====== Firearm Accessories =====

In combat, any edge can mean the difference between
life and death – and technology is a great way to get that
edge. This section presents devices and modifications to
enhance almost any weapon.

=====INFANTRY GUNS=====
At TL9, infantry – and to a lesser extent, police – small arms
include the personal defense weapon, urban assault weapon,
assault carbine, Gatling carbine, storm carbine, storm rifle,
close assault shotgun, tangler, and gyroc carbine (Ultra-Tech,
pp. 135-140, 144-145).

==== A BETTER KIND OF GUN ====

At TL9, most small arms fire conventional projectile ammunition (Ultra-Tech, pp. 135, 148), propelled through the barrel by means of a self-contained cartridge that includes the projectile, propellant, and primer. Ammunition is electrically ignited (Ultra-Tech, p. 135) rather than hammer- or striker-fired. Introduced at TL7 for cased ammunition and at TL8 for caseless ammo, this improves precision, lock time, and reliability, and
reduces moving parts and internal strain. Electrical ignition
also reduces the mechanical noise of firing – treat the basic weapon sound (High-Tech, p. 158) as one step quieter. The requirement for a power cell is not a disadvantage, as numerous other components of TL9 guns are powered anyway
(Ultra-Tech, p. 149).

Standard at TL9, caseless cartridges and even more
advanced ammunition types (High-Tech, pp. 164-165, and
Ultra-Tech, pp. 135, 139) are lighter and often more compact,
allowing larger magazine capacities for less frequent reloading
(Tactical Shooting, p. 20) as well as larger basic loads
(Tactical Shooting, pp. 79-80). Many magazines feature highdensity layouts (High-Tech, p. 155) like quadruple-stack
designs to room more cartridges without increasing magazine
length. While this results in wider and heavier magazines, the
weight problem is mitigated by improved materials and the
lower weight per shot of caseless ammo. Advanced springs
make these as reliable and easy to fill as TL8 double-stack magazines. Detachable magazines have finally become true throwaway items, their empty cost and weight having been reduced
considerably. However, magazines continue to be the primary
source of jams, despite low-friction and anti-tilt followers,
improved springs, and being sealed after filling.

Electrothermal chemical (ETC) or “plasma pulse” technology improves both damage and range (Ultra-Tech, p. 139) of
caseless ammunition, allowing for enhanced armor penetration, improved cover penetration (Tactical Shooting, pp. 28-31), and longer precision shots (Tactical Shooting, pp. 26-27) with reduced flight time (Tactical Shooting, p. 32); divide bullet travel time by 1.5. The improved performance of ETC ammunition is the result of higher muzzle energy – which realistically also causes higher felt recoil. Multiply ST by 1.2.

Liquid-propellant “binary fuel-injection” guns can boost
damage and range (Ultra-Tech, p. 139), and divide bullet travel
time by 1.3. Multiply ST by 1.1. Alternatively, they can be set
to reduce damage, range, and firing signature. This means they
are more difficult to hear and easier to suppress (High-Tech,
pp. 158-159, and Tactical Shooting, pp. 70-71) – treat as “very
light pistol” (High-Tech, p. 158). Multiply ST by 0.8. The low
power setting is also useful to adjust for overpenetration risks
(Tactical Shooting, pp. 28-31) or reduced engagement ranges,
such as on spacecraft or in urban combat.

Projectiles at TL9 are little different from those at TL8 – hollow-points (Ultra-Tech, p. 154) for unarmored targets and armor-piercing rounds (Ultra-Tech, pp. 152-153) for lightly armored opponents. Large-bore guns can fire advanced explosive projectiles (Ultra-Tech, pp. 153-155).

Projectiles and propellants can be embedded with taggants (Ultra-Tech, p. 89) to aid forensic investigation. In societies with high CR or a litigation-prone citizenry, every shot will deliberately scatter tiny ID tags
from the muzzle (High-Tech, p. 90). Some projectiles
could even be tagged with an active emitter
(Transhuman Space, p. 158), making it easier to locate
any bullets fired – both those that missed and those that
are inside a fleeing target...

===Malfunctions and Other Issues===
Due to the use of caseless or liquid-propellant ammunition, improved magazines, and advanced mechanisms
like rising or rotating chambers with few moving parts and linear feeding, all TL9 guns are very reliable and
won’t malfunction unless lack of maintenance lowers 
Malf. (p. B407). Basic maintenance is no longer required
– like TL8 ovens, TL9 guns are self-cleaning and self-lubricating. Typical malfunctions concern the electronics (leading to misfires and malfunctions of built-in
features like the HUD link or laser sight). This makes
drilled responses like Armorer’s Gift (Tactical Shooting,
p. 37) and Tap-Rack-Bang (Tactical Shooting, p. 41) less
essential for the TL9 shooter.

Without the requirement to eject spent cases (other than for manual unloading), guns are not only less vulnerable to environmental influences and therefore more reliable, they can
also be made fully ambidextrous – lefties are no longer penalized by awkward safeties or handles, annoyed by ejectors that flip hot brass into their faces, etc. Shooting around cover
(Tactical Shooting, p. 28) is also no longer an issue.

Caseless guns leave fewer clues at a shooting site and deposit
no cases on which to slip or that can damage the engines of aircraft or grav vehicles (Tactical Shooting, p. 35). This is also an
advantage aboard spacecraft, especially in zero-G, where cases
floating around would be a considerable bother.

Lacking a cartridge case that takes much of the firing heat with it when it’s ejected, caseless guns and especially high-powered ETC and liquid-propellant weapons require special
considerations to cool the action and barrel. Many methods
already introduced at TL6 will see a renaissance, including
high-surface radiator fins around the barrel (now made out of
lightweight new alloys) and forced-draft systems that use the
movement of the action or a muzzle device to draw cooler air
into the gun. Some gun designs may solve the issue by restricting fire modes to single shots or limited bursts (High-Tech,
p. 83). Others may have a theoretical full-auto capability, but
troops are drilled not to use it – not only because of the
thermo-mechanical problems, but also because bursts are seldom useful (Tactical Shooting, p. 16), and continue to be so in
tomorrow’s firefights.

All TL9 guns can be fired underwater (High-Tech, p. 85),
with no Malf. penalty for all but automatic guns, which get -1.
The TL8 supercavitation projectile option (double CPS) is
available in combination with solid, all variants of AP that
don’t use sabots, and all variants of SAP. This has much
improved performance – the underwater distance multiplier is
50 rather than 1,000. Gyroc guns can fire ammunition with the
TL9 gytorp upgrade (double CPS), which is not only supercavitating but has a thrust unit for underwater use. This has its normal range, but only works underwater!

===Hands-Free Operation===
Guns and gadgets at TL9 offer many modes of operations.
Switching from one to another generally requires a Ready
maneuver – taking off the safety, switching from single shot to
rock ’n’ roll, adjusting the power level on a liquid-propellant
gun, changing the setting on a smartchoke, switching a laser
sight on or off or changing its mode, etc. It’s a free action for
a familiar user (High-Tech, p. 80) or a shooter with the Lightning Fingers perk (Tactical Shooting, p. 39). It’s also a free action if the shooter has a neural link to the gun via a neural
input receiver (Ultra-Tech, p. 48) or neural interface implant
(Ultra-Tech, pp. 48-49). A neural link even allows the gun to be
fired without trigger manipulation, which gives +2 in Who
Draws First? situations (Tactical Shooting, p. 10).

Accessing the menu offered by a HUD, such as initiating
Targeting software, requires either a manual system, or a neural input receiver or neural interface implant. The manual system is usually a rugged datapad (Ultra-Tech, pp. 23, 15) worn
on the wrist or in another easily accessible location.

===Air-Powered Guns===
Other guns such as the needle rifle or tangler are air-powered (Ultra-Tech, p. 139). Comparatively high-powered air
guns use super-critical, highly compressed liquid gas like CO2.
These have virtually no firing signature (Ultra-Tech, p. 139) –
no muzzle flash, no smell, no infrared signature, and no
ejected cartridge case (Tactical Shooting, pp. 34-35). They also
make little sound (High-Tech, p. 158). Another advantage is
that air guns can be made of light, non-metallic materials
(Ultra-Tech, p. 140). If the projectiles also aren’t made of metal
– which is feasible for needlers and tanglers – the loaded guns
can pass metal detectors.

However, the potential power of air guns is technically
already maxed out at TL8, so the TL9 equivalents don’t provide
substantial improvements – their main use is for sport and
less-than-lethal applications. They have favorable LC; thus, in
some societies, they may be the only guns that are readily
available to civilians. With suitable ammunition and taking
advantage of their low firing signature, some air guns are useful for close-range assassination.

===Camouflage===
Instead of being painted with weapon camouflage (Tactical
Shooting, p. 76), military and hunting guns can be fitted with
programmable camouflage (Ultra-Tech, p. 99). At SM -2 for
the average infantry small arm, this adds $250 and 0.5 lb. A
full thermo-optic chameleon surface (Ultra-Tech, pp. 99-100)
is probably not only too expensive, but too heavy for use on
small arms.

===Personal Sidearms===

The points made here also apply to 
handguns like the heavy pistol, holdout pistol, magnum pistol,
medium pistol, machine pistol, needler, tangler pistol, wrist
needler, gyroc launch pistol, gyroc pistol, or holdout gyroc (UltraTech, pp. 135, 139-140, 144).

In particular, just like their larger counterparts, TL9 sidearms
feature a HUD link, laser sight, recognition grip, and diagnostic
computer for free (Ultra-Tech, p. 149).

Cheap (Ultra-Tech, p. 15) handguns can dispense with one or
several of these features to reduce cost. Many will still have the features, but at lower quality; at TL8, some manufacturers make zincalloy .25-caliber holdout pistols – with tiny integral targeting lasers
– that retail for less than a good flashlight (and are perhaps less useful, as well). On a cheap gun, the laser could be permanently out of zero, negating the +1 skill bonus, the diagnostic computer could
raise an erroneous malfunction alert every half hour, etc.

Perhaps even more so than military weapons, handguns will
generally come with a D-tag (Ultra-Tech, p. 151). Many societies
like to keep tight control over concealable weapons.
The often unexpected and social (that is, very short-ranged)
nature of handgun-use means that they are frequently employed in
situations in which the shooter has no access to a HUD because he
isn’t wearing a helmet or headset or doesn’t have time to plug the
cable into his neural interface. Shooters will then use the standard
handgun shooting stances and sighting methods (Tactical
Shooting, pp. 11-12, 13-14) employed at lower TLs.

In settings that still use TL8 cased ammunition, revolvers like
the snub pistol (Traveller, p. 110) are popular aboard spacecraft
since they don’t automatically eject cases that float around in
zero-G situations. These use light polymer cases (High-Tech,
p. 164, and Ultra-Tech, p. 135).

===Smartchoke Options===
All multiple-projectile guns – like the close assault shotgun and underbarrel shotgun, but also the shotgun pistol
(Ultra-Tech, p. 136) – are fitted with an auto-adjustable
smartchoke for free. Developed from manually adjusted
TL8 variable chokes, this opens up the muzzle to the standard “no choke” for close shots, and restricts it to "full choke" for longer distances. The latter changes “extremely close
range” (p. B409) to 20% of 1/2D Range rather than 10%.
Beyond this range, subtract 1 from effective Guns skill, but
multiply the number of hits scored by 1.5 (GURPS High-Tech:
Pulp Guns 1, p. 24).

Alternatively, a smartchoke can change the shot pattern from
a circle to an oval. The oval can “lie” horizontally, which gives +1
to hit human-sized targets (SM 0), but also effective Rcl 2; this
means hitting is easier, but the number of hits is reduced.
The oval can also “stand” vertically, which gives -1 to
hit, but the number of hits scored is doubled. This
means hitting is harder, but the entire load will be concentrated on one target, doing more damage and preventing hits on innocent bystanders.

