29 October 2014
FWS News Feed: Terminator 5: Genisys...Oh Dear God.
28 October 2014
FWS Topics: Tales of the BLADE RUNNER Blaster!
A few months, FWS finally discussed, in massive depth, my favorite science fiction weapon: The Rep-Dect 2019 Blaster from 1982's masterwork Blade Runner. Prior to the article being written, an FWS reader from Israel, Yoel, asked me if he could write his own technical write-up on the PKD M2019, and I decided that would make for neat blogpost here on FWS: the tales of the Blade Runner Blaster. Here is three different tales centered around this firearm from 2019: "Pfläger Katsumata series D Revolver" is by Yoel, "The Pflager-Katsumata Detective" by Jeff Barr-David, and lastly, "Perimeter" by me. Enjoy!Pfläger Katsumata series D Revolver
by Yoel
Pfläger Katsumata series D revolver is the products of the Pfläger Katsumata Corp. Establish in 2004 by two former Styer Arms Corp. Engineers Ryan Pfläger & Kenji Katsumata with the envision to create a new revolver that will incorporate the rapid fire and quick reload of a auto loader pistol with the reliability and stopping power of high power revolver .
1. Gun structure
Note: all the directions mention (right/left, forward/rearward, clockwise/counter) are from the shooter POV.
The PKD is 5 shot revolver, 0.44 rifled barrel featuring a traditional DA trigger-hummer mechanism with electro-mechanic components for:
1. Faster reloading.
2. Softer, quicker trigger pull and more accurate firing.
3. Locking the firing mechanism against unauthorized use.
4. Login the firing history of the user.
There are three electro-mechanic components in the gun:
1. The pistol grip
Contain the DA trigger-hummer, electric battery, electrical solenoid (linear motor) as the hummer spring, micro processor and a receiving antenna.
2. Cylinder Axis
3. Cylinder ejector
A tube on top of the barrel with ejector lever curved around the right side of the cylinder.The tube contains electric motor for fast lever rotation.Firing operation
When the authorized user close his/her palm on the pistol grip the receiving antenna in the grip recognize radio signal from micro-transponder either as implant in the palm or special ring (jokily known in the Blade Runner circles as "retiring ring") then the hummer solenoid cock the hummer and the gun is ready to fire. If the gun didn’t recognize authorized user the hummer won't be cock and when the user pull the trigger and cock the hummer the solenoid will lock the hummer in rear position. Firing the gun perform similar to regular DA revolver with one difference, after every shot the hummer solenoid automatically cock the hummer for next shot. The gun have two triggers, the rear one operate the firing mechanism. This automatically cocking making the trigger pulls easier & quicker and make the firing more accurate.
Reloading operation
The gun most appreciated and famous feature is its quick reloading mechanism.When the user wants to reload the gun or change the ammo type he/she pull the front trigger.Upon trigger pull the cylinder axis move forward clearing the cylinder without support and the ejector lever rotate clockwise through the cylinder cover and push the cylinder left way outside the gun.When the ejecting ends the cylinder axis stays in forward position and the ejector lever is slightly locate in the cylinder empty space.Then the user push a fresh cylinder to the gun pushing the ejector lever back to original position and the cylinder axis automatically move rearward thru the cylinder, locking the cylinder in place. Now, like in the case of a regular revolver the user use is left thumb to tilt the cylinder to firing position.Login System
The micro processor in the pistol grip log the gun firing, reloading, authorized use, unauthorized users attempt, dates etc.
Cylinder Types
All Earth-made cylinders are 5 shot 0.44'' caliber Magnum.
Type 1
Early model cylinder made from stainless steel with five 0.457'' thru holes for .44 Remington Magnum or .44 Special rounds. The cylinder is for repeated use and currently used for training & ranges.
Type 2
Type 3 series
A cylinder contains primers, gun powder and bullets supplied from Pfläger Katsumata Corp. factory as a single unit.The cylinder made from high resistance polymer for one time use. The series include various bullets types & gun powder quantities combination cylinders.Type 3 Homemade
In some use in the illegal/unofficial market, basically a homemade cylinder similar to Type 3 made of metal.The cylinder is machined from a single block of metal and load/reload with primers, gun powder and bullets according to user needs
Type 4 series
A type 3 cylinder with chambers shape with segments of annulus (curved rectangular) as cross section rather than round hole. The enlarged chambers contained 27% more gun powder then the type 3 cylinder. The series include various bullets types & gun powder quantities combination cylinders.
Type 4 Homemade
Similar to Type 3 Homemade but with chambers of annulus segments cross section.
Bullet types
The PKD fire all the standard 0.44'' Magnum or Special bullets available in the market. Additional to the standard bullets are the fingerprint marking and the "Viper Eye bullet".
