TEXT: An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS
  ®
  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  Stock #37-0134
  Version 1.0 – February 2011
  ®
  Written by HANS-CHRISTIAN VORTISCH
  Edited by JASON “PK” LEVINE
  Illustrated by ED NORTHCOTT, ROD REIS, and LOSTON WALLACE
  TACTICAL
  SHOOTING
  TM
  
  INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . 3
  Publication History . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  About GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  1. LOCK AND LOAD . . . . . . 4
  What Is Tactical Shooting?. . . . . . . 4
  Tactical Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
  History of Tactical Shooting. . . . . . 4
  Firearm Myths and Legends . . . . . 5
  Gunfighter Survival. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  Conditions of Readiness. . . . . . . . . . 8
  2. THE ART OF
  SHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Firearm Range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Non-Combat Bonuses . . . . . . . . . . . 9
  Who Draws First? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Situational Awareness. . . . . . . . . . 11
  Shooting Stances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Pocket Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
  Shooting in Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
  Using the Sights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  Transitioning to a Handgun . . . . . 14
  High-Speed Shooting . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Shooting for Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  The Pelvic Shot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  Bullet in Your Head . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Black Powder Guns . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
  Tactical Dodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Shooting on the Move. . . . . . . . . . 17
  Immediate Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Shooting at Several
  Opponents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Shooting in Darkness . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Darkness Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
  Reloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  Underloaded Magazines . . . . . . . . . 20
  Tactics in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
  Close Combat and
  Close Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
  Sniping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
  Rangefinding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
  Cover and Concealment . . . . . . . . 28
  Shooting Around Cover . . . . . . . . . 28
  Attacks With
  Mixed Ammunition . . . . . . . . . 31
  Shooting From Vehicles . . . . . . . . 31
  Harsh Realism for
  Tactical Shooters . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
  Things Not to Do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
  The Tactical Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
  After the Firefight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  3. STYLE
  COMPONENTS. . . . . . . 36
  ADVANTAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
  PERKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
  SKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  Adjusting Sights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  Guns Skill Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
  TECHNIQUES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
  4. GUNFIGHTERS. . . . . . . 46
  Fight Like You Train,
  Train Like You Fight . . . . . . . . 46
  Untrained Shooters . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
  Assaulter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
  Modern Pistol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  Point-Shooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  Practical Sports Shooting . . . . . . . 49
  Rifleman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
  Sharpshooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
  Shotgunner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
  5. TACTICAL
  FIREARMS . . . . . . . . . 53
  Choosing Your Weapon . . . . . . . . 53
  How to Get Them . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
  WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . . 54
  Handguns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
  Shotguns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
  Rifles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
  The Tactical Carbine. . . . . . . . . . . . 61
  Submachine Guns. . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Light Machine Guns . . . . . . . . . . . 65
  Grenade Launchers. . . . . . . . . . . . 66
  Hand Grenades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  Pipe Bombs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  GUNSMITHING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
  TACTICAL EQUIPMENT. . . . . . . . . . 70
  Sound Suppressors . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  First-Shot Pop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Holsters, Scabbards,
  and Slings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
  Magazine Modifications
  and Reloading Aids . . . . . . . . . 73
  Sights and Targeting Aids. . . . . . . 74
  Stocks, Tripods, and Bipods. . . . . 75
  Miscellaneous Accessories
  and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . 76
  CHOOSING YOUR AMMO . . . . . . . . 77
  TACTICAL LOADOUTS. . . . . . . . . . . 79
  Basic Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
  Loaded for Bear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
  APPENDIX: RESEARCH
  MATERIAL . . . . . . . . . 81
  BOOKS AND MANUALS . . . . . . . . . 81
  FILMS AND TELEVISION. . . . . . . . . 82
  INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
  CONTENTS
  2
  CONTENTS
  Additional Material: S.A. Fisher and Sean Punch
  Lead Playtester: Douglas Cole
  Playtesters: Ciaran Daly, S.A. Fisher, Cole Jenkins, Nate Joy, Jonathan Lang, Alan Leddon, Garðar Ólafsson,
  Kenneth Peters, Andrew Rivett, Michael Roy, Shawn Stevenson, and Roger Burton West
  GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid, Tactical Shooting, e23, and the names
  of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license.
  GURPS Tactical Shooting is copyright © 2011 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Some art © 2011 JupiterImages Corporation. All rights reserved.
  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal,
  and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage
  the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
  GURPS System Design T STEVE JACKSON
  GURPS Line Editor T SEAN PUNCH
  Managing Editor T PHILIP REED
  e23 Manager T STEVEN MARSH
  Page Design T PHIL REED and
  JUSTIN DE WITT
  Art Director T WILL SCHOONOVER
  Production Artist & Indexer T NIKOLA VRTIS
  Prepress Checker T MONICA STEPHENS
  Marketing Director T PAUL CHAPMAN
  Director of Sales T ROSS JEPSON
  GURPS FAQ Maintainer T –––––––
  VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO
  
  INTRODUCTION
  3
  We observe a growing tendency to glorify the seamier aspects
  of man-killing . . . [It is] at best and worst, a waste . . . Never shed
  innocent blood. All your life people will come up with good
  excuses why so-and-so ought to be shot . . . We suggest that if you
  ever kill a man to keep him from killing you, be certain you are
  indeed innocent . . .
  – William Cassidy, Quick or Dead (1978)
  GURPS Tactical Shooting is about realistic shooting . . . at
  least, as realistic as it can be in a game. It adds considerable tech-
  nical detail and color to many aspects already dealt with in the
  GURPS Basic Set, explaining how things are done – and why –
  in real life and in the game. This book provides new shooting
  styles and adds new perks and techniques, just as GURPS
  Martial Arts did for realistic hand-to-hand combat. In addition,
  Tactical Shooting covers the sound selection and wise applica-
  tion of tactical tools, including information on how to choose
  your firearm, ammunition, and accessories, and provides new
  or better uses for guns and gear found in other books, especially
  GURPS High-Tech. It even addresses many urban legends and
  myths surrounding firearms use. Tactical Shooting is not about
  cinematic gunplay – for that, turn to GURPS Gun Fu.
  Tactical Shooting supports believable TL5-8 campaigns
  involving the use of handheld firearms, such as those
  enabled by GURPS Cops, Covert Ops, Mysteries, Old West,
  SEALs in Vietnam, Special Ops, SWAT, and WWII. It can
  also be applied to fictional or downright unrealistic settings,
  including GURPS Action, Autoduel, Cyberpunk, Horror,
  Infinite Worlds, Reign of Steel, Steampunk, Technomancer,
  Traveller, and WWII: Weird War II.
  PUBLICATION HISTORY
  Some material concerning weapon handling,
  perks, and techniques, was expanded from
  GURPS High-Tech (2007), as written by S.A.
  Fisher and Hans-Christian Vortisch. The
  generic Point-Shooting style was based on the
  more
  specific
  Fairbairn-Sykes
  Handgun
  Shooting style in Hans-Christian Vortisch’s
  GURPS
  Martial
  Arts:
  Fairbairn
  Close
  Combat Systems (2008), as were some rules. A
  few perks were first introduced in Sean
  Punch’s GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks (2008).
  Still more rules were adapted from GURPS
  Gun Fu (2009), authored by S.A. Fisher, Sean
  Punch, and Hans-Christian Vortisch.
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  Hans-Christian “Grey Tiger” Vortisch, M.A.,
  began writing for GURPS as a freelancer in
  2001. He was author or co-author of GURPS
  Covert
  Ops;
  High-Tech,
  Fourth
  Edition;
  Modern
  Firepower;
  Special
  Ops,
  Third
  Edition; and WWII: Motor Pool; as well as
  many e23 publications on martial topics. He
  has written additional material for numerous
  other GURPS books; authored, translated,
  edited, or contributed to several German Call
  of Cthulhu products; and published many arti-
  cles in American, British, and German gaming
  magazines. Hans has been an avid gamer since
  1983. His non-gaming interests include science
  fiction, history, cinema, and punk rock. He
  shoots in Berlin.
  INTRODUCTION
  About GURPS
  Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of GURPS players.
  Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please
  include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us!
  We can also be reached by e-mail: info@sjgames.com. Resources include:
  New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow – see
  what’s new at www.sjgames.com/gurps.
  e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids,
  and support in PDF form . . . digital copies of our books, plus exclusive
  material available only on e23! Just head over to e23.sjgames.com.
  Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid). Our monthly PDF magazine
  includes new rules and articles for GURPS, systemless locations, adven-
  tures, and much more. Look for each themed issue from e23!
  Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for
  errata, updates, Q&A, and much more. To discuss GURPS with our
  staff and your fellow gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com.
  The web page for GURPS Tactical Shooting can be found at
  gurps.sjgames.com/tacticalshooting.
  Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies,
  and we’re putting them online – with links to let you buy the resources
  that interest you! Go to each book’s web page and look for the “Bibli-
  ography” link.
  Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we do our best
  to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata pages for all GURPS releases, includ-
  ing this book, are available on our website – see above.
  Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic
  Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to that book,
  not this one.
  Bushido is all very well in its
  way, but it is no match for a .30-06.
  – Jeff Cooper,
  Commentaries (1999)
  
  A man should know how to handle a gun, use it with
  discretion.
  – “J.B.” Books, The Shootist
  Realistic firearms tactics can enhance your campaign’s
  believability. As a life-or-death matter, they’ll add excitement,
  too – if everyone at the gaming table understands why and how
  they’re used.
  WHAT IS
  TACTICAL SHOOTING?
  Tactics (pl.). In warfare, the art and science of fighting battles
  . . . It is concerned with the approach to combat; . . . the use made
  of various arms; . . . and the execution of movements for attack
  or defense . . . Tactics can be generally understood as the prob-
  lems encountered in actual fighting. Tactical thinking attempts to
  coordinate personnel with the existing weapons technology and
  apply both the terrain and enemy forces in such a way that the
  weapons available to a fighting force are used to best advantage.
  – The New Encyclopaedia Britannica (2003)
  This supplement defines “tactical shooting” as realistic,
  no-nonsense shooting in combat situations, as opposed to
  cinematic gunplay or target practice. While GURPS can han-
  dle a wide range of play styles, its rules for ranged combat
  and firearms tend to yield fairly realistic results (with some
  minor simplifications for ease of play). Tactical Shooting
  expands on this, with additional rules and examples for those
  looking for grittier realism in their gunfights. This is about
  more than just pulling the trigger; it encompasses how to
  sight, how to stand and move, how and when to fire, how to
  hit, and what happens if you do.
  Specifically, Tactical Shooting focuses on gunfights
  between individuals or small groups, as opposed to shooting in
  formation or indirect machine gun fire. The military some-
  times calls this “minor tactics.” It’s about shootouts between
  sheriffs and outlaws, cops and criminals, armed citizens and
  robbers, secret agents and counterspies, and small military
  units of about squad size – in short, the overwhelming major-
  ity of firefights occurring in games. While most of the exam-
  ples and equipment cover TL6-8, many of the rules and
  guidelines also work at TL5, and likely at TL9 as well.
  HISTORY OF
  TACTICAL SHOOTING
  Self-defence requires rapid pistol shooting, and therefore
  precludes a deliberate aim along the barrel.
  – Baron Charles de Berenger, Helps and Hints
  How to Protect Life and Property (1835)
  People have fought with firearms for as long as they
  have been available. However, tactical shooting as
  described in this book didn’t really develop on a large scale
  until the late 19th century, when individual marksmanship
  became a battle-deciding factor.
  Guerrilla fighters and skirmishers (Age of Napoleon,
  p. 76) were the first to develop tactical shooting skills – fir-
  ing prone, from cover, or from other advantageous posi-
  tions. As the 19th century advanced, the ability to aim at
  and hit specific targets became more important, and indi-
  vidual soldiers gradually gained more autonomy on the
  battlefield. This coincided with the development of metal-
  lic cartridges, smokeless propellants, sharpshooter rifles
  (with telescopic sights), and the first real multiple-shot
  firearms: the revolver, the repeating magazine rifle, and
  the emerging machine gun.
  The Age of Gunfighters in the late 19th century (Old
  West, p. 81) saw the refinement of close-range shooting tac-
  tics, including the quick-draw and instinctive pointing of
  handguns. Simultaneously, many accessories were devel-
  oped that catered to the tactical shooter, such as improved
  holsters and slings.
  CHAPTER ONE
  LOCK AND LOAD
  LOCK AND LOAD
  4
  Tactical Terms
  backup gun (BUG): A holdout weapon (usually with Bulk
  -1) that is carried as backup to larger primary armament.
  can: Colloquial term for a sound suppressor (pp. 70-71),
  often preferred over the imprecise “silencer.”
  center of mass (COM): The torso is the primary hit location
  (p. B398) for most tactical shooting.
  double-tap: A two-shot attack to the same hit location (p. 15).
  Harries stance: A shooting stance using the off hand, which
  holds a flashlight, to brace a handgun during firing (p. 19).
  Isosceles stance: One of several stances using the off hand
  to steady a handgun during firing (p. 12).
  Mozambique drill: A double-tap to the center of mass or ster-
  num (torso or vitals hit location) and a third round to the
  brain (skull hit location). See pp. 15-16.
  New York reload: “Reloading” by transitioning from an
  empty primary firearm to a backup gun (p. 14). The Fast-
  Draw (Pistol) skill helps (p. 42).
  peeling: Retreating to the side and rear while a teammate
  gives cover fire (pp. 22-23).
  tactical reload: Replacing a partially emptied magazine in a
  convenient moment to have a full magazine in the
  weapon when needed (p. 20).
  Weaver stance: One of several stances using the off-hand to
  steady a handgun during firing (pp. 11-12).
  
  Combat shooting reached a new peak during the early 20th
  century. Conflicts such as the Second Anglo-Boer War and WWI
  demonstrated the importance of highly trained riflemen, but
  also saw the widespread use of automatic firearms. Military and
  police shooting instructors began to analyze gunfights and
  started thinking of ways to improve hit chances under stress
  (Martial Arts: Fairbairn Close Combat Systems, p. 4). In
  WWII, instructors sought ways to give shooters the best training
  and equipment available; numerous technological innovations
  accompanied improved small-unit tactics (WWII, p. 38).
  The Cold War era brought further developments. Lessons
  learned during WWII were reevaluated; some were discarded,
  some improved upon. Military special operations units (see
  Special Ops and SEALs in Vietnam) and police SWAT teams
  (see Cops and SWAT) appeared on a large scale, and with them
  specialized requirements for skills, tactics, and equipment.
  Today’s shooters theoretically have better training and
  equipment available than ever before. Instructors build on cur-
  ricula developed over many years. Gun makers produce
  firearms that are lighter, easier to use, more powerful, and
  often cheaper than the best weapons available only a few
  decades ago. Yet guns, ammo, and gadgets can only be as good
  as their user; even a century-old antique may have better inher-
  ent precision than its owner. A tactical shooter’s skill remains
  the most important factor.
  FIREARM MYTHS
  AND LEGENDS
  By the way, you know you can’t hit a human target with a .50-
  caliber weapon, right? It’s in the Geneva Convention. So you hit
  the gas tank on their vehicle, and they get blown the hell up, but
  you can’t target some lonely guard . . .
  – Anthony Swofford, Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle
  of the Gulf War and other Battles (2003)
  Firearms have always been the stuff of legend. Although the
  famous 19th-century saying “God created men, Colonel Colt
  made them equal” probably originated with Colt’s Patent Fire-
  Arms Manufacturing Company as an advertisement ploy, peo-
  ple have long attributed special properties to certain guns. Few
  modern people have ever shot a gun, much less a person. These
  days, most “gun knowledge” comes from books, films, the
  Internet, and video games. Unsurprisingly, this means many
  facts have become a bit blurred . . .
  The resulting myths and legends are not confined to non-
  shooters. Even professionals sometimes get things wrong – for
  example, some combatants in recent conflicts have bemoaned
  the “ineffectiveness” of the 5.56¥45mm NATO round. While
  there are a number of factors to this (see My Carbine Sucks,
  p. 61), one reason for the complaints seems to be that some
  troops unrealistically expect opponents to drop with one shot,
  like in the movies, regardless of actual shot placement!
  The following is an eclectic selection of myths and legends
  surrounding firearms and their use. Dispelling these is an
  important step before delving into a realistic treatment of
  gun use. Trained tactical shooters should probably not
  believe in them . . . though one might make a good quirk-level
  Delusion (p. B164).
  .50-Caliber Legalities
  Even some members of the military believe that firing a .50-
  caliber machine gun or sniper rifle at a human target is illegal,
  according to the Geneva Conventions of 1864/1949. This myth
  is widespread, but wrong. The closest applicable law is actually
  the Hague Conventions on land warfare of 1899/1907 – which
  doesn’t ban such use! Military manuals like The Commander’s
  Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations (for the U.S. Navy,
  Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) or the U.S. Army Military
  Police’s Law of War spell this out explicitly. The same is true for
  large-caliber autocannon and tank guns. Specific rules of
  engagement may differ – but those are about tactics and appro-
  priateness of means, not law.
  Big-Bore Blowback
  If you shoot a man with a .45 Colt and he doesn’t go down,
  just walk around back of him and see what is holding him up.
  – George Chandler, Shooting (1930)
  Conventional “wisdom” has it that man can be knocked off
  his feet by a powerful enough firearm. While these days most
  people grudgingly concede that even a .45-caliber handgun
  might not suffice, they insist that a shotgun will, due to the
  “energy transfer.” Unfortunately, simple physics (specifically,
  Newton’s third law of motion) stand in the way. A gun capable
  of blowing people back like puppets would also throw the
  shooter in the opposite direction with equal force . . . and that
  just doesn’t happen.
  The claims by some veterans of real firefights that their
  opponents were “blown back” or “knocked down” doesn’t dis-
  prove this. Imprecise choice of words or understandably
  excited exaggeration aside – eyewitnesses are notoriously unre-
  liable! – people often fall or stagger from surprise (p. B393),
  shock (p. B419), stunning (p. B420), pain (p. B428), lack of bal-
  ance, or similar reasons. When hit by a bullet, even if you drop
  dead instantly, you are as likely to fall forward as backward.
  Contrast Cinematic Knockback (p. B417).
  Cult of the .45
  Obviously the difference in caliber between 9mm (.35 caliber)
  and .45 caliber is quite great. This is the reason, we are told, that
  the U.S. Army adopted the .45 caliber, although every other army
  in the world seems to be more satisfied with the . . . 9mm . . . I
  personally contend that hits are what count and if you can take
  one weapon and make hits better with it, although it is of lighter
  caliber than one [that uses] heavier cartridges (which is more dif-
  ficult to shoot), it is advisable for the average man to adopt the
  lighter weapon . . .
  – Rex Applegate, “The Merits of
  Various Types of Handguns” (1944)
  LOCK AND LOAD
  5
  Practical shooting is the placing
  of your bullets in a human target in
  such a manner that said human
  will be unable to shoot at you.
  – J. Henry FitzGerald,
  Shooting (1930)
  
  The Colt .45 Government pistol (High-Tech, pp. 98-99), the
  famous “Model of 1911,” has generated a strong following – as
  has the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol cartridge it fires. To many
  people, both knowledgeable and ignorant, the “1911” is the
  ultimate handgun and the .45 ACP the supreme pistol caliber.
  For most of the 20th century, this pistol saw widespread
  service with the U.S. military – and it’s still used in special-ops
  niches today. It was also employed successfully by others,
  including many law enforcement officers. The pistol gained its
  greatest fame during the Cold War years, when American vet-
  erans and influential gun writers extolled its virtues. It was the
  weapon of choice of several Point-Shooting varieties (pp. 49-
  51) and the original Modern Pistol style (p. 48). Even today, the
  .45 ACP cartridge is the ultimate caliber to many, endowed
  with almost-mythical “stopping power.”
  In reality, much of the weapon’s and caliber’s effectiveness
  is hyperbole, and limited to a specific timeframe. The Colt .45
  Government is an ergonomic, accurate, and reliable pistol, but
  this has to be seen in context with the other TL6 handguns
  available at the time of its introduction. Today, at TL8, there
  are many designs that are better in virtually every aspect –
  weight, sights, magazine capacity, reliability, etc.
  A .45 projectile will make a bigger hole than a bullet of
  smaller handgun caliber. While a bigger hole kills more reliably
  than a smaller hole most of the time, a few millimeters of pro-
  jectile diameter are far less important than whether (and
  where) you hit at all! If a well-placed 9mm (.355”) piece of lead
  doesn’t stop a foe, then a 11.43mm (.45”) piece isn’t signifi-
  cantly more likely to. All things being equal, the .45 ACP is
  more difficult to control than other rounds; most people sim-
  ply shoot better with slightly smaller calibers such as the
  9¥19mm Parabellum or .40 S&W. In addition, most weapons
  chambered for those cartridges take more rounds, allowing for
  multiple tries – or the engagement of more opponents.
  Due to its large piercing (pi+) wounding modifier, the .45
  ACP has a slightly better chance of killing an unarmored man
  in GURPS (as in real life), compared to the much maligned
  9¥19mm Parabellum, its most prominent competitor. That
  small advantage is balanced by its lower penetration (lower
  Dmg), its expense and weight (higher CPS and WPS), and the
  fact that pistols firing it are more difficult to control (higher ST
  and Rcl). All of these stats reflect the real-life facts; the entire
  “legend” of the .45 ACP centers around its one marginal advan-
  tage, ignoring all other aspects.
  Hydrostatic Shock
  According to this legend, some rifle bullets travel so fast
  that when they hit a human body, they kill through “hydrosta-
  tic shock” – basically, by sending explosive shockwaves
  through the body (“It’s 55% water, right?”) like a bullet going
  through a melon. While localized shockwaves are present in
  supersonic ballistic impacts, medical studies have found that
  they are not a significant wounding mechanism.
  “Hydrostatic shock” occurs when an incompressible fluid is
  subjected to forces in a closed container – like a soda can.
  However, the human body is neither incompressible nor a closed
  system; stories of a bullet hitting an arm and causing a head to
  explode, or stopping a heart, are just fables. The only hit location
  where something like this can be witnessed is the skull, and this
  is amply covered by the ¥4 wounding multiplier (p. B399) – but
  you still need to hit it, not someplace else on the body!
  Shot Shredder
  A common myth surrounding shotguns is that a close-
  distance, multiple-projectile hit will “shred” the victim. This is
  correct insofar as a number of pellets impacting close together
  results in a messy, large-area wound. However, even at point-
  blank range, the penetration of shot pellets is less than that of
  typical handgun or rifle projectiles, and the wounds are often
  relatively shallow – which means less lethal!
  The mechanic for point-blank shots (at 10% of 1/2D Range)
  is to multiply the damage of a single pellet by half the number
  of pellets fired and to multiply target DR by the same amount
  – see Shotguns and Multiple Projectiles (p. B409). In real life,
  such a close shot usually hits with all pellets, but using only
  half their number for the damage calculation ensures that shot-
  shell attacks don’t become unrealistically lethal. For more
  authentic point-blank results, use the Rcl statistic for slugs, not
  shot, and change the damage type to huge piercing (pi++) due
  to the large area of the wound.
  Street Sweeper
  . . . even an open-choked shotgun will throw a pattern that
  measures only as wide as the distance between two shirt buttons
  at seven yards.
  – Massad Ayoob, “The Self-Defense Shotgun” (1993)
  If the “street sweeper” myth is to be believed, shotguns are
  the masters of every gunfight and can kill everyone in a room or
  trench; they spread their deadly payload in a wide arc, taking out
  several enemies at a time – compare the cinematic Scattergun
  perk (Gun Fu, p. 21). In reality, the spread increases by only
  about 1” per yard from the muzzle. An unchoked combat shot-
  gun (that is, one without muzzle constriction and hence with the
  widest pattern possible – including a sawed-off weapon) puts its
  entire load on a hand-sized target at close distance. Hitting even
  two adjacent men isn’t likely at typical ranges – much less a
  group! At all ranges, it’s quite possible to miss entirely, or to hit
  with only a few pellets for minimal damage.
  Eventually, the shot pattern will cover a large enough area
  to attack adjacent targets. Actually hitting them is a matter of
  luck, though – a perfect application for Hitting the Wrong Target
  (pp. B389-390). Unchoked shotguns (all shotguns unless stated
  otherwise) have a chance of hitting one hex to the left or right
  of the intended target (shooter’s choice) at or beyond 1/2D
  range, and four hexes to the left or right (or two to the left and
  two to the right) at or beyond three times 1/2D range. Triple the
  spread for birdshot loads. Choked shotguns multiply these
  ranges by 1.5.
  Example: An open-choked Remington Model 870P (High-
  Tech, pp. 105-106) with 00 buck (Range 40/800) scatters
  enough at 40 yards and beyond that any pellets that don’t end
  up on the primary target may hit targets in the hex on the left
  or right of the primary target. At 120 yards, stray pellets may
  hit targets in the two hexes on the left and right. Fitted with a
  choke, stray pellets may hit targets in the hex on the side from
  60 yards, and in five hexes from 180 yards.
  LOCK AND LOAD
  6
  Shotguns aren’t very useful for
  hostage rescue.
  
