Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle
Sarna News
| Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle | |
| Production information | |
| Type | Direct Fire, Ballistic |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere (Experimental) |
| Year Availability | 3065[1] |
| Technical specifications | |
| Heat | 2 |
| Damage | 22[2] |
| Minimum Range | 3 |
| Short Range | 1-6 |
| Medium Range | 7-12 |
| Long Range | 13-19 |
| Tons | 20[3] |
| Critical Slots | 11 |
| Ammo Per Ton | 4 |
| Cost (unloaded) | 700,000[4] |
| Ammo Cost (per ton) | 20,000 |
| BV (2.0) | 385 (rifle) / 48 (ammo)[5] |
Contents
Description
Work on the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle began in 3061 after the Heavy Gauss Rifle entered production.[6] Though the Heavy Gauss Rifle was mostly effective, engineers thought they could improve the ballistic performance of the projectile. This would lead to a more consistent damage profile, making the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle effective at all ranges. After four years of work, the engineers had created a weapon that occupied the same amount of space as the Heavy Gauss Rifle but was able to inflict consistent damage at all ranges. The Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle inflicts 10% more damage than an Autocannon/20, and occupies as much space as the standard Heavy Gauss Rifle. The minimum engagement range has also been reduced by 25%. In most other respects, the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle functions like a Heavy Gauss Rifle.[7]
In order to get this improved damage profile the engineers had to make a few compromises however. The first is the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle's weight. At 20 tons, it weighs as much as a Wasp or Stinger, and seriously limits the units that can carry it into battle. Though the damage inflicted by the slug is consistent across all ranges, it doesn't inflict as much damage at short range as the Heavy Gauss Rifle's slug. In addition, like all Gauss weapons the capacitors that charge the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle are fragile and will explode if hit by enemy weapon fire.[8] These capacitors also require so much energy that they can only be charged by a fission or fusion engine.[9] The Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle also inflicts a great deal of structural stress when it fires; This limits the Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle to torso locations on BattleMechs or hull mountings on combat vehicles as the recoil and stress would rip the arm or turret off the vehicle. These immense forces also destabilize the unit, making it more difficult to operate in combat.[10]
Models
The Improved Heavy Gauss Rifle has only been seen on the experimental ANH-2AX Annihilator variant.[11]
| Brand | Planet | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Defiance Unknown model | Hesperus II | Defiance Industries |
References
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 313
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 406
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 407
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 407
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 382
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 313
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 314
- ↑ Tactical Operations, p. 314. Inflicts damage as 30 point ammunition explosion.
- ↑ TechManual, p. 218
- ↑ Total Warfare, p. 136 Describes penalties for firing HGR and moving in same turn; These rules also apply to Improved HGR.
- ↑ Experimental Technical Readout: Mercs, p. 6