Fingerprint marking
1. Collateral damage
Giving the high resemble of Replicants to humans and the dense urban environment where Rep-Decs operate there's a high probability that a human will be mistakenly been shot. Some rep-dec department oblige their detectives to carry & shot tagged bullets for identify the rep-dec responsible to any human mistakenly shoot.2. Runway wounded Replican
3. Survivors Pension Claim
The hard reality of rep-dec life is that it's a risky job. Most rep-dec department offers a lucrative pension program that includes Survivors Pension for relatives. Such program payment is usually based upon the number of replicants the rep-dec retired. If the rep-dec shot and fatally wound the replicant but the replicant manage to kill the rep-dec the department cans attribution a replicant dead body to the dead detective who retried it.
Viper Eye bullet
This bullet compose of two parts: a more or less standard tungsten hollow point bullet with a thru-hole in it center and a thin metal disk place on the rear side of the bullet.When gun powder in the chamber ignite the pressure apply on the disk, pushing it with the bullet forward down the barrel, when the bullet with the disk leave the barrel and move toward the target the air movement thru the bullet "air inlet" decelerate the disk separate it from the bullet allowing the bullet continue with better aerodynamics properties.The Viper Eye bullet has a double effective range than standard hollow point bullet.
The Pflager-Katsumata Detective
by Jeff Barr-David
by Jeff Barr-David
The Pflager-Katsumata Detective is the compression-plasma blaster pistol issued to the "blade runner" replicant retirement officerson Earth. The plasma bolt magnetic containment is distance-fused to the range recorded via the combined laser-sight/range-finder pod on the rear-left of the receiver, above the loading port.To load this blaster: the lever on the right-hand side of the pistol is raised and brought to the rear to unlock the access panel on the left-hand side to reveal the loading port, which accepts a combined exciter-fuel/power cartridge. Under Earth-like conditions: the power source without exciter-fuel will continue to generate sufficient plasma from the ambient atmosphere to continue functioning, but produce a slightly lower level of damage to the target. The exciter-fuel is only truly necessary in off-world operations under hard or near-vacuum conditions.
_sketch.jpg)
PERIMETER
by William Bregnard
by William Bregnard
It was raining. Again. Caria simply
ignored the falling water, and focused on her task-at-hand: the only spaceport
here on Achird. The Eta Cassiopeiae star system was already settled by the
Shimago Dominguez Corporate, but the Conglomerates Amalgamted Mining Corporation
was also interested in Achird. War was the way that things were settled out
here off-world, and Caria knew all too well she was the tool. Bought and paid
for.
Slowly
moving through the untamed yellow plants of the alien jungle, the NEXUS-6
checked for any signs of laser traps and bouncing Bettys. She had come too far
and risked too much to be killed like a sucker.
Before her
were the ugly pre-fab structures of the SDC spaceport, hacking out of the dense
jungle, and appeared utilitarian like many of the human structures on the
off-world colonies she had seen in her “career.” Her entire solo mission was
high-risk, and her lifespan was ticking down. As her four year lifespan neared
an end, the contacted human officers often put their “tickers” into the worst
situations and missions. Caria had seen it, and she did not wish that for her
fate. If she had to die on this fucking bush-world than she would die attempt
to liberate herself.
Before she
made the move, Caria made one final check of her shoulder bag. Water. Ration-Packs.
Photos. Her beloved photos of the Reps she served with. These were the only
memorial of those that served in anonymity. But, no weapon besides her
programmed training and enhanced reflexes. It would have to be enough. She
waiting for her opportunity. Storming the perimeter of the corporate spaceport
settlement in a one Replicant assault would be foolish and a one way ticket to
biomechanical hell.
When she sniffed
the thick smoke spewing out of those fat yellowed paper Boyard cigarette she
darkly grinned. Game time.
She had
done with move before, and it polished and smooth when she attacked the human. It
was a blur of violent movement. One rock-hard punch into the kidneys crumbled
the human followed by the left hand sweeping over the chest from behind,
savagely grabbing and spinning the human directly in front of her. In his last
hearbeat, he witnessed the well-designed female NEXUS-6, launching a brutal jab
into his throat, crushing his Adam ’s apple. He fell to the wet ground, dead.
She stripped him of his PK series D revolver, some speed-reloaders, and an ID.
She was ready.
Given how
behind the Shimago Dominguez Corp lines she was, the spaceport security was
light. That was good for her, bad for them. Using her enhanced speed, she
bolted for the perimeter, PK-D tucked into her leg cargo pocket. She could not
help her appearance in SDC camo BDUs, she only hoped that speed and luck would
grant her access to a transport. She knew, as did all Replicants, that their
luck was bad. Being born a slave with a four year lifespan proved that you drew
the short end of life.
In one movement she swiped the ID,
opening the gates, and Caria used the lethal mix of fear, adenine, and
excitement to propel her through the pre-fab building to the landing pads. So far,
so good!
Then her hearts leapt out of her
ample chest. Three humans emerged from a domed shaped building accompanied with
a wash heavy food smells. They were caught completely off guard. Caria’s hand slipped
to the revolver, but her programming told her to fake it before lethal action.
