From:	P Ward <P.Ward@**.CF.AC.UK>
Subject:	Re: Ares Viper Slivergun
Date:	Thu, 6 Apr 1995 10:16:36 BST

Wasn't the Viper in the big shadowrun FAQ that's on one of the FTP sites
somewhere?

AMMO:
I think they decided to explain that the Viper didn't actually fire
regular Pistol rounds, it was something like the sliver-giun from the
chrome book, in that it was a flywheel made of cermaic, with a blade
type-thing which, when the triiger is pressed cuts slivers off the
fly-wheel, and they fly forward down the barrel. Hence there's no propellant
and so a lot less noise; except the cutting of the cermiac stuff (maybe it
was plastic actually, seeing as monowire doesn't go through some ceramics).
This also exaplins the 'huge'ammo capacity for a 'light' pistol.


RANGES:
What the problem with a 'light' pistol with heavy ranges, see all the muzzle
blast when you pull the trigger, that's propellant that's still burning
(correct me if I'm wrong gun-heads), if all that force was still contained
behind the bullet (like say in a longer barrel), then the round would go
further.

I have gun mods like this, extended barrel and short-barrel, which basicly
alter the range of your weapon from one weapon class to the next longer
or shoreter (LP up to HP, SMG down to HP, etc). So you can get Long-barrel
variants of AR's with Sports ranges, etc, course then they're less
concealable....

DAMAGE CODE:
It's a 9M heavy pistol, in a light pistol frame, because it doesn't
have to have space for the magazine, just one small fly-wheel in the centre
(which BTW, is a bitch to reload in combat), and doesn't need a long barrel
to ensure all the propellant is cooked off, because it doesn;t have any,
the plastic slivers are already going as fast as they can when the trigger is
pulled.

SILENCER:
Find the difference between the TNo for a silenced single shot, and the
TNo for a single shot, apply this to the normal TNo for a burst, though
I suspect it's the same difference...


Technical enough for ya? Anymore questions? BTW I do not and have never
possessed a firearm, I;m Welsh, if the gun-heads want to correct me, be
my guest.


As a group, we don't use it, them drekky little packet-flechette things just
bounce right off, can't stand em myself, they're even worse than Hollow-point
on armour. Use APFSF's, half armour, -1 wound level, like toady's anti-kevlar
flechette rounds, much better.


Phil (Runs-With-The-Pack)
With help from Renegade, who has 9 firearms and so knows a lot more about the
subject.