Small Arms Commission Quest

[NothingNow]

You are Anton Varsa, Undersecretary of Small Arms Development for the Royal and Imperial Army Ordnance Board. Your job is to supervise the development of man-portable weapons for the cavalry, infantry and special troops.

Three weeks ago the neighboring Empire of Balkhchivan publicly announced the introduction of a repeating rifle using a smokeless propellant which gives the Balkh military a massive advantage in firepower and range. With what little information is available about the system, you have been charged to develop a new service rifle for the Royal and Imperial Army to close this gap, or possibly reverse it. Of course if you fail, or take too long Balkhchivan could take back all of the gains from the Dravan War of Succession and negate everything your son died for.

First thing first, you will assemble a commission of six others to assist yourself in developing a new cartridge, and then a rifle to match it. The General Staff and Emperor are keenly interested in the project and would like to see a set of working prototypes within six months, with full production and deployment beginning in two years at the latest.

Possible candidates for your team include:
(choose SIX)

[] SR Tidur, Engineer for the Ordinance Board, expert in designing for manufacturability.
[] Captain RI Else, Only member of the Navy Commission behind the adoption of the Navy's Hanner Magazine rifle not jailed for the misuse of crown funds.
[] AQ Helkh, explosives chemist.
[] Abram Topani, firearms designer.
[] Fan Dogali, explosives chemist.
[] Bursa Jan, firearms designer.
[] Parsival Smyd, ballistics expert.
[] Jan Nieminen, Cavalry officer.
[] Sandor Ivalko, Infantry officer.
[] Herceg Kaila of Kapan, Prince of the Blood and amateur firearms designer.​

With six of these men selected you will immediately begin considering what sort of cartridge you want for the new rifle, before working on the rifle itself.

 

[NothingNow]

Welcome to Small Arms Committee Quest, in which you will play not firearms designer, but the poor bastards who have to play politics and satisfy everyone to meet someone else's idea of an operational need. This game starts with the development of smokeless powder and will continue basically until I run out of shit to do. To keep up the pace and holding down the complexity, each update will be limited to a single vote, be it an open-ended one like writing up a proposal or a simple downselection of options.

The first competition will serve as a tutorial, and I will explain the system as we go through each stage of the development process including mass production and introduction to service.

There will be seven phases to each commission:

• Stage one is Personal Management. Where you decide which six other people go on your Board and their perks; how designers feel about you, and what your Team looks like.
• Stage two is Design Studies. This gives you an idea what the various stakeholders actually want, and more importantly which designers to solicit bids from.
• Stage three is Design Solicitation. Each design submitted has a broad range of potential stats, as well as a set of traits. Each designer has a distinct personality which will color their designs and their interactions with the Commission. Ends in a downselect to a handful of promising designs.
• Stage four is Competition. Stat ranges from stage three are narrowed and if tests go well then a hint as to which end of the guns numbers is given. Ends in a downselect to one gun, and this may take multiple stages of competition.
• Stage five is Test Production. Number ranges from stages three and four are eliminated for a single fixed number in all stats, as the gun is field tested and fine tuned. This stage may be repeated if a weapons system is particularly troublesome or develops issues in the field.
• Stage six is Serial Production. You will be responsible for solving any headaches that surface here. Have fun with that.
• Stage seven is Integration and introduction to service. This takes 8-36 months, and can be beset with issues. You also have to fix these.

Stats for the purpose of the game will include subjective numbers for Serviceability, Accuracy, and Reliability, as well as hard numbers for things like magazine capacity, weight, range and cartridge statistics.

Firearms designers are a unique and flighty breed, and tend to be a bit difficult as people. Each designer has their own preferences, political connections and means of interpreting a proposal, and will bring these to each design. While sitting on a commission their personality quirks may also influence their decision-making. However, they are also invaluable for sorting through the hacks and charlatans who occasionally try to pull a fast one on the commission.

 

[NothingNow]

The Repeating Rifle Commission will be composed of:

• [you] Anton Varsa
• [14] Parsival Smyd, ballistics expert.
• [12] SR Tidur, Engineer for the Ordinance Board, expert in designing for manufacturability.
• [12] Sandor Ivalko, Infantry officer.
• [10] Abram Topani, firearms designer.
• [9] Captain RI Else, Only member of the Navy Commission behind the adoption of the Navy's Hanner Magazine rifle not jailed for the misuse of crown funds.
• [8] AQ Helkh, explosives chemist.