Gunshots would attract attention. Unwanted attention.
“Hey, baby!” One shouted.
“Never seen that piece of ass
before!”
“Camo?! Why is she wearing camo?”
Caria slowed her full-tilt run, to
a jog, and flashed a wide fake smile. She begged whatever god there was to
allow her to get away with. She shook her ass and jogged down to the landing
pad, all the while panicking on the inside. When the scent of heavy rocket fuel
hit her enhanced nose, her spirit lifted. No
alarms…yet.
There on one of the dozen or so
pads, was an ugly, bulky transport tug, designed for ferrying supplies and
unborn Reps on and off world. It was prefect. Gathered around the transport
with the bold colorful SDC markings, was the ground crew, which could be
Replicants, but she couldn’t take the chance. As she moved up the ramp into the
belly of the metal beast, shouting erupted behind her, and the ground crew outfitted
in dirty heavy suits and breathing masks, all gathered and pointed.
There on one of the dozen or so
pads, was an ugly, bulky transport tug, designed for ferrying supplies and
unborn Reps on and off world. It was prefect. Gathered around the transport
with the bold colorful SDC markings, was the ground crew, which could be
Replicants, but she couldn’t take the chance. As she moved up the ramp into the
belly of the metal beast, shouting erupted behind her, and the ground crew outfitted
in dirty heavy suits and breathing masks, all gathered and pointed.
The time had come, and she pulled
the PKD out and thumbed off the safety. Six
rounds. She told herself, and took aim. Center
mass…
With both hands on the monster, she
squeezed the rear-most trigger and unleased a .44 slug into the chest of the
ground crew. The sound was like a sledgehammer on metal surface. Her only
saving grace was that the piss of gunshot had been taken out of the report with
the refueling pumps and cargo lifts.
The first slug found its target,
and opened the chest of the suited figure. Before he fell, she pulled on the
second figure. The impact spun the figure to the ramp, with a red mist filling
the air. By the time, she took aim at the third figure, they were already
running away. One .44 to the back halted their running, and they slide down the
ramp, motionless. Blood decorated the ramp in a ghoulish display of the pistol’s
power ahd her aim. Three used, three
remaining, she reminded herself.
Not losing any more time before
base security showed and retired her, Caria turned, and bursting into the tiny
control deck of the tug. Heads snapped to the Replicant, heavy revolver in
hand, with a very pleased facial expression. Caria pushed the hot barrel.44
revolver into the helmet of the nearest cargo pilot, and leaned in with a low,
menacing voice. “Get me off this fucking rock. Now.”
23 October 2014
FWS Armory: The Sniper Rifle
Few jobs in the military have met with such fascination, dread, and scorned as the sniper. They are the tools of assassinations, intelligence, and confusion. People in the military rely on them and their weapon to gather intelligence and support operations on the battlefield. In the civilian world, the term sniper is loaded one with all manner of preconceived notions coupled with deep respect and memories of November 1963. One element of the sniper is also met with deep fascination, respect, and terror: the sniper rifle. This type of firearm is almost like the term "ninja", it just adds coolness by the using the term. Say the word "sniper rifle", and gun-nuts and military geeks wet their panties collectively. This tool of the sniper is both understood and misunderstood, and it doesn't help that the term is very liberally used by civilians, gamers, and shooters. In the continuing firearms serial, this is FWS Armory blogpost on the Sniper Rifle. On a personal note, this was a very difficult blogpost to create with everything going on in my life at the moment...more on that later.What is an Sniper Rifle?
In most of the FWS Armory blogposts, the question of “what
is” a certain weapon is often easy, and serves as a simple definition section…but
then we got to sniper rifles. There seems to be no real answer to the question
of what an actually sniper rifle is. The idea itself is hotly contested online,
and answers vary. Is the "sniper rifle" merely an specialized
accurized rifle that truly does not become an "sniper rifle" until an
actually sniper uses it? Or is it an elite class of specifically tailored weaponry
designed for the purpose of long distance accurate shooting, designed to be
used by a highly trained professional shooter? In terms of this blogpost, I will content
that there is indeed an out-and-out sniper rifle that is designed for a
specific military purpose.
While there are similarities between the
sniper rifles and other firearms, the sniper rifles is a unique piece of
military hardware. For the sniper rifle to function as expected on the
battlefield, the weapon must be used by a highly trained soldier that
specializes in long-distance shooting. On the technological end, out-and-out
sniper rifles, the real ones, are basically a rifle with specialized barrels,
advanced optics, specialized ammunition, specifically developed bipods and
stocks. All of the technological elements are geared to one end: killing accurately
at a long range. One shot, one kill.
