Database and Lore

Firearms of 24th Century Page 1

“Much as we think how much has changed, a gun is still a gun. Add a few improvements and it only remains the same. Only our social interpretations of it have made a genuine difference in how firearms operate,” Historian Gregory Smith. The history of firearms in the 24^th century has been one of a bumpy ride, but one that has never been fully lost since the dawning of the human race. Technological improvements have certainly seen some drastic changes in how guns can operate, but the principle has always remained the same. Only through history will a person genuinely decipher what has happened to personal firearms and their day-to-day impact on society and culture. 20^th Century Firearms Technically, all firearms are defined as a tool or weapon that is capable of firing a projectile. Their first usages go far beyond the 20^th  century. However, this page's goal is to remain focused on more current guns and how they evolved to the 24^th century. The greatest impact on guns, in general, was the 20^th century. There, rapid-fire guns could fire bullets that were created in mills or factories. A metal casing and primer were used to hold gunpowder into place that would be used to fire a metal round through a firing chamber until it was expelled from the barrel. Early firearms such as the Maxim machine gun would bring revolutionary changes that would affect wars such as World War 1. In the later years, other types of guns introduced by various nations on Earth would push the boundaries on new types of firearms. Future firearms, such as the AK 47, M1911, M1 Garand, M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun, and AR-15, would help allow bullets to be expelled at a faster rate, be cheap to manufacture, become more powerful, and influence the outcome of future conflicts. Firearms of the 20^th and 21^st centuries were known as “Cased Guns” or “Ancient Firearms” by the 24^th century. They were pretty loud as the gunshots would crack the air being fired at non- subsonic speeds. Outside was less of an issue, but inside of a room or building, the cracking air of the gunshot could cause hearing damage, especially if a person was subjected to it continuously. Various nations also had their own forms of laws or regulations in how a firearm was used, including the usage of hunting, home defense, military use regulations, possession, law enforcement regulation, and more. Cultural views constantly caused rules to be passed or even allow the free usage of firearms depending on the circumstances or events that were to transpire. As of the 24^th Century, most 20^th century guns are treated as replicas or historical artifacts. Gun enthusiasts and historians will go to great lengths to help ensure their operation, although the ability to find metal-cased bullets is much harder to find and obtain. Efforts were made to counter the issue of loud guns. Suppressors and subsonic bullets were created. This would help absorb and stop some of the high intense volume generated. At the same time, polymer-based firearms were being implemented to help reduce the cost while introducing better and better survivability in their usage. Various components would also see their signs of improvement. The laser gun and other various personal space weapons would actually have some of their first origins during this century. The TP-82 survival pistol was a standard-issue cosmonaut gun that was given to the early space explorers. These guns are considered to be some of the first innovations of what would become modern-day 24^th-century guns. The TP-82 was equipped with multiple barrels capable of firing shotgun shells and rifle rounds. It was never intended to be used in space but be used on the ground to help provide safety for the cosmonauts. Many 24^th century historians, even though claiming that the TP-82 wasn’t widely produced, were widely loved and respected in the later years due to having a gun that served more than just as a weapon for war, but having multiple usages in basic survival scenarios. The Soviet Laser Pistol would also see experimentation. The concept was to have a gun that could fire a beam of light onto a target. They could be fully employed in space, where new issues had risen with basic firearms. Propellants in the round being fired, safety issues of firing a gun inside of a spaceship, and recoil in zero gravity would prompt the effectiveness of future warfare, mainly when combat would occur in space. The prototype laser had severe flaws with the design, and it would become a problematic issue with early laser guns. The operational effectiveness gave it a very low range, had very little stopping power, and could do little damage. It was quite complex to build, even though it might have had some warrant in its intended role if the spacecraft were to be ever boarded by an opposing nation. In the end, it would take over a hundred years before laser weapons would start to gain more ground in usage. 21^st Century Firearms The dawning of the 21^st century would see the rise of commonplace rapid-fire guns. There were numerous guns that reigned during the era, including various technologies that would even survive as far as the 24^th century. Surprisingly, the only thing that would limit guns was the multiple societies in how they viewed them. Bullets could only be manufactured so quickly as popular demand for them would affect their prices. As a result, various firearms, such as the continuation of the Glock pistol and AR-15 rifles, were commonplace. However, the early 21^st century would see various changes in firearms as resource conflicts were growing more and more. This included having a gun that could operate in more and more environments. Laser guns were becoming more prevalent, and early experimentation in railguns and other portable caseless guns was being seen. Again, their usage was limited but offered various abilities. In space, heat could be a viable weapon and generate little recoil. On the ground, their ranges were acceptable, although their cost was much higher to make than the