===Lockouts and Tags===
Every TL9 gun is fitted with a recognition grip for
free (Ultra-Tech, pp. 149, 150), which prevents firing
by shutting down the electrical ignition and/or engaging a mechanical safety. This makes weapon retention (Tactical Shooting, p. 25) less of an issue, as the
gun will simply not function if wrested from the
owner. Retain Weapon (Tactical Shooting, p. 45) is
still a useful technique, not the least so that you can
continue fighting with your own weapon. Biometric
sensors in the grip may be useless with gloves,
although this can be avoided by a transponder ring
(Ultra-Tech, p. 150) or by having the shooter’s gloves
synchronize with the weapon. This is most practical
with gloves that are part of the uniform, including a
flexible sealed combat suit (Ultra-Tech, p. 178).
Alternatively, TL9 biometric sensors may be able to
work through gloves.

Recognition grips that use acoustic recognition
of voice prints (Ultra-Tech, p. 150) are less useful
for reasons of operational security. However, in
some societies, it might be deliberately included in
police weapons to insert an additional step into a
police officer’s force escalation, much like the
requirement to identify himself as “Police!” before
shooting. Cops would no doubt hate it, for all the
right and wrong reasons...

Recognition grips can be set to accept more than
one shooter, to allow a space marine’s gunnery sergeant or platoon mates, a cop’s partner, or a man’s
family members to use the gun in an emergency. The
data storage capacities of TL9 put few limits on the
number of potential users, but 50 biometric datasets
is a practical maximum (Transhuman Space, p. 157).

Instead of just shutting down in the wrong
hands, the more safety-concerned (or paranoid)
owners could also include other lockouts related to
targets or the environment to prevent accidents,
crimes, or “friendly fire.” Some of these might be
programmed in by the user, but most would be legally mandated and either factory- or armory-installed. The gun
might not be able to fire in a school or government building; aboard a spacecraft; at a policeman or at troops from
your own army; etc. In order to “know” where it is or at whom
it is pointed, the gun requires data input – it must be linked to
the GPS and the radio communicator of the HUD link and/or
the IFF system linked to the laser sight.

Of course, either the recognition grip itself or the data input
could be meddled with. The safety can be disabled with an
Electronics Operation (Security)-4 roll or the data input can be
hacked (Ultra-Tech, p. 47). The data sets could be extracted
and misappropriated to point the finger at an innocent user.
The optional D-tag (Ultra-Tech, p. 151) will be a universal
feature of at least of military and police weapons, since
accountability of materiel is always an issue, and likely even
more so in TL9 societies that are more “civilized.” In fact, the
D-tag will probably be included for free in all guns, just like
TL8 cell phones have a GPS locator. Criminals, guerrillas, and
similar users should always disable it... On standard-issue
guns, the location of the D-tags will be known by all but the
most naïve thugs and revolutionaries, but deactivating them –
using Electronics Operation (Security)-2 – is still an issue.




===Guns in Space===
In those TL9 societies that feature frequent space travel,
guns may be space-proofed. Any firearm can be fired in
space – even TL5-8 metallic cartridges contain their own
oxidizers. One issue is lubrication – ordinary lubricants
quickly vaporize in vacuum (High-Tech, p. 85). The
firearm must be designed to need little or no lubrication, or
to be used with special vacuum-proof lubricants. Either
has no effect on cost or weight, but must be in the design
from the start. A gun that is not lubricated properly has its
Malf. worsened by -1 or more (High-Tech, p. 80).

The chief issue in firing a gun in vacuum is the
extreme temperature change. Space can be extremely
cold or hot (p. B437). As soon as the gun is fired, even for
a few shots, the action and barrel will heat up considerably and expand. Extreme temperature fluctuations negatively impact precision (reduce Acc by -1), lead to jams
(worsen Malf. by -2), and can ultimately result in a catastrophic explosion (p. B407) due to material fatigue.
Space-proof guns need especially efficient ways to dissipate heat (p. 5). They also need to be built from materials
that can take the temperature fluctuations. Multiply cost
and weight of the gun by 1.2.

Guns designed to be used in space require an oversized trigger and trigger guard to accommodate the
gloves used with vacc suits, space armor, and battlesuits.
Otherwise the trigger can’t be pulled at all. Even with an
appropriate trigger, all Guns rolls are at -2 due to the
reduced manual dexterity of the gloves. A neural link
may be more practical.

The lack of air pressure in space has no significant
effect on muzzle energy and thus Damage. It does theoretically increase Range to infinite, however.

==Gravity and Shooting==
Microgravity affects shooting skills (p. B350). The
Zero-G Shooting technique (p. 11) is useful to avoid any
penalties. Furthermore, unless the shooter is fully braced
against an immobile object, guns fired in microgravity are
more affected by recoil; increase minimum ST by +5 and
add +1 to Rcl. Firearms designed for use in microgravity
are fitted with special zero-G compensators at the muzzle,
which direct the firing gases in a way that these effects are
negated. These don’t provide the advantages of ordinary
compensators (Tactical Shooting, p. 76), and aren’t compatible with either them or flash hiders. Zero-G compensators cost $250 and weigh 0.5 lb.

Guns fired in high gravity suffer Range loss and have
their minimum ST increased. Neither gun nor shooter can
counter this, and the shooter has to understand the phenomena to deal with them. Even medium-distance shots
can require extreme compensation. This is a -2 familiarity
issue (p. B169).

The Precision Aiming technique (Tactical Shooting,
p. 45) has to be learned for every 0.2G step of gravity.

===Handgrips and Stocks===
Handgrips and shoulder stocks are fully adjustable. Instead
of the interchangeable grip panels and multi-position stocks of
TL8 guns, TL9 weapons use auto-adjusting memory materials
(Ultra-Tech, p. 90) for a perfect fit to each shooter’s hand size,
length of pull, etc. This prevents problems with shooting in
armor or bulky clothes (Tactical Shooting, p. 12). Together
with other adjustable features, this option makes the Weapon
Bond perk (Tactical Shooting, p. 41) likely for a majority of
shooters. It also allows guns to be used by humanoid alien
races. Many long arms can be reduced in size by one Bulk step,
by virtue of a retractable or folding stock (High-Tech, p. 160).

===Accessory Rails===
Most guns will be covered with integral accessory rails (Ultra-Tech, p. 150), a trend that started at TL8. These are generally free if part of the original design. The GM decides which specific weapons have rails and where. Handguns have at least one below the barrel, long arms typically four – one on top, three below and on the sides of the handguard.

===Diagnostic Computers===
All TL9 guns feature a diagnostic computer for free (UltraTech, pp. 149, 151). This has a shot counter function (UltraTech, p. 149) that allows the shooter to always know the exact
number of shots remaining (Tactical Shooting, p. 20), preventing nasty surprises like //unexpectedly// running out of ammo. The gun has a digital display for the rounds remaining, but can also send this information via the HUD link to a HUD or neural interface. Keeping track of the shot counter via HUD link is
a free action, while checking the display on the gun takes a Ready maneuver.

The diagnostic computer can keep track of the type of
round(s) loaded, which can be useful, especially if the gun has
two different magazines or belts. Mixing ammunition in the
same magazine is generally still stupid (Tactical Shooting,
p. 31). This information also can be gleaned from the display or the HUD.

The diagnostic computer gives +1 to fix malfunctions via Immediate Action (High-Tech, p. 81, and Tactical Shooting, p. 17). It keeps track of the gun’s service life and overall shot count,
allowing the unit armorer (or even the shooter himself) to regularly replace worn parts or perform necessary repairs, at +1 to Armoury (Small Arms). This is another reason for the low malfunction rates of TL9 guns. Whenever the gun is used without HUD link, the data from the diagnostic computer can be
downloaded to an external computer using a cable jack (UltraTech, p. 42) or wireless transmitter. Basic problems and solutions – “Change barrel!”, “Send to your nearest service
provider!” – can be shown on the digital display.

The diagnostic computer can make a shooter’s life much
easier, but can also suffer from all the annoying quirks common to TL8 electronics, from garbled translations (“Flüid Friction Mitigator Insert!”) to plain errors (displaying the dreaded
“00” in the shot counter when the magazine is in fact still half
full) to diagnostics that involuntarily shut down all functions
until the gun has been taken apart by a certified armorer on
Alpha Centauri IV...

===Specific Military and Police Options===
Many military guns are selective-fire regardless of ammunition type, offering semiautomatic and full-automatic fire
(High-Tech, pp. 82-83). Some may also be able to fire high-cyclic controlled bursts (High-Tech, p. 83) instead of or in addition to full-auto. Compensators (Tactical Shooting,
p. 76) are a likely option.

Many military and/or police long arms feature an underbarrel support weapon, such as the underbarrel shotgun,
underbarrel grenade launcher, or underbarrel gyroc (UltraTech, pp. 136, 144). Depending on design, this can be on
a quick-detach rail mount (Ultra-Tech, p. 150) or integral
for free.

See also Camouflage and Lockouts and Tags for additional options.

===Powering Guns===
All the minor electronics, from the electrical ignition to the
diagnostic computer and the laser sight, are powered by a B
cell (Ultra-Tech, p. 149). Similar to some TL8 rifle optics that
use light-gathering technologies to prolong battery life, a tiny
solar panel (Ultra-Tech, p. 20) might be integrated into the top
of a gun receiver to recharge the power cell. Guns might even
have tiny built-in dynamos or thermoelectric systems to generate power – firing a gun produces a lot of kinetic energy and
heat as byproducts. Weapon racks in military armories, police
stations, and ship’s lockers include automatic recharging stations for free.
===Manufacturing Guns===
Many gun components can already be made using 3-D
printer systems at TL8. A fabricator (Ultra-Tech, p. 90)
allows production of TL9 guns and most of their accessories
as well as their ammunition if the blueprints (Ultra-Tech,
p. 91) are available.

==== EASY HITTING ====
Every TL9 gun is fitted with a HUD link and laser sight for
free (Ultra-Tech, p. 149). Setting conventions may disagree – in
a Traveller campaign, only the ACR is so equipped (Traveller,
p. 111), while in Cyberpunk, these features need to be bought
extra for all guns (Cyberpunk, p. 47). Guns without HUD link
cost $250 less (Transhuman Space, p. 156).

The HUD link (Ultra-Tech, p. 149) connects a digital camera in the gun (Transhuman Space, p. 156) with a head-up
display (Ultra-Tech, p. 24) integrated into a helmet visor or
worn as glasses or as a monocle – or alternatively, into a neural interface implant (Ultra-Tech, pp. 48-49).

Per the standard rules, this gives +1 Acc within 300 yards.
To bring this in line both with a HUD’s bonus to other skill
uses (Ultra-Tech, p. 24) and the effects of TL8 reflex sights,
which use similar but less sophisticated technology 
(High-Tech, p. 156), this should instead be +1 to Guns (or other relevant weapon skill). The 300-yard range limitation of TL8
reflex sights is mainly a result of the size and definition of
the targeting marker. The higher resolution, decreased pixel
size, and fully automated adjustability of TL9 HUD technology should increase the effective range substantially, at least to line of sight (up to 5,000 yards).

Like a reflex sight, the illuminated targeting marker displayed in the HUD makes it easier to aim in low-light conditions, negating up to -3 in darkness penalties.

Probably the biggest advantage of a HUD is that shooting is
always sighted (Tactical Shooting, p. 13). However, since the
shooter can keep both eyes open and does not need to concentrate on the sights on his gun, it also provides all the advantages of unsighted shooting (Tactical Shooting, p. 13). This
means that a HUD-linked shooter gets +1 to Fast-Draw under
the listed conditions; can use any shooting stance; can employ
the Attack, Move and Attack, All-Out Attack (Determined), and
Aim maneuvers; and can dodge.