This type of military firearm is specifically designed around the core concept of being a platform for engaging targeted at long distances with reliability of action while being used in harsh conditions with long-term exposure to the elements. Given this role, sniper rifles must be powerful and accurate enough to engage and destroy targets in one shot. These targets can range from humans to vehicles to important military equipment. One of the roles not applied to snipe rifles is as an personal defense weapon. If and when the sniper is engaged by hostile fire, the sniper rifle does not make a good weapon to defend themselves with. Often, the sniper's spotter will use an LMG or assault rifle to protect the team. At times, the sniper themselves will carry another more standard infantry weapon into the battlefield until they are in the correct position.The Relationship Between Man and the Machine: The Sniper and His Rifle
- Sniper-A professional trained military or law enforcement shooter that is high skilled in long-distance accurate shooting as well as field-craft for stealth and observation.
- Sharpshooter/Marksman-A soldier or law enforcement officer that receives extensive training in precision shooting and uses specialized firearms. Unlike snipers, marksmen/marksmen are not normally trained in fieldcraft. Also, military sharpshooters/marksmen are tasked to specific units, while snipers work in two-man teams independent of the main force.
- Anti-Material Rifle-An accuarized rifle system that fires cartridges over 12mm and engages in anti-personnel and anti-material roles on the battlefield.
- Accurized Rifle-A general term that can be used to describe any time of weapon developed for precision shooting or an base rifle retrofitted to increase the accuracy.
- Twist Rate- the distance the rifling of the barrel takes to complete one revolution
- Match Grade- high grade ammunition designed around competition usage.
The connection between some sniper
rifles and hunting rifles is very strong, given that their missions are
similar. The hunting and the sniper rifle are purpose driven in design to
engage a target and bring down that target with one good aimed shot. Some of
the earliest “sniper rifles” were in fact hunting rifles due to military
firearms of the time not being constructed for long-distance shooting. Even
today, some of the out-and-out hunting rifles and accuarized rifles used by the
military and law enforcement are the same weapon with some modifications. The
excellent Remington 700 and the USMC M40 are nearly identical in their basic
form and caliber. Of course, the M40 is customized by the shooter, especially
the optics and barrel, along with specialized ammunition.
Also in the realm of the DMR is the SPR concept that dates back to around the early 2000's. This can be an antonym for: "Special Purpose Rifle" or "Special Purpose Receiver". At the time of the development, the Navy SEALs were prototyping an "Recon rifle" or "recce rifle" that was an flat-topped M16 with an 16inch barrel that could be attached with various setups. This was grown out of the Colt M4 carbine and SOPMOD project. The SEAL Recon Rifle project was moved over to the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Crane Division, and the M4 "SPR" was born, leading to the the current Mk. 12 Mod 0/1.
While both are accurized rifles intended
for long-distance shooting, the sniper rifle and the anti-material differ in
two ways: size and type of the bullet and the target. The average military
sniper rifle fires a 7mm to 8mm cartridge, while the average AMR fires an 12mm
round, extending all the way up to 25mm. Most sniper rifles fire normal
anti-personnel rounds, the ARM fires high explosive incendiary armor piercing
(HEIAP) rounds, which allows for greater effectiveness against military
equipment. Then there is the intended
target of each weapon. The sniper rifle is normally designed to kill humans
(anti-personnel), while the anti-material rifle is used to kill humans along
with vehicles, deteonation of IEDs and other explosives, along other military equipment.
Bolt Action or Semi-Auto?
Bullpup Sniper Rifles?
In the 1970’s, with the development and
acceptance of the semi-auto sniper rifle, also came the idea of using bullpup architecture
to create a less bulky rifle. One of the earliest bullpup sniper rifles was the
Walther WA 2000 that was begun after the 1972 Olympics terrorist incident.
Today, over twenty bullpup sniper rifles exist, like the DSR-1 and the Chinese
QBU-88 in all manner of calibers, including up to 12.7x99mm. The advantage is
similar to all bullpup firearms, full or even greater barrel length without the
same amount of bulk. Bullpup anything is popular in sci-fi or near future war
stories, and often sniper rifles seen in those works are bullpup layout. That
being said, most bullpup sniper rifles are actually more DMRs, like the QBU-88
and the re-purposed British L86 LSW.
Examples of Sniper Rifle Cartridges
7.62x51mm (NATO)
Effective Range is 800 meters
Without a doubt, the .762x51mm NATO cartridge, is the most
popular sniper rifle round. Why? Snipercentral.com says that because the round is not taxing to shoot, is a winner in the ballistics department, and has consistent behaviors in all manner of conditions. The NATO 7.62mm is also the best of both worlds. It is not a massive round that forces only a few rounds to be carried, or some oddball round either, NATO 7.62mm can be found the world over. It is powerful, but more compact the cartridges of World War II.
