Post by echo12 on Jan 21, 2016 6:27:06 GMT
Electromagnetic Rail Anti-Material Rifle
This is the heavy weapon system known as the ERAMR (Electromagnetic Rail Anti-Material Rifle), or by the troops that use it as "The Big One," although it is disputed if this is due to the size of the weapon, the damage caused by impact, or the massive power requirements.
When carried by standard infantry, the weapon requires a crew of two. One person carries the six foot long weapon itself, which fortunately folds at the base of the barrel for ease of transport. The other transports the ammunition and the massive battery packs, each of which measures 25cm long and 15 cm wide. These packs are disposable and cheap batteries, but the weapon can be used with larger, higher capacity batteries. As such, the other, more common means of deployment is with a suit of power armor. Soldiers who use it with suits of powered armor must use specially modified armor to cope with the ridiculous power requirements.
Rapid fire can feel natural at first, due to the lack of conventional recoil, but such behavior is drummed out of trainees within the first weeks of training, as taking too many shots too quickly can empty the battery quite rapidly, and leave a soldier in a powered exoskeleton laying helpless on the ground, a frozen metal statue. However, the ERAMR is functionally identical to other railguns in use, albeit much, much larger.
The unique part of this weapon is the ammunition. The caliber of the weapon (15mm) permits much larger and more complex rounds than can be fired from a standard railgun. The two most common ammo types are CPTP rounds and standard kinetic penatrators. The CPTP (Copper-Plasma Tipped Penatrator) round is made of a hollow tugsten body with a copper head. The hollow space in the body is filled with argon. When the round is energized by the magnetic rails, the argon becomes a plasma, generating a massive amount of heat and pressure. The tugsten body of the round can withstand this pressure, but the impact breaks the thinner tugsten wall between the argon and the copper. This creates a flash of plasma and a molten copper penetrator moving at hypersonic speeds. The CPTP shell is notorious for the purple flashes of argon released on impact, and the massive penetrating power of the copper penetrator has been known to shear through tanks. Indeed, many armored units will flee upon sight of the purple glare created on impact. However, the MRAMR can also fire a variety of more... exotic rounds. Among these are flechette cluster rounds, bolo rounds, plasma burst rounds, and so many more. A large enough barrel for use of SABOT rounds and a powerful enough weapon to fire incredibly heavy projectiles permits a nearly infinite variety of so-called "oddball" custom rounds.
The only downside to the ERAMR other than the size is the massive, twenty-foot plume of smoke and sparks that spews from the barrel on firing. Most ERAMRs are equipped with muzzle breaks, to vent the smoke to the sides, but it is still impossible to fire one in a subtle manner from close range. Due to this, most engagements are from far enough away that the targets cannot easily spot the sniper or return fire.
This is the heavy weapon system known as the ERAMR (Electromagnetic Rail Anti-Material Rifle), or by the troops that use it as "The Big One," although it is disputed if this is due to the size of the weapon, the damage caused by impact, or the massive power requirements.
When carried by standard infantry, the weapon requires a crew of two. One person carries the six foot long weapon itself, which fortunately folds at the base of the barrel for ease of transport. The other transports the ammunition and the massive battery packs, each of which measures 25cm long and 15 cm wide. These packs are disposable and cheap batteries, but the weapon can be used with larger, higher capacity batteries. As such, the other, more common means of deployment is with a suit of power armor. Soldiers who use it with suits of powered armor must use specially modified armor to cope with the ridiculous power requirements.
Rapid fire can feel natural at first, due to the lack of conventional recoil, but such behavior is drummed out of trainees within the first weeks of training, as taking too many shots too quickly can empty the battery quite rapidly, and leave a soldier in a powered exoskeleton laying helpless on the ground, a frozen metal statue. However, the ERAMR is functionally identical to other railguns in use, albeit much, much larger.
The unique part of this weapon is the ammunition. The caliber of the weapon (15mm) permits much larger and more complex rounds than can be fired from a standard railgun. The two most common ammo types are CPTP rounds and standard kinetic penatrators. The CPTP (Copper-Plasma Tipped Penatrator) round is made of a hollow tugsten body with a copper head. The hollow space in the body is filled with argon. When the round is energized by the magnetic rails, the argon becomes a plasma, generating a massive amount of heat and pressure. The tugsten body of the round can withstand this pressure, but the impact breaks the thinner tugsten wall between the argon and the copper. This creates a flash of plasma and a molten copper penetrator moving at hypersonic speeds. The CPTP shell is notorious for the purple flashes of argon released on impact, and the massive penetrating power of the copper penetrator has been known to shear through tanks. Indeed, many armored units will flee upon sight of the purple glare created on impact. However, the MRAMR can also fire a variety of more... exotic rounds. Among these are flechette cluster rounds, bolo rounds, plasma burst rounds, and so many more. A large enough barrel for use of SABOT rounds and a powerful enough weapon to fire incredibly heavy projectiles permits a nearly infinite variety of so-called "oddball" custom rounds.
The only downside to the ERAMR other than the size is the massive, twenty-foot plume of smoke and sparks that spews from the barrel on firing. Most ERAMRs are equipped with muzzle breaks, to vent the smoke to the sides, but it is still impossible to fire one in a subtle manner from close range. Due to this, most engagements are from far enough away that the targets cannot easily spot the sniper or return fire.
