GURPS Heavy Weapons (TL 7)

Version 1.4

Heavy infantry weapons provide fire support for infantry attacking vehicles or fortifications or defending against vehicles. Other examples of heavy weapons are in GURPS High-Tech.

Not covered here are surface-to-air missiles. For those look at p. SO104 in GURPS Special Ops.
Some weapon descriptions have codes (e.g. [h, l, n, s, f]) indicating possible modifications/accessories. A code in round brackets (e.g. (s)) indicates that the weapon is already fitted with that extra. Click on the codes to go to the modifications/accessories page.

A "+" or "-" after Type of damage means a caliber-based wounding modifier (p. HT7), applies to the remaining damage after subtracting DR: "-" means halve damage; "+" means multiply by 1.5; "++" means double remaining damage. Damage for 10mm+ (.40+) caliber pistol bullets that penetrate is multiplied by 1.5 (see p. B209).

Light and General Purpose Machine Guns

A light machinegun (LMG) is one that can be carried and operated by one man. A medium machinegun (MMG) is mounted on a tripod for sustained firing in full-auto. A general purpose machinegun (GPMG) is one that can be used either way. Use the Guns [Light Automatic] skill with light machineguns and GPMGs without tripod. Note that the Gunner [Machine Gun] skill is only for vehicular or tripod-mounted weapons like MMGs or heavy machineguns.
 
Weapon Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC  Holdout
HK21E Crit. Cr. 7d 18 11+2 1,200 4,700 28.5 15* 80D 13 -1 $4,600 0 No
7.62x51mm [h, l, n, s]
HK 21E Weight includes scope (the "+2" included in Acc). The weapon can feed from a 100-round disintegrating link belt (7 lbs.), from a 80-round saddle drum (7 lbs.), or - with an adapter - from HK G3 magazines (RoF 13). It has one of the easiest barrel-change methods ever designed. The trigger mechanism can be set to single-fire, controlled three-round-bursts, or full auto. Used by the Delta Force. (The weight given on p. HT109 is wrong.)

 
Weapon Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC Holdout
Ultimax Mk III Crit. Cr. 5d+1 13 10 500 3,800 14.5 8* 100D 9 -1/2 $3,500 0 -6
5.56x45mm [h, l, n, s]
Like for the AK, recoil is added only after every second four-shot group of a continous burst (p. HT114). A 100-round drum weighs 3.5 lbs. A pack of four 100-round drums weighs 14.5 lbs. The weapon may also use 20 or 30 round boxes or a 60 round drum. The Ultimax MK III is one of the few MGs with a suppressed barrel readily available. It can fire rifle grenades from its flash suppressor. There is also a 12 inch-barrel which that, with buttstock taken off, results in a weapon only 32 inch (82.68 cm) long (Holdout -5).

 
Weapon Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC  Holdout
XM214 6Pak Ver. Cr. 5d+1 20 13 500 3,600 45 3-166 500 14 -1 $10,000 0 No
5.56x45mm [l, n] 1970
XM214 6PakThe XM214 5.56mm Machine Gun was a terminated Research and Development project (1970-1971) for a six-barrel 5.56mm (.223 Cal.) Gatling type "mini-minigun". The XM214 was similar to the M134 "minigun" by General Electric Company  (the same gun as the Air Force GAU-2B/A). It was electrically driven and could be installed on a pintle or in a turret mount. It was shown in a man-portable version in the movie Predator (1987) and in Jane's Weapon Systems of the same year there was an entry detailing the XM214. It had been tested by the Special Forces but rejected due to impractical weight. Availability today is extremely rare at best. 

The weight of 45 lbs. is for the gun, motor, battery (good for 5,000 shots) and 500 shots. The gun, motor and battery weigh 15kg (33 lbs.). A tripod would weigh another 15 lbs. (+2 to Acc, but use the Gunner (Machine Gun) skill). One 500-round "cassette" weighs 14 lbs. The cassettes may be worn in a special harness ($100, 5 lbs.) on the back of the gunner and are linked through a rugged flexible chute to the gun. Two cassettes can clamp to the gun (or to the harness) at once, and it automatically switches when the first cassette is empty. 

