Gauss Machine Gun (GMG)

[Golan2072]

Gauss Machine Gun (8,000 grams loaded; Cr6,000; TL11): The first man-portable Gauss weapon, the Gauss Machine Gun (GMG) generates an electromagnetic field along the length of the barrel which accelerates a 4mm, 4 gram needle to velocities of 1,500 meters per second with a practical rate of fire of 400 rounds per minute (100 rounds per combat round). The round itself consists of a dense armor piercing core surrounded by a softer metal covering, ending in a hollow point, giving the round both high stopping power and good armor piercing capability. Flying along the barrel is nearly frictionless, with spin stabilization imparted through magnetic bias.

Ammunition is provided in 250-round drums (though GMGs produced at TL12+ may use Gauss Rifle magazines as well). Reloading a drum or a magazine requires one round.

Each pull of the trigger fires a 10 rounds burst, up to six of which may be fired in any one combat round. Each burst may be directed at a different target, provided that all are within a 45 degrees firing arc.

The GMG is provided with a bipod and a sling and is gyro-stabilized; generally speaking, it must be fired while prone with the bipod extended, although the weapon can also be fired from any convenient rest (bunker embrasure, log, etc); It may also be fired "from the hip" thanks to its gyro-stabilization system, though this would still impose a -2 DM to hit with the weapon. Tripods may be purchased, use of which allows the weapon to be fired at extreme range and extends the weapon's arc of fire to 90 degrees.

Length: 1,000mm, Weight, Unloaded: 6,500 grams (250 round drum: 2,500 grams; tripod mount: 3,500 grams). Base price: Cr6,000 (250 round drum Cr200, tripod Cr300). Extreme range (when tripod mounted): 2,000 meters. Tech Level 11.

Weapon Matrix:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Attacker's Weapon Nothing Jack Mesh Cloth Reflec Ablat Cbt. Armor
Gauss Machine Gun +8 +8 +6 +4 +8 +8 +2</pre>[/QUOTE]Range Matrix
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Attacker's Weapon Close Short Medium Long V. Long Wounds
Gauss Machine Gun No -3 +6 +5 +2 4D</pre>[/QUOTE]Dexterity DMs
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Attacker's Weapon Req. DEX DM Adv. DEX DM
Gauss Machine Gun 8 -2 11 +2</pre>[/QUOTE]

 

[Pickles]

Next step: the gauss auto cannon. (hint)

 

[Jame]

This is adopted for the Duchy of Selena, and will provide for squad support until the tripod-equippable plasma gun comes about at TL-12.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Using Traveller Gunsmith:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Name: GMG-11
Calibre: 4mm Gauss Needle
ROF: 10
TL: 11 Laser Sight: No
Damage: 4 Sound Report: Supressed
Mag: 250 Flash: None
Rcl-SS: 1 Grenade Adaptor: No
Rcl-Burst: 3 Bayonet: No
Range: Medium Bipod: Yes
Mass: 15.9 Kg Tripod: No
Reloads: 12.05 Kg
Length: 78.63 cm
Cost: Cr 3895
</pre>[/QUOTE]

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
Using Traveller Gunsmith:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Name: GMG-11
Calibre: 4mm Gauss Needle
ROF: 10
TL: 11 Laser Sight: No
Damage: 5 Sound Report: Supressed
Mag: 250 Flash: None
Rcl-SS: 1 Grenade Adaptor: No
Rcl-Burst: 3 Bayonet: No
Range: Medium Bipod: Yes
Mass: 15.9 Kg Tripod: No
Reloads: 12.05 Kg
Length: 78.63 cm
Cost: Cr 3895
</pre>

[/quote]Looks good, but my version will be doing 5d damage, in keeping with my rifle-damage house rule (handguns are deadly, rifles deadlier, MGs moreso).

