What are your favorite dumb/weird war weapons and why?

[Pope Joan]

I like the anime rail gun, which is so huge that it has to be dragged into place, and yet is used as a one person assault weapon
,''Ludicrous

[Auze]

It was not nearly as dumb but also not nearly as weird as the Hunley though.

The Southern Confederacy could always beat us at dumb.

I mean, it did work... once. And unlike the Monitor, it's not decaying at the bottom of the ocean, but has been raised and put in a museum (I recommend going if you have the chance, it's pretty cool).

You have to admit, the Davids did have some potential.

[Tillania]

No mention of the Krummlauf for the StG44, yet?

[Korhal IVV]

Cyclonic torpedoes.

Nothing says “Burn heretics!” better than a planet cracking torpedo.

[Yusseria]

The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr. The world's first anti-tank rifle.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_1918_T-Gewehr&ved=2ahUKEwirnKWh3vjgAhUBmuAKHXLJDWUQmhMwDHoECAoQLg&usg=AOvVaw0jUA8rbTLD06RYXOnuH6Hb

[The New California Republic]

The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr. The world's first anti-tank rifle.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_1918_T-Gewehr&ved=2ahUKEwirnKWh3vjgAhUBmuAKHXLJDWUQmhMwDHoECAoQLg&usg=AOvVaw0jUA8rbTLD06RYXOnuH6Hb

...but does that qualify them as dumb/weird? Sure, since they were the first of their kind they were uncommon, but does that make them "weird"?

[Yusseria]

The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr. The world's first anti-tank rifle.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_1918_T-Gewehr&ved=2ahUKEwirnKWh3vjgAhUBmuAKHXLJDWUQmhMwDHoECAoQLg&usg=AOvVaw0jUA8rbTLD06RYXOnuH6Hb

...but does that qualify them as dumb/weird? Sure, since they were the first of their kind they were uncommon, but does that make them "weird"?

The rifle was a single-shot bolt-action rifleusing a modified Mauser action, with rounds manually loaded into the chamber. The weapon had a pistol grip and bipod, but no method of reducing recoil, such as a soft buttpad or muzzle brake. This could cause problems for the shooter with repeated firing. The iron sights were composed of a front blade and tangent rear, graduated in 100-meter increments from 100 to 500 meters. The rifle was operated by a two-man crew of a gunner and ammunition bearer, who were both trained to fire the weapon. Due to the tremendous blunt force of the recoil, it was designed to be shot in a static position, either prone or from inside a trench.

[Crookfur]

The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr. The world's first anti-tank rifle.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_1918_T-Gewehr&ved=2ahUKEwirnKWh3vjgAhUBmuAKHXLJDWUQmhMwDHoECAoQLg&usg=AOvVaw0jUA8rbTLD06RYXOnuH6Hb

...but does that qualify them as dumb/weird? Sure, since they were the first of their kind they were uncommon, but does that make them "weird"?

Yeah as a logical response they are hardly dumb or weird.
The British issuing .577 nitro express,. 600nitro express and various other donated big game rifles specifically to deal with the armour plates some German snipers were using in 1915 is a bit more weird as are the various "obsolete" large calibre rifle rounds that came back as zeppelin busters.

[Western Vale Confederacy]

The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr. The world's first anti-tank rifle.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_1918_T-Gewehr&ved=2ahUKEwirnKWh3vjgAhUBmuAKHXLJDWUQmhMwDHoECAoQLg&usg=AOvVaw0jUA8rbTLD06RYXOnuH6Hb

...but does that qualify them as dumb/weird? Sure, since they were the first of their kind they were uncommon, but does that make them "weird"?

It broke shoulders whenever fired, sounds like big dumb-dumb to me lol

[The New California Republic]

...but does that qualify them as dumb/weird? Sure, since they were the first of their kind they were uncommon, but does that make them "weird"?