The HUD link’s video output offers a corner-shot option
(Ultra-Tech, p. 149) as a new tool in addition to old-school tactics like “slicing the pie” (Tactical Shooting, pp. 23-24). Since 
the gun can’t be properly held and rested against the torso this
way, corner-shots are at -2 to Guns (Tactical Shooting, p. 75)
and treated like shooting without stock, with -1 Acc, STx1.2, and
+1 Rcl (Tactical Shooting, p. 12). The Corner-Shot technique
(p. 12) is useful. A shooter using the corner-shot option only
exposes part of his shooting arm(s), for heavy cover (Tactical
Shooting, p. 28). This reduces the need to learn the Barricade
Tactics perk (Tactical Shooting, p. 37), although serious shooters will still want it.

The video footage from the HUD link not only provides
closed-circuit images to the shooter’s HUD link, but can also be
used together with a TacNet system (Ultra-Tech, p. 149) to monitor troops in real-time. It includes a datachip (Ultra-Tech, p. 51) to record “muzzle” footage whenever the gun is fired or put off
safe, for use in after-action reports... or in court.

Early TL9 HUDs could have a similar problem as
TL8 night vision goggles and sights – back glow (“green
eyes”). The illuminated display is reflected on the face
and a slight shine can be seen. This is allows others to
spot the HUD wearer in low-light using a Vision+1 roll.
Entirely enclosed HUDs, such as those installed in the combat infantry helmet (Ultra-Tech, p. 180), as well as a HUD integrated into a neural interface, don’t have this problem.

The Masked Shooting technique (Tactical Shooting,
p. 44) is designed to cope with TL6-8 face masks that have
limited field of vision and prevent cheek weld. At TL9, all relevant masks, including the air mask (Ultra-Tech, pp. 176-177) and combat infantry helmet, are set up for a HUD,
meaning that shooters no longer need the technique.

The link itself can either be hardwired – with a cable running from the gun to the HUD system or neural interface
implant – or use wireless technology with a communicator
(Ultra-Tech, p. 24). A micro radio communicator (Ultra-Tech, p. 44) is standard, but can be replaced by a cable for
free. All TL9 communicators include basic encryption for
free; secure encryption is considerably more expensive at
$500 (Ultra-Tech, p. 47). Wireless communicators are easier
to use and prevent mishaps such as the cable getting caught
or cut, but are susceptible to being jammed (High-Tech,
pp. 212-213) or cracked and hacked (Ultra-Tech, p. 47). For
these reasons, hardwired systems are still more popular with
military and police users. Instead of an actual cable, the connection could also be through the shooting hand – induction wires
in the uniform gloves or a neural interface in the palm, rather
than the traditional temple slot. However, an interface in the
palm means that the off-hand shooting won’t be supported
unless that palm has an interface, too...

Many shooters will want to augment the HUD link with Targeting software (Ultra-Tech, pp. 149-150) that gives a further bonus to Guns skill. This is cumulative with the basic +1 from
the HUD link, for a maximum Guns bonus of +3 with a Complexity 4 Targeting software costing $1,500. (Whether a military or police organization is willing to spend the money on this is another question...)

The software needs a computer to run on, as well! Typically, the program will be installed on a shooter’s personal
computer – it’s nearly inconceivable that every TL9 soldier or
policeman will not always have a computer on his person or
even integrated into his uniform. Even so, not all personal
computers will be able to run a Complexity 4 application,
especially in addition to other programs like TacNet and various software tools. A Complexity 3 Targeting software, but not a Complexity 4 app, could alternatively run on a rugged
tiny computer (Ultra-Tech, pp. 22, 23) in the gun, but that is
optional (Ultra-Tech, p. 149).

===Augmented Reality===
Instead of the standard HUD, shooters might use augmented reality (AR) technology (Ultra-Tech, pp. 56-57). This
requires a HUD and HUD link to a gun camera, vid glasses
(Ultra-Tech, p. 60), or a computer implant (Ultra-Tech,
pp. 215-216). Linked to the gun’s IFF system and a memory
augmentation database, AR allows every object in the
shooter’s field of view to be tagged with specific target information, such as friend-or-foe (even name, age, rank, etc., if
the person is in the system’s memory database), estimated
DR according to the type of body armor worn or vehicle
used, etc. If linked to a multispectral laser sight, as is normally the case, the AR will display the exact range to the target, for the usual +3 Acc.

===Iron Sights===
TL9 guns still come with conventional iron sights for
backup, in case the HUD link breaks down. However, some
designs might lack them, as do a number of optically sighted
TL8 guns. A military user might have spec’ed a gun without
backup sights for cost reasons (both for the hardware and to
train the soldiers in using them). Leaving off the iron sights
saves $100 and 0.2 lb. for a long arm, half that for a handgun.

===Laser Sights===
All TL9 guns are equipped with an adjustable multispectral
laser sight (Ultra-Tech, p. 149) that projects a low-powered
laser beam like a TL8 targeting laser (High-Tech, pp. 156-157).
This gives +1 to Guns if used without the HUD link. If the laser
is used with the HUD link, the bonus remains at +1 (not +2!), but
the HUD can calculate and display the exact range to the target
as a free action, and the shooter can claim the +3 Acc for knowing the range (Tactical Shooting, p. 27) for all aimed shots. This doesn’t work without HUD. The effective range of a multispectral laser sight is given as the weapon’s 1/2D Range, which is both imprecise (as 1/2D Ranges differ considerably) and rather
short considering the performance of TL8 laser equipment. This
should be amended to line of sight on planetary battlefields,
meaning the laser can determine the range to anything from
5,000 yards (distance to the horizon at sea level on Earth) to
something like 20,000 yards.

The laser beam can be easily detected by opponents even in
“invisible” IR mode, provided they have the most basic TL7
night vision equipment (High-Tech, p. 156). In the “invisible”
UV mode, a TL9 hyperspectral vision system (Ultra-Tech,
p. 61) is required, making it only slightly safer. Once an opponent can see the beam, he can “track it back” to the shooter’s position, so that he “knows your location to within one yard”
(p. B548), for a maximum visibility penalty of only -4.

Like advanced TL8 targeting lasers, the multispectral laser
beam has a “flood” setting for illumination like a flashlight
(Ultra-Tech, p. 74). It can emit white light, IR light, or UV light.
In “flood” mode, it will negate all darkness penalties out to the
beam’s range (Tactical Shooting, p. 19, and Ultra-Tech, p. 74).
The beam ranges given are low even for TL8 flashlights; at
TL9, an effective range of at least 100 yards is more realistic.
Shone into the eyes of an opponent, it can also dazzle (Tactical
Shooting, p. 18, and Ultra-Tech, p. 113), at HT-7.

Shooters still need to practice laser/light discipline and only
switch it on momentarily (Tactical Shooting, p. 19). Prominent use of laser sights on the battlefield makes identifying “your” laser dot difficult. Targeting lasers can be set to pulse at
different frequencies and to switch the appearance of the dot
from circle to cross, triangle, square, etc. (Tactical Shooting,
p. 20), but mix-ups can still happen.

A personal radar/laser detector (Ultra-Tech, p. 188) can
alert the wearer to a laser aimed at him, saving him from being
ambushed (Tactical Shooting, p. 21). This also not only allows
him to dodge at all (Tactical Shooting, p. 17), but gives +1 to
Dodge (High-Tech, p. 157). Linked to a rugged tiny computer
(Ultra-Tech, pp. 22, 23), the detector should be able to track
back the location of a laser aimed at it within one second, not
unlike a TL8 acoustic countersniper system (High-Tech, p. 207).
The shooter’s own laser might even be used by an opponent’s
semi-active laser homing missile (p. B412) to home in on!

===IFF Interrogators===
IFF interrogators (Ultra-Tech, p. 151) are likely to be standard for all TL9 military and police guns. In military and police
weapons, the laser will typically also function as an IFF interrogator (Ultra-Tech, p. 151). Troops no longer need to wear
treacherous cat’s eyes on their helmet bands or have “Police”
stenciled in high-visibility paint on their backs to avoid friendly
fire (although the latter identification mark probably can’t be
avoided, as it’s at least as much for the benefit of the citizens as
for the officer in non-totalitarian societies). Effective but training-intensive standard operating procedures like everyone stepping in the same direction in case of ambush (GURPS SEALs in
Vietnam, p. 50) are likewise not necessarily needed any longer.
It may make Hitting the Wrong Target (pp. 389-390) next to
impossible. Special ops units may nevertheless stick to such oldbut-true tactics, as IFF interrogators can be spoofed or tricked,
and the laser beams can be detected.

An IFF interrogator gives a +2 bonus to Situational Awareness rolls (Tactical Shooting, p. 11). Running the TacNet
program (Ultra-Tech, p. 149) provides a bonus equal to its
Complexity, while the Target Tracking application (UltraTech, p. 150) gives a bonus twice its complexity. The bonuses
from TacNet and Target Tracking aren’t compatible.
===Targeting Scope===
An optional compact targeting scope (Ultra-Tech, p. 149) is
common for all but the tiniest holdout guns despite its high
additional cost. Optronics are already widespread on TL8 military and hunting long arms, and are even mounted on some
TL8 pistols. The advantages of magnification and night-vision
are simply too large to ignore them. The gun’s HUD link channels the scope’s video output to the shooter’s HUD or neural
interface, meaning actually looking through the scope
(Tactical Shooting, p. 20) is no longer mandatory.

The magnification will be variable (High-Tech, p. 155) at
least from 1-4x, to give +0, +1, or +2 to Acc; the non-magnifying setting is important for close-range shots. However, at TL8, the cost, weight, size, and performance of scopes hinges on
lens quality – at TL9, digital video comes without most of those
downsides. Better magnification is not actually TL-dependant,
and could easily be as high as 32x (+5 Acc) even at TL9.

Like advanced TL8 night-vision sights, the compact targeting scope will not be a pure thermal-imaging device providing Infravision (Ultra-Tech, p. 149), but rather an image-intensifying sight
with optional thermal overlay that provides either Night Vision 9
or Infravision – or both together! This is included in the cost.
Using the sight, the shooter suffers from Tunnel Vision (UltraTech, p. 149) and – if used in any of the night-vision modes – also from Colorblindness (High-Tech, pp. 156, 157).

If installed, a compact targeting scope can be used conventionally as backup sight.

===== MILITARY SUPPORT GUNS =====

Everything explained under Infantry Guns (pp. 4-10) also
applies to heavy guns like the anti-materiel rifle, payload
rifle, light support weapon, minigun, storm chaingun, splat
gun, or gyroc light support weapon (Ultra-Tech, pp. 135-139,
144-145).

An articulated weapon harness (Ultra-Tech, pp. 150-151)
or gyrostabilized weapon harness (Ultra-Tech, p. 150) allows
a single gunner to carry a heavy support gun and fire it from
(almost) any position, including on the move and lying down.
Although firing the gun from a weapon harness means
technically you are always shooting from the hip (Tactical
Shooting, pp. 12-13), it comes with neither the advantages nor
disadvantages of that stance. This is because the mounted guns
are always so bulky that they can’t profit from the position.
Conversely, the fact that normal weapon sights can’t be used
this way is negated by the use of a HUD link.

For all practical purposes, shooting from a weapon harness is treated exactly like shooting a handheld gun, except
that the gunner needs only to match a reduced minimum ST
and is always braced for +1 Acc: The gunner can use the
Attack, Move and Attack, All-Out Attack (Determined), and
Aim maneuvers, and can dodge. The gyrostabilized weapon
harness also cancels the Guns or Gunner penalty imposed by
Move and Attack, making the Close-Quarters Battle technique (Tactical Shooting, p. 43) superfluous.

