Quote:
Originally Posted by Minuteman37
It's an After the End Falloutisk scenario and I'm a tactically adept warlord trying to arm my conscripts with a cheap to manufacture, reliable, easily maintained weapon as we try and build an Autocratic state out of the ruins of america.
Considering barely trained conscrips armed with this weapon will be the bread and butter combatant my PCs will be facing I'm not looking for a weapon that's "good", ideally it would be reliable and cheap at the expense of other traits like wounding ability, accuracy, and weight.
Two ideas I've had so far have been a stripped down basic bolt action rifle, and the TRW low maintenance rifle. Though I want the gun to start off on the low end of effectiveness, I'd also like it have plenty of room to improve through play, either becouse the players have taken a liking to them and want to improve the design or becouse this faction has grown and can now provide a better weapon.
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For a low-logistics "enemy gun", I'd go with a low caliber, muzzle-loading, black powder flintlock rifle firing minie balls. Black powder is relatively easy to make; minie balls are nearly as easy to cast as round balls but more accurate; a low caliber (.30 or .40 or so) is dangerous but not impossibly deadly if a PC takes a hit.
There's also some obvious upgrade paths: better powder, Allin style trapdoor conversions to make them single shot breechloaders, and then multi-shot capability by adding magazines.
Sharpshooters and elite troops can use scavenged pre-Fall weapons.