First we have Chaika on Weapons discussing what one solo carries and why.

Second is Pelzig's Techtalk which breaks down Chaika's essay into game terms.

Chaika On Weapons

Greetings, gatos. Chaika here. I know, I know, its been awhile since I last dropped in on the rec.games.frp.cyber group. The last time, I let loose my "Boom Stick" and things got a little interesting. Nothing like stirring up the pot a little, neh? Oh, well. Isn't that the fun thing about dropping stuff here? But a little job down south kept me out of the loop for a spell (paid well, though!).

Well , this time around, I'm going to let you in on my personal selection of weaponry, the ones I use on a regular basis (though not all on my person at one time!). To me, you got to have a well rounded kit of small arms to meet several needs. It would also be nice to gear them that if you can't carry it all, you at least have weaponry which can suit multiple roles. My selection tries it's best to do so.

Firstly, I use pre-2013 small arms. The reason for this is twofold. One, I can electrotherm the weapons for added stopping power since they use cased ammo and secondly, not many Edgerunners have encounted these things considering their age. Of course, those with military chipware could tell you what they are. But those are either pro's or weenies. Mostly, pros could care less about what your packing since they usually have a more modern equivalent which can do about the same tissue damage as yours. But its those wanna-bes which would probably think your some relic packing around old and useless heat. That is, of course, until the lead starts sailing and they start falling quickly. I like to think you might get a second or two extra while your opponent tries to figure out just what will be coming his/her way. Ah, well. Thats just me. Besides, I got this thing for old stuff, especially German WWII small arms [TechTalk: Pelzig here. Soon I'll be worming the stats for Chaika's collection of WWII German small arms outta her. Stay tuned.].

Well, let me rundown the general outline of my weapons and I'll let Pelzig handle all the technical aspects.

My primary weapon is the Heckler & Koch HK51K Mod. This weapon is derived from the HK227 and modified to fire the 5.56mm round. Bill Fleming, a tech with H&K, created the first model back in the early 1990s by modifing the H&K MP5K. It was a one-off model. The more modern HK227 was upgraded by my techhead to fire the bigger cartridge. Size remained the same but obvious changes like the barrel, feed, and clip mechanism had to be rebuilt. The HK227 is a very, very accurate weapon despite it's size. This is so from good gas venting, precise and comfortable grip layout, laser sighting, and smartlinking. I had the weapon electrothermed to bring out the maximum potential of the 5.56mm round. Using a special blend of ammo types, the HK51K can cut down to size the opposition very, very quickly. The main drawback to it is it's massive muzzle flash. Thankfully, the venting reduces the recoil but it is still a light show! Not good if you need to be discrete about things. I imagine you could put a flash supressor on it but your concealability goes to pot. Another bad aspect is its ravenous ammo consumption on full auto. Twenty rounds burned and only a 20 round clip! Oppps! No bullets! I know, I know that firing a ETed weapon on full auto is not a really good idea but I'll let Pelzig handle that one too [TechTalk: We have a House Rule on ETed weapons firing full auto. I'll discuss it below]. To prevent the weapon from being used against me, I had a custom palm scanner embedded in the pistol grip. Without my palm on it, it will not fire. I suppose that a techboy could undue it. But not in the middle of a firefight!

Moving along, I lug around the Type 86 Knife Pistol [TechTalk: Found on page 9 of the Edge of the Sword:Compendium of Modern Firearms]. The Chinese came up with this one. This knife has four barrels embedded in the grip, firing a .22 Long round. You pull down a trigger and BOOM, you fire off the rounds. All in all, a unique though in my case nearly useless weapon. In fact, I've only used it once in my career. During an extraction (I'll leave out the full details for safety sake), I came up against two EuroSolos. Well, I got a healthy respect for these guys and knew I was in for some trouble. At that moment, I had run out of ammo in the weapon I had in hand. To take the time to reload it would not have been prudent and I felt he had enough armor to not be too seriously harmed by the gun I had. And I guessed he had SkinWeave too. Well, I fastdrawed my Type 86 and made a rather desperate gamble to take him out. He had a partial helmet on, meaning I could see his mouth and chin. I had to time it right to avoid hitting his face which was no doubt SkinWeaved. He saw my attack and made a move to parry my thrust. To my luck, he didn't and my attack went true. My blade went INTO his mouth, thunking into his upper palette. I then pulled the trigger, sending four .22cal rounds into his braincase. Needless to say, at that range, a .22cal round can do some nasty damage, especially when there is no armor to stop them. He dropped and his buddy thought better of sticking around. I imagine that was in part since my extraction team (read the heavy boys) had pretty much taken care of the local security. I haven't had this thing modified in any way since it really isn't worth it and my techhead said there isn't much room for modification. But it is small and easily concealed and I guess thats why I keep it.

