Classic Traveller Weapons: Gauss Weapons

My Auzhan Sector setting uses LBB 1-3 almost exclusively, with a few elements from later materials.

Gauss Weapons (version 2): The Book 4 gauss rifle is essentially an automatic rifle using different means to propel its projectile down range.

 

    The Book 4 gauss rifle is 750mm long and bullpup configuration, which according my post on Bullpup configuration means that a gauss rifle in standard configuration would be 1000mm in length, the same as the Book 1 rifle and automatic rifle.

 

    In most cases gauss weapons fire small needle like projectiles at approximately 1500 metres per second. Because gauss weapons do not need to contain the explosive force of chemical propellants, they can be constructed of relatively light weight materials, much like lasers. Unlike lasers, gauss weapons do not need to lug around a large power pack. Although a spare battery or two would come in handy sometimes. Much of the weight of a gauss weapon is in the electronics. A gauss weapon commonly has a base weight 30% less than a standard weapon of the same type,(see the difference between Automatic rifle and Gauss rifle base weights) they use a magazine that weighs 20% less, but holds twice the number of rounds than the conventional magazine does, (again see the difference between automatic rifle magazines and gauss rifle magazines).

 

    The high muzzle velocity means that the projectile strikes the target with greater ballistic energy, causing more damage than conventional projectiles.

Compared to the automatic rifle, the gauss rifle is not quite as awkward at close and short ranges, and is more accurate at medium, long and very long range. With that in mind, apply the following mods to those of the standard weapon that your gauss weapon is modelled on.

 

                    Range Matrix

        Close    Short    Med    Long    Vlong    Wounds

            -             -         +2      +3         +3         +1D

 

                        Weapons Matrix

        None    Jack    Mesh    Cloth    Reflec    Ablat    Cbt Armour

            +1     +1         +2      +4         +2          +3          +3

 

    After adding these mods we've got ourselves a semi-automatic gauss pistol, carbine and/or rifle. Gauss pistols, carbines, and rifles can be made selective fire by applying the selective fire mods in my previous post on selective fire weapons; the added weight of selective fire weapon is assumed to be in the cooling system for the coils, rather than a heavier barrel. The submachinegun is already an automatic weapon and need no further modification.

     Optional Rule: In order for a gauss weapon to fire on full auto, the power used must be reduced, this lowers the muzzle velocity and consequently the damage (use standard damage dice).

The carbine, rifle, and SMG can also be converted to bullpup configuration by applying the mods in my previous post on bullpup configuration.