Yazin's Armory: Wartech S-17r Sniper System by Yazin[Yazin walks to a table holding an assortment of wicked looking weapons and hefts] Wartech's new sniper system, the S-17r was just released last year and is a new spin on an old idea. As the M-14g gyrojet rifle still has a large following as a sniper rifle with Landfleet soldiers, the S-17r is not intended to replace it. The S-17r was commissioned to be a weapon used for special operation snipers and specialized battlefield uses. Now you might ask, what makes it so special? The S-17r is new in the way it fires its projectile. This weapon uses railgun technology instead of more conventional propellant. Since I am not as much an expert on magnetics as other members of the team, Skitzi our resident technical expert will explain." [Camera pans left to a Vrusk standing in front of a schematic] Skitzi: "Greetings gentlebeings. As Yazin has already stated, the S-17r is a modern "railgun" or magnetically firing weapon. But what does this mean exactly? A railgun uses electromagnets to propel a projectile at its target. The barrel of the gun contains several electromagnetic rings arranged linearly. These magnets are switched on and off in a rapid sequence down the length of the barrel. The projectile is pulled by the resulting magnetic fields down the barrel at increasing speed. The weapon has the ability to propel projectiles at incredible speeds without the need for conventional propellant. The biggest advantage over more conventional weapons is the greater range and hitting power of the railgun. [Skitzi Holds up a small metal sliver...] This weapon fire specially constructed metal flechettes, though theoretically any ferrous object could be used. These flechettes are small metal slivers about 3mm thick and 6cm long. Each flechette also has a small set of four fins to stabilize them in flight. These fins are 6mm long, 1mm high, and are mounted on the drag end of the projectile. Most interestingly, the flechette is cupped at the front and weighted slightly at both ends. This is designed to expand the projectile when it hits its target. As the cupped forward section of the flechette slows on contact with the target, the rear section's inertia pushes forward expanding the projectile. This means that a lighter and easier to fire round still gives good damage to the target. This lighter projectile also cuts down the recoil of the weapon. Unfortunately, this also serves to make the S-17r fairly ineffective against armored structures." [Camera pans away from Skitzi... and back to Yazin] Yazin: "Thanks Skitzi, I couldn't have said it better myself. Skitzi: [Off camera] "Don't mention it." Yazin: "Unfortunately, due to the tremendous power and range of this weapon, we cannot do a live fire demonstration here in the Armory. Because it wouldn't be a proper Yazin's Armory without one, however, we have set up Slim in an alternate location." [Scene cuts to Slim snapped into a firing line. He is prone and has a S-17r set up to fire.] Slim: "The S-17r has a fearsome recoil, but several features are designed into the weapon to reduce it. Firstly, the weapon is rather long and heavy, allowing the projectile to build up speed more slowly than with a shorter barrel. This makes a difference in felt recoil by making the firing sequence more drawn out, rather than one big shove. You can hardly see the difference in the projectile's acceleration, but you can certainly feel the difference in recoil. The weapon's weight also helps to reduce felt recoil much like standard projectile weapons. The stock of the weapon contains two shock absorbing pistons, much like those found on groundcars. These are set into the stock above and behind the trigger. These pistons help to reduce felt recoil by compressing as the weapon is discharged. The S-17r's biggest advantage is its range. It is has one of best ranges of any non-energy weapon. It is very effective against all soft skin targets, though it cannot usually be used against hardened structures. The weapon is designed to be fired from a prone or mounted position, much like I am now. It comes with a non-detachable folding bipod to aid in long range shots. Because of its many features, the firing mechanism, and the necessary high quality construction of the projectile, the weapon is very accurate even at its longer ranges. When the weapon is tuned properly and a good firing position is set up, you can often put several projectiles through the same hole even at several hundred meters. Unfortunately, the weapon's projectiles are affected by windage in much the same way as standard auto weapons. In order to test the weapon in its most effective role, I have placed a large grapal melon in the target area. This will serve to simulate an unsuspecting Sathar on the