typical non- caseless guns. Technology was making guns more viable in combat. This included additional site improvements such as the regular usage of LMR, infrared scopes, better magnification lenses, more durable parts, and more efficiently built equipment. As space travel was starting to pick up, the priority of trying to combat the issues of internal personnel weapons began to increase. The introduction of caseless guns was becoming more and more mainstream. Guns such as the Survival Low Powered Caseless Gun (SLP-1) introduced by the United States would give an astronaut a survival weapon. It would later be adapted for usage by the United States Space Force program and become the standard sidearm for officers by the late 2090s. China would also adopt some of its own firearms for space combat as well. The science of the caseless gun was to introduce a firearm that no longer created shell casings. Inside a zero-gravity environment, the spent casings could quickly litter a location or environment. Early caseless guns, while viable, suffered from the high generation of heat that they produced. It would still take until the 22^nd  century before they would be fully implemented. Regardless, the science of the caseless round was rejecting the need for a metal case. Things such as hard propellant casings could be used when connected to a burnable primer. This would result in the entire round being burned and used to propel a metal projectile towards its target. This would further reduce the weight of the round and result in only heat, gases, and launched projectiles towards a target.  22^nd Century Firearms The 22^nd century would see the rise of standard-issue caseless guns and the implementation of recoilless guns in a hybridized form. Even with weapons such as the SLP-1, the recoil generated was a significant issue. By the time of 2100, marines and soldiers that operated on Luna complained of the recoil generated by simple firearms. Laser guns were a standard solution to this, but there had been attempts to counter them as well. Various metal refracting equipment, high costs, and practicality when compared to firing a metal projectile were commonplace when it came to the issues of lasers. A metal projectile simply could inflict the same amount of damage at a much lesser cost than a laser could, although it didn’t mean that their usage was wholly lost. The United States military, such as the United States Space Force, would instead introduce unique hybrid guns such as the Quick Mod Rifle. The QWR was revolutionary, being a recoilless rifle, caseless gun, and laser weapon in one unit. Space marines would be equipped with laser emitters and batteries that could easily swap out the firing chamber of the barrel with the laser emitter in less than a few seconds. This multi-adaptability allowed the rifle to be very well suited in a changing environment. What further made the gun remarkable was how the rear chamber was designed. The weapon would have to be fired from below the armpit or hip. The targeting sights would then be connected to the helmet or visor to allow the gunner to “see” where the gun was pointing. When the standard caseless rounds were fired, the expelled gases from the rear were measured to the gun's recoil to push back upon the user. This would cancel out the recoil that was generated. The QWR-2 model was a perfect revolutionary firearm, although care was needed in how the rifle was handled and fired. The only drawbacks of the gun were the higher costs required to produce them. Most military forces simply used caseless assault rifles or fabricated laser weapons on the ground. Other national space forces would develop their own recoilless rifles and personal laser weapons. Unfortunately, with all the advent of firearms, the biggest setback would ultimately occur with the evacuation of Earth. Many of the old firearms were discarded and left to gather dust in armories as humanity focused its attention on colonizing Mars. Many of the former QWRs and other firearms were brought on the military warships, although equipment such as magnetic boots would make the recoilless rifles less valued. 23^rd Century Firearms On Mars, personal firearms were banned for anybody to use, although the right to bear arms wasn’t a prevalent issue. Priority was to settle down and adjust to the cramped conditions of living in the Martian canyons. Only a few firearms were developed, and these were mainly for the Martian military or confiscated illegally manufactured guns. However, despite the restrictions, personal firearms did see some upgrades. The Martian military did introduce the Personal Defense Weapon Mark 1 or PDW-1, a revolutionary firearm that would become standard issue on all major firearms that stand as of the 24^th century. The rifle got rid of the modular system of the QWR and simply made the PDW an all-in-one weapon system. It incorporated both a caseless round firing system and a laser emitter in two separate firing chambers. With caseless rounds, the weight of the gun was virtually insignificant, and the rifle could hold at least 60 to 90 rounds of ammunition, not including the laser system. At the same time, the PDW-1 would also introduce the Rocket Propelled Sound Suppressor unit or RSPP. Prior to the introduction, many personal firearms had built-in suppressors. These wouldn’t cancel the audio of the gun blast altogether but would help prevent hearing damage when they were used.   