Remove ads

Small Arms Commission Quest

Reader mode
Well, as Frederick the Great said, "He who procures EVERYTHING!!! procures nothing"...

[X] Plan KISS me again, you fool!
-[X] Grenade
--[X] Max weight 800g
--[X] Should preferably have both impact and time fusing
--[X] Should be capable of having a rod fitted for rifle launching. Look into potential for rod for hand throwing as additional leverage.
--[X] A removable fragmentation sleeve to allow for both offensive and defensive use would be advantageous, but not essential
--[X]Thermite variant of similar design should be explored.
-[X]Light Artillery Piece
--[X] Should be man portable as our HMGs (three men), each load being max 20kg
--[X] Should be as quick as possible to set up and get into action
--[X] Minimum 600 yard range indirect fire required. 800 yards preferred.
--[X] Ability to launch gas/incendiaries would be significant advantage.
-[X] Portable Launcher
--[X] Look into making use of obsolete rifles already in storage for rod launching of newly developed grenades
 
So by light gun it means something like infantry guns along with mortars or are we thinking of just mortars?

Since I'm thinking a small cannon could be useful for taking out bunkers that are beyond the ability of a rifle grenade to take out. Also in the longer term those light field guns could become the basis of anti-tank guns.

I'm thinking we could go with a mix of trench mortar, light field gun, rifle and normal grenades to cover various needs. Grenades and rifle grenades give infantry organic fire support in case the light guns and mortars end up falling behind or focused elsewhere. I'd make a vote but I have no idea on the exact numbers to put in for weight, range etc. Unless I browse WW1 weapons and copy stats.
 
[X] Plan Guns Can Wait


[X]Most Important Spaceballs Merchandise
-[x] Unit should be prepressurized and operated by a single soldier.
-[x] Should have a range of 20m, more if possible.
-[x] Pressure in the system should be provided via a nonreactive/nonflammable gas such as nitrogen.
-[x] Refueling, and attaching a new gas container to the unit should be accomplished without the use of specialist tools.
-[x] Ignition and fuel flow should have separate controls.


[X] Hot Potato
--[x] Both fragmentation and concussion grenades are to be considered massing no greater than 700g, with a time delay fuse.
--[x] Conscripts should be able to throw it at least 20m.


EDIT: it is done!
 
Last edited:
[x] Plan Infantry Weapons
-[x] A light artillery piece (Infantry Gun) intended to operate on the flanks of an advance to engage flanker hardpoints.
-[x] Should be a direct fire weapon with a military effective range of at least one km. Must be able to be moved by it's crew at infantry speed.
-[x] A light artillery piece (trench mortar) intended to suppress forward enemy. 40-80 mm, 3 man team.

[X] Hot Potato
 
[X] Plan Guns Can Wait

[X]Most Important Spaceballs Merchandise
-[x] Unit should be prepressurized and operated by a single soldier.
-[x] Should have a range of 20m, more if possible.
-[x] Pressure in the system should be provided via a nonreactive/nonflammable gas such as nitrogen.
-[x] Refueling, and attaching a new gas container to the unit should be accomplished without the use of specialist tools.
-[x] Ignition and fuel flow should have separate controls.


[X] Hot Potato
--[x] Both fragmentation and concussion grenades are to be considered massing no greater than 700g, with a time delay fuse.
--[x] Conscripts should be able to throw it at least 20m.
 
Last edited:
[X] Plan Guns Can Wait
[X]Most Important Spaceballs Merchandise
[X] Hot Potato

I think that covers grenades, mortar, light guns, flamethrowers.... basically details for EVERYTHING
 