battlefield. Now, without further comment... [Slim puts his eyespot to the scope and concentrates on firing the weapon] Mmmnnnnnn PheeeeeewwwwwwwwwwCRACK! (Distantly) CRUNCH-SPLAT[Visual feed switches to downrange camera] As you can see from this camera downrange, the melon has a small hole about 3mm wide in the front section. Now..... if we rotate the view to the other side. [Camera angle changes to show the rear of the melon. A large hole is obviously apparent and melon chunks are strewn about.] If that had been a Sathar infantryman, I would have ruined his whole day. As you can see, the projectile expanded as designed and left a large exit wound in the back of the melon. This expansion allows greater damage than a simple solid projectile could attain, and weighs less, thus reducing recoil. Back to you Yazin." [Camera feed switches to Yazin standing next to S-17r on table] Yazin: "Ah... modern technology at work. Thanks Slim for you excellent marksmanship. We'll leave you for now while you clean up that mess. So now we know how the weapon works and what it can do. Now for the most important information, the soldier's input. Force Five has used these weapons before and has gleaned a good working knowledge of them. We have also compiled findings from other elite units like Vendetta Inc, Malrithi teams, and even some from Legion snipers. I'll give you a basic rundown. The S-17r is excellent for its prescribed role, but is not really a flexible design. The weapon requires the care of a qualified sniper or other dedicated individual to achieve maximum performance on the battlefield. The weapon is not to be treated too roughly as it will loose accuracy if the electromagnets and sighting system get out of alignment. The weapon is durable however, and is designed for battlefield conditions. Hindrances such as dampness, mud, and cold weather, are not a problem if proper care is taken. The weapon must be used in a prone or supported position for effective firing. The attached bipod is fine, although the weapon does have a mounting lock for a tripod if preferred. Shoulder firing of the weapon is a bad idea to say the least, and would loose long range accuracy at any rate. The weapon's recoil is considerable, though the many clever items to reduce it work well on this system. I'll be honest with you though, it still kicks worse than any other projectile weapon I've fired. This is usually not a problem, however, IF the firer is familiar with the weapon and has set up properly. Again, firing from the shoulder is a bad idea. This weapon is unlike most others in that it requires both power (SEUs) and projectile ammunition (flechettes). Luckily the energy powerport is designed to accommodate different sources. The weapon can use a powerclip, mini-powerclip, or a connector from a power beltpack or backpack. The weapon is not shy about using power either, so be sure to watch your power indicator. Luckily the power and ammunition indicators are also well designed. Both indicators are very small but are side by side on the upper rear of the weapon's stock. Because of this location, a sniper can check ammunition stores without looking away from the target for more than a moment. The weapon comes with a scope included, so no additional purchases are necessary other than ammunition. This scope is manufactured by a subsidiary of Wartech and is of excellent quality. It is equipped with standard and infra-red visual imaging, and this often proves to be sufficient. For concerned snipers, other scope types are available with different capabilities and prices. In conclusion, the S-17r is a fine weapon for today's battlefield. It gives a sniper unparalleled accuracy and damaging capacity in comparison to any other projectile weapon. However, it is not an individual soldier's weapon by any stretch of the imagination. It must be used and deployed correctly to take full use of its strengths, while avoiding its weaknesses. If a long range and accurate projectile weapon is what you need, then the S-17r should fill its role admirably." [Yazin nods to camera] Yazin: "Well, that's it for this time. Tune in next time for more high powered action.... here on Yazin's Armory!" Special Thanks to Albin Johnson for his Legality/Availability rules, Denni Feagins for Vendetta Inc., Dean Bailey for Legion, and Clark G. Valentine for the Malrithi  
Notes: -Scope is included with rifle -Scope improves range by one Rating when used -Structural Damage is 3 per shot (For hard targets) -Weapon cannot use any barrel attachments such as bayonet or grenade mount (Zeb's) -Weapon must be used in supported firing position: tripod, bipod, prone, etc -Scopes are available with different capabilities, use visor rules in Zeb's
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