Been bouncing around the Metal Storm web site, and considering the technology and how it is progressing. Given another 60 years of work, how do you see Metal Storm operating in 207X?

I looked at electronic firing, but that still requires the use of a standard clip. The closest thing I could think of doing is making my own gun, as such:

Heavy Pistol
Metal Storm: D: 5P, AP: -1/-2, Mode: SA/BF, RC: 3, AMMO: 24©, Cost: 2400

This heavy pistol has electronic firing and four barrels. Each barrel is 'lined' with six bullets, and with a smartgun link, the user can decide which barrel to fire. When fired in SA mode, the weapon has an AP of -1, and in Burst Fire mode has an AP of -2. Reloading requires either using a special tool which loads one entire barrel at once, or removing the barrel and attaching a fresh one. Reloading is a Complex Action.

Thoughts? What would you do differently? The ultimate goal is to give at least a reasonably accurate stat line for the Metal Storm weapons.

http://www.metalstorm.com/content/view/66/110/

There is already a gun which is normally seen as a metal storm gun, I think its called Fabuki or something very similar its in 4ths bbb from what I remember

Hmm. Interesting that it doesn't have an AP at all, considering that's one of the advantages of such a weapon. They've also been pushing the 'barrel select' in the most recent technologies. I guess that works for a light pistol, but I'm looking at heavier weapons. Strange that they didn't give it any recoil compensation, since you normally can expect to empty the whole clip before the recoil hits.

Umm....
It can fire a short narrow burst with only SA recoil.

And I was supriced that Arsenal didn't have more metal storm weapons, as Fubuki is descripted as a flagship of a new line of weapons.

Technically speaking, the GM should assign the Electronic Firing modification to the gun which provides a RC comp of 1. Then there is the fact that it take SA penalties to Burst fire.

You know, I have seen all the bits and pieces about the technology, and I don't think it's really all that effective as a sidearm/longarm. Most of the cases where I have seen it to be most useful are in things like point-defense or area-denial munitions deployment. Now, some of the Electronic Firing related benefits are very nice, but if you're relying on a wireless relay to any given round to initiate firing, it's going to be succeptible to jamming or hacking in theory, and that can be what some of us like to call a "Bad Thing". If your first couple or three good shots into the slag don't geek him, you need to be considering a bigger gun, not more bullets IMHO.

Oh, and as to recoil, the one burst would have no recoil effect, but the second would be a beast. Reportedly, the demonstration models kick around an AWFUL lot between successive salvoes.

I have seen it in handgun mode, and having it empty the entire clip before you even notice the recoil I think is a good thing. Especially when the cluster of shots is tight -- weakening the target's armour by sheer volley.

And finally, put this technology 60 years forward. (look back to the 1930s, and compare guns to what we've got now. Now go back to the 1870s...) I'm pretty certain that Metal Storm's technology will be pretty damn advanced in 2070.

Just how much more advanced do you want it to be? One of the fundamental strengths of the weapon system is that the barrel can be extremely simple, the bullets themselves are the advanced part. So, yes: you can empty any single barrel (or group of barrels) before felt recoil gets to the shooter. But using it at less than that level is more problematical because you don't have EITHER mass OR recoil hardware to absorb the energy. Follow-up shots are going to be an issue. And if any of the "reactive fiber" materials play out, the rapid sequence of impacts isn't going to be quite as effective as you might suspect. The deviation inherent in human respiration can result in the follow-on rounds failing to strike precisely on top of the other rounds. And it's not quite as simple to reload as a modern clip, considering that you have to PRECISELY slide the stack down the length of the barrel, as opposed to more-or-less fumbling the clip into place. It may not SEEM like a big deal, but being able to reload your "one nasty shot" is going to prove difficult in combat, and if you missed (if your aim was poor, all those close-spaced rounds are going off into the same empty air) the target isn't going to be pleased with you. Think of it like a double-loaded musket firing against a guy with a .45 Peacemaker. He can reload a heck of a lot easier than you, and his ability to follow-up on any single shot is a lot better too. The BIGGEST strength of Metal Storm would probably be the ability to us guided rounds (they can have a lower initial impulse on firing, like a Gyrojet), but that's not what we're talking about here.

Funny... The M60 GPMG is almost the same weapon it was in Vietnam (though I wish we could go back to the much heaveier barrels of that era), The basic Colt Model 1911 has not really changed all that much in almost a hundred years, and
My Winchester 1894 is still basically the same gun as it was over a hundred years ago...

There have been some very minor advances, but not so many that they are different weapons in form or functionality...
Material is slightly better, Cartridges are more sturdy, and powder loads/bullet design have come much further than the firearms design themselves...

My 2

While Metal Storm had its 15 minutes in the limelight, the company's barely functional and its products aren't seeing widespread adoption. Potential users don't seem too impressed with it.

But really now, what is the potential, and practical, use of a weapon system that uses so much ammunition in such a manner as to be practically uncontrollable when we can utilize a weapon system that is relatively pin-point accurate and highly devastating for a fraction of the cost?

I admit that some of their area denial systems were intersting, and would possibly revolutionize this particular arena of combat, but, really now, a comparably functional system could be prodsuced with similar results and far less expenditure in consummables... at least in my opinion

But hey, htey are inddeed Impressive...

We clearly aren't talking about the same weapons. Metal Storm weapons are extremely accurate, and certainly not "practically uncontrollable". The problem, presumably, is in the cost of the ammunition and the fact that the ammo is handled in a way completely unique to MS weapons -- thus requiring exclusive contracts and specific training (and re-training) of personnel.

Yeah... I can see it now... muzzle loaders re-introduced to the forces. Just so it can be a metalstorm.

Sorry, I don't buy it Zurai. You're spouting marketing hype the system itself hasn't lived up to.

Of the metalstorms... they only ones which seemed reasonably interesting, were the ones which worked into smart firing platform type area denial systems. (basically the light mortars and grenade launchers w/ multiple preloaded rounds in a block of tubes).


And inherently the weapon would get no benefit to AP. It's a narrow burst... pure and simple... game already has rules to handle that. It also has hypervelocity systems for non-fabuki guns as well for high rates of fire. The reason the fabuki is 4P is simply because all light pistols are 4P generally.

IMO the metal storm system coupled with standard ammunition, or even better airburst HE grenades would make an awesome replacement for the Phalanx system on Warships today.

I think that in a land scenario, the machine gun aspect is worthless due to the logistical and reload nightmares. However, it could make for a light, albeit 1-3 shot replacement for a mortar company. Meaning that it would be fantastic for mounting on the back of a Humvee, popping open the trunk, letting a volley fly, then depart the area. If spotters are used, this lightly armored vehicle need not even be exposed to LOS contact. Or, it could be carried by a crew the size of a fire-team wh obring it into position for a sudden burst of firepower before an assault. That would be great in areas where either you lacked the logistics for ground batteries, or lacked air superiority for bombing. Come to think of it, airburst grenade option with frag grenades would be fantastic for shredding paratroopers.

All I'm saying is that it is either a great anti missile system, or a great, fire-team portable, short term replacement for artillery support.

They have breechloader versions now, where the stack of bullets is in a cartridge that looks a lot like a normal round only really long. The grenade launcher breechloader version I saw took about 4 seconds to reload a tube, plus about 2 more seconds per additional tube (the breech opens for all the tubes at the same time). And this was with 5 40mm grenade rounds in the tube.

Didn't...didn't I start a thread like this?