Such a harness can make the gunner too bulky to fit
through doorways, vehicle hatches, etc., although improved
designs could have the articulated weapon arm fold onto the
gunman’s back, like a bird’s wing.

The main problem is that the harness doesn’t help with
encumbrance (pp. B17-18), meaning the weight of the gun, the
harness, and the ammunition is likely to be a considerable burden on the gunner. This means gunners need to bulk up with additional ST or use an exoskeleton (Ultra-Tech, p. 181).

=====RELATED GUNFIGHTER ISSUES=====

Virtual reality simulation training (Ultra-Tech, p. 55) can be
used to make the shooter familiar (pp. B169, 199) with practically every gun available, although it can’t reduce the time required – eight hours per distinctive model. This would make
the Cross-Trained perk (Tactical Shooting, p. 38) superfluous.
Of course, there are always guns of the opposing forces that
could not yet be included in the latest sensies.

Shooters will universally use active hearing protection
(Ultra-Tech, p. 171), either in the shape of small electronic
earplugs (High-Tech, p. 70) – these cost $25 at TL9 – or integrated into a combat infantry helmet (Ultra-Tech, p. 180). This protects a shooter’s hearing from the noise of the battlefield
(Tactical Shooting, pp. 34-35). Active hearing protection not
only cuts out specific noise levels such as gunshots and explosions, it actually magnifies many other sounds, especially conversations, giving +2 to Hearing rolls.

Sound suppressors work like their predecessors (High-Tech, pp. 158-159, and Tactical Shooting, pp. 70-71), but offer improved performance. Most TL9 designs are baffle suppressors, with perfected gas and blast diffusion panels and integral cooling. They automatically vent themselves of oxygen to avoid the first-shot pop (Tactical Shooting, p. 71). This allows -4 to -8 Hearing, with -6 being standard. -1 Bulk. $100 per -1 Hearing. 0.5 lb. for pistol, 1 lb. for rifles, and 2 lbs. for oversized guns.

===== TARGETING SYSTEMS =====

These help the shooter find his target and hit it.

==== Smartgun Electronics ====

Every TL9+ firearm has a laser sight (p. 149), a
HUD link (below), a recognition grip or transponder
ring (p. 150), and a diagnostic computer (p. 151)
for free. These electronics are powered by an integral
B cell, which is included in the basic weight of
the gun. A tiny computer (p. 22) may also be included.
However, these components can be ignored if
they are not standard in a particular setting, or purchased separately. A full smartgun electronics package costs $220 if not purchased with the weapon.

===HUD Link (TL9)===

Connected to a heads-up display (p. 24), this shows augmented-reality targeting imagery in the user’s field of view. The link shows him exactly where his firearm is pointing (+1 Acc within 300 yards, not cumulative with the Acc bonus for other targeting systems), the number of shots
remaining, and – if using a laser sight or other active targeting
device – the distance to the target. The user can
exploit this to see around corners, exposing only his
weapon. $10 if bought separately. Weight and power consumption are negligible.

===Multispectral Laser Sight (TL9)===

This device projects a low-powered eye-safe laser beam, placing a laser spot at the point where the weapon will hit.
A standard feature of all TL9+ firearms, it helps the user aim or intimidate opponents.

A laser sight gives a +1 to skill when used out to the weapon’s 1/2D range, provided the dot is visible to the
shooter. It can be set to use any one of these frequencies:

Visible Light: This projects a visible red, blue, or orange
spot. The laser beam itself is visible only in dusty or smoky
environments – which might describe many firefights!

Infrared: An infrared laser beam projects a dot that is
invisible without an infrared or hyperspectral vision system.
Ultraviolet: The dot of this ultraviolet laser beam is invisible
without an ultraviolet or hyperspectral vision system.

$10 if bought separately. Weight and power consumption are negligible.

===Compact Targeting Scope (CTS) (TL10)===

This video sighting system provides hyperspectral vision. It has telescopic optics for normal viewing in daylight, and interfaces with the weapon’s HUD sight. It provides a +2 bonus to aimed shots.

The scope can also be used as a passive sensor, providing
Infravision or Hyperspectral Vision with Restricted
Vision (Tunnel Vision). It has 4x magnification. The user must aim the weapon at
the target he is observing. $1,000, 0.5 lbs., A/100 hr. LC4.

===Enhanced Targeting Scope (ETS) (TL10)===

A powerful video sighting system used by snipers or
heavy weapons gunners. It provides hyperspectral imaging
(p. 61), plus telescopic optics for normal viewing in daylight.
It interfaces with the weapon’s HUD sight.

The weapon’s sight automatically measures wind conditions,
air temperature, and even local gravity conditions,
adjusting the weapon’s velocity to compensate.

The scope adds a +3 bonus to aimed shots at TL10. Used as a passive sensor, it provides
Hyperspectral Vision with Restricted Vision (Tunnel
Vision) with 8x magnification at TL10. The user must aim his weapon at the target he’s
observing. $8,000, 2 lbs., B/400 hr. LC4.

====Tactical Programs====

These programs augment the tactical or strategic acumen
of police and military personnel by automating error-prone
tasks. They assist the user without replacing him.

===Silhouette (TL9)===

This optical recognition program specializes in identifying
targets of military interest and providing background or
technical data. The quantity and accuracy of supporting
information depends on the databases used. High-quality
commercial databases offer expensive subscriptions and
constantly updated content, but lack detail. Military databases
are usually encrypted and contain very detailed information,
including hyperspectral emission profiles, countermeasure
tactics, and usage instructions. Military databases
require Military Rank or Security Clearance. Complexity 5;
double normal cost.

===TacNet (TL9)===

A software tool (p. 25) useful for combat troops, TacNet
helps a leader monitor a combat force by tracking and displaying
their positions, firing arcs, blind spots, command
relationships, and more. This gives a bonus to Tactics if all
parties are in communication. Complexity 5 (+1 Tactics),
LC3 or Complexity 6 (+2 Tactics), LC2. 10 times normal
cost.

===Targeting (TL9)===

This software tool augments the capabilities of a HUD
link (above) by improving target acquisition speed, ballistic
modeling, environmental compensation (adjusting
for air pressure, wind, humidity, temperature, etc.), and
prioritizing targets for threat assessment. The program
gives a bonus to a single Gunner or Guns specialization if
used with a HUD link. Complexity 3 (+1 skill) or
Complexity 4 (+2 skill). Five times normal cost. LC2.

===Target Tracking===

Used in conjunction with a sensor system (see Chapter
3) such as a radar, radio direction finder, or hyperspectral
optics, this tracks up to 10 distinct targets or emission
sources at a time. It displays size, signal strength, bearing,
vectors, and other appropriate information on a movingmap
display. Complexity 2; five times normal cost. Add +1
to Complexity and double cost per tenfold increase in tracking
ability. LC4.

====Targeting with Active Sensors====

The most accurate way to aim a weapon is to slave a targeting
program (p. 149) to a “tactical” active sensor (see
Chapter 3) that has locked onto a target. This feeds realtime
ranging data to the gunner and shows the gunner
exactly how to move the weapon (or vehicle, if a fixed
weapon) to hit the target.

This can only be used for a mounted weapon (i.e., one
using Gunner skill). The combination of targeting program
and active sensor gives the maximum possible targeting
bonus. Replace all bonuses for scopes, computers, sensors,
etc. with a bonus equal to the weapon’s base Acc. In other
words, its Acc is effectively doubled. (Acc does still increase
normally with Aim maneuvers – +1 after one second, +2
after two seconds, etc.)

In order to gain this bonus, the target must be in range
of the active sensor, and the program must be able to provide
data directly to either the vehicle operator or whoever
is operating the weapon mount.
=====FIREARM ACCESSORIES=====
While the ultra-tech era of innovation has brought us some new tricks, some older technologies and techniques are still used by dedicated geardos and gun aficionados.
====GUNSMITHING====
Many tactical shooters improve or modify their guns. This
can mean anything from putting some rubber bands around a
pistol grip to make it less slippery to completely rebuilding the
weapon. Most tasks require at least one Armoury (Small Arms)
roll; unless specific rules are provided, failure means the time
is wasted and the gunsmith must try again, while a critical failure damages the weapon in some way.

The following gunsmithing rules from High-Tech are generic. They may not
apply to every firearm. Individual weapon descriptions sometimes state whether specific modifications are either common or
can’t be done at all. If nothing is specified, use common sense.
For example, bullpup weapons can’t have their shoulder stock
removed or replaced by a folding stock, the magazine capacity
of a weapon with a tube magazine below the barrel may be
reduced if the barrel is shortened, and so on.

See Firearm Quality (High-Tech, p. 79) for improving a
gun’s accuracy or reliability.

===Adding Accessories===
Listed below are many gadgets which can be
added to a firearm. Most require no or only minor modifications 
to the weapon – especially if accessory rails are used. An Armoury (Small Arms)+4 or IQ-based
Guns roll is required to correctly fit a new accessory to a
firearm; this seldom takes longer than 30 minutes.

Complicated or involved additions require an Armoury
(Small Arms) roll and take one hour of work. Example include
a new, slightly longer barrel with a thread cut into it to mount
a detachable sound suppressor (High-Tech, p. 159), or a pistol
stock (High-Tech, p. 160) being added to a handgun that isn’t
designed to mount one.

===Caliber Conversion===
Modifying a firearm so it can take a different round is popular,
often because weapons are scarce during wartime or certain calibers are easier to obtain by the new owner (whether
due to cost or availability). A caliber conversion requires a new (or rebored) barrel and sometimes additional 
modifications; magazines often need to be acquired elsewhere. However, the basic action can usually be kept. 
This requires two Armoury (Small Arms) rolls, two hours of work, and materials worth 25% of the cost of the weapon.

The new caliber is often smaller but can be larger; multiply original caliber by 1.2 to find the maximum increase. This
will change the damage done by the firearm; the GM should use the Dmg of a weapon, similar to the model being
modified, that fires the new caliber. It can’t be much more powerful, though – multiply basic damage by 1.2 to 
find the maximum increase.

Example: During WWII, many captured weapons were converted to calibers the new owners found easier to obtain. The
Germans liked to convert the Soviet ZiD PPSh-41 (High-Tech, p. 124) – with maximum caliber 7.62mm x 1.2 = 9.14mm –
from 7.62x25mm Tokarev to 9x19mm Parabellum. The adapted weapon used the magazines of the ERMA MP40 (High-Tech,
p. 124). Like the MP40, the conversion does 3d-1 pi, which is inside the 3d x 1.2 = 3d+2 maximum.

===Converting a Long Arm into a Bullpup===
Most long arms can be converted to the so-called bullpup configuration – that is, a shape in which the trigger is located
forward of the action. This changes the balance of the weapon and reduces the length. For weapons not using caseless ammo,
It usually also means that the weapon can no longer be used left-handed (or right-handed, if so constructed), as
the cases will be ejected into the face of the shooter. A conversion requires extensive modifications and often
means a net weight gain.

This conversion requires three Armoury (Small Arms) rolls,
two days of work, and materials worth 30% of the cost of the
weapon. Ready-to-install bullpup conversion kits are available
for certain long arms – e.g., for the Ruger Mini-14 (High-Tech,
p. 117). These cost 25% of the cost of the weapon and require
only one Armoury (Small Arms) roll and two hours of work. In
either case, improve Bulk by 1 (to no better than Bulk -3) and
increase weight by 1 lb. Many gunsmith conversions are less
reliable, giving -1 to Malf. Converted rifles sometimes also suffer -1 Acc due to the trigger linkage.

The bullpup configuration is effectively a TL7 development.
It works best with semiautomatics and full-automatics, but can
also be applied to bolt-action and pump-action guns.