Click to shrink...

With the Commission now assembled, you begin work on a cartridge. Each member of the commission has their own preferences and arguments on the subject, because of course they do. You have been able to secure a type of double-base propellant which should be shelf-stable enough for long-term ammunition storage and is about two and a half times more effective as a propellant than black powder.

Parsival Smyd has been talking up a big game about small bore high-velocity rounds in the six to seven millimeter range, which should be half the weight of the old cartridge and be able to push out to 1500m fairly easily, with a relatively large portion of that being point-blank range. Terminal effects may be an issue, but Smyd insists that the lighter weight and lighter recoil with less muzzle flash will allow both firing lines to keep up a much higher rate of fire than possible with a medium bore cartridge.

SR Tidur would like something easy to headspace and build a magazine around, to speed production. Ideally it would be bevel-rimmed and straight-walled to ease feeding without sacrificing ease of headspacing. Alternatively, a bottlenecked cartridge based on the present 11mm black powder round would be easiest to produce on existing ammunition production lines, and would ease possible rechambering of existing weapons as a stop gap and for second-line troops as well as enabling the one million 11mm guns presently in inventory to stay in inventory.

Sandor Ivalko is unconcerned with the weight of ammunition, as the army expects to fight mostly along rail-lines, and other lines of supply and communication that will reduce the need for troops to haul hundreds of rounds of ammunition on their person or pack animals. Ivalko can see Smyd and Else's points on small bore-high velocity ammunition, but wants a medium bore cartridge like 8-9.3mm that has excellent first-round knock down power and resistance to wind deflection out to 1700m (which is where the Balkh cartridge supposedly reaches its limits,) while being able to kill a horse and the horse behind it with one shot at close range. Additionally, Ivalko is interested in something rimless and straight walled so it will be easy to feed in the self-loading automatic weapons he expects to become practical with the introduction of smokeless powder, as well as existing rotary machine guns.

Abram Topani thinks Tidur is full of shit when it comes to the difficulty of headspacing, and wants a straight-walled rimless case with a decent shoulder on it, again because of the ease of feeding in self-loading designs, and because it makes a box magazine that much easier. Possibly this is in a medium medium bore cartridge of between 7 and 8mm to try and get the best of both worlds. Otherwise Topani is usually more busy playing around with cardstock and wax pens in meetings to express too much of an opinion about anything else.

RI Else wants a small bore super-high velocity cartridge purely for armor penetration at range, and insists that if adopted by the Army, the Navy could be convinced to adopt it as well easing supply headaches for all involved. Ideally it would also be designed for easy feeding and simple headspacing so as to ease use in self-loading guns. Else also says that beveled rim cartridges feed just fine from box magazines, provided there is a relatively slight taper. Else doesn't really worry about knockdown effect at range, fully expecting velocity, and the propensity for long projectiles to tumble inside a body to make up the difference.

AQ Helkh expresses some reservation at the idea of super-high velocity ammunition, pointing out that even with the double-base propellant the commission has been able to secure production of this would still require a sizable charge and a long barrel, necessitating a particularly strong action. Helkh has noted however that the Artillery and Mountain Troops' present rolling blocks and falling-block rifles are strong enough to take any reasonable smokeless cartridge, and has proposed simply converting 11mm to smokeless powder and a jacketed bullet or bottlenecking it down to something more longer ranged. This obviously would create some unique requirements for a magazine fed weapon like the Infantry and Cavalry need, but would allow for wider deployment of the new cartridge sooner and at a much lower cost which has it's obvious political appeal.

Options:

[] Convert existing 11mm (26g) cartridge directly from black powder to smokeless, with a new jacketed bullet.
[] Develop a new cartridge:​

Basic design:​

[] Bottleneck down from 11mm
[] Develop a new straight walled cartridge​

Rim:​

[] Rimless design for easier feeding in automatic weapons (this may hamper ejection.)
[] Beveled rim for easier headspacing.​

Projectile size:​

[] 9.3mm (18.5g)
[] 9.3mm (15g)
[] 8mm (14.6g)
[] 8mm (12.8g)
[] 6.5mm (10.1g)
[] 6.5mm (9g)​

Given that this is a relatively delicate vote, it will be vote by plan. Powder loads and muzzle velocity will be roughly inversely proportional to weight, with 11mm and 9.3mm being glorified spud guns out at 2km. Needless to say if you mess up here, the only thing you can do later on is mitigation. Unless it's a political screw up, in which case you're fucked. You've been around long enough to not make mistakes like that right?

