Energy Weapons VS Ballistic Weapons

[hobgoblin]

oh frag, i should have expected that one...

ok, so you have rubber bullets for the here and now (and similar, like those nice hollow points).
there is allso the desert eagle that can take 3-4 diffrent calibers (alltho that means your replacing everything but the frame).

there is allso systems like the steyr aug (or something like that) but thats more about variable gun types (smg/carbine, rifle, lmg) then variable ammo.

only way i can think of a workable variable ammo system is by using nano-tech, in the t-1000 kind of way. need to stun rather then kill? have it set to splatter like gel or water upon impact. armored target, or cover penetration? have it be as solid as tungsten or depleted uranium. need to do a lot of damage NOW? hollowpoint style, have them fragment x amount of time after impact. maybe they can even go buzztastic if they have the power left (basicly start cutting meat like some hyperactive flesheating bacteria on a sugar high). with a bit of luck one shot should liquify the body...

so the best bet is again my replicator gun, that way one can have it generate any kind of ammo the user can dream up and the internal computer can be programed to recreate. may need a hell of a power source tho

 

[Skrit]

oh frag, i should have expected that one...

ok, so you have rubber bullets for the here and now (and similar, like those nice hollow points).
there is allso the desert eagle that can take 3-4 diffrent calibers (alltho that means your replacing everything but the frame).

there is allso systems like the steyr aug (or something like that) but thats more about variable gun types (smg/carbine, rifle, lmg) then variable ammo.

only way i can think of a workable variable ammo system is by using nano-tech, in the t-1000 kind of way. need to stun rather then kill? have it set to splatter like gel or water upon impact. armored target, or cover penetration? have it be as solid as tungsten or depleted uranium. need to do a lot of damage NOW? hollowpoint style, have them fragment x amount of time after impact. maybe they can even go buzztastic if they have the power left (basicly start cutting meat like some hyperactive flesheating bacteria on a sugar high). with a bit of luck one shot should liquify the body...

so the best bet is again my replicator gun, that way one can have it generate any kind of ammo the user can dream up and the internal computer can be programed to recreate. may need a hell of a power source tho

Judge Dredd's gun does exactly that doesn't it.. Still that's some pretty far out science. Still for versitility energy weapons win if you have star trek guns. Best you could easily do with slug throwing weapons is to use all the same calibur and make you guns all fit the same magazine. Which is what the US does with the m16 and the M249. Even though the 249 use boxed ammo it can swap that out and load an M16 clip.

 

[hobgoblin]

that judge dredd gun have never been properly explained.
one version i have heard about used multiple ammos.

basicly the judge gun is so far out in the area of "it works because we say so" that i dont think its a fair item to bring onto the table. judge dredd isnt hard sci-fi, at best its a variation on cyberpunk.

 

[Roudi]

Actually, the Variable Ammunition gadget works by having two or more different sources of ammunition (like two different box magazines), with a fire selector to switch which ammo source the weapon draws from. It's not that far out.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Yeah, when I was looking through the weapon gadgets in future I was thinking that some of 'em were there specifically so you could make the Lawgivers

 

[Andur]

Just to throw it out there, there is basically no "wearable" armour which will stop a .223" round (5.56mm). The Kevlar III will stop any handround including the famed .44 Magnum, shotgun slugs, and shrapnel of most sorts, but will not stop any rifle round. (Unless it is extremely cold loaded and well underweight).

Best place to be when someone gets hit by a rifle round is on the shooter's end.

 

[Jonas Grumby]

Nevermind...

 

[Falkus]

Just to throw it out there, there is basically no "wearable" armour which will stop a .223" round (5.56mm). The Kevlar III will stop any handround including the famed .44 Magnum, shotgun slugs, and shrapnel of most sorts, but will not stop any rifle round. (Unless it is extremely cold loaded and well underweight).

Aren't US Army Interceptor Armor protective inserts supposed to be able to stop up to three 7.62mm rounds?

 

[Krieg]

Just to throw it out there, there is basically no "wearable" armour which will stop a .223" round (5.56mm). The Kevlar III will stop any handround including the famed .44 Magnum, shotgun slugs, and shrapnel of most sorts, but will not stop any rifle round. (Unless it is extremely cold loaded and well underweight).

NIJ IIIa is rated against a 240 gr .44 at 1400fps

NIJ III is rated against 150gr 7.62x51 at 2750fps and lesser threats including 5.56 FMJ

Not to mention that there is one individual in this thread who can credit his life to a ballistic vest that stopped a round from a rifle (most likely 7.62x39).

Actually, given that the most prevalent form of conflict for the US today is asymetrical warfar, the answer is that no, most forces US soldiers will engage will not be wearing body armor.

Standard WarPact chest mounted AK-47 magazine pouches are surprisingly effective at stopping standard 5.56 M855 ball ammo.

 

[Skrit]

Well I only talked about judge dredds gun as an example for a gun that fired multi type rounds. I did say in my post that it was way out there science..

Anyway back to the original topic about Energy and Ballistic weapons.. I was wondering if you developed an energy weapon such as a laser what would be it's range? Would it some how self end, because if not you technically be able to shoot at any distance and it would not stop.