  This also works to the shooter’s disadvantage; shotguns
  aren’t very useful for hostage rescue.
  Teflon Bullets
  Coating projectiles with Teflon is supposed to transform
  them into armor-piercing “cop killer” bullets that penetrate bul-
  let-resistant vests. This is another common misconception;
  between 1968 and 1985, a certain American brand of AP projec-
  tiles (p. 78) was sold with a green Teflon coat. The inventors
  believed the Teflon would “stick” to angled metal surfaces and
  windshields (pp. 30-31), thus preventing the bullets from glanc-
  ing off automobiles. The actual penetrative effect is almost solely
  a result of the AP projectile’s heavy metal core, however. The
  coating itself has no effect on penetration through vests, so
  “spraying” a bullet with Teflon doesn’t help one bit.
  Tin Star Armor
  There are many stories of people who were “saved” from
  being shot thanks to some small item they wore or carried in
  their pocket – a sheriff’s star, book, MP3 player, etc. None of
  these items can provide more than DR 1; most are simply
  DR 0. Other conditions saved the targets: The round already
  spent all its energy due to long range or because it first rico-
  cheted off something else, the cartridge was improperly loaded
  and the bullet barely managed to arrive at all (which happens
  even with modern factory ammo), or the item was hit at such
  an angle that it wouldn’t have wounded the wearer anyway.
  Such things are best modeled by Luck (p. 36).
  One important exception are magazines worn in chest
  pouches or load-bearing vests (High-Tech, p. 54). Although one
  shouldn’t depend on their protection, they do offer more resist-
  ance than the above examples. A fully loaded steel magazine,
  like that of the AK-47, provides DR 4; one made of alloy, like
  that of the M16, gives DR 2. With a typical chest rig, a torso
  attack from the front has a 2-in-6 chance of hitting a magazine.
  If so, roll 3d; on an 18, some of the cartridges in the magazine
  burn out for 1 point of burning damage!
  Miscellaneous Model Myths
  Rumors and incomplete knowledge surround many models
  of firearms. Most of these “commonly known” tidbits are sim-
  ply wrong, but don’t impact a shooter’s performance if he
  believes in them. Examples include:
  • “The Kalashnikov rifle (High-Tech, p. 114) never breaks
  or jams.” No, the AK-47 and its variants can malfunction just
  like any firearm – although due to its loose tolerances and
  rugged construction, it may do that less often.
  • “The Colt M16 (High-Tech, p. 117) – and its variants –
  always breaks or jams.” No, if cleaned and maintained properly
  (which is admittedly required more frequently than with some
  other designs), it’s as reliable as most combat arms.
  • “The Eastern 7.62¥39mm M-43 and the Western
  7.62¥51mm NATO rounds (High-Tech, p. 176) are both
  7.62mm and thus interchangeable.” No, they’re not . . .
  • “Small-bore assault rifle calibers like the 5.56¥45mm
  NATO are designed to wound rather than to kill, since
  an injured man will bind more enemy assets.” No, even the
  “mouse calibers” are intended to be lethal at their usual
  engagement ranges – wounded opponents can continue to fight!
  Small calibers were adopted because low-impulse cartridges
  are lighter, allowing more ammunition to be carried and also
  letting the rifles firing them to be lighter and more control-
  lable. The resultant reduced range was acceptable as typical
  engagement distances had been found to be short (see Long-
  Arm Ranges, pp. 10-11).
  GUNFIGHTER SURVIVAL
  . . . a bullet from one of the .351 rifles hit him on the breast-
  bone. This slug knocked a hole in the outlaw as big as a four-bit
  piece, but it did not take the fight out of him . . .
  – Charles Askins, Texans, Guns & History (1970)
  Guns are designed to kill, and GURPS models this accurately.
  A well-placed double-tap (p. 15) from a handgun or a solid torso
  hit with a rifle can quickly end a man’s life. This is especially true
  in a realistic campaign that doesn’t feature cinematic counters to
  the deadliness of modern firepower. However, having to create
  new PCs all the time may cut down on the players’ gaming fun!
  The following advice may help the GM avoid this, while still run-
  ning a campaign that feels realistic.
  Use the Right Rules
  Always cheat, always win.
  – Anonymous, “Rules for Gunfighting”
  • Luck (p. 36) should be available for all characters. This
  makes it harder for a single poor die roll to result in a crippled
  or dead PC. This is not an unrealistic advantage; real gunfights
  are often defined by lucky breaks.
  • Use Random Hit Location (p. B400) rather than the
  default assumption of torso hits (p. B398). Hits on the extrem-
  ities are much less lethal.
  • Employ realistic optional wounding rules, especially
  Bleeding (p. B420) and Body Hits (High-Tech, p. 162).
  • Most opponents will not be good shots – compare Guns
  Skill Levels (p. 42). Include all the penalties, such as range, speed,
  vision (darkness, smoke, fog, etc.), pop-up attacks, shooting on
  the move, etc. See Chapter 2 for more on these modifiers.
  • Just like in real life, much of the opposition’s fire shouldn’t
  be aimed shots, but Suppression Fire (pp. B409-410) or even
  Shooting Blind (p. B389).
  Don’t Get Shot
  Whoever moves first in a close-range gunfight usually wins.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Shotgun (1996)
  • Shootists should invest in Per (p. B16) and Danger Sense
  (p. 36). This can allow them to detect an ambush (p. 21) or
  other situation in which they might take fire.
  • Camouflage (p. 41) and Stealth (p. B222) can let the PCs
  avoid being shot at all – their enemies can’t hit what they can’t
  see. Compare Cover and Concealment (pp. 28-31).
  • The party should never get in a stand-up fight if they can
  avoid it. Instead, they should use Tactics (p. 42) to set
  ambushes whenever possible – just like real military units.
  Surprised opponents (p. B393) have a harder time effectively
  firing back; see The Tactical Mind (pp. 33-34) for more.
  • If possible, PCs should try to shoot first (p. 10), even when
  not ambushing. Fast-Draw (p. 42) and Fastest Gun in the West
  (p. 38) may even the odds if the PCs usually carry holstered guns.
  LOCK AND LOAD
  7
  
  • Tactical shooters should never stand around in the open,
  instead assuming a prone or kneeling posture for lowered sil-
  houette (p. B548). They should always move under cover
  (pp. 28-29). Barricade Tactics (p. 37) and Standard Operating
  Procedure (Move Under Cover) (p. 40) will be useful.
  • While “dodging bullets” sounds unrealistic, dodging can
  represent realistic behavior – see Tactical Dodging (p. 17). In
  particular, Dodge and Drop (p. B377) represents the time-hon-
  ored “hitting the deck.” Experienced shooters should have
  Combat Reflexes (p. 36).
  Avoid Dying
  . . . if the wound hasn’t killed you, ignore the pain and keep
  going.
  – Massad Ayoob, “The Gunfights of Jesse James” (2003)
  • Tactical shooters should wear body armor and helmets, if
  available. At combat ranges, most TL5-8 armor (High-Tech,
  pp. 65-71) can’t stop bullets from contemporary high-powered
  rifles, or even handguns designed to penetrate armor, but it will
  reduce the severity of the wound, and may protect fully against
  low-powered weapons and fragments.
  • Anyone expecting to be shot should invest in HT (p. B15),
  and should consider taking Fit or Very Fit (p. B55), Hard to Kill
  (p. B58), Hard to Subdue (p. B59), or High Pain Threshold
  (p. B59). Each of these add to consciousness and/or survival
  checks, which can keep the PC on his feet long enough to get
  medical attention.
  • The party should have someone with First Aid (p. B195)
  and the relevant medical equipment (High-Tech, pp. 219-225) at
  hand – there is a reason why every cop receives first aid lessons
  and every soldier carries a bandage. First aid often means the
  difference between life and death (p. B424).
  LOCK AND LOAD
  8
  The following terminology has been used since its
  introduction by Jeff Cooper in the 1970s. The conditions
  are based on single-action semiautomatic pistols, like the
  Colt .45 Government (see Cult of the .45, pp. 5-6), but can
  describe other actions (High-Tech, p. 82) and weapons as
  well – see below.
  Condition Zero (Cocked and Unlocked): A round is
  chambered, the hammer is cocked, and the safety is off.
  The pistol is ready to fire.
  Condition One (Cocked and Locked): As above, but the
  safety is on – the pistol isn’t ready. The safety can be
  thumbed off with a Ready maneuver; a familiar user
  (High-Tech, p. 80) or one with Lightning Fingers (p. 39)
  can do this as a free action. Safeties rarely fail mechani-
  cally, making this a safe way to carry – nevertheless, most
  military and police organizations don’t allow it.
  Condition Two (Hammer Down): A round is chambered
  and the hammer is lowered, with the safety off. A single-
  action weapon cannot fire until the shooter thumb-cocks
  the hammer (treat as thumbing a safety, above). Going
  from Condition Zero into Two requires carefully squeezing
  the trigger while lowering the hammer over a loaded
  chamber; this requires a Guns (Pistol) roll, at +4 if done
  two-handed. Failure results in a shot fired; an 18 means
  you shot yourself (typically in the leg or abdomen)! As it
  isn’t entirely error-proof, Condition Two is considered
  unsafe by many, and only suitable for advanced users.
  Condition Three (Unready): The chamber is empty, the
  hammer is down, and the safety is off. Rack the slide to
  simultaneously chamber a round and cock the hammer.
  This takes a Ready maneuver; a successful Fast-Draw (Pis-
  tol) roll lets you ready it instantly (p. B194) by racking the
  slide while drawing. Condition Three is the safest way to
  carry the gun, and is popular with the police and military.
  Readying can’t be done silently and normally requires both
  hands; One-Hand Drills (p. 39) is useful.
  Condition Four (Unloaded): There’s no ammunition in
  the weapon and the hammer is down. This condition is
  useless to combat shooters except on a range or in similar,
  safe environments.
  Other Actions
  Non-single-action handguns feature internal mecha-
  nisms that prevent them from going off accidentally
  (unless the trigger is squeezed through negligence!), while
  allowing instantaneous fire simply by overcoming the high
  trigger pull. Because of this, many lack safeties, making
  Condition One impossible.
  Double-action firearms use the conditions above, but
  can fire from Condition Zero or Two – even those with
  safeties are thus rarely carried in Condition One. Most TL8
  pistols, like the Beretta Mod 92F (High-Tech, p. 100), H&K
  USP (High-Tech, p. 102), SIG-Sauer P226 (High-Tech,
  p. 102), and Walther P99 (High-Tech, p. 103), have a
  decocking lever to avoid the trigger manipulation
  described for Condition Two.
  Double-action-only guns fire from Condition Two. They
  cannot be cocked, making Conditions Zero and One
  impossible.
  Safe-action weapons are cocked once the slide is racked
  and usually lack safeties, preventing them from being in
  Conditions One or Two.
  Other Weapons
  Revolvers rarely have safeties; those that do can be car-
  ried in Condition One. Because many TL5-6 single-action
  revolvers are “unsafe” (High-Tech, p. 93), the hammer
  should be lowered on an empty chamber – the equivalent of
  Condition Three. A successful Fast-Draw (Pistol) roll may
  include thumb-cocking a revolver’s hammer as a free action.
  Shotguns, rifles, and other long arms are usually single-
  action and can be carried in all the conditions above. Most
  police agencies require shotguns to be transported in Con-
  dition Three (“cruiser-ready”); it’s also typical of TL5-6
  rifles carried in a saddle scabbard.
  Conditions of Readiness
  
  I . . . took up my pistol, a 9mm Beretta, an Italian pistol, we
  were at a distance of 3 or 4 metres [3.3 or 4.4 yards], and I shot
  double shots – bang-bang – in the chest and [the German sol-
  diers] naturally went down. Two of them. I should have had all
  three . . . but my pistol misfired.
  – Birger Rasmussen, Forgotten Voices
  of the Secret War (2008)
  Both in real life and in GURPS, successful shooting is the
  result of many factors, from the sights you use to how you hold
  your weapon. Some of these factors can be added to the game
  with a few simple rules, while others are already part of it but
  deserve further examination. This detail can help flesh out
  both game mechanics and characters. All of it is optional; use
  it to add as much realism to the game as you need.
  FIREARM RANGE
  Men kill with projectiles to keep death at a distance.
  – William Cassidy, Quick or Dead (1978)
  One of the most important advantages of a firearm over
  other weapons is its deadliness at range. Modern
  handgun bullets fly over a thousand yards, and rifle
  rounds are dangerous out to miles. The longest dis-
  tance that a projectile will travel at optimum eleva-
  tion (around 35-45°) is given as its Maximum (Max)
  range (p. B372).
  In non-game sources, firearms are often given an
  abstract “effective range,” meaning the longest dis-
  tance to which the weapon system (firearm and spe-
  cific ammunition) can be effectively employed by a
  trained user. Most quotes of “effective range” also
  take into account how difficult it is to hit, something
  that is covered by Acc and other details in GURPS.
  As well, “effective range” is often measured differ-
  ently for different applications (e.g., aimed shots vs.
  suppression fire). Finally, different authorities have
  differing ideas about what “effective” means: “50%
  hit probability,” “95% hit probability,” “50% proba-
  bility of incapacitation,” and so on. “Effective range”
  is therefore not a useful parameter in GURPS.
  The game instead employs the Half Damage
  (1/2D) range (p. B378), which gives the approximate
  distance at which the projectile has lost half its pen-
  etration capability. This is a playable simplification
  based on verifiable parameters.
  These ballistics-based ranges don’t reflect the range at
  which guns are typically used, however. These are much
  shorter than Max or even 1/2D range.
  Handgun Ranges
  . . . both drew murderous revolvers and at it they went, in a
  room filled with people . . . [Levi] Richardson was shot in the
  breast, through the side and through the right arm. It seems
  strange that [“Cock-Eyed Frank”] Loving was not hit, except a
  slight scratch on the hand, as the two men were so close
  together that their pistols almost touched each other. Eleven
  shots were fired . . .
  – Ford County Globe (1879)
  Handguns are close-quarters weapons – they’re seldom used
  at ranges over 50 yards, even though their bullets can kill at much
  longer distances. Competition sports shooters normally shoot at
  targets from 27 yards. The combat applications of handguns are
  much shorter – typically from point-blank range to no more than
  7 yards. And throughout recorded history, firefights between
  cops and criminals have averaged a distance of just 3 yards!
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  9
  Non-Combat Bonuses
  . . . beyond helping to teach care in the handling of fire-arms, tar-
  get shooting is of no value whatever in learning the use of the pistol
  as a weapon of combat.
  – William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes, Shooting to Live (1942)
  GURPS assumes that all shooting is done in combat conditions
  (High-Tech, p. 85). Under more favorable conditions, the GM can
  assign non-combat bonuses, up to a total of +10.
  Modifiers: Lack of psychological pressure gives a bonus, but
  never for shots at people; add +1 for each of “no risk to self”
  (nobody else shooting, just-serviced weapon, etc.), “no risk to oth-
  ers” (all allies behind you, no risk of overpenetration or ricochet),
  and “no political or military stake in the outcome.” An ideal envi-
  ronment helps, giving from +1 for a typical outdoor range up to +4
  for a perfectly lit indoor range. Finally, add +3 if target range and
  speed are known precisely (see Rangefinding, p. 27). The GM
  decides when these bonuses accrue, but they’re not cumulative
  with precision aiming (pp. 26-27); they merely replace the need to
  aim and roll to claim a bonus of that size.
  CHAPTER TWO
  THE ART OF
  SHOOTING
  
  Only 5% of all gunfights take place at over 15 yards – with
  more than 80% below 7 yards and 50% under 2 yards!
  Examples: The 1881 shootout at the O.K. Coral in Tomb-
  stone, Arizona (Old West, pp. 105-107) occurred at two to three
  yards’ range. The distances of the 1986 Miami Massacre (p. 80)
  ranged from point-blank to about 10 yards, except for two FBI
  agents who were 42 yards away.
  Military use of the handgun confirms this – soldiers use pis-
  tols almost exclusively for self-defense at close range, when
  their primary weapon is out of commission or too long to bring
  to bear.
  Long-Arm Ranges
  The average engagement range in Vietnam was between 10
  and 30 metres [11 and 33 yards], as a result of the thick vegeta-
  tion. Even then the two sides would by and large be invisible to
  each other, and so almost all fire would be unaimed.
  – Paddy Griffith, Forward into Battle (1990)
  At TL4-5, even fully trained infantrymen, let alone hastily
  drafted cannon fodder, find it difficult to hit an individual
  adversary with a black-powder musket. Fire from muskets or
  muzzleloading rifles is typically useless beyond 120 yards, even
  though the lead balls can travel 1,000 yards or more. Volley fire
  against massed troops is initiated at 75-125 yards, and closing
  fire (before the bayonet charge) at about 20 yards (Age of
  Napoleon, p. 82).
  At TL5-8, full-power metallic cartridge rifles are designed
  for engagements out to hundreds of yards – e.g., the battle
  sights of the Mauser Gew98 (High-Tech, p. 111) are set for 220
  yards, but are adjustable to 2,440 yards! Trained TL6 riflemen
  are able to shoot to 600 yards reliably and provide suppression
  fire to 1,000 yards. Combat distances in the open warfare of the
  era are often quite long.
  At TL6-8, the realities of both trench and mobile warfare
  reduce the engagement ranges considerably. Most ranges dur-
  ing WWII were less than 350 yards – often much less. New
  weapons like the submachine gun (SMG) and assault rifle were
  not required to be effective at long distances. The SMGs at
  TL6-8 can be used to 150-200 yards, but excel at ranges below
  50 yards. Intermediate-power TL7-8 assault rifles are designed
  for engagement ranges of 300-500 yards. The sights of the Colt
  M4A1 carbine (High-Tech, p. 119) are normally zeroed for 25
  and 300 yards and adjustable to 660 yards.
  While long arms are at least theoretically accurate out to
  several hundred yards, in practice, most people can’t see that
  far. Thus, most fire at 300+ yards without an optical sight is
  really just suppression fire (pp. B409-410) for harassment.
  In dense woods, jungles, and built-up areas like cities,
  engagement ranges drop to an average of only 25 yards. Close-
  quarters battle inside buildings is even shorter, typically at dis-
  tances similar to handgun ranges: from point-blank to 7 yards.
  Beginning at TL6, sharpshooters with their powerful opti-
  cal sights can and routinely will shoot at very long ranges.
  Medium-caliber rifles can achieve killing hits at over 1,000
  yards, while large-bore weapons can reach twice that range.
  Example: The longest recorded sniper kill was fired in 2010
  by British Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison, who made a 2,706-
  yard shot with a .338-caliber Accuracy International L115A3
  LRR (the AWM on p. 118 of High-Tech) in Afghanistan.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  10
  What is generally considered by experts as constituting the
  fast draw, and firing of one shot, usually requires a time
  period of approximately a half second . . . The superspeed
  draws mentioned as possible to complete in periods of time
  bordering closely on a quarter of a second occur only occa-
  sionally . . . under the most favorable conditions . . .
  – Ed McGivern, Fast and Fancy
  Revolver Shooting (1938)
  In a standoff between two gunmen in combat, resolve
  the situation using the turn sequence (p. B363). The faster
  gunman takes his turn first, shooting if his weapon is ready
  or he can Fast-Draw (p. 42) it, or taking a Ready maneuver
  otherwise. Then the slower gunfighter acts, and so on.
  If combat isn’t in progress, use these rules:
  1. Neither fighter has a ready weapon.
  • One knows Fast-Draw, the other doesn’t. The shootist
  with Fast-Draw rolls against skill. Success lets him shoot
  first. Failure means the situation unfolds as a standoff
  between fighters who don’t know Fast-Draw. On a critical
  failure, his foe fires first and roll 1d: 1-5 means he drops his
  weapon, 6 means he shoots himself!
  • Both or neither knows Fast-Draw. Roll a Quick Con-
  test. Use Fast-Draw if both gunmen have it, shooting skill
  if neither does (or if one does, but failed; see above).
  Regardless of the skill used, apply all Fast-Draw modi-
  fiers. Give -1 to the shootist with the worst Bulk and +4 to
  anyone who already had his hand on his gun. Fastest Gun
  in the West (p. 38) adds its bonus here. If only one shoo-
  tist employs a two-handed stance (pp. 11-12), which is
  slightly slower than a one-handed stance, assign him
  another -1. A shooter who uses a hip-shooting stance
  (pp. 11-13) gets +2 if armed with a handgun, or +1 if
  armed with a long arm. Finally, unsighted shooting
  (p. 13) always gets +1. The winner fires first. However, if
  he used a hip shooting stance, he fires before his oppo-
  nent has to declare his maneuver – meaning the opponent
  can dodge, then opt for a sighted shot with All-Out Attack
  (Determined). In a tie, they shoot simultaneously!
  2. One fighter has a ready weapon.
  • His opponent knows Fast-Draw. Roll a Quick Contest.
  The ready gunslinger uses shooting skill, at +1 if he has
  Combat Reflexes. The unready gunman uses Fast-Draw
  skill modified as for a Quick Contest of Fast-Draw (above),
  but with an additional -10! The winner shoots first. In a tie,
  the ready shooter fires first.
  • His opponent lacks Fast-Draw. The ready gunman
  shoots first.
  Who Draws First?
  
  By contrast, the usual engagement ranges for TL7-8 SWAT
  and hostage rescue marksmen are below 100 yards, sometimes
  even below 50 yards – the average is 70 yards. The longest
  known police sharpshooter shot covered 275 yards.
  SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
  GURPS usually assumes that everybody in a fight is aware
  of several things that are hard to keep track of in reality.
  Notably, the players can see the battle map (if used) and know
  precisely where their enemies and allies are, even when their
  PCs are behind cover or focusing elsewhere.
  When a PC turns his attention to new targets or areas of the
  battlefield, the GM may impose knowledge restrictions on him:
  he may not see a camouflaged sniper, know friend from foe, be
  able to tell what maneuvers targets are taking, and so on. If the
  player chooses to attack anyway, the GM may rule that he acci-
  dentally shoots the wrong target, misses an opponent’s presence,
  etc. The GM may also assign -2 (see Pop-Up Attacks, p. B390) to
  attack new targets, toss items to friends, etc. This doesn’t affect
  active defenses or opportunity fire. These restrictions can be
  negated with a successful Per, Observation, or Per-based Soldier
  or Tactics roll, modified as follows:
  Modifiers: -4 for a glance (free action), or no penalty if the
  viewer takes a Concentrate maneuver (at a cumulative +1 for
  each consecutive Concentrate maneuver); +2 for Combat
  Reflexes; range penalties (p. B550); Vision penalties (p. B358);
  any penalty the GM assigns for surprise (p. B393), shock
  (p. B419), fatigue (p. B426), multiple targets, spread-out tar-
  gets, etc.; +10 for visible targets in plain sight, reduced for
  cover and posture modifiers – e.g., someone lying down (-4)
  behind heavy cover (-4) would give only +2. In darkness, muz-
  zle flashes count as being in plain sight but spotting them only
  means you know the shooter’s position to within one yard
  (Visibility, p. B548).
  The GM should determine how many details the PC gets
  based on the roll’s margin of success.
  SHOOTING STANCES
  The average handgun user can do a much better job,
  when using sighted shots against a live enemy, if he uses
  both hands, or a rest, to steady the weapon.
  – Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed (1943)
  There are several ways to hold and shoot a firearm. As
  these involve the entire body, the various methods are
  called “stances.” You can change stance once per turn as a
  free action.
  Handgun Shooting Stances
  . . . we need to remind you that hip shooting is only valid
  at close quarters with a holstered gun. If your gun is in your
  hand, it is folly to bend your elbow and then fire from the hip.
  You won’t be able to fire accurately . . .
  – William Cassidy, Quick or Dead (1978)
  Traditionally, handguns were held and fired using one hand.
  This was the case long after it wasn’t common for the other hand
  to grip a sword or a horse’s reins. GURPS assumes one-handed
  shooting as standard – because for most of history, it was!
  Switching from a one-handed grip to a two-handed grip or
  vice versa takes a Ready maneuver unless you have Grip
  Mastery (p. 39). This particularly applies immediately after you
  draw, as you can draw only with one hand! Drawing from the
  holster to a two-handed stance means -2 to Fast-Draw.
  One-Handed Shooting of Handguns
  The one-handed shooting stance with a handgun has the
  shooter raise the weapon to eye level, arm extended, in order
  for him to use the sights (pp. 13-14). Even for unsighted shoot-
  ing, the handgun is typically raised at least to chest level, since
  it’s easier to point your weapon if you can actually see it. One-
  handed shooting is possible from any posture. There are no
  special rules for this – it is the default assumption in GURPS.
  Hip Shooting of Handguns
  Hip shooting is a variant of one-handed shooting.
  Sometimes you don’t want to or simply can’t raise the gun or
  extend your arm. This may be the case after a Fast-Draw,
  when you want to fire as soon as the weapon clears the hol-
  ster. In a Who Draws First? (p. 10) contest or a Cascading
  Waits (Martial Arts, p. 108) situation, a shooter who has pre-
  viously announced he will use hip shooting gets +2 to Fast-
  Draw (Pistol).
  Another situation may be if you’re in a melee – see Close
  Combat and Close Combat (p. 25). As the weapon is closer to
  the shootist’s body, the stance gives +2 to Retain Weapon and
  others are at -2 to parry the gun. This makes it a popular stance
  for covering someone at gunpoint.
  Hip shooting is more difficult than shooting while being
  able to at least see your gun, much less its sights. Shooting
  from the hip allows only unsighted shooting (p. 13), so neither
  All-Out Attack (Determined) nor Aim is an option. Shooters
  who expect to fire from this position should learn Close-Hip
  Shooting (p. 43). Hip shooting is possible from any posture
  except lying prone.
  Two-Handed Shooting of Handguns
  In the late 1950s, the American competition shooter and full-
  time San Diego Sheriff’s deputy Jack Weaver developed the sta-
  ble, two-handed shooting style that would eventually be known
  as the “Weaver” stance. This is asymmetric, with the strong arm
  holding the gun almost straight and the weak arm bent down.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  11
  Pocket Shooting
  Pistoleros carrying a handgun in a pocket may want to
  fire the gun without taking it out, either to surprise the oppo-
  nent or simply because it’s faster than drawing. The former
  requires a Quick Contest between your Holdout and your
  opponent’s Vision or Per-based Guns. If your hand is already
  in the pocket, consider the gun in the pocket to be ready for
  purposes of Who Draws First? (p. 10) – assuming it is ready
  to fire (see Conditions of Readiness, p. 8). Pocket shooting is
  treated as Hip Shooting of Handguns (above), with a further
  -2 on Guns (Pistol). Weapons that aren’t hammerless (p. 32)
  get -1 to Malf., as the hammer may get caught in the pocket
  linings. The shot ruins the garment, of course.
  
  The strong arm pushes it toward the target as the weak arm
  pulls it back – this improves aiming and reduces muzzle flip
  during firing. There are other, similar stances, including the
  asymmetric “Modified Weaver” and the symmetric “Isosceles.”
  None of these stances were “invented” per se. There are only
  so many ways of effectively holding a handgun with both
  hands, and all of them have probably been used by individuals
  since time immemorial – in 1865, “Wild Bill” Hickok (Old
  West, p. 101) reportedly took a two-handed revolver shot to kill
  a man, at an estimated 75 yards! Prominent pre-WWII instruc-
  tors also favored two-handed shooting for ranges of 10 yards
  and more. However, two-handed shooting wasn’t common –
  certainly not in any codified training systems, and especially
  not for short-range engagements.
  Two-handed shooting was gradually introduced throughout
  the 1960s and 1970s, starting with American police officers
  and competition shooters. By the 1980s, it had become the
  dominant style for combat handgunners – including military
  and police worldwide. The FBI was one of the first major agen-
  cies to adopt the Weaver, in 1982.
  These stances have several advantages. Multiply minimum
  ST by 0.8 (round up), reduce Bulk by 1, and treat all aimed
  shots as braced (see Aim, p. B364). This stance isn’t compatible
  with fanning (p. 14) or thumbing (p. 14). Two-handed shooting
  is possible from any posture.
  Long-Arm Shooting Stances
  To fire a rifle . . . by instinctive pointing is simple. The body is
  used to do the natural pointing of the weapon. The barrel is so
  placed and held that the muzzle and the eyes are in the same per-
  pendicular plane. As long as the relationship of barrel and eyes is
  kept the same, the shooter will hit where his eyes and his body
  points. He may not be able to hit a 4-inch bull’s-eye at 20 yards,
  but he will be able to hit the center area of a man-sized silhouette.
  – Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed (1976)
  Long arms – like rifles, shotguns, SMGs, and LMGs – are
  generally so long, heavy, and unwieldy that they require both
  hands to fire effectively. In GURPS, this is indicated by a dag-
  ger (†) after the ST requirement (p. B270).
  Shoulder Shooting of Long Arms
  Most long arms are designed to be fired from the shoulder,
  as their alternate classification as “shoulder arms” indicates.
  Supported by both hands and the shoulder, they offer a more
  stable shooting platform than a handgun. This stability, along
  with their longer barrels and sightlines, translates to higher
  Accuracy in GURPS. Shoulder shooting can be used for both
  sighted and unsighted shots (p. 13). It’s possible from any pos-
  ture, but isn’t optimized for lying on your back; see below.
  The long arm can be steadied with a two-point sling (pp. 71-
  72) wrapped around the supporting arm to relieve the
  arm muscles and keep the weapon steady; treat it as
  braced (p. B364). Wrapping the sling into the proper
  position takes one Ready maneuver per -1 Bulk of the
  weapon; a successful Fast-Draw (Long Arm) roll halves
  this time (round down). Leaving the position takes two
  Ready maneuvers – or one with Quick-Sheathe (Long
  Arm) (p. 40) and a successful Fast-Draw (Long Arm) roll.
  Firing a long arm with the stock folded or removed
  improves Bulk by 1, but deprives you of the stability that
  resting it against the shoulder provides. Apply -1 to Acc
  and +1 to Rcl (unless Rcl is 1), and multiply ST by 1.2,
  rounding up. Using any sling or a shoulder rig (p. 73) on a
  stockless long arm can alleviate this. The sling is worn so
  tight that it pulls the weapon toward the shooter, while he
  pushes it away. This avoids the Rcl and ST modifications,
  but not the Acc penalty. It does not count as braced.
  Shooting a long arm while lying on your back has the
  same disadvantages as firing without a stock, as the
  weapon can’t be properly rested against the shoulder
  unless you shoot straight into the sky.
  Hip Shooting of Long Arms
  Hip shooting a long arm means the weapon is held
  with both hands, but isn’t raised to the shoulder. It’s
  instead braced on the ribs, tucked under the armpit, or
  rested against the stomach. Hip shooting is possible from
  any posture except lying prone. It’s fairly inaccurate, only
  allowing for unsighted shooting (p. 13).
  Hip shooting is useful if the weapon is too heavy to
  raise to the shoulder easily – multiply ST by 0.8, round-
  ing up. It’s often used with light machine guns. The
  stance is slightly faster to assume than fully raising the
  gun to the shoulder; in a Who Draws First? (p. 10) con-
  test or a Cascading Waits (Martial Arts, p. 108) situa-
  tion, a shooter who has previously announced he will
  use hip shooting gets +1 to Fast-Draw (Long Arm).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  12
  Shooting in Armor
  All you bastards wear vests, so I’m gonna give it to you high
  and I’m gonna give it to you low.
  – “Baby Face” Nelson, Public Enemies
  Body armor is often heavy, always hot, and usually bulky.
  This impacts encumbrance (p. B17) and fatigue (p. B426), and
  is often hard to conceal (High-Tech, p. 66).
  Shooters expecting to fight armored opponents should
  target unarmored body parts (see The Mozambique Drill,
  pp. 15-16, and Targeted Attack, p. 45) and/or use armor-pierc-
  ing ammunition (p. 78) if possible. The following optional
  rules can also apply:
  Armor Gaps: Many armored vests only fully protect the front
  and back of the torso, leaving gaps (Targeting Chinks in Armor,
  p. B400) along the sides. For a sleeveless vest, use the usual
  penalty (-8) – but a successful hit ignores all DR! If a vest has
  removable trauma plates, they can instead be avoided at only -6
  to hit; if successful, apply the vest’s DR without plates.
  Extra Bulk: A bulky vest can get in the way of a long arm’s
  shoulder stock. The GM may rule that any armor which fully
  protects the torso and is not concealable imposes -1 to Guns
  skill. Weapons with adjustable-length stocks, such as the Colt
  M4A1 (High-Tech, p. 119) or FN MK 16 MOD 0 (High-Tech,
  p. 121), are exempt. Similar penalties can be applied for thick
  winter clothing, etc.
  Vest Holsters: Vests often interfere with standard hip hol-
  sters, resulting in -2 to Fast-Draw; this can be avoided by
  attaching the holster to the vest front or using a tactical holster
  (p. 72). A vest may also get in the way of other belt-worn gear,
  such as magazine pouches, for -2 to rolls (e.g., DX, Fast-Draw)
  to access it quickly.
  