 

[NothingNow]

With the commission having settled on an 8x58mm (14.6g projectile) rimmed cartridge using a 2.75g charge two weeks ago, it is time to review the various proposals for a new rifle to chamber it in, all using an army standard 76.7cm barrel.

AM Hanner has submitted a proposal for a cheaper, stronger variation of his Hanner Magazine rifle for the commission. It boasts a simpler five or ten round double-stack detachable box magazine system than the Navy Hanner did with a new anti-tilt follower, and uses a pair of symmetrical forward locking lugs in a split bridge receiver with the bolt handle acting as an emergency locking lug. It has Hanner's favorite half-cock safety on the bolt (which is also cock-on-close,) and a semi-fixed gas shield through which the bolt travels. Outside of a comatose RI Else, and an unamused Topani reaction from the commission has been cool, but positive.

Samu Holl introduced one of two lever action submissions, using a trick lever system to get the necessary stroke length. It uses a simple five round single stack fixed box magazine. The overall action is fairly strong looking system, locking up about as well as a rolling block or traditional falling block design. Being hammer fired, it is equiped with a halfcock safety familiar to anyone who has used a revolver or one of Holl's lever actions. Ivalko and Smyd are concerned about the complexity of the action, while Helkh considers it strong enough to be sufficiently future proof, and Else considers it above average as a whole.

An S. Arbatescu (a veteran of the Dravan War of Succession) submitted a radically simple bolt action with a fixed five round box magazine. The magazine is nothing to write home about, but the action is the second strongest submitted after the Kalia Kapan. It uses two solid short, and wide forward locking lugs on a fixed-bridge receiver that also has a cut-in to allow the bolt handle to function as a third locking lug. The simple bolt has only seven parts and is cock on open. The safety is designed to be operated using the palm of the hand, and is large enough to serve admirably as a gas shield. Topani, Tidur and Ivalko love the action, while Topani and Else do still hold the lack of a quick reloading option against it. Helkh thinks that this is the safest option for a shooter.

Someone named Sandor submitted a tube-loading wedge-locking straight-pull bolt. The safety is a trigger disconnector, and the magazine tube is long enough to accommodate six cartridges. Overall, the action is strong enough looking to be fairly futureproof. Tidur thinks it might be worthwhile to prototype if it ends up being easier to produce than the Arbatescu design, and while Ivalko likes tube magazines because they're inside the stock where they won't tear up uniforms like a projecting box magazine will, he thinks extraction might be an issue with a straight-pull. Topani is strongly distrusting of tube magazines and doesn't like how they affect individual accuracy and feed. Else holds the lack of a quick reloading option against it, like he does all of the tube magazine rifles.

Hendel Sholkh submitted one of two turn-bolt tube magazine rifles under consideration. The action is a stronger version of the army's current action, with two massive rear locking lugs and a fixed bridge with a cock on open bolt. The extractor is frankly overkill, the safety non-existent, and the magazine is nothing to write home about. The one place where the Sholkh rifle really shines is its sights, where Sholkh has taken the opportunity afforded by a fixed bridge to mount an aperture sight along with a flip-up leaf sight as far back as possible, creating a nearly 85cm sight radius versus an average 60cm sight radius on the other entrants. Tidur and Ivalko absolutely love it, while Topani thinks the magazine compromises what could possibly be the most accurate and all around best rifle in the competition.

Lars Schaubler has created one of three novel magazine systems to appear in front of this commission. While the action is near-identical to the Sholkh, the magazine is a unique rotary design with a removable spindle intended to be made out of a pair of bronze castings. The spindle is mechanically indexed like a revolver cylinder instead of the more conventional torsion spring, and can be loaded inside and out of the rifle. One of the major benefits is that Schaubler has created the single most controlled feed in a bolt action submitted, potentially reducing jamming. Tidur thinks the magazine system is overcomplicated and lacking in any real merit. Topani admitted he'd want one to play with, but he doesn't think the magazine is particularly suited for a military rifle. Ivalko and Else are willing to swallow the cost and complexity of a mechanically indexed rotor for having a quick loading rifle that won't tear up uniforms.

