Struggling a bit with weapons

[ophelia]

Hi everyone!
So recently I started outlining and writing a new novel, but I kinda struggle with the worldbuilding. I decided to make a world inspired mostly by the end of the 19th century - but with monsters. The monsters are a new problem in the country, because they appeared only about ten years ago. They are slightly bigger than a human with long hands and legs - and way stronger. And also, after they kill a person, they take their thoughts, which makes them more intelligent.
So lately new Troops were created, whose task is to fight monsters, when they attack people - and also track down the monsters who killed people, whose family have lots of money and can pay them to take the thoughts back. And also, the monsters usually come out of the underground, through basements etc. - so the troops usually have to fight inside buildings.
And most people in the Troops are some criminals, who got a choice - go to the Troops (where lots of people die) or to the prison. Or some poor people for whom it was a chance to got some money.
And I have totally no idea what kind of weapon they should use. Should these be some kind of revolvers/pistols? would they even have these, if it was really inspired by 19th century? Or maybe some kind of sabres? I would be grateful for any kind of help. )
(and sorry for all the mistakes, english is not my native language)

 

[CupofJoe]

It really comes down to the best way you can think of for defeating the Monsters and then work out how to make that a weapon.
But if it is the end of 19C so we are talking 1870 tech onwards?
For me it would be grenades and shotguns.
Shotguns to knock them down at a short range and
Grenades to blow big lumps off them as quickly as possible.
And Machine guns and things like Congreve rockets for when you catch the monsters in the open.
and as it is fantasy... There is also Handwavium and just make something up... Spring-loaded lasso garotte?
And welcome

 

[ophelia]

Thanks so much! Yeah, it would be 1870 onwards - but like i'm not good at history especially when it comes to military, so even finding out what weapons people used then was kind of a struggle for me. but i think grenades and shotguns would make sense! and spring-loaded lasso garotte sounds really fun, but i think i would stick to something that actually exist hahah. Thanks one more time!

 

[Mad Swede]

OK, you could have your characters use things like revolvers (either Colt or Smith and Wesson), Winchester repeater rifles, Gatling guns or (from about 1885) Maxim machine guns, Lee Enfield rifles (from about 1888), Browning repeater shotguns (from about 1888) and Browning pump action shotguns (1894 onwards). In terms of artillery, breech loading guns are available from about 1860 onwards, with quick firing artillery like Hotchkiss and Nordenfledt guns turning up from about 1880 onwards in calibres up to 6 inch. Reliable hand grenades didn't turn up until about 1915. Mortars came back into use just before the start of the First World War. And for close combat people still used various types of swords and knives.

 

[Queshire]

I'm not sure if elephant guns would fit the time period, but if they don't then the appearance of the monsters could cause them to be developed ahead of schedule.

 

[Insolent Lad]

I'm not sure if elephant guns would fit the time period, but if they don't then the appearance of the monsters could cause them to be developed ahead of schedule.

Elephant guns were very much of that time, beginning with extremely large gauge muzzle-loading smooth-bores and progressing to rifled breech-loaders later in the 19th Century.

 

[joshua mcdermott]

Inside buildings/basements grenades could be tough - likely kill all the hunters along with the monster. Not exactly a precision weapon, or reliable as pointed out above. . shotguns are good. larger weapons like machine/elephant guns also will be tough in buildings/underground.
I'd be thinking smaller team goes in with pistols etc, pissing it off, then lures it outside to where the machine gun is set up etc. Maybe people with boar spears to keep it back while the elephant guns do the work etc.

 

[CupofJoe]

Reliable hand grenades didn't turn up until about 1915.

Unreliable is where the fun comes in

 

[ophelia]

Ooh thanks everybody! I'll probably go with shotguns/pistols, cause they made the most sense.

OK, you could have your characters use things like revolvers (either Colt or Smith and Wesson), Winchester repeater rifles, Gatling guns or (from about 1885)...

And I'll look up those names for sure, thanks! Cause as I said earlier, I know nearly nothing about military/weapons, so at least I would know where to start my research

Inside buildings/basements grenades could be tough - likely kill all the hunters along with the monster. Not exactly a precision weapon, or reliable as pointed out above. . shotguns are good...

And this actually a great plan - but I think I kinda want these troops to be... not well enough equipped and prepared? Like most people there would know nearly nothing about fighting etc. at the beginning and there won't be anyone to teach them, just you know, only the good ones survive. So I think my main character may want to use this kind of plan - she is a commander of one of those groups - but she won't have enough people to do this.

