;-).
I noticed that the only thing that would change if I dropped the TL
from 12 to 10 would be the explosive energy of the HEAP round. This
gives a damage of 5, rather than 6. Are there no other developments
in standard slug weapon design above TL 10?
There are a few things I would change if I was designing the weapon
myself from scratch (longer barrel, shorter cartridge to improve range
and recoil), but I wanted to stay close to the parameters I had been
given. These were (from "Aliens: Colonial Marines Training Manual"):
Rifle without Mag 3.4Kg
Full Mag 1.5Kg
Barrel Length 24.7cm
Rifle Length 69.5/84cm
Muzzle Velocity 840m/s
Max Range 2.1km
Max eff. Range 500m
Cyclic Rate 900rpm
"The M41 fires the standard US M309 10mm * 24 round. This ammunition
comprises a 210 grain (13.6g) projectile embedded within a rectangular
caseless propellant block of Nitramine 50. The propellant content is
small, but highly efficient, generating muzzle velocities on the order
of 840m/s. The round is steel jacketed & explosive tipped with impact
fusing which is preset during manufacture.
The M41 uses electronic pulse action to fire, controlled directly from
the trigger. The internal mechanism, including the rotating breech,
is mounted on free floating rails within a carbon-fiber jacket."
Armat M41A Pulse Rifle
TL 12 (at TL 10, reduce damage to 5)
Weapon Length 57/77 cm
Weapon Weight 6.0Kg loaded, 4.1kg empty
Weapon Price 3,265Cr
Magazine Weight 1.8kg loaded, 0.4kg empty
Magazine Price 12Cr
US M309 10*24mm Standard Light Armour Piercing, Explosive Tipped Round
Weight 15g, 1.4Kg for 95
Price 0.9Cr, 86Cr for 95
30mm Grenade
Weight 0.12Kg, 0.48Kg for 4
Grenade Price
M40 HE 1.2Cr
M38 HEAP 1.8Cr
M60 WP 2.4Cr
M72A1 Starshell 1.2Cr
Weapon RoF Dam Pen Blk Mag SS Brst Range IFR
10mm Pulse Rifle HEAP 5 6 2-2-2 3/5 95 1 4 24 -
30mm Grenade HE PA C:2, B:10 Nil - 4 0 - 86 345
HEAP PA C:1, B:3.5 29C - 4 0 - 86 345
WP PA C:2, B:6 Nil - 4 0 - 86 345
Starshell PA C:0, B:144 Nil - 4 0 - 86 345
Cheers,
Liam
Liam_McCauley@QSP.co.uk