Quote:
Originally Posted by Agemegos
In those circumstances, what sights and accessories might you have fitted to your Springfield Model 1861 (or equivalent) or your double-barrelled rifled caplock pistols with hair triggers? Is there something nifty that was invented recently but that could be made with TL5 tools and methods? Would you attach an imported optical sight, night-vision, or laser sight?
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The thing that can be made readily with TL5 tools and methods and is useful for sharpshooters is a
bipod. That gives automatic bracing for a prone shooter; they aren't useful to standing shooters in close formation, because they'd need legs 4-5 feet long, rather than about a foot, and those would get in the way terribly.
An optical sight is useful on any weapon that, in GURPS terms, has Acc 2 or better, and where aiming for several seconds is realistic. At GURPS TL5, that means sharpshooters.
Picatinny rail, or other interchangeable mounting systems, are useful when a shooter has a choice of multiple accessories to mount; making an optical sight detachable and re-attachable is always useful for preventing damage in handling. It's important that the detach/reattach system maintains the relative position of gun and sight very accurately, as otherwise you have to re-adjust the sight, which takes time and trial shots, and isn't practical in the middle of a battle. This need for precision is why optical sights did not become widely used until GURPS TL6.
If the other side knows what a laser sight is, using them will have psychological value, even if the guns and fitting arrangements aren't precise enough for them to help with long-range shooting.