LY48 Defender
Weight: 0.8 kg unloaded, 1.1 kg-1.8 kg loaded, 2.7 kg with 45 round clip and stock.
Length: 260mm stock unextended, 520 stock extended.
Barrel Length: 180mm
Cartridge: 10 x 30 mm Caseless Telescoping
Action: Gas operated
Rate of Fire: Semi-Automatic, Burst- PDW only, Automatic- PDW only.
Muzzle Velocity: 600 m/s
Muzzle Energy: 1,690J
Effective Range: 70m as sidearm, 200m as PDW
Feed: 15, 30, and 45 round magazines. (30 and 45 form the royal W)
Sights: v-notch, BALCOTH, with picatinny rails for additional fittings
The LY48 Defender is a next generation personal sidearm and PDW, slotted to become the mostly widely deployed weapon used by Lyran Arms allied nations. Seen as a replacement initially for the L45 tactical sidearm and the LY47 Stormhammer, the capability of the Defender became such that it now ably doubles as a PDW. Deployed to soldiers on the frontlines, drivers, generals, tea-drinkers and paper pushers alike, the LY48 Defender has been crafted to excel in all combat conditions. While it lacks the pure power of the Hellhammer, the ease of use and greater range and possible rounds downrange was considered an imperative. Easy to train on and considered one of the most user friendly weapons in all of Lyran Arms, as the various states that make it up continue to push the advance, the Defender will see more and more combat.
Lessons from the LY46 are taken into account, and the LY48 is an unusual blend of heavy and light construction, due in no small part to the war being waged between the requirement to make the weapon as light as possible and the requirement to make it as heavy as possible to minimise felt recoil.
The LY48's combined bolt-carrier and slide assembly are made of tungsten, both for heat tolerance during firing and also for added weight to the working parts, tungsten being considerably heavier than steel. The pistol, where feasible, uses fibreglass reinforced polyamide, with a variety of finishes available, depending on the preference of the individual, unit or purchaser. The weapon's barrel is cold hammer forged steel, as are the minimum parts required to operate the firing mechanisms and gas system. Anything that can be made out of synthetic materials, without compromising the weapon's reliability and performance, has indeed been made thus.
The LY48's barrel is fitted with a muzzle brake and recoil compensator, which vents propellant gases sideways and up, which counteracts the conventional tendency for a weapon's muzzle to rise when fired. The unusually heavy tungsten bolt-carrier/slide takes much of the felt recoil with it as it moves rearwards, and the heavy duty recoil springs at the rear of the bolt-carrier's movement path takes the edge off the contact/impact with the back of the weapon.
Perhaps the most important piece of the LY48's recoil puzzle is the stock that comes standard and can be easily fitted on the weapon in combat. Made up of fibreglass reinforced polyamide, the stock sits comfortably against the shoulder and allows the user to easily place rounds downrange. Indeed, while the weapon is virtually recoil-less thanks to the design on semi-automatic and burst fire even as a pistol, as a high-grade PDW with a 45 round magazine and the stock extended, it is able to place 10mm rounds in tight groupings by virtue of almost no actionable recoil.
The LY48 is expected to see combat in almost every terrain and situation on the planet. At the Mushanian and Pushanian testing facilities, it saw amphibious operations wherein it was dropped in salt water, desert warfare, sandstorms, high mountain cold and avalanche conditions, extreme heat in the jungle, extended operations amongst radioactive ruins, plane-based close combat, convoy attacks, and general urban combat. It was beaten with bats, chopped at with Kukris, at the scene of fragmentation grenade blow off, and run over by an LY219. While it is no wonder weapon and excessive damage can finally destroy it, the LY48 remains one of the most sturdy and capable designs seen in some time.
The LY48's combined bolt-carrier and slide assembly are made of tungsten, both for heat tolerance during firing and also for added weight to the working parts, tungsten being considerably heavier than steel. The pistol, where feasible, uses fibreglass reinforced polyamide, with a variety of finishes available, depending on the preference of the individual, unit or purchaser. The weapon's barrel is cold hammer forged steel, as are the minimum parts required to operate the firing mechanisms and gas system. Anything that can be made out of synthetic materials, without compromising the weapon's reliability and performance, has indeed been made thus.
The LY48's barrel is fitted with a muzzle brake and recoil compensator, which vents propellant gases sideways and up, which counteracts the conventional tendency for a weapon's muzzle to rise when fired. The unusually heavy tungsten bolt-carrier/slide takes much of the felt recoil with it as it moves rearwards, and the heavy duty recoil springs at the rear of the bolt-carrier's movement path takes the edge off the contact/impact with the back of the weapon.
