CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

What CR would you place on the U.S. in 1921? I feel that I have to exercise some gun control or all my horror investigators will be equipped with submachineguns. Which is not the tone I'm going for. :)

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

Well, I think open carry was banned in some of the southern states, such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

This site has some information.


Generally, though, I don't think there were any limits as to what people could own. Most of the limits you would find would be on things like knives, swords, and brass knuckles. And for what could be carried in public. Those all vary by state. There wasn't a lot of federal involvement back then.


Edit to add: I would be more concerned about rifles than machine guns. If they're willing to get close enough to use those, they're stepping into danger's reach. Also note that such weapons are still going to be incredibly easy to acquire in the thirties. They just won't be legal.

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

Then you better set your game during the Depression. They were legal in the 20s.

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1 covers firearms laws and CR of the era in some detail. For even more detail (but no GURPS-specific rules), you might want to check Investigator Weapons 1.

Cheers

HANS

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

You could set things up so that if they carry the weapons they get pegged as criminals. Letting the guns be seen will certainly put police suspicion on you. During that time the submachine gun was the weapon of organized crime. The characters might want to be believable and friendly to the local authorities when it comes time to explain things.

Also, are they proffessionals, or do they just happen across strange things? If they are proffessionals, they really ought to have the weapons, or have access to somebody else's back up. If they just happen across strange things, make them explain why have a criminal's signature weapon and tell them if its out of character. If they all are playing gangsters who would actually have the weapon, it says something about the game they want to play as opposed to the game you want to.

(yes I am aware the player who loves using minions and the authorities usually ends up being the GM. drives me nuts)

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

There is a short writeup in Pulp Guns 1. Basically, outside of a few big cities respectable whites could buy whatever smallarms they could afford and find a supplier for.

Let me give my sympathies in advance if you have to google a topic related to American firearms laws.

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

Pretty low. Your adventurers carrying around Tommy guns would be pretty much period-appropriate. Why not just set up your horror game on the assumption that everyone is using tommy guns?

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

Let me second this suggestion. The Depression also makes for a better backdrop for horror IMO than the 20s.

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

I forsee lots of monsters with Diffuse, Unkillable (Achilles Heal: NOT GUNS), and DR 70 (Piercing Only). :)

Re: CR for the U.S. ca 1921
 

Also note that Tommy guns are very expensive and, as someone mentioned, only white folks can reasonably carry them. So you can set the game in a poor area with non-whites as the characters with nary a Thompson in sight. Also, those would have to be special orders. Freight moves slowly back them. Set the game in Alaska or somewhere else remote and see how long it takes for them to arrive.

You could also try setting the game somewhere other than the US. Canada perhaps? Or Mexico? There were some places in South America at the time that might work as well. Or Hong Kong. That's a nice setting. Lots of English speakers. India maybe? Lots of British colonies left in the 20s. How about the Philippines? They're under American rule at the time. Puerto Rico was also a US territory at the time, and they've always had stricter gun control I think.