Rusty
Purveyor of Fine Weaponry
Image Source
Intent: To create a commemorative weapon to celebrate RCFC reaching Tier 2
Development Thread: If Necessary
Manufacturer: Rusty's Custom Firearms and Cutlery
Model: OL-1
Affiliation: Rusty, potentially loaned to a partner for missions
Modularity: Interchangeable optics, barrel is designed to be replaced once worn out
Production: Production: Unique
Material: Inertial Damper, shock absorbing butt padding, tungsten, various durasteel alloys
Classification: Slugthrower
Size: Man portable
Length: 1.8 meters
Weight: 45 kilograms
Ammunition Type: 17mm rounds in custom cartridges, described in the description
Ammunition Capacity: 5 round detachable box magazine
Effective Range: Maximum effective range 5,000 meters with tripod/timing and elevation kit, 2,500 meters integrated bipod
Rate of Fire: Bolt action, no more than 1 shot every 3 seconds
Special Features: Extremely long range, excellent armor piercing capabilities, straight pull bolt works in conjunction with rotating locking lug to shorten the considerable distance required to cycle the weapon, heavy duty inertial damper makes firing survivable.
Description: More than once since she was built, Rusty has lamented the fact that Gertrude simply isn't built for sniping. Though perfectly capable of operating at extreme ranges, she was designed from the start to fill the role of an anti materiel weapon rather than a true sniper rifle, and her accuracy suffers for it.
Rusty decided to rectify this problem with Olga, a truly monstrous sniper rifle designed to outperform anything on the battlefield today.
The basic idea behind Gertude is sound. By using blaster components to create a bolt that ignites high explosives, one can achieve muzzle velocities impossible with traditional cordite-based weapons. Whereas Rusty incorporated elements of blaster design into the weapon itself for Gertrude, Olga is functionally just a sniper rifle, albeit a massive one. Instead, the blaster elements are incorporated into the cartridge.
When the firing pin is struck, a circuit is connected, allowing the built in capacitor to discharge its energy into the tibanna gas chamber. The energy is transfered into a truncated bit of galven circuitry, which fires the protobolt into the propellant, in this case high explosives. The projectile is then fired down the barrel at velocities best described as "excessive."
The capacitor is charged when loaded in the magazine, which contains an integrated power cell. Though a magazine of that size would typically be able to hold 10 rounds, the power cell takes up a lot of space. The rounds must be loaded into the magazine at least three minutes prior to firing in order to ensure full charge, and must be fired within an hour in order to prevent accidental discharge.
As one might imagine, the recoil is tremendous. Olga has an integrated inertial damper that makes the process of firing her survivable, but it simply cannot negate all of it. In order to effectively use the weapon, Olga must be mounted on a specialized tripod that fires anchor spikes into whatever surface she's on. Even with the tripod, it takes the inertial damper three seconds to reset after each shot. Attempting to fire her more rapidly will result in immediate and catastrophic failure, completely destroying the weapon and probably killing the operator.
Olga has an integrated bipod that can be used in emergencies, but doing so is strictly a last resort. The stress on the weapon and the shooter are extreme, and the probability of a critical failure or injury rise dramatically.
The benefits of all this are tremendous. When used in conjunction with the tripod, Olga can effectively engage unarmored targets up to 5,000 meters away. At 2,500 meters and with the correct ammunition, she will punch through most light armor. At 1,500 meters, she can punch through medium armor, and at 500 meters, heavy armor. That's personal armor, by the way. At ranges of under 500 meters, she can effectively engage light to moderate vehicle armor.
Olga comes equipped with a powerful scope capable of viewing targets at extreme ranges. The scope can be linked with a targeting computer that will assist in calculating windage and elevation adjustments, though it should be noted that her trajectory is fairly flat, given the extreme muzzle velocity.
This of course comes with some considerable drawbacks.
Most immediately noticeable is the weight. The inertial damper is heavy, and when combined with the heavy alloys used in her construction, she weighs exactly 45 kilograms. This makes transportation somewhat difficult. Proposed solutions have been, well, less than dignified.
As mentioned, the rate of fire is also extremely slow, making it extremely unwise to engage multiple targets at close range. It's also not recommended that she be fired in an enclosed area, as the muzzle blast can be potentially disorienting or, in a worst case scenario, fatal.
Because of the already hefty weight, Rusty declined to incorporate a cryogenic cooling jacket on the barrel. While the slow rate of fire means that overheating won't be an issue, it does increase barrel wear. Olga's barrels are rated at 100 rounds before they're no longer safe to use. At that point, the barrel will have to be replaced with a fresh one, at considerable expense.
Stealth is not an option with Olga. Much like her sister, Gertrude, the muzzle blast can be heard for miles around, and the flash is extremely bright as well, enough to cause temporary flash blindness to anyone not wearing sufficient protection. Because of the combined effects of the sound and flash, organic operators will have to wear a full face, sealed helmet when firing.
Primary Source: (Please link the source of another writer's submission that you are modifying for your use; only necessary for "Chaos Canon" submissions)
