Transhuman Space Firearms more in line with High-Tech

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Suggestions for weapons

• An entry-length shotgun (12"-15" barrel) with good TL8+ folding stock for Batenga (he can't shoot, but it looks scary, also load with LTL munitions to minimise risks of lethal escalation).
• Machine pistol for Copley, a cheap TL10 minifacced version of a Tec-9 (which we dub a Fac-9).
• Something no more than Bulk -3, but scary, for Baraka Muumba, our resident server tech chromebanger.

Forumites, please comment and suggest at will.

Essaying some attempts, noting that I'm guessing at how much one or two TLs of advances in manufacturing, cheaper metals and cheaper composites should bring down the base Cost.*

Mbogo ('Buffalo')
Entry Shotgun, 18.5x70mmPC
Dmg: 1d+1 pi;
Acc: 3;
Range: 40/800;
Weight: 8/0.55;
RoF: 2x12;
Shots: 5+1(2i);
ST: 11†;
Bulk: -4*;
Rcl: 1/6;
LC: 3;
Cost: $100/$2.5;

Mbogo or 'Buffalo' in Swahili is the local name for a common minifac-made model of pump-action shotgun in Dar es Salaam. The specific configuration that is currently most popular with discerning thugs has a 14" entry barrel, pistol grip and a substantial polymer folding stock. Compared to other firearms in the world of Transhuman Space, it is overweight, underpowered and simplistic. Unlike other TL10 firearms, it has Malf. Crit and not Very Reliable. It comes without any smartgun electronics, HUD link or diagnostics computer, although such accessories may be added to it for $250.

The casing on the 18.5mmPC shell is slightly lighter than on typical TL7-8 12g shotgun shells, but the ballistic performance is much the same as late TL8 shells (CPS $0.5; WPS 0.1), whether using old-fashioned smokeless powder or refined bioexplosives designed to emulate its performance.

FAC-9
Machine Pistol, 9x19mm
Dmg: 2d+2 pi;
Acc: 2;
Range: 160/1,800;
Weight: 5.5/1.5;
RoF: 15;
Shots: 36(3);
ST: 10;
Bulk: -3;
Rcl: 2;
LC: 2;
Cost: $80/$8.6;

This boxy, simple, all-metal machine pistol can be minifacced by even the least capable metallic 3D printers and the metal-cased 9mm ammunition (WPS 0.026; CPS $0.1) can be filled with refined bioexplosives instead of TL6-8 smokeless powder for functionally identical performance. As a consequence, it is extremely popular with early Third Wave criminals in high CR areas.

The weapon comes without any smartgun electronics and is merely Malf. Crit, instead of the more common Very Reliable for TL10 firearms.

Pretoria Defence Ubhejane Mk II
Magnum Pistol, 15mmCLP
Dmg: 4d+1 pi++;
Acc: 2;
Range: 235/2,600;
Weight: 5/1;
RoF: 3;
Shots: 9+1(3);
ST: 12;
Bulk: -3;
Rcl: 3;
LC: 3;
Cost: $1,500/$20.8;

Pretoria Defence, a South Africa smallarms company, made several varieties of these large magnum pistols from 2058-2076. The company went out of business in 2076 and the rights were acquired by the transnational Bhavishy Inc. in 2077. The design was licensed to several manufacturers to satisfy local demand and in 2080, it appeared on several of the TSA webs. Since then, functionally identical pistols have been manufactured, legally or otherwise, in Russia, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Mexico and the United States, under various trade names. --- Do forumites have ideas for the names of companies that might have made them or some of the trade names they'd have been sold under in various parts of the world? Issues with the nationality of the licensed companies, anything to add or subtract? ---

The Ubhejane ('Rhino' in Xhosa) Mk II model outsold the other two popular ones in 15mmCLP by a considerable margin. It incorporates typical smartgun electronics, a HUD link and an effective recoil-managment system. The Mk I models are lighter and without the recoil-managment system, they are Rcl 4; Cost $1,000; Weight 4 lbs. The Mk III comes with a Smartgrip (UT p. 152) installed (ST 11; Cost $2,000).

*I list Cost for a hypothetical version of the weapon made where it's legal and sold commercially. Note that this will rarely be the case and the Cost is adjusted for LC when buying the weapon on the black market. In our case, it will be at least doubled.