.300 Winchester Magnum
Effective Rang is 1,110 meters
The .300 Winchester Magnum (7.62x66mm) is quickly becoming a major player in the military sniper rifle cartridge game in the last few years. The round features great ballistics, range that extends pass 1,000 meters and is similar in size to the 7.62x51mm NATO round. However, there have been reports that the .300 Winchester Magnum round is hard on barrels, produces heavy recoil, and punishes the shooter. In the US military's next-gen sniper rifle, the Remington MSR, the .300 WM will be chambered.7.62x54R (Russian)
Effective Range is 800 meters
This Russia round is used in one of the world's most popular sniper rifle/DMR weapons, the Dragunov SVD, and was also used in Russia's older bolt-action rifle, the Mosin-Nagant. Both of these weapons would be used in the DMR/sniper rifle role. This .30 caliber round can trace its origins back to 1891, when the Russian Empire would first issue the Mosin-Nagant bolt-action rifle. Given the performance, the 7.62x54mmR was transformed into a sniper rifle round and serviced with grim effectivness during the 2nd World War. Today, the 7.62x54mmR is still in service the world over in the Dragunov and the Mosin-Nagnat precision rifles..338 Lapua Magnum
Effective Range is 1200-1500 meters
While the 7.62x51mm NATO had dominated the sniper rifle cartridges since the 1960's, the emerging cartridge that could take its place: the .338 (8.6x70mm) Lapua Magnum. Noted former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle said: "A relative newcomer, the .338 is considered by many one of the finest choices for a modern sniper. It has good stopping power and a longer range than all but the .50" More and more sniper rifle manuflactors are developing rifles that chamber this round, and it since has become popular with civilian hunters and shooters as well.12.7x99mm (.50 BMG)
Effective Range is 1500-2000 meters
The 12.7x99mm was originally an heavy machine gun round that had excellent ballistics but not the right mechanism to delivery it. Legendary Vietnam War sniper Carlos Hathcock attached an scope to an M2 Browning machine gun, and "sniped" at targets at 2,000 meters. This believed that this led to the development of the .50 BMG sniper rifle round we know and love today. While not suited to all battlefield sniping missions due to the size/weight of the weapon (30lbs!), report of the weapon, along with the fuck-all damage of the round, this is a round that is here to stay that has spawned a number of other .50 BMG sniper rifles.
Examples of Current Issue Sniper Rifle
The Remington M40A5 (7.6251mm)
The current bolt-action sniper rifle of the US Marine Corps traces
its roots back to the Vietnam War in 1966. The USMC took off-the-shelf
Remington 40X, a variant of the Remington 700, and modified it for the grim
work. The A5 came out in 2009 and the A6 is planned with some more
modifications to the stock. The M40A6 will be the last of the breed; the
Remington MSR has been approved to replace the aging M40 series. The M40 is an
iconic of military sniper rifles, and is one of the rifles that established the
classifications.
The KAC M110 SASS (7.62x51mm)
At its core, the Knight’s Armament M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper
System is an AR10 that chambers the 7.62x51mm cartridge. Since the adoption of
the AR15 into US military service, there have been DMR/Sniper rifle variants
that have been constructed out of the 5.56mm and the 7.62mm models, but since the
1990’s, there has been an active attempt to develop a full-fledged DMR/sniper
rifle. Weapons like the M110 and the Mk.12 Mod 1 own their existence to the KAC
SR-25. Currently, the M110 is being used by all branches of the US military in
active combat situations and it is believed that it was the sniper rifle that
was used in the Maersk Alabama
incident. During some missions, a new variant of the M110 will be used in the
coming years: the CSASS. This more compact version of the M110 will be used by
the spotter as an backup weapon when the shooter is using the Remington MSR, and
it is likely that the CSASS will replace the M14 EBR.
The McMillian TAC-50 (12.7x99mm)
The Arizona-based firearms company, McMillian, has become a
celebrity in the world of snipers recently12.7x99mm bolt-action rifle. Several
of the longest combat shots that are above 2400 meters, were done with a
McMillian TAC-50. Not only are the TAC-50 used for human targets, EOD uses the
McMillian sniper rifles to detonate explosives at a safe range. The McMillian
series of modern bolt action sniper rifles are the fusion of the traditional
technology and the modern advancements.
The Accuracy International Arctic Magnum Warfare (various calibers)
The M107 Barrett (12.7x99mm)
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The H&K PSG1 (7.62x51mm)
The M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (.300 Winchester Magnum)
Original called the Remington Modular Sniper Rifle,
this sniper rifle was the winner of the US military’s Precision Sniper Rifle
program and will replace the other bolt-action sniper rifles, including the
M40A6 at a cost of $15,000 per unit. The M2010 ESR is availed in .300
Winchester Magnum, the .338 Lapua Magnum, and the 7.62x51mm. The MSR was made
popular to the public when it was featured in COD: MW3.