Instead, the RSPP unit was the evolution of past suppressors. Bullets were constructed that can operate in these systems. When fired, the chamber would ignite a small rocket propellant. This would essentially turn the round into a mini rocket or microjet before leaving the barrel. The recoil generated was significantly less, and the stopping power of the bullets was just as powerful as any other round. At the same time, they had a tendency to crack the airless when adequately linked with the suppressor unit. In some cases, the RSPP is reminiscent of the original concept of Gyrojet technology but heavily refined. Caseless rounds have been constructed to serve as microjets linked with the hard-propellant burnable casing. The built-in suppressor can reduce the volume level while allowing the bullet to become very accurate while being able to hit at greater ranges. Unlike the ancient technology of the 20^th century, the RSPP guns are very accurate, just as cheap as typical caseless guns, are light, and generate little recoil. Even with such innovations, the RSPP units still had slightly higher costs than typical caseless guns. The PDW-1s suffered from unreliable breakages that would be finally be resolved in the later models to come. The Gabatrix experiment would obviously have an effect on personal firearms as well. Among one of them was the eventual introduction of brand-new worlds. Every colony started to define its own rules on guns, with some entirely welcoming the right to bear arms again. Even Mars would soften their rules to a point by allowing citizens from other worlds to freely bring in their firearms if they were moving to Mars. Every bullet and gun has its own identity tag to them, allowing all the shots to be traced to what fired the bullet and what gun fired what. Some colonies still have stringent laws on firearms, while others, such as Aphadus, have extremely few laws on them at all. Despite the upsurge in firearms in the later 23^rd century, the UHN marine corps had its share of setbacks. Makeshift assault transports were badly under-armed and poorly defended for their roles. The same could be said with the rifles. The PDW-1 was utterly obsolete and lacked the stopping power in being able to properly penetrate the mechanized armors that were being supplied to the marines. The UHN decided to overhaul their firearms greatly by introducing the PDW-5 that converted the PDW-1 rifle into a carbine. These guns would serve as the primary rifle for the basic enlistedmen while serving as a secondary gun for the marines. At the same time, the M14 was a light assault machine gun that would be used for power armor. The M14 is a 50- caliber advanced unit system. It was designed to connect to the suit having an ample supply of ammunition. Its targeting system allows the soldier to fire a spray of RSPP rounds at any target within the range of the gun with great precision. At the same time, a laser cannon would be equipped, although the laser system was primarily considered pointless due to the advanced ranges of the RSPP rounds. Older PDWs would eventually be converted into civilian guns and sold as the SS series rifles. 24^th Century Firearms By the 24^th century, firearms would see the latest upsurge in usage that would almost rival Earth’s past of the 20^th century. Various guns that mimicked older firearms or brand-new designs exist in many forms. It is practically impossible on this page alone to identify the hundreds of thousands of types that are out there. For now, most guns fall down to at least four main categories, although they can be easily interchangeable by design. 1. RSPP Caseless - Standard firearm. Generally, have a higher cost than most guns, but bullets are around the same price as standard Caseless. 2. Caseless/Sound Suppressor Built-In – Second most commonly found firearms that are equipped with a built-in suppressor unit. Lacks many of the technical innovations, although some guns are cheaper than the typical RSPP. 3. Ancient Guns – Anything built before the 23^rd  century. Guns of these types are hard to find and are typically museum or mock-up replicas. Bullets that use shell casings are hard to find but can be obtained for higher prices. This includes any technological items or accessories that can be fitted to the guns. It is possible for a person to manufacture bullets if they have the expertise, authorization, and equipment. 4. Laser Guns – Typically used for basic self- defense. Most laser guns are generally slightly higher price than the other guns, but their stopping power is questionable when compared to other firearms. The heat ray has limited built-in ranges, but the guns have certain abilities in being able to be charged up at home. They carry no recoil and don’t require bullets to fire. However, the damage they do isn’t that serious, sometimes requiring the target to stand still for over a second before noticing it. While many various companies manufacture guns, the military still holds importance in trying to stay ahead in carrying the best sidearms. While laser weapons have lost popularity, the UHN still builds a small amount of them for utility purposes. The PDW-11, introduced in the early 24^th century, would drop the laser emitter. Instead, it houses a larger compartment and magazine wells for rounds to be carried. Most typically have around 90 rounds. The PDW-20a in 2334 would continue the legacy of the PDW-11 in being the primary firearm for service members while serving as the secondary gun for the marines. The PDW-20b, used on Batrice and Gillan, swaps one of the magazine wells for a shotgun top barrel attachment for riot control, although the M212 shotgun can easily be employed for similar purposes. The UHN also supplies an anti-material rifle such as the M136 for service members. The marines have also received the M18 light assault machine gun. This is the replacement for the M14. It drops the laser cannon but makes up for it by carrying better computer equipment and three rotating barrels to cycle and better diffuse heat. The marines would also be implemented with the PDW-20c special armor attachment model for some marines that don’t prefer to carry the bulkier M18s. By 2349, these guns would form the core of the military sidearms, although there are additional specialized firearms for specific unique mission assignments. Despite the advent of the railgun that has been used on spaceships, it’s been overly challenging to introduce it to infantry. The sheer power of trying to fire a hypervelocity round is too much. Most vehicles can barely contain the power and energy needed even to use them. Marine power armor also lacks the power and strength to use them. However, more and more research is always put in try to resolve this issue.