General > Discussion
Grenade Launcher
Winter:
I don't fully understand the flechette rounds, which seem to fire like a monstrous shotgun with a wide spread. In this case, the flechette rounds actually make a great storming weapon, because nothing, and I mean nothing, at close range can survive one shot of it.[/quote]
Yep, that's how they work in real life, too. They made 40mm flechette rounds for the old M79 in Vietnam, and they've also been used (albeit rarely) in the M203 underbarrel launcher.
They've not been popular because most of the flechettes hit side-on rather than point-first, but 2084 technology has fixed that and turned them into a nice little close-range "fuck you" statement.
Why don't you use flechette rounds instead of a sidearm, Aiki? Too long to reload? (Which was kind-of the point . . .)
Regards,
Winter
Aiki-Knight:
I've started using the flechette rounds for storming, but I'm still concerned about close quarters because the spread is really wide, so I'm worried about hitting nearby agents beside the line of fire in stacked entries. Lots to learn and play.
DanielOR:
Winter,
speaking strictly 2084 technology vs today's here... There was already one project for sure, two possibly to switch primary military assault rifles to flechettes. I believe a flachette-based rifle design by Styer competed for replacement of M16 and lost on ballistic characteristics. It was deemed not worth it to switch and retrain. The gun did, however, have the advantage of having less recoil and being lighter. I can provide link if there is interest.
So...may it be an option to switch the assault rifle to that type of ammo as well, making it, perhaps, lighter, less recoil-prone, and hence more accurate in full-auto? Just thinking here....
Winter:
--- Quote from: DanielOR on June 01, 2008, 08:26:38 am ---Winter,
speaking strictly 2084 technology vs today's here... There was already one project for sure, two possibly to switch primary military assault rifles to flechettes. I believe a flachette-based rifle design by Styer competed for replacement of M16 and lost on ballistic characteristics. It was deemed not worth it to switch and retrain. The gun did, however, have the advantage of having less recoil and being lighter. I can provide link if there is interest.
So...may it be an option to switch the assault rifle to that type of ammo as well, making it, perhaps, lighter, less recoil-prone, and hence more accurate in full-auto? Just thinking here....
--- End quote ---
The design team covered this in our first technology brainstorms. To be honest with you, I don't think flechettes will gain any ground as a primary munition for anything, except as a close-range alternative to buckshot. They have too many built-in limitations. Let me just quote straight from the Wikipedia page here:
--- Quote ---However, the flechette has a number of weaknesses that limit its effectiveness as small arms ammunition. They tended to penetrate heavy armor less deeply than heavier, higher momentum rifle bullets. Their extreme light weight caused them to be deflected extremely easily; a single leaf, or even a raindrop, could destabilize a flechette and cause it to tumble wildly. Because of the hard nature of the flechette, it does not deform on impact, and while it penetrates extremely well, it produces very little tissue damage. The last issue with small arms flechettes is accuracy. To fire the finned flechette out of a smoothbore requires the use of a sabot. Since flechettes do not achieve sufficient stability when spun by rifling alone, the main source of stabilization is the fins. When the sabot separates, it can disturb the effectively unstabilized flechette, and cause deviations in its flight.
--- End quote ---
And they don't even mention that flechettes can even blow off course in a strong wind. Just not practical compared to ordinary bullets.
Regards,
Winter
DanielOR:
Winter
that was my main source as well. been a while since I've read it, though. I see your point. It does look like flechette is not going to be a main army round.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version