Let's get an interim tally while I figure out how to tally this properly.
Adhoc vote count started by Sarpedon on Jun 9, 2018 at 10:56 AM, finished with 19 posts and 10 votes.
  • [X] Plan Guns Can Wait
    -[X]Rifle Grenades and Light Artillery
    --[X] Disregard light field guns.
    --[X] Develop a light trench mortar that can be carried by no more than three men. If two men can carry the whole set up, that would be ideal.
    ---[X] Bore should be no greater than 81mm.
    ---[X] Weapon must be capable of indirect fire
    ---[X] Should be capable of firing an explosive projectile up to 5kg in weight
    ---[X] Should have a firing range of between 700 and 1000 meters
    --[X] Develop a grenade thrower that can be fitted to the current rifle with minimal modification to existing weapons. Some form of adaptor that can be attached to current rifles would be ideal.
    ---[X] This grenade thrower or granatenwerfer as you might call it, should fire a projectile no heavier than 1kg; ideally the projectile should be roughly the size of a hand grenade so they're easy to carry.
    ---[X] This attachment should be no more than 2kg in weight in order to reduce the load on infantrymen.
    [X] Plan KISS me again, you fool!
    -[X] Grenade
    --[X] Max weight 800g
    --[X] Should preferably have both impact and time fusing
    --[X] Should be capable of having a rod fitted for rifle launching. Look into potential for rod for hand throwing as additional leverage.
    --[X] A removable fragmentation sleeve to allow for both offensive and defensive use would be advantageous, but not essential
    --[X]Thermite variant of similar design should be explored.
    -[X]Light Artillery Piece
    --[X] Should be man portable as our HMGs (three men), each load being max 20kg
    --[X] Should be as quick as possible to set up and get into action
    --[X] Minimum 600 yard range indirect fire required. 800 yards preferred.
    --[X] Ability to launch gas/incendiaries would be significant advantage.
    -[X] Portable Launcher
    --[X] Look into making use of obsolete rifles already in storage for rod launching of newly developed grenades
    [X] Plan Guns Can Wait
    -[X]Rifle Grenades and Light Artillery
    --[X] Disregard light field guns.
    --[X] Develop a light trench mortar that can be carried by no more than three men. If two men can carry the whole set up, that would be ideal.
    ---[X] Bore should be no greater than 81mm.
    ---[X] Weapon must be capable of indirect fire
    ---[X] Should be capable of firing an explosive projectile up to 5kg in weight
    ---[X] Should have a firing range of between 700 and 1000 meters
    --[X] Develop a grenade thrower that can be fitted to the current rifle with minimal modification to existing weapons. Some form of adaptor that can be attached to current rifles would be ideal.
    ---[X] This grenade thrower or granatenwerfer as you might call it, should fire a projectile no heavier than 1kg; ideally the projectile should be roughly the size of a hand grenade so they're easy to carry.
    ---[X] This attachment should be no more than 2kg in weight in order to reduce the load on infantrymen.
    [X]Most Important Spaceballs Merchandise
    -[x] Unit should be prepressurized and operated by a single soldier.
    -[x] Should have a range of 20m, more if possible.
    -[x] Pressure in the system should be provided via a nonreactive/nonflammable gas such as nitrogen.
    -[x] Refueling, and attaching a new gas container to the unit should be accomplished without the use of specialist tools.
    -[x] Ignition and fuel flow should have separate controls.
    [X] Hot Potato
    --[x] Both fragmentation and concussion grenades are to be considered massing no greater than 700g, with a time delay fuse.
    --[x] Conscripts should be able to throw it at least 20m.
    [X] Plan Guns Can Wait
    -[X]Rifle Grenades and Light Artillery
    --[X] Disregard light field guns.
    --[X] Develop a light trench mortar that can be carried by no more than three men. If two men can carry the whole set up, that would be ideal.
    ---[X] Bore should be no greater than 81mm.
    ---[X] Weapon must be capable of indirect fire
    ---[X] Should be capable of firing an explosive projectile up to 5kg in weight
    ---[X] Should have a firing range of between 700 and 1000 meters
    --[X] Develop a grenade thrower that can be fitted to the current rifle with minimal modification to existing weapons. Some form of adaptor that can be attached to current rifles would be ideal.
    ---[X] This grenade thrower or granatenwerfer as you might call it, should fire a projectile no heavier than 1kg; ideally the projectile should be roughly the size of a hand grenade so they're easy to carry.
    ---[X] This attachment should be no more than 2kg in weight in order to reduce the load on infantrymen.
    [X]Most Important Spaceballs Merchandise
    [X] Hot Potato
    [x] Plan Infantry Weapons
    -[x] A light artillery piece (Infantry Gun) intended to operate on the flanks of an advance to engage flanker hardpoints.
    -[x] Should be a direct fire weapon with a military effective range of at least one km. Must be able to be moved by it's crew at infantry speed.
    -[x] A light artillery piece (trench mortar) intended to suppress forward enemy. 40-80 mm, 3 man team.
    [X] Hot Potato
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Remove ads
Infantry Support Weapons Commission Stage Three
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan Guns Can Wait
    -[X]Rifle Grenades and Light Artillery
    --[X] Disregard light field guns.
    --[X] Develop a light trench mortar that can be carried by no more than three men. If two men can carry the whole set up, that would be ideal.
    ---[X] Bore should be no greater than 81mm.
    ---[X] Weapon must be capable of indirect fire
    ---[X] Should be capable of firing an explosive projectile up to 5kg in weight
    ---[X] Should have a firing range of between 700 and 1000 meters
    --[X] Develop a grenade thrower that can be fitted to the current rifle with minimal modification to existing weapons. Some form of adaptor that can be attached to current rifles would be ideal.
    ---[X] This grenade thrower or granatenwerfer as you might call it, should fire a projectile no heavier than 1kg; ideally the projectile should be roughly the size of a hand grenade so they're easy to carry.
    ---[X] This attachment should be no more than 2kg in weight in order to reduce the load on infantrymen.

    [X]Most Important Spaceballs Merchandise
    -[x] Unit should be prepressurized and operated by a single soldier.
    -[x] Should have a range of 20m, more if possible.
    -[x] Pressure in the system should be provided via a nonreactive/nonflammable gas such as nitrogen.
    -[x] Refueling, and attaching a new gas container to the unit should be accomplished without the use of specialist tools.
    -[x] Ignition and fuel flow should have separate controls.

    [X] Hot Potato
    --[x] Both fragmentation and concussion grenades are to be considered massing no greater than 700g, with a time delay fuse.
    --[x] Conscripts should be able to throw it at least 20m.

