MU Podcast 062 - Under the Gun

[Keeper Jon]

The Machine King has been released. The link below goes to a page which includes downloads of both a screen and printable version.

http://cthulhureborn.wordpress.com/2014 ... ing-lives/

Boom! Got it!

[Graham]

The Machine King has been released. The link below goes to a page which includes downloads of both a screen and printable version.

http://cthulhureborn.wordpress.com/2014 ... ing-lives/

Boom! Got it!

Lookforward to the game play recording!

As predicted like 'Horror on the Orient Express' & "The Iron Ghost", there is a train...

Re-listened to the episode, especially the discussion on what I fondly remember as "Monty Haul's Dunjon Crawl", great as long as you don't do it too often.

Now, onto something a little more serious, I once read somewhere that in China during the 1930's what they'd do is test fire an automatic weapon (like a Thompson) see which direction the recoil dragged the muzzle and then in combat hold the weapon such that the recoil produced a spray of bullets in a flat plane rather than a climbing arc. No idea how to simulate that as a house rule, any ideas?

[Keeper Jon]

Now, onto something a little more serious, I once read somewhere that in China during the 1930's what they'd do is test fire an automatic weapon (like a Thompson) see which direction the recoil dragged the muzzle and then in combat hold the weapon such that the recoil produced a spray of bullets in a flat plane rather than a climbing arc. No idea how to simulate that as a house rule, any ideas?

When a person enters into a gunfight, their adrenaline is rushing, and it is possible to forget their training with a weapon. To simulate the scenario you described, I would first ask for a Luck check at half their value. If they are successful, then they are holding the weapon correctly. Then, if they are holding the weapon correctly, give them a +20% to their SMG skill.

[Graham]

Now, onto something a little more serious, I once read somewhere that in China during the 1930's what they'd do is test fire an automatic weapon (like a Thompson) see which direction the recoil dragged the muzzle and then in combat hold the weapon such that the recoil produced a spray of bullets in a flat plane rather than a climbing arc. No idea how to simulate that as a house rule, any ideas?

When a person enters into a gunfight, their adrenaline is rushing, and it is possible to forget their training with a weapon. To simulate the scenario you described, I would first ask for a Luck check at half their value. If they are successful, then they are holding the weapon correctly. Then, if they are holding the weapon correctly, give them a +20% to their SMG skill.

That sounds quite reasonable, it will be interesting to see if this can be translated to 7th Ed. Another piece of unproveable historical trivia floated up from my memory, supposedly the British army sent someone to Finland during the early 1930's to look into either buying or getting the licence to make Lahti SMGs only to have the project cancelled because the 'top brass' didn't want anything to do with "...gangster weapons..." (From memory that phrase was actually used in the account I read.), which just goes to show how the reputation changed from the early 'Wild West' advertising.

[HANS]

... I once read somewhere that in China during the 1930's what they'd do is test fire an automatic weapon (like a Thompson) see which direction the recoil dragged the muzzle and then in combat hold the weapon such that the recoil produced a spray of bullets in a flat plane rather than a climbing arc. No idea how to simulate that as a house rule, any ideas?

Most automatic guns always pull to the same direction (typically up and to the right). The technique you describe was used in the 1930s in China with the full-automatic versions of the Mauser pistol (Schnellfeuer-Pistole and variants, see Investigator Weapons 1: The 1920s and 1930s, pp. 48-51), the reason being that that weapon is particularly uncontrollable due to its light weight and high cyclic rate (which results in a lower Base Chance as per Call of Cthulhu, Sixth Edition, p. 61). By turning it to the side, they could use the uncontrollable movement to their advantage, as a sweeping arc from left to right would ensue. That, of course, only helps at very close range, and is really just a stop-gap to get at least some effective use out of a less-than-perfect weapon. It's not accurate to fire this way (you can't use the sights and have to twist your hand, resulting in a less stable hold). I have rules for this type of firing in Investigator Weapons 3: WWII, which is currently in editing.

Cheers

HANS

[HANS]

... supposedly the British army sent someone to Finland during the early 1930's to look into either buying or getting the licence to make Lahti SMGs only to have the project cancelled because the 'top brass' didn't want anything to do with "...gangster weapons..." (From memory that phrase was actually used in the account I read.), which just goes to show how the reputation changed from the early 'Wild West' advertising.

A single sample of Aimo Lahti's submachine gun (the Suomi) was trialled in Britain in 1936, but not adopted. The glowing report of that gun was the first to include the term "gangster weapon." At the time, it was decided that there was no need for this type of weapon, though not because of the gangster association, just that they didn't see the worth of an automatic weapon firing a pistol cartridge in war. Another sample was tested in 1938, but again the SMG was not deemed a requirement. The attitude did not change until late 1939.

I trace the use of submachine guns by the British (including the SOE) in detail in Investigator Weapons 3: WWII, including the Thompon, Lanchester, and STEN. Interestingly, despite the military's disparaging view of the guns, British Intelligence was not so aloof. They bought the first Thompsons for use in Ireland already in 1921 ... (see Investigator Weapons 1: The 1920s and 1930s, p. 88).

Cheers

HANS

[Graham]

Looks like the original image of the Cowboy and the Thompson Gun is missing. Found it again. I am direct linking to the best of the images I found via google image search

Using a tommy gun in the wild west....

Also if you are interested here two Forgotten Weapons youtube video on the Mars pistols these things are straight out of Jules Verne....

Mars Automatic Pistols

Mars Automatic Pistol Prototype Nº. 4

And a video on 'non-lethal(?)' ammo for a Tommy gun

Thompson SMG Riot Ammo