The rifle was a single-shot bolt-action rifleusing a modified Mauser action, with rounds manually loaded into the chamber. The weapon had a pistol grip and bipod, but no method of reducing recoil, such as a soft buttpad or muzzle brake. This could cause problems for the shooter with repeated firing. The iron sights were composed of a front blade and tangent rear, graduated in 100-meter increments from 100 to 500 meters. The rifle was operated by a two-man crew of a gunner and ammunition bearer, who were both trained to fire the weapon. Due to the tremendous blunt force of the recoil, it was designed to be shot in a static position, either prone or from inside a trench.

Meh. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A great many anti-tank rifles had similar quirks/problems that are listed here.

[Ifreann]

Meh. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A great many anti-tank rifles had similar quirks/problems that are listed here.

The T-Gewehr was a stroke of genius. The Germans were planning to develop an anti-air/anti-tank machine gun, complete with a new cartridge, the 13.2mm Tank und Flieger(Tank and Aircraft). It was pointed out that some 13.2mm rifles would need to be built to test the cartridge, and since they'd be tooling up for that, why not get those rifles out to the trenches? Thus the T-Gewehr. If it was any simpler it'd just be a metal pipe. But Unsere Mutig Jungen™ are fighting Tommy Foreigner's tanks now so let's get him fighting back now instead of waiting until we finish the MG18.

Then the Armistice happened and they never finished the MG18.

[The New California Republic]

Meh. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

A great many anti-tank rifles had similar quirks/problems that are listed here.

The T-Gewehr was a stroke of genius. The Germans were planning to develop an anti-air/anti-tank machine gun, complete with a new cartridge, the 13.2mm Tank und Flieger(Tank and Aircraft). It was pointed out that some 13.2mm rifles would need to be built to test the cartridge, and since they'd be tooling up for that, why not get those rifles out to the trenches? Thus the T-Gewehr. If it was any simpler it'd just be a metal pipe. But Unsere Mutig Jungen™ are fighting Tommy Foreigner's tanks now so let's get him fighting back now instead of waiting until we finish the MG18.

Then the Armistice happened and they never finished the MG18.

I have always admired the almost Bauhaus-esque simplicity of anti-tank rifles, of form following function to create a practical solution to a problem that hadn't previously existed in warfare. But then again, one could say that it was largely the same motivations that triggered the development of the crossbow; i.e. the need for a weapon capable of piercing armour (albeit on someone's body), as well as needing little training for its effective use.

[Risottia]

The MiG-27M, with the GSh-6-30А.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-27
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gryazev-Shipunov_GSh-6-30

On the Mikoyan MiG-27 the GSh-6-30 had to be mounted obliquely to absorb recoil. The gun was noted for its high (often uncomfortable) vibration and extreme noise. The airframe vibration led to fatigue cracks in fuel tanks, numerous radio and avionics failures, the necessity of using runways with floodlights for night flights (as the landing lights would often be destroyed), tearing or jamming of the forward landing gear doors (leading to at least three crash landings), cracking of the reflector gunsight, an accidental jettisoning of the cockpit canopy and at least one case of the instrument panel falling off in flight. The weapons also dealt extensive collateral damage, as the sheer numbers of fragments from detonating shells was sufficient to damage aircraft flying within a 200-meter radius from the impact center, including the aircraft firing.

(...) because of the heavy recoil from the new cannon, and bursts longer than two or three seconds often led to permanent damage to the airframe. Test pilot V. N. Kondaurov described the first firing of the GSh-6-30А: "As I imposed the central mark on the air target and pressed the trigger to shoot, I heard such noise that I involuntarily drew my hand aside. The whole plane began to vibrate from the shooting and had almost stopped from the strong recoil of the gun. The pilotless target, which was just making a turn ahead of me, was literally disintegrating into pieces. I have hardly come to my senses from unexpectedness and admiration: This is a calibre! Such a beast! If you hit something — it will be plenty enough [to wipe it out]".


BECAUSE NEVER ENUFF DAKKA!

[Pax Nerdvana]

What about the Gyrojet? That's the rifle thing that fired rockets.

[Crookfur]

What about the Gyrojet? That's the rifle thing that fired rockets.

