On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 2:58 AM, Phil Pugliese (via tml list) <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:

As I recall, CT had the 'accelerator rifle', a type of gauss weapon that was optimized for low recoil to use in, or in case of, zero-G.

Accelerator rifles were based on the gyrojet. The rounds were little rockets, with the nozzles offset to provide spin stabilization.

They weren't gauss weapons at all.

They were relatively low recoil because the ammunition was self-propelled.

Actual gyrojet weapons were pretty flimsy, IIRC, since they had to withstand pretty minimal launch forces and no recoil to speak of.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrojet

I agree that TU hulls are actually pretty tough & probably should be considered a sort of semi-armor.
In fact, 'armoring' important systems may just be sandwiching them 'tween a section of double hull.

Striker gave the basic starship hull an armor rating of 40. That's equivalent to 33cm (12") of hard steel.

You're not going to punch it with most hand weapons.

Inner walls are not nearly that thick. Punching through the insulation on a 20mw power line is probably going to cause all sorts of problems.

Sure there are FGMP's & PGMP's but no sane sophont is going to fire up one of them inside a starship travelling thru space.

Depends on the alternatives.

"Any sufficiently advanced parody is indistinguishable from a genuine kook." -Alan Morgan