Weapon Wear Values

[swaghauler]

After reading the other posts here, I have considered adding the feature of Accuracy Deterioration to my weapon Wear Values rules. To balance the need for easy game play with reality based deterioration of a weapon's accuracy, I turned again to a basic skill roll and the weapon's overall Wear Value.

Once a Weapon hits Wear Value 2, you must check for a reduction in accuracy for each increase in Wear Value. This is an AVERAGE: Small Arms or EASY: Gunsmithing roll. If the weapon has received its regular *Routine Maintenance, there is a +1 bonus to the roll. The weapon's Wear Value is a penalty to the roll. If the roll is Successful, no Accuracy Reduction occurs. If the roll is failed, reduce the weapon's Base Range by 10%. Catastrophic Failure causes a 20% reduction in range. If an Outstanding Success is rolled, make a note that the weapon has a +1 to all "Burnout" Rolls (see Below). Please note that this roll is done during the character's "Routine Maintenance Cycle" in the 4 hour period. "Burnouts" are done after a combat.

"Burnout" Rolls. If during combat you are forced to dump a number of magazines or belts in sustained rapid fire (burst or full automatic fire IS required) EQUAL TO [11 - the weapon's Wear Value], the character must make a skill roll like the one above. Failure reduces the weapon's Accuracy as above. Catastrophic failure increases the weapon's wear value by 1 as well.

*In my game this is 5+[2 minutes X Wear Value] per day and is recorded on the 4 hour period time log. YES, I make my players fill out a log of their daily routines so I have an idea who is doing what and when they are doing it.

Any input would be appreciated. Take a look at this system and tell me what you think.

[jester]

That are other immediate problems that can happen with a damaged weapon.

Like sustained automatic fire could result in a jam. It could also result in a "RUNAWAY GUN." Where the head of the barrel causes the rounds to cook off. Fire as soon as they are chambered due to the extreme heat from long term automatic fire. A magazine loaded weapon is easier, just let it empty, a belt fed, grab and break the belt. A mortar or artillery, a coolness roll and change of shorts.

However, this may take the weapon out of action in the short term, on a direct fire weapon it doesn't really damage the weapon to badly, it just needs to cool.

This has also happened with shotguns and .22s, one reason so many of the select and auto fired shotguns never caught on. The SEALs in Vietnam has this issue with shotguns they used, as well as the shell melting inside the chamber.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by jester

That are other immediate problems that can happen with a damaged weapon.

Like sustained automatic fire could result in a jam. It could also result in a "RUNAWAY GUN." Where the head of the barrel causes the rounds to cook off. Fire as soon as they are chambered due to the extreme heat from long term automatic fire. A magazine loaded weapon is easier, just let it empty, a belt fed, grab and break the belt. A mortar or artillery, a coolness roll and change of shorts.

However, this may take the weapon out of action in the short term, on a direct fire weapon it doesn't really damage the weapon to badly, it just needs to cool.

This has also happened with shotguns and .22s, one reason so many of the select and auto fired shotguns never caught on. The SEALs in Vietnam has this issue with shotguns they used, as well as the shell melting inside the chamber.

I agree 100%. I have actually experienced a "runaway gun" on the M60 range. I have taken such things into account in my Jam mechanic (where on a natural 20, you must check for a jam verses Wear Value). This roll (other than the "burnout" mechanic) is really done during the daily maintenance cycle I require to be documented in the 4 hour Period Log my players do. It is a way to make rifles "individually unique" by allowing abuse to affect a weapon's performance characteristics. I have edited my post above to indicate this.

[jester]

I must admit some of this is sounding like that "other" game with +1 and -1 weapons. Which I did play with once as a GM.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by jester

The SEALs in Vietnam has this issue with shotguns they used, as well as the shell melting inside the chamber.

I guess that's part of the reason why the H&K CAWS used brass cases, no risk of melting in the chamber. And it can take higher pressures of course.

[jester]

Targr, how do you get around the cook off problem though?

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by jester

Targr, how do you get around the cook off problem though?

Full brass cartridges act as "heat sinks" drawing a great deal of the heat out of the weapon with them. The brass alone would probably solve the problem (thanks to the lower rate of fire from these guns). Machineguns solve the problem by being "open bolt" weapons. By having the bolt back, air can circulate in the chamber to cool it. You do bring up a very valid point, especially regarding SAW's or automatic rifles. I have heard the Marine Corps M27 SAW (based on the H&K 416)can be equipped/is equipped(?) (someone will have to fact check me on whether the USMC guns actually have it) with a special bolt hold open (in addition to the normal hold open) that allows the shooter to lock the bolt back, but to fire the first round from an open bolt like a machinegun if needed. The fact that this feature even exists, is proof that these guns may suffer from overheating if fired too much.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by jester

I must admit some of this is sounding like that "other" game with +1 and -1 weapons. Which I did play with once as a GM.

I'm not sure I like the "burnout" mechanic. I'm thinking I might just keep the barrel wear mechanic with my vehicle wear rules and ditch the "burnout" as too much record keeping.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by jester

Targr, how do you get around the cook off problem though?

Originally Posted by swaghauler

Full brass cartridges act as "heat sinks" drawing a great deal of the heat out of the weapon with them. The brass alone would probably solve the problem (thanks to the lower rate of fire from these guns).

Exactly. The H&K CAWS had a number of features that would've reduced the risk of cook-offs. These included the use of brass cartridges as standard (although it could use lower-powered conventional shotgun rounds as well); it only had a magazine capacity of 10 and the rate of fire was very slow compared to a conventional machine gun or assault rifle; it had a hybrid cycling system using a moving barrel, combined with a secondary gas assist to help it cycle when using lower-powered rounds, so it would have had similar cooling advantages to an open-bolt system.