My main pistol is the Type 51, the Chinese version of the Russian Tokarev TT-33. Like many Chinese weapons, they are fairly cheap to buy and for the most part, are generally good weapons. The TT-33 is a rather slim pistol which I like for concealment reasons. It fires a 9mm round which I have had modified with APsEX ammo [TechTalk: I'll fill you all in on this round below]. Of course, I've had the weapon ETed for more damage potential. Yes, I like to make sure those I hit stay down. Other added features to the Type 51 include smartrigging it and adding a laser sight. All in all, this is the only pistol I use most often and one I carry everywhere.

Another pistol I have and use at times is the Type 80. Again, a Chinese version of somebody elses small arm. This time around, it is the Mauser 712 machine pistol of 1932. The Chinese version apparently didn't have the capacity to fire full auto so I had to have my techhead research the German version and adapt it to the Chinese one (which was more easily had than the actual Mauser!). The Type 80 can certainly be a surprise when you rip those rounds out of a pistol! I had the Type 80 ETed (what else is new!) but I didn't add too many bells and whistles to it, all that was added was a laser sight. I did have to have it rechambered to fire the 9mm round seeing as the Type 80 fired the lower powered 7.62mmX25 round. I do use a blend of AP and incendiary ammo for this one. Even if the rounds don't penetrate, you got all these little fires going on! The Type 80 has a nasty kick which makes firing in full auto rather hard if your not used to it. It does tend to cause the weapon to come off mark and rounds go astray. I did have a buttstock made for it (akin to the German one) to add more control but in battle, one tends not to waste time attaching the thing. I have a choice of 10 or 20 round clip sizes, the bigger when you use the Type 80 in full auto.

For those days when I know I'll need the big guns, I'll pack the AKSU-74. This is a mighty submachine gun firing the full size Russian 5.45X39 round! In fact, I've heard of the AKMSU which fires the 7.62X39 round! Ohhhhhhhh, bang, bang! I certainly have my feelers out for the AKMSU. But getting back to the AKSU-74, this is a shortened version of the Russian AK-74 and by my sources, appeared in 1983. And it is short (16.5 inches with folded stock)! Add to it the folding stock, and you have a powerful, compact man-stopper. My version is ETed and fired those Dual-Purpose rounds which you can readily get. I also had it smartrigged. Other than that, my AKSU-74 is pretty much standard. The main drawback is the AKSU's violent recoil from the gas action. There is an expansion chamber to try and cut it down but you'll still feel it. Also, the flash hider does little good. Rate of fire is low which means you won't burn up your clip so fast which can be a good thing considering. I like this baby a lot. And if you all know where I can land a AKMSU....

Well, there are times when I just got to have the heavy firepower to lay down some withering fire. Maybe not do the big damage, but to throw lead, heavy lead, in the face of some folks. For this, I pack the M231 Port Firing Weapon. The M231 is a modified varient of the M16 rifle for use in the M2 Bradley AFV. The front of the barrel shroud has these grooves to allow the weapon to be screwed into the firing port. A basic wire buttstock is found where the normal buttstock used to be. All other action is as per the M16. Rate of fire of the M231 is higher, however, in comparison to the normal M16. I chose this weapon for a few reasons. One is that the M16 is a fairly common weapon, even today and thus parts would be easily had for my techhead. Secondly, it offered the potential fof modification without too much trouble. I had my M231 bullpupped to cut down on the length. Of all the mods, this cost the most but is worth it when you got to carry it around. Also saves a little in weight. I then strapped on a laser sight and ETed it, firing APS ammo [TechTalk: Again, I'll explain APS ammo below]. The M231 maintains a good firing control and the high RoF means I can shed lead to keep folks heads down (that is until the barrel melts!). For all intensive purposes, this isn't really a rifle anymore, but it'll get the job done.