Famous Snipers' Weapon-of-Choice
Carlos Hathcock
Rob Furlong
Craig Harrison
Chris Kyle
Gary Gordon
At the time of his death on October 3rd, 1993, Master Sergeant Gary Gordon was a member of the US Army's elite DELTA Force as a sniper. Given his elite status and the black nature of DELTA, little is known about Gary Gordon's service. What we do know is that MSG Gordon came from the US Army Special Forces, and would be accepted into the folds of DELTA in December of 1986. At some point, MSG Gordon became an DELTA sniper, and would likely use every major sniper rifle out during this timeframe. During the Battle of Mogadishu, MSG Gordon and 1st SGT Shughart were tasked with covering sniper fire from Super Six Two, the160th SOAR Blackhawk helicopter. During the battle, Mike Durant's Blackhawk was downed, and with all of the confusion, no help could arrive on-site. Given the danger level, both Gordon and Shughart asked to be inserted at the crash site. In the hands of the DELTA sniper was what author Mark Bowden would describe as an "CAR-15" and mentions that it set on burst mode when Shughart handed Gordon's weapon to him after Gordon was killed defending the crash site. Was it really an CAR-15? Sadly, we will never known. No released photos of MSG Gordon during the time of Operation: GOTHIC SERPENT have been released. However, there are photos of accuarized M16 carbines used by SPECOPS personnel at the airport base from the operation...it is likely that these are similar weapons.
Given the level of involvement on the 2001 film by personnel that were actually there, it is believed that the film camo'ed Colt Model 733 version with an Aimpoint scope, flashlight, and sound suppressor is pretty correct. Why was MSG Gordon using an shortened M16? Some believe that semi-auto "sniper rifles" are a better fit for the conditions when sniping from an helicopter platform. Some also believe that what most of the DELTA operators were carrying on that faithful day was an prototype Colt M4, and it is possible that MSG Gordon was carrying an prototype M4 DMR. However, it is just a rumor. On May 23rd, 1994, President Clinton would award MSG Gordon with the highest award, the Medal of Honor. This honor was presented to MSG Gordon's widow Carman Gordon at the White House. This was the first MOH given since the Vietnam War. He survived by his wife and two children. Randy Shughart
Vasily Zaytsev
The Soviet snipers of the 2nd World War have incredible kill numbers behind their names, and one of the most now well-known is Vasily Zaytsev. Prior to the 2nd World War, Vasily was an clerk in the Red Navy, and it wasn't until Nazi Germany invaded that Vasily became a combat soldier. During the battle of Stalingrad, he would killed 225 Germans, 11 were snipers with his sniper variant of the Mosin Nagant M91/30 that chambered the 7.62x54mmR with an PEM scope. Like most people, I'd never heard of this Red Sniper until the film came out, which I saw on my Honeymoon, and some historians have questioned elements of the story behind Vasily Zaytsev, especially the infamous "sniper dual". Others believe that Zaystev receives too much attention and drowns out other WWII Soviet snipers.
Simo Hayha
Francis Pegahmagabow
The Near Future of Sniper Rifles
It could be possible to tie the drone's feed of the situation to
the spotter and even piped into the sniper's scope...like a picture-in-picture
setup. Of course, we could also see remote sniper rifles, as seen in COD: Ghosts, where the operator
is far away from the action. This will not just be the static platform, but
remote sniper offensive systems could be mounted to UAVs and UGVs, and the
flesh-and-blood snipers would miles away drinking coffee and engaging targets.
Of course, who said that the remote sniper rifle needs to be limited to just
one auto-rifle? I can imagine several remote sniper rifles being positioned
around a central target area, and via the operator, precision fire can be rained down. When it comes to the type of ammunition,
the near future sniper rifle will continue to fire traditional ammunition, with
small adjustments. Some military planners have concluded that the most popular
sniper rifle cartridge, the 7.62x51mm, will be surpassed by the 12.7mm round. Some have thought that the 6.8x43mm will find a niche between the 5.56mm and the 7.62mm.
One of the certain technological revolutions in sniper rifles is
the so-called "smart bullet" and the "never miss" sniper
rifle.Texas based company, TrackingPoint has developed the first precision guided
"sniper" rifle. While the rifle is currently legal and available in a
number of calibers, it costs $27,000! The rifles use guided triggers, networked
scopes that can update its software, along with barrel reference system.
This
allows the ballistic computer and gun hardware to work together to achieve a
prefect shot without much intervention from the human. This could be pared in
the near future with DARPA’s smart (fire-and-forgot) bullet technology: EXACTO.
This system is a 12.7x99mm round that uses fin and spin stabilizers tied a
computerized flight program and power source. It is believed that the rifle
feeds data to the bullet, allowing for course-corrections, and greater hitting
targets on the move. The prospect of these two systems combining could rise the abilities and effectiveness of the sniper on the battlefield. Of course, if these systems are as good as they say, they could "dumb down" the sniper, making them more reliant on this technology, and not that inner hardwired skill. Time will tell.
Directed and Kinetic Energy Sniper Rifles
One way for a creator to side his/her
fictional universe into the future is by having their characters use laser
blasters or even advanced kinetic energy weaponry. Killing with Science! Sniper
rifles in sci-fi are no different, but could these types of advanced weaponry
be used for futuristic sniper rifles. Directed energy weapons (DEW) are the
staple of science fiction, and in the real-world, there are two usable forms of
militarized directed energy: lasers and the charged particle beam. First, let
us address the basic issues with a DEW as field weapon: energy source, cooling,
lethality, and in-field repair.