  Shooting from the hip also allows more effective use in close
  combat. If the shooter knows Close-Hip Shooting (p. 43), he
  can reduce the Bulk penalty in close combat. Finally, as the
  long arm is held closer to the body, this stance gives +1 to
  Retain Weapon and others are at -1 to parry the gun.
  Hip shooting a long arm while lying on your back has the
  same disadvantages as shoulder-firing without a stock (p. 12).
  One-Handed Shooting of Long Arms
  Many long arms can be fired with one hand only (also
  called par pistolet). This is less effective than a proper shoot-
  ing stance with both hands, but sometimes necessary while
  your other hand is occupied – e.g., with holding onto a vehi-
  cle or hanging from a rope. It requires considerable strength
  to do effectively. Multiply ST by 1.5, or by only 1.2 if using a
  sling, rounding up.
  Long arms with the center of gravity over the shooting hand
  or to the back, such as those with the magazine inside the grip
  or most bullpup guns, have better balance. Multiply ST by only
  1.2, and don’t increase ST at all if you’re using a sling.
  In all cases, the weapon becomes unready after one turn of
  firing unless you’re even stronger: 2¥ weapon’s ST, or 1.7¥
  with a sling. (For better-balanced guns, this becomes only 1.7¥
  ST, or 1.5¥ with a sling.)
  You can also hold the weapon against a heavy object (barrel,
  support beam, etc.) to completely avoid ST multipliers and
  unreadiness, but the weapon does not count as braced.
  USING THE SIGHTS
  The aimed shot always should be made when the time and
  light permit. However, in close-quarters fighting there is not
  always sufficient time to raise the weapon to the shoulder, line up
  the sights and squeeze off the shot. Consequently, training only in
  the aimed type of rifle fire does not completely equip the man who
  carries a shoulder weapon for all the exigencies of combat.
  – Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed (1976)
  There are several ways to shoot while using or ignoring the
  weapon’s sights. The following optional rules clarify basic
  GURPS assumptions.
  Unsighted Shooting
  . . . before you can shoot a target, you must identify it . . . You
  must separate the deadly threat from the innocent bystander. And
  to do that effectively you have to look at people instead of your
  sights . . . That’s why so many cops fire shots that miss during an
  armed confrontation. They’re looking at their opponents, but they
  trained looking at their sights.
  – Eric Haney, Inside Delta Force (2002)
  Unsighted shooting, also called “instinctive” or “snap”
  shooting, assumes that the shooter doesn’t even look at his
  weapon; he keeps his eyes solely on the target, pointing his gun
  as if he were pointing a finger. This is the standard for GURPS
  firearm attacks, even though it’s mainly restricted to close-
  range or fleeting targets in real life.
  This method enables the Attack (p. B365) and Move and
  Attack (pp. B365-366) maneuvers, and allows you to dodge
  (p. B374). It doesn’t allow All-Out Attack (Determined) (p. B365)
  or Aim (p. B364). As you don’t need to see sights or gun at all,
  you can ignore up to -1 in darkness penalties at ranges up to Per
  in yards. Unsighted shooting can be used from all firing stances,
  including hip shooting (p. 12-13).
  Unsighted shooting is quick. In a Who Draws First? con-
  test (p. 10) or a Cascading Waits situation (Martial Arts,
  p. 108), a shooter who has previously announced he will use
  unsighted shooting gets +1 to Fast-Draw on top of any bonus
  for hip shooting.
  Most targeting aids don’t help with unsighted shooting, as
  they require the same attention as iron sights. Targeting lasers
  (High-Tech, p. 156) are an important exception; they project a
  dot directly onto the target.
  Unsighted shooting is the only way to use a firearm while
  wearing night vision goggles (pp. 19-20). Dive masks (High-
  Tech, p. 71), gas masks (High-Tech, p. 72), and similar eye-cov-
  ering devices give -1 to unsighted shooting.
  Sighted Shooting
  It is important to realize that . . . you do use the sights for
  almost all combat shooting . . . There is a great difference, how-
  ever, in how much time you spend looking at the sights. This dif-
  ference corresponds with the difficulty of the shot that you are
  about to make.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Pistol (1996)
  Sighted shooting involves concentrating to align the eye,
  rear sight, front sight, and target. (Some variants use only the
  front sight, but the difference in game terms is minimal.) This
  is represented by All-Out Attack (Determined), which gives +1
  to Guns. Concentrating on the sights makes shooting more
  accurate, but also means you can’t dodge. Sighted shooting can
  be combined with all firing stances except hip shooting – if
  your gun is at your hip, you can’t look down its sights.
  Darkness makes seeing the sights more difficult, giving its
  usual penalty; this can be countered by employing improved-
  visibility sights, collimating or reflex sights, night sights, or
  other electronic aiming devices (High-Tech, pp. 155-156).
  Dive masks, gas masks, etc., give -4 to sighted shooting;
  learn Masked Shooting (p. 44) to reduce this penalty. Night-
  vision goggles make sighted shooting impossible.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  13
  
  Aimed Shooting
  This technique is the most accurate. It consists of taking up a
  steady, properly aligned sight picture and squeezing off rounds. It
  is normally used for engagements beyond 25 meters [27 yards] or
  when the need for accuracy overrides speed.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 90-10-1 An Infantryman’s
  Guide to Combat in Built-Up Areas (1993)
  Aimed shooting requires more careful sighting and thus addi-
  tional time. Treat this as Aim followed by All-Out Attack (Deter-
  mined). In low light, aimed shooting suffers from the same
  problems as sighted shooting. It can be combined with all firing
  stances except hip shooting. When non-game sources speak of
  “aimed” shots, they often really mean sighted shots – which are
  more “aimed” than unsighted shots. Aimed shooting operates
  under the same restrictions as sighted shooting (see p. 13).
  The bonus for Aim usually only applies to the next attack
  (p. B372). You lose your Acc bonus when any of these occurs:
  You lose sight of your target; switch targets; make an attack
  roll (but see Follow-Up Shots, below); move more than the step
  allowed by the Aim maneuver; attempt a defense roll; fail the
  Will roll after being injured; choose a different maneuver from
  Aim (e.g., Ready to reload); switch weapons; or unbrace a
  braced weapon, switch between sights, or otherwise change
  your weapon’s mode of use.
  Follow-Up Shots
  The GM may allow shooters to retain half their weapon’s
  base Accuracy (round down) on subsequent sighted shots
  against the same target after using aimed shooting. Shooters
  with braced weapons may add full base Acc when firing at
  RoF 1; mounted weapons on flexible or fixed mounts (p. 75)
  may add full base Acc even when firing at higher RoF, not
  cumulative with walking a burst (p. 16).
  HIGH-SPEED SHOOTING
  The more closely our own pistols resemble machine-guns the
  better we like it.
  – William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes, Shooting to Live (1942)
  There are several, mutually exclusive ways to exceed a
  weapon’s listed RoF – mostly for single-action (RoF 1)
  revolvers of TL5 design. The following expands on the tech-
  niques from High-Tech.
  Fanning
  To fan a single-action revolver, hold down the trigger and
  strike the hammer repeatedly with the free hand. The attack roll
  is at Guns (Pistol)-4, and you can’t Aim; learn Fanning (p. 44) to
  buy off the -4. This improves RoF to 2. You can increase RoF to
  as high as 5, but each +1 to RoF gives another -2 to skill that you
  can’t buy off. At RoF 5, add 2 to Rcl, too. A critical failure when
  fanning means you fire no shots and must roll 1d: on 1-3, you
  drop your gun; on 4-6, you bruise your hand, causing moderate
  pain (p. B428) for minutes equal to margin of failure.
  Fast-Firing
  Many firearms can be fired faster than their rated RoF.
  Pump- or lever-action weapons can double RoF, semiauto-
  matic weapons or double-action revolvers can triple RoF!
  Choose your desired RoF and attack at a penalty equal to the
  RoF used, if over the rated RoF. You can buy off up to -4 of this
  penalty with Fast-Firing (p. 44). Shooting this fast increases
  Rcl by 1! Apply the usual rapid fire bonus for this RoF after
  assessing any skill penalties.
  Example: Bodyguard Charlie King is firing an H&K P7M8
  (p. 56). He uses full skill and Rcl 2 at any RoF up to its listed RoF
  3. If he exceeds this, he uses Rcl 3 and has from -4 to -9 to skill.
  At RoF 5+, you can use Suppression Fire (pp. B409-410) –
  but Spraying Fire (p. B409) can only be used with a real full-
  automatic weapon.
  Thumbing
  To thumb a single-action revolver, hold down the trigger and
  use the thumb on the same hand to fire the gun by manipulating
  the hammer. You can fire two revolvers this way (with the usual
  off-hand and Dual-Weapon Attack penalties)! The attack roll is at
  Guns (Pistol)-2; learn Thumbing (p. 45) to buy off the -2. Success
  lets you fire at RoF 2. Failure means you can’t fire. Critical failure
  means a dropped gun or a wild shot (GM decides what it hits).
  Two-Handed Thumbing
  Alternatively, hold your single-action revolver two-handed
  and use the thumb of your off hand to operate the hammer.
  This increases RoF to 2 at no penalty. You can increase RoF to
  3 or 4. The attack roll is then at Guns (Pistol)-2; learn Two-
  Handed Thumbing (p. 45) to buy off the -2.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  14
  “Transitioning” means switching from your primary
  firearm (usually a long arm) to a secondary gun (usually a
  sidearm), because the primary gun is empty or has mal-
  functioned. You can also transition from a sidearm to a
  backup gun – the famous “New York reload.”
  For most shooters, it’s quicker to drop the primary
  weapon (as a free action) and draw a sidearm than to
  reload or fix a jam. Drawing takes one Ready maneuver, or
  is a free action with a successful Fast-Draw (Pistol) roll.
  Reloading (p. 20) or Immediate Action (p. 17) usually takes
  at least one Ready maneuver, and often longer.
  A tactical shooter will normally use a sling (pp. 71-72)
  so the primary weapon remains attached after he “drops”
  it. If the gun is actually dropped on the ground, see Abuse
  (High-Tech, p. 80).
  Transitioning can also be a good emergency tactic if your
  opponent has grabbed your long arm (p. B370). Instead of
  engaging in a Regular Contest of ST, simply let him have it –
  then draw a handgun and shoot him while he’s trying to turn
  it on you! He’ll have to ready it first, and a gun facing the
  wrong way requires one additional Ready maneuver for
  every full -3 Bulk.
  Transitioning to a Handgun
  
  SHOOTING FOR EFFECT
  The amount of energy deposited in the body by a bullet is
  approximately equivalent to being hit with a baseball . . .
  Physiologically, no [handgun] caliber or bullet is certain to inca-
  pacitate any individual unless the brain is hit . . . The much dis-
  cussed “shock” of bullet impact is a fable and “knock down”
  power is a myth.
  – Urey Patrick, “Handgun Wounding
  Factors and Effectiveness” (1989)
  The effect of a bullet on a man is difficult to predict, age-old
  arguments about “stopping power” notwithstanding. When a
  projectile enters a living being, there are many variables at work
  – shape, mass, and velocity of the bullet; exact hit location; entry
  angle; possibly exit angle; condition of body and mind (e.g., high
  on adrenaline or drugs, Will level); and so forth.
  A target may not go down even if shot with a powerful
  weapon in a location that would normally result in a mortal
  wound. There are numerous documented cases where people
  have survived several hits from a high-powered rifle, including
  to the head – and others where large men in perfect health
  were killed instantly by a single .22 pistol bullet. In GURPS,
  this is reflected by the highly variable results of the damage roll
  (p. B378), and further refined by the rules for critical hits
  (p. B381) and hit location (pp. B398-400). The advanced
  wounding rules in High-Tech (p. 162) or Martial Arts (p. 137)
  add more randomness, with a 1-in-6 chance of any torso hit
  damaging the vitals.
  A shooter who wants to ensure his target goes down can try
  to score an incapacitating hit to the vitals or skull hit locations
  (p. B399). Depending on the shooting situations and weapon
  used, doing this reliably requires high Guns skill and/or invest-
  ment in a suitable Targeted Attack (p. 45).
  Sometimes even this isn’t enough to bring the opponent
  down, however. The round may not have enough power to
  cause a serious injury, or may fail to penetrate the target’s
  armor. The foe may be able to temporarily “ignore” the injury
  due to high HT or because of traits like Berserk, Hard to Kill,
  Hard to Subdue, or High Pain Threshold (see Avoid Dying,
  p. 8). Some drugs (pp. B440-441) have side effects that
  allow someone to “ignore” a wound.
  Double-Tap
  We think that the lack of stopping power inherent in the
  cartridge is compensated for in some degree by the added
  shock of two or more shots in very rapid succession.
  – William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes, Shooting to Live
  (1942)
  One solution to the unpredictable results of each bullet is
  to always fire two shots – a “double-tap” or “hammer.” This
  can be done by anyone with a RoF 2+ firearm. Depending
  on range and weapon, a good shooter can achieve tight
  pairs that are only a finger’s breadth apart, although several
  inches is more usual in the heat of an engagement.
  The Mozambique Drill
  I added the Mozambique drill to the modern doctrine
  after hearing of an experience of a student of mine up in
  Mozambique . . . confronted by a terrorist . . . Mike, who was
  a good shot, came up with his [FN-Browning HP] and
  planted two satisfactory hits, one on each side of the wishbone.
  He expected his adversary to drop, but nothing happened, and
  the man continued to close the range. At this point, our boy
  quite sensibly opted to go for the head . . .
  – Jeff Cooper, Commentaries (1993)
  When shots to the center of mass (torso or vitals) yield no
  effect, modern shooters often train to put a third round in the
  brain (skull). While common sense may prompt any experi-
  enced shooter to try this, it only entered the curriculum of
  combat-shooting schools in the late 1970s. The infamous
  “Mozambique drill,” also known as the “Failure-to-Stop”
  (FTS), “Drugs & Armor,” or “2+1” drill, can be resolved in two
  ways in GURPS. The slower version is the original drill as
  taught by Jeff Cooper; the faster one is difficult to pull off in
  combat and requires a highly skilled shooter. Targeted Attack
  (p. 45) considerably improves the odds to hit the skull, and the
  drill makes an excellent Trademark Move (p. 41).
  • Make a two-shot attack on the torso or vitals (at no
  penalty or -3, respectively) on the first turn. You must succeed
  by at least your gun’s Rcl to hit with both shots! On the second
  turn, fire one shot at the skull hit location (at -7). Alternatively,
  insert one turn of Aim between the second and third shot,
  allowing you to add the weapon’s Acc to the third shot; this
  may be impractical at short ranges, as it leaves the opponent
  enough time to close in.
  • Using a Ranged Rapid Strike (p. 18), make a two-shot
  attack on the torso or vitals (at -6 or -9, respectively, including the
  Ranged Rapid Strike penalties); you must succeed by at least
  your gun’s Rcl to hit with both shots! In the same turn, check to
  see it the target has gone down – if not, make a one-shot attack
  to the skull at -15 (-7 for the hit location; -6 for the Ranged Rapid
  Strike; -2 for checking the target first, as for Opportunity Fire,
  p. B390). Learn Quick-Shot (p. 45) to buy off the -6.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  15
  The Pelvic Shot
  . . . two . . . shots should be placed in the pelvic area to
  break the body’s support structure, causing the enemy to fall.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 3-23.35 Combat
  Training with Pistols, M9 and M11 (2003)
  In addition to the options found under Hit Location
  (p. B398) and New Hit Locations (Martial Arts, p. 137), the
  following hit location, which is sometimes specifically tar-
  geted by shooters, can be used at the GM’s discretion.
  Pelvis (-3): The pelvis or pelvic girdle is a set of bones in
  the lower abdomen. Treat as a torso hit, except that a major
  wound (p. B420) has the following results: You fall down!
  You cannot stand, and can only fight if you assume a sitting
  or lying posture. Until healed, you have Lame (Missing
  Legs) (p. B141). Any armor specified to cover the lower
  abdomen or the torso and groin protects it.
  While the pelvic shot is endorsed by some authorities,
  most don’t recommend it: The desired effect is difficult to
  reliably achieve, especially with a handgun – and even if the
  opponent falls, he may well go on fighting while prone and
  thus continue to pose a threat!
  
  Example: Bodyguard Charlie King has Guns (Pistol)-14 and
  uses an All-Out Attack (Determined) to fire a Ranged Rapid
  Strike against an attacker 5 yards away. The first attack is at 14
  + 1 (All-Out Attack) - 6 (Ranged Rapid Strike) - 2 (range) + 0
  (torso) = 7. With Rcl 2, he needs a 5 to hit with both shots of
  the double-tap. The second attack is 14 + 1 (All-Out Attack) - 6
  (Ranged Rapid Strike) - 2 (range) - 7 (skull) - 2 (checking tar-
  get) = -2, meaning he couldn’t even try it. If King had learned
  Quick-Shot (Pistol)-14, the first attack would be at 14 + 1 (All-
  Out Attack) - 2 (range) + 0 (torso) = 13, and the second would
  be at 14 + 1 (All-Out Attack) - 2 (range) - 7 (skull) - 2 (checking
  target) = 4, requiring a critical success. If he also knew Tar-
  geted Attack (Pistol/Skull)-11, the second attack would be at 11
  + 1 (All-Out Attack) - 2 (range) - 2 (checking target) = 8.
  Checking the target before firing the third shot can be (and
  often is) dispensed with, removing the -2 penalty. The third shot
  then follows automatically with no significant pause. However,
  the intention of the drill is to only take this shot if required.
  A modern variation used by some military users with auto-
  matic weapons has the shooter fire a burst of 3-5 rounds at the
  torso, then a final round at the skull – without checking target
  before firing.
  Shoot Till Down
  Traditionally, the SAS has taught double-taps with the pistol
  and three-round bursts with the . . . submachine gun, but
  more recently emphasis has been on shooting until the target
  has stopped.
  – Leroy Thompson, SAS – Great Britain’s
  Elite Special Air Service (1994)
  The Mozambique drill and similar attacks on high-
  value hit locations are difficult to pull off, especially for
  shooters without extensive training. More importantly, hit-
  ting your opponent at all is difficult under stress, as statis-
  tics of police shootings show. Even at close distances, cops
  hit with less (often considerably less!) than 25% of their
  shots on average.
  A simpler approach involves firing as fast and as often as
  required to put your opponent down, without trying for
  fancy head shots or similar stunts. You may want to do that
  even if you have high Guns skill. (This approach often fails
  against foes in body armor, though!) Use High-Speed
  Shooting (p. 14) when possible to boost your RoF, but never
  shoot faster than you can control your weapon (check ST
  and Rcl); “spray and pray” doesn’t work. For an extra -2 to
  Guns, you can assess the status of your target before firing
  each turn . . . but don’t worry about saving your bullets –
  having a half-full magazine while being dead is nothing but
  an embarrassment.
  Rock ’n’ Roll
  With an untrained man, there is a tendency to spray lead
  indiscriminately, as though he were spraying water from a
  hose. This is especially true in combat, when an untrained
  user will not only exhaust the ammunition supply rapidly, but
  also may lose control of his weapon . . .
  – Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed (1976)
  Full-automatic fire has its uses, although it’s employed
  more sparsely by trained shooters than the movies sug-
  gest. With it, you can use Spraying Fire (p. B409) to engage
  multiple foes – or Suppression Fire (pp. B409-410) to pin
  opponents down, though usually without much chance of hit-
  ting anyone. Both methods are hallmarks of military opera-
  tions and have no place in police or civilian engagements.
  Many law enforcement organizations world-wide (other than
  highly trained SWAT units) issue only semiautomatic instead
  of selective-fire weapons.
  Walking the Burst
  “Walking the burst” means observing the bullets’ impact
  and correcting your fire accordingly. This requires a roll
  against Per, Observation, or Per-based shooting skill. Alterna-
  tively, a spotter may roll, as long as he’s in communication with
  the shooter (see Spotters and Observers, p. 27).
  Modifiers: A base -9 for speed and size; +4 if you take a full
  Concentrate maneuver (reroll at a cumulative +1 for each con-
  secutive Concentrate); your current rapid-fire bonus; range
  penalties; Vision penalties; +1 for tracer mix or +2 for all-trac-
  ers (doubled in darkness).
  Success gives the shooter a bonus to subsequent attacks on
  targets that are in the same general direction (within a 30°
  angle) as the original target. Add half Acc for braced weapons
  (rounded down) or full Acc for guns mounted on a tripod (or
  better), not cumulative with Follow-Up Shots (p. 14).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  16
  Bullet in Your Head
  While the skull is the primary hit location for an instant
  kill, the easier-to-hit face (p. B399) is also a painful place to
  be shot! Any wound (even 1 HP) forces a knockdown roll
  (p. B420), and a major wound (injury over HP/2) gives -5 to
  the roll for a likely knockout. Optionally, the GM may roll
  1d, with a 1 meaning the projectile penetrated into the
  skull; see p. 137 of Martial Arts for details. Finally, critical
  hits to the face always use the same (more severe) table as
  the skull and eyes (p. B556).
  Black Powder Guns
  [Jack] Wagner shot Marshal [Ed] Masterson at once
  through the abdomen, being so close to him that the dis-
  charge set the Marshal’s clothes on fire.
  – Ford County Globe (1878)
  Black powder weapons produce clouds of acrid, gray-
  white smoke. Treat this as smoke (p. B439) filling a one-yard
  radius around the shooter; it will disperse in five seconds out-
  doors. Unless used in large numbers, black powder small
  arms won’t create an appreciable amount of concealment,
  but the puffs of smoke are readily visible at a distance.
  In close combat, burning powder particles from the
  barrel can accidentally ignite dry clothing! Roll 3d for
  each bullet that hits or is barely dodged (margin of suc-
  cess of 0); an 18 results in part of your opponent’s clothes
  catching fire (p. B434).
  
  TACTICAL DODGING
  Although you certainly cannot dodge bullets, you can dodge
  the direction of a weapon’s presentation and the subsequent
  line of fire.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Shotgun (1996)
  Literally dodging bullets is a cinematic convention. In a real-
  istic campaign, fighters who dodge firearm attacks are really
  dodging the gunman. Tactical shooters learn several methods
  to improve their odds of not being where an opponent expects
  them to be. One of these is the “combat crouch,” where shoot-
  ers under fire lower their height by bending the knees, bending
  at the waist, and keeping their heads down; this isn’t the same
  as Crouching (p. B368). They may also weave left and right
  instead of moving in a straight line.
  Still another has to do with the way most people
  fire their weapons: shooters without Ambidexterity
  have a dominant hand and a dominant eye – usually
  the right (for both). They use their left eye to scan for
  new targets on the left side of the gun, and thus can
  easily move their fire to the left – but in order to shoot
  effectively to the right, they have to rotate their head or
  even change their facing. Faced with a right-handed
  opponent, a tactical shooter therefore quickly moves
  to his opponent’s right and thus improves his odds a
  bit. This, too, is simply modeled by dodging.
  Only unsighted shooting (p. 13) allows you to
  dodge. When using sighted (p. 13) or aimed shooting
  (p. 14), you’re standing still and concentrating on
  aligning sights and target, reflected by the All-Out
  Attack maneuver involved.
  Restricted Dodge Against Firearms
  The GM may feel that, because bullets reach their
  mark too quickly for the target to move appreciably,
  dodging should be less effective against them. As an
  optional rule, if a fighter is aware of someone with
  a firearm (make a Vision roll if unsure) and selects
  All-Out Defense, Attack, Change Posture, Defensive
  Attack (Martial Arts, p. 100), Feint, Move, or Move
  and Attack on his turn, he may take “evasive move-
  ment” with respect to that one foe as a free action. If
  the specified gunman shoots at him before the start
  of his next turn, he may dodge; all of the usual mod-
  ifiers apply. To claim the bonus for Acrobatic Dodge (p. B375),
  he must make his Acrobatics roll during his turn. To claim the
  bonus for Dodge and Drop (p. B377), he must dive prone at the
  end of his turn (this can be part of his free action). He can’t
  dodge firearms attacks from any enemy but the one specified,
  evade more than one shooter, or declare his evasive movement
  in response to being attacked until it’s his turn again.
  SHOOTING ON THE MOVE
  Proficiency on the FBI’s linear, static ranges was meaningless.
  HRT members would have to shoot while running and think
  while shooting.
  – Danny Coulson, No Heroes: Inside the FBI’s
  Secret Counter-Terror Force (1999)
  A moving man makes for a poor firing base. Nevertheless,
  shooting on the move is often unavoidable.
  Move and Attack
  Shooting while moving means that your attack gets a penalty
  of -2 or the weapon’s Bulk rating, whichever is worse (p. B365).
  You can buy off this penalty by learning Close-Quarters Battle
  (p. 43). Move and Attack using CQB involves the “tactical walk”
  or “combat glide” – a kind of fast walking without exaggerated
  movement or body mechanics, with smaller steps than usual
  and as little movement of the upper body as possible. This pre-
  vents too much disturbance of the “firing platform” and also
  avoids tripping (including over your own feet).
  In closer spaces, the “shuffle step” is preferred, a movement
  that has the shooter take slow, deliberate steps without cross-
  ing the legs. The feet aren’t dragged along, but placed normally.
  This is typically done at Move/3, or Move 1 when stealth is
  required (p. B222).
  SHOOTING AT
  SEVERAL OPPONENTS
  The rule of thumb is to hit each hostile once until he is
  down or running away . . . Other than to shoot the most imme-
  diate threat first, it is vital to get a hit on each man once and
  to do it quickly.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Pistol (1996)
  Bad guys tend to seek power in numbers. A shootist needs
  to be able to hit several opponents in a short time. Tactically,
  it’s important to identify the threat each opponent presents,
  and to engage them in the right order. Use Observation to iden-
  tify how they are armed (blade, pistol, etc.) and to spot danger
  indicators like alcohol on the breath, an unsnapped holster, or
  a cocked hammer – and Body Language to tell who’s tensing
  for action and who has his guard down.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  17
  Immediate Action
  If your rifle stops firing, perform the following immediate actions:
  SLAP upward on magazine to make sure it’s properly seated. PULL
  charging handle all the way back. OBSERVE ejection of case or car-
  tridge. Check chamber for obstruction. If cartridge or case is ejected
  or chamber is clear, RELEASE charging handle to feed new round
  . . . TAP forward assist. Now FIRE.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, TM 9-1005-319-10
  Rifle, 5.56mm, M16A2 (1986)
  The quick procedure most likely to return a malfunctioning
  firearm to service is called Immediate Action. See Stoppage (p. B407)
  for basic rules and Immediate Action (High-Tech, p. 81) for more
  detail. The -4 to the Armoury or IQ-based shooting skill roll men-
  tioned there can be bought off with Immediate Action (p. 44).
  Modifiers: Any penalties to shoot the weapon that the gunman
  would have for tech level (p. B168), unfamiliarity (p. B169), and/or
  default between shooting skill specialties (p. B199); +1 for Weapon
  Bond (p. 41); +2 for Armorer’s Gift (p. 37).
  The time needed for Immediate Action varies by gun. The aver-
  age is three Ready maneuvers. Reduce this to two Ready maneuvers
  for a magazine-fed automatic weapon or to one for a revolver. Tap-
  Rack-Bang (p. 41) makes Immediate Action a free action!
  
