MetalStorm weapons get around the varying muzzle velocity exactly like that, the first rounds having more and/or a different kind of (faster burning) propellant, and also by having much less of the total barrel length being covered by the bullets and propellant. (In case you didn't notice, the muzzle velocity thing and the ways the solve it was one issue I was using all the way through to show how stupid loading this thing with regular ammunition would be.)

Nope. Seems the only real gaming shop around here still hasn't got it.

Heh.

I didn't recall it offhand, no. It had always seemed kinda absurd that you'd be field loading it with normal rounds. Especially with the muzzle load tube denotation for the ammo. So i didn't focus that much on those parts.

But i was just thinking with a shorter barrel the difference between the first and last would be a lot higher than the usual. If they only have an effective Saturday Night Special length, or less, for the first round compared to something like 8" last? *shrug* Though maybe not, i don't know enough specific technicals on that.

BTW i was thinking too more about how the ammo would work. Is is possible the slug is a bit smaller caliber, thus allowing a shorter slug without tumbling straight off. The larger outside diameter of the barrel allows for slim, though possibly a bit deeper, side pockets of propellant tangent to the barrel to increase propellent per barrel length? They'd of course have to be slim enough opennings that you wouldn't have blow-by for the slugs following, although they'd still bleed off some power unless they were shuttered chambers (messing up the no-moving-parts design aspect).

Mass-produced and only being good for one load, this wouldn't be that far off, given stuff like plasteel.

Sure you could use a bit softer material for the barrel because you don't need to worry about washout/wear so much. But a bit of durability would allow reuse so spent barrels could be returned for a refund, which is an ok marketing plan for the legitimate customers like Lone Star, corp guards, etc.

Also a precision milled barrel vs. a clip? You'll still need the low tolerance dimensions, and to keep that across the operating temperature range. Even the mass produced part isn't as true as for other weapons because this isn't run of the mill ammo tech and it is a new, proprietary weapon system.

I wasn't thinking hundreds of , but maybe triple cost of a normal ammo with a 1/3 refund on barrels (which 'runners would never take advantage of except to lower costs of reloading their own). Nothing that i guess you can't gloss over i suppose, but still.

Ironically, the clip has more moving parts.

Given the average tolerance of the 70's normal production systems (SR4 nearly is diamond age), there is no real need to worry about mechanical precision - all the miniaturized electronics are much more delicate.