Damage From Small Arms

 

Add-On Bipods

·         Many rifles have designed for them simple “scissors bipods” which may be squeezed in scissors-fashion, then placed on the barrel of a rifle and used to support the rifle and let go, giving it an ad hoc form of bipod-type extended range.  (The scissors bipod available for the M-16 series, designed primarily to allow the M-16 to be used as a faux automatic rifle before the M-249 was available, is the example which comes to mind immediately.) Such a bipod adds 0.2 kg to the weight of the rifle and costs $20.  It adds 15% to the range of the rifle when used and halves recoil (rounded up) when the weapon is fired from the bipod.  Whether or not such a bipod can be attached depends upon the diameter of the rifle barrel (most such bipods are designed specifically for a certain rifle, or at least for a rifle with the same barrel diameter), and the exposed length of the barrel (this is not easy to determine quickly without the GM researching the weapon, but in general bullpup carbines, weapons with unusually-long handguards in relation to their barrel lengths, and submachineguns cannot use scissors bipods).  An unfortunate side-effect of a scissors bipod is that they fit very loosely, and therefore rattle around loudly when the shooter moves.

·         Other rifles, particularly those with under-handguard MIL-STD-1913 rails or specific attachments, can mount actual bipods. Adding one to a rifle with the appropriate attachment interfaces on both the weapon and the bipod is an Easy: Small Arms task or an Average: INT or EDU task. Characters with Gunsmith skill must only roll a d20, with only a 1 indicating a failure to properly mount the bipod; if they fail, another d20 is rolled, and a 1 indicates that they damaged the weapon or bipod interface (GMs choice) and the interface must be repaired before further attempts can be made.  Attaching a proper bipod increase the range of the weapon by 30% and reduced recoil by half (rounded up) when firing from the bipod.  No tools are typically required beyond a screwdriver or tool of the appropriate size.

·         Some real bipods are designed to be attached to sling swivel attachment point; for this to occur, the sling swivel itself must be removed, and the bipod attached to the swivel attachment point.  Removing the swivel takes no skill; attaching the bipod is done at the same chance of success as above as attachment to hard mount as above.  Such a bipod increases range when fired from the bipod by 25%, and cuts recoil in half (rounded up). Normally, only a screwdriver or other tool of the appropriate size is required, though sometimes the procedure is more involved.  The mount is not as stable as a hard mount as above, and the bipod will probably rattle a bit when the shooter is moving.

·         A regular bipod can be added to many rifles which do not have such rail or mount interfaces or sling swivels; this almost always requires a weapon which has a solid fore-end (whether wood or synthetic). This essentially required “drilling and tapping” of a sort, making attachment holes to screw the bipod attachment points into.  Normally, this requires the services of a Gunsmith with appropriate tools and is an Average skill for him, though a person with Small Arms skill may try it, with a Formidable level of difficulty.  This sort of attachment is normally solid, though if the person who attached the bipod rolls within one of the number below that needed for success, the attachment is a little sub-par and the bipod tends to loosen gradually (frequency and amount of loosening will be the GM’s call, but should be judged partially on the skill level of the person who mounted it and partially on the amount of abuse the weapon is put under).

 

Personnel Movement and Combat

 

Weapon

Crawl

Walk (1/3 Move)

Trot (2/3 Move)

Run (Full Move)

Automatic Pistol

Formidable

Difficult

Difficult

Formidable

Revolver

Formidable

Difficult

Difficult

Formidable

Special Purpose Handgun

Formidable

Difficult

Difficult

Formidable

Submachinegun

Formidable

Difficult

Difficult

Formidable

Assault Rifle

Formidable

Difficult

Formidable

Impossible

Battle Rifle

Impossible

Difficult

Formidable

Impossible

Lever-Action Rifle

Impossible

Difficult

Formidable

Impossible

Sniper Rifle

Impossible

Difficult

Impossible

Impossible

Sporting Rifle

Impossible

Difficult

Impossible

Impossible

Automatic Rifle

Impossible

Difficult

Impossible

Impossible

Machinegun

Impossible

Formidable

Impossible

Very Impossible

Grenade Launcher

Impossible

Formidable

Impossible

Very Impossible

Light Rocket Launcher (<5 kg)

Impossible

Formidable

Impossible

Very Impossible

Medium Rocket Launcher (5-8 kg)

Impossible

Impossible

Very Impossible

Very Impossible

 

Vehicle Movement and Combat

Stabilization

1/4 Move

1/2 Move

3/4 Move

Full Move

None

Formidable

Formidable

Impossible

Very Impossible

Basic

Difficult

Formidable

Impossible

Very Impossible

Fair

Difficult

Difficult

Formidable

Impossible

Good

Difficult

Difficult

Difficult

Formidable

 

 

Converting Weapons to Automatic Fire

 

Computerized Weapon Sights and Sniper Team Spotters

·         Some weapons are listed as specifically able to mount special computerized weapon sights; others are capable of mounting them, particularly if they use MIL-STD-1913 rails or special rails for such a purpose.  Some can also be mounted on standard sight rails, though this is rare.  (These weapons are normally rifles or grenade launchers.) These sights add 20 meters to the short range of the weapon so equipped, and give the shooter a +2 to hit in standard shots.  For aimed shots, they decrease the difficulty of the first three semiautomatic shots, or the first automatic burst, by one level, and give him a +2 bonus to hit. Computerized sights cannot be used while a shooter is moving.  These computerized sights’ weights vary, but for game purposes, add 4 kg for an early-1990s computerized sight, 2.7 kg for a late-1990s to early 2000s sight, and 1.3 kg for a mid-to-late-200s sight.  A computerized sight costs $2000.

