Ruger 10/22 Rifle

[ed_209a]

Without a little help from the setting (ie zombies vulnerable to bullets), the 10/22 will be disappointing as an assault/defensive weapon.

That 10/22 might be a life saver once you get to your survival cabin. Enough ammo for several years of squirrel and rabbit hunting could easily fit in a fishing tackle box. It's what, 5 lbs per thousand rounds?

Any of the AR-15 pattern rifles would be a good zombie gun. It is one of the (if not THE) most popular rifles in the US. This means plenty of parts and ammo.

[BMR]

Originally Posted by ed_209a

Any of the AR-15 pattern rifles would be a good zombie gun. It is one of the (if not THE) most popular rifles in the US. This means plenty of parts and ammo.

That's straight. If you are going to upgrade from pistol cartridges to short-recoil rifle, the AR-15/M16 family is one great way to go... in North America.

Also, lots of SKS and AKM pattern rifles are available--especially cheap knock offs from China and Eastern Europe. Lots of high cap magazines can be found, and they are more rugged weapons--if also inaccurate.

AR-15 rifles are very accurate, low recoil, and easy to carry. 223 Remington is usually abundant, but the militarized 5.56mm NATO is not intended to feed through most civilian variants.

AR-15s jam too much in my experience. Part of the problem is using substandard magazines--there are a lot of affordable knock offs made in South America, for example, but they don't seat properly in the magazine well. Try to get those made to spec by the factory.

Also, the direct impingment system of a classic AR-15/M16 lets too much crap into the chamber. Fortunately, a lot of makers like Sabre and Barret manufacture upper recievers with a piston added to the bolt assembly. The rifle weighs a bit more, but its also more reliable.

Finally, you've got to use the right ammo. I've handled both the M4 Carbine in the Navy and the AR-15 at home, and they don't like PMC brand ammo. There tends to be a lot of double feed jams, and that seems to be a mix of crappy magazines and crappy cartridges.

[Ragitsu]

If you're able to keep up a maintenance schedule and have the supplies, then yes, I agree.

[ed_209a]

Originally Posted by BMR

223 Remington is usually abundant, but the militarized 5.56mm NATO is not intended to feed through most civilian variants.

.223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO are almost, but not quite identical.

Firing .223 Remington in a 5.56mm NATO weapon will result in a slight loss of accuracy.

Firing 5.56mm in a .223 Remington could cause damage to the weapon, depending on the weapon.

Wiki says that many AR-15s and the Ruger Mini-14 (another common rifle in the US) are safe for 5.56mm NATO, even though they are stamped .223 Remington.

But really, this is all FYI material. For any but the most detail-oriented GURPS setting, they are identical.

[BMR]

Originally Posted by ed_209a

But really, this is all FYI material. For any but the most detail-oriented GURPS setting, they are identical.

If one were inclined to go detailed, they should know that the military M855 cartridge has a different powder load and composition, as well as a different bullet design and grain, than your 0.223 Remington ball round. M855 is intended for the M16A2 series and later, and requires a different rifling rate in the bore.

If the characters are military personnel, they may be forbidden not only to feed civilian Remington through their weapon, but they may not be allowed to load M855 in an M16 or M16A1 either. Those older rifles were designed for the M143, which also had a unique twist, grain, and load. The original Mini-14s and their automatic variant also used M143. Its concievable that loading either the old 5.56mm or the civilian round can foul the newer rifles in some manner.

The case dimensions are identical across all three cartridges, that I know of, so they will chamber between AR-15/M16, M16A2, and Mini-14. But the detail oriented GM will wish to research the details as they see fit.

[Z09SS]

I gave the 10/22 1d+2 pi- when I statted it.

M193 is 55gr, lead core, copper jacket and it was designed for the 1:12 rifling of the M16/M16A1. M196 is the tracer equivalent.

M855 is 62gr, lead and steel core, copper jacket and is used in the 1:7 rifling of the M16A2/A3/A4 and M4/M4A1. M856 is the tracer.

Luckily, most civilian ARs have 5.56 chambers and are 1:9 rifled. 1:9 is perfectly fine for both M193 and M855. It's no good for the M856 in cold weather. 1:9 is what the FN was going to use for the NATO ammo (which M855 is a version of) until issues developing a tracer round surfaced in arctic testing.

For my Twilight 2000 conversion I created a house rule for dealing with the wrong cartridges in the wrong twist.

If the gun has 1:12 rifling then it fires M193/M196 normally. M855/M856 is 1/4 ranges and -4 Acc because the round is not stabilized.

If the gun has 1:9 or 1:10 rifling then it fires M193/M196/M855 normally, but would have to be rezeroed if you changed from M193/M196 to M855 and vice versa. If you didn't zero, -1 to Acc. M856 is normal unless it's colder than 10˚ F; then it's 1/4 ranges and -4 Acc.

If the weapon has 1:7 rifling then M193/M196 are at Acc -1 all other ammo shoots normally.

Over detailed, yes. The players seemed to like it though.

[BMR]

Originally Posted by Z09SS

I gave the 10/22 1d+2 pi- when I statted it.

M193 is 55gr, lead core, copper jacket and it was designed for the 1:12 rifling of the M16/M16A1. M196 is the tracer equivalent.

M855 is 62gr, lead and steel core, copper jacket and is used in the 1:7 rifling of the M16A2/A3/A4 and M4/M4A1. M856 is the tracer.

Luckily, most civilian ARs have 5.56 chambers and are 1:9 rifled. 1:9 is perfectly fine for both M193 and M855. It's no good for the M856 in cold weather. 1:9 is what the FN was going to use for the NATO ammo (which M855 is a version of) until issues developing a tracer round surfaced in arctic testing.

For my Twilight 2000 conversion I created a house rule for dealing with the wrong cartridges in the wrong twist.

If the gun has 1:12 rifling then it fires M193/M196 normally. M855/M856 is 1/4 ranges and -4 Acc because the round is not stabilized.

If the gun has 1:9 or 1:10 rifling then it fires M193/M196/M855 normally, but would have to be rezeroed if you changed from M193/M196 to M855 and vice versa. If you didn't zero, -1 to Acc. M856 is normal unless it's colder than 10˚ F; then it's 1/4 ranges and -4 Acc.

If the weapon has 1:7 rifling then M193/M196 are at Acc -1 all other ammo shoots normally.

Over detailed, yes. The players seemed to like it though.

Sounds good to me! Realistic and gameable. Keeps the players from just cruising through the adventure in no time.