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
Using Traveller Gunsmith:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">Name: GMG-11
Calibre: 4mm Gauss Needle
ROF: 10
TL: 11 Laser Sight: No
Damage: 4 Sound Report: Supressed
Mag: 250 Flash: None
Rcl-SS: 1 Grenade Adaptor: No
Rcl-Burst: 3 Bayonet: No
Range: Medium Bipod: Yes
Mass: 15.9 Kg Tripod: No
Reloads: 12.05 Kg
Length: 78.63 cm
Cost: Cr 3895
</pre>

[/quote]Is the 15.9kg mass loaded or unloaded? The mass of the reload seems to me quite big, considering that the Gauss Rifle has a 40-round magazine massing only 400 grams. Or should TL11 batteries be much heavier than TL12 ones (as the rounds have the same mass)?

Originally posted by the Bromgrev:
Next step: the gauss auto cannon. (hint)

Isn't that already covered by the VRF Gauss Gun? Its mass, size and cost seem to suggest similar more along the lines of an auto-cannon rather than those of a machinegun.

 

[Pickles]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by the Bromgrev:
Next step: the gauss auto cannon. (hint)

Isn't that already covered by the VRF Gauss Gun? Its mass, size and cost seem to suggest similar more along the lines of an auto-cannon rather than those of a machinegun. </font>[/QUOTE]Not really - at 2000 kg the VRF gauss gun is decidedly heavyweight compared to the 300 kg auto rifle.

 

[mbrinkhues]

Weapons that might be useful (I lack both Striker and the Traveller Gunsmith):

+ Light and Medium ATGM (Milan and TOW/HOT equiv)
- Laser Com or Laser Beam Rider

+ 107 or 120mm Mortar equivalent
- Magazin fed, breech loading
- Possible EMag

+ Light SAM (Stinger or StarStreak)

+ For low tech (pre PGMP) worlds a light AT weapon below missiles (like Carl Gustav, 90mm Recoilless or post WWII Panzerfaust-1)

+ For variants a Gauss Based AT gun

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Michael Brinkhues:
Weapons that might be useful (I lack both Striker and the Traveller Gunsmith)

While the Traveller Gunsmith is based on FF&S2, it is usable by itself if you are enough of a gearhead; it is a spreadsheet downloadable from here.

+ Light and Medium ATGM (Milan and TOW/HOT equiv)
- Laser Com or Laser Beam Rider

+ 107 or 120mm Mortar equivalent
- Magazin fed, breech loading
- Possible EMag

+ Light SAM (Stinger or StarStreak)

+ For low tech (pre PGMP) worlds a light AT weapon below missiles (like Carl Gustav, 90mm Recoilless or post WWII Panzerfaust-1)

+ For variants a Gauss Based AT gun

I could design some these weapons with Striker; the designs would be quite useful even if you don't have Striker, as weight, range, volume and cost are in kg, km, m^3 and Cr. The main thing that you'll have to create if you don't have striker is damage, range DM and armor DMs (though these could be guesstimated from Striker ranges and/or LBB4 RAM Grenades). Some of these weapons (the Gauss AT gun and the SAM) would not be desinable in Striker, but I'd be able to guesstimate them from LBB4 data as well.

And generally speaking, pre-PGMP AT weapons will be similar to LBB4 RAM Grenades if they are light (RPG-7, for example, is probably comparable to a one-shot disposable RAM launcher, but with greater weight and lower cost and TL). Heavier weapons will probably have similar ranges but bigger damage and better armor mods.

By the way, do you have LBB4: Mercenary? It deals with several artillery pieces, including mortars - you would probably find there something similar to that mortar you've described.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

The high mass is due to the batteries - they get lighter as TL increases, but they're too heavy IMHO.

T4's Emperor's Arsenal has a very good selection of weapons from all TLs.

 

[Golan2072]

Striker Stats:

</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">TL Weapon Shots Effective Long Extreme Weight Price Targets Sig
11 4mm Gauss Machinegun 250 120(7)+6 240(3)+4 360(1)+2 4.5/5.5 6,000/200 3 +1</pre>[/QUOTE]