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Flechette rounds keep coming up in science fiction stuff, but they're an ammunition technology that keeps failing to live up to the hype. At least in small arms.
Shortly after the introduction of the M79 grenade launcher, a round firing 45 of these teeny darts was fielded.
Notice the lack of even an XM number.
They didn't stabilize and would often hit sideways. Their light weight meant that they barely raised a welt, let alone hurt anyone.
If they did land point first, they rarely did any substantial damage.
GURPS gives them 1d-3 pi-. So whatever small amount penetrates gets halved!
The average hit will do a mere 0.25 points (min 1). So you're going to need lots of hits for it to matter.
45 projectiles means you get a +6 to hit.
Using the same Skill 11 grenadier from last time...
At 20 yards they have a 11 to hit so, average 2 fletchettes scoring. For 2 points of damage.
At 7 yards they tend to get 5 hits. 5 points of damage.
Not quite as good as a M576 buckshot round.
Had the opportunity to fire the flechette round... I would agree, it was far less impressive than the buckshot. But still kind of neat to "test" in room clearing situations...
ReplyDeleteThey hit their stride only as M546 APERS-T "beehive" rounds from 105mm howitzers used in firebases in a direct-fire role. Finding your would-be communist overlords pinned to trees after an aborted base attack must have indeed been gratifying. Later editions of similar rounds for the 90mm and 106mm recoilless rifles, and main gun rounds for M48 and M551 tanks also proved satisfactory.
ReplyDeleteUse of flechettes from relative popguns like M79s and shotguns, not so much.
One can only wonder what a nice lead 00 buckshot round for a recoilless rifle would do to a human wave assault, but I suspect that's why Claymore mines were invented.
I've got GURPS stats for the tank rounds, haven't delved into howitzers yet. They're WAY more effective than the blooper can throw.
DeleteThe M60A2 and M551 firing the 152mm M625 round get 10,000 fletchettes doing 2d cut in GURPS terms, that's +12 to hit in addition to other plusses from being a solidly mounted weapon with an aiming system.
The 90mm M377 Canister round does 3d cut, but only has 5,600 fletchettes for a +11.
105mm M494 is also 3d cut with 5,000 for +11.
The real weakness in GURPS is how difficult it is to score more than a few hits with thousands of fletchettes because the number of that hit is determined by the number you make your roll by. Make it exactly, you get one hit. Make it by four, you get 5 hits.
Firing an M494 from an M60A3(TTS) or M1(IP) gets +5 for Acc, +1 for Braced, +1-3 for the targeting computer if you took the time to aim, which you have to get the +5 for Acc. If firing from a stationary position the stabilization system doesn't matter. +20 to hit if you have three seconds to aim and can be set to go off from 3m to 460m -1 to -14 for range. So still a net +6 to hit at 460m.
DeleteA skill 11 gunner, rolling the average 3d roll of 10 will land a mere 8 hits at 460m, and 21 at 3m. Out of five THOUSAND of the things!
I think the game rules are consolidating the damage from several flechettes here, but... It's definitely a flaw in the game.
Your first sentence was right on...”science fiction”.....here is my scenario, back to back one with an aged 870 and 00buck, the other with whatever similar bore armed with flechettes....on the mark, 10 paces, turn, aim, fire....give me the 870 please.....
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