My final weapon of choice is the SPAS PA-3/215 12guage shotgun. Now here is devastation in a little, itty-bitty package. This is THE smallest full-bore 12guage shotgun made yet. In fact, I don't think anybody has tried to replicate it since it was introduced back in the '80s. Too bad. They ought to. Well, you can easily hide it under a coat without much problem, especially if you remove the folding stock. For it's little size, you pay a price and that is ammo capacity. Three rounds are the most you'll be able to carry. But if you play your cards right, that should be enough. After all, shotguns are nasty business. Well, I ETed mine [TechTalk: What else is new] and fire Slasher ammo. Needless to say, this is a rather awesome combo and certainly makes for a show! Nothing like this kinda firepower.

Now I don't pack all this around at the same time. I have to pick and choose to suit my needs. For everyday carrying around, I pack the Type 89, Type 51, and either the Type 80 or the SPAS PA-3/215. If I really need to be desrete, like if I have to go to a formal function [TechTalk: You outta see Chaika in an evening gown!] or into a place where heavy hardware is frowned upon, I'll stick with the Type 80 and Type 51. Jobs in the fringe or when I expect engagement of a low calibre, I'll pack the Type 89, Type 51, and either the SPAS-3/215 or the AKSU-74. If I know things will get nasty, then I'll replace the Type 51 with the AKSU-74 and keep the SPAS. If all hell is going to break loose then it's the Type 51, Type 89, AKSU-74, and the M231.

Well, I hope you all found this interesting. And don't think I won't modify these guys some more so you won't think you know what I got when you meet me, gato! Pelzig will follow this with all the technical jazz which I pay my techhead to mess with.

Watch all about you and carry yourself tall,

Chaika

TECHTALK BEGINS

Greetings, fellow Edgers. Pelzig here to clarify and speak Tech to you all about Chaika's weapon preferances. I want to make clear that these mods are approved by my GM (and in fact, he, at times, uses these same weapons against us!). These mods may be geared and/or modified to suit your particular game for what works for us might not work for you. These weapons aren't written in stone and are included here to add a little variation to standard weapons as well as put in a little history for 'em.

Firstly, the HOUSE RULE concerning ET and autofiring. The Chromebook 2 errata sheet says that ET Enhancement is only available to semi-auto and manual repeater weapons. It doesn't say you CAN'T do it for a autofiring weapon, just that if you tried to discharge that much wattage, you'd melt the gun's action. Our House Rule was this: If you fire a ET weapon in autofire, you must roll a REL check as if it was UR, regardless of what the weapon's actual rating is. If you make it, your weapon survives the burst (though it'll be real, REAL hot!). If you fail, the barrel is ruined, the action is shot, and any rounds left might explode (GMs call). I.e., the gun is a write off (you COULD fix it but with the cost, you might as well buy a new one). There are modifications to this rules. If the weapon is rated ST and you fired auto, it will crash on a 9 or lower. If the weapon was UR to begin with, well, the gun goes POOF! Obviously, this rule in itself prevents users from always firing autofire with ET weaponry since the chances of ruining the weapon are so high. After all, you don't want to be without a weapon in a firefight. Also, always burning up a weapon and having to fix or replace it can be quite expensive. All told, firing ET weapons in autofire usually comes when things are turning bad for characters. All players and GMs voted on this rule and it was allowed. However, there are two aspects that were not yet discussed in regards to the heat factor. One is the water jacket mod found in Solo Of Fortune 1 and the Heat-resistant Barrel in Solo Of Fortune 2. I would put forth this suggestion for the House Rule. If the weapon is using a water jacket, the weapon may fire one turn without having to roll the REL. After the initial firing, all later firing will have the REL roll as normal because the liquid will have heated up to a point where it will not reliably cool the weapon. I imagine you could swap out the coolent but to do so under fire is difficult at best. As for Heat-resistant Barrels, I would put forth that such equipped weapons could lower the REL roll by one (thus, the roll would be 7 or lower instead of 8). Again, players and GMs should discuss this House Rule for inclusion, modification, or ejection from their game.

A few new items that I mentioned above in Chaika's descriptions.

APS (or APs) Ammunition

Explosive Ammo (EX)

Laser Sight

In the descriptions, you notice ET-APsEX under some of the weapons. In essence, the EX (explosive) cancels out the halving of damage from the APs. Thus, whatever damage gets through the armor is what the victim takes. ET stands for ElectroThermal enhancement.

NOTE: Pricewise, I'm giving only the listed prices for book mods, to be used as a starting point when coming up with the bill. You all as the GM should assign the eurobuck amount for these types of mods described by Chaika. She payed through the nose for them and GMs, you ought to make it a nice pricetag for these custom weapons.