===Converting a Semiautomatic to Full-Automatic===
Any semiautomatic weapon can be converted to full-automatic fire. In fact, one of the challenges of semiautomatic design
is preventing such weapons from firing bursts – runaway semiautomatics are a discomfiting but not uncommon occurrence
on shooting ranges! Gunsmiths and manufacturers began offering this conversion between 1900 and WWI, a mere decade after
the introduction of the first self-loading weapons.

This conversion requires an Armoury (Small Arms) roll.
Assign a penalty depending on the weapon’s basic design. For
example, converting a Winchester M1 carbine (High-Tech,
p. 113) or certain open-bolt pistols like the original semiautomatic Intratec TEC-9 (High-Tech, p. 102) is a favorable task,
with a +1 difficulty modifier (p. B345). Converting a Colt
CAR-15 R6001 Sporter (High-Tech, p. 119) is an average task
with no modifier. Rebuilding a pistol such as the Colt .45
Government (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 17-18) into a selective-fire machine pistol is an unfavorable task at -1.

Modifiers: +1 if the armorer has previously converted this
type of gun successfully; -3 if this is his first attempt to convert
any semiautomatic; +1 for an aftermarket kit (which often only
allows full-auto rather than selective fire); +2 for the availability of factory parts (which indicates a rebuild rather than a
conversion); and from -2 to +2 for the Armoury (Small Arms)
tool kit (High-Tech, p. 24) being used.

Conversion requires 10 minutes for a favorable task, 12
hours’ work for an average task, and two days’ work for an
unfavorable task. Failures don’t work, and extend the conversion time by one day. Critical failures turn the gun into scrap
metal. Any critical success gives a gun with ordinary Malf.; otherwise, Malf. is -1 from the pre-conversion gun – conversions
almost never run as reliably as factory guns. Almost everywhere, conversion will lower LC by 1.

Typically, RoF will be 20! for a converted pistol, 25! for a .22-
caliber pistol, 6! for a shotgun, 10! for a rifle in a large caliber
such as 7.62¥51mm NATO, 15! for a rifle in a small caliber
such as 5.56¥45mm NATO, and 20! for a .22-caliber rifle.

Examples: A Colt CAR-15A1 R6001 carbine with full-auto
sear has RoF 15!, while a converted NORINCO Type 56S-1 rifle
(Chinese semiautomatic copy of the AKMS on p. 114 of HighTech) has RoF 10!.

===Fitting a Gun to Its Owner===
A gun can be modified to fit its owner perfectly. Features
like length of pull of the shoulder stock; overall weight; pistol
grip shape and size; checkering or other texture improvement
of the grip, trigger, hammer, or other surfaces; trigger pull; and
sights can be adjusted to a specific shooter. This includes specially shaped stocks for one-armed or one-eyed shooters
(p. B147). Double the cost of the weapon.

The ultimate “modification” is a made-to-order gun. This
was and is common for the more expensive shotguns and
sporting handguns and rifles, such as the SVI Infinity (p. 58) or
H&H .600 Royal Express (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 7).
Paying full price for a new gun of this type already includes fitting it to the (original) owner.

The ideal way to model this in GURPS is to treat it as a
Weapon Bond (p. 41), but note that a shooter can also bond to
a gun that is not modified in any way!

===Shortening a Handgun===
Most handguns with Bulk -2 or -3 can have their Bulk
improved by 1 by shortening the barrel (and slide, if the barrel
is completely covered by it). This requires an Armoury (Small
Arms) roll and five hours, and costs 50% of the gun’s cost. The
conversion will lower weight somewhat; reduce it by 0.5 lb.
Multiply Dmg by 0.85 and reduce Acc by 1. ST and Rcl may
also get worse. LC is usually not affected.

===Shortening a Long Arm===
Shortening a long arm means removing part of the barrel
and/or stock. Long arms with Bulk -6 or worse can have Bulk
improved by up to 2 by shortening the barrel; those with Bulk -4
or -5 can only have Bulk improved by 1. This reduces weight by
0.75 lb. per point of Bulk improvement for a single-barrel
weapon, or by 1 lb. per point for a double-barreled weapon or
machine gun. For rifled weapons only, reduce Acc by 1 per point,
and multiply Dmg by 0.85 for +1 Bulk or by 0.75 for +2 Bulk.
In either case, Bulk can be improved by an additional +1 if
the stock is removed or replaced by a folding stock (High-Tech,
p. 160) – unless the weapon is a bullpup. If the stock is
removed, reduce Acc by 1 and weight by 1 lb., multiply ST by
1.2, and add +1 to Rcl (unless Rcl is 1).

A long arm’s Bulk can never be improved to better than
Bulk -3. Beginning in the 1920s, many legislations consider
short barrels a sign of a “gangster weapon” (compare High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 4-5). 
At TL6-8, shortening the barrel of a long arm to Bulk -4 or better will generally lower LC by 1.
Folding stocks may also be illegal.

Simply sawing off a barrel or stock requires nothing more
than a hacksaw (High-Tech, p. 25) and a couple of minutes of
sawing. However, for any weapon other than a shotgun, it’s
usually necessary to move back the sights, install a new foregrip, refinish the weapon, etc. This requires two days’ work and
two Armoury (Small Arms) rolls.

Example: During the Russian Civil War (1918-1922) and
again during WWII, civilian fighters sometimes converted the
Mosin-Nagant rifle (High-Tech, p. 111) into a handgun by sawing off stock and barrel. The so-called obrez (“sawed-off”) configuration reduces Dmg from 7d+1 pi to 5d+2 pi, weight by 2.5
lbs. to 6.7 lbs., Acc from 5 to 2, and Bulk from -6 to -3. It increases ST from 10† to 12† and Rcl from 4 to 5.

===Weight Reduction===
Lugging around even a 2.5-lb. handgun all day can be pretty
cumbersome, not to mention 10-lb. rifles and 25-lb. machine
guns. If a lighter comparable weapon isn’t available, sometimes 
it’s worth trying to reduce the weight of your firearm.
Lightening a gun isn’t always a good idea, as it may reduce
service life, controllability, or other parameters. However, the
lower mass may outweigh any disadvantages.
  * One way to reduce weight is to shorten barrel and/or shoulder stock (p. 69). This usually has a negative impact on Dmg, Acc, Range, ST, Rcl, and/or LC.
  * Another is to use lighter ammunition; e.g., by employing plastic or alloy cartridge cases (High-Tech, p. 164) or lighter ammo carrying devices (such as plastic or alloy magazines, High-Tech, p. 155). These aren’t always available, however. 
  * A third method is to machine away superfluous material from the slide or other massive components, and to use a fluted barrel, lighter bipod, or other weight-reduced parts. This requires 12 hours and an Armoury (Small Arms) roll. An 18 on that roll indicates that too much material was taken off, or in the wrong place, and the gun’s integrity was weakened; the next malfunction will be an explosion (p. B407)! Multiply (empty) weight by 0.85.

Example: Cutting grooves in the slide’s sides and machining off 
other excess material can reduce the empty weight of
a FN-Browning HP pistol (High-Tech, p. 99) from 1.9 lbs. to
1.6 lbs.; loaded weight becomes 2.1 lbs.


====WEAPON CUSTOMIZATION====
These customization options are both real and common in
the movies.
===Compensator (TL7)===
A compensator is a muzzle attachment designed to reduce 
the recoil and muzzle rise of a firearm. It vents some of the firing gases upward and/or to the rear, 
thereby reducing the climbing and recoiling movement of the weapon. This
improves the chances of hitting with rapid fire.

A compensator reduces the weapon’s ST rating by 1 and
grants +1 to effective skill whenever three or more shots are fired
(RoF 3+). A weapon fitted with it gives +2 to Hearing and Vision
rolls to locate it in the dark, and it will ruin the night sight of the
gunner (increasing any darkness penalties by -2, up to the maximum of -9, p. B548). 
Any shooter unfamiliar (p. B169) with a 
weapon so fitted is at a further -2 to Guns due to the distracting
flash and unburned propellant propelled into his sightline and back
at him during firing! A compensator can’t be combined with a
sound suppressor. A compensator can be combined with a muzzle weight, but the skill bonus can’t exceed +1. 
It can’t be combined with a muzzle port. $350, 0.1 lb. (pistol or SMG), 0.25 lb.
(shotgun or medium-powered rifle), 0.35 lb. (high-powered rifle). LC3.

===Muzzle Port (TL7)===
This adds ports or holes in the top of the gun’s barrel, venting some of the firing gas to the top just like a compensator. A
muzzle port reduces the weapon’s ST rating by 1 and grants +1
to effective skill whenever three or more shots are fired (RoF
3+). However, due to the ported barrel, the muzzle velocity of
the projectile is reduced; this gives -1 to Dmg. Furthermore, a
ported weapon gives +2 to Hearing and Vision rolls to locate it
in the dark, and it will ruin the night sight of the gunner
(increasing any darkness penalties by -2, up to the maximum
of -9, p. B548). Any shooter unfamiliar (p. B169) with a
weapon so fitted is at a further -2 to Guns due to the disconcerting flash and unburned powder blown into his sightline during
firing! A muzzle port can’t be combined with a sound suppressor. A muzzle port can be combined with a muzzle weight, but
the skill bonus can’t exceed +1. It can’t be combined with a
compensator. $100. LC3.

===Muzzle Weight (TL7)===
A muzzle weight is a small weight attached below the barrel of a 
firearm (usually a handgun) to reduce the weapon’s tendency to flip
upward during firing. This improves the chances
of hitting with rapid fire, but it changes the balance of the gun.
Properly tuned to gun and shooter, it can represent one of the
small things that GURPS calls a Weapon Bond (p. 23). Muzzle
weights were designed for and are mainly used on competition
guns. They are also common in the movies as customization
always looks cool...

A muzzle weight grants +1 to effective skill whenever three
or more shots are fired (RoF 3+), but it worsens Bulk by -1 – a
pistol with Bulk -2 will have Bulk -3 with a muzzle weight fitted.
A muzzle weight can be combined with a compensator or
muzzle port, but the skill bonus can’t exceed +1. $100, 0.1-0.5
lb. LC4.

===Sound Suppressors===
The sound of a gun firing is the sonic boom of the supersonic propellant gases and possibly the projectile. The
speed of sound at sea level is about 1,086 feet per second, but the muzzle velocity of a 9x19mm pistol round is
approximately 1,200 fps and that of a military rifle is 2,500-3,500 fps – and powder gases travel at over 4,500 fps!
A sound suppressor, often called a “silencer,” confines and slows gases and/or projectile before they leave the barrel,
reducing noise.

The Maxim Silent Firearms Co. introduced the first
commercially available suppressor in 1908; it was widely
used for indoor target shooting. Silencers generally
remained legal in the U.S. until the gangster and subversive
hysteria of the 1930s. After 1934, they were regulated: some
states banned private sale, while others required registration and a $200 Federal tax.

Today, most countries outlaw suppressors. In some
noise-conscious European nations like Finland, though,
rifle (and even MG) suppressors are legal and sometimes
required for sport shooters. Military and espionage services
have easy access to silencers, of course, and an armorer or
a machinist can make one (see Home-Built Suppressors,
p. 159).

A suppressor doesn’t completely negate a firearm’s report
(but see Cinematic Silencers, High Tech p. 159) – it merely reduces the
range at which it’s heard and identifiably a gunshot. The
Hearing Distance Table gives the range at which an unsuppressed shot is audible on an unmodified Hearing roll.

==Hearing Distance Table==
//Sound:// Weapon sound in question (other sounds included for comparison). \\
//dB(A):// Decibel range at muzzle, weighted for human hearing. \\
//Range:// Distance (in yards or miles) at which sound is audible on an unmodified Hearing roll.