·         In recent years, sniper ballistic computers have become more common, though Barrett came up with the first one in the mid-1990s, and DARPA was experimenting with them in the early-1990s.  These computers take information about range, wind speed, and take into account whether the shooter is firing down or upslope, as well as several other factors.  They essentially help the shooter of a sniper rifle put the “dope on the scope.”  Some of these computers are mounted directly on the sight, and as such, cannot be used by the spotter during firing. These computers make a shot one level less difficult, and give the shooter a +1 bonus (+2 if the sniper has a spotter with him).  If the sniper is alone, he may use the ballistic computer for the first five shots fired consecutively at short and medium range and the first three shots fired consecutively before he must recalculate; this requires six phases (30 seconds).  If he has a spotter with him, he may use the ballistic computer’s information for the first five shots fired consecutively, and then the spotter must recalculate the information, which may be done at the same time the shooter is firing at long and extreme range and takes two phases (10 seconds, as he is working while the sniper is shooting).  The first calculation for shooting takes 6 phases (30 seconds). Modifications may be made by the GM for weather, wind, and target conditions. The ballistic computer cannot be used while the sniper or sniper team is moving.  An early-1990s ballistic computer weighs 1.2 kg; a mid-1990s to early 2000s ballistic computer weighs 0.7 kg, and a mid-to late-2000s version weighs 0.4 kg.  A ballistic computer costs $2000.

·         A sniper team normally consists of a shooter and a spotter (who take turns looking through the sight and the spotter’s telescope).  The shooter actively looks through the weapon’s sight and does the shooting at targets.  The spotter uses a special high-power telescope to give the shooter valuable information about his hits and misses, how far off the mark he is or whether he is right on the money, and information about weather conditions and wind where his target is.  He also gives the shooter tips on shooting in general.  Use of a spotter gives the sniper member a +2 to hit on his first two shots and a +1 on follow-up shots, per target if shots are made consecutively at the same target.  Information flow between a good sniper/spotter team is continuous, and no time in game terms is required for the sniper to receive information about the target from the spotter and improve his chances of hitting.  The spotter does, however, require one phase (5 seconds) to set up and the same time as an aimed shot to get the first information about the target to relay to the sniper.  A spotter scope weighs 1.1 kg and costs $200.

 

Short-Barreled Pistols Made From Rifles, Arm Braces, and Stocks

·         The current rage about the pistols made by removing the stock and shortening the barrel and sometimes removing the sights and muzzle device from an otherwise standard rifle (usually a civilian version of an assault rifle) is ringing through law enforcement and even the halls of Congress and the Senate of the US.  These “Pistol/Rifles” usually come with an arm brace that the shooter straps onto his arm to steady his grip when he fires.  He straps in and then points his weapon at the target, usually steadying his weapon further with his nonfiring hand.

·         That’s what supposed to happen.  However, lots of shooters of Pistol/Rifles have found that one can use the arm brace as an ad hoc (but somewhat uncomfortable) stock.  Now, in the US, this is patently illegal, but its done. And to an extent, it works.  When I stat a Pistol/Rifle, that’s what I’m thinking of.  It you want your character to stay legal and use the arm brace properly, multiply the range figure of your weapon by 0.8.

·         In many cases, the connection of an arm brace to a Pistol/Rifle is just as good to connect a stock.  Connecting an actual stock is also patently illegal in the US, unless you want to pay $200 to the ATF and hire someone to help you do the mountains of paperwork necessary to legally own a short-barreled rifle, or is you’re somewhat of a masochist and choose to do the paperwork yourself. (I have a neighbor who legally owns a short-barreled rifle (his is based on a US-made AK) and he told me that the weapon is fun, but the paperwork was a nightmare.)  If your character has such a short-barreled rifle, multiply the range by 1.2, if I have already done so on the stat table for your character’s weapon.  Attaching a stock to a Pistol/Rifle is an Easy: Gunsmith or average: Small Arms (Rifle) task.  Of course, not all stocks can simply be fitted to all Rifle/Pistols; attaching a stock that is not designed for quick mounting to a particular weapon is a Difficult: Gunsmith or Impossible: Small Arms (Rifle) task.

·         Just to make it more interesting, special ops units of several countries use such short-barreled rifles, and even make limited use of properly used arm braces (such a weapon is useful in CQB).  And what’s more, their Pistol/Rifles are often modified for automatic fire.  On the stat tables, I have statted a figure for automatic fire, sometimes with a stock or arm brace.  Apparently, special ops units are finding that Pistol/Rifles or short-barreled rifles, often modified for automatic fire, are quite useful in CQB.  Not all such weapons are used by the military, but I have found that some are (sometimes it is a mere rumor or a blurb in an article or picture description).