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Message no. 1
From: runnerpaul@*****.com runnerpaul@*****.com
Subject: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was: Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 00:13:06 -0400 (EDT)
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:I do have a question for all you gms out there. what would you do if
: your players had a construction guru and said they were just going
:to build their own thunderbolts. What skills would you say are
:neccessary and how difficult would you make the rolls?

I had a similar question, but from a different angle.

Instead of something complex like a burst fire pistol, what would it
require to make cheap simple firearms, if say a barrens gang decided
one weekend that they wanted to tackle this sort of Do-It-Yourself
project? Nothing complex like a semi-auto or anything, maybe bolt
action at the most complex.

For example, would it be possible to, oh, say make a single-shot
shotguns out of some lengths of the correct gauge steel pipe, some
shells, and some sort of spring trigger? I know range would suck, and
accuracy would be right out, but would such a thing be possible? Or
would it just blow up in the user's hands?

Also would the old decker's trick of using a control slave operation
to change what a computer-aided-manufacturing production line
produces work for making some simple gun parts?

Essentially, what I'm going for, is the theme of "technology falling
to the level of the street".

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #186 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

---------------------------------------------------
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Message no. 2
From: Bruce gyro@********.co.za
Subject: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was: Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 11:39:54 +0200
runnerpaul writes;

>I had a similar question, but from a different angle.
>
>Instead of something complex like a burst fire pistol, what would it
>require to make cheap simple firearms, if say a barrens gang decided
>one weekend that they wanted to tackle this sort of Do-It-Yourself
>project? Nothing complex like a semi-auto or anything, maybe bolt
>action at the most complex.
>
>For example, would it be possible to, oh, say make a single-shot
>shotguns out of some lengths of the correct gauge steel pipe, some
>shells, and some sort of spring trigger? I know range would suck, and
>accuracy would be right out, but would such a thing be possible? Or
>would it just blow up in the user's hands?
>
>Also would the old decker's trick of using a control slave operation
>to change what a computer-aided-manufacturing production line
>produces work for making some simple gun parts?
>
>Essentially, what I'm going for, is the theme of "technology falling
>to the level of the street".

I'm pretty interested in this theme. I figure that all it takes are
people who
are unwilling or unable to pay for tech from the manufacturers and
decide
to do their own thing. In the case of firearms, a couple of options
exist.

They coud buy/steal components and attempt to assemble them.
They could have a robot factory assemble guns to their specs.
This option is not easy, even given the example in VR2. No Azzie
host is gonna be that easy to steal from.

In all cases, its gonna take someone with a decent knowledge of
wepons and of what he wants and what he can acheive given the
resources available. I guess a (Firearm Skill) B/R chip would be
very handy in this regard.

As for other technologies, I think its very important that a knock off
market exists in the shadows. Theres a lot of money to be made selling
cheaper versions of most gear to the unwitting or the cheap. I think
it will instil a sense of uncertainty in runners especially when they
start entrsuting their lives to their gear. Just ask a rigger or
decker.

- + - BRUCE <gyro@********.co.za> -

MiX it UP!
Message no. 3
From: runnerpaul@*****.com runnerpaul@*****.com
Subject: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was: Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 22:09:48 -0400 (EDT)
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At 11:39 AM 8/24/99 +0200, Bruce wrote:
:They coud buy/steal components and attempt to assemble them.
:They could have a robot factory assemble guns to their specs.
:This option is not easy, even given the example in VR2. No Azzie
:host is gonna be that easy to steal from.

No, but how about this scenario? Hack a small time no-name
mom-and-pop manufacturing outfit late one night. Screw around totally
with their overnight production run. Make the auto-lathes and other
equipment crank out a bunch of junk, making it look like some bored
rich-kid decker wannabes just wanted to engage in some online
vandalism. Mix a couple of some of the smaller components in with the
junk, nothing big enough to be recognizable as firearms parts. Check
the dumpster outside the factory the next day to see if they just
tossed out the batch of junk (and your needed parts along with it).