Uri Forb's entrant is another turn-bolt tube rifle. Unlike the Sholkh rifles, it is a fixed bridge symetrical front locking lug rifle. The Forb uses serrated lugs, creating a very strong yet fragile action because there is little to protect the individual serrations from the bolt stop. The Forb has provisions for standard sights in front of the chamber, a six round magazine, and does not have a safety. Ivalko likes the Forb design, while Tidur thinks it too complicated for a tube loader. Else has said that if the Army Commision doesn't adopt it for testing, he'll refer Forb to the Navy, who might like it. Topani thinks the bolt needs work and a safety, and that tube magazines are terrible.

Abram Topani took the liberty of submitting his own design. It is a split bridge action with a pair of symmetrical and vertical front locking lugs (which also features a bolt lug protector on one side and uses the bolt handle as an emergency locking lug,) and provisions for whatever sights the commission settles on. Compared to the Arbatescu, Forb and Kaila Kapan rifles the action is weak, although still on par with the Hanner and superior to the Sholkh actions. Topani's major advancement is the Packet Loader, which uses a single directional five round cartridge holder to load the rifle's box magazine and provide a pair of disposable feed lips. The Packet cannot be topped up while in the magazine, is ejected free after firing the last round, and dramatically speeds loading compared to anything but the Hanner rifle. This comes with the disadvantage that like the Schaubler and Holl, it cannot have a magazine disconnect. Topani is naturally convinced his action is good enough, while the packet loader is the best magazine in the competition. Helkh likes it as well, but wants a stronger action. Tidur thinks the whole idea is limited, impractical at present, and would be almost as much trouble to introduce as Hanner's detachable magazines or Schaubler's removable spindle. Ivalko would like it if the packet loader could be mated with the Arbatescu action, because even if he is used to ordering volleys packet loading is too big an advantage.

Doctor Hoel Frankengatsch submitted a second straight-pull design, this one using helical grooves in the bolt body to provide rotational force off a linear pull. The safety is a simple trigger disconnector controlled from the front of the trigger guard, which looks fairly ergonomic. Frankengatsch's big ticket item is however his unique five round magazine. It is loaded through a gate on the side of the rifle in front of the bolt handle, and wraps under and around the action to feed from the opposite side. The major advantages are that the action does not need to be open to load the magazine, and that it has both an extremely controlled feed and a magazine disconnect. Topani is curious to see it actually run, considering it inferior to his own work, but does admit that the controlled feed and a strong straight-pull action could make the Frankengatsch incredibly accurate, reliable and fast to shoot. Tidur thinks it is overly complicated for the troops and mass production, and that it will inevitably have issues with extraction, Else just thinks it too expensive to produce in quantity. Ivalko directly endorsed it for prototyping, citing that the promise of accurate and quick fire is more than worth the added cost and complexity.

Herceg Kaila of Kapan submitted a variant or close relative of the Arbatescu action. The safety is identical, and bolt construction similar enough to show more than a slight family resemblance. Where the Kaila Kapan shows improvements is in further gas management and overall locking strength. The Kaila Kapan has two more forward facing gas relief ports drilled into the barrel extension, as well as an optional breech shroud to protect the action from mud and debris, and the shooter from any failure of the action. Improving on the Arbatescu's lugs, the Kalia Kapan replaces the two short but wide lugs with two sets of serrated lugs as well as a fourth lug/lug protector to prevent damage from the bolt stop. It is overall less elegant than the Arbatescu, but Herceg Kaila seems confident that the action is the strongest repeating action available in the country. The Magazine is otherwise a five round single stack box magazine, and generic enough as to not be worth discussion. Topani dislikes it because it lacks the elegance and ergonomics of the Arbatescu, but admits it would make for a great express rifle, and the optional cover could help in extreme conditions. Tidur also considers it overkill compared to the Arbatescu, too expensive compared to its advantages, and not really worth dragging along to the next phase. Else thinks it would be a better fit with the navy. Ivalko wants it to continue along because it isn't that much more expensive, but should be able to handle worse weather and treatment than anything else will and because with the Topani packet loader, it seems to represent an optimal design for the commision.

