Infantry Discussion Thread part 11: Gallas Razor edition.

[Theodosiya]

When would the .338 fully or mostly replace .308?

[Laritaia]

When would the .338 fully or mostly replace .308?

when ballistic improvements to 7.62mm NATO are no longer possible

[Aldina]

I made this a while back and I forgot I had it, but, do you guys think this would be practical for infantry use?

(Ignore the Dating of the Firearms)

The KAG's rate of fire is about twice what it needs to be--you'd empty that 50-round drum in about two and a half seconds, which would be acceptable for an assault rifle but not so much for a light machine gun. If you want a weapon with that high of a rate of fire, you need a belt feed. Also, maybe give it proper adjustable sights.

The carbine looks fine. Maybe use detachable magazines, though.

[Crookfur]

I made this a while back and I forgot I had it, but, do you guys think this would be practical for infantry use?

(Ignore the Dating of the Firearms)

The KAG's rate of fire is about twice what it needs to be--you'd empty that 50-round drum in about two and a half seconds, which would be acceptable for an assault rifle but not so much for a light machine gun. If you want a weapon with that high of a rate of fire, you need a belt feed. Also, maybe give it proper adjustable sights.

The carbine looks fine. Maybe use detachable magazines, though.

It's not even a feeding mechanism issue but more practically about keeping the gun in one price. 1150rpm is doable on a gas operated gun but is only really practical or desirable for aircraft mounted weapons for ground use it would just overheat the barrel (and with no apparent quick change mechanism this is a bigger issue) and pretty much batter the gun itself to death.
A more "natural" cyclic rate would be in the region of 800 rpm.

On the rifle it does have a detachable mag but it seems to only hold half the overall capacity which does imply a 2 magazine system that would be odd, clunky, not really at all practical and a bit pointless. Just a single 15round detachabke box mag would be much better and it could even be strictly limited in numbers issued and/or chained to the gun if you want troops to rely on topping it up with stripper clips.

[Norcourt]

The KAG's rate of fire is about twice what it needs to be--you'd empty that 50-round drum in about two and a half seconds, which would be acceptable for an assault rifle but not so much for a light machine gun. If you want a weapon with that high of a rate of fire, you need a belt feed. Also, maybe give it proper adjustable sights.

The carbine looks fine. Maybe use detachable magazines, though.

It's not even a feeding mechanism issue but more practically about keeping the gun in one price. 1150rpm is doable on a gas operated gun but is only really practical or desirable for aircraft mounted weapons for ground use it would just overheat the barrel (and with no apparent quick change mechanism this is a bigger issue) and pretty much batter the gun itself to death.
A more "natural" cyclic rate would be in the region of 800 rpm.

On the rifle it does have a detachable mag but it seems to only hold half the overall capacity which does imply a 2 magazine system that would be odd, clunky, not really at all practical and a bit pointless. Just a single 15round detachabke box mag would be much better and it could even be strictly limited in numbers issued and/or chained to the gun if you want troops to rely on topping it up with stripper clips.

What you said about the chained mag system was more of what I was intending it on being used. Like the old early Lee Metford Rifles, the magazine was able to be detachable but was chained to the rifle. I'll probably just make the magazine bigger and focus on making it detachable. Thanks

[Norcourt]

I made this a while back and I forgot I had it, but, do you guys think this would be practical for infantry use?

(Ignore the Dating of the Firearms)

The KAG's rate of fire is about twice what it needs to be--you'd empty that 50-round drum in about two and a half seconds, which would be acceptable for an assault rifle but not so much for a light machine gun. If you want a weapon with that high of a rate of fire, you need a belt feed. Also, maybe give it proper adjustable sights.

The carbine looks fine. Maybe use detachable magazines, though.

That truly does make a lot of sense, as I was looking at the MG42s RPM, and tried to go with that. However of course it did use a belt. Suggestion noted and taken into account

[Theodosiya]

Is it probable/realistic, to add rails and nvg mounts to all helmet size, type and cut? Also giving them to Russian/USSR ballistic helm?


Addition : kinda bored with tactical MICH or FAST Ops Core. Or mid or low cuts.

[Puzikas]

Most helmets can accept mountings for night vision
It's not too terribly hard to make a rig that will fit them

[Spreewerke]

Most helmets can accept mountings for night vision
It's not too terribly hard to make a rig that will fit them

They make what are effectively ratchet systems that will mount them to just about anything.

[Gallia-]

[Kazarogkai]

The KAG's rate of fire is about twice what it needs to be--you'd empty that 50-round drum in about two and a half seconds, which would be acceptable for an assault rifle but not so much for a light machine gun. If you want a weapon with that high of a rate of fire, you need a belt feed. Also, maybe give it proper adjustable sights.

The carbine looks fine. Maybe use detachable magazines, though.

That truly does make a lot of sense, as I was looking at the MG42s RPM, and tried to go with that. However of course it did use a belt. Suggestion noted and taken into account

Don't forget that it was recoil operated rather than gas operated, kinda like a maxim, I imagine that partially plays a role in this. Plus since this looks like a proper LMG rather than simply an Auto Rifle like say the BAR hence you may want to invest in a top or side mounted magazine. That would help the assistant gunner greatly.

Also 15 rounds for a bolt action, especially for rounds that big, seems a bit overkill/anachronistic for a bolt action rifle of that rough period. The only reason I gave my gun 12 rounds is because it was based on the SMLE albeit with a bullet more similar to that of a smaller Japanese 6mm Arisaka bullet, alongside other changes of course. Thinner bullet = I can fit a bit more in the magazine. Just some thoughts.