  Once you know which foes to attack first, there are a few
  ways to target multiple opponents at once. Most of these require
  rapid fire; remember that a gunman can use High-Speed
  Shooting (p. 14) to improve RoF. Penalties for RoF-boosting
  tricks affect all shots taken with a gun being fired this way.
  Spraying Fire
  A shootist with a RoF 5+ gun capable of automatic fire may
  use a single attack to fire on multiple targets. See p. B409 for
  details.
  Suppression Fire
  Similar to spraying fire, but less about engaging targets
  than about area denial. See pp. B409-410 for rules. This
  requires RoF 5+, either from a single weapon or from a combi-
  nation of guns. When this is possible only thanks to the com-
  bined RoF of two firearms, determine effective skill separately
  for each weapon. Roll to hit separately as well – this makes it
  obvious which hits come from which gun. For instance, a gun-
  man using two RoF 3 pistols has overall RoF 6 and thus could
  attempt suppression fire. His maximum effective skill would
  be 6, rolled once per weapon, because RoF 3 enjoys no rapid-
  fire bonus. If he were using a single RoF 6 weapon (+1 rapid-
  fire bonus), he’d roll just once, but at 7.
  Multiple Attacks
  A gunman may choose one of the following options to
  make two attacks on his turn instead of one. These
  attacks may be against two different targets or hit loca-
  tions, but both must be within a 30º angle.
  Dual-Weapon Attack: Requires a ready, one-handed
  firearm in each hand. See p. 44.
  Ranged Rapid Strike: Requires a ready gun with
  RoF 2+. This variant of the Rapid Strike (p. B370) lets
  you use a single gun to make two attacks, each at an
  extra -6. To buy off the -6, learn Quick-Shot (p. 45).
  You must divide your gun’s RoF between the two
  attacks; use the shots fired for each attack to calculate
  the rapid-fire bonus.
  SHOOTING IN DARKNESS
  . . . 90% of man’s shooting to protect his life is at night and a
  hit in any part of the body is very accurate shooting when sights
  cannot be seen.
  – J. Henry FitzGerald, Shooting (1930)
  Police records show that most nonmilitary shootings occur
  in low-light conditions. Many military firefights do as well.
  Therefore, it’s imperative to be able to shoot well in darkness.
  While for the military the most important aspect is to locate an
  opponent, for other shooters it’s crucial that they can identify a
  target as such, to avoid hitting a partner or innocent bystander.
  See Vision (p. B358) and Visibility (p. B394).
  Light Adaptation
  GURPS darkness penalties assume that the eyes adjust
  quickly to low light, but in a realistic campaign, the GM can
  opt for a more detailed treatment.
  Adaptation Time: The eyes require approximately two min-
  utes per -1 of darkness penalty to adapt, apply another -2 to
  Vision until then (but to no worse than -10). It requires a quar-
  ter of this time to adapt to better lighting conditions – remove
  -1 of darkness penalties every 30 seconds.
  You can partially avoid these effects by keeping one eye shut
  in the light, so it adapts to total darkness. When you move into
  darkness, you can switch eyes until the “light-adapted” eye has
  had time to adjust. This temporarily gives you the One Eye dis-
  advantage, however, for -3 to all ranged attacks!
  Dazzle: Once the eyes have adapted to darkness they
  become very sensitive to intense flashes of light. Muzzle flash,
  explosions, and bright lights can temporarily destroy the dark
  adaptation of the eyes. Make a HT roll:
  Modifiers: -2 for a TL6-8 flashlight; -4 for a high-powered
  TL7-8 tactical light, a flare, or car headlights; -6 for a TL8 tac-
  tical light with LED technology; -6 for an explosion; -3 for muz-
  zle flash (for your own, this becomes -1 with a flash hider or -5
  with a compensator; see p. 76); +1 for Robust Vision (p. 40) or
  +5 for Protected Vision (e.g., from tinted goggles).
  On success by 3+ or critical success, you are fine. On success
  by 0-2, your dark adaptation is ruined and your eyes must adjust
  again; see above. Failure dazzles your vision – you are at an extra
  -4 to Vision (to no worse than -10) for minutes equal to the mar-
  gin of failure, and must regain your dark adaptation afterward.
  On a critical failure, you’re blinded for seconds equal to your
  margin of failure, then suffer the effects of a normal failure!
  Night Combat
  If you’re shot at in the dark and the muzzle flash of your
  opponent is oval-shaped (for a weapon without flash hider) or
  star-shaped (for a weapon with flash hider), you’re standing
  right in front of him; if it’s a streak, then you know he’s shoot-
  ing at an angle to your side and he’s not directly facing you.
  (The slightly misnamed flash hiders on firearms mainly “hide”
  the flash from the shooter – to protect his dark adaptation – not
  from anybody else.)
  There are many small tradecraft tricks that improve your
  odds in combat in the dark – make a Soldier+2 or IQ-3 roll to
  apply them.
  • Avoid alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and most other legal and
  illegal drugs (including cold remedies!), as they reduce blood
  flow in the eyes and increase any darkness penalty by -1!
  • Do not carry a firearm in Condition Three (Unready) (p. 8).
  Most guns can’t chamber a round silently and the sound this
  makes can be used to locate you (High-Tech, p. 158).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  18
  Darkness Penalties
  The GM assigns Vision penalties based on the lighting level
  of the environment. An overcast day is no penalty to -1, twilight
  is -2 to -3, a full moon is -3 to -4, an overcast night with a moon
  is -5 to -6, and a clear night with no moon is -7 to -8, while an
  overcast night with no moon is -9. Indoors, treat warehouse
  lighting, emergency stairway lighting, and poorly lit interior
  spaces as -1 to -2. An area lit by street lamps is also -2.
  
  • Shun or take off light-colored clothing to avoid -1 to
  Camouflage or Stealth rolls.
  • Avoid target indicators like a cigarette or flashlight. If
  anyone succeeds with a Vision roll, he “knows your position to
  within 1 yard” (p. B548).
  • Silhouette opponents against the sky or against a win-
  dow. This may require a kneeling, crouching, or prone posi-
  tion, but gives +1 to Vision rolls.
  Tactical Lights
  Probably the easiest item for any of us to get a hold of to
  increase our night fighting capability is the white light. The
  white light doesn’t require any special permits or night vision
  goggles to achieve decent results. [It] can usually be mounted
  without a lot of special tools, and it allows you to use your
  existing day sights . . .
  – Kyle Lamb, Green Eyes & Black Rifles (2008)
  The most common gadget to allow shooting in the dark is a
  flashlight (High-Tech, pp. 51-52). A flashlight with a narrow
  beam (most TL7+ models count) can, with an Aim maneuver,
  be centered on a single, man-sized or larger target. This gives
  the usual benefits of Aim. Use the more favorable of TL-9 or
  the actual darkness penalty out to the beam’s range; a TL6
  flashlight can reduce the penalty to -3, while a TL8 light can
  reduce it to -1. However, while aimed this way, the beam pro-
  vides no benefit for spotting anything but the target. Your tar-
  get’s allies might lurk in his shadow or take advantage of your
  eyes being drawn to the brightly lit target!
  At TL6, the first tactical lights appear that mount parallel to
  the barrel on a firearm; at TL8, most firearms can take one
  (High-Tech, p. 156). This allows “hands-free” operation and
  the light shines wherever the muzzle is pointed. The light can
  be switched on or off as a free action, since the switch is
  mounted near the trigger or on the grips.
  Light discipline is important: Keep your light off until you
  know at least the general direction of your opponent. Then daz-
  zle (p. 18) him with the light. This may catch him by surprise
  (p. B393) and destroy his night adaptation!
  Tactical lights are more expensive than simple flashlights, so
  a civilian might not own one. Their expensive high-capacity bat-
  teries are quickly drained, paying for their increased range and
  intensity. Furthermore, such a light mounted on a pistol makes
  the weapon heavier and bulkier, and necessitates a special hol-
  ster. In a few countries (e.g., Germany), they are even restricted
  (LC2). There are also tactical disadvantages, as opponents can
  use the light as an aiming point. If you shoot at someone in the
  darkness who carries a light, you know his location to within
  one yard (p. B548), for a maximum visibility penalty of only -4.
  In the absence of a light mounted on the gun, the shootist
  has the option to carry a light and a gun simultaneously, even
  though this makes opening doors, reloading, and similar tasks
  difficult. There are three common methods:
  • The simplest method has the pistolero holding the gun in
  his strong hand, and the light in his off hand (p. B394). This
  precludes two-handed shooting (pp. 11-12).
  • A variation is the so-called FBI method, popular with the
  FBI and other police agencies from the 1930s to the 1980s,
  usually in connection with Point-Shooting (p. 49-51). With
  this, the weak arm holding the light is stretched out well to the
  side of the body. This makes it more difficult for an opponent
  to locate the shooter or simply to fire at the light – increase
  your opponent’s maximum visibility penalty for knowing your
  location to within one yard to -5.
  • Another way to use handgun and light is the Harries
  stance, developed in the 1970s by instructor Michael Harries
  for use with the two-handed firing stances preferred by
  Modern Pistol styles (p. 48). In this, the arms are crossed at the
  wrists, the weak hand (which holds the light) supporting the
  strong hand (which fires the gun) from below. This is an effec-
  tive two-handed shooting stance (pp. 11-12), and is the pre-
  ferred method nowadays (sometimes with minor variations).
  Night Vision Equipment
  Focus PVS-7 [night vision goggles] to infinity . . . Do NOT
  attempt to align head with sights or establish stock weld. Acquire
  target using PVS-7. Activate PEQ-2A [IR targeting laser] beam.
  Adjust PEQ-2A spot onto target. Pull trigger . . .
  – 5th Marines Regiment Headquarters,
  Night Warrior Handbook (2005)
  Electronics available at TL7-8 to let shooters see in the dark
  are a tremendous advantage, especially if your opponents lack
  them. However, night vision goggles (NVGs) or thermal-imag-
  ing goggles (High-Tech, pp. 47-48) are costly and saddle the
  wearer with Color Blindness (p. B127), No Depth Perception
  (p. B145), and No Peripheral Vision (p. B151). These effects are
  especially disadvantageous in urban areas, where shooters
  with NVGs are easily blinded by muzzle flashes or bright inte-
  rior lighting (causing the electronics to automatically shut off),
  are in danger of misidentifying opponents, and are easily
  ambushed due to the restricted field of vision.
  Shooters wearing NVGs cannot use iron sights or other
  sights mounted on the gun and are reduced to unsighted shoot-
  ing (p. 13), with an extra -3 due to No Depth Perception. The
  goggles are best employed with IR targeting lasers (High-Tech,
  pp. 156-157). NVGs can be refocused for reading maps or sim-
  ilar tasks but you can’t quickly do that while in combat.
  Furthermore, NVGs require so much concentration that other
  Sense rolls (p. B358), such as Hearing and Taste/Smell, suffer
  a -1 penalty.
  While wearing NVGs with the normal focus to infinity,
  you’re reduced to working by touch. Unless you have invested
  at least 1 point in either Fast-Draw (p. 42) or Immediate Action
  (p. 44) for your weapon, reloading takes an extra Ready
  maneuver and clearing a malfunction incurs a -5 penalty. More
  involved operations, such as changing the barrel on a LMG,
  always carry the -5 penalty; it can only be bought off with Work
  by Touch (Armoury) (p. 45).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  19
  You cannot shoot what
  you don’t realize is there . . .
  – Gabriel Suarez,
  The Tactical
  Pistol (1996)
  
  Donning or removing NVGs takes three Ready maneuvers;
  it requires one Ready maneuver to flip them up or down into
  position. After taking off the NVGs, the eyes need to adapt to
  the darkness (p. 18). Night vision optics can also be blinded
  (“white-out”) by bright light. Roll as for dazzle (p. 18), using the
  NVGs’ HT 12. Failure results in the sensor shutting down com-
  pletely for seconds equal to the margin of failure, rendering the
  wearer temporarily blind unless he removes the goggles! Critical
  failure damages the optics, blinding them until repaired. This
  can be avoided by using NVGs that cover only one eye, but then
  the usual difficulties of one-eyed shooting (p. 18) apply.
  A problem when several shooters are using IR targeting
  lasers is to identify your beam. The simplest trick is to make a
  figure eight (a so-called “snake”) with your beam to identify it.
  Some lasers can be fitted with cut-outs changing the appear-
  ance of the laser dot on the target – from a circle to a cross, tri-
  angle, square, etc. – so each member of a fire team can have his
  own laser beam shape.
  If your night vision comes from a weapon sight that allows
  you to see in darkness (High-Tech, pp. 155-157), rather than
  from NVGs, then you need to look through the sight to take
  advantage of the improved vision effects. This makes only
  sighted shooting (p. 13) or aimed shooting (p. 14) possible.
  RELOADING
  Know when to reload. When possible, count the number of
  rounds fired. However, it is possible to lose count in close com-
  bat . . . Change magazines when two rounds may be left – one in
  the magazine and one in the chamber. This prevents being caught
  with an empty weapon at a crucial time.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 3-23.35 Combat Training
  with Pistols, M9 and M11 (2003)
  Keeping track of how much ammo you have left in the heat
  of battle requires an IQ-based Guns roll, at -4 unless using a
  transparent magazine (p. 74) or ammo counter. Success tells
  you if you are “nearly empty” (25% or less), “about half” (any-
  thing between 25% and 75%), or “mostly full” (75% or more);
  a critical success gives an exact number. On a failure you have
  no idea; on a critical failure you guess wrong. Lightning
  Calculator (p. B66) always lets you know the exact number.
  When you must reload as part of a team, you should commu-
  nicate to your partner(s) that you need cover fire while reload-
  ing and that they can’t expect any from you. Shouting
  “Reloading!” works but means your opponents may hear it, too.
  Safer methods, consisting of a non-obvious brevity code and
  timing your reloads as a team, are part of Battle Drills (p. 37).
  If at all possible, reload while behind cover (pp. 28-31);
  even when behind cover, it makes sense to take a Change
  Posture maneuver (p. B364) to kneel in order to reduce
  your silhouette (p. B548). There are many accessories that
  help with a faster reload – see Magazine Modifications and
  Reloading Aids (pp. 73-74).
  For modern firearms with detachable magazines, the fastest
  reloads involve simply ejecting the empty magazine, retrieving a
  fresh one, inserting the new magazine, and readying the weapon
  (releasing or retracting the slide or drawing back the charging
  handle). This takes four Ready maneuvers. Familiarity (p. B169)
  with the weapon or Lightning Fingers (p. 39) lets you insert and
  ready at the same time, reducing time by one second. A success-
  ful Fast-Draw (Ammo) roll also reduces it by a second. Quick
  Reload (p. 39) can speed this up even further, to a free action!
  Dumping the magazine means losing it, while you may want
  to keep it because of cost or resupply issues. If the magazine isn’t
  entirely empty or if you want to refill it later, you should stow it
  away. A waist pack (High-Tech, p. 54), shell bag (p. 73), or other
  pocket with a large, convenient opening is best. You can even
  simply dump it down the front of your tucked-in shirt or coat, if
  you open up the collar. Some shooters tie their magazines to
  their load-bearing gear with lanyards (High-Tech, p. 154), allow-
  ing the mag to drop free. Stowing the old magazine adds an
  extra Ready maneuver, however quickly you reload. You should
  insert the fresh mag and ready the gun
  before you stow the empty one away. In
  case you need to resume firing, you can
  simply drop the empty as a free action.
  Tactical Reloads
  A tactical reload is done for practi-
  cal reasons, rather than out of neces-
  sity because the magazine is empty.
  The idea is to reload at a time (and
  place) of your choosing, preferably
  safe behind cover, during a lull in
  which you can afford to remove and
  stow away a partially filled magazine
  and replace it with a full one. This
  way, you’ll have a fully loaded weapon
  again and may be able to avoid being
  forced to reload under fire.
  Tactical reloads should be the norm
  for weapons with integral magazines
  loaded with loose cartridges, such as
  loading-gate revolvers, lever-action
  rifles, or pump-action shotguns. These
  have a limited ammunition capacity
  and are slow to fill. You should top
  them off whenever possible.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  20
  Underloaded Magazines
  In a man-to-man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.
  – Erwin Rommel, Infantry Attacks (1937)
  The majority of stoppages (p. B407) in firearms with detachable magazines
  result from the magazines. Some magazine designs use cheap-quality springs,
  which can result in feeding jams (-1 to Malf.) when fully loaded. It’s mainly a prob-
  lem with cheap or ill-designed magazines; the GM decides which guns require
  underloading (and by how much) to avoid this penalty. This was one of the prob-
  lems that plagued the Enfield Sten SMG (High-Tech, p. 124), which experienced
  British soldiers tried to alleviate by loading only 28 rather than 32 rounds.
  Another underloading reason is that some weapons make seating a full maga-
  zine difficult on a closed bolt. This gives -2 to Fast-Draw (Ammo); a critical failure
  means you think you reloaded properly, but the magazine will drop out on the next
  turn! The problem is weapon-specific, requiring a GM decision, as above. Typical
  offenders are Glock pistols (High-Tech, pp. 100-101) and AR-15 rifles (High-Tech,
  pp. 117, 119). In the Israeli military, the Glock 19 is loaded with 14 rather than 15
  rounds. Many U.S. troops put only 18 rounds rather than 20 into the magazines of
  the Colt M16A1 (SEALs in Vietnam, pp. 26-27). Many soldiers still load only 28
  rather than 30 into the magazines of the Colt M4A1 (High-Tech, p. 119).
  Underloading is unnecessary with Quality Magazines (p. 74).
  
  TACTICS IN ACTION
  If you are obliged to retreat, let the front of your whole party
  fire and fall back, till the rear has done the same, making for the
  best ground you can; by this means you will oblige the enemy to
  pursue you, if they do it at all, in the face of a constant fire.
  – Robert Rogers, “Rules of Ranging” (1757)
  These small-unit maneuvers work best when using a battle
  map and Tactical Combat (pp. B384-392). The situation may
  establish specific positions for each fighter. If not, a successful
  Tactics roll by the team leader means that the PCs are deployed
  as appropriate in the moment the shooting starts: behind cover
  (if available), all facing the threat (except for the designated
  rear security, who’ll watch the group’s back), etc.
  At the start of an engagement, have the team leader make
  another Tactics roll to determine which maneuver is best
  suited to the situation. Communication in a firefight can be
  difficult, but failure do to so effectively is often fatal. Maneu-
  vers can be triggered by firing tracers in the direction of a
  threat. Short statements can be spoken (p. B363); tactical radio
  systems (High-Tech, p. 39) make this much easier.
  Gesture (p. B198) allows for silent, coded communication
  via hand signals, at -3 if signaler and recipient don’t share a
  Cultural Familiarity or military service. You can use Soldier
  or Tactics for the same purpose, but only to communicate
  basic tactics. You don’t need to roll if everybody involved has
  Battle Drills (p. 37). Communicating complex plans is nearly
  impossible; the GM should limit information to no more than
  could be spoken in a sentence or two. Although this allows
  communication in the din of battle, visibility may penalize
  the skill roll to interpret the message. Failure means the mes-
  sage is not understood; critical failure means that it’s misun-
  derstood in the worst possible way.
  Fire and Maneuver
  Also known as “Bounding,” “Leapfrogging,” or “Shoot and
  Scoot,” this is how trained shooters move in combat: Attack or
  All-Out Attack, ideally from cover (pp. 28-31) and often prone
  or kneeling to reduce your silhouette (p. B548). The shots can
  be targeted, but will usually be suppression fire (pp. B409-410).
  After shooting, make a Vision roll to determine if the opposi-
  tion has sought cover.
  For added realism, someone without Combat Reflexes who
  takes cover or performs a dodge and drop must make a DX or
  Acrobatics roll; if this fails, he must take a Do Nothing maneu-
  ver next turn to recover from the ungainly arrival. In addition,
  anyone under fire must make a Will-2 roll each turn, unless he
  has Combat Reflexes or Unfazeable; failure means he stays
  safely behind cover – though he may take actions that don’t
  expose him to fire (e.g., moving further behind cover, commu-
  nicating, reloading). This is only an absolute for NPCs; a PC
  may choose to leave cover, but if so, all of his rolls that turn are
  penalized by the margin of failure on his Will roll.
  While the opposition is thus occupied with keeping their
  heads down, you can move (“bound”) to a new location, fire
  again to remind them you’re still a threat, and so on. The
  bounding distance is usually 10-20 yards, covered in a sprint
  (p. B354) using multiple Move maneuvers, but may be shorter
  or longer depending on the availability of cover.
  Bounding works best if you have at least a pair of shooters
  – with one firing from an overwatch position while the other
  moves. You can also have a fire team with two pairs, a squad
  of two or three teams, or even a platoon with several squads.
  Make a Vision roll before each bound to keep track of your fel-
  low shooters; this avoids leaving people behind or letting your
  line become too scattered.
  Ambush
  An ambush is a surprise attack by fire from concealed posi-
  tions on a moving or temporarily halted enemy unit. It com-
  bines the advantages and characteristics of the offense with
  those of the defense.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 7-8 Infantry
  Rifle Platoon and Squad (1992)
  The ambush is the standard tactic of TL6-8 military opera-
  tions. It’s preferred not only by guerrillas and special opera-
  tions forces, but by virtually all troops – even armored units
  and fighter aircraft!
  An ambush with firearms can mean a wide variety of things
  – a sniper shot from far away, a sudden burst of SMG fire from
  a passing car, or an entire unit lying in hiding to suddenly
  attack (compare SEALs in Vietnam, pp. 51-52).
  Its primary advantage is the mental confusion that prevents
  the ambushed party from effectively defending; see Surprise
  Attacks and Initiative (p. B393). If the target of a potential
  ambush expects trouble, don’t roll for initiative! Instead, roll a
  Quick Contest of the ambusher’s Camouflage, Shadowing,
  Stealth, or Tactics against the prey’s Per, Observation, or Tactics.
  If the ambusher wins, the target suffers partial surprise. If the
  ambusher loses by 5+, the would-be prey may opt to attack with
  the ambusher suffering partial surprise! Otherwise, each side
  spots the other; play out the encounter without surprise.
  L-Shaped Ambush
  The most effective infantry ambush uses an L-shaped layout,
  preferably taking advantage of suitable terrain features such as
  a curve in the road or trail. It requires at least two teams.
  The assault team positions itself along the long leg of the L
  and attacks the ambushed party from the side. The support
  team, which ideally includes an MG or similar automatic
  weapon, positions itself on the short leg of the L, firing at the
  ambushed party from ahead and preventing it from moving
  out of the assault team’s kill zone. If enough personnel are
  available, security teams are placed at the end of both legs, to
  prevent the prey from escaping, and to watch the sides and
  backs of the assault and support teams.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  21
  You would put 5 or 6 rounds through, but as you know only 1 or 2 rounds will hit where
  you’re aiming and the rest will go elsewhere.
  – Anonymous, “Humping a Ruck Across Sunny Afghanistan, Summer of 1986” (2003)
  
  Battle Drills
  Executed at the instant of contact, [the] drill was rehearsed
  until it was mastered, so the team could pummel the enemy with
  a blur of fire and action, knock him off balance, and give the SOG
  men a decisive head start for the pursuit that was sure to follow.
  – John Plaster, SOG – A Photo History
  of the Secret Wars (2000)
  Battle drills are trained reactions to combat situations (see
  the Battle Drills perk, p. 37). The instinctive reaction to being
  shot at is to dodge and drop, which is rarely the best tactical
  choice; it may leave you pinned down in a kill zone or other-
  wise reduce your options, especially if you’re outnumbered.
  In such a situation, battle drills come into play. They vary
  according to TL, historical era, available weapons, and opera-
  tional doctrine, but they all require a lot of coordinated train-
  ing to execute without confusion or friendly fire casualties. You
  can’t make them up on the spot. All rely on multiple shooters.
  There are various different battle drills; the following are prob-
  ably the most useful.
  Counterattack
  When a patrol is ambushed, every man will bring maximum
  fire to bear in the direction of the Communist Terrorists whether
  he can see a target or not. Simultaneously the patrol will charge
  the CT firing from the hip as they run right through the ambush
  positions and reorganise on the other side.
  – Ian Burrows, “Some Notes on New Zealand
  SAS Squadron Techniques” (1957)
  The Counterattack drill is performed when your unit comes
  under attack from a near-ambush at
  hand-grenade range (under 40 yards).
  The first man noting the ambush (either
  by succeeding with a Sense roll or receiv-
  ing fire) will immediately engage any
  visible opponents, or at least give sup-
  pression fire in their general direction,
  using Attack or All-Out Attack. The rest
  of the unit will join in; some unit mem-
  bers may need to Move or Move and
  Attack to maneuver into position. For
  example, if the unit travels in a column
  and is attacked head-on, the rear men
  will spread to the flanks of the front ele-
  ment in order to bring more weapons to
  bear. The entire unit will then Move and
  Attack together, charging toward the
  enemy (preceded by hand grenades or
  other explosives, if available) and firing
  as fast as possible, to overrun the enemy
  and break up the attack. See Figure 1.
  The Counterattack drill is primarily
  an emergency special-ops maneuver.
  Ordinary infantry units, which are often
  quite large, can afford to first seek cover
  and find better firing positions before
  they attack (or even dig in and wait for
  heavy weapons support). The smaller
  the unit (such as a reconnaissance
  patrol deep in enemy territory), the
  more essential it is to quickly extinguish
  the threat and to get out of the enemy’s kill zone. It forces the
  ambushers into cover and disturbs their fire.
  Peeling
  This maneuver is a controlled retreat in the face of over-
  whelming opposition. It’s basically a reversed, accelerated ver-
  sion of a Fire and Maneuver advance (p. 21). The Peeling drill
  was designed for well-armed military teams or squads (no
  more than two dozen men), but also works for a couple shoot-
  ers, within limits.
  The Peeling drill was first codified by Commonwealth
  troops in the Burma campaign during WWII, and from there
  spread to other militaries. U.S. special-ops units picked it up
  from the Australians during the Vietnam War (hence it’s also
  known as the “Australian Peel Off”).
  Peeling is done when your unit comes in contact with an
  opposing force it can’t defeat – for example, a scouting party
  encountering a larger enemy unit or a gang of bank robbers
  trying to break from a police cordon. Once your unit’s tacti-
  cal disadvantage is obvious, the point man (rather than the
  unit’s commander, who’s usually further behind) will initiate
  the maneuver.
  The point man immediately begins suppression fire
  (pp. B409-410) toward the enemy. Rapid semiautomatic fire
  keeps ammo consumption down, but full-auto bursts may trick
  the opposition into thinking your unit is larger – especially if
  you’re using all tracers (p. 78). His teammates join in only if
  they are staggered to the side. If they are behind the point man
  (as is typical if traveling along a jungle path or building hall-
  way), they take a Wait maneuver.
  After one or two seconds (e.g., after depleting a magazine
  or part of an MG belt), the first (point)
  man takes a Move maneuver, turning
  to the left or right and running back
  past the next man in line, down to the
  last man – who may be dozens of
  yards behind, depending on unit size
  and terrain. As he passes the second
  man, he either calls out (“Peeling” or
  “Moving”) and/or taps him (usually
  safer against the din of a firefight!) –
  both are free actions – to indicate
  that the second man is now the first
  in line and has a free field of fire.
  Often, the first man won’t move
  straight back, but staggered to the
  side as well. As soon as he is at his
  final position, he reloads (p. 20).
  Once the first man moves to the
  side, the second man immediately
  begins shooting to keep up the volume
  of fire. Shortly, he will peel off himself
  and the third man will start firing. And
  so on, until the unit manages to disen-
  gage from the enemy or reaches a safe
  rally point such as a fire base or a vehi-
  cle. See Figure 2 (p. 23).
  The drill can be modified as neces-
  sary. The first man might throw a hand
  grenade while retreating, preferably a
  smoke or phosphorous grenade due to
  the visibility barrier this creates.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  22
  Figure 1
  
  The maneuver also works if the unit is traveling in two columns,
  or if the unit travels in single file but automatically forms two
  columns on contact (every odd-numbered man steps to the left,
  the others to the right). Two columns allow two men to fire
  simultaneously at the front, increasing the volume of fire. The
  men then peel off down the middle of the columns (known as a
  “Center Peel”) rather than down one side. See Figure 3 (above).
  Peeling is training-intensive – preferably every man should
  have Battle Drills (p. 37) – and isn’t even trained by all first-
  world combat troops, let alone ragtag guerrilla armies or ter-
  rorists. It’s used by modern special-ops units, who tend to be
  both outnumbered in combat and armed in a fashion that
  allows the drill. The advantage of Peeling is that there’s always
  someone firing toward the enemy, keeping the heads of the
  opposition down. Everyone knows where his teammates are,
  preventing friendly fire incidents and improving overall order
  of the retreat. It’s most effective in heavily overgrown terrain
  such as woods or jungle, but also in urban areas. Peeling even
  works inside buildings!
  Urban Combat
  One of the fundamental rules of tactics is to stay away
  from corners.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Advantage (1998)
  Combat in built-up areas poses particular problems
  – the myriad hiding places, abundant cover, limited vis-
  ibility, short engagement ranges, threat of attack from
  above (and even from below), and increased likelihood
  of innocent bystanders complicate things considerably.
  If walking down a street, be wary of upper-story win-
  dows and roofs. Don’t walk in the middle of a street or
  hallway, but never stay too close to a wall or corner,
  either – ricochets travel along walls. A distance of 1-2
  yards from walls is advisable. If you stand too close to a
  corner, you limit your field of view and are also easily
  engaged in melee combat by someone hiding just
  around the corner.
  Turning Corners (“Slicing the Pie”)
  The only safe way to turn a corner in an area that hasn’t
  been cleared yet is commonly known as “slicing the pie”
  (SWAT, pp. 35-36) or as the “angular search,” as it involves an
  incremental lateral movement around the apex of a corner,
  which covers only a pie-shaped area. See Figure 4 (below).
  Start with positioning yourself as far from the corner as
  possible. This prevents an opponent hiding just around the cor-
  ner from grabbing you or your weapon (p. B370). Take a step
  sideways from the wall leading to the corner, weapon trained
  on the corner. This reveals a small sliver of geography on the
  other side of the corner. The corner counts as light cover for
  both you and any possible opponent until you have fully turned
  it (see Using Cover, pp. 28-29) – Barricade Tactics (p. 37)
  increases this to medium cover for you only.
  As soon as you see an opponent, you may attack. Pay spe-
  cial attention to target indicators: protruding muzzle, toe of a
  shoe, sound of your opponent scraping along the wall, etc.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  23
  Figure 2
  Figure 3
  Figure 4
  