Choose FIVE guns for the downselect before prototyping. You may include suggested modifications, like magazine changes, the inclusion or deletion of a safety etc.
[] Hanner
[] Holl
[] Arbatescu
[] Sandor
[] Sholkh
[] Schaubler
[] Forb
[] Topani
[] Frankengatsch
[] Kaila Kapan

 

[7734]

Looking out of his workshop, Herceg Kalia grumbled and started looking over his designs. He'd built and prototyped a few rifles for him and his friend's hunting trips, and, well… they'd all broken.

Multiple times.

It was kinda insulting, really. He'd built good guns, and he knew they were good. They also just had the bad habit of not working because of something. His personal thoughts were that his friends were loading overly hot rounds or something, but losing guns to what could have been his own fault was tooth-grinding. As such, he needed to build a new design. A stronger design.

The first step was naturally finding something to copy. Herceg wasn't a fool; he knew exactly how terrible his one attempt at an original rolling block had gone. He still had the blasted remains of the gun in a wood box when he felt bad, after it had missfired when he'd fallen from his horse. Serving as both an excellent lesson as to not leave one in the chamber and to shock-proof the sides of the action, he'd also kept it because he didn't want to forget his first original design.

Of course, this design wasn't going to just be for him, it was up for the Army to look into buying. As much as he was miffed he didn't get picked to be on the selection board himself, Herceg understood he was only a minor prince of the Blood. His influence had limits. Sneaking a rifle into the competition, though, that was well within them. He'd already drawn up the designs, a riff on the Arbatscetu's double front lug with some serrations added, a notch for the bolt handle to serve as a lug, and a stopping lug on top of all that. Just in case, an added set of gas ports would serve to make barrel obstruction or even removal a minor inconvenience, as well as a dust cover because keeping junk out was the first step to not needing any of the above. He'd had to make the magazine feed to the bolt a little narrower than he'd have liked, but it would work as long as nobody screwed around with it. The 8mm straight round had what he'd call mediocre at best range characteristics when he tested it on a quick and dirty rebuild of a Model 68 Mountain Carbine, but for some reason it handled worse out of longer rifles.

Herceg would save the complaining for other people though, while he designed his furniture. Despite the slightly too narrow entrance feed, the very full furniture his cousin (who made expert carpentry and more than a few of his guns' stocks) and he had agreed on made sure that the magazine well was deep enough to host the full five rounds, instead of the typical five-round magazine that could hold five rounds in theory but in practice could only have five rounds loaded if the bolt was open and empty. Said cousin had debated Herceg on going for a design with a zig-zagging magazine arrangment, but the amature gunsmith had declined. Keeping a straight feed was very important, and trying to negotiate a wider stack wasn't in the cards right now. Maybe on a variant rifle he could look into something like that- perhaps a mountain carbine version, or cavalry rifle. In the meantime, though, his main concern was just winning his way into the prototype round of the competition.

Overviewing his plans one last time, Herceg scrolled the materials shut and packed them into their travel cases, along with his unmodified prototype rifle. It was time to see what they thought of his gun, and make a name for himself!

 

[NothingNow]

With five firearms selected, and four barrels sent out to every winning designer, the competition begins in earnest.

The Holl design received one upgrade between the design proposal stage and testing, getting a lever latch to prevent it from flopping around on the march or on horseback. The testing team reports that the new latch works extremely well. They also report although the drop lever is unusual feeling at first and fairly complex it becomes second nature to use very quickly, and makes for good extraction and ejection. With the lever latch, the halfcock makes the action perfectly safe and allows someone to carry it on a galloping horse with a round in the chamber without worrying about accidental discharge or unintentional ejection. Loading individual rounds through the top of the action is fairly awkward though given the narrow action, and the testing team does not like how open the entire action is during loading. Feeding is adequate, if nothing special. The supplied ladder sight is derived from the sight on the presently in service M.830 cavalry carbine, lacks windage adjustment or anything particularly fancy, and doesn't represent any improvement or reduction in quality. The action survived overpressure testing, but became noticeably stiffer and harder to lock.

The Holl that was deliberately rusted while open didn't come out particularly far ahead due to testing methodologies, but the whole action is extremely well sealed against dust and mud when closed and handled that round of testing well. Accuracy after rusting and abuse is not particularly bad, increasing by only point six minutes of angle to just about two point three MoA. The team estimates that peak possible accuracy on the rifle is about one point five mil when hand fitted, and mass produced versions could hit maybe three MoA on a good day. Estimated cost in mass production would be about 2 Thalers 15±20 Kreutzer.