^ Sound ^ dB(A) ^ Range (yards) ^ Range (miles) ^
| Leaves rustling, stalking person | 40 | 0.25 | - |
| Quiet conversation, walking person | 50 | 0.5 | - |
| Conversation, cocking or reloading firearm, attaching bayonet | 60 | 1 | - |
| Light traffic | 70 | 2 | - |
| Bow, loud conversation, noisy office | 80 | 4 | - |
| Crossbow, shouting, gasoline engine | 90 | 8 | - |
| Air gun, firearm firing “silent” ammo, revving gas engine | 100 | 16 | - |
| Loud clapping, diesel engine, auto horn, motorcycle | 110 | 32 | - |
| Chainsaw, oxygen torch | 120 | 64 | - |
| Very light pistol or rifle (.22 LR), musket | 130 | 128 | - |
| Light pistol (.32 ACP, .380 ACP), grenade launcher | 140 | 256 | 0.15 |
| Heavy pistol (9x19mm, .45 ACP), SMG, rifle, shotgun | 150 | 512 | 0.3 |
| Magnum rifle (.300 WM, .600 H&H), HMG, stun grenade | 160 | 1,024 | 0.6 |
| Artillery, small explosion | 170 | 2,048 | 1.2 |
| Tank gun, large explosion | 180 | 4,096 | 2.3 |

Apply +1 to Hearing per range step by which the listener is closer to the sound source, -1 per step by which
he’s more distant. For distances between two lines on the table, use the higher of the two. A suppressor adds a
further penalty.

Example: A Walther PPK (a light pistol) is audible on an
unmodified Hearing roll at 256 yards. At 300 yards, the roll
is at -1. With a suppressor that gives -2 to Hearing, the roll
is at -3.

The listener’s location also matters. It’s harder to hear a
gunshot outside a cone in front of the gun’s muzzle.
Individuals located behind or far off to the side of the muzzle have -1 to Hearing. The GM may apply other modifiers:

  * Background noise: -5 for busy street; -6 for blaring TV set; -10 for fireworks
  * Intervening terrain: +1 for bare concrete (reflects sound); -1 to -3 for heavy vegetation (muffles sound)
  * Listener distracted: -2 or -3 (see p. B548)
  * Listener unfamiliar with firearms (no points in Guns): -4
  * Listener wearing winter clothing over ears: -1 to -3
  * Shot fired through pillow: -1

Suppressors work better on some guns than on others.
They’re most effective with sealed breeches such as bolt-actions or dropping blocks: -1 to Hearing. They work fairly
well on semiautomatics, but such weapons often leak
high-velocity gas from the breech and always have
the noise of the action working (but see Slide-Lock,
p. 161). Suppressors don’t work at all on ordinary
revolvers; it’s possible to construct a revolver so tightly fitted that it can be silenced (see Nagant R-1895,
p. 95), but this is more an exercise in perverted ingenuity than in practical design.

A detachable suppressor requires a means to
attach it, usually an extended barrel with a thread or
attachment lugs. Attaching or removing a suppressor
takes five seconds if threaded, three seconds if a TL8
quick-detach model. Most suppressors add length to
the gun, worsening Bulk.

===Baffle Suppressors (TL6)===
Most suppressors are of this type. They work by
diffusing the muzzle blast and firing gases inside a
baffled expansion tube (which has many tiny compartments). Lifetime is typically hundreds of shots –
even tens of thousands of shots, by late TL7.

Detachable Baffle Suppressor, .22-caliber (TL6). -1
to -4 Hearing. -1 Bulk. $100 per -1 Hearing, 0.25 lb.
LC3.

Detachable Baffle Suppressor, Pistol or SMG (TL6).
-1 to -4 Hearing. -1 Bulk. $250 per -1 Hearing, 1 lb.
LC3.

Detachable Baffle Suppressor, Rifle (TL6). For rifles
firing 5.56¥45mm NATO, 7.62¥51mm NATO, or similar. -2 to -4 Hearing. -1 Bulk. $250 per -1 Hearing, 1.5
lbs. LC3.

Detachable Baffle Suppressor, Oversized (TL8).
Primarily for large-caliber rifles, such as .50
Browning weapons, but also available for some MGs.
-2 to -4 Hearing. -2 Bulk. $400 per -1 Hearing, 5 lbs.
LC3.

===Wiper Suppressors (TL6)===
A wiper suppressor is a tube divided into compartments by “wipes” placed perpendicular to the barrel.
The bullet passes through a sub-caliber hole in each
wipe, while blast and gases are trapped in the compartments. Wipes are made of elastic materials such
as oiled leather, rubber, or polyurethane, designed to
close behind the bullet. This design means that wiper
suppressors slow the projectile (causing it to lose
power) and lose effectiveness after a few dozen shots,
but also makes them more effective suppressors than
baffle designs.

Detachable Wiper Suppressor, Pistol or SMG (TL6).
Multiply Dmg and Range by 0.8. Good for 40 shots.
-2 to -4 Hearing. -1 Bulk. $150 per -1 Hearing, 0.5 lb.
LC3.

Detachable Wiper Suppressor, Rifle (TL6). For rifles firing 5.56x45mm NATO, 7.62¥51mm NATO, or similar. 
Multiply Dmg and Range by 0.5. Good for 40 shots. -2 to -6 Hearing. -1 Bulk. $150 per -1 Hearing, 1.5 lbs. LC3.

===Dirty Tech: Home-Built Suppressors===
To design a suppressor, make an Engineer (Small Arms)
roll. At TL7-8, a Research roll will suffice – instructions are
easy to find in survival guides and military manuals, and on
the Internet.

To build a suppressor, roll against Armoury (Small Arms),
which defaults to Machinist-5. Common modifiers include
up to +2 for actual blueprints or a working sample, the quality of your tools (p. 24), and +1 to +5 for extra time (p. B346).
Failure means the first shot fired through the suppressor triggers a roll on the Firearm Malfunction Table (p. B407); critical failure damages the gun.
Suppressor quality modifies these assumptions and determines the time required:

Poor-quality suppressors can be built in 30 minutes from
everyday items: tape, plastic bottles, Styrofoam chips,
chicken wire, etc. Those with the Guns or Armoury skill
don’t even need to roll; complete neophytes must make an
IQ roll. Poor suppressors last for only 1d shots and give just
-1 to Hearing rolls. They bestow -1 Acc, -1 Malf., and -1
Bulk, and weigh 0.5 lb.

Average-quality suppressors take two hours to assemble
from rubber washers, plastic pipe, and pipe fittings. They’re
slightly more complicated than poor-quality ones: an
Armoury roll is required, but at +4. (This is well-illustrated in
the film Ghost Dog.) Average suppressors last for 3d shots
and give -2 to Hearing rolls, becoming -1 to Hearing after firing half the shots. They give -1 Bulk – but no Acc or Malf.
penalties – and weigh 1 lb.

Good-quality suppressors are home-made copies of lowto mid-range commercial models (up to -3 Hearing). They
take eight hours to build and require a workshop (p. 24). Use
the stats for production suppressors, but price is 1/3 usual
(for materials) and weight is often slightly higher.

Fine-quality suppressors have all the requirements of
good suppressors, but take 16 hours to build and the skill roll
is at -2. Use the stats for the best available commercial suppressors, but cost is 1/2 usual (for materials).

===Cinematic Silencers===
The suppressor rules aim to represent realistic sound levels – not the Hollywood fiction of near-silent gunshots. In a
cinematic campaign, the GM may wish to improve silencer effectiveness dramatically, doubling or even tripling Hearing
penalties!

====STOCKS, TRIPODS, AND BIPODS====
Several add-ons are available to make guns more manageable. Many firearms include these features in their cost
and weight, or don’t use the generic versions below – check your weapon’s description first.

===Pistol Stocks (TL5)===
A removable shoulder stock can convert a handgun into
a carbine of sorts, improving accuracy and reducing felt
recoil at the cost of increasing weight and making the
weapon less handy. The pistol must be prepared to accept
the stock by having a slot or groove in the grip. Attaching
or removing the stock takes three seconds. While the stock
is attached, use Guns (Rifle) to shoot, add +1 Acc and -1
Bulk, and multiply ST by 0.8 (round up). Many stocks are
hollow, allowing storage of small items (ammo, a gun cleaning kit, etc.); some can hold the gun itself when it isn’t
in use. Pistol Stock (TL7). $100, 0.5 lb. LC3.

===Shooting Sticks (TL5)===
Buffalo hunters sometimes propped long arms on
“bipods” made from crossed sticks fastened with rawhide
strips. A sitting marksman may treat a gun resting on shooting sticks as braced (see Aim, p. B364). $5, 1 lb. LC4.

===Tripods and Other Mounts (TL5)===
Tripods are three-legged mounts for such heavy
weapons as machine guns and recoilless rifles. A tripod
provides at least a 180° arc of fire – those for antiaircraft
fire provide a 360° arc – and allows the weapon to be elevated or depressed. The shooter usually sits or kneels
behind the tripod. While his weapon is mounted, he may
treat it as if it were braced and ignore its ST requirement;
see Aim (p. B364) and Bipods and Tripods (p. B412). Setting
up or collapsing a tripod typically requires six seconds.
Attaching or detaching the weapon takes a further three
seconds.

Some mounts have four or more legs, or wheels, or are
shaped like sleds. These use exactly the same rules as
tripods. Tripods and other mounts vary widely in cost and
weight, depending on materials and the weapons they’re
designed to support; see the individual weapon descriptions. All such mounts are LC4.

===Bipods (TL6)===
Bipods are integral to some weapons – especially MGs –
and can be fitted to others. This is most common for rifles,
but SMGs and even long-barreled revolvers have been so
equipped! Bipods on MGs and heavy rifles function mainly
to relieve the shooter of some of the weight. Others are
installed for better accuracy.

If a weapon has an attached bipod, a prone shooter may
treat it as if it were braced (see Aim, p. B364) and multiply
its ST requirement by 2/3 (round up). Opening or closing a
folded bipod requires a Ready maneuver. If the shooter isn’t
prone, the GM may allow the bonus for bracing if the bipod
can reasonably be set on something stable – chest-high
wall, pile of sandbags, window ledge, etc.

Bipod (TL8). Available in fixed, semi-permanent, and
quick-detach models (five seconds to install/remove). $100,
0.5 lb. LC4.

===Folding Stock (TL7)===
The fixed shoulder stock of some long arms – but not
that of weapons where the stock houses part of the action,
or the magazine – can be replaced with a stock that folds or
retracts to make the gun more compact. Folding such a
stock removes -1 from Bulk; firearms that already include
this feature indicate it with an asterisk (*) next to Bulk.
While folded, also apply -1 to Acc and +1 to Recoil (unless
Rcl is 1), and multiply ST by 1.2 (round up). Folding or
unfolding the stock requires a Ready maneuver. All but the
flimsiest folding stocks increase overall weight. $100, 0.5 lb.
LC3.

====MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES AND MODIFICATIONS====
The following items can make a shooter’s life easier in a
variety of ways.

===Gun-Cleaning Kit (TL4)===
A clean gun has been the mark of the professional shootist – from murdering thug to military sniper – since the
dawn of firearms. Modern kits fit in a small pouch and contain collapsible cleaning rod, cleaning patches, brush,
cleaning solvent, and lubricant. Machine gunners are often issued a belt pouch that includes cleaning equipment and
a few small spare parts. For game effects, see Cleaning and Maintenance (p. 80). $20, 0.5 lb. LC4.

===Gun Case (TL5)===
From the 1700s, high-quality dueling and target pistols were traditionally kept in a wooden case with their accessories – including a mold for the exact-sized ball. African
safari hunters kept their elephant guns in velvet-lined strongboxes to protect against both the weather and lightfingered porters. Padded aluminum and hard plastic cases
serve the same purpose today. A typical TL8 model is 4’ long and holds a sniper rifle or two SMGs, plus spare magazines
and other accessories. It is waterproof and lockable, and has DR 2. $250, 25 lbs. LC4.

