colonial weapons

Ryan said:

I couldn't get a 50 year old Cathode Ray tube fixed there now. The 
thing to think about is the amount of technology behind the 
construction and repair of the weapon is the issue, not whether it is 
cutting edge or not.

[Tomb] It also has something to do with a few other things like the
particulars of the region you are talking about. You couldn't get a 50
year old CRT repaired because you're in a smashed and beaten up region
of the world, but weapons are ubiquitous. I think if you went to other
underdeveloped areas of the world, you'd find the opposite - you could
get the 50 year old CRT repaired (at least some failures - fuses,
inductors, resistors, capacitors, even some tubes) but you'd have some
difficulty getting parts for the rifle (or at least, you'd have to have
them made or imported).  

 You need basically one type of complex tool to 
work on a weapon that is all steel and wood. A milling machine. For a 
laser, you would likely need far more compelx tools to manufacture 
new components.

[Tomb] The construction facilities that we would deploy if setting up a
colony in somehwere inhospitable today would differ markedly from those
of 100 years ago. Even though they might have the same tasking. The same
can be extrapolated 200 years down the road. 

 What do you think goes into a Laser of 2183? Electronics? 

[Tomb] Maybe. Depends on what design advances are made. Maybe we find a
way to do it with gas or something that doesn't require electronics. Or
maybe it only requires the equivalent of modern day chips, which could
be available surplus in vast quantity and smalls size to transport. Or
even manufactured. I'm not sure we won't see a chip fab in a box one day
- pour in sand, get out chips. (a little more to it than that, but maybe
not). 

Would such an industrial process be able to be shoved into a container
to be shipped 50 Light years away and not need anything else other than
bulk refined material?

[Tomb] This is the question. My suspicion is that it will not only be
feasible but "old hat" by 2183. This is the foundational assumption
where our differences lie. And is ultimately just a "decision" since it
is arguable either way. IMU, it will work that way. You will be able to
have a portable system that will provide a low volume output of most
types of things you need... but YMMV. The limitations for these systems
are: volume of production, access to cutting edge designs, and resources
to work from.