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--
-- Paul Gettle, #186 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

---------------------------------------------------
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Message no. 4
From: Bruce gyro@********.co.za
Subject: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was: Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 09:48:30 +0200
From: runnerpaul@*****.com <runnerpaul@*****.com>
Date: 25 August 1999 04:42
Subject: Re: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was:
Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]


>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
>At 11:39 AM 8/24/99 +0200, Bruce wrote:
>:They coud buy/steal components and attempt to assemble them.
>:They could have a robot factory assemble guns to their specs.
>:This option is not easy, even given the example in VR2. No Azzie
>:host is gonna be that easy to steal from.
>
>No, but how about this scenario? Hack a small time no-name
>mom-and-pop manufacturing outfit late one night. Screw around totally
>with their overnight production run. Make the auto-lathes and other
>equipment crank out a bunch of junk, making it look like some bored
>rich-kid decker wannabes just wanted to engage in some online
>vandalism. Mix a couple of some of the smaller components in with the
>junk, nothing big enough to be recognizable as firearms parts. Check
>the dumpster outside the factory the next day to see if they just
>tossed out the batch of junk (and your needed parts along with it).
> -- Paul Gettle, #186 of 1000 (RunnerPaul@*****.com)

Well, if the mon n' pop shop has the correct materials and machinery
that meets the specs and can work to the tolerances you need, thats
a damn fine idea. The same could be done to produce high end
chips (skillsofts, beetles etc) by "convincing" the factory that the
chips had not passed quality control and picking them up from the
dumpster.

Another option would be to legitimately arrange the production of some
goods in an automated factory and pay for them. Meanwhile, your
deckers change the production specs and you get a box full of rifles
marked "Candlesticks" or whatever.

- + - BRUCE <gyro@********.co.za> -

MiX it UP!
Message no. 5
From: Paul J. Adam Paul@********.demon.co.uk
Subject: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was: Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 01:03:22 +0100
In article <990824001306CT.01207@*****.iname.net>,
runnerpaul@*****.com writes
>I had a similar question, but from a different angle.
>
>Instead of something complex like a burst fire pistol, what would it
>require to make cheap simple firearms, if say a barrens gang decided
>one weekend that they wanted to tackle this sort of Do-It-Yourself
>project? Nothing complex like a semi-auto or anything, maybe bolt
>action at the most complex.

Actually, a simple blowback SMG is one of the easiest weapons to knock
out in quantity on basic machinery. Look at the British Sten Gun, or the
US M3A1 "Grease Gun", or the Soviet PPS, from World War 2 for examples
of how basic stamped and pressed metal can be turned into a machine
gun very easily. The barrel's the toughest part.

Not a casual task, you'd need some skills and machinery, but a WW2
veteran I used to go shooting with had fond memories of a home-made
submachinegun he and some RN artificers built for themselves... with a
good machinist and reasonable tools, it's not hard at all until you try to
produce a decent rifled barrel.

>Also would the old decker's trick of using a control slave operation
>to change what a computer-aided-manufacturing production line
>produces work for making some simple gun parts?

Sure. You'd need a design, but there are plenty about.

>Essentially, what I'm going for, is the theme of "technology falling
>to the level of the street".

Simple SMGs - FA-only, no aiming aids, no recoil compensation - are
_easy_ to mass-produce. It's when you get fancy that the problems
start...

--
Paul J. Adam
Message no. 6
From: Strago strago@***.com
Subject: Gun manufacturing, the LoTech approach [was: Thunderbolts: How you might get them.]
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 01:43:16 -0400
Paul J. Adam wrote:

> In article <990824001306CT.01207@*****.iname.net>,
> runnerpaul@*****.com writes
> >I had a similar question, but from a different angle.
> >
> >Instead of something complex like a burst fire pistol, what would it
> >require to make cheap simple firearms, if say a barrens gang decided
> >one weekend that they wanted to tackle this sort of Do-It-Yourself
> >project? Nothing complex like a semi-auto or anything, maybe bolt
> >action at the most complex.
>
> Actually, a simple blowback SMG is one of the easiest weapons to knock
> out in quantity on basic machinery. <SNIP>

Not mass-produce, but just produce 1. Say you have lying around enough metal
pieces, could you make one into a gun with very limited equipment, like a
basic tool kit? That would be useful for a character I know...

>
>
> --
> Paul J. Adam



--
--Strago

The gene pool in the 21st century needs a deep cleaning. I am the chlorine.

SRGC v0.2 !SR1 SR2++ !SR3 h b++ B- UB- IE+ RN++ sa++ ma++ ad+ m+ (o++ d+) gm+
M-

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