[Puzikas]

Most helmets can accept mountings for night vision
It's not too terribly hard to make a rig that will fit them

They make what are effectively ratchet systems that will mount them to just about anything.

Exactly what I was referring to

[Sevvania]

(Image)

This one makes me quite happy.

[Rich and Corporations]

Up until your enemy starts wearing MOPP gear, and you just go back to using explosives.

While you can certainly make such a weapon, chemical weapons usefulness is rather restricted.

cannot armor mopp gear
frag + gas is pretty uh

[TemoFab]

Made an old-school version of my infantry arms. For razing, oppressing and apartheiding

[Spreewerke]

They make what are effectively ratchet systems that will mount them to just about anything.

Exactly what I was referring to

i got u bby

btw texting u noods rn

[Stornorn]

Would this guy's hat be a decent piece of headwear for a pre-Victorian infantryman?

[Kazarogkai]

Would this guy's hat be a decent piece of headwear for a pre-Victorian infantryman?

If that is fur then a thing to keep in mind is that fur is and continues to be a bit pricey. As such it's best to reserve such things for more specialist/elite units like riflemen or maybe guard/grenadier units. Otherwise it seems fine, the hat kinda looks like Cossack hat so I Imagine it would be fine.

[Crookfur]

Would this guy's hat be a decent piece of headwear for a pre-Victorian infantryman?

If it fits your nation's background then sure.

Of course pre-victorian does cover most of history so you might want to narrow the time window down a bit

[Kassaran]

How easy was it to produce firearms in say, the late 18th Century and into the early 19th Century? I'm wanting to know what the most common sort of weapon I can expect my armies to be using in the time period, or moreover the average manufacture time of weapons in the general application sense.

[Crookfur]

How easy was it to produce firearms in say, the late 18th Century and into the early 19th Century? I'm wanting to know what the most common sort of weapon I can expect my armies to be using in the time period, or moreover the average manufacture time of weapons in the general application sense.

If you were at all industrialised muskets weren't hugely taxing to produce. In a 20 year period from 1795 the UK produced approximately 3milliion India pattern brown bess muskets. Even during the initial ramping up of production of the more complicated long land pattern during which time the British gun industry was already working on big contracts for other customers the British army was able get approx. 50,000 muskets made in the first year.

[Crookfur]

As a point of comparison the US armorys produced a mere 180,000 muskets in a similar time scale the British 3 million.

But yeah if you haven't guessed in the time period mentioned it's all about the flintlock musket.

[Allanea]

In the days of lace-ruffles, perukes and brocade
Brown Bess was a partner whom none could despise--
An out-spoken, flinty-lipped, brazen-faced jade,
With a habit of looking men straight in the eyes--
At Blenheim and Ramillies fops would confess
They were pierced to the heart by the charms of Brown Bess.

Though her sight was not long and her weight was not small,
Yet her actions were winning, her language was clear;
And everyone bowed as she opened the ball
On the arm of some high-gaitered, grim grenadier.
Half Europe admitted the striking success
Of the dances and routs that were given by Brown Bess.

When ruffles were turned into stiff leather stocks,
And people wore pigtails instead of perukes,
Brown Bess never altered her iron-grey locks.
She knew she was valued for more than her looks.
"Oh, powder and patches was always my dress,
And I think am killing enough," said Brown Bess.

So she followed her red-coats, whatever they did,
From the heights of Quebec to the plains of Assaye,
From Gibraltar to Acre, Cape Town and Madrid,
And nothing about her was changed on the way;
(But most of the Empire which now we possess
Was won through those years by old-fashioned Brown Bess.)

In stubborn retreat or in stately advance,
From the Portugal coast to the cork-woods of Spain,
She had puzzled some excellent Marshals of France
Till none of them wanted to meet her again:
But later, near Brussels, Napoleon--no less--
Arranged for a Waterloo ball with Brown Bess.

She had danced till the dawn of that terrible day--
She danced till the dusk of more terrible night,
And before her linked squares his battalions gave way,
And her long fierce quadrilles put his lancers to flight:
And when his gilt carriage drove off in the press,
"I have danced my last dance for the world!" said Brown Bess.

If you go to Museums--there's one in Whitehall--
Where old weapons are shown with their names writ beneath,
You will find her, upstanding, her back to the wall,
As stiff as a ramrod, the flint in her teeth.
And if ever we English had reason to bless
Any arm save our mothers', that arm is Brown Bess!

[Stornorn]

Would this guy's hat be a decent piece of headwear for a pre-Victorian infantryman?

If that is fur then a thing to keep in mind is that fur is and continues to be a bit pricey. As such it's best to reserve such things for more specialist/elite units like riflemen or maybe guard/grenadier units. Otherwise it seems fine, the hat kinda looks like Cossack hat so I Imagine it would be fine.

Thanks. Do you know of any sites that lists all of the major infantry hats throughout history so that I might find one without it being either super generic or anachronistic?

[Crookfur]

If that is fur then a thing to keep in mind is that fur is and continues to be a bit pricey. As such it's best to reserve such things for more specialist/elite units like riflemen or maybe guard/grenadier units. Otherwise it seems fine, the hat kinda looks like Cossack hat so I Imagine it would be fine.

Thanks. Do you know of any sites that lists all of the major infantry hats throughout history so that I might find one without it being either super generic or anachronistic?

I'm not familiar with any one site, your best bet would be to look at the particular era you are interested in and have a look at what infantry of that era were wearing in the different armies involved. Pinterest can be quite handy for this as folk seem to have uploaded the colour plates from the umpteen sorry books out there.