Any DEW sniper rifle will have to be powerful
enough to engage the target, and kill the target, will means heat management
via cooling, and a good power source. Heat will be a tattletale for the sniper’s
position. Given the low-tech complexity of most conventional bullet firing
sniper rifles, the sniper can maintain their weapon in the field, but could
they service a DE sniper rifle? When it comes to laser or charged particle beam
sniper rifles, I believe it would be more logical to be the charged particle
beam. While lasers will be mounted to US Navy ships by 2015, and are very
useful in long-range engagements, by burning holes into the target, they will
not have the instance lethality of kinetic energy projectiles. Lasers require dwelling
time to tunnel through the target, and in humans, that could take too long to
be useful as a sniper’s weapon. That is not true of particle weapons. Charged
particle beams, which are used in endoatmospheric conditions, can kill with
kinetic, thermal, and disruption damage being delivered on target. Nasty.
However, like laser DEW sniper rifles, the CPB DEW sniper rifle will require large
sums of energy, slow recharge times, and the other length of the linear
accelerators.
Kinetic energy weaponry or KEW, is a
likely choice for future sniper rifles, given their lower power demands,
in-field durability, and instance lethality. These futuristic KEW are Gauss
(coil) guns and rail guns. It is likely that Gauss rifles would be the KEW of
choice due to the compactness of the coils, energy efficiency, and the rails on
the rail gun due wear out due to thermal buildup and damage. That is not to say
that an sniper rail gun is not a good choice, especially on larger platforms,
like mecha or powered armor. Gauss guns would be more fitting for a
man-portable sniper weapon.
Mecha Sniper Rifles?!
The Sniper Rifle and Science Fiction
One interesting futuristic element seen in sci-fi snipers is the abilities to fire through walls. Eraser, Perfect Dark, and the TR-116 from DS9 were all gifted with the able to engage targets or just see targets through solid matter. I mean, what could be more sci-fi tacticool than a sniper rifle that assassinates some poor bastard while they are many rooms away from you? However, besides the few examples like these, the sci-fi sniper rifle is more or less based on current sniper rifles, and few stray outside those lines. With the continued popularity of online shooter games, sci-fi sniper rifles will continue to be developed. The Misriah Armory SRS99 Series UNSC Sniper Rifles from the HALO Universe
The Armat Battlefield System CMC M42A Caseless Sniper Rifle from the ALIENS Universe
The C-10 Mk. VI Canister Rifle from the Starcraft Universe
The KiSteer 1284 Projectile Rifle from Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
The Z-750 Special Application Sniper "Binary" Rifle from HALO 4
The Starfleet TR-116 Projectile Rifle from ST: DS9 "Field of Fire"
In the 1999 episode (7x13) Field of Fire, a murder of an young Starfleet officer is committed onboard the station. While is not not normal, it is the method of murder that is most unusual: chemically propelled projectile. It is believed that the murder weapon was the cancelled TR-116 rifle that was designed to operate in toxic environment that a phaser discharge could be dangerous. While the TR-116 was carried all the way to prototype, it was rejected when regenerative phasers were developed. While cancelled, the pattern of the TR-116 was uploaded to Federation databases with Officer-only restrictions. During the murder investigation, it is revealed that a micro-transporter was used to teleport the bullet within a few centimeters of the victim, allowing for the kill to engage from anywhere on the station. Of course, being Star Trek it gets odd and uses the new Dax as the focal point for the whole plot, and the overall episode is weak, but has some interesting elements.
The Helghast VC-32 Sniper Rifle from the Killzone Universe
Patterned after the iconic Helghast army StA-14 assault bullpup rifle, the VC32 is the most common sniper rifle of the Helghan military. Chambering the .338 Lapua instead of the 7.62x51mm cartridge and fitted with a 2x-5x scope and heavier longer barrel. This makes the VC32 closer to the M110 or L129A1 than the M40. After the failed invasion of Vekta, the VC32 replaced the StA-52 SLAR seen in the first PS2 Killzone game and was used throughout Killzone 2 & 3. While this maybe an Helghast weapon, ISA personnel have been seen using it. The studio used elements of the SL8, the civilian variant of the H&K G36.
The Klingon Sniper Disrupter Rifle from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The Storm PSR Sniper Rifle from COD: Black Ops II
The EM-1 Railgun from Eraser (1996)
The COG Longshot Sniper Rifle from Gears of War Universe
One of the oldest weapons in the COG universe is the bolt-action Longshot sniper rifle. Noted for its design, power, and length, the Longshot became a fan favorite online and in the hands of a skilled player, the Longshot was a certain ticket to the respawn. Like many of the COG weapons, it is not an easy affair to load or aim, but the reward is well worth it. Unlike other video game sniper rifles, the Longshot has an aiming icon on-screen, and this allows the Longshot to be aimed without using the scope, allowing for hip-fire kills. Back when I played the original COG online, there were skilled "snipers" that used the Longshot as an assault rifle, and would lay down seemingly impossible shots.
