Re: COLONIAL WEAPONS

Richard Bell wrote:

> > What about a plain'ol future tech LASER rifles?
> >
> > Assuming that energy storage technology or LASER technology makes a
few
> > 'jumps' (just as we assume for gauss technology) why not arm these 
>colonials
> > with with LASER weapons?
> >
> > LASER weapons would NEVER require ammo.  Just a recharge from the
local
> > power grid/solar cells and perhaps a replacement of a few components

>(only
> > needed after significant use) and they are ready to go again.  LASER

>rifles
> > might pack a lesser punch, but they should be pretty reliable, do
decent
> > damage, have good range and zero recoil.  Also packing a lesser
punch is 
>not
> > always a bad thing when arming colonist (ie they will think twice
about
> > facing the local armored regulars or PA).  And IMO LASER rifles
should 
>not
> > be out of the tech ability of an average colony to produce/maintain.
> >
> > Just my 2 cents, but IMHO a light/medium LASER rifle beats them .
>
>The real advantage of conventional firearms with cased ammo is that the
>equipment needed to manufacture/maintain them are generally useful for
a 
>lot of
>other things and the chemical facilities required for nitrate based 
>fertilizers
>can easily produce nitrate based propellants (but not both at the same 
>time).
>With shipping to and from the core worlds at rather infrequent
intervals,
>anything that can be produced locally is greatly superior to anything 
>coming
>from another star system and a colony's power grid will likely be very 
>limited;
>unless, they will require megawatts from the word go.
>
>Hi-tech equipment assumes cheap interstellar travel.  If interstellar 
>travel is
>not cheap, exploitation of planets will be in waves.  The first wave 
>consists of
>a planetary mapping expedition with geo- and biological surveys.  The 
>survey is
>done from enough allterrain vehicles to give the planet a complete once

>over
>before running out of supplies/spares.
>
>The next wave consists of a quick and dirty mining operation that
collects
>thousands of tonnes of a variety of minerals and deposits them at a 
>conveniently
>located prime agricultural zone (preferably not to far from whatever
passes 
>for
>a dense forest.  The miners also do not stay long before leaving.
>
>The final wave is the arrival of the colonists.  They arrive with just 
>enough
>appropriate technology to begin agriculture and build enough industry
to 
>push
>railroads to the mineral deposits.  With the colony's ability to endure

>assured,
>they can get around to producing whatever made the colony worth setting
up 
>in
>the first place.  Unless the product is extremely valuable, the colony 
>receives
>a shipment of stardrives and builds its own starships (may even build
their 
>own
>stardrive), as nothing justifies the expense of a return trip, and the 
>colony
>does not furnish a big enough market to be on a trade route.  Every now
and
>then, another superfreighter drops off a large number of stardrives

The other objection I have to laser rifles specifically for colonists
has to 
do with the types of targets that they might be facing.  If I'm staring
down 
a ravenous blugbatter beast, I want some stopping power.  Burning a hole
in 
it might not stop something big and dumb.  transferring a significant
amount 
of kinetic energy has it's perks.

2B^2

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