  Roll against Per or Per-based Guns, Soldier, or Tactics. Apply
  standard Sense roll modifiers (p. B358) – primarily for Vision,
  but Hearing and Smell shouldn’t be forgotten.
  If someone is lurking around the corner, he may use
  Opportunity Fire (p. B390) if he took a Wait maneuver. If nei-
  ther of you chose to Wait, you both roll as above but as a Quick
  Contest; the winner acts first and a tie means truly simultane-
  ous actions! Combat Reflexes gives +1. If you want to identify
  your target before you shoot, you have no penalty in the Quick
  Contest, but are at -2 to hit. (Exception: If you were rolling
  against Per-based Guns, you have -2 in the Quick Contest, but
  no penalty to hit.)
  The next turn, take another step, and so on, slowly circling
  around the corner. If you start at one to three yards from the
  corner, three to five steps should allow you to complete the
  angular search.
  This progression means turning corners takes a long time.
  This is realistic. It’s also prudent – speeding it up using Move
  and Attack allows you to turn a corner in only one second, but
  means your Sense rolls to notice target indicators are at -2 due
  to your hasty advance. What’s more, your Guns roll is penal-
  ized by -2 or Bulk, whichever is worse. You can avoid the latter
  if you have trained in Close-Quarters Battle (p. 43).
  Door Breaching
  When conventional methods of opening a door – including
  using a ram (High-Tech, p. 29, and SWAT, p. 33) and plain old
  knob-turning – fail or are too slow, SWAT teams and hostage
  rescue forces resort to breaching: shooting the door’s contact
  points, then kicking it open using Forced Entry. A cheap or
  lightweight lock is a good target for this; if it can be blown out
  with one shot, the door opens “properly” and quickly. Sturdy
  locks can take a lot of punishment, however, making the hinges
  a better target (even though this requires at least one shot per
  hinge). Some tactics call for two slugs at a time, to be on the
  safe side, which works best with a semiautomatic.
  Hitting a hinge or lock is easy – an All-Out Attack
  (Determined) with a total task difficulty bonus of +10 – but you
  have to know how to shoot it properly. For each target, make
  one IQ-4 or IQ-based Forced Entry roll before you start shoot-
  ing. If this roll fails, note the margin of failure; the hardware’s
  HT rolls (at 0 HP, -HP, etc.) to avoid dis-
  abling or destruction must fail by more
  than this – otherwise, it fouls instead
  of opening! The only options with a
  fouled mechanism are to destroy it
  utterly (-5¥HP), switch targets (e.g.,
  give up on the hinges and shoot the
  lock instead), or batter down the
  whole door.
  Example: Charlie King has IQ 11
  and no Forced Entry skill. He rolls
  against IQ-4, or 7, before trying to
  shoot out a well-made (HT 12) hinge,
  and fails by 3. His first shot takes the
  hinge below 0 HP; it rolls against HT.
  On a 12 or less, it survives. On a 13-15,
  it’s fouled. On a 16+ (failure by 4+), the
  hinge gives way.
  Modern operators breach with TL8
  frangible shotgun slugs (High-Tech,
  pp. 103, 167) – often called “Hatton” rounds (after the British
  inventor) or “Avon” rounds (after the door-knocking salesmen
  of an American company). They disintegrate upon impact, pos-
  ing no danger to the shooter or anybody on the other side of
  the door. Professional users never mix these with other ammu-
  nition in the breaching gun due to the danger of using the
  wrong type on a target. Ideally, one shotgun is used for breach-
  ing and nothing else. Sometimes such a weapon is fitted with
  a perforated muzzle attachment ($50, 0.2 lb.) that ensures an
  ideal stand-off distance of 2-3” from the barrel to the door.
  Touching the door without such a muzzle device gives -1 to
  Malf.; it can lead to overpressure, possibly damaging the gun!
  The ideal breaching shotgun has a pistol grip and no shoul-
  der stock (“cruiser” configuration) for easier maneuvering and
  application of the shot to the door. Since the breacher usually
  has to carry the breaching gun and his primary weapon, the
  barrel should be short to reduce weight and length. Most are
  based on the Remington Model 870P (High-Tech, pp. 105-106),
  although types like the Benelli M1 Super 90 Entry (High-Tech,
  p. 106), Franchi PA3 (Gun Fu, p. 37), or Ithaca Model 37
  Stakeout (High-Tech, p. 105) are also suitable. Alternatively,
  use an underbarrel shotgun such as the KAC Masterkey (High-
  Tech, p. 106) or C-More M26 (High-Tech, p. 107); the latter
  includes a muzzle attachment.
  Entering Through Doors
  Entering through doors and other entry points works essen-
  tially like turning corners. First you scan as much of the area
  beyond the doorway as possible without entering. Using the
  angular search, start on one side of the door. Take a step to the
  side, away from the wall with the door, and look diagonally
  through the opening. If an opponent is located beyond the
  door, use the process described under Turning Corners (pp. 23-
  24) to find out who shoots first.
  If you don’t see an opponent, take another step and so on,
  until you have moved in a complete half-circle from one side of
  the doorway to the other. Through this method, you should be
  able to check almost every part of the area beyond the doorway
  – except for the two near corners on the opposite side of the
  wall with the door – the most likely hiding places of bad guys!
  See Figure 5 (below).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  24
  Figure 5
  
  To enter the room alone, move diagonally through the door-
  way into the near corner opposite of your position. If there is
  an opponent in that corner, you can shoot, at the usual penalty
  for Move and Attack. There is a blind spot which you can’t see
  – the other near corner. The moment you clear the door open-
  ing, take a quick peek over your shoulder into that corner (a
  Vision roll at -2). If there is an opponent in that corner and you
  see him, swivel your upper body around and shoot, at the usual
  Move and Attack penalty plus a further -2 for checking the
  target before firing, as if you were taking opportunity fire
  (p. B390)! See Figure 6 (below).
  Entering a door with a partner is much safer. Instead of tak-
  ing the less-than-perfect peek over your shoulder while enter-
  ing, you rely on your partner to cover the other corner. This is
  also known as a “Cross Entry” (SWAT, p. 35).
  The entry can be preceded by hand grenades. SWAT teams
  use stun or tear gas grenades; military units use whatever
  seems appropriate and is available. Grenades with fuses of
  more than 2 seconds should be “cooked off” (High-Tech,
  p. 190) so they can’t be tossed back. Rules of engagement may
  forbid the use of grenades, as may pragmatic issues – e.g., the
  walls may be not sturdy enough to contain the explosion, pos-
  sibly endangering the thrower himself.
  Three-Dimensional Environments
  Clearing a stairwell is similar to clearing corners, but much
  more dangerous. One typical method starts with the first shooter
  moving to a position below the edge of the overhang, then
  changing facing 180°. The second shooter covers the front
  (upstairs) as the first shooter takes a step backward, up the
  stairs, while aiming his weapon straight upward. The third
  shooter then moves past the first shooter, changes facing and
  covers the overhang, allowing the first shooter to move; if there
  are only two shooters, the second shooter needs to do this. The
  first shooter then turns and moves upward to cover the overhang
  from a further position. The team will bound in this manner
  until the obstacle is cleared, “slicing the pie” (pp. 23-24) on any
  switchbacks. Overhangs count as corners (p. 28) for purposes of
  cover, and attempts to do this quickly suffer the same awareness
  penalties. See also Firing Upward and Downward (p. B407).
  CLOSE COMBAT
  AND CLOSE COMBAT
  A Jap[anese] came straight at me with his double-handed
  sword raised, shouting. I had just enough time to pull out my .45
  and shot him as the blade dropped. In fact I stepped back at the
  same time as I fired.
  – Harry Verlander, Forgotten Voices
  of the Secret War (2008)
  Most nonmilitary shootings occur at distances under 7 yards
  (pp. 9-10). This means that both Fast-Draw (p. 42)
  and Close-Hip Shooting (p. 43) are useful, and that
  a gunman who misses or can’t shoot (for some rea-
  son) may quickly find himself in a melee.
  Shooting in a Melee
  With an opponent at arm’s length or closer, a
  hip-shooting stance (pp. 11-13) – with the gun held
  close to the body – is often the only way to fire.
  Even if you can extend your shooting arm(s), this
  could make it easier for your opponent to deflect
  your shot or even disarm you! Holding your
  firearm close to the body, as in a hip-shooting
  stance, gives your opponent -2 to parry a handgun
  or -1 to parry a long arm.
  When hip-shooting a handgun, you can use
  your unoccupied arm for melee combat. You can
  shove the other guy back (p. B372), punch his face
  (p. B370), parry his knife or gun attack (p. B376),
  or even disarm him (p. B401). Immediately follow
  this up with an Attack or Move and Attack – back-
  ing away (or moving sideways if you can’t back up) while bring-
  ing up the gun for a proper torso or skull shot.
  To fire a handgun your opponent has grabbed (p. B370),
  you must first win a Quick Contest of DX or Retain Weapon vs.
  his DX or grappling skill, as he can stop you by blocking the
  trigger, hammer, or slide. To take it away from you, he must
  win a Regular Contest of ST vs. your ST or ST-based Retain
  Weapon. Things are slightly different if he’s holding your long
  arm by the barrel (the typical result of a grab). While he’s in
  control of the forward part, you can still squeeze the trigger
  and shoot him! To fire, roll a Quick Contest as above, but
  you’re at +2. Also see Transitioning to a Handgun (p. 14).
  Close-Contact Shots
  If your gun can touch your victim, you’ll rarely miss. At
  Reach C with a weapon used with Guns (Pistol), or Reach C or
  1 with any other firearm, All-Out Attack (Determined) gives +4
  to hit, as with a melee attack, instead of +1. However, your tar-
  get may attempt a melee parry against such an attack (p. B376).
  Pressing your gun against your target also gives you +4 to
  hit, cumulative with an All-Out Attack – but now your foe gets
  +2 to defend with a dodge or a parry. Even if you’re behind
  him, he knows your gun’s location and can defend himself as if
  against a “runaround” attack (p. B391), at no bonus or penalty.
  (The +2 to defend cancels out the -2 for a “runaround” attack.)
  In all cases, since a weapon’s Acc and sights serve to fix
  the target’s position, which you’ve already done, you can
  never get a further bonus from such hardware or aiming.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  25
  Figure 6
  
  You can claim +1 from bracing if you hold the gun against your
  victim (as above) for at least one turn before shooting – the
  close combat equivalent of aiming – for a total of +5 (or +9 with
  an All-Out Attack).
  Note that Bulk normally applies in close combat simply
  because it’s assumed that you’re jostling for position with an
  active defender. If you’re standing behind an unresisting target
  (tied up, intimidated into surrender, etc.) you never suffer Bulk
  penalties to shoot him.
  Guns as Melee Weapons
  The gun itself can be used to strike in a melee. You can pis-
  tol-whip with the barrel or butt of a handgun (High-Tech,
  p. 93), stab or slash with a fixed bayonet (High-Tech, p. 197),
  strike with a rifle butt (High-Tech, p. 198), or snap or stab
  with a rifle muzzle (roll against Staff or Spear; does thr cr).
  Pistol-whips are usually aimed at the face or skull. A roll of 18
  on a melee attack means that, instead of the usual critical
  miss result, the gun can’t be fired until Immediate Action
  (p. 17) is performed.
  Many dedicated shooters are accomplished martial artists.
  Shootists can use hand-to-hand combat to neutralize melee
  threats or to break away and draw a gun. Serious pistol-fight-
  ing instruction is usually flanked by some hand-to-hand train-
  ing, including methods to disarm (p. B230) and avoid being
  disarmed! Suitable styles include Defendu (Martial Arts:
  Fairbairn Close Combat Systems, pp. 8-9), Escrima (Martial
  Arts, pp. 155-156), Fairbairn Close Combat Training (Martial
  Arts: Fairbairn Close Combat Systems, pp. 9-11), Jujutsu
  (Martial Arts, pp. 166-167), Krav Maga (Martial Arts, p. 183),
  MCMAP (Martial Arts, pp. 183, 185), Sambo (Martial Arts,
  p. 185), and Wing Chun (Martial Arts, pp. 203-204).
  SNIPING
  A normal shot is between 600 and 1,000 yards . . . a sniper
  should never fire at less than 300 yards because of the danger of
  being spotted, unless his position is being threatened.
  – USMC Headquarters, FMFM 1-3B Sniping (1981)
  Sniping means long-range precision shots at high-value
  targets from a hiding spot – much like an ambush (p. 21), but
  with less chance of being detected and counterattacked. Due
  to the often extreme distances involved, it requires not only
  very accurate rifles and quality optics, but also special shoot-
  ing techniques.
  Precision Aiming
  Delta snipers had to hit 100% on targets at 600 yards and
  90% on targets at 1,000 yards . . . In head-to-head matches, only
  the Secret Service ever beat Delta’s snipers.
  – Charlie Beckwith, Delta Force (1983)
  By taking considerable extra time, you can exceed the usual
  limits on Aim (p. B364). This is a specialized use of Time Spent
  (p. B346). It requires at least three of somewhere to brace, a
  scope, ballistic tables tailored to the weapon and ammunition,
  a wind gauge, or a trained spotter, unless you have Deadeye
  (p. 38). Extended aiming works as follows, using the Extended
  Aiming Table (see below).
  The first three steps of the table are simply ordinary Aim
  maneuvers. For each step past the third, make an IQ-based Guns
  roll at -6; learn Precision Aiming (p. 45) to buy off the -6. Success
  grants the listed bonus; you may shoot or keep aiming. Failure
  costs you all aiming bonuses – start over. Critical failure means
  you betray your position through suspicious movement, the
  glint of your scope, etc. (see Countersniping, below)! Breath
  Control (p. 41) makes success with Precision Aiming likelier.
  The bonus past the +Accuracy+2 for ordinary Aim maneu-
  vers can’t exceed the lower of your scope’s bonus and your gun’s
  basic Accuracy. Bonuses for scopes and bracing apply as usual.
  The table does not continue – aiming past 90 seconds cannot
  give you a bonus above +Accuracy+7.
  Example: Delta sharpshooter Ed Adamski has Guns
  (Rifle)-18, Precision Aiming (Rifle)-18, and Breath Control-12.
  He’s using a Remington Model 40XB Rangemaster sniper rifle
  (a fine (accurate) version of the Remington Model 700 on
  p. 116 of High-Tech), a 12¥ telescopic sight (High-Tech,
  p. 155), and handloaded match rounds (High-Tech, p. 174).
  He’s lying prone and has braced the rifle, with his ballistic
  tables beside him. His target is a terrorist’s head 600 yards
  away; he knows the range exactly.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  26
  Extended Aiming Table
  Total Time (Seconds)
  With Deadeye 1
  With Deadeye 2
  With Deadeye 3
  Total Bonus
  1
  1
  1
  1
  +Accuracy
  2
  2
  2
  2
  +Accuracy+1
  3
  3
  3
  3
  +Accuracy+2
  6
  6
  5
  5
  +Accuracy+3
  12
  11
  10
  9
  +Accuracy+4
  24
  22
  20
  17
  +Accuracy+5
  45
  41
  36
  32
  +Accuracy+6
  90
  81
  72
  63
  +Accuracy+7
  An empty gun can be used as
  a club against the face and temple
  area. Heavy automatics and long-
  barreled revolvers have been used
  successfully in this manner.
  – Rex Applegate,
  Kill or Get
  Killed (1976)
  
  After three seconds of Aim, Ed has +18 to hit: +6 for
  basic Acc, +3 for the scope, +3 Acc for knowing the exact
  range (Rangefinding, below), +2 for the handloaded
  match ammunition, +1 for bracing, +2 for two extra sec-
  onds of Aim, and +1 for the All-Out Attack (Determined)
  that accompanies aimed shooting (p. 14). He continues
  to Aim; after six seconds, he rolls against his Breath
  Control skill, succeeding, which gives +1 to the Preci-
  sion Aiming technique. He succeeds with that as well
  and gets another +1, for +19. After 12 seconds of Aim,
  he succeeds with both Breath Control and Precision
  Aiming again, for +20. After 24 seconds, he succeeds
  again, and the total becomes +21. That’s as good as he
  gets – his limit for the Precision Aiming bonus is the
  lower of the scope bonus (+3) and the Acc bonus (+6).
  He squeezes the trigger. His effective skill is 18 (skill)
  + 21 (see above) - 15 (range) - 7 (skull hit location) = 17.
  He rolls an 11 and the terrorist drops. Note that if using
  Minute of Angle (p. 32), Ed’s skill before range and hit
  location (18 + 21 = 39) would be capped at 22 + 2 ¥ (6
  +2) = 38.
  Spotters and Observers
  . . . once the shot is fired, no individual rifleman . . .
  can ever truthfully say whether or not he got his man. The
  rifle kicks up in your face and hides the aiming point, dust
  and dirt fly up around the target, and before your vision
  has cleared up, the target has disappeared. Whether shot
  or merely ducked, you cannot tell. Your observer often can.
  – Herbert McBride, A Rifleman Went to War (1935)
  Support gunners and snipers rarely work alone. They typi-
  cally have a spotter at their side who assists with acquiring tar-
  gets, finding range, observing the effects of a shot, and
  watching their back. Having a skilled spotter or observer with
  you grants a number of benefits:
  • It allows you to pool your situational awareness (p. 11)
  results: if one member of the team sees an enemy, both can
  react to it.
  • A spotter passing corrections and ranging information to a
  shooter may roll vs. Observation before any aimed attack after
  the first. Critical success gives the shooter +2 to Guns, success
  gives +1, failure gives -1, and critical failure gives -2. This modi-
  fier is cumulative with others, such as equipment bonuses.
  • Equipment required for Precision Aiming can be used by
  the spotter instead of the shooter, granting its usual bonus.
  Countersniping
  [The enemy sniper] will attempt to exploit available conceal-
  ment and use any trick he can to stay invisible, from preparing
  dummy positions to masking with echo. You could be lucky and
  observe him immediately, but this is unlikely.
  – John Plaster, The Ultimate Sniper (2006)
  Locating the position of an unseen shooter is difficult.
  Knowing the approximate direction and distance improves
  your odds of finding him considerably. A tactical shooter relies
  on his ears to gauge this.
  A Hearing-2 roll, using the modifiers below, will determine
  the direction from which the shot originated. On a failure, use
  the Scatter (p. B414) rules to determine the direction you
  think it was.
  The distance can be estimated using the “crack-bang” sys-
  tem: As soon as you hear the “crack” of the supersonic bullet
  passing near you, count from one to five (so fast that it takes
  you one second to arrive at five). Stop counting when you
  hear the “bang” of the actual muzzle report, then multiply
  that number by 100 for the approximate distance to the
  shooter, in yards. This only works if the shot was supersonic
  – shots with subsonic ammo (High-Tech, p. 165) can’t be esti-
  mated this way. The shot must have originated from 500
  yards or closer; beyond that, the simple counting method is
  too inaccurate. This distance-estimation requires a Hearing-4
  or Per-based Guns-4 roll, using the modifiers below. A TL8
  acoustic countersniper system (High-Tech, p. 207) will do the
  same, but is seldom available.
  Modifiers: Use these for both direction- and distance-find-
  ing. -1 to -10 in mountainous or urban terrain (due to echoes);
  -1 to -3 for clothing covering your ears (including many hel-
  mets!), or -5 for ear protection strong enough to give Protected
  Hearing; and any Hearing penalty due to subsonic ammo (-2
  for rifles), sound suppressor (pp. 70-71), etc., employed by the
  opposing sniper.
  Seeing the shooter requires a Quick Contest between his
  Camouflage and your Vision or Observation.
  Modifiers: Range penalties (p. B550); Vision penalties
  (p. B358) – but don’t apply penalties for darkness if there are
  visible muzzle flashes; any penalty the GM assigns for surprise
  (p. B393), shock (p. B419), fatigue (p. B426), multiple targets,
  spread-out targets, etc.; +2 if you know the direction or +4 if
  you know direction and distance; +2 if he betrayed his position;
  +10 for visible targets in plain sight, reduced for cover and pos-
  ture modifiers – e.g., someone lying down (-4) behind heavy
  cover (-4) would give only +2.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  27
  Rangefinding
  Knowing (rather than estimating) the distance to a target is
  an advantage, especially at longer ranges. Range can be
  acquired by using an optical or laser rangefinder, or through
  the use of pre-plotted landmarks.
  Since WWI, machine gunners and sharpshooters have pre-
  plotted likely areas of enemy movement to quickly know the
  range to a target. These ranges and plotted landmarks are noted
  on self-drawn maps known as “range cards.” They can then be
  shared with others, providing the +3 Acc bonus if the target is
  exactly at the landmark, or +1 if close by (within one yard).
  Plotting all landmarks covering roughly a 120° slice of land
  to the front of your position out to the weapon’s range requires
  about two hours and some way to measure the distances, such
  as rangefinder binoculars (p. 77), spotting scope (High-Tech,
  p. 47), and/or GPS (High-Tech, p. 53). Roll against Observation
  to make a range card. Plotters may first roll against Cartogra-
  phy; a critical success gives +2 to the Observation roll, success
  gives +1, failure gives -1, and critical failure gives -2.
  Setting sights to claim the +3 Acc for knowing the range
  takes a Ready maneuver; Lightning Fingers or auto-adjusting
  sights make this a free action. If using a scope, the +3 adds to
  its Acc bonus. This rule benefits not only sniper rifles, but also
  machine guns and other weapons with adjustable sights.
  
  An ordinary success means you know the shooter’s location
  to within 1 yard (p. B548). A critical success pinpoints his exact
  location. You may only try once until he fires again.
  COVER AND CONCEALMENT
  The 7.62[×51mm] NATO cartridge is powerful enough to pen-
  etrate trees, car bodies, and brick walls with enough energy left
  over to do lethal damage to an attacker on the far side.
  – Bruce Clayton, Life after Doomsday (1980)
  Due to the lethality of firearms, taking cover is one of the
  most important and most common-sense tactics in a gunfight.
  See Cover (pp. B407-408) for rules on how to move into cover,
  how to shoot from cover, and how to shoot targets behind
  cover. The protection offered by typical materials can be found
  under Cover DR (p. B559); additional details and examples are
  listed below.
  A trained tactical shooter knows that concealment is not
  cover. Just because your opponent can’t see you doesn’t mean
  he can’t hit you. Many modern firearms will blast right through
  typical obstacles – including cars and building walls! Too often,
  untrained (or improperly trained) people confuse “not being
  seen” with “being safe.”
  Ideally, a shooter will be aware of how well bullets pene-
  trate the materials found in common environments and on the
  battlefield. This requires a thorough understanding of mate-
  rial strength and of the penetrative capabilities of commonly
  used munitions. With a successful roll against Engineer
  (Combat)+4, Expert Skill (Military Science), or Soldier, a gun-
  man will recognize the most substantial cover in the vicinity.
  Of course, you can use this to your own advantage. For
  example, if an opponent hides behind a corner or on the far
  side of a door, you may simply shoot through it (p. B408).
  However, this isn’t a good idea if you don’t know exactly who
  (or who else!) is behind that cover.
  Never underestimate your own and your opponents’ other
  senses. If you can’t see them, you may still be able to hear or
  smell them (p. B358) – and they you! Avoid sounds with a Stealth
  roll, and be sure to modify the roll for equipment secured
  against noise; e.g., by selecting suitable clothing and footwear, by
  wearing properly stowed load-bearing equipment (High-Tech,
  p. 54), by using ammunition containers that don’t rattle (most
  drum magazines do), by draining a canteen completely to pre-
  vent the water sloshing in it, and even by avoiding flatulence-
  inducing food (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 50). An IQ-based Stealth
  or Soldier-2 roll will let you avoid such basic mistakes.
  At short distances, especially indoors, but even on the
  ambush along a jungle path, a Smell roll can be used to detect
  an opponent (or to detect you)! Giveaway odors include soap,
  cologne, or perfume (or the lack of use of such products, espe-
  cially when sweating), tobacco smoke lingering in clothes,
  insect repellent, explosives, and even weapon oil. Consumed
  food and drink can also reveal you, including the smell of
  alcohol or garlic on your breath or in your sweat, as well as
  that of many spices and animal products such as cheese or
  meat – possibly making Vow (Vegetarianism) worth it (com-
  pare SEALs in Vietnam, p. 23). Depending on wind condi-
  tions, some of these odors can be smelled up to 100 yards away
  (400 yards for cigarette smoke). A Soldier-2 or IQ-based Stealth
  roll will let you avoid substances that are easily smelled.
  Using Cover
  When you are shooting from behind cover, don’t expose any
  more of yourself than is necessary to shoot back. There are vari-
  ous shooting positions that will allow the maximum use of cover
  by conforming to its characteristics.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Pistol (1996)
  The GM can optionally use these detailed rules for cover
  penalties instead of the penalties on p. B408. Barricade Tactics
  (p. 37) allows you take better advantage of cover by using var-
  ious tricks that avoid exposure, such as firing prone without
  raising your head, by twisting to the side.
  Each category of cover includes the penalty for your oppo-
  nent to shoot around the cover – doing so means you are not
  protected by the cover DR. This penalty also adds to the hit
  location penalty for any shot made through the cover, as it is
  harder to target unseen body parts.
  Very light cover gives others -1 to hit you while giving
  you no penalty to shoot back. It represents solid cover
  that exposes 3/4 of your body (e.g., standing behind a
  parking meter or an upright table), or broken cover
  where the gaps are wider than the bits of cover (chain-
  link, saplings, etc.).
  Light cover is similar, but gives -2. It represents solid
  cover that exposes 1/2 of your body (e.g., leaning out of
  a doorway, over an upturned table, or over the hood of a
  car), or broken cover where the gaps are about the same
  size as the strips of cover (picket fence, portcullis, etc.).
  Medium cover gives -3, but you are also at -2 to hit –
  unless you brace your weapon against the cover and
  make an aimed shot (p. 14). You can brace against a
  vertical object like a wall! This represents solid cover
  that exposes just 1/3 of your body (e.g., a chest-height
  cabinet), or broken cover where the gaps are narrower
  than the swaths of cover.
  Heavy cover is similar to medium, but gives -4 to
  your foes and -4 to you (unless you brace and aim).
  This represents solid cover that exposes 1/4 or less of
  your body (e.g., shooting through a tiny window).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  28
  Shooting Around Cover
  You won’t always be able to shoot around the right-hand side
  of cover. If you have to fire around the left-hand side, there are
  two schools of thought:
  Shoot Left-Handed: This means you enjoy the same protec-
  tion from cover as if firing right-handed. It requires you to
  switch the weapon to your other hand(s), which takes one
  Ready maneuver, or three if it’s on a two- or three-point sling
  (p. 71-72). Quick-Swap (p. 40) makes this a free action for hand-
  guns. Off-hand penalties apply. This is ill-advised with most
  bullpup weapons, since they would eject spent cases straight
  into your face!
  Shoot Right-Handed: This exposes more of your body but
  means you can fire immediately and at no penalty. Treat the
  cover as one step less.
  Left-handed shooters would reverse all of the above!
  