The Sniper Rifle from Team Fortress 2
There is little doubt at the popularity of Valve's Team Fortress 2 shooter, and one of the crazy cast of characters is the New Zealand/Australian Sniper. His weapon of choice besides a big knife is an traditional styled bolt-action sniper rifle with a comedically big scope and laser aiming device. This rifle is believed to have been based off of the 7.62mm M40 sniper rifle and is one of the most famous video game sniper rifles of all time. In the game, the base damage is 50, but the weapon can be charged up to delivery an instant one-hit kill. We shall see if the sniper rifle makes a return in the upcoming TF3. The Morita XXX Sniper Rifle from SST: Invasion
In the animated SST:Invasion, the female MI trooper Tia "Trig" Durer uses the Morita Triple-X large caliber sniper rifle in service with A-01 team. Unlike the bullshit Mortia "sniper rifle" from the first film, the XXX seems more like a real sniper rifle, and is used in a more befitting manner than the previous Morita sniper rifle variant. In the 2012 animated film Trig is seen using the XXX in the vacuum of space, which is rare in sci-fi. While the exact caliber is unknown to the Triple-X, it is seen taking down warrior drone bugs in one shot. Given their size, I would bet that the XXX fires 12.7x99mm, 14mm or even 20mm, especially given that the XXX bears some resemblance to the Barrett M82.
The KAC M110 SASS from Clive Barker's Jericho
Isabelle's Blaser R93 LRS2 Tactical from Predators
In the 2010 "real" sequel to the iconic 1987 film, Predators features a motley crue of professional killers from Terra, including an IDF female sniper named Isabelle. Her weapon-of-choice, is the German Blaser R93 Tactical LRS2 believed to be chambering the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, topping off the package is the Elcan digital hunter scope. As her backup personal defense weapon, Isabelle carries the H&K 45C. While the film is a rocking good time and actress Alice Braga is great in the role, it always bothered me, being a gun-nut asshole, that an IDF sniper is carrying two German weapons. Why? Afterall, the IDF has their own sniper rifle, the "Barak" HTR-2000 or the M89R and their own pistol, the Jericho 941...so, why wasn't Isabelle carrying those? In my opinion, it is stylistic reasons. The Blaser R93 LRS2 Tactical with the scope is very fucking tacticool looking, and Robert Rodriguez is known for doing that in casting his movie firearms (just look at that fucking M16/M203-gun-leg-thing from Planet Terror). The Sniper Rifles from the Mass Effect Universe
For any modern shooter video game, the sniper rifle is a requirement and Mass Effect is no different. Like all projectile weapons in this fictional universe, a shaved piece of metal is forced down the barrel of the gun via micro-mass effect fields. Sniper rifles feature longer barrels, improved optics, and given the need for greater range over assault rifle class, the sniper rifles generate more heat-per-shot than any other weapon classifications. One shot often over heats the weapon, forces slower shots. In Mass Effect 2 and 3, the thermal clip technology is used to eject waste heat, and the sniper rifle classification uses one thermal clip per shot. In the 3rd game, the sniper rifle was one of the heaviest weapons wore, and I personally jettisoned the sniper rifle for an submachine gun. Never felt that the Mass Effect sniper rifle was very well done save for the overall design.Sniper Rifles from Warhammer 40K Universe
Nearly every race in the WH40K universe uses some form of sniper rifle, and their basic function is a weapon of assassinations. The Imperium uses their bolter technology, while the Tau use rail gun technology, and the space elves Eldar use crystal-needles that delivery toxins. In the Imperial Guard army, long-range lasers or Long-Las are used in place of bolter weapons technology. Within the human Imperium, the Space Marine scouts, the newbies of the Chapter, are the most common users of sniper rifles within the super-soldier space marines. The mutant human species called the Ratlings are used by the Imperium of Man as snipers in their Imperial Guard.
The Farsight XR-20 Alien Sniper Rifle from Prefect Dark
Do you remember the N64? Man, those were the days! N64 is noted for having one of the first sniper rifles used in mulitplayer gaming in Rare's Goldeneye, but in Rare's Prefect Dark game, there is an interesting alien sniper rifle, the Farsight XR-20. This is one-shot kill alien railgun was inspirited by the EM-1 from Eraser, and it is interesting design. The ammo is loaded on the side, and the gun seems absorb the magazine. Weird. This was the killer app weapon for the N64 game's mulitplayer. All you had to do was finding an empty space, engage the trippy X-ray scope, and then pick off players like a boss. This weapon was a gift from the Maian Grey aliens to Special Agent Joanna Dark. The XR-20 was rated #45 on IGN's 100 greatest video game weapon countdown.
Next Time on FWS...
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