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Re: [SG,DS] Power Armour Weapon

From: Ryan Gill <rmgill@m...>
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 10:18:46 -0500
Subject: Re: [SG,DS] Power Armour Weapon

At 11:14 AM +0100 3/11/03, KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de wrote:
>
>WWII Germans in Russia do not seem to have had problems over the lack
>of a water cooled weapon. With a good barrel-change mechanism and a
>skilled crew, the delay on a MG42 is no longer than putting in a new
>belt.

Um, last I checked, they weren't able to turn Russian advances or 
attacks. I'll bet that running out of good barrels did hurt things.

>I have read anecdotes where in an emergency they even dispensed with
>the asbestos glove normally used to handle the hot barrel :-(

Not really a problem with a water cooled gun I think.

>  > I think, that given off world limitations on supply and
>>  that given a supply of brass (easy to mine),
>
>"Easy to mine" would depend on the geology of the planet. Also, brass
>is two elements (Copper and Zinc) that are not too commonly found
>together. Generally, iron is more likely to be easily found.

Its minimal enough technology that you can rely on it on most planets 
I would expect. Brass cases have survived how long in our current 
weapons doctrine? 150 years.

>  > In the infantry role, Water cooled MGs are bloody heavy.
>>  They aren't terribly good for attack, but are killer for defense.
>>  Your big problem being displacing quickly to alternate positions
>>  on the defense.
>
>Which is indeed a problem as soon as the enemy has spotted the
>position. Spotting an MG firing occasional bursts is not that easy, but
>a sustained-fire position is something else.

That's a problem anywhere. One thing we're looking at is that you're 
giving your power armor, high sustained rates of fire, minimal barrel 
changes, and lower barrel wear (by keeping your barrel cool, you're 
minimizing wear).  The power armor can carry the weight, the ammo and 
since water is usually plentiful, it's easy to add to the closed 
circuit even accounting for minor losses of coolant. If water as a 
coolant were so problematic, why are we still using it to cool most 
internal combustion reciprocating engines?
-- 
--
Ryan Gill	       rmgill@SPAMmindspring.com
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'60 Daimler Ferret '42 Daimler Dingo '42 Humber MkIV (1/2)
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