SECONDARY NOTE: Some of the listed weapons are selective fire. If so, it will be noted. Also note, the Selective Fire option found in Solo Of Fortune 2 was not added since these weapons already come with it.

The Heckler&Koch HK51K

( SMG * +6 * L * P * 7D6 * 20 * 20 * VR * 450m * see below )

-- This weapon is based on the Shadowrun HK227 (described in earlier posts). The laser sight, gas vents, and basic quality of the weapon's layout convey the high WA. The base damage of the 5.56mm round is 4D6. ET brings it up to 6D6 while the APs ammo makes it 7D6. Clip size was not touched. The palm scanner was a custom mod but there are equivalents in the Chromebooks and Solo Of Fortune 2. All in all, the weapon costs nearly 3,200euro as a starting price. Of course, with the rechambering of the barrel and the firing mechanisms, this price will be higher. Ammo for this weapon breaks down to 54eb. PER bullet! The HK51K is Selective Fire.

The Type 86 Knife Pistol

( EX * -2 * P * P * 1D6 * 4 * 4 * UR * 50m * see below )

-- You can find this weapon on Page 9 of the Edge Of The Sword:Compendium Of Modern Firearms. Nothing was done to it mod wise. Damage for the knife is as per CP2020 melee weapon. The weapon fires all four barrels at once and must be hand loaded.

Type 51

( P * +2 * P * P * 5D6+3 * 8 * 1 * ST * 150m * see below )

-- Modern day copies of the TT-33 can be had for as little as $120 and are usually chambered for the 9mm Parabellum. Base damage is 2D6+1 for the 9mm round, 4D6+3 with the ET, and finally 5D6+3 using the APs ammo. The Type 51 is a automatic pistol. Base cost would be around 580eb. Not much was done to this weapon save the ET and the smartrig. Cost PER bullet is 52eb.

Type 80

( P/SMG * +3/+1 * J/L * R * 4D6+3 * 10/20 * 1/14 * ST * 150m * see 
below )

-- The Type 80 can function as pistol or a machinepistol. When in pistol mode, the WA is +3 and CONC is J and RoF is 1. In SMG mode, WA is +1, CONC is L, and RoF is 14. Clip size can be either 10 or 20. Obviously, if you plan on using SMG mode, you'd use the bigger clip. The lower WA in SMG mode comes from the downgrade of controlability when firing in full auto. Damage is from a 9mm round, ETed to 3D6+3, then up 1D by the APs. Please note that this weapon fires APsI. This is NOT the same incendiary round found in Chromebook 2 and is a custom blend of incendiary material to handle the high temperatures of an ET weapon. Base cost runs some 850eb. Because of the rarity of this type of weapon, the actual cost was a lot higher, especially since it had to be modified to fire full auto. At least double the base price. The ammo runs some 8eb. per bullet. Cost for the APsI round might be more for the custom material. The Type 80 fires in single shot or full auto only.

AKSU-74

( SMG * -1/0 * L * R * 5D6+6 * 30 * 13 * VR * 225m * see below )

-- Again, not much was done to this weapon mod-wise. The 0 WA is WITH the folding stock extended. Base damage for the 5.45X39 is 3D6+3 with the ET bringing it up to the listed value. Base cost begins at 2,000eb. Ammo used is ET-DP (Dual Purpose from Chromebook 2). This weapon is smartrigged and has selective fire.

M231

( RIF * 0 * L * R * 7D6 * 30 * 20 * ST * 1,200m * see below )

-- The M231's main modification came from the bullpuping (see Solo Of Fortune 1) to shorten the weapon's length. The lack of any sighting mechanism (save the carrying handle) required a laser sight to bring it up to 0 WA. Base 5.56NATO round damage is 4D6 with the ET bringing it to 6D6 and the APs to 7D6. Base price should begin at 1,500 eurobucks. This weapon has selective fire. For a REALLY cut down M16, watch the movie Clear And Present Danger and look at the weapon the insertion team leader uses towards the end of the flick.

SPAS PA-3/215

( SHT * 0 * J * P * 6,5,3D6 * 3 * 1 * VR * 75m * see below )

-- Nothing much was done to this tiny shotgun save the ET mod. Slasher ammo from Chromebook 2 was used on it to make it a nasty up-close weapon. Base cost should begin at 1,000eb. for this rare weapon.

Commentary is welcome (good commentary that is!) and archivists feel free to utilize.

Till next time, take care, don't stop moving, and carry a big gun,

Pelzig