===Brass Catchers (TL6)===
A “brass catcher” is a bag or other container attached to
a gun’s ejection port to catch spent cartridge cases (the
“brass”). Sport shooters use them to collect cases for
reloading (see Handloading and Reloading, p. 174).
Aircrews firing from within aircraft employ them to avoid
the dangers of hot brass flying around the cabin – or into
intakes or propellers. Covert operators, assassins, and others who can’t afford to leave evidence behind also find them
useful. As a field expedient, soldiers sometimes tape a sturdy plastic pouch (often taken from military rations, p. 35)
to the gun.

It's worth noting that most modern (TL10) firearms use caseless ammunition; however, 'vintage' firearms still exist that use cased ammunition, and some modern firearms are specifically designed to accept cased ammunition.

MG Brass Catcher (TL6). Holds 500 cases. Adds -2 Bulk. $75, 1 lbs. LC4.

Pistol Brass Catcher (TL6). Holds 20-30 cases. Adds -1 Bulk. $50, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Rifle/SMG Brass Catcher (TL6). Holds 60-100 cases. Adds -1 Bulk. $50, 0.5 lb. LC4.

===Slide-Lock (TL6)===
A slide-lock prevents the action of a semiautomatic firearm from cycling. This reduces mechanical noise when used
with a sound suppressor (pp. 158-159), giving -1 to Hearing, but effectively converts the gun to a RoF 1 manual 
repeater – the operator must rack the slide after every shot to chamber a new cartridge. A slide-lock only comes
standard on such specialized weapons as the Izhmekh PB (see Izhmekh PM, p. 100), but a gunsmith can add one to
any semiautomatic with an Armoury (Small Arms) roll and two hours’ work. $50, neg. LC4.

===Drag Bag (TL7)===
A sniper may use a padded “drag bag” to protect his rifle
while creeping along the ground. A typical bag is camouflaged, has internal compartments and external pouches for
small items, and can be worn as a backpack. It may unfold
for use as a sniper mat once the sharpshooter reaches his
objective. Its thick skin has DR 1. $250, 4 lbs. LC4.


====TACTICOOL GADGETS====
The following real gear is of dubious practical value, but it
may be useful in truly cinematic campaigns.

===Mag Knuckles (TL7)===
This wicked-looking device is permanently attached to the
base of a pistol magazine, arching upward along its forward
edge. Inserted in the weapon, it protects the fingers of the
shooting hand all the way up to the trigger guard. In melee
combat, it can be used like brass knuckles (p. B271). It gets
ejected when the magazine is changed. $20, 0.5 lb.

===Bubba Cup Holder (TL8)===
Attached to an accessory rail (High-Tech, p. 161) on the side
of a long arm, this tactical cup holder can hold a can of beer or,
for real survivors, a can of tactical bacon or other combat
foods (see Go Tactical, or Go Home, below). $50, 0.5 lb.

===Underbarrel Pistol Mount (TL8)===
Attached to an accessory rail (High-Tech, p. 161) below the
barrel of a long arm, this device allows a pistol to be clamped
under the weapon. The idea is to use the pistol when the long
arm runs dry or malfunctions, but this is really much less convenient than drawing a pistol or simply reloading or fixing the
long arm. Such a device is offered by an Israeli company for
Glock pistols (High-Tech, pp. 100-101), but it could be made
for any sidearm. The pistol doubles as a vertical foregrip as
well. Adds -1 to long arm’s Bulk. $425, 0.5 lb.

===Go Tactical, or Go Home===
In a campaign that wishes to take Tacticool (p. 22) to absurd lengths,
almost any item can be “tactical” with some good marketing and a matte-black paint job 
(a testimonial by “real-life” SWAT members helps, too).
Even items as prosaic as food are not safe from being marketed toward
the tribal tattoo and wannabe Dim-Mak master:

Tactical Food (TL7): These foods contain what warriors crave. Eating
a complete meal temporarily adds 1 point to ST or DX for six hours. Tactical retort packaging can function as a single-use mini-tool kit (HighTech, p. 24), and tactical cans can be used as an improvised missile
weapon. $20, 1.5 lbs. per meal.

Tactical Energy Drink (TL7): Double the electrolytes of a civilian drink!
Chugging a can (real warriors require only a single Ready action) immediately restores 2 FP (+1 FP if you crush the can on your face, inflicting
one point of cutting damage). Already full on FP? In that case, it temporarily adds 1 point to ST for one hour. $8, 1 lb.


====HOLSTERS, SCABBARDS, AND SLINGS====
Getting a pistol into or out of a holster takes one Ready
maneuver. A successful Fast-Draw (Pistol) roll lets you draw
a handgun as a free action; see Fast-Draw (p. 24). The
Quick-Sheathe perk (p. 21) allows you to holster a weapon
the same way.

Unslinging or slinging a long arm takes two Ready maneuvers – or three, if the slung position is on the back.
 For unslinging, a successful Fast-Draw (Long Arm) roll reduces these
times by a second. The Quick-Sheathe perk extends the benefits of Fast-Draw to slinging a weapon.


For those trying to maintain a low profile while packing heat, holster design and placement can greatly affect
 the Holdout skill. The
best hiding places are the hardest to reach. A gunman must choose between getting to his gun quickly and keeping
 it out of sight.

For additional information on holsters and other gear to carry guns, as well as some less cinematic gadgets, see High-Tech,
pp. 153-154.

===Concealed Back Holster (TL6)===
This is a handgun holster worn on the back, below the neck. Realistically, it is difficult to conceal anything
in that area, especially a normal handgun (a particularly slim and/or small weapon with Bulk -1 or better might
work). It is also not very easy to get to – the shooter has to reach over the shoulder and into the collar to draw
 the gun.

In cinematic campaigns, even a sawed-off shotgun with Bulk -3 (p. 41) could vanish in such a holster, as seen in
Desperado. Detective John McClane demonstrates a more pedestrian solution for his Bulk -2 Beretta Mod 92F 
(High-Tech, p. 100) in Die Hard, substituting duct tape for the holster. -1 Fast-Draw (Pistol). -1 Holdout
(but +5 if the person you’re trying to fool can only see you front-on, and can’t actually search you).
 $50, 1 lb. LC4.

===Fast-Draw Back Scabbard (TL6)===
This is a fast-draw scabbard for a long arm (or long
melee weapon) worn on the back. It is open to one
side (or will break open easily) so that the weapon can
be drawn quicker by reaching over the shoulder. The
scabbard (and gun) can’t be seen from the front (+3
Holdout if the person you’re trying to fool can only see
you front-on, and can’t actually search you), but it is
easily visible from the rear or sides. It can be made for
any gun with Bulk -4 or better, like many submachine
guns or a short shotgun or carbine. This is demonstrated by adventurer Jack Colton with a sawed-off
Browning BPS (p. 37) in Romancing the Stone. -1
Fast-Draw (Long Arm). $100, 2 lb. LC4.

===Sleeve Holster (TL6)===
This is a spring-loaded holster strapped to the forearm. The
wearer activates it via a lever near the elbow, typically by pressing the elbow against the body. This requires a Fast-Draw
(Pistol) roll. Success causes a slim metal bar to be thrust forward, allowing the gunman to grasp the handgun (no larger
than Bulk -1) mounted at the end. Failure means the device
fails to work properly; getting the weapon calls for the use of
the free hand and a further Ready maneuver. Critical failure
indicates the device breaks – extracting the gun means 2d seconds of prying and pulling with the free hand!
For example, Captain James West uses a sleeve holster with
a Remington Model 95 derringer (High-Tech, p. 91) in the TV
series The Wild, Wild West. In Alien Resurrection, Christie has
holdout pistols up both sleeves . . . A more cinematic version
may even allow use of larger handguns with Bulk -2. For example, the Mariachi in Desperado has a full-sized Ruger KP90 pistol (p. 37) in either sleeve. -2 Holdout. $500, 0.5 lb. (1 lb. for a
Bulk -2 handgun). LC4.
===Fast-Draw Rig (TL7)===
A holster and belt can be custom-built for speed. The drop-hip belt with its low-slung, 
smooth-drawing, steel-lined holster
was patented in 1954 for Hollywood gunslingers. Although
used in most Western movies, authentic Old West gunfighters
never equipped themselves with it. Nevertheless, it is fast! +2
Fast-Draw (Pistol). $500, 3 lbs. LC4.
===Machine Gun Case (TL7)===
A machine gun case allows the transportation of an automatic weapon in plain view, ready to fire, without the problems
that carrying such a gun openly would entail. Innocent
bystanders and casual observers will only notice the inconspicuous case, while the shootist can open fire immediately, without taking the gun from the case.
Realistic examples
include the famous
briefcases sold for the
H&K MP5K submachine gun (High-Tech,
p. 123). This is shown in
action in The
Replacement Killers and
the Gunsmith Cats
episode “Poison of the
Scorpion.” More cinematic equivalents are
the guitar cases of
Campa in Desperado.
Shooting while holding the case by the handle like a watering can
is at -4 to Guns skill and
multiplies Rcl by 1.5.
For briefcases, a more
efficient way suggested
by special-ops instructors consists of bracing
the case against the
midsection and holding
it with both hands. This
at least avoids the Rcl increase. Costs and weighs twice the
gun’s cost and weight for a mass-produced case; triple cost for
a custom design. LC2.

====MAGAZINE MODIFICATIONS AND RELOADING AIDS====
Several innovations exist to increase ammo capacity and/or
cut reloading time for cartridge-firing repeaters. For the costs
and weights of standard magazines, spare cylinders, and so on,
see the weapon tables and descriptions.

===Extended Magazines (TL6)===
Extending the length of a detachable magazine gives
more ammunition capacity – typically 1.5x to 2x normal.
Extended magazines are heavier, possibly unreliable (-1
Malf., at the GM’s discretion), and often unwieldy (add -1 to
weapon’s Bulk if capacity is over 1.5¥ normal). Some even
protrude downward far enough to make shooting while
prone difficult or impossible.

Example: Replacing the 20-round magazine of an
M16A1 rifle with a 30-round magazine doesn’t change
Bulk. Swapping the 17-round magazine of a Glock 17 pistol for a 31-rounder adds -1 Bulk.

Drum magazines (TL6) stow extra ammo more compactly than normal extended magazines; they’re essentially
extended magazines coiled to reduce length. Drums don’t
protrude any more than standard magazines, but they do
worsen Bulk (add -1 to Bulk if capacity is above 3x normal).
They’re also heavy, expensive, and almost always less reliable (-1 Malf. or worse).

High-density magazines (TL7) are available for some
weapons. These increase capacity without increasing magazine length, typically by stacking cartridges in several staggered rows. They’re heavy, but don’t affect Bulk. Some are
unreliable (-1 Malf., at the GM’s discretion). High-density
magazines aren’t an option for weapons that insert the
magazine in the grip – like most pistols and some SMGs –
unless part of the original design.

To find the weight of a loaded magazine, multiply weight
per shot (WPS) from the Ammunition Tables by the number of rounds it holds, and then by a fixed multiplier: 1.1 for a high-density alloy or plastic box; 1.2 for an
extended alloy or plastic box; 1.3 for a high-density steel
box, or an alloy or plastic helical drum; 1.5 for an extended
steel box; 1.6 for a helical steel drum, or an alloy or plastic
drum; or 2 for a steel drum.

Example: The M16 fires the .223 Remington round
(WPS 0.026). An extended 50-round magazine made of aluminum alloy would weigh 0.026 x 50 x 1.2 = 1.56 lbs.,
rounded to 1.6 lbs.