Lars Schaubler's abomination has tested surprisingly well. The action is very familiar to the testing team, and works well enough and boasts an upgraded extractor and ejector over the M.825 rifle. It has no safety, but infantry doctrine does not call for the circumstances in which one would be necessary anyway. Loading from the top of the action is interesting and something of a challenge at first, albeit one probably overcome by training, but the two piece bronze spindle is easy to load outside of the gun and holds ammunition securely. One of the reports included a note that if unloaded, the spindle is also heavy enough that it'd make for a passable flail if it was in a strong enough sock. Insertion of the spindle from underneath is easy, and the mechanical indexing system actuated by the bolt is smooth and surprisingly robust. The feed is incredibly controlled as well, and was almost unable to jam during testing. Only one rifle was destroyed in testing, from an overpressure round cracking one lug and creating a jet of gas that would have blinded the shooter and another needed the extractor off the broken rifle after breakage.

The Schaubler that was rusted while open suffered a near complete failure to index, but the closed rifle was sealed enough against dust and debris to compare favorably with other rifles. However, in both cases, the bolt is still extremely smooth, indicating that the problem lies in the finely fitted and revolver like indexing gears. Accuracy after rusting did not drop off dramatically, only decreasing by point two Minutes of Angle to about one point eight. Peak accuracy when hand fitted is estimated to be one point four MoA, with mass produced versions estimated to top out at 1.8 MoA. Estimated cost in mass production would be 2 Thalers 73±30 Kreutzer.

Topani's rifle works. It works quite well. The bolt is good enough, the action extracts and ejects well under most conditions and in general it is a perfectly competent action. The flag safety provided is a bit fiddly for the taste of the commission, but blocks the striker in a very robust way. The sights are frankly unique and fiddly compared to a ladder sight. The cavalry officers hate it because it will absolutely tear up a scabbard if used on a carbine. The main benefit of the action, and its weak point is the packet loader. Disposable/ "semi-reusable" feed lips were a problem on the Hanner Magazine Rifle, and they're a problem here. Barely visible deformations to the packet effect feeding dramatically. This isn't expected to be a problem in normal use since packets use tinplate, and would cost at absolute most a kreutzer each versus the ten kreutzer for five rounds in each packet, but reusing the twenty provided packets during testing caused no end of problems. Feeding the packets in is however extremely easy, they lock in securely, and using five new packets, managed to set a record of twenty five rounds in fifty seconds. one rifle was destroyed in overpressure testing, shearing a locking lug, but did not do so in a way that would not injure the shooter.

The Topani entry handled the rusting tests fairly well, with no real discernable difference in performance, even if the trigger was stiffer, and lock time noticeably longer. Again, making much of the magazine basically disposable does a good job of isolating some problems, and makes it fairly easy to clean. Initial Accuracy was the worst of the tested batch, dropping from one point nine MoA to two point two after rusting. Theoretical maximum accuracy when handfitted is around one point five MoA, with a mass produced model maybe hitting three MoA. Estimated cost of production would be 1 Thaler 120±20 Kreutzer.

The Arbatescu entry was presented to the testing team by S. Arbatescu's young widow who claims to be the actual designer, Mrs. Simona Arbatescu. The action is smooth, simple, and durable. Ejection failure did not happen, the ejector took anything thrown at it with little complaint. The safety is extremely simple to use, and works with palm pressure, meaning it remains useful with frostbitten hands or heavy mittens. The sights are simple and functional developments of the M.830 Cavalry carbine's ladder sights, and like the rest of the rifle cheap and quick to make and more than durable enough to do the job. The overall rifle was explicitly designed to be strong and cost-effective to produce, requiring minimal amounts of components, machining and hand fitting, while still retaining a magazine cut-off just in case. Which is an unusual position to take for a bespoke rifle company like Arbatescu's but of maximum importance for a government contract. Loading is easy, feeding is reliable enough, and like the Kaila Kapan, the testing team was unable to damage the rifles or create simulated injuries in overpressure tests, although this did not extend to the same sadistic levels as occured with the Kaila Kapan.