RoF can be set between 3-round bursts or 10,000 rounds per minute. Unfortunately the recoil force is 110kg (242 lbs.) at 10,000 rpm (GURPS RoF 166) which would knock you off your feet, but (assuming a linear relationship) if the RoF were 1,000 rpm (GURPS RoF 16) then the recoil should be only 11kg (24 lbs.) which might be manageable. Use 20-round groups for "Very High RoF" (p. HT78, CII66) to calculate "Hits in a burst" (p. B120).

Heavy Rifle

Use the Guns [Rifle] skill.
Weapon Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC  Holdout
Barret M82A2 Crit. Cr.+ 13d 20 14+2 2,200 7,400 30 2~ 11+1 11 -3 $7,500 1 No
.50BMG (12.7×99mm) [h, l, n, s]
Barret M82A2 This is a shoulder-fired version with custom recoil reduction (p. UTT62), the firing position is similar to a LAW. The basic M82 has a bipod, and is 2 lbs. heavier (Acc 13+2; ST 13). Consider using APS ammunition like the M903: change 1/2D to 3,300 and Damage to 17d+1(2); halve the DR of anything hit; damage that penetrates is also halved. This weapon is useful for long range attacks against lightly armored vehicles (up to DR100) and slow-flying aircraft like helicopters.

Light Infantry Mortars

Use the Gunner [Mortar] skill.
Weapon Malf Damage Acc Min Max Wt. RoF Cost LC  Holdout
FLY-K Mortar Crit. 4dx2[2d] 6 200 700 11 1/3 $900 1 -5
52mm
Note: Technically this is rather a grenade launcher with some characteristics of a light mortar. This weapon fires without smoke, flash or noise (see p. HT125). You can rain grenades on your foes and they will never know where they came from. Weight per shot is 1 lb. Cost per shot $80. For rules on indirect fire see p. VE179. The FLY-K is carried by one man along with a rucksack containing 10 rounds.
There is also a "Light Grapnel" round (designated NR 9114), launching a grappling hook attached to a 45-yards nylon climbing line (9mm diameter). Launched at a 60 degree angle, the grapnel has a range of about 41 yards with a maximum altitude of about 17 yards. The grapnel is lightly padded with foam coating, further adding to silence. Breaking strength for the rope is 2,800kg (over 6,000 lbs.). The NR 9114 round weighs 8.6 lbs. with line in case, the grapnel alone weighs 1.43 lbs.

Light Antitank Weapon

Use the Guns [Light Antitank Weapon] skill.
Weapon Malf Damage SS Acc Min 1/2D Max Wt. RoF Shots Cost LC  Holdout
Armbrust LAW Crit. 6dx4(10) 14 9 10 400 1,500 13 1NR 1 $1.500 0 -5
67mm
Disposable rocket launcher, made by MBB in Germany. The German name means "crossbow". No lethal backblast; firing creates no flash, no smoke, and little noise (-5 to locate).

Sniper Cannon

Use the Gunner [Cannon] skill.
Weapon Malf Type Damage SS Acc Min Max Wt. RoF Shots ST Rcl Cost LC  Holdout
NTW-20 Crit. Cr.++ 21d 20 20 1,500 6,200 117 1/2 5+1 - -1 $7,600 1 No
20x82mm [(l), n]
Click on picture for larger picture of the NTW-20 This South African design by Tony Neophytou is equipped with a telescopic sight, laser sight and ballistic computer (all included in Acc). Use the bipod all the time or you risk serious injury (Rcl would be -8). The recoil brakes are effective but kick up any dust around the muzzle. The NTW-20 may fire APEX (changes damage to 21d(2) crushing plus 1d-3[2d] explosive) or APS (damage 27d(2), 1/2D increased to 2,250). Standard ammunition: CPS $1.2, WPS 0.6, VPS 0.004. APEX: CPS $6, WPS 0.6. APS: $6, WPS 0.4. The weapon brakes down into three loads for carrying: 55 lbs. (barrel), 45 lbs. (lock), and 17 lbs. (sight, ballistic computer, laser, magazine, bipod, trigger group) plus any ammunition (usually about 25 each of APEX and APS). Damage that penetrates is doubled (p. UT7). This weapon is useful for long range attacks against lightly armored vehicles (up to DR150), buildings, fuel tanks, radar positions, and light fortifications. It can punch through 25 inch of moist sand, 17 inch of hard wood, 14 inch of brick, or 12 inch of hard stone or concrete.


Copyright © 1999 by Christoph Sticherling. GURPS is copyright © of Steve Jackson Games.
Thanks to Christoph Sticherling for allowing me to post his page on my page.