To find the cost of an empty magazine, multiply WPS by
five times the number of rounds it holds, and then add a
fixed cost factor: $25 for an extended steel box; $27 for a
high-density steel box; $30 for an extended alloy or plastic
box; $33 for a high-density alloy or plastic box; $250 for a
steel drum/helical drum; or $300 for an alloy or plastic
drum/helical drum.

Example: The extended 50-round alloy magazine above
would cost (0.026 ¥ 5 ¥ 50) + 30 = $36.50, empty.

These costs and weights are generic. Historical magazines often differ.

Normally, the gun’s manufacturer produces extended magazines as accessories. Gunsmiths can make them, however. This requires two Armoury (Small Arms) rolls: one to
design the magazine, one to build it. Note that in some realworld jurisdictions, high-capacity magazines render LC3-4
guns LC1-2.

===Speedloaders (TL6)===
A speedloader lets a gunman with a revolver insert all – or
at least several – rounds into his weapon’s cylinder simultaneously 
instead of reloading a cartridge at a time. This dramatically 
reduces reloading time; see Reloading Your Gun (High-Tech, p. 86).
Speedloaders only work for revolvers that break or tip open,
or those with swing-out cylinders; gate-loaders can’t use
them. One of the first models was the Prideaux speedloader
for Webley revolvers, introduced in the 1880s. Speedloaders
for swing-out revolvers weren’t widely used until the 1960s.
$10, 0.1 lb. LC4.

===Speedload Magazine Holder (TL8)===
This is a reloading aid worn on the upper thigh, with one or
more magazines stored in loops in such a way as to allow a
one-handed (!) quick reload by pressing the empty magazine
funnel in the pistol butt on the thigh. It reduces reloading time
from three to two Ready maneuvers on a successful Fast-Draw
(Ammo) roll. In a realistic campaign, carrying the magazines
exposed in this way invites dirt to enter the magazines or can
even damage the feed lips. This will give -1 to Malf.

This cinematic gadget is shown in action by Lara Croft in
Tomb Raider for her H&K USP Match pistols (p. 37) and by
Lola in The Transporter 2 for her Glock 18C machine pistols
(High-Tech, p. 101). $50, 0.5 lb. plus the weight of the magazines. LC4.
===Sleeve Magazine Loader (TL8)===
This is a cinematic reloading aid worn as a bracelet on the
lower arm. On activation using Fast-Draw (Ammo), it shoves a
fresh magazine into the butt of a pistol held in the same hand,
reducing reloading from three to one Ready maneuver. Cleric
John Preston in Equilibrium shows this in action. $100, 0.5 lb.
plus the weight of one magazine. LC4.

===Clamped Magazines (TL8)===
Magazines can be clamped side-by-side using a removable
bracket ($20, 0.3 lb., LC4). Some plastic magazines have integral studs and brackets that let shooters clip as many magazines as desired alongside one another. Both developments
are TL8, but taping magazines together with duct tape (p. 26)
has been a popular field modification in every war since
WWII. Any of these measures saves one Ready maneuver
when reloading; see Reloading Your Gun (p. 86). Magazines
not in use are prone to get dirt inside, and taped magazines,
where one points down, often get damaged feeding lips; the
GM may assess -1 Malf. in suitably harsh conditions.
=====OTHER ACCESSORIES=====

These accessories can be added to most of the weapons
in this chapter.

===Accessory Rails (TL9)===

Firearms often have accessory rails for attaching optional
systems such as sights and grenade launchers. Up to four
accessory rails per weapon are allowed (under barrel, over
barrel, side of stock, top of stock) but this will vary with
weapon size and configuration. $100 and 0.2 lbs. each.

===Gyrostabilized Weapon Harness (TL9)===

This articulated weapon harness (below) cancels the
penalty for a Move and Attack (see p. B365). It is $1,000,
plus $200 and 1 lb. per pound of loaded weight. LC4.

===Access Control (TL9)===

This electronic access system limits usage to authorized
persons. The weapon will not fire for unauthorized users.
Access control can be assigned to individual owners, but in
military and paramilitary organizations it is common to set
it so everyone in a unit can share the same weapons.
Deactivating or reprogramming the safety system requires
an Armoury (Small Arms) or Electronics Operation
(Security) roll at a -2 penalty. The first attempt takes 10 seconds;
subsequent attempts require 10 minutes per try.

Transponder Ring: A ring worn by the user that contains
a radio transmitter with a one-inch range. The transmitter
sends a coded authorization message to the weapon, which
will not fire unless the correct ring is worn. The ring may
be permanently built into an armored suit glove, if desired.
$100. LC4.

Recognition Grip: A multi-function biometric scanner
built into the grip. It can respond to palm prints or voice
prints. It may also require both identifiers for maximum
security. $100. LC4.

===Self-Destruct Anti-Theft (TL10^)===

A miniature biosensor in the weapon’s handgrip automatically
scans the genetic pattern of the holder. If that pattern
matches one of the authorized users in its memory, the
weapon will fire. If not, the weapon will lock its firing circuits
and begin a destruct sequence. It may or may not
warn its holder!

To abort the destruct sequence, the unrecognized holder
must give the weapon’s computer a verbal authorization
code. If the correct code is not given in 10 seconds, the gun
self-destructs, doing 6dx4 explosion damage.

With the correct code (a single word and number
combination, e.g., “Wolf 323”) the weapon can be
reprogrammed to accept the biopattern of the holder. Each
code is unique to each weapon. Special codes are also
possible, such as one to delete biopatterns, or one which
causes the weapon to destroy itself immediately when fired.
Any attempt to circumvent the anti-theft system requires
proper tools and a roll against Electronics Operation
(Security)-3. Each attempt takes half an hour; failure activates
the destruct sequence, while critical failure causes an
immediate explosion. $100. LC3.

===Articulated Weapon Harness (TL9)===

This is used to steady very heavy weapons. It straps on
and has a chest plate in front, with a supporting arm and
three hydraulic joints positioned to allow universal motion
and easy suspension. It has the same effect as a bipod (ST
requirement of the weapon is reduced by 2/3 and the
weapon counts as braced), but can be used while standing
up or moving. The user must still operate the weapon normally,
using his own hands to aim and fire it.

The harness must be built for a specific weapon, and is
generally limited to weapons with Bulk -4 or more. It is $50
and 0.5 lbs. per pound of loaded weight for the weapon it is
built for – e.g., a harness for a 20-lb. machine gun is $1,000,
10 lbs. LC4.

===Diagnostic Computer (TL9)===

These smart integrated electronics give +1 to skill rolls
to fix damage or malfunctions. Diagnostic computers are
standard in all TL9+ firearms at no extra cost. $100 if bought separately. Weight and power consumption are negligible.

===D-Tag (TL9)===

This is a tiny receiver built into a weapon or other item.
Upon receiving a coded signal on a specific radio frequency,
it sends out a return signal. D-tags are often built into
police equipment, and some regimes may put them in
weapons sold to civilians. A successful Electronics
Operation (Security) roll is required to find it; a second roll
(at -2) must be made to deactivate it without disabling the
weapon or notifying the authorities. $20. LC4.

===IFF Interrogator (TL9)===

Friendly fire casualties are a constant problem on chaotic
battlefields. An IFF interrogator identifies friends and
foes before a soldier pulls the trigger on the wrong target.
A TL9 interrogator is an eye-safe IR or UV laser (usually
built into a weapon’s standard laser sight) that emits a
pulse-coded message at the target. TL10+ versions may differ
in the type of signal beamed to the target, but the
process is the same. This message contains an identification
number, communication response frequency, and an
encrypted code.

If the target is wearing an IFF system (p. 188), then it can
decipher the code and transmit a brief message in reply. The
interrogator then identifies the target as friendly, unidentified,
or known hostile. Feedback is displayed on the soldier’s
HUD sight or augmented reality display, but blinking LEDs
on the interrogator also provide positive response.

IFF systems have some disadvantages: over-reliance on
technical identification, difficulty using the IFF interrogator
in cluttered environments, and the potential for compromising
the user’s presence. The range of the IFF system
is also limited: assume a range of 500 yards at TL9, doubling
for each additional TL. Beyond this range, the GM
may require Electronics Operations (Sensors) rolls to get a
clear identification, with potentially disastrous results in
the case of failure. $100.

===Power Holster (TL9)===

This is available for any pistol-type weapon or knife. It
consists of three parts: a wrist sensor unit, a homing sensor
on the handgrip of the weapon, and a break-away holster.
When the wrist sensor detects nerve impulses that mean
the wearer wants to draw, the holster ejects the weapon
toward the hand. This lets the weapon be readied instantly.
Each make of item requires a separate holster. A power holster
adds +TL/2 to the Knife, Pistol, or Ammo specialization
of Fast-Draw. $1,000, 2 lbs., B/100 uses. LC4.

===Sniper Mirror (TL9)===

A laser gunner using a visible-light laser may set up a
high-quality optical mirror for ambushes. The sniper can
fire at the target’s image in the mirror; the beam will reflect
off and strike the target. The mirror can be remotely controlled
with a communicator.

The range is equal to the range of the target to the mirror,
plus the range from the mirror to the sniper. The sniper
is at -4 to skill when performing this maneuver.
When strategically placed (the GM may require a Tactics
or Traps roll), these mirrors allow a laser sniper to fire
around corners, and may confuse the enemy about the
direction from which fire is coming. The standard mirror is
about two feet across when in use, but folds to the size of a
paperback book. $500, 1 lb. LC4.

===Tripod (TL9)===

A tripod may be added to any mounted weapon (M notation
next to ST), allowing it to be set up on the ground
rather than on a vehicle.

Ignore a weapon’s ST requirement when it is tripodmounted.
Removing the weapon from its tripod or reattaching
it takes at least three Ready maneuvers.
A tripod provides a 180º arc of fire and allows the
weapon to be elevated or depressed. The weapon requires
two hands to use, and the user must usually sit or kneel
behind the tripod. A typical tripod can mount a weapon
that requires ST 25 or less, or any non-weapon sensor that
weighs up to 125 pounds. $1,250, 25 lbs. LC4.

===Powered Tripod Mount (TL9)===

A tripod can have an electric motor built into it. If the
weapon has a sensor such as a radar or motion detector
plugged into it (see Plug-in Gadgets, pp. 15-16), it can be
remotely controlled via computer. If the computer has
appropriate AI software, it can fire autonomously. A typical
powered tripod can fire any weapon that requires ST 25 or
less, or direct any non-weapon sensor up to 125 lbs. weight.
$5,000, 50 lbs. D/100 hr. LC4.

===Shoulder Servomount (TL9)===

This is a strap-on half-backpack with a gyrostabilized
servo arm. It holds a single weapon over the user’s shoulder.
The weapon is aimed with a heads-up display, and can
swivel to fire at any target in front of the user.
The device has the same effect as a gyrostabilized
weapon harness, with the addition that the user does not
use his hands to control the weapon. This is equivalent to
the Extra Arm (Weapon Mount) advantage.

A servomount weapon should be used with a HUD. If
not, the user fires the weapon at a -2 penalty, and may not
take Aim maneuvers. An AI can also control a servomount,
freeing up the user for other activities, such as firing a
handheld gun.

It’s possible to wear up to two shoulder servomounts,
one over each shoulder. The gear is heavy, so shoulder servomounts
are most often used by battlesuit troopers, or by
nonhuman or disabled warriors who lack usable limbs.
A shoulder servomount is $5,000 plus an extra $1,000 and
3 lbs. per pound of weapon loaded weight. Thus, a servomount
for a seven-pound weapon is $12,000 and 21 lbs. LC3.

===Smartgrip (TL10)===

A smart-matter pistol grip and trigger can be added to
any firearm. It automatically adjusts to the user’s strength
and hand shape. This makes the weapon easier to fire,
reducing the ST requirement by 1. $500, LC4.