Mrs. Arbatescu's rifle survived the rusting tests with minimal apparent issue, with observed accuracy decreasing from one point two to one point four MoA, mostly from a longer lock time. Cleaning was a bit of an issue, but less than on any tested rifle aside from the Kaila Kapan. Theoretical maximum accuracy of the rifle is about one minute of angle when hand fitted, and just over two MoA when mass produced. Estimated cost of production would be 1 Thaler 30±20 Kreutzer.

Herceg Kaila of Kapan's rifle is the final entry in the testing stage, and was also produced by the Arbatescu factory (Herceg Kaila having apparently bought rights to some of the patents to make some of his own improvements to the late S. Arbatescu's original design.) More complex than the Arbatescu design, the Kaila Kapan is stronger to an absolutely pointless degree. The action is smooth, the optional cover (a tinplate stamping with a hole cut in it for the bolt bent over a mandrel) does not create any problems, and the ejector is similarly simple and overbuilt. The sights are the same as the Arbatescu, as is the magazine, safety and magazine cut-off, and most of the differences come from the far more complex and expensive bolt design on the Kaila Kapan. In overpressure testing, the Kaila Kapan was impossible to damage to a point that would be impossible to repair, with even a steel rod welded into the barrel being dealt with safely, and no permanent damage to the rifle outside the obviously ruined barrel.

The Kaila Kapan did not handle rust particularly well when open thanks to the fine fitting of the teeth, but still managed a respectable level of accuracy. Cleaning any fouling out of the chamber was fairly simple, and while it didn't take debris being introduced to the action particularly well, the cover would obviously prevent most debris from entering anyway. Accuracy as tested was one point one MoA initially, declining to one point five MoA. Theoretical maximum accuracy is sub-one MoA, the best accuracy predicted off an assembly line is predicted to be two point two to two point three MoA. Estimated cost in mass production would be 1 Thaler 130±30 Kreutzer.

With initial testing done, the commission is now available to offer feedback or mix and match components for a second round of testing to improve on the offerings and make a better service rifle. Eg this is an open vote by plan. Go nuts.

EDIT:

Actually since I'm a derp, have a format for this shit.
[-] Holl
- [-] Modification.
[-] Schaubler
- [-] Modifications
[-] Topani
-[-] Modifications
[-] Arbatescu
-[-] Modifications
[-] Kaila Kapan
-[-] Modifications.​

 

[NothingNow]

With their modified designs in hand, Topani, Holl and Arbatescu return to the trials. Each bringing four more rifles, all with fresh barrels. None of the rifles has increased notably in price.

Topani has increased the size of the bolt lugs and modified their shape to make them more resistant to shearing. Otherwise, little has changed, and the rifle remains a solid performer. The specific examples given are much stiffer, and frequently require more manhandling than the original version. Topani blames this on poor worksmanship, but given the fit and finish, it might be bad measurements on the drawings. Estimated cost of production would still be 1 Thaler 120±20 Kreutzer.

The Arbatescu design returns, and with a near-direct copy of the patented Topani magazine. The packet release lever is integrated into the trigger guard, and can be easily operated by an index finger or thumb. Although the packet tends to slop around a bit in the magazine, tolerances can be tightened for the production version, as like the Topani and Holl entries into the second round this is as much an attempt to get something out the door as it is anything else. Estimated cost of production would now be 1 Thaler 50±30 Kreutzer.

The Holl has some issues. It is still a Holl design, and works very well when it does work, but on a couple of the rifles, parts were mixed up with versions that had not been adjusted for the wider receiver. The testing team's gunsmith managed to cobble together a working example from the two rifles without having to hand fit parts however. The Holl has a packet release lever modeled after a revolver ejector rod on the side of the magazine, with a flip over latch to hold it in place, and prevent the lever from being accidentally used. Otherwise the Holl works reliably, and like the Topani and Arbatescu, has passed the repeated tests with flying colors. Estimated cost in mass production would be about 2 Thalers 25±20 Kreutzer.

With all three only showing issues related to packet design and wear, a choice remains for the commission: further refine promising designs, or pick one (or more) design(s) and proceed to field trials.
Once again voting will be by plan, and you all know the drill.

 

[NothingNow]

Vote Called, three gun won and I'll be working on an update slowly.

Also,thar be a discord now because I'm desperate to promote my other shit, and it's just easier to ask me questions there.

