Double rifles of large caliber are typically side-by-side because the over under requires a much larger sweep to open the action in order to access the lower barrel. This makes for slower reloading, and since these rifles are generally designed to be used against dangerous game, that is not a good idea.
Currently, one can buy a good quality 'field grade' double rifle for as little as $9,500 US. That works out to be about Cr3,100.
http://www.searcyent.com/fieldgrade.htm
Deluxe guns from famous makers can be extremely expensive (if you have to ask, you can't afford it)
http://www.hollandandholland.com/gunrooms/london/newguns/royal-double-rifle.htm
Your noble could buy the Holland and Holland Royal grade double rifle for a mere Cr76,000
Now for some stats.
Our example rifle is going to be chambered in a large caliber, since it is a heavy hunting rifle (in this case, the heaviest). We select the .577 Tyrannosaurus for our cartridge, the current most powerful hunting cartridge loaded (we are excluding the .50 BMG).
The .577 Tyrannosaurus launches a 750gn bullet at around 2400 f/s. To put that in Traveller Terms that's a 48.6g projectile moving at 732m/s. Such a cartridge generates 13,021J of energy at the muzzle. The rifle masses 7.26 kilos and generates 164J of recoil.
For comparison, the M-14, a fairly typical .308 caliber military rifle masses about 4 kilos, has about 3000J of energy and generates about 18J of recoil.
The heavy hunting rifles weighs almost twices as much, has four times the muzzle energy and nine times the recoil.
TNE damage is 8D, base recoil is 6 and penetration is 2-3-4
T4 damage is 11D, base recoil is 6
For CT, we treat it as a rifle. However, double rifles tend not to be effective at long range. They are regulated so that each barrel shoots to the same point oif aim, but this only happens at a set distance - typically about 50 meters. (These guns are meant to be used up close and personal)
Close Short Med Long Vlong
-8 +1 0 -4 -8
Dangerous game rifles typically fire solid or steel jacketed projectiles that rate as semi-armor piercing. The reason is obvious when one considers that an elephant's skull is two and a half
feet thick. Most body armor stands little chance against such a powerful rifle.
None Jack Mesh Cloth Reflec Ablat Battle
+3 +3 +2 +1 +3 +2 -2
8D6 Damage. Referees may wish to use the 'shoot through' modifier. When 'solids' (monolithic solid or steel jacketed) bullets are used, the round will be capable of penetrating multiple humans.
When expanding bullets are used, use the regular armor modifiers for the rifle. And hit in the torso or head will be fatal. Arm or leg hits will be an amputation. Any round that fails to penetrate flexible armor will break ribs and possibly damage internal organs due to blunt face trauma.
The power of these type of rifles is incomprehensible to most average people. Most heavy dangerous game rifles are capable of shooting entirely through the engineblock of a typical mid sized car. Due to their immense recoil, some are only slightly less hard on the shooter than they are on the target. The .458 Winchester Magnum, a relative pea shooter in the world of super-powered dangerous game rifles still generates about 75J of recoil, more than double that of a 12 gauge shotgun firing 00 buck.
Hope this helps.
Interested in big bore rifles? Visit my website
http://www.cordite.com
[Corrected 2/17 - thanks for pointing out the error everyone. Must learn to proofread.]
you've got an extra zero in there…