  Total cover can’t be shot around. The enemy must shoot
  through it and deal with its DR, and must roll randomly for hit
  location. This is the case when shooting through walls, at
  unpierced fortifications, and so on.
  There are two exceptions to the rules above:
  1. Any hit location necessary to operate the weapon can be
  targeted at no extra penalty on any turn in which you attack.
  This is typically one or both hands, the face, and the weapon
  itself. For instance, your enemy would have -3 to shoot around
  medium cover at your torso, -7 to target your hand, and -8 to
  hit your face – but if you leaned out to shoot back, he could hit
  your hand at the usual -4 and your face at -5. You can opt not
  to expose your head, but then you’re shooting blind (-10 to hit
  and maximum skill 9; p. B389) unless you have an OAVD
  (p. 75) . . . and your hand is still targeted at just -4.
  2. When shooting through narrow apertures – into gun slits,
  down pipes, etc. – use the SM of the opening instead of the above
  modifiers. For instance, to shoot down a 4” drainpipe piercing a
  solid stone wall, roll at -7! For a proper gun slit, this is a one-way
  penalty; those inside shoot as if behind medium cover (-2). For
  most impromptu cover, though, both sides have a penalty!
  Cover Outdoors
  Even the smallest depression or fold in the ground can give
  some cover. Look for and use every bit of cover the terrain offers.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 21-75
  Combat Skills of the Soldier (1984)
  Out of doors, good cover – as opposed to concealment – is
  often difficult to find. Forests and jungles offer myriad hiding
  opportunities, but most vegetation provides little protection.
  Substantial tree trunks or log constructions can’t be penetrated
  by handguns and shotgun pellets, but even small-caliber
  assault rifles will reliably punch through tree trunks 1’ thick
  (DR 8-14*). Infantry rifle or MG bullets will penetrate trees
  with a thickness of 2’ or more (DR 16-28*), and a .50-caliber
  projectile will go through twice that (DR 33-57*).
  Other materials are even less bulletproof. A wall of earth,
  either tamped or between boards of wood, needs to be 2’ thick
  (DR 36) to protect against high-powered rifles and MGs. A
  snow drift needs to be 5’ thick (DR 18*) to provide reasonable
  protection against assault rifle fire, or 7’ (DR 25*) against a
  high-powered rifle. If the snow is tamped, 5’ (DR 24*) are suf-
  ficient against rifle fire.
  Natural stones offer the best protection, but aren’t always
  easy to find. A loosely stacked, 1’- to -2’-thick stone wall (DR
  96-312*) like those commonly surrounding fields in many rural
  areas of Europe, will completely protect against rifle fire. The big
  compacted bales of straw found after harvest on the fields need
  to be 10’ thick (DR 24) to be useful as cover against rifles.
  Outdoors Cover DR Table
  Material
  DR/Inch
  Notes
  Earth or Loam, Loose
  1
  Earth or Loam, Tamped
  1.5
  Sand, Dry, Loose
  2
  Sand, Dry, Tamped
  3
  Snow, Loose
  0.3*
  Snow, Tamped
  0.4*
  Stone
  8-13*
  Straw, Compacted
  0.2
  Combustible
  Tree Trunk or Log,
  1.2*
  Combustible
  Hardwood (Oak)
  Tree Trunk or Log,
  0.7*
  Combustible
  Softwood (Fir)
  * Repeated damage to a small area lowers DR, as explained
  on p. B559.
  Cover in Built-Up Areas
  . . . interior walls made of thin wood paneling, sheetrock, or
  plaster are no protection against 5.56mm rounds. Common
  office furniture such as desks and chairs cannot stop these
  rounds, but a layer of books 18 to 24 inches thick can . . .
  Wooden frame buildings and single cinder block walls offer little
  protection from 5.56mm rounds.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 90-10-1 An Infantryman’s
  Guide to Combat in Built-Up Areas (1993)
  Urban terrain offers numerous cover and concealment
  options, but many are far less bulletproof than commonly
  believed. Even a bullet from a puny .22-caliber handgun can go
  through 5” of seasoned pine wood (DR 3*), easily penetrating
  even massive wooden doors or furniture. Modern plywood
  constructions offer virtually no protection – a 0.75”-thick ply-
  wood door has DR 1*. An ordinary 1.75”-thick fireproof door –
  two thin steel plates and some stuffing – offers only DR 8.
  Furniture like sofas, overturned tables, computers, mat-
  tresses, or cupboards will seldom offer more than DR 2*, often
  barely DR 1* (unless “there’s Kevlar in that chair”). Stacked
  books or newspaper bales provide limited protection; a complete
  Basic Set (both books together) has DR 2*. Cast-iron stoves (and
  stove plates) found at TL5-6 are typically 0.25-0.5” thick (DR
  13-25), and will thus stop most handgun and carbine bullets.
  The drywall popular in North America offers almost no
  protection against small arms (DR 1*). Massive bricks and
  mortared natural stones will reliably stop high-powered rifles
  (DR 47-76*), but need to be relatively thick to do so – common
  3.6” brick veneer is much less resistant (DR 18*). Reinforced
  concrete offers excellent protection; even a thin, 4” wall will be
  initially impervious (DR 40-48*).
  If cover can’t be penetrated by a single round, it may be
  chipped away by repeated attacks – treat any cover with a * as
  semi-ablative (p. B559). This method can be used to create a
  hole – e.g. to toss a grenade inside. Some 150 rounds of
  5.56¥45mm NATO or 100 rounds of 7.62¥51mm NATO (or
  comparable rounds) will chew a 7” loophole into an 8”-thick
  wall of reinforced concrete (DR 96*, HP 80) – while 50 rounds
  of .50 Browning will produce a 1’ hole, and 100 rounds will
  make a breach larger than 2’ in diameter!
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  29
  Another fallacy is that a mattress is
  ample protection against small arms fire.
  Actually, the .38 and .45 will penetrate 10”
  or more of solid mattress . . .
  – Rex Applegate,
  Kill or Get Killed (1976)
  
  Caught in the open on the streets, cover may be more diffi-
  cult to find. In an emergency, even a curb may offer some pro-
  tection (treat as light cover if prone). A typical fire hydrant
  provides DR 50 (as very light cover, or light if kneeling or
  crouching), a parking meter around DR 10 (very light cover in
  any posture), and a mailbox or newspaper vending machine
  DR 5 (as for a hydrant).
  Some of the best and most versatile protection can be had
  by using that old standby, the sandbag. A typical sandbag is 18”
  long, 12” wide, and 3” high, and weighs 33 lbs. filled. A single-
  layer “sandbag wall” is about 1’ thick (DR 36). This offers reli-
  able protection from assault rifle fire; a wall can easily be made
  thicker by simply lining up more bags. Sand can also be used
  as a filler in other barricades. Parapets built by spacing 1” pine
  boards 1’ apart and packing the space with sand will protect
  against rifle fire (DR 38).
  Stacking metal ammo cans filled with sand gives good cover
  – the 6” wide M2 steel box used for .50-caliber belts (High-
  Tech, p. 133) weighs 33 lbs. packed with sand (DR 18). Filling
  55-gallon steel drums (High-Tech, p. 54) with sand gives pro-
  tection even against .50-caliber projectiles (DR 68).
  Prior to the 20th century, cover against muskets and cannon
  was usually built using gabions, woven wicker baskets filled
  with sand or earth. A gabion is typically 2’ in diameter and pro-
  vides full protection against muskets and other small arms (DR
  72* with sand, 36* with earth or loam).
  Built-Up Areas Cover DR Table
  TL
  Cover
  DR
  Notes
  1
  Adobe Wall
  30*
  12”
  1
  Large Oak Door
  2*
  1”; Combustible
  1
  Large Pine Door
  1*
  1”; Combustible
  2
  Brick Wall
  47-76*
  9.5”
  3
  Books, Newspapers
  1*
  1”; Combustible
  4
  Gabion
  72*
  2’, packed with sand
  4
  Heavy Furniture
  2*
  Combustible
  (Cupboard, Chest)
  4
  Sandbag
  36
  12”, packed with sand
  6
  Ammo Can
  18
  2¥0.04” metal sides,
  packed with sand
  6
  Large Drum
  68
  2¥0.04” metal sides,
  packed with sand
  6
  Light Furniture
  1*
  Combustible
  (Couch, TV, Computer)
  6
  Plywood Door
  1*
  0.75”; Combustible
  6
  Reinforced
  40-48*
  4”
  Concrete Wall
  6
  Steel Fire Door
  8
  2¥0.053” steel sheets,
  spaced 1.75” apart
  7
  Drywall
  1*
  2¥0.5” sheets,
  spaced 3.5” apart
  7
  Treated Glass Pane
  21*
  1”; Brittle
  8
  Glass Fiber Resin
  26
  1”
  Architectural Armor
  * Repeated damage to a small area lowers DR, as explained
  on p. B559.
  Cover In and Behind Vehicles
  The slope of the windshield will deflect bullets up when fir-
  ing from inside the unit, and will deflect them down when fir-
  ing into a car.
  – Larry Nichols, “Bush-Wacked,
  Dry-Gulched, Ambushed, Waylaid” (2001)
  Automobiles and other vehicles are so ubiquitous that
  their use as cover merits special discussion. See p. B464 and
  Transportation (High-Tech, pp. 228-244) for typical vehicle
  statistics.
  Modern TL7-8 car bodies are made of thin steel sheets (typi-
  cally less than 0.04”) or plastics, with some additional stuffing,
  over a somewhat more substantial frame (total DR 3-5). A car
  door will not reliably stop a handgun or SMG bullet – this is an
  entirely cinematic convention! At TL6, automobiles are built
  somewhat more substantially (DR 5-8) and will often deflect or
  stop handgun and SMG bullets – especially past 1/2D Range or
  at an unfavorable angle – but aren’t exactly bulletproof either.
  From 2005, several companies offer ballistic inserts that provide
  up to DR 20 for police cruiser front doors (but not the windows).
  Handgun projectiles won’t penetrate sideways through a car,
  however – two doors (plus anything inside the car, including
  the seats) will usually stop them. This is not true for rifle fire –
  most rounds from high-powered TL6-8 rifles, as well as shot-
  gun slugs, will punch completely through a car from any angle,
  and still be quite deadly on the other side. The only real safe
  area is behind the engine block (DR 25-35). This will stop any-
  thing short of a .50-caliber weapon. The best cover behind a
  front-engined car is behind the front wheels.
  At TL7-8, windshields are made of 0.2-0.25” laminated glass
  (two sheets of glass with a layer of clear plastic glued in
  between) that is quite resistant against damage (DR 2-3). Fur-
  thermore, they are usually sloped; multiply effective DR by 1.5
  (DR 3-4) if the shooter doesn’t attack from above at a corre-
  spondingly steep angle, or by 2 if from a prone or kneeling
  shooting position. Birdshot will rarely penetrate a windshield;
  a handgun or rifle bullet will, but the laminated construction
  means it will only make a small hole (and possibly some spi-
  der-webbing). It won’t shatter the entire windshield.
  Unless an armor-piercing (AP) (p. 78) or barrier-blind (BB)
  projectile (p. 77) is used, a shot through the windshield, from
  either inside or outside the car, will be deflected enough to
  result in a Guns penalty that depends on projectile weight:
  Light Bullets: Apply -2 to hit with light non-AP or -BB bullets
  with a mass of less than about 150 grains, such as most hand-
  gun bullets below 10mm/.40-caliber (e.g. 9¥19mm Parabellum,
  .38 Special, .357 Magnum), shotgun pellets, and most rifle pro-
  jectiles below 7.62mm/.30-caliber (including .223 Reming-
  ton/5.56¥45mm NATO, 7.62¥39mm M-43, and .30 M1 carbine).
  Heavy Bullets: Use -1 to hit for heavier non-AP or -BB bul-
  lets with a mass of at least 150 grains, such as handgun bullets
  of 10mm/.40-caliber or more (like the .40 S&W, .44 Magnum,
  and .45 ACP), shotgun slugs, and most rifle projectiles of
  7.62mm/.30-caliber and above (including 7.62¥51mm NATO,
  .30-06 Springfield, and .50 Browning).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  30
  Caught on the streets, even a curb may offer some protection if you’re prone.
  
  Car windows other than the windshield offer virtually no
  protection (DR 1*) and usually shatter under the first attack.
  Both TL7-8 armored bullion cars and armored limousines
  are fully proof even against rifle fire with AP projectiles,
  depending on their classification (DR 25+). This also applies to
  their windows, which are made of several inches of laminated
  armor glass (DR 25+).
  Vehicles Cover DR Table
  TL
  Cover
  DR
  Notes
  6
  Car
  10-16
  Entire vehicle side-wise
  6
  Car
  35-50
  Entire vehicle side-wise,
  engine area
  6
  Car Door
  5-8
  6
  Car Window
  1*
  Brittle
  7
  Armored
  25+
  Passenger compartment
  Limousine
  including windows
  7
  Car
  6-10
  Entire vehicle side-wise
  7
  Car
  35-45
  Entire vehicle side-wise,
  engine area
  7
  Car Door
  3-5
  7
  Car Window
  1*
  Brittle
  7
  Car Windshield
  2-3
  8
  Car Door with
  Ballistic Insert
  15-25
  * Repeated damage to a small area lowers DR, as explained
  on p. B559.
  ATTACKS WITH
  MIXED AMMUNITION
  The trajectory of the Tracer, M1, bullet crosses that of the Ball,
  M2, and Armor-Piercing, M2, at approximately 600 yards.
  – U.S. Army Ordnance Office, Catalogue of
  Standard Ordnance Items (1944)
  Mixing different ammunition is generally not a good idea –
  anyone trained in Guns skill knows this. Even subtle differ-
  ences between two brands of the same projectile can lead to
  misses or malfunctions when they’re mixed. Most ammo
  upgrades (High-Tech, p. 165), projectile options (High-Tech,
  pp. 166-174), and projectile upgrades (High-Tech, pp. 174-175)
  will result in different ballistics. For example, all tracers (p. 78)
  have different flight paths and shorter ranges (about 10% less)
  than comparable non-tracer rounds.
  A related problem is that, in the heat of a gunfight, most
  shooters can’t keep count of the number of rounds they fired,
  let alone their type (see Reloading, p. 20). Mixing ammunition
  in a magazine is typically useless over-thinking – if you want
  to be prepared for all eventualities, bring different maga-
  zines. Mixing different ammo in one magazine only means
  wasting those rounds that do not match your threat.
  However, sometimes projectile types have to be mixed –
  because of desired special effects or because there is no other
  way. For instance, tracers are supposed to be intermixed with
  other ammunition. Despite differing ballistics, they are still
  helpful when aiming. Also, if you have, for example, just one
  buckshot shell and one slug for your shotgun left, you may still
  want to fire them both in one attack.
  Rapid Fire (p. B373) has no mechanic to deal with this, but
  can be easily amended. It’s irrelevant in which order the differ-
  ent rounds are fired, partially for playability, but also because
  GURPS does not assume any particular preference in which
  rounds of a rapid-fire or multiple-projectile attack hit. In the
  span of a one-second turn, it doesn’t matter.
  When shooting a mixture of ammo types, figure effective
  skill with each type of ammo, taking into account that ammo’s
  effects on Acc and skill, and applying the rapid-fire bonus only
  for the number of rounds of that one ammo type. Then make
  a single attack roll, find the margin for each ammo type, and
  compare that to the Rcl for that ammo type to find potential
  hits. Finally, multiply hits for each type of round by the propor-
  tion of rounds fired. Drop fractions, but if your attack suc-
  ceeded at all, you’ll always hit at least once; use the best margin
  to find what kind of ammo hits, the most numerous ammo
  type if that’s a tie, and a die roll if still tied.
  Examples: Sergeant Barry Wunder fires a 10-shot burst
  from his FN M249 LMG (High-Tech, p. 136) loaded with a belt
  holding a 4:1 mix of solid and tracer bullets. His effective skill
  – accounting for range, lighting, and all other considerations –
  is 10. Eight rounds of solids give a rapid-fire bonus of +2. Two
  tracers grant no bonus. Thus, his skill is 12 for eight solids and
  10 for two tracers. He rolls an 8 to hit. He beats skill by 4 for
  solids and by 2 for tracers. With Rcl 2, this would mean three
  potential hits with solids and two with tracers. He then weights
  his hits to reflect his ammo mix: 3 ¥ 4/5 = 2.4 solids and 2 ¥ 1/5
  = 0.4 tracers. Dropping fractions, he gets 2 hits with solids.
  Bodyguard Charlie King is armed with a Remington Model
  1100 shotgun (p. 60) and is down to three rounds – one buck-
  shot, two slugs. His effective skill is 14. One load of buck (nine
  pellets) gives a rapid-fire bonus of +2. Two slugs grant no bonus.
  His skill is 16 for nine pellets and 14 for two slugs. He rolls a 10
  to hit. He beats skill by 6 for pellets and by 4 for slug. Since the
  Remington Model 1100 has Rcl 1/4, this would mean seven
  potential hits with pellets and two with slugs. He then weights
  his hits: 7 ¥ 1/3 = 2.33 pellets and 2 ¥ 2/3 = 1.33 slugs. Dropping
  fractions, he gets 2 hits with pellets and 1 hit with slugs.
  SHOOTING FROM VEHICLES
  It may happen at any time in the course of duty that an officer
  is obliged to jump on the running-board of a passing car and pur-
  sue another car containing a criminal . . . The secret is to bend the
  legs at the knees and take the sway of the car below the knees.
  – J. Henry FitzGerald, Shooting (1930)
  Shootists occasionally have to drive and shoot simultane-
  ously. Driving suffers the same -2 that all movement tasks expe-
  rience when taking a Move and Attack maneuver (p. B366).
  Learn Combat Driving (p. 43) to buy this off.
  Shooting is subject to several penalties. First, if you’re the
  driver, you’re at -2 or your weapon’s Bulk penalty, whichever
  is worse (p. B470). Next, a rough ride gives a penalty, which
  you can reduce through Mounted Shooting (p. 44). Finally,
  your shooting skill can’t exceed the vehicle operator’s control
  skill – but Combat Driving helps here, too, if the person at the
  controls has it!
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  31
  Mixing ammo is not a good idea.
  
  THINGS NOT TO DO
  . . . grabbing the magazine as a vertical foregrip is a bad prac-
  tice and causes more deformed magazines, magazine-hous-
  ing/wells and magazine latches than any other handling technique.
  – Frank Moyer and Robert Scroggie,
  Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques (1971)
  Tactical Shooting is all about professionals. The methods
  below are what trained shooters should not do. Some of these
  were done at one time or another by professionals (such as
  the taping of magazines), but experience has shown them to
  be a bad idea. Others, such as “gangsta shooting,” have
  always been stupid.
  Akimbo Shooting
  Firing a gun from either hand is popular in the movies, but
  next to worthless in realistic situations. You can’t properly sight
  two weapons at once, allowing only unsighted shooting (p. 13).
  Unless you know Dual-Weapon Attack (p. 44) and have either
  Ambidexterity (p. 36) or Off-Hand Weapon Training (p. 39),
  you will suffer huge penalties. While firing two guns simultane-
  ously doubles RoF, this doesn’t help much if you can’t hit any-
  thing – at best, it allows suppression fire (see Shooting at Several
  Opponents, pp. 17-18). No military, police agency, or other pro-
  fessional armed body has ever advocated this.
  Carrying two handguns was popular in the 19th century
  because contemporary weapons were unreliable and slow to
  reload. Even if both were drawn simultaneously, only the one
  in the dominant hand was normally fired; the other one was
  kept in reserve. When needed, they could be exchanged by
  “crossing the border” (see Quick-Swap, p. 40).
  Gangsta Shooting
  This means tilting a firearm (usually a handgun) to the
  side and firing it this way. Influenced by films and rap
  videos, “gangsta shooting” has become popular with people
  who don’t know what they’re doing but worry about how
  they look while doing it. You’re unable to do anything but
  unsighted shooting (p. 13) this way and can’t take advantage
  of a two-handed shooting stance (pp. 11-12). The GM should
  make liberal use of Hitting the Wrong Target (pp. B389-390).
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  32
  The Basic Set strikes a balance between gritty realism
  and cinematic action. Tactical Shooting refines those
  rules for realistic play. The following options will make
  them even grittier:
  Bullet Travel: Bullets don’t reach their target instantly; as
  a rough guide, a handgun projectile takes (Range in
  yards)/250 seconds and a rifle projectile takes (Range in
  yards)/600 seconds to arrive, rounding up. Every second
  after the first offers the chance of target movement – or of
  wind, an updraft, or even something crossing the path of
  the bullet! Simulate this by rolling 1d-5 per extra second,
  retaining negative numbers, and applying the result as a
  skill modifier after the shooter squeezes the trigger but
  before you roll the dice. For instance, for a rifle shot at
  2,000 yards, roll 3d-15, for from +3 to -12 to the shot. A
  bonus reflects something like the target suddenly standing
  tall and turning face-on into the shot!
  Concealed Carry: Some handguns are more appropriate
  for concealed carry than others: Semiautomatics are usu-
  ally easier to conceal than revolvers, pistols with single-
  stack magazines are slimmer than those with high-capacity
  magazines, etc. The GM may give certain models +1 to
  Holdout in Quick Contests against Vision or Observation.
  Eyestrain: Peering through telescopes and night vision
  sights exerts considerable eyestrain: Apply -1 to Vision
  after an hour, and another -1 per further half-hour, up to -4.
  Once you stop, you shed -1 per 10 minutes.
  Hammerless Handguns: Sidearms with exposed ham-
  mers give -1 to Fast-Draw (Pistol) rolls, in addition to the
  -3 for drawing from a pocket (p. 42). On a failure, the gun
  remains caught in the pocket, but can be removed with a
  Ready maneuver next turn. On a critical failure, it tears the
  pocket liner and takes 1d+1 seconds to extract. See Ham-
  merless Handguns (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 8).
  Hip Shooting: Hip shots (pp. 11-13) often go low to the
  abdomen (groin or torso hit location). If rolling randomly,
  treat face or skull hits as torso hits and arm hits as leg hits.
  Minute of Angle: Every firearm has a dispersion, no mat-
  ter how well fixed or braced. At high skill, the weapon may
  be the limiting factor in a shot. Effective skill before penal-
  ties for speed, range, and size can’t exceed 22 + (2 ¥ Acc),
  including the Acc bonus from match ammo.
  Example: A CheyTac M200 (p. 63) with Acc 6+4 and +1
  match ammo limits skill to 22 + [2 ¥ (6 + 1)] = 36. A master
  sniper with Guns (Rifle)-18 gets his skill of 18 + 6 (Acc) + 4
  (scope) +1 (match) + 1 (braced) + 1 (All-Out Attack (Deter-
  mined)) + 2 (Aim) + 4 (Precision Aiming) = 37 capped at
  36. Firing at a man at 1,000 yards, his final effective skill is
  36 - 0 (size) - 16 (range) = 20.
  Peripheral Vision: Treat anyone making a sighted or
  aimed shot as having No Peripheral Vision (p. B151) until
  his next turn – or Tunnel Vision if he used a scope or simi-
  lar optic (but not a collimating or reflex sight). This will
  significantly impact Situational Awareness (p. 11)!
  Reaction Speeds: PCs often operate with inhuman focus,
  doing something productive during every second of even
  the most chaotic combat. If a player doesn’t have his char-
  acter’s action ready when his turn comes up, he must take
  a “default” action, agreed upon in advance: All-Out
  Defense, Do Nothing, repeat his previous action, etc.
  Shot Effect: Don’t announce the game-mechanical
  results of the PCs’ shots to the players! Even if opponents
  visibly drop, shooters might want to put in another round,
  just to make sure. See Situational Awareness (p. 11) for
  additional considerations.
  Skill Degradation: Shooters often have one or two skills
  at extremely high levels (DX+8 or more). The GM should
  enforce Maintaining Skills (p. B294).
  Harsh Realism for Tactical Shooters
  
  Furthermore, most “gangstas” angle the wrist or twist the hand,
  for an extra -1 to Guns. Due to limp-wristing and mechanical
  issues, using a semiautomatic pistol this way increases the like-
  lihood of a stoppage: -1 to Malf.
  There are a few situations which make a tilted weapon nec-
  essary, such as when using a tactical shield (High-Tech, p. 71).
  In order to minimize head and torso exposure, shield-wielders
  bend the arm around the side of their shield to fire while peek-
  ing through a transparent armor vision block. Tilting the gun
  is natural in this case. As above, this only allows one-handed,
  unsighted shooting (but without the issues of hand-twisting or
  limp-wristing), and the weapon and arm are fully exposed. See
  also Tactical Use of Shields (SWAT, p. 36).
  Jungle Magazines
  Taping two (or more!) magazines together “jungle-style” –
  that is, side-by-side with one pointing up and the other down
  – has been popular since WWII. This speeds up reloading
  (one Ready maneuver less), but its main advantage is that
  load-bearing equipment isn’t needed for spare magazines; it’s
  thus popular with irregular forces and criminals, who seldom
  bother with proper gear. However, “jungle-taping” increases
  the weight and bulk of the loaded weapon (-1 Bulk if three or
  more magazines are used). The exposed feeding lips of the
  magazine(s) pointing down may get damaged or dirty, which
  will often result in a stoppage: -1 to Malf. Clamped magazines
  (High-Tech, p. 155) leave the mags less vulnerable, but retain
  the Bulk penalty if overdone.
  Lock Shooting
  Unlike in the movies, it’s difficult to shoot off a padlock or
  blast a door lock (High-Tech, p. 203) with a handgun – most
  small arms are ineffective at this except for shotguns with spe-
  cialty ammunition (see Door Breaching, p. 24). Tough padlocks
  can resist most handgun bullets, and destroyed deadbolts often
  warp so much that the door won’t open anyway. In either case,
  bullet or lock fragments can endanger the shooter or bystanders.
  Magazine Grip
  Many SMGs and automatic rifles have a long magazine stick-
  ing out underneath or to the side of the weapon. This is a con-
  venient grip for the off hand, but holding onto the magazine
  (rather than the handguard or magazine well) can produce fric-
  tion in the magazine, and often results in a stoppage: -1 to Malf.
  Weapons with no or only a short magazine well – such as
  the Izhmash AK-47 (High-Tech, p. 114), FN FAL (High-Tech,
  p. 115), Enfield Sten (High-Tech, p. 124), ERMA MP40
  (High-Tech, p. 124), H&K MP5 series (High-Tech, p. 123),
  and all their variants – suffer this penalty. Others, like the Colt
  AR-15 series (High-Tech, pp. 117, 119) or H&K G36 (High-
  Tech, p. 121), do not.
  Stockless Shooting
  Shooting a long arm with its shoulder stock folded or
  removed isn’t a good idea, as it reduces the weapon’s accuracy
  and controllability. Long arms with folding stocks are popular
  with untrained gangsters, terrorists, and pirates, though;
  they’re easier to hide and to maneuver in tight confines (e.g.,
  bank, getaway car, or captured ship).
  Given enough time, a properly trained shooter can unfold
  the stock, or at least use a properly set-up sling to stabilize the
  weapon. The folding-stock-and-sling combination is popular
  with close-quarters battle operators of many special-ops and
  SWAT teams, since it retains the lower Bulk but at the same
  time allows decent shooting.
  See Shoulder Shooting of Long Arms (p. 12) for detailed rules.
  Threat Cocking
  Another move prevalent in cinema is racking the slide of a
  pistol or pumping a shotgun in order to make a point – usually
  to threaten someone. While this may give +1 to Intimidation, it
  usually dumps a live round from the chamber of your weapon to
  the ground (assuming it was ready to fire, as it should be).
  Depending on magazine capacity, you may well regret this later.
  THE TACTICAL MIND
  There can be no doubt that this resistance to killing one’s fel-
  low man is there and that it exists as a result of a powerful com-
  bination of instinctive, rational, environmental, hereditary,
  cultural, and social factors. It is there, it is strong, and it gives us
  cause to believe that there may just be hope for mankind after all
  . . . [However,] with the proper conditioning and the proper cir-
  cumstances, it appears that almost anyone can and will kill . . .
  – Dave Grossman, On Killing (1996)
  An important component of all tactical shooting training is
  psychological – preparing the shooter to anticipate violence,
  maintain focus during the noise and confusion of combat, and
  cope with the stress of killing total strangers. The mindset to
  take control of a life-or-death combat situation is typical for
  trained professionals, and for GURPS player characters in gen-
  eral – after all, they’re heroes!
  Threat Recognition
  A tactical shooter should be aware of his surroundings –
  observing the people around him, assessing potential threats,
  and preparing contingency plans in case a situation escalates
  to the point of deadly violence. Shooting instructors often cat-
  egorize this mental preparation in terms of “color codes.”
  Unaware (White): You’re tired, distracted, or otherwise not
  expecting trouble. This state applies whenever you have a Per
  penalty of -2 or worse from missed sleep (p. B427), afflictions
  (pp. B428-429), doing two things at once, etc. Apply the Per
  penalty to all rolls to notice developing tactical situations (e.g.,
  Observation or Tactics). Missed threats will seem to “come out
  of nowhere,” causing total surprise (p. B393). If you have
  Combat Reflexes, you’re never in this state.
  Alert (Yellow): There’s no specific threat situation, but you’re
  prepared for trouble. You can still suffer from partial surprise
  (p. B393), and don’t receive the +5 “heat of battle” bonus to
  Fright Checks. This is the default condition of a prepared tacti-
  cal shooter.
  Focused (Orange): You’ve identified a specific possible threat,
  usually through Danger Sense (p. 36), Standard Operating Pro-
  cedure (Check the Crowd) (p. 40), or Observation. You won’t suf-
  fer surprise (p. B393) if the expected threat occurs, and are
  vulnerable only to partial surprise from other threats. You may
  take Wait maneuvers with regard to the expected threat, and Sit-
  uational Awareness (p. 11) now applies, but you don’t suffer the
  -2 for “free action” awareness. It’s difficult and mentally strain-
  ing to maintain this level of alert without actually going into
  combat – make a Will roll every 10 minutes or lose 1 FP.
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  33
  
