Post-apocalyptic TL 5/8

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I don't really won't some weird steampunk schizo-tech. What I want is a post-apocalyptic horror/western. The goal is a rationale for weapons and technology that wouldn't be totally out of place in the late 19th century.

Limit production to black powder and you're pretty much limited to manual actions (revolver, lever, pump, bolt).. You won't get the velocity normally associated with bolt-action rifle either.

Maxim guns did predate smokeless powder but they jammed due to black powder fouling. This would do in gas-actions too. A recoil-operated autoloader _might_ be possible if designed from scratch but would probably jam just like the Maxims.

Electric motors are fairly likely as relic-tech and you could have black powder chain and miniguns but even hand-cranked Gatlings usually needed to be sited in a crosswind situation to keep from blinding the crew with powder smoke.

An AK-47 (or any other recoil-operated weapon native to the smokeless powder era) is very unlikely to cycle properly if you replace smokeless with black powder. They would become mostly minor caliber cartridges with black powder even if it did work. No black powder rifles below .450 are likely for serious combat. In the notes fro the Winchester on p.110 there are stats for a 32-20 Win but it only did 2D+1 P even from a rifle barrel. Carrying that much gun for that little effect isn't a good bargain.