It's not a bad idea its just that MBA turned out to be terrible at actually producing things in general let alone to the tolerances that would have made the gyrojet rounds workable.

The mig-27m is a true legend in the world of too much gun.

[The Galactic Liberal Democracy]

What about the Gyrojet? That's the rifle thing that fired rockets.

It would have been awesome if it were effective at all.

[Novus America]

What about the Gyrojet? That's the rifle thing that fired rockets.

It's not a bad idea its just that MBA turned out to be terrible at actually producing things in general let alone to the tolerances that would have made the gyrojet rounds workable.

The mig-27m is a true legend in the world of too much gun.

It actually was a pretty bad idea for several reasons.
The rocket leaves the barrel at its lowest velocity. It gets faster further away.
Making it useless at close range. But the lack of accuracy in unguided rockets made it useless at long range.

The rockets are also large, expensive, and going to be inaccurate, because you are not going to put a guidance system on them.

It offered no real benefit over conventional rounds, and many disadvantages.
It was not the low quality of manufacturing that sunk it.
It was the very concept is unworkable.

[Pax Nerdvana]

It's not a bad idea its just that MBA turned out to be terrible at actually producing things in general let alone to the tolerances that would have made the gyrojet rounds workable.

The mig-27m is a true legend in the world of too much gun.

It actually was a pretty bad idea for several reasons.
The rocket leaves the barrel at its lowest velocity. It gets faster further away.
Making it useless at close range. But the lack of accuracy in unguided rockets made it useless at long range.

The rockets are also large, expensive, and going to be inaccurate, because you are not going to put a guidance system on them.

It offered no real benefit over conventional rounds, and many disadvantages.
It was not the low quality of manufacturing that sunk it.
It was the very concept is unworkable.

In other words, the rule of cool failed.

[Sicaris]

What about the Gyrojet? That's the rifle thing that fired rockets.

Ah yes. The rifle that fired extremely slow projectiles for about ten feet, which then accelerated to ridiculous speeds.

Cool gun. Cool concept. Bad execution.

[The Galactic Liberal Democracy]

In other words, the rule of cool failed.

Don’t worry, we will build a recoilless rifle for every light infantry unit that can shoot 15 rounds per minute. Logic and physics are silly rules.

[Washington Resistance Army]

What about the Gyrojet? That's the rifle thing that fired rockets.

Ah yes. The rifle that fired extremely slow projectiles for about ten feet, which then accelerated to ridiculous speeds.

Cool gun. Cool concept. Bad execution.

It's a concept that at least deserves revisiting imo. I'm planning on buying one and the ammo eventually.

[Sicaris]

Ah yes. The rifle that fired extremely slow projectiles for about ten feet, which then accelerated to ridiculous speeds.

Cool gun. Cool concept. Bad execution.

It's a concept that at least deserves revisiting imo. I'm planning on buying one and the ammo eventually.

I mean, people buy Barrett’s.

[Novus America]

Ah yes. The rifle that fired extremely slow projectiles for about ten feet, which then accelerated to ridiculous speeds.

Cool gun. Cool concept. Bad execution.

It's a concept that at least deserves revisiting imo. I'm planning on buying one and the ammo eventually.

They are a cool collectors item, although completely useless.
Each round costs about $100 so shooting it is not affordable.

Even if you could build your own rockets, it still is inherently less accurate then a ordinary round, and useless at close range.

[Washington Resistance Army]

It's a concept that at least deserves revisiting imo. I'm planning on buying one and the ammo eventually.

They are a cool collectors item, although completely useless.
Each round costs about $100 so shooting it is not affordable.

Even if you could build your own rockets, it still is inherently less accurate then a ordinary round, and useless at close range.

That's why you take it back to the drawing board and tinker with it for years on end to try and make something better with it. There's nothing I love more than doing that in fact

[The Galactic Liberal Democracy]

It's a concept that at least deserves revisiting imo. I'm planning on buying one and the ammo eventually.

The rounds are expensive af and you might as well get a pistol caliber rifle instead.