  Triggered (Red): You’re in combat – “slow” time starts and
  you act turn-by-turn.
  Panicked (Black): You’ve been caught flat-footed due to total
  surprise or a failed Fright Check!
  Adrenaline and other stress hormones cause fighters to suf-
  fer from reduced eye-hand coordination, poor volume control,
  and tunnel vision. You never receive any task difficulty bonuses
  (p. B345) for unstressed use of skills while Focused, Triggered,
  or Panicked. However, if you’re Focused or Triggered, you do
  benefit from the +5 bonus to Fright Checks for being in the
  heat of battle.
  Killing Intent
  The gunfighter was schooled to kill. He was not a man whose
  nerves bothered him in a tight minute.
  – Eugene Cunningham, Triggernometry (1934)
  Ordinary people usually have Pacifism (Reluctant Killer)
  (p. B148). Even if they shoot at someone, they don’t want to
  make a deadly attack, causing them to miss entirely or to only
  wound. Military drill sergeants, police trainers, and private
  defense shooting instructors work hard to strip students of
  inhibitions against violence – tactical shooting stresses to
  always shoot to kill.
  A PC is not an “ordinary person,” though, and will only have
  this disadvantage if the player so chooses. Other traits can help
  justify this lack of qualms: Fanaticism (p. B136) and Sense of
  Duty (p. B153) provide coping mechanisms for justifying lethal
  action. An otherwise unhealthy disregard for human life may
  be tempered by Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) or (Self-
  Defense Only). Being a stone-cold killer doesn’t rule out Post-
  Combat Shakes (p. B150), or, eventually, Nightmares (p. B144);
  in fact, both are common reactions. Bloodlust (p. B125), which
  borders on the socio-pathological, is rarely appropriate for the
  good guys.
  Cool Under Fire
  There is the horror of seeing men and animals wounded and
  maimed and mutilated, or torn to pieces or lying dead in some
  grotesque attitude . . . Much mental and emotional inhibition is
  necessary to preserve one’s reason.
  – William Rivers, The Repression
  of War Experience (1918)
  Although combat might be considered “ordinary” for
  GURPS characters, the GM may require a Fright Check on the
  turn after especially traumatic events. A failed Fright Check is
  likely to stun the victim, forcing him to hesitate for those impor-
  tant moments that get even skilled shooters killed. Training
  helps here; a Will-based Soldier roll can be substituted for Will.
  Typical situations include coming under Suppression Fire
  (pp. B409-410); being the target of a near miss (by 2 or less) from
  any attack; being in the blast zone of an explosion (2 ¥ dice of
  damage in yards); suffering a wound (even a graze may set some
  people off); or seeing an ally incapacitated or killed.
  Modifiers: All standard Fright Check modifiers, including
  +5 for the heat of battle; a penalty equal to the attacker’s
  rapid-fire bonus unless you are safely behind cover (you suf-
  fer the full penalty if the cover gets penetrated!); -1 if you
  can’t determine from where the attack came; +1 if the attack
  was silenced or sound-suppressed; -2 for a non-penetrating
  hit; +2 for Bloodlust; +1 for Callous; -2 for Combat Paralysis;
  a penalty equal to the multiple of HP suffered by the worst-
  off casualty you can see, including your own (-1 at 0 HP, -2 at
  -HP, etc.); -1 if blood or guts got on you; -1 to -3 if you knew
  at least one of the victims, doubled if you shot him!; +1 if
  you’re a combat veteran. Having a pre-arranged plan (see
  Battle Drills, pp. 22-23), attacking from ambush (p. 21), and
  engaging in combat at a great distance (100+ yards) all help
  insulate you from the horrors and danger of the situation:
  each gives you +1 by itself, or +5 if all three apply!
  Each Fright Check may trigger Combat Paralysis (p. B127)
  or disadvantages that require a self-control roll.
  Shell Shock
  . . . there is 2% of the male population that, if pushed or if
  given a legitimate reason, will kill without regret or remorse.
  – Dave Grossman, On Killing (1996)
  More than 20% of participants in firefights – whether sol-
  diers, cops, or civilians – eventually suffer psychological prob-
  lems. The modern terminology for these long-term effects is
  post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it existed long before
  it had a name; men have always come back changed from com-
  bat. While 20% is large, it isn’t the majority. People are often
  quite satisfied with having survived!
  Whenever a PC fails a Fright Check there is a chance that he
  may develop a new mental quirk or disadvantage; typical traits
  acquired this way include Amnesia, Bad Temper, Cannot
  Speak, Chronic Depression, Combat Paralysis, Confused, Cow-
  ardice, Fearfulness, Flashbacks, Insomniac, Loner, Manic-
  Depressive, Nightmares, On the Edge, Paranoia, Phobias,
  Post-Combat Shakes, and Stress Atavism. Addiction and Alco-
  holism are common “self-medicating” consequences. The GM
  should feel free to substitute these disadvantages for Delusion
  results on the Fright Check Table (pp. B360-361).
  AFTER THE FIREFIGHT
  Once the shots have died away, the shooter will have to deal
  with the consequences.
  Shooting Is Loud
  The enormous din and rattle of 500 muskets is completely
  beyond imagination.
  – John Elting, Swords Around a Throne (1997)
  A gunshot from a large-caliber handgun like a 9¥19mm
  Parabellum produces at least 150 decibels (dB) at the muzzle
  – 125 dB is painful, and even one-time exposure to 140 dB can
  result in permanent ear damage. Someone who has never
  shot a gun can’t imagine how loud that really is – gun sounds
  in films and TV are toned down to make them bearable to the
  viewer! Many firearms are even louder, and it gets worse
  indoors. Permanent hearing loss is common among dedi-
  cated shooters . . .
  Apply -4 to Hearing rolls after gunshots outdoors, or -5 if
  inside a building or vehicle, unless suppressors were used.
  This applies to everybody nearby, including shooter, target,
  and bystanders. The hearing impairment lasts for (20-HT)
  minutes, minimum one minute. After that, roll vs. HT every
  second to recover. A critical failure on the first try means the
  shooter has acquired permanent Hard of Hearing (p. B138)!
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  34
  
  Robust Hearing (p. 40) reduces Hearing penalties by -1 and
  gives +1 to the HT roll. Protected Hearing – e.g., from ear pro-
  tection (High-Tech, p. 70) – gives +5 to the recovery roll and
  prevents permanent loss completely.
  This is one of the reasons why sound suppressors (pp. 70-
  71) are popular with SWAT teams, military users, sports shoot-
  ers, and hunters (where legal), even if they can’t silence the
  shot. They eliminate the chance of hearing impairment.
  Modern sports shooters never shoot without hearing pro-
  tection, and neither do cops and soldiers during training. This
  isn’t practical in actual combat – unless electronic earplugs
  (High-Tech, p. 70) are used. Despite their cost, these have
  found favor in recent years, and are issued by some militaries
  now (such as the British Army).
  Shooting Can Be Blinding
  At night, brilliantly intense muzzle flashes, tracers (p. 78),
  explosions, and so on will impair natural night vision. See
  Light Adaptation (p. 18) for details.
  Shooting Can Hurt
  Guns can be painful to han-
  dle. Hot barrels and flying cas-
  ings can burn. To avoid hot
  casings down your shirt or in
  your face, wear full-coverage
  clothes, preferably with a billed
  cap
  and
  shooting
  glasses
  (High-Tech, p. 71). Shootists in
  open Hawaiian shirts or low-
  cut tops run a good risk of suf-
  fering moderate pain (p. B428).
  Projectiles can bounce back
  at the shooter. If you hit a hard
  object, like a metal structure,
  no more than 7 yards away –
  e.g., if you miss when shooting
  at someone who’s standing in
  front of it – the GM can roll
  3d; on an 18, you are hit for
  1d-4 pi- damage.
  Touching a hot barrel can
  also result in moderate or even
  terrible pain. This isn’t con-
  fined
  to
  glowing
  red
  MG
  barrels, either – even a semiau-
  tomatic rifle or pump-action
  shotgun gets quite hot after
  dozens of rounds fired in quick succession. This is one reason
  why many tactical shooters wear gloves.
  Shooting Is Dirty
  Firearms need to be lubricated, so just touching them may
  get weapon oil on your clothes or skin. Shooting a gun leaves
  residue – both visible and microscopic particles from the pro-
  pellant and primer. These adhere to the skin of the weapon
  hand(s) and sometimes the face, hair, clothing, etc. (Mysteries,
  pp. 39-40). At TL6+, gunshot residue can be detected with a
  Forensics roll up to several hours after shooting, but is easily
  removed with soap and water.
  Shooting Is Smelly
  Firearm propellants, including black powder, cordite, and
  nitrocellulose, develop distinct, stinging smells when fired.
  The smell lingers for some time, detectable with a Smell roll,
  both in the area it was fired and in the weapon – and possi-
  bly the clothes and hair of the shooter. Some ammunition
  makes and lubricants have such a distinctive smell that
  shooters may be able to identify the type. If you’re familiar
  with the weapon, make a Per-based Guns or Connoisseur
  (Guns) roll at -2, applying any bonus from Acute Smell, etc.
  Success would, for example, allow you to identify whether
  discharged 7.62¥39mm ammunition was made in America,
  Russia, or China.
  Shooting Is Untidy
  . . . fired casings from the sniper rifle . . . must ALWAYS be
  brought back, for they are a sure sign of a sniper’s presence.
  – USMC Headquarters, FMFM 1-3B Sniping (1981)
  Repeaters and semi- and full-auto-
  matic weapons scatter spent cartridge
  cases all over the place. At TL6+, cases
  can be linked to the exact firearm from
  which they were fired, using Forensics
  (Mysteries, pp. 38-39), so it makes
  sense for a shooter who doesn’t want
  to get tracked to collect his shells.
  However, most automatics throw the
  cases
  several
  yards
  away,
  and
  Murphy’s Law guarantees you’ll miss
  a couple if you have to search for
  them in a hurry . . .
  A brass catcher (High-Tech, p. 161)
  is useful in such situations – and also
  on the range, when you have to tidy
  the place up or want to reload the
  cases (High-Tech, p. 174). Brass catch-
  ers fill up quickly; once full, they
  unbalance the weapon (-1 Bulk). They
  are mainly for training or special occa-
  sions, like shooting from aircraft.
  Other possible remnants of shoot-
  ing include empty magazines, clips,
  and belt links.
  Shooting Is Stressful
  In a life-threatening situation such
  as a firefight, your body produces
  adrenaline to help you survive. This often has side effects after
  the shooting stops. The GM may request a HT roll, or HT-based
  Soldier, Tactics, or combat skill roll. Failure means paleness and
  sweating: -1 to reactions from particularly macho people.
  Critical failure means one or more irritating afflictions (p. B428)
  – typically nauseated, moderate pain from headaches, and/or
  trembling hands (-2 to DX and skill rolls). At least as common as
  these is euphoria at having survived; treat as temporary
  Overconfidence (12). All such effects pass after 10 minutes.
  Shooters with Post-Combat Shakes must make a self-con-
  trol roll as well. If this fails, any effects are cumulative with
  those above!
  THE ART OF SHOOTING
  35
  
  Do not attempt to draw for protection . . . unless you are pos-
  sessed of four things – sand, a good revolver of .38 caliber or larger,
  a good holster, and the ability to draw and shoot fast and straight.
  – J. Henry FitzGerald, Shooting (1930)
  Shooting styles (pp. 47-52) can incorporate a variety of ele-
  ments, including advantages, perks, skills, and techniques. Not
  every competent shooter knows a style, though. It’s fine to
  choose piecemeal, subject to the rules for Style Familiarity and
  Style Perks (p. 37).
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  36
  CHAPTER THREE
  STYLE
  COMPONENTS
  . . . if you get a bad feeling about something, it may well be the
  result of valid input that has been processed subconsciously.
  – Andy Stanford, Fight at Night (1999)
  Certain advantages require interpretation in the context of
  Tactical Shooting.
  Acute Hearing
  see p. B35
  Acute Hearing may allow a shooter to detect an ambush or
  pinpoint a sniper (pp. 27-28). The maximum realistic level for
  humans is Acute Hearing 4.
  Acute Vision
  see p. B35
  Acute Vision helps shooters spot threats, enables Tracer
  Eyes (p. 41), and improves the sighting radius used for Close-
  Quarters Battle (p. 43) and Cool Under Fire (p. 38). The maxi-
  mum realistic level for humans is Acute Vision 2.
  Ambidexterity
  see p. B39
  This allows you to skip Off-Hand Weapon Training (p. 39) –
  Ambidexterity does the same thing for every combat skill! This
  means you can switch sides if your shooting arm is hurt or if
  you need to shoot around an off-hand corner (see Shooting
  Around Cover, p. 28). It doesn’t eliminate the -4 for using two
  guns at once – learn Dual-Weapon Attack (p. 44) for that.
  Combat Reflexes
  see p. B43
  Combat Reflexes gives you a finer perception of time, allow-
  ing you to hone your defenses, move a little faster, and process
  threat information fast enough to avoid being completely
  surprised by a rapidly unfolding combat situation or uncanny
  events. It’s often taught using realistic training techniques (see
  Learnable Advantages, p. B294).
  Danger Sense
  see p. B47
  Danger Sense represents the realistic ability to process sub-
  conscious sensory input and alert you to the fact that some-
  thing’s wrong. It can warn you of ambushes, sniper fire, booby
  traps, and muggers lurking in dark alleys. It may be the secret
  to the survival of many successful gunfighters – more so than
  Luck, which also impacts activities that aren’t life-threatening.
  Fearlessness
  see p. B55
  A successful tactical shooter can adapt to stressful situa-
  tions and tap into hidden reservoirs of mental strength. This
  doesn’t make you immune to fear – Unfazeable does that – but
  it helps you keep your cool in the chaos of a firefight.
  Luck
  see p. B66
  When the bullets start flying, you can’t have enough Luck.
  Shootists have always experienced this: when a bullet pene-
  trates your helmet but misses the skull; when a projectile
  spends most of its energy covering range and is blocked by a
  tobacco tin in your pocket (see Tin Star Armor, p. 7); or when a
  bad guy stands still for the five seconds it takes a .50-caliber
  bullet to reach him.
  Night Vision
  see p. B71
  The ability to adapt to darkness varies between individuals.
  The maximum realistic level for humans is Night Vision 2.
  ADVANTAGES
  
  All students receive instruction in German weapons and in
  the weapons of their particular country . . . The object of the
  course is to teach students enough about the weapons which
  they are most likely to encounter in the field so that they can
  recognise them, select the correct ammunition, and put them
  into use immediately.
  – Eric Sykes, “SOE Close Combat Syllabus” (1943)
  Tactical Shooting features three important categories of
  perks (see Perks, pp. B100-101): Style Familiarity, Style Perks,
  and Weapon Bond. All can be learned in play. Each perk costs
  a point.
  Style Familiarity
  Style Familiarity means you’ve studied and/or practiced one
  of the shooting styles on pp. 47-52. Paying a point to be famil-
  iar with a style gives these benefits:
  • You’re automatically familiar with every gun your style
  covers in your setting (GM’s decision). The styles listed in this
  book include suggestions for certain schools and timeframes.
  In effect, Style Familiarity includes a limited form of Cross-
  Trained (p. 38). Buy Cross-Trained separately for familiarity
  with firearms outside your style.
  • You can acquire the style’s Style Perks, improve its tech-
  niques whenever you have enough points, and buy any
  optional traits that would otherwise be off-limits. Style
  Familiarity counts as an Unusual Background (p. B96) that
  justifies these purchases.
  • You get +3 to Soldier or Tactics to coordinate tactics with
  fellow stylists.
  Style Perks
  Style Perks are minor advantages for gunmen, each repre-
  senting a little extra training, a trick, a social edge, etc. Anybody
  can purchase one such perk per 20 points spent on shooting
  skills, Armoury, and Fast-Draw. The GM may include additional
  skills learned as part of a military and/or police template.
  In addition to this, a shooter who knows a style (including
  its Style Familiarity perk) can buy one of its listed perks per 10
  points spent on its skills and techniques. At the GM’s option, a
  character template for a combative occupation might qualify
  as a “style.” If so, a hero built with that template may buy a
  Style Familiarity perk for it, and the GM will choose a selection
  of perks that fit the template’s theme.
  Perks with a † require specialization by skill, weapon, etc.,
  as noted.
  Armorer’s Gift†
  You’ve practiced assembly and disassembly drills on firearms
  until you can do them in your sleep. Roll against the relevant
  Armoury or shooting skill specialty to accomplish this in record
  time: 10 seconds for a handgun, 30 for a long arm (e.g., rifle), or
  60 for a support weapon (e.g., machine gun). Conditions don’t
  matter – you can do this upside down, blindfolded, underwater,
  etc. You also get +2 on rolls for Immediate Action (p. 17). You
  must specialize by shooting skill, and only get this perk’s bene-
  fits when you’re familiar with the specific weapon.
  Barricade Tactics†
  You have trained non-intuitive shooting positions from
  cover with minimum exposure of your body. See Using Cover
  (pp. 28-29) for the effects of cover on ordinary shooters, which
  already assume you’re using cover as effectively as you can.
  With this perk, you profit from the same cover as if it were one
  step better (up to heavy; you can’t get total cover), but also suf-
  fer the disadvantages! You must specialize by shooting skill.
  Examples: To shoot around a corner or other vertical cover,
  you normally expose both arms, one shoulder, and most of
  your head, giving medium cover. By placing your support hand
  against the cover and bracing the weapon on your thumb, you
  can lean farther behind the barricade, only exposing part of the
  head, the shooting arm, and the hand of the supporting arm,
  giving heavy cover.
  Lying prone and using the street curb as protection gives
  you medium cover at best (against an opponent far enough
  away; otherwise only light cover!). With Barricade Tactics, you
  know how to get heavy cover by lying on your back and turn-
  ing the weapon on the side, sighting along the sidewalk top,
  only exposing part of your head and the shooting arm.
  Battle Drills
  You’ve practiced fighting in a team to perform battle drills
  like Counterattack or Peeling (see Tactics in Action, pp. 21-25).
  To use this, the team leader (who must have this perk!) orders
  the drill. This requires a Ready maneuver that counts as his
  form-up action, regardless of what others do. All other team
  members must choose on their first turn following the order: opt
  out or opt in. If you opt out, combat continues normally for you;
  you don’t get the perk’s benefits. If you opt in, you must take a
  Ready maneuver to get in position, check the positions of your
  team mates, etc. This is known as “forming up.” If you opt in but
  lack the perk, make a Soldier-5 or Tactics-3 roll. Success means
  you form up; failure means you Do Nothing. Next turn you can
  decide again to opt in or out. Shooters who have formed up may:
  • Ignore Hitting the Wrong Target (pp. B389-390) for allies
  who have formed up. Everybody in the team automatically
  positions himself to avoid being in the line of fire of other team
  members.
  • Halve the penalty for Firing Through an Occupied Hex
  (p. B389) to -2, if the occupant has formed up.
  • Get one free movement point that can be used only to
  negate some of the extra cost for changing facing, moving past
  an ally, or sidestepping or stepping backward to take his place
  in the formation (see Movement Point Costs, p. B387)
  • Opt to turn a Wait maneuver into Move or Move and
  Attack, allowing faster team members to move after slower ones
  when that would be convenient. Normally, Wait can only be
  turned into Attack, Feint, All-Out Attack, or Ready (p. B366)!
  • Roll at +2 to spot something of tactical importance (e.g.,
  a threat) if another member of the formed-up team has already
  noticed it.
  Shooters need 20 hours of familiarization (p. B169) for each
  specific team (infantry squad, SWAT team, police patrol unit,
  adventurer group, etc.) they train with.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  37
  PERKS
  
  Concealed Carry Permit
  A Concealed Carry Permit allows a civilian to carry a con-
  cealed handgun and use it for legally justified self-defense.
  Even with a permit, schools, courthouses, airports, private
  enterprises, etc., may forbid you to have a concealed weapon
  on their property, either turning you back or hanging onto the
  gun until you leave. Individuals with suitable social advantages
  – typically Legal Enforcement Powers or Military Rank – don’t
  need this perk for equipment used “on the job.” See How to Get
  Them (p. 53).
  In a modern society with CR3 for firearms – most U.S. states
  qualify, including Florida, Nevada, Texas, and Virginia – a Con-
  cealed Carry Permit is available to almost any citizen. It’s forbid-
  den to those with Social Stigma (Criminal Record or Minor) or
  diagnosed with severe psychiatric problems: Paranoia, Split Per-
  sonality, or anything else that gives -2 or worse to reactions.
  Many jurisdictions also exclude those known to suffer from
  other conditions, including Addiction, Alcoholism, and Epilepsy.
  Governments with CR4 for guns, such as Canada, France,
  Italy, Germany, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, and some U.S.
  states (including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey,
  and New York) have higher requirements – there must usually be
  a substantiated threat to the applicant’s life. Only high-level politi-
  cians, judges, district attorneys, millionaires threatened with kid-
  napping, and similar people can claim this. Courtesy Rank 1+ or
  Status 2+ may stand in for the legitimate need. Occupation can
  play a role – in most societies, licensed hunters are allowed to
  carry a handgun for protection against dangerous animals or
  poachers while on hunting grounds, and merchants carrying large
  sums or dealing in valuables (or guns!) will also often be allowed
  to carry. Even cabdrivers may apply in some countries! A
  Concealed Carry Permit in a CR4+ legislation should be modeled
  with a 3-point Unusual Background instead of a perk.
  Some legislations, like Japan and the U.K., but also parts of
  the U.S. (like Illinois, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C.), have
  CR5 specifically for handguns, making a Concealed Carry
  Permit impossible. Long arms which aren’t concealable (Bulk
  -4 or worse) are typically unaffected.
  Cool Under Fire
  You don’t experience “tunnel vision” under fire and can
  quickly update your mental picture of the battlefield. When
  making pop-up attacks (p. B390), you don’t suffer the -2 to hit
  provided that the target is no further away in yards than your
  Per plus Acute Vision (if any). If the campaign uses Situational
  Awareness (p. 11), you may ignore this -2 in all the situations
  outlined there, as long as the opponent you’re interacting with
  is within the same range.
  Cross-Trained†
  Unlike the cinematic version of this perk (Gun Fu, p. 18),
  the realistic variant means you’re familiar with a large-but-
  finite list of firearms within one Gunner or Guns specialty. You
  can pick up any weapon on that list and fire it with no unfamil-
  iarity penalty (p. B169). This perk is typical for spies and spe-
  cial-ops soldiers who receive lavish training on many different
  weapons for familiarization. The GM decides what constitutes
  such training and which models it covers. A list of 5-15 models
  might be typical for an agent or special-ops soldier, but even
  several dozen isn’t unrealistic.
  Examples: SOE agents (Martial Arts: Fairbairn Close
  Combat Systems, pp. 17-18, and WWII: Return to Honor,
  p. 36) deployed to continental Europe weren’t only familiarized
  with the two submachine gun families issued by the British
  Army, but also with an Austrian, a Swiss, and four German
  SMG types, as well as a German machine pistol.
  U.S. Army Special Forces (Special Ops, pp. 26-28) are
  familiarized with all U.S. service rifles, and also with a list of at
  least 12 non-issue rifles, including obsolete and foreign models.
  Deadeye
  You’re a natural sniper. You can accurately gauge range,
  windage, thermal effects, and so on, allowing you to attempt
  Precision Aiming (pp. 26-27) without special equipment. Since
  you aren’t fussing with ballistics tables, spotting scopes, etc., you
  may reduce the total time required to claim your Precision Aim-
  ing bonus by 10% (round up) after all other calculations. You
  may buy this perk several times; each level improves your mar-
  gin by 10% (to a maximum of Deadeye 3, with a 30% reduction).
  Early Adopter†
  You have access to firearms that haven’t entered production
  yet (see weapon descriptions for introduction dates). In a real-
  istic campaign, this means prototypes; the GM may limit you
  to guns a year or two down the road. You must pay for this
  hardware with starting money. Each broad category of
  weapons has its own specialty: Early Adopter (Pistols), Early
  Adopter (Rifles), etc.
  Example: In 1969, U.S. Army Special Forces and Navy
  SEALs in Vietnam had access to a pre-production version of
  the Colt M203 grenade launcher (High-Tech, p. 142) – even
  though it wasn’t officially adopted until 1970, and not widely
  available until 1974.
  Fastest Gun in the West†
  Your fast-draw is really fast. In any Quick Contest of Fast-
  Draw to see who draws first (p. 10), add 1 to your margin; e.g.,
  failure by 1 becomes success by 0. You may buy this perk sev-
  eral times. Each level improves your margin by 1. The GM sets
  the limit, if any – perhaps two levels in a realistic campaign.
  Specialties match those for Fast-Draw (p. 42). The fastest shoo-
  tists can draw and fire in 0.2 to 0.4 seconds, in less time than
  it takes for a coin to fall from shoulder height to the ground!
  Green Eyes
  Night vision goggles severely restrict the wearer’s vision (see
  Night Vision Equipment, pp. 19-20). While nothing can be done
  about Colorblindness due to the monochromatic black-and-
  green images, practice can offset other drawbacks. Your ranged
  attacks are at -2 (instead of -3), and you instinctively scan from
  left to right in a box-shaped pattern, which negates No Periph-
  eral Vision completely.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  38
  Most bandits have bullet-proof vests,
  machine guns, plenty of ammunition,
  and co-ordination.
  – Ed McGivern, Fast and Fancy
  Revolver Shooting (1938)
  
  Grip Mastery†
  Switching between one- and two-handed grips normally
  takes a Ready maneuver, but you can switch between grips on a
  gun as a free action once on your turn, before or after your
  maneuver. If using a firearm that requires two hands to cock,
  this lets you cock the weapon as usual but end your turn with a
  hand free (e.g., to parry or Fast-Draw a pistol). You must special-
  ize by shooting skill; Grip Mastery (Pistol) is especially popular.
  Gun Shtick (Twirl)
  You can present a pistol butt-first as if to surrender it . . .
  then make a Guns (Pistol) roll to ready it instantly, with time
  left to attack. Failure means you drop or accidentally discharge
  it. When using a single-action revolver, you can fire it after this
  move – the spin cocks the hammer! In the Old West, this was
  called the “Road Agent Spin”; it was supposedly used in real
  confrontations, including by “Curly Bill” Brocius and John
  Wesley Hardin (Old West, pp. 101-102). A tactical shooter
  probably won’t get fooled by it; see Dirty Tricks (p. B405).
  Other gun shticks exist (Gun Fu, p. 19), but most have no
  practical applications.
  Intuitive Armorer†
  You can maintain one personal weapon without needing
  the Armoury skill. You must specialize by gun, which is often
  Signature Gear. Roll against IQ instead of Armoury to fix that
  firearm or install standard accessories. For two or more guns
  that require a given Armoury specialty, it’s more efficient to
  spend 2 points for Armoury at IQ level than to buy multiple
  copies of this perk.
  Lightning Fingers†
  You’re adept at operating your gun’s controls. If operating a
  safety, selector switch, or anything similar normally takes a
  Ready maneuver, you can do so as a free action by making a
  successful shooting skill roll at the start of your turn; any fail-
  ure simply means the task takes its usual turn. If such a task
  works this way for everyone, you roll at +4. You must special-
  ize by shooting skill.
  Motorized Training†
  You use only half your vehicle’s speed, where favorable,
  when assessing speed/range penalties (pp. B469, 550). You
  must specialize by shooting skill.
  Off-Hand Weapon Training†
  You’ve practiced a combat skill enough with your “off” hand
  that you can ignore the -4 for using that hand (p. B14). This ben-
  efits all actions based on that skill – including perks and tech-
  niques. You must specialize by skill; any shooting or Fast-Draw
  skill qualifies, although tactical shooters mostly learn it for Fast-
  Draw (Ammo), Fast-Draw (Pistol), and Guns (Pistol). It’s typical
  of 19th-century military officers, who held their revolver in the
  weak hand while the strong hand gripped a saber!
  This perk completely replaces the Off-Hand Weapon
  Training technique (p. B232).
  One-Hand Drills†
  You have practiced non-combat firearm drills that normally
  require two hands – especially readying (p. B366), reloading
  (p. 20), and clearing malfunctions (see Immediate Action, p. 17)
  – with only one hand; e.g., by tucking the gun in the belt,
  between the legs, or under the arm, or by pressing it against an
  immobile object. While others need three times as long as usual
  for such tasks or can’t do them at all, you can do them and in
  only twice the time. You must specialize by Guns specialty.
  Quick Reload†
  By streamlining every motion, you can reload in record
  time! You must specialize by reloading scheme: Belt (for
  machine guns), Breechloader (for double-barreled shotguns),
  Detachable Magazine (for most modern automatics), Internal
  Magazine (for tube-fed shotguns or clip-loaded pistols),
  Muzzleloader (for black-powder guns), Swing-Out Revolver
  (for modern revolvers), etc. See Reloading Your Gun (High-
  Tech, pp. 86-88) for a full list. A successful Fast-Draw (Ammo)
  roll lets you reload as a free action for a detachable magazine,
  or with a single Ready maneuver if using a charger clip or
  speedloader. In all other cases, it chops 25% off reload time,
  after the reduction for Fast-Draw and Double-Loading (p. 44) –
  round up, but with a minimum savings of one second.
  Examples: Reloading a double-barreled breechloading shot-
  gun with ejector takes four Ready maneuvers with Fast-Draw,
  three with Double-Loading, and two with Quick Reload (if the
  shooter lacks Double-Loading, it takes three).
  Reloading a six-shot loading-gate revolver takes 14 Ready
  maneuvers with Fast-Draw and 11 with Quick Reload.
  Reloading a six-shot swing-out revolver takes nine Ready
  maneuvers with Fast-Draw, six with Double-Loading, and five
  with Quick Reload. Employing a speedloader reduces this to
  four with Fast-Draw and one with Quick Reload!
  Reloading a 5-round internal tube magazine gun (with a
  loading gate) takes eight Ready maneuvers with Fast-Draw, six
  with Double-Loading, and five with Quick Reload (or six with-
  out Double-Loading).
  Reloading a 5-round internal box magazine gun takes six
  Ready maneuvers with Fast-Draw and five with Quick Reload.
  Using a clip drops this to one.
  Reloading a belt-fed weapon takes three Ready maneuvers
  with Fast-Draw or two with Quick Reload.
  While this perk may seem cinematic, world-class competi-
  tion shooters have demonstrated similar feats on high-speed
  film, some reloading their pistols in as little as a half-second!
  Few people have it, though, as it requires an inordinate
  amount of practice, and is of most use for trick and sport
  shooters. The GM should enforce the modifiers noted under
  Fast-Draw (p. 42), and may apply additional penalties to spe-
  cific firearms that are more awkward to reload than others –
  e.g., due to an inconveniently positioned magazine release.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  39
  We learned how to react to ambush in
  civilian cars, and how to take out terrorists
  in a crowded room, rolling and firing
  double-taps from our Browning pistols.
  – Michael Asher,
  Shoot to Kill (1990)
  