    With the competition split into three categories, requirements were sent out.

    In the grenade projectors and mortars category, there were only four serious proposals, two mortars and two rifle grenade systems.

    The first mortar, designed by Father Karl Zeitz, is a fairly simple device, literally a piece of gas pipe with an end cap screwed on with a baseplate and a bubble level. It has a bore of about 5cm with a 70cm barrel, and the device weighs about 8kg in its present form. There is no trigger system, or any recoil mechanism, as the device has a firing pin in the baseplate (actually a nail that had been trimmed and dovetailed into the end cap.) Accuracy is unknown, as Father Zeitz originally designed it to scare birds away from his garden. The relevant police reports suggest a maximum range of about 800m using the 800g noisemaker bomb he cooked up. Father Zeitz has submitted his design as part of a bid to avoid prosecution.

    The other mortar has a less colorful history behind it. Essentially the same idea, but more complex and with a trigger system bipod and less terrifying engineering, the Suhl Minenwerfer is a considerably larger and heavier weapon. It is 50kg fully assembled, but can be broken down into a baseplate and tube, which makes the 8cm bore weapon considerably more practical. That said, it still has a 115cm barrel, and in company testing could comfortably fire a 4kg inert projectile about 1600m, but the inaccuracy of the design precludes effective use past about 900m.

    The Arbatescu rifle grenade system, designed by Mrs.Arbatescu herself is a fairly simple cup that replaces the present bayonet on a rifle or carbine and weighs a good 600g. With a gas check on the base of a hand grenade, and a blank cartridge loaded to the same specification as the Kaisermarine's Seepatrone 8mm overpressure AP ammunition, the Arbatescu rifle grenade system can fire any grenade up to 55mm diameter and 600g about 300m, or 200m with standard pressure blanks. It also might require fitting an alidade to the rifles affected, but this can be done in the factory, or simply be a level attached to the side of the cup.

    The Durand system for rifle grenades is much simpler, because Durand doesn't give a fuck. It's honestly just a 7.5mm rod with an ersatz-leather washer and a gas check on the front and a screw to attach to a grenade. It is size agnostic, and can fire a 600g dummy grenade 150m using conventional blank ammo. Durand's system also includes a plumb bob that clips onto the bayonet mount for range estimation (total weight, 200g.)

    There was one incendiary projector entry, the Fiedlergerat, which is a fairly simple device using a small cylinder of nitrogen to pressurize a 10l tank of liquid which is then projected out of a wand to a range of about 25m. The overall system is capable of about eight seconds of use, and weighs 36kg. Ignition is provided by a spark plug running off a 36 volt zinc-carbon battery which can provide ten ignitions out of the factory.

    Multiple grenade entries were submitted. All are relatively fill agnostic, and can be fitted out with an incendiary or explosive charge of hexanite or ammatol.

    The Vinchenzo entry is essentially 180g of explosives in a can on a stick with a four second delay. This is a very good weight to explosives ratio for a concussion grenade, as it weighs only 600g. A reasonably fit person can throw it 50m with the proper technique well exceeding the predicted casualty radius of 2m, but the 7cm diameter and 36cm length make it unsuitable for grenade throwers.

    The Halkh entry is a 530g fragmentation grenade with a 50g fill of explosives. It can be thrown a good 30m with some training, although skilled ball players can do about half again. It is 12.5cm long, 5cm in diameter and suitable for use in a rifle grenade system. The hexanite version has a casualty radius of 20m, and all versions have an eight second fuse.

    The Eierhandgranate is the smallest entry, at only 315 grams (diameter 4.6cm, length 6cm, suitable for all rifle grenade systems.) A fragmentation grenade with only a 32g filling of explosives, it has a 32g charge, and a casualty radius of only 15m. The fuse is five seconds, and it can be thrown 30m with some degree of accuracy, making it suitable for all uses.

    From this, the option exists to downselect specific promising models for testing or to continue straight on to full testing. Vote will be by line, because I'm fucking done.

    Mortars:
    [ ] Zeitz
    [ ] Suhl

    Rifle Grenade Systems:
    [ ] Arbatescu
    [ ] Durand

    Flamethrowers:
    [ ] Fiedlergerat

    Hand Grenades:
    [ ] Vinchenzo
    [ ] Halkh
    [ ] Eierhandgranate
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I'm in favor of testing all three grenades, both launchers, both mortars, and scrapping the flamethrower entirely.
     
    >I'm fucking done

    yeah no shit 3/2 got nearly 10k words waiting for this.

    [X] Test everything.
     
    We are obviously going to whore ourselves out to madam Arbatescu again, but goddam do I want to give father Zeitz a hug. Can we keep him? Perhaps as some sort of special consultant?
     
    NothingNow said:
    The first mortar, designed by Father Karl Zeitz ... to scare birds away from his garden. The relevant police reports suggest a maximum range of about 800m using the 800g noisemaker bomb he cooked up. Father Zeitz has submitted his design as part of a bid to avoid prosecution.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Wow. This was not the quest I expected to find top-tier comedy in, but everything has gone better than expected. That's just great.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top