Perhaps the most important piece of the LY48's recoil puzzle is the stock that comes standard and can be easily fitted on the weapon in combat. Made up of fibreglass reinforced polyamide, the stock sits comfortably against the shoulder and allows the user to easily place rounds downrange. Indeed, while the weapon is virtually recoil-less thanks to the design on semi-automatic and burst fire even as a pistol, as a high-grade PDW with a 45 round magazine and the stock extended, it is able to place 10mm rounds in tight groupings by virtue of almost no actionable recoil.
The LY48 is expected to see combat in almost every terrain and situation on the planet. At the Mushanian and Pushanian testing facilities, it saw amphibious operations wherein it was dropped in salt water, desert warfare, sandstorms, high mountain cold and avalanche conditions, extreme heat in the jungle, extended operations amongst radioactive ruins, plane-based close combat, convoy attacks, and general urban combat. It was beaten with bats, chopped at with Kukris, at the scene of fragmentation grenade blow off, and run over by an LY219. While it is no wonder weapon and excessive damage can finally destroy it, the LY48 remains one of the most sturdy and capable designs seen in some time.
The LY48 takes its cues from the LY46, which itself was built using a variation on the gas-actuated pistol design patented by Magnum Research in 1983, which later went on to become the Desert Eagle. However, a number of issues pertaining to the Desert Eagle had been addressed in the LY46, making the two systems, while visually similar, somewhat different in their operating systems. Gas-actuation was selected to allow for the LY46 to utilise far more potent cartridges than are normally featured in semi-automatic pistols. However, the use of direct-impingement was frowned upon, and was quickly scrapped in favour of a more conventional (in rifle terms at least) short-stroke system.
The same holds true for the LY48. While in function somewhat similar to the LY46, the LY48's reduced size and cartridge size allowed for a smaller size of the operating system.
The same holds true for the LY48. While in function somewhat similar to the LY46, the LY48's reduced size and cartridge size allowed for a smaller size of the operating system.
The LY48 faced an interesting debate regarding what ammunition to use. While the Lyran Caseless ammunition currently in use was being met with rave reviews, the LY48 Defender was to secure a different role on the field. A fifty caliber bullet, while always helpful, was seen as being too big to be carried effectively into combat for standing armies. Indeed, most nations issue the LY46 to bodyguards and it sees frontline service in just a few nations. On the other hand, it was indeed a very effective system. Opponents of the system wanted to look more towards current PDW technology and a compromise was eventually reached.
The LY48 designed to use the new 10 x 30mm caseless telescoping armor penetrating ammunition (.40LCTAP).
Caseless telescoping may seem like an odd choice for use in a handgun, and it is indeed unusual. The logic was simple, however. Caseless telescoping ammunition was the type of ammunition for which the most propellant could be provided for a given length and width. Of further consideration is the fact that the LCTAP cartridge is not cylindrical in cross-section, but, like the 4.7 x 33mm ammunition of the G11, is square, allowing more propellant to be packed into the cartridge's area. The caseless ammunition is used, rather than cased, to lower the weight of the charge, while allowing more of the space to be used to pack in further propellant. This same reason motivates the selection of telescoping ammunition, which provides for explosive charge packed further forward, around the point of the round.
The second phase of ammunition design was looking at the MP7 and the various ammunition types which existed. The DM11,VBR and the CPS Black Tip ammunition designs were considered superior design metrics to follow, each one being high energy and the DM11 in particular being very effective against body armor. The VBR round is a 2-part controlled fragmenting projectile that is claimed to increase the content of the permanent wound cavity and double the chance to hit a vital organ. The round, whole square along the length, is a pointed, tungsten-core, brass-jacketed bullet. This makes the LCTAP a high-capability armor penetrating round with high energy and a two-stage fragmentation system that increases the wounding potential once the armor is penetrated, and is far more lethal as it has an easier time shredding vital organs.
The 10mm projectile is otherwise near-identical in dimensions to the 10mm Auto aside from being x 30 as opposed to x25, a fact which adds considerably to its ability to penetrate armor, but, propelled as it is by more propellant, is fired at 600m a second. Further, it has just shy of 1,690J of energy at the muzzle, compared to considerably less for other PDWs and most pistols. By way of comparison, a conventional 5.56 x 45mm rifle round (FN SS109) has 1,767J at the muzzle.
