Re: COLONIAL WEAPONS

Scott Clinton 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