Stating custom firearms

[Kfireblade]

So, I have a TL 5 character who I think wants to use something a bit bigger then any of the TL 5 revolvers in high-tech, I think maybe a .50 out of a gun a bit bigger then the Colt .45. Getting it shouldn't be that big an issue I don't think, visit a good gunsmith and have him custom make the gun, but have no idea how I would then stat it out?

[elaxter]

For a .50 cal revolver I would just use the stats for the Ruger Super Redhawk (RSRh). Reduce the damage by 1 (so it's 5d-2 pi+) to reflect poorer quality propellant (unless this isn't an issue) and change the reload time to whatever seems appropriate. Range is that of the RSRh. RoF should match other TL5 revolvers. ST is definitely 12. Bulk is -3. Stats like weight, cost, max shots, etc. are up to you.

That should have you set.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by elaxter

For a .50 cal revolver I would just use the stats for the Ruger Super Redhawk (RSRh).et.

No. No black powder revolver will be loaded to even half the p.s.l. of the especially in the .454 Casull that's featured in HT.

The _extremely_ rare but not custom-made gun your PC wants is the .577 Trantor already mentioned. It has a write-up on p.13 of Adventure Gus and stats in the table on p.18.

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/adventureguns/

Hans research is impeccable and reading Adventure Guns beats the heck out of jsut making stuff up yourself.

[Kfireblade]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

No. No black powder revolver will be loaded to even half the p.s.l. of the especially in the .454 Casull that's featured in HT.

The _extremely_ rare but not custom-made gun your PC wants is the .577 Trantor already mentioned. It has a write-up on p.13 of Adventure Gus and stats in the table on p.18.

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/adventureguns/

Hans research is impeccable and reading Adventure Guns beats the heck out of jsut making stuff up yourself.

I don't think so, I just looked at it and its less powerful then the .45, I would imagine because of a combination of its shorter barrel length and the cartridge not being powerful enough to really send the bullet down range with enough power. The acc of 1 is also not great, means a VF version would still only be acc 3 instead of 4.

[Kfireblade]

Although, that's probably actually a great place to start still. If I work backwards I can use the barrel shortening rules from tactical shooting to lengthen instead, and then it would probably be within the realm of reason to get one also custom made with an extra chamber on the cylinder and designed for a longer and maybe like, 30%, more powerful cartridge. It would just be slightly bigger (well, significantly in terms of barrel length) and heavier.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Kfireblade

If I work backwards I can use the barrel lengthening rules from high-tech . . .

Got a page reference for that?

Originally Posted by Kfireblade

and then it would probably be within the realm of reason to get one also custom made with an extra chamber on the cylinder and designed for a longer and maybe like, 30%, more powerful cartridge.

Completely custom cartridges are expensive and take time to develop. A revolver in the .557 Snider cartridge that was used in Snider carbines (Adventure Guns, p. 25) would do about 3d (0.5) pi++ with a hollow-point bullet. I think that's the parent case for the .577 Boxer cartridge that the Tranter fires. This gun will be huge, expensive, and recoil like a startled mule, but if that's what you want . .

Originally Posted by Kfireblade

The acc of 1 is also not great, means a VF version would still only be acc 3 instead of 4.

Sadly, you can't make a Very Fine (Accurate) version of a gun unless its basic Acc is at least 4. See p. 79 in High-Tech.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Kfireblade

Adesigned for a longer and maybe like, 30%, more powerful cartridge. r.

Where are you going to buy custom cartridges from. The .577 is going to be bad enough but you can probably mail-order them from New York city.

An absolutely original cartridge will have to be made by the PC from the brass up and probably this involves non-portable gear like an annealling oven. Then after he's made all of them he needs he's going to have to carry as many as he needs with him all the time.

I wouldn't want a custom cartridge for any gun I shot regularly. At most I would want to invent a speedloader for a S&W #3.

Also, if you think that the Trantor is less powerful than a.45 Colt you may have misread the damages. The Trantor is 2D+2 P++ for 9 pts of penetration and 18 pts of wounding. The Colt is only 3D-2 P+ for 8.5 pts of penetration and 12 pts of wounding.

[FrackingBiscuit]

Originally Posted by Kfireblade

I don't think so, I just looked at it and its less powerful then the .45

Don't forget that the Trantor is huge piercing, not large piercing. Colt M1873 averages 12 damage, Trantor averages 18.

[Jinumon]

Originally Posted by elaxter

For a .50 cal revolver I would just use the stats for the Ruger Super Redhawk (RSRh). Reduce the damage by 1 (so it's 5d-2 pi+) to reflect poorer quality propellant (unless this isn't an issue) and change the reload time to whatever seems appropriate. Range is that of the RSRh. RoF should match other TL5 revolvers. ST is definitely 12. Bulk is -3. Stats like weight, cost, max shots, etc. are up to you.

That should have you set.

Yeah, as Fred Brackin said, the performance is gonna be a lot lower than that. The Improved Black Powder of late TL5 is only about 60% as powerful a propellant as the Smokeless Powder/Cordite we use today. Multiplying the RSRh's damage (5d-1 or 16.5 average damage) by 0.6 (3d-1 or about 10 average damage) will get you a lot closer to a realistic starting point, which is also nearly in line with some of the biggest handcannons of the period.

Honestly, I'd probably just take the Colt M1873 SAA and adjust each of its other stats according to the Square-Cube Law based on the proportional increase in bore diameter. That tends to provide half-decent numbers at least.

Jinumon

[Jinumon]

I got bored so I decided to do my own workup for it based on my own above suggestions. Use it or don't.

Custom Handcannon, .50 Custom Long
Damage 3d pi+
Acc 2
Range 130/1,400
Weight 3.8/0.34
RoF 3
ST 13
Bulk -3
Rcl 5
Cost $850 (if manufactured, likely x2-10 that if handmade)
LC 3

Keep in mind the would-be gunslinger is also going to need to be able to press his own ammo, as he's using custom ammunition.

Jinumon