The magazine of the Defender is considered possibly the most unusual element of the design. The standard 15-round magazine showcases the final round in the magazine free and clear at the bottom of the ergonamic grip. This is so other magazines can be attached at theirtop into the open slots on either side of the first magazine. This creates the Royal W shape with the two additional magazines feeding into the main magazine while being snug against the weapon on either side. This process takes a trained individual mere moments, but modifying from a 15-round magazine to a 45 can still be troublesome. 45 round and 30 round magazines are offered that snap into the proper position and these are carried by every user of the weapon. But when using a 30 or 45 round clip, the weapon may not be holstered. This has led to the 15-round Magazine being called the Pistol Magazine and the 30 and 45 round magazines being called PDW Light and PDW Heavy.
The LY48 designed to use the new 10 x 30mm caseless telescoping armor penetrating ammunition (.40LCTAP).
Caseless telescoping may seem like an odd choice for use in a handgun, and it is indeed unusual. The logic was simple, however. Caseless telescoping ammunition was the type of ammunition for which the most propellant could be provided for a given length and width. Of further consideration is the fact that the LCTAP cartridge is not cylindrical in cross-section, but, like the 4.7 x 33mm ammunition of the G11, is square, allowing more propellant to be packed into the cartridge's area. The caseless ammunition is used, rather than cased, to lower the weight of the charge, while allowing more of the space to be used to pack in further propellant. This same reason motivates the selection of telescoping ammunition, which provides for explosive charge packed further forward, around the point of the round.
The second phase of ammunition design was looking at the MP7 and the various ammunition types which existed. The DM11,VBR and the CPS Black Tip ammunition designs were considered superior design metrics to follow, each one being high energy and the DM11 in particular being very effective against body armor. The VBR round is a 2-part controlled fragmenting projectile that is claimed to increase the content of the permanent wound cavity and double the chance to hit a vital organ. The round, whole square along the length, is a pointed, tungsten-core, brass-jacketed bullet. This makes the LCTAP a high-capability armor penetrating round with high energy and a two-stage fragmentation system that increases the wounding potential once the armor is penetrated, and is far more lethal as it has an easier time shredding vital organs.
The 10mm projectile is otherwise near-identical in dimensions to the 10mm Auto aside from being x 30 as opposed to x25, a fact which adds considerably to its ability to penetrate armor, but, propelled as it is by more propellant, is fired at 600m a second. Further, it has just shy of 1,690J of energy at the muzzle, compared to considerably less for other PDWs and most pistols. By way of comparison, a conventional 5.56 x 45mm rifle round (FN SS109) has 1,767J at the muzzle.
The magazine of the Defender is considered possibly the most unusual element of the design. The standard 15-round magazine showcases the final round in the magazine free and clear at the bottom of the ergonamic grip. This is so other magazines can be attached at theirtop into the open slots on either side of the first magazine. This creates the Royal W shape with the two additional magazines feeding into the main magazine while being snug against the weapon on either side. This process takes a trained individual mere moments, but modifying from a 15-round magazine to a 45 can still be troublesome. 45 round and 30 round magazines are offered that snap into the proper position and these are carried by every user of the weapon. But when using a 30 or 45 round clip, the weapon may not be holstered. This has led to the 15-round Magazine being called the Pistol Magazine and the 30 and 45 round magazines being called PDW Light and PDW Heavy.
Integral standard pistol sights are fitted, but dorsal and ventral picatinny rails are fitted to allow compatibility with most international standard weapon sights. Commonwealth Arms' patented taclight is also compatible with the ventral rail, and is recommended, should a taclight be sought. It can be connected to BALCOTH and a battlespace network by means of chip integration, helping speed up target acquisition. Most common is the stock that comes with the weapon.
The LY48M2 is the Marshite version of the LY48 and can be purchased through Covenant Arms. It can be chambered in .45 Marshite Caseless and features a lightweight yet sturdier stock. Further weight reduction with the removal of the picatinny rails has been achieved and the M2 is used exclusively as a PDW with BALCOTH connectivity. 2 kg with 45 rounds and stock.
The LY48 Defender is a superb pistol and PDW, capable of fulfilling either role at either time. Issued mostly with the 15 round magazine to troops in the field and with 30 and 45 round magazines to those who have use of a PDW, the Defender is a leap forward in small arms weapons technology and offers superb mobility, ease of use, firepower, and armor penetration.
The LY48 is available through Lyran Arms at a cost of $2,200.
The LY48M is available through Covenant Armsat a cost of $900, DPR at $900 million.
The LY48 is available through Lyran Arms at a cost of $2,200.
The LY48M is available through Covenant Armsat a cost of $900, DPR at $900 million.