 

[Chasejxyz]

Technology always grows in leaps and bounds around wartimes, to get the edge on enemies. Monsters showing up and being very dangerous will drive scientists and inventors to create new weapons to deal with these situations (look at Pacific Rim!). Guns are normally used hunting or on battlefields, in wide open spaces where the noise can be somewhat dissipated and there's plenty of room to move. Shooting inside with long guns (and I don't imagine these people have huge basements) would be really difficult, so there would be a big push to create guns that could perform better in these situations. Holding more rounds of ammo, smaller size etc. You don't need a big range since you're fighting in confined spaces. You said the monsters appeared 10 years ago so that's been enough time for some new inventions to be made.

You can also use older weapons, too. The reason why we have bayonets is because it's easier to stab a guy up close than to shoot them. Swords/daggers/etc would have some use, even as side arms (aka back up weapons). Crossbows can be really powerful and they don't destroy your hearing like guns do*. If your monsters are weak to silver or iron, then it's going to be more economical to reuse a silver dagger over making new silver bullets every time. Depending on the asthetic/tone you're going for, having your monster hunters using older weapons can add to that. If someone discovers that these monsters have appeared before in history, then they could discover weapons/techniques that worked well in the past and adapt them to fit modern weaponry, which would be a cool blend of old school and new school.

Things like and players handbooks have lists and pictures of weapons that can give you ideas, then you can go on Wikipedia and look at the history of the weapons to get an idea of what was technically feasible at the time of your story. But since you have the 10 year period from when monsters first showed up and your story, you can make up some things or push it to be more futuristic and that would be within reason. Again, look at Pacific Rim lol

*this is something that is constantly forgotten in media and it drives me nuts. Even shooting outside, if you don't have ear protection you're going to ruin your hearing. People who are working as monster hunters are going to be shooting a lot, both at work and at practice, so they're going to need to wear ear protection or they're going to have bad hearing, which could be a problem if they need to listen carefully for monsters

 

[Carol]

Mad Swede has made a good list
Within which country are you setting your story?
Grenades have been used in the British army for centuries - hence the Grenadier Guards. They were exceptionally well trained, brave, and able to light and time the throw of their grenade in order to stop the enemy from throwing it back. Within buildings, if the Grenadier can have protection behind a wall for example, or throw the grenade into a basement from above, then they can be used indoors. Colonel Hugh Robert Hibbert wrote to his sister during the Crimean War (1854-1856) telling her how they had improvised grenades:

We have a new invention to annoy our friends in their pits. It consists in filling empty soda water bottles full of powder, old twisted nails and any other sharp or cutting thing we can find at the time, sticking a bit of tow-in for a fuse then lighting it and throwing it quickly into our neighbours’ pit where it bursts, to their great annoyance. You may imagine their rage at seeing a soda water bottle come tumbling into a hole full of men with a little fuse burning away as proud as a real shell exploding and burying itself into soft parts of the flesh.​

1870s - the Martini-Henry rifle was adopted in 1871, and used for about 20 years. The Martini-Metford was introduced after this but was problematic, which led to the Martini-Enfield which was in service from 1895 until about 1918. (New Zealand still had the Martini-Enfield in reserve until WW2.)
The Gatling gun proved unreliable and was replaced with the Maxim gun in 1893. The Maxim was both reliable and extremely effective.
You can always speed the development of weapons and take them back to the period you are setting your world in.
Congreve Rockets are worth considering. They were in service in the Peninsular War and still used at the time of the Crimean War. You could develop them to suit your purposes.
Look at this website - it might help:
Weapons and Warfare

 

[Aldarion]

Hi everyone!
So recently I started outlining and writing a new novel, but I kinda struggle with the worldbuilding. I decided to make a world inspired mostly by the end of the 19th century - but with monsters. The monsters are a new problem in the country, because they appeared only about ten years ago. They are slightly bigger than a human with long hands and legs - and way stronger. And also, after they kill a person, they take their thoughts, which makes them more intelligent.
So lately new Troops were created, whose task is to fight monsters, when they attack people - and also track down the monsters who killed people, whose family have lots of money and can pay them to take the thoughts back. And also, the monsters usually come out of the underground, through basements etc. - so the troops usually have to fight inside buildings.
And most people in the Troops are some criminals, who got a choice - go to the Troops (where lots of people die) or to the prison. Or some poor people for whom it was a chance to got some money.
And I have totally no idea what kind of weapon they should use. Should these be some kind of revolvers/pistols? would they even have these, if it was really inspired by 19th century? Or maybe some kind of sabres? I would be grateful for any kind of help. )
(and sorry for all the mistakes, english is not my native language)

As others have said, shotguns and similar. End of 19th century would also mean double-action revolver (my favourite is Tranter double-trigger revolver from mid-19th century, but end of 19th century means it is more likely to have a single double-action trigger). You might also want to look at weapons used by troops in World War I, on Western Front specifically, as trenches are restricted area similar to what your soldiers would be facing.