Musler Pump-Action Riot Gun

Notes: This is a conventional medium-barreled shotgun that accepts all sorts of military, police, and civilian shotgun rounds. In addition, it is issued with an adapter that allows it to fire smoke grenades or irritant gas grenades. The stock is composite, while all other parts except the barrel are of light alloy. The stock has a sleeve that allows the user to carry five extra shotgun rounds.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist outside of South Africa.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Musler

12 Gauge 2 3/4"

3.1 kg

6 Tubular

$819

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Musler

PA

4/1d6x28 or 2d6x8

2-3-Nil/Nil or Nil

6

5

Nil

43

Neostead

Notes: The Neostead is perhaps the most unusual shotgun design in the world today. It is a semi-bullpup design; while most of the receiver and the mechanism are in the stock, while the magazines are in the front. There are apparently many police, military and government agencies worldwide (including the US) who are interested in the Neostead, though as usual for South African weapon companies, no one will tell who might be the Neostead’s potential customers.

The magazines are some of the most unusual aspects of the Neostead; the shotgun is fed by a pair of tubular magazines, mounted size-by-side above the barrel. The pump lever basically wraps around the bottom of the barrel, also acting as a handguard. A feed selector lever allows the shooter to choose which magazine the Neostead feeds from – the shooter may choose feed from the right, left, or from each magazine alternately (first shot feeds from the left, second from the right, third from the left, etc.). The magazines are reloaded by releasing them, then pulling them to the rear, which causes them to tip up for loading. On top of the magazines are a series of small slots; these allow the shooter to see how much ammunition is left in each magazine.

The Neostead operates by pump-action, but it operates in reverse of a normal pump-action shotgun. Sliding the lever forward ejects the spent shell (which eject downward), and the slide is pulled back to chamber a new round. When the slide is operated, the entire barrel moves; this is because the breech is fixed.

Virtually the entire shotgun is made from one-piece injection-molded polymer. The external surface of the shell is smooth, except on the pistol grip, part of the stock, and the ribbed pump lever. The barrel, breechblock, and receiver are steel (though the receiver is surrounded by polymer), and the magazine tubes and some other unstressed components are made from light alloy. The controls are all centrally-located, effectively making the Neostead ambidextrous. The sights consist of an adjustable ghost ring rear in a protected mount atop a carrying handle, and a blade front. The carrying handle is also capable of mounting a variety of optics and accessories. Internal safety mechanisms keep the Neostead from accidentally firing if dropped or bumped. The Neostead is said to be so well-balanced that accurate one-handed firing is possible, even though, as with most bullpup weapons, the barrel is quite long at 22.4 inches.

Early Neostead’s were tested with proprietary 2.5-inch shells. These proved to be unsatisfactory from a power standpoint, and some potential buyers wanted the ability to fire magnum ammunition, so the Neostead was redesigned, eliminating the 2.5-inch shell capability and strengthening the components to allow the use of 3-inch magnum ammunition.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Neostead

12 Gauge 2.75" and 3"

4.08 kg

7 Tubular (x2)

$873

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Neostead (2.75")

PA

4/1d6x28 or 2d6x8

2-3-Nil/Nil or Nil

5

4

Nil

43

Neostead (3")

PA

4/1d6x28 or 2d6x8

2-3-Nil/Nil or Nil

5

4

Nil

50

Techno-Arms MAG-7

Notes: This strange-looking shotgun is described as an assault shotgun; it appears to be a strange mix of submachinegun and pump-action shotgun. The MAG-7’s strangest feature is its feed; the magazine is located in the large pistol grip. The ergonomics of this are questionable; the grip is absolutely huge, even with the proprietary short ammunition. The pump slide can bite the hand that feeds it if one’s hands are large (and of course, you need large hands to wrap around the pistol grip…). The recoil can be brutal, especially in the short barreled, folding-stocked military model. Newer military models have a large flash suppressor/muzzle brake assembly, but older versions had only a simple flash suppressor. The stock of the military model is a wire-type upward-folding model, which can be completely detached if desired.

A civilian model, the MAG-7/M1, is also made; this weapon has a permanently-attached wooden stock, a much-longer barrel, and no sort of flash suppressor or muzzle brake.

The proprietary ammunition was initially very high-priced and difficult to obtain, but prices have fallen dramatically as production has increased.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

MAG-7 (Early)

12 Gauge 2 1/3"

3.9 kg

5

$702

MAG-7 (Current)

12 Gauge 2 1/3"

4 kg

5

$742

MAG-7/M1

12 Gauge 2 1/3"

4.38 kg

5

$700

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

MAG-7 (Early)

PA

4/1d6x20 or 2d6x4

2-Nil/Nil or 1-Nil

4/5

4

Nil

27

MAG-7 (Current)

PA

4/1d6x20 or 2d6x4

2-Nil/Nil or 1-Nil

4/5

3

Nil

27

MAG-7/M1

PA

4/1d6x24 or 2d6x4

2-3-Nil/Nil or 1-Nil

6

4

Nil

47