 

[NothingNow]

With 150 guns of each design given to a company of conscripts each, plus a company using the existing rifle, a test battalion was hastily assembled and set out into the field to test conditions across the empire, particularly in likely conflict zones. Those poor bastards mostly survived the year (outside the usual losses to malaria, exposure, and shoddy pitons.) So with only twenty dead, the reports are in.

Company Anton received one hundred Holl rifles (the remainder being held as spares,) and lived with them from basic training until the end of the year. They like the build quality, the sights weren't a problem, and the only rifle they managed to break beyond repair took a thousand foot drop with the assigned conscript. Unlike the examples in testing, parts replacement could quickly become time consuming due to the need to occasionally hand fit multiple parts at the same time. Outside that it was handy in most conditions, and only ever a problem to shoot prone, which led to somewhat of a lower average score for marksmanship during the trials. Of course one dumbass managed to break his hand while cycling the action but this might have been deliberate, given that it was the man's left hand. The final survey of the troops was positive, with very little feedback on what could be done to make it better.

Company Berta was equipped with the Topani rifle. One of the major problems with it was not so much loss as it was how stiff the actions were, with more than a few having been broken from being kicked open. Fortunately, the bolts were easily replaced between guns, but were as stiff as the original. Otherwise, the rifles held up to abuse, but were found to be a bit fiddly in the cold compared to the Holl and Arbatescu designs. Needless to say Company Berta performed the worst in the alpine segment, and in the western forests because the design didn't seal as well as the Holl while being more fiddly than the Arbatescu. Needless to say, it was not popular in the final survey, with more feedback on improvements than anything else.

The Arbatescu was very well received by Company Cäsar. It had few problems, although the action got a bit stiff in cold weather due to the lubricants issued. Otherwise, the weapon was easy to safe, easy to clean, and thanks to the simple bolt design easy to keep clean. All in mountaineering mittens. Needless to say the troops loved it, and most failures were from drops breaking stocks and other user error. Company Cäsar continually outperformed Anton, Berta and Dora in testing, receiving higher marks in prone accuracy, cleaning times, and operational readiness. Maintenance was occasionally an issue, with single piece bolt bodies and the flat springs in the magazine that hold the packet in place proving to be the largest problem, since individual components cannot be sized for easier replacement or less hand fitting. The main complaint about the Arbatescu was the lack of a better sealed action compared to the Holl, otherwise survey results were extremely good.

One year of expensive trials later, the high command is quite ready to just adopt something already so we can get to issuing please god. Naturally now comes the time to down-select to one rifle to adopt.

 

[NothingNow]

Having finally settled on the Arbatescu, the design is immediately put into production by the state arsenal system. Rather, it would be but there was a three week delay when some of the tooling jigs intended for the Joachimsthal arsenal accidentally got sent to the state artillery factory in Kaštela (which doesn't even make anything under 20cm, making the mix-up even more mystifying.)

After this, production is a breeze, with ammunition plants establishing packet facilities as well, and in general production actually exceeds expectations slightly thanks to just how easy the Arbatescu is to make. With the delays at the Joachimsthal plant, total production by the end of Fiscal Year 850 (or slightly less than six months production) is about 175 000 rifles, and a little over one twenty hundred million rounds of ammunition. This comes out to, at 1 Thaler 75k a rifle, and 2 thaler 15 for 300 rounds of ammunition, 262 500 Thalers for the rifles, and 840 000 Thalers for the Ammunition, or 1 102 500 Thalers total for the year's production. Mrs. Arbatescu received another 200 000 thalers for her services to the crown, while Abram Topani collected 300 000 thalers.

Furthering the shipping woes the train cars carrying finished rifles have occasionally been sent to the wrong places, with cavalry units being sent long rifles when carbine production hasn't even begun. Needless to say, by the end of FY 850, only the 1. Garde-Infanterie-Division and the Infantry divisions of the Fürst zu Kreißch's III Korps were fully equipped with the Arbatescu rifle, with the rest of the Gardekorps and II Korps beginning the transition process, and total conversion including cavalry and artillery carbines (totaling some 1 530 000 rifles and carbines) should be complete by the end of FY 855, with production scheduled to taper off through FY860 to replace current reserve arms.

Needless to say, with the Gardekorps and III Korps extremely happy with the rifle, you've somehow dodged a bullet and can move on with your life.

That's it. You guys lucked out and didn't roll anything that would cause an issue for production and integration that was actually your fault.
So March's competition starts Friday and will be Self-loading Pistols.