Gun Technology

[Philip Overby]

I have a fair share of guns in my current WIP, but they're not really treated the way most people would expect in my kind of world. Since people in some areas still have armor and swords, etc. it may seem weird for the gun technology to be more advanced. I'm not really wanting to go with guns you shoot once and then take forever to reload. I'm looking more at like Old West six-shooters and rifles. The idea is that the country that developed the technology for guns focused tons of time getting it worked out perfectly. And it also goes along with the idea that guns are still very expensive and not everyone can just go buy one.

My main issue is that I wanted guns to be able to fire quickly (or at least moderately fast) and not be clunky guns you have to stuff powder in with a ram rod.

So basically I want a world where some people are still using armor, spears, axes, and swords in some parts of the world, but in the richer sectors people have more a Wild West technology. I think such a gap would certainly be possible, just wondering what you'd call that level of gun technology and how these guns would work (six shots and reload, need powder, etc.)

 

[ThinkerX]

Gunpowder punk?

 

[Philip Overby]

I don't know what that means. Could you describe some novels that use this term?

 

[Penpilot]

When I was reading your post, I was picturing a steam punk level of technology for your gun wielders, which from my limited experience with, can have revolvers and rifles. This brought me to thinking about a video game called Torchlight 2, which had the standard fantasy type characters plus a character that wielded pistols.

As for how the guns would work, there's nothing wrong with them just having the tech to make real guns. But if you want, you could add a little magic into it. Throw in a little alchemy and make that how "gun powder" works, and maybe that's how they can make the metals/alloys strong enough to make the guns.

 

[ThinkerX]

I don't know what that means. Could you describe some novels that use this term?

More of a small genre than ought else. Technology is not quite as advanced as what you describe - muskets and flintlocks, usually. But magic, in one form or another is present. Sometimes, so are the usual fantasy races

Brian McClellan's 'Powder Mage' series comes fairly close to what you describe. If I remember right, there are at least some cartridge type rifles. Some of the gun users can imbibe gunpowder for magical abilities, plus there are other types of sorcerers.

The 'Iron Elves' series (author's name escapes me) centered on a musket wielding regiment in a world of magic. Not sure, but they might have been just starting to experiment with cartridges.

Some of the 'Warhammer' books get into this theme as well.

I seem to remember a couple other books in the same vein, but titles and whatnot escape me at the moment.

 

[Philip Overby]

Thanks for the responses. I don't want people to think that this is a gun heavy book or anything (a reader comes looking for something like that might be a bit disappointed), but guns do play a somewhat prominent role in the story. I just didn't want to use really old gun technology (which I guess would be matchlock?). Perhaps it would be closer to flintlock. I guess I should do some more research on my own and figure it out.

I basically have one country that is similar to China whose strength comes primarily from their focus on firearm technology. Since my story doesn't have any wars going on (it's a contained plot), the gun don't play any part on a large scale. They're just a weapon some of the richer people may use.

I've thought about instilling magic into it, but magic is pretty much non-existent in my world except when it comes to a very, very limited amount of sorcerers and some magical creatures.

 

[CupofJoe]

Its a fine line to thread... Thanks to colonisation I can see that such unequal technologies did co-exist wherever the [mainly] Europeans decided to wander off and claim as theirs... at least for a time.
But unless one part of the Gun cycle is heavily controlled/restricted I can't see why everyone didn't switch to guns fairly quickly.
The only sort-of parallel I can think of is the slow uptake of guns by the Native Americans in what is now the north-eastern USA. Even there is wasn't the guns that were the limiting factor - someone will always sell something for a profit even if it was illegal, but the gun powder. The colonies/states had to import their powder [mainly from the UK and a little from France I think] and had very limited supplies. The local hunters weren't willing to give up a proven and renewable technology [the bow] for one that could just stop working. I think it was a good few years after the War of Independence that the first Gun Powder Mill was set up in the newly minted USA.
So to steal an idea from Chris Rock... I'd make the bullets hard or expensive to come by.

 

[ThinkerX]

I've thought about instilling magic into it, but magic is pretty much non-existent in my world except when it comes to a very, very limited amount of sorcerers and some magical creatures.

A small number of legitimate sorcerers is a common element of the 'Gunpowder Punk' I have read. Magic is acknowledged to be real, but also very dangerous to muck around with. One gets the impression there may be something on the order of a couple dozen wizards per million people.

 

[wordwalker]

Just remember, technology likes to spread. Especially when it involves war to make people desperate (and there's always going to be war, banditry, or the thread of if).

The "China" model makes some sense, I guess; a closed-off society, especially if the tech is still so expensive only a few rich within it can get them. They haven't gotten to the point where their neighbors see border guards blasting their troops apart and put all their efforts into stealing or scavenging samples of the wonder-weapon.

CupofJoe has a good point too. If the factory to keep a weapon working hasn't been built locally yet, that's a pretty fragile supply line. (Gives me a new appreciation of the classic Stargate SG1 scene, where Earth soldiers have just shown their allies that big scary zap-guns are utterly inferior to a good assault rifle; the only counter-argument is "But we'd be dependent on your ammunition.")

 

[Guy]

Thanks for the responses. I don't want people to think that this is a gun heavy book or anything (a reader comes looking for something like that might be a bit disappointed), but guns do play a somewhat prominent role in the story. I just didn't want to use really old gun technology (which I guess would be matchlock?). Perhaps it would be closer to flintlock. I guess I should do some more research on my own and figure it out.

Perhaps a caplock? The first Colt revolvers up until the early 1870s used this. As far as I know, the only way to have a caplock repeating rifle or shotgun is to make it a large revolver (and yes, they did exist. Colt made them). There were also caplock breechloading rifles, which reloaded reasonably quickly. You lower the breach, drop a cartridge in (the cartridge uses a paper sack full of powder under the bullet instead of a brass case), close the breech, cock, place your percussion cap on, then fire.

Look at Colt firearms from 1836-1860s. Also, the pre-1870s Sharps rifles.

 

[deilaitha]

A single-action revolver is would require cocking after every shot, so it would be a slow gun by modern standards, fast by older standards (no need to reload after every shot). Hobbyists are really the only ones who use them today, as they tend not to be recommended in modern self-defense situations. You might also consider what kind of cartridges your characters are using for their bullets. Cartridges are a must for any gun which fires more than once without reload. I recommend researching the components of cartridges, as this could allow you to make up your own type of repeat-fire weapon.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

You don't have to have revolvers or cartridges to have a multishot weapon. There have been a number of multi-barrel weapons - things like the Derringer COP 357. There's no reason a pistol or a rifle can't have say four barrels (save the weight of course) and a four stage trigger, and be loaded as a musket - i.e. powder and balls. Then your MC gets four shots before turning to swords etc.

Cheers, Greg.