HK-36
The Iron Lord Protector (Neutral Good)
Image: Taken from DeviantArt, a piece called "Nock Volley Gun" by Athos01 (link here)
Intent: To create a shattergun equivalent of a shot-gun for use in close-quarter engagements
Development Thread: If required
Manufacturer: Abregado-Rae Guild of Hammers
Model: High Velocity Kinetic Firearm- Volley Gun-1
Affiliation: Barony of Abregado-Rae, partially Omega Protectorate (see Production)
Modularity: Comes in hand-held (62 cm long) and mounted variants (82 cm long).
Production: Minor production (Enough to supply the Iron Company and Militia of Abregado-Rae, any additional production would require a development thread with backing from another manufacturing company, i.e. Omega Corps buying off the design to manufacture the weapon for Protectorate forces)
Material: Durasteel, Bronzium for aesthetic purposes
Description: One day HK came into the research laboratories of Gados scientists the Guild of Hammers was employing and he asked them to create a weapon, utilizing the rail gun technology they played around with lately, that he could give to his troops when in combat in close quarters. He wanted them to make a shot-gun out of a shattergun.
However, this seemed troubling to the Gados, shotguns used a single barrel to fire multiple projectiles at once, while the small caliber pellets the Gados were using as ammunition for their rail-guns would do just fine in such a contraption, they had doubts that a rail-gun was suitable for a shot-gun. Their concerns were that when the pellets would propel in a barrel larger than that they currently used, i.e. one required to fire more than one at the same time, they would bounce around at high speed when fired, creating risk of damaging the barrel if not exploding or piercing it.
Instead, the Gados went a different way, they have designed a Volley Gun. Just like the shot-gun, a volley-gun fired multiple projectiles at once, but uses multiple barrels to do so (a volley) instead firing multiple projectiles from one barrel with a powerful charge (a shot). So, the Gados took 7 barrels of the SR-1 they designed, shortened them in order to allow the weapon to be used in tighter quarters, and arranged them in design similar to the Shattergun Rotary Cannon they designed.
As a result the gun was able to fire 7 pellets at once at strength comparable to that of the SP-1, receiving penetration on most personal armor models and some light-vehicles, while weighing less than the SR-1. Although it was the SR-1's barrel that was used as the template, it was shortened and the mechanisms on it were weakened to decrease the weight so that the weapon would be usable by soldiers, both common and veteran. As long as these soldiers had enough strength and body mass to counter the recoil of the weapon.
Biggest issue the Gados had to tackle was the reloading mechanism, due to the multiple-barrel loading feature of the gun and inability to solve it with a belt as it was done with Rotary Cannon. Instead, the Gados used disks to load the pellets in. Each disk contained 7 pellets in the honey-comb formation that fit directly into the barrels of the Volley Gun, loaded and anchored in with magnetic mechanisms, prepared to fire so they would not fall out or mis-aligned. The guns came with rather flat, but slightly wide, loading barrels, similar to those used in revolvers. Each barrel could load 6 disks into it, when the gun was fired the barrel would rotate, and the empty disk would be automatically ejected to create space for new one to be loaded while the next disk would be moved behind the barrels for 7 more pellets to be loaded in. This allowed the soldiers to carry the smaller disks with pellets rather than the bigger disk barrels, which would be more inconvenient although it contained more ammunition. Still, the barrels had option of ejecting to be switched out with a fully-loaded one.
The Volley Gun is a loud weapon, as in the Rotary Cannon the Gados have installed about the barrels only basic Sound Dampening units, to stop the sonic booms that happened inside the barrels from exploding the barrels or damaging the ear-drums of nearby soldiers, but the shots from it are still thundering. This was done intentionally as the sound vibrations that go through the barrels as the pellets accelerate allow them to move slightly around, giving the weapon that scatter-shot effect without having the bullets bounce around enough to damage the barrel itself.
As with the other Gados Shatterguns, there was the question of the weapon's recoil and whether it would be too great for the weapon to be properly used, this was especially true because of the seven barrels the weapon instantly fired. What the Gados did was shorten the length of the barrel from the originally planned 82 centimeters to 62 centimeters. As a result the weapon fired at lesser power, although it was still greater than that of the SP-1 shatterpistol the Gados designed, due to longer barrel which meant longer rail mechanism, and created less recoil. However the remaining recoil was still far greater than what an infantry soldier could handle, so the Gados used their previous method of decreasing the recoil, miniaturized repulsorlifts and inertial dampeners. As with previous usage of these systems, they require a charge-up period to properly activate, however, in the case of the Volley Gun the Gados were able to tweak it slightly. The repulsorlifts and inertial dampeners require additional 3 seconds of charging up after the disk drum is inserted. This means that instead of forcing the soldiers to wait 5 seconds between each shot was fired, making them very vulnerable on the field, they need to wait 5 seconds every time the drum is reloaded after 6 shots, making them vulnerable only when reloading the gun. However, like in the case of Mass Drivers, these systems can be charged up and retain the charge, so a soldier can reload his gun and charge up the systems aboard a dropship or in safe zone and have it ready for fire when the next combat situation arises.
While these systems were successful at reducing the recoil enough for infantry to handle it, the recoil is still pretty strong, it is recommended only strong veteran or trained troops are given the weapon, as it can send any weaker troopers stumbling back much like any hand-cannon would. The Gados also kept a Mounted variant of the weapon, with barrel length of original 82 centimeters, this is meant to be used on vehicles as they are capable of more powerful inertial dampener or repulsorlift systems for reducing the recoil.
Since firing all seven barrels at the same time is rather energy taxing for the weapon systems, although they have been decreased in power-output to make this manageable for infantry, there is a cooldown period between each disk being fired of between 2 and 3 seconds where the magnetic systems of the barrels charge up once again, building up power for the next volley to be fired.
Overall, this Gados-made Shattervolleygun can be used as a scattergun with nice range and good punch, like the other models of shatterguns made by Gados, however it pays for it with the lacking rate of fire, a shot every two seconds, and the weight of the gun itself, although at 4 kg it's not that bad.
Classification: Shattergun Slugthrower
Size: Handheld, some variants are Mounted
Status: Military
Length: 62 cm (I took the length of SR-1, subtracted length of SP-1 from it, divided results by 2, and added to the length of SP-1 to find the mid-point between the two, subtracted 20 from it) for handheld variant and 82 cm for mounted variant.
Weight: 4 kg (I took the weight of SR-1, subtracted weight of SP-1 from it, divided results by 2, and added to the weight of SP-1 to find the mid-point between the two) for mounted variant, 3 kg for handheld variant.
Ammunition Type: Small-caliber pellets
Ammunition Capacity: A barrel of 6 disks of 7 pellets each, so 6 shots max before reloading, 42 pellets fired max.
Effective Range: 795 meters (I took the range of SR-1, subtracted range of SP-1 from it, divided results by 2, and added to the range of SP-1 to find the mid-point between the two) for mounted variant, 750 meters for handheld variant.
