Re: [GZG] Small arms tech and troop quality

> It should probably have been phrased something more like this:
> 
> "Is one super-trained elite special forces soldier with the best 
> cutting-edge high-tech weapon able to put down controlled and 
> effective fire equal to that of 25 untrained farmers with shotguns?"
> 
> What I was trying to get folks discussing is whether the extremes of 
> the scale feel in any way reasonable: if a stand of untrained 
> civilians with obsolete weapons outputs 1 firepower point, then does 
> it feel right to have a stand of special forces Elites with 
> super-hi-tech kit outputting 25 firepower points?  Or is that simply 
> too much of a variation - or even not enough!?
> 
> Note that these are raw firepower values BEFORE any modifiers are 
> applied for range, circumstances, cover, armour or anything else.

As others have discussed, raw firepower has not too much to do with 
combat effectiveness.

But if you want to go into how many bullets a group of fighters can 
theoretically fire into the landscape, a ratio of 5:1 or even 25:1 is 
not SF, such numbers were common in WWII, indeed without too much of a 
stretch you could argue that this was the case in the First World War.

A good shot (not your untrained farmer) could get off about 1 
shot/second with a magazine rifle (e.g.a Lee-Enfield) until he has toi 
recharge the 10 round magazine. Theoretical rate: 60 RPM. See for 
example the video linked from the Wikipedia page on the Lee-Enfield.

A Bren gun had an rate of 500 RPM. That gives you a tech difference 
factor of 8:1, well over your 5:1.

The ratio for a WWI MG is not that different.

An MG42 has a theretical rate of 1200 RPM, 20:1 compared to the rifle. 
If the rifleman is not that skilled, you easily have the 25:1 ratio.

Of course this is purely theoretical, not taking account even the 
changing of magazines, gun barrel overheating etc., and we have not even

started to look into any training/skill/morale issues.

Greetings
Karl Heinz

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