GURPS Homebrew: Tactical Carbine Gunsmithing Option

GURPS Homebrew: Tactical Carbine Gunsmithing Option

In GURPS 4e, bottom and top rifle have bulk -4. Middle rifle, magically, has bulk -5.

More to the point, I wanted [KAC M4A1K] to be in there because it shows what customisation can do, and what that means in the game -- mounting a short suppressor to deal with excessive muzzle blast, grinding off anything that might prevent emergency egress from a vehicle, etc.

Finally, while historically only 20 were made for the 160th SOAR, nobody prevents you from ordering more from KAC -- they are a reasonably small outfit to cater to individual requests of that kind. Hell, using Armoury (Small Arms) or the help of a gunsmith, you could even apply the same process to some other weapon, be it of the AR-15 type or even a completely different weapon.

- HANS, author of Tactical Shooting

It always bothered me how Mk18 is just a worse M4A1 as portrayed in GURPS, and it's main use as suppressed SOF weapon is unfeasible. This article will introduce house rules to mitigate such issues.

Tactical Carbine - any assault or battle rifle which has a barrel shorter than the average member of it's firearm family, by about the length of an average commercial suppressor. This is usually displayed by having bulk value equal to it's longer equivalent, smaller damage die and slight reduction in weight.

For example:

Colt M4A1, 5.56x45mm - Dmg 4d+2, Acc 4, Rng 750/2,900, Wt. 7.3/1, Bulk -4. 14.5" Barrel.

MK18 MOD 0, 5.56x45mm - Dmg 4d, Acc 4, Rng 600/2,500, Wt. 6.8/1, Bulk -4. 10.3" Barrel.

When mounting a suppressor, muzzle break or any other device that makes the bulk of a firearm worse by -1 on Tactical Carbine, ignore the bulk change. If devices reduce the bulk by -2 or more, ignore -1 of it.

Gunsmithing Option:

Most firearms can receive such upgrade. This requires 2 days of work and 2 Armoury (Small Arms) rolls.

Multiply weapon's damage and range by 0.85. Reduce weapon's weight by 0.5 lbs. Do NOT reduce it's acc or bulk statistic.

For shotguns and other non-rifled weapons, simply reduce weight.

Non-exhaustive list of weapons with such upgrade pre-installed:

Colt XM117E1, Colt CAR-15 R635 SMG, Colt CAR-15A2 R733 Commando, FN MINIMI-Para, FN MK16 MOD 0 CQC, FN MK17 MOD 0 CQC, FN MK46, FN MK48, FN P90, Guidelamp M3, HK G36C, HKG36K, HK G3KA4, HK HK53A3, HK MP5 (non-K), HK MP7A1, HK UMP, IMI Mini-Uzi, Izhmash AKS-74U, Izhmash PP-19, MK18 MOD 0, Sterling L2A3, Steyr AUG Para, TSNIITOCHMASH AS VAL (SR-3m variant),  TSNIITOCHMASH SR-2.

Most integrally suppressed weapons also have such upgrade.