  Quick-Sheathe†
  This perk has two specialties:
  Quick-Sheathe (Long Arm): Unslinging or slinging any
  long arm requires two Ready maneuvers. A successful Fast-
  Draw (Long Arm) roll unslings it in just one second. This perk
  lets you roll against Fast-Draw (Long Arm) to sling it in one
  second as well. (Add a second to all times if the slung position
  is on the back.)
  Quick-Sheathe (Pistol): Getting a handgun into or out of its
  holster takes one Ready maneuver. A successful Fast-Draw
  (Pistol) roll draws it as a free action. This perk lets you roll
  against Fast-Draw (Pistol) to stow it as a free action, too.
  Quick-Swap†
  You’ve perfected the art of juggling one-handed weapons
  between hands. Shifting a weapon to an empty receiving hand
  normally demands a Ready maneuver, but becomes a free
  action with this perk. Swapping two weapons between full
  hands normally takes two Ready maneuvers, but requires just
  one with Quick-Swap. Old West shootists, who often drew two
  pistols but only fired the one in their dominant hand, called
  this trick “crossing the border.” You can use this perk once per
  turn, on your turn.
  You must specialize by one-handed weapon skill: Quick-
  Swap (Pistol), Quick-Swap (Throwing) for grenades, and so
  on. If two different weapons are involved, you need the perk
  for both skills.
  Robust (Sense)†
  One of your senses is less prone to overloading, much as if
  you had a weaker version of Protected Sense (p. B78). You
  must specialize by sense. For instance:
  Robust Hearing: You may ignore -1 in Hearing penalties due
  to noise and get +1 to HT rolls to resist deafening effects (gun
  shots, flash-bang grenades, etc.).
  Robust Vision: You may ignore -1 in Vision penalties due to
  bright light and get +1 to HT rolls to resist dazzling effects
  (muzzle flashes, flash-bang grenades, etc.).
  Skip Shot†
  You’re trained to hit a semi-exposed target by bouncing the
  bullet down a wall or under a vehicle he’s using for cover. The
  deformed bullet ignores up to -2 for cover, but basic damage is
  halved and any armor divisor is lost. Less-lethal baton rounds
  or rubber bullets (High-Tech, pp. 168, 174) allow a skip shot off
  the ground; this removes the -2 to hit the legs (p. B552) and
  leaves damage characteristics intact.
  Skip-shooting is sometimes used as an emergency tech-
  nique if a shooter can’t reach a target behind cover, and taught
  by police agencies for riot control with shotguns or grenade
  launchers. It works only if the projectile can be skipped along
  a suitable hard surface, like a concrete wall, asphalt street, or
  steel bulkhead – not a sandy beach. HP (p. 78), frangible
  (p. 78), and similar projectiles are designed to break up easily,
  and cannot be skip-shot.
  Shooters who try this without the perk suffer the full -2 for
  cover or the legs. Roll normally, but any result other than a crit-
  ical success means they just shoot the wall, cover, or ground!
  Standard Operating Procedure†
  Each Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) exempts you
  from having to inform the GM that your PC is doing something
  that’s second-nature for him. You always get the benefit of the
  doubt. Examples for tactical shooters include:
  Back to the Wall: You always sit with your back to the wall
  and keep a minimum of one piece of improvised cover between
  you and the exits.
  Check the Crowd: Whenever you’re in a crowded area, you’re
  constantly using skills like Body Language and Observation to
  look for trouble. The GM will always roll for you if there’s
  something worth noticing.
  Cleaning Bug: You attend to the maintenance of your gun(s)
  religiously – you frequently and regularly disassemble, clean,
  and lubricate your weapon, check the magazines, etc. You’ll do
  that whenever you return from shooting, before doing anything
  else. Your firearm(s) will never fail you from lack of mainte-
  nance (High-Tech, p. 80).
  Move Under Cover: You always seek out the nearest cover
  available, even on the move.
  On Alert: You always have full kit packed and ready to go in
  the event of emergency. This doesn’t mean you react faster (get
  Combat Reflexes for that) – it just means always being able to
  scoop up all your gear without wasting valuable time.
  Supplier†
  Thanks to personal ties to a gun shop owner, an arms dealer,
  or a manufacturer, you get a discount on certain gear. This is
  typical for top competition shooters, who are often sponsored
  by manufacturers. You have to be able to contact your supplier
  to capitalize on this perk. You must specialize by category,
  which determines the markdown:
  All guns, ammo, and accessories: 10%.
  Category (e.g., guns, ammo, or accessories): 20%.
  Subcategory (e.g., rifles, rifle ammo, or scopes) or
  Manufacturer (e.g., H&K, Federal, or Leupold): 30%.
  Anything more specific (e.g., H&K submachine guns): 40%.
  Halve the discount on items whose base cost exceeds cam-
  paign starting money.
  Sure-Footed†
  You’ve studied stable stances that let you ignore the -2 to
  attack and -1 to defend for one specific type of bad footing.
  Specialties include Ice, Naval (rocking ships and boats),
  Sand, Slippery (like oil), Snow, Uneven (sharp rocks or rub-
  ble), and Water (up to waist-deep). This doesn’t aid DX in
  general, or Move.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  40
  Have you heard a gunshot
  before? . . . It’s gonna be a lot
  louder than in the movies.
  – Dean Winchester,
  Supernatural #1.18
  
  Tap-Rack-Bang†
  You’re adept at getting your weapon back into action. If a
  malfunction occurs, you can attempt Immediate Action (p. 17)
  as a free action on any later turn. You must specialize by shoot-
  ing skill, and have to be familiar (p. B169) with the specific
  weapon to use this perk.
  Tracer Eyes
  Prerequisites: Acute Vision and Guns at DX+2 or better.
  You can see the paths of your bullets as they speed toward
  their target! Whenever you fire more than one shot at a target
  per turn, you get a non-cumulative +1 to skill. This is realistic for
  a highly skilled shooter, such as the famous FBI agent Delf
  “Jelly” Bryce, who claimed that he could see his bullets in flight.
  Trademark Move†
  A Trademark Move is a prescription for a full turn’s worth
  of combat actions. Write down every detail when you buy it.
  Example: Trademark Move (Wizard of Moz) might be noted
  as, “All-Out Attack (Determined) using Quick-Shot (Pistol) – two
  shots to the torso (skill 15), then one shot as a Targeted Attack
  (Pistol/Skull) without checking target (skill 10).”
  Damage and attack rolls can improve with ST, DX, and skill,
  but all weapons, maneuvers, combat options, and hit locations
  remain fixed. In return for committing a point to such a spe-
  cific move, you’re at +1 on all skill rolls made to execute it
  exactly as written – no substitutions. A Trademark Move must
  be distinctive – no “Attack with pistol to torso.” The GM is free
  to forbid one that isn’t!
  Weapon Bond
  You own a weapon that’s uniquely suited to you. Add +1 to
  effective skill when using it. This has nothing to do with qual-
  ity – you’re just used to your weapon. If you lose the weapon,
  you lose this perk! You may start play with a bond to any
  weapon bought with cash or as Signature Gear (p. B85).
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  41
  Guns (p. 42) is the primary skill for tactical shooters, along
  with Fast-Draw (p. 42) and Tactics (p. 42). Armoury (p. B178)
  is important for Immediate Action (p. 17) and Gunsmithing
  (pp. 68-70). Below are notes on some important skills. Skills
  marked with a † require you to pick a specialty.
  Breath Control
  see p. B182
  Careful breathing can partially mitigate shaky hands
  caused by shock (p. B419), irritating conditions (p. B428),
  and state of mind (enemy Influence rolls, Fright Checks,
  mental disadvantages, etc.). At the GM’s option, a successful
  Breath Control roll gives +1 to offset the total penalty for
  these things, and to rolls for Precision Aiming (pp. 26-27);
  success by 5+ or critical success gives +2.
  Camouflage
  see p. B183
  Camouflage has several specialized applications for a tacti-
  cal shooter:
  • You can apply weapon camouflage (p. 76).
  • You have practiced avoiding target indicators
  that betray your position while shooting. Whenever
  others try to locate you in a Quick Contest between
  your Camouflage and their Vision or Observation (see
  Countersniping, pp. 27-28), use the following:
  Modifiers: +3 for firing through a loophole – a small
  hole in a wall or window – with your position well
  behind the wall so the muzzle doesn’t protrude from
  the hole and no muzzle flash can be seen (the construc-
  tion can even be fortified from within with sandbags
  etc. – see Cover in Built-Up Areas, pp. 29-30); +1* for fit-
  ting a hood to your scope to avoid lens glint; +1* if
  using a suppressor, or if you place a poncho or wet
  blanket below the muzzle of your rifle, to avoid a dust plume
  from the muzzle blast; +1* if you’re either carefully canting
  the rifle to drop each spent case (halves RoF; a RoF 1 rifle can
  fire only every other turn) or covering the rifle with your
  ghillie suit to trap the cases – flying brass attracts the eye of
  observers. Bonuses with a * are not cumulative with the +3
  for firing from a loophole.
  Connoisseur†
  see p. B185
  Among tactical shooters, Connoisseur (Guns) is wide-
  spread, and defaults to Armoury or any shooting skill at -3 (use
  the IQ-based level!). It includes the ability to identify and
  appraise firearms, and the knowledge of specific details about
  each make and model. A successful roll allows a gunman to
  give a suitably impressive lecture about a firearm’s quality or
  deadliness, which is good for +1 to reaction and Influence rolls
  – especially Intimidation (p. B202) – in some situations. If used
  to enhance Merchant (p. B209), success gives +1 when trading
  in rare or custom firearms.
  SKILLS
  Adjusting Sights
  At the GM’s option, your gun’s sights may go out of alignment
  when it is dropped, used as a club, or similarly mistreated – or if
  you fail a roll while adding new sighting accessories (p. 74-75).
  This halves its Acc (round up), which will be apparent after fir-
  ing a few rounds. Correcting this takes three Ready maneuvers
  and an Armoury (Small Arms) or IQ-based Guns roll.
  If the weapon is cheap, or takes at least one point of actual
  damage, the sights will break instead! This reduces Acc to 0 and
  requires several hours on the range and an Armoury roll to fix.
  
  Fast-Draw†
  see p. B194
  The specialties of greatest importance to a
  tactical shooter are Ammo, Long Arm, and
  Pistol. Any attack roll penalty for combat
  maneuver, grappling, handedness, posture,
  or shock also applies to Fast-Draw rolls and
  to DX rolls to reach weapons in close combat
  (p. B391). The GM may want to apply loca-
  tion modifiers, too – the following expands
  on Fast-Draw from Odd Positions (High-
  Tech, pp. 81-82):
  Ammo: +1 from a wrist pouch or an
  ammo holder on the weapon; +0 from an
  ammo pouch on the belt, a load-bearing vest,
  or similar position; or -1 from a clothing
  pocket or other concealed location.
  Long Arm: +0 if using a patrol sling, -2 if
  slung over the shoulder, or -4 if slung on
  the back.
  Pistol: +0 if tucked into the belt or hol-
  stered at your hip, -1 if holstered at the small
  of your back or in a shoulder holster, -2* if
  holstered in an ankle holster or stuck into a
  boot, or -3 if in a pocket or concealed.
  * A weapon in a boot or ankle holster is eas-
  ier to reach from low postures: when crouching, kneeling, or
  sitting, ignore the -2 for a weapon in a boot and the -2 for pos-
  ture, and roll at +0.
  If sitting in a car or other confined vehicle, apply -1 to Fast-
  Draw (Ammo or Pistol) and -2 to Fast-Draw (Long Arm). Add
  another -1 if wearing a seatbelt!
  Gunner/TL†
  see pp. B198
  In addition to the defaults listed in the Basic Set, Gunner
  (Machine Gun) and Guns (LMG) default to each other at -2.
  Guns/TL†
  see pp. B198-199
  Investing at least one point in this skill allows you to per-
  form routine tasks involving guns of that specialty, including
  safely operating the controls. You can load and unload the
  weapon, and operate the safety and fire selection device(s), if
  applicable. A Per-based Guns roll will recognize guns of that
  type by shape or sound. With an IQ-based Guns roll you can:
  • Clean, maintain, and clear problems with the gun and its
  magazines and ammunition, including the safe removal of
  malfunctioning ammo or feed devices. On some weapons this
  includes checking and adjusting internal mechanisms, such as
  headspace and timing.
  • Adjust the firearm’s sights (p. 41) and accessories. You
  know the relation of the shot pattern to sight alignment, under-
  stand the bullets’ ballistic performance in a variety of environ-
  ments, and can configure a trigger, stock, or tripod or bipod to
  maximize your chance to hit. This may include the selection of
  proper modes for your chosen optics, and attaching them and
  detaching them without ruining the weapon’s zero.
  • Select ammunition and weapon accessories based on
  which might be useful for a given task.
  • Spot external problems when purchasing a used gun.
  Apply penalties to all these operations if you’re not familiar
  (p. B169) with the weapon.
  Tactics
  see p. B224
  This is the applied knowledge and experience to make
  sound judgments in a combat situation. It’s often learned on
  the job (p. B293). You can use it to:
  • Receive a bonus in Partial Surprise situations (p. B393).
  • Position your team before the start of combat (see Tactics
  in Action, pp. 21-25).
  • Assess the battle situation (see Situational Awareness,
  p. 11).
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  42
  Guns Skill Levels
  How did so much Taliban fire miss? . . . limited Taliban knowledge of
  marksmanship fundamentals, a frequent reliance on automatic fire from
  assault rifles, the poor condition of many of those rifles, old and mismatched
  ammunition that is also in poor condition, [and] widespread eye problems
  and uncorrected vision . . .
  – Christopher Chivers, “The Weakness of Taliban Marksmanship” (2010)
  See Meaning of Skill Levels and Choosing Your Skill Levels
  (pp. B171-172) for general guidelines. The following list should help to
  choose typical Guns skill levels of realistic shooters. Truly outstanding PCs
  could have higher skill, but the GM should be aware that this may make
  them the best shots of their entire generation.
  Typical Skill Level
  Type of Shootist
  Default
  Street criminals, irregular forces, untrained
  armed citizens
  Up to 11
  Beat cops, draft soldiers, trained terrorists,
  occasional hunters, or trained armed citizens
  Up to 13
  Federal agents, part-time SWAT officers,
  professional soldiers, or frequent hunters
  Up to 15
  Remarkable SWAT officers or special-ops soldiers
  Up to 18
  Exceptional hostage-rescue operators and snipers
  Delta operators were taught to put two head shots in each terrorist.
  – Charlie Beckwith, Delta Force (1983)
  
  . . . fanning is a pistol stunt so rarely practised in real life that
  some old-time Rangers and peace officers of my acquaintance –
  veterans of dozens of duels; men who could notch their guns if
  they were the ostentatious sort – have never seen it used in a fight.
  – Eugene Cunningham, Triggernometry (1934)
  These realistic shooting techniques obey the standard rules
  on pp. B229-230. Note that each Guns specialty requires its
  own technique; improving Quick-Shot (Pistol) gives you no
  advantage when using a shotgun.
  Default Use: You can always attempt any technique at the
  listed default, even if you’ve spent no points to improve it.
  Using Techniques Together: Techniques that aren’t mutually
  exclusive (as Dual-Weapon Attack and Fanning are) can be
  used together in a way that combines all of their effects in a
  single success roll. For instance, you could use Dual-Weapon
  Attack with Fast-Firing to shoot two pistols rapidly, rolling only
  once per pistol rather than rolling against Dual-Weapon Attack
  and Fast-Firing for each. In such situations, determine each
  technique’s relative level by taking the difference between its
  level and that of its parent skill. To calculate your level with the
  combined technique, sum the relative levels of all the tech-
  niques involved and add the total to the underlying skill.
  Example: In the above situation, if you knew Dual-Weapon
  Attack (Pistol) at Guns (Pistol)-1 and Fast-Firing (Pistol) at Guns
  (Pistol)-2, you’d roll against Guns (Pistol)-3 for each weapon.
  Behind-the-Back Shot
  Hard
  Default: Guns-7.
  Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns-4.
  This technique lets you shoot under your armpit, over
  your shoulder, or between your legs to peg a foe behind you
  without firing wildly or changing facing. The arm(s) used to
  control the weapon must be free to move in order to position
  the gun, and you have to be aware that your target is there in
  the first place! One method works as follows: pull your weak
  arm tightly against your chest to get it out of the way. Place
  the dominant hand with the gun under your shoulder point-
  ing backward, slightly canted away from your body to ensure
  reliable functioning and case ejection. Turn the head as far to
  the weak-hand side as possible to get a glimpse of your oppo-
  nent.
  Roll against Behind-the-Back Shot to hit. This is a standard
  ranged attack, at an extra -1 if you target a specific hit location.
  You’re at -2 to all active defenses until your next turn.
  Note that in a realistic setting, you can only improve the tech-
  nique to Guns-4, unlike the cinematic version (Gun Fu, p. 25).
  Cavalry Training
  Hard
  Default: Guns-2.
  Prerequisites: Riding† and Guns; cannot exceed Guns.
  This technique lets a cavalryman buy off the -2 for attack-
  ing on a turn when his mount attacks (p. B397). In addition,
  improving Cavalry Training to skill-1 lets him use only half his
  mount’s speed when assessing speed/range penalties, where
  favorable, while improving it to full skill means only target
  speed matters. Skill with a mounted attack can’t exceed Riding
  skill – or Combat Riding (below), if better – and modifiers for
  a rough ride require Mounted Shooting (p. 44).
  † For similar benefits for vehicle-operation skills, see
  Motorized Training (p. 39).
  Close-Hip Shooting
  Average
  Default: Guns.
  Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns+3.
  “Hip shooting” refers to shooting done without raising the
  gun high enough to use its sights (pp. 11-13). A special applica-
  tion of hip shooting is to engage an adversary at arm’s reach –
  that is, in close combat, where a gun normally gives a penalty
  equal to its Bulk (p. B391). The Close-Hip Shooting technique
  represents training for this contingency: the shooter holds his
  weapon close and fires instinctively. In close combat, apply the
  Bulk penalty to your Close-Hip Shooting level, then use the
  lower of your modified technique or your unmodified shooting
  skill to figure your attack.
  Close-Quarters Battle
  Average
  Default: Guns.
  Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns+4.
  You’ve practiced shooting on the run at nearby targets – a
  situation known to tactical shooters as “close-quarters battle”
  (CQB). Whenever you take a Move and Attack maneuver
  (p. B365) to fire at a target whose distance from you in yards
  doesn’t exceed your Per plus Acute Vision (if any), apply the
  penalty for shooting on the move (-2 or firearm’s Bulk,
  whichever is worse) to your Close-Quarters Battle level. Then
  use the lower of your modified technique or unmodified shoot-
  ing skill to figure your attack.
  Combat Riding
  Hard
  Default: Riding.
  Prerequisite: Riding†; cannot exceed Riding+4.
  This technique represents training at riding under combat
  conditions. Use it instead of Riding whenever you roll to control
  your mount in battle. It doesn’t cover fighting – for that, learn
  Cavalry Training (above) and Mounted Shooting (p. 44) – but
  where the rules limit weapon skill to Riding, your limit is
  Combat Riding instead. Combat Riding never aids Riding rolls
  to mount up, stay mounted, or direct your mount hands-free, or
  such non-combat activities as dressage, racing, and travel.
  † Modern warriors can learn Combat Driving or Combat
  Piloting instead. This has the relevant vehicle-operation skill as
  its prerequisite and default, and cannot exceed skill+4.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  43
  TECHNIQUES
  
  Double-Loading
  Average
  Default: Fast-Draw (Ammo)-2.
  Prerequisite: Fast-Draw (Ammo); cannot exceed Fast-Draw
  (Ammo) skill.
  You’ve practiced simultaneously reloading two chambers of
  a multi-barreled gun or a revolver, or inserting two shells into
  the tube magazine of a shotgun. A successful Double-Loading
  roll gives all the benefits of Fast-Draw (p. 42) and means that
  each Ready maneuver taken to insert or manually extract one
  cartridge affects two cartridges. This shaves off one extra sec-
  ond per pair of cartridges if the firearm ejects all of its casings
  at once, or two extra seconds per pair if the weapon requires
  you to extract each empty by hand.
  Dual-Weapon Attack
  Hard
  Default: prerequisite skill-4.
  Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot
  exceed prerequisite skill.
  If you attack with two guns at once,
  you’re normally at -4 on each attack unless
  you have Extra Attack. This technique lets
  you buy off that penalty. To remove the
  extra -4 for the “off” hand, you’ll also need
  either Ambidexterity (p. B39) or Off-Hand
  Weapon Training (p. 39).
  Dual-Weapon Attack (DWA) is primarily
  for Guns (Pistol), but can be learned for any
  shooting skill. The only absolute require-
  ment is that you can use two weapons at
  once. DWA is seldom learned by realistic
  shooters (see Akimbo Shooting, p. 32).
  You must learn DWA separately for each
  skill.
  Per p. B417, when both attacks target
  the same foe, he defends at -1. Against
  guns, this only affects parries like attempts
  to slap the gun away in close combat
  (pp. 25-26). Dodge is unaffected.
  Fanning
  Hard
  Default: Guns (Pistol)-4.
  Prerequisite: Guns (Pistol); cannot exceed Guns (Pistol) skill.
  This technique lets you buy off the basic -4 to Guns (Pistol)
  for fanning a single-action revolver with RoF 1 held in one
  hand. See Fanning (p. 14). Historically, Fanning wasn’t com-
  mon with real gunfighters, but popular with trick shooters.
  Fast-Firing
  Hard
  Default: Guns-4.
  Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns.
  This technique lets you buy off the first -4 to skill for fast-
  firing a weapon with RoF 2 or 3. See Fast-Firing (p. 14).
  Immediate Action
  Average
  Default: prerequisite skill-4.
  Prerequisite: Armoury or any shooting skill; cannot exceed
  prerequisite skill.
  This technique permits you to buy off the basic -4 to clear a
  stoppage. See Immediate Action (p. 17). When learning
  Immediate Action, base shooting skill on IQ, not on DX.
  Shooting skill versions default to the Armoury specialty used
  with the relevant weapons, also at -4, but you must still choose
  a shooting skill specialty, not an Armoury one.
  Masked Shooting
  Average
  Default: prerequisite skill-4.
  Prerequisite: Any shooting skill; cannot exceed Guns (Pistol)
  skill-1 or any other prerequisite skill-2.
  You can reduce the basic -4 to
  shoot a weapon while wearing
  a diving mask, gas mask, etc.
  See Sighted Shooting (p. 13).
  Long
  arms
  specialties
  like
  Rifle, Shotgun, and SMG can’t
  be improved to better than
  Guns-2 since such masks pre-
  vent proper cheek weld.
  Mounted Shooting
  Hard
  Default: Guns-4.
  Prerequisites: Riding, or a
  vehicle-operation skill (Bicy-
  cling, Driving, Teamster, etc.)†,
  and Guns; cannot exceed Guns.
  You’ve practiced shooting
  from a moving mount or vehicle
  – horse, howdah, stagecoach,
  open biplane, etc. You must spe-
  cialize by both weapon skill and mount or vehicle type. Use the
  specialties listed for the two skills chosen as prerequisites.
  If you’ve improved this technique, modifiers for a rough ride
  and/or limited mobility (see Attacking from Moving Vehicle or
  Mount, p. B548) – including those for turning in the saddle to
  shoot – can’t reduce your shooting skill below your Mounted
  Shooting level when using your chosen weapon from the spec-
  ified platform. Other penalties apply normally.
  Remember that skill with a mounted attack can’t exceed
  Riding (for a mount) or Driving, Piloting, or Teamster (for a
  vehicle). If you’re a passenger, you’re limited by your driver or
  pilot’s skill.
  Mounted forces, such as cavalry troopers, train to shoot from
  a horse or motorcycle. Bodyguards, SWAT teams, and hostage
  rescue units learn to fire from a moving car – some American
  police agencies have been doing so since the 1920s! Ordinary
  draft troops or civilian shooters will seldom learn this technique.
  † The GM may allow Mounted Shooting with other skills
  involving device-assisted movement; e.g., Parachuting.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  44
  
  Precision Aiming
  Average
  Default: Guns-6.
  Prerequisites: Guns and Observation; cannot exceed Guns.
  This technique enables you to buy off the -6 to Guns when
  rolling to claim extra Aim bonuses. See Precision Aiming
  (pp. 26-27). Rifle is by far the most common specialty! When
  learning this technique, base shooting skill on IQ, not on DX.
  Quick-Shot
  Average
  Default: Guns-6.
  Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns.
  This technique lets you buy off the -6 to use a RoF 2+ gun
  to shoot two targets in one second. See Shooting at Several
  Opponents (pp. 17-18).
  Retain Weapon
  Hard
  Default: DX; cannot exceed DX+5.
  You must specialize by Guns specialty. When wielding a
  suitable weapon, you may use Retain Weapon instead of DX
  whenever somebody actively tries to disarm you (p. B401).
  Should an adversary try to disarm you using brute strength,
  you may make a ST-based Retain Weapon roll instead of a ST
  roll; find your ST-based level by subtracting DX and adding ST.
  This is commonly trained by modern law enforcement officers.
  Targeted Attack
  Hard
  Default: see below.
  Prerequisite: Guns, Gunner, or Liquid Projector; special
  maximum.
  Hits on “high-value” targets – face, chinks in armor,
  weapons, etc. – are effective fight-stoppers. Policemen often
  aim for the legs and special-ops soldiers for the brain (see The
  Mozambique Drill, pp. 15-16).
  For each Targeted Attack (TA), the gunman must specify a
  shooting skill and a target. The target can be a hit location
  other than the torso (Eye, Face, Arm, etc.), chinks in armor at
  a specific hit location (Torso Chinks is valid, although the
  GM may rule that some armor isn’t vulnerable), or Weapon.
  The shooting skill must cover guns capable of attacking the
  selected target – a condition that most often affects attacks to
  the vitals or skull (pp. B399-400).
  The default penalty equals the modifier to hit the target: -2
  for Arm or Leg, -3 for Groin, Pelvis, or Vitals, -4 for Hand or
  Foot, -5 for Face or Neck, -7 for Skull, or -9 for Eye. It’s -10 for
  chinks in armor on any of these locations (this replaces that
  location’s penalty), but only -8 for chinks in torso armor.
  Assume -4 for Weapon; use such a TA normally for pistols, etc.,
  but roll at +1 vs. large weapons (rifle, etc.), -1 vs. small ones
  (dagger, holdout pistol, etc.).
  By improving TA, the shootist can buy off up to half
  of his default penalty (round up). Write the TA as “TA
  (Specialty/Target).”
  Examples: TA (Pistol/Leg) defaults to Guns (Pistol)-2 and
  can’t exceed Guns-1. TA (SMG/Skull) defaults to Guns (SMG)-7
  and can’t exceed Guns-3.
  Thumbing
  Hard
  Default: Guns (Pistol)-2.
  Prerequisite: Guns (Pistol); cannot exceed Guns (Pistol) skill.
  This technique allows you to buy off the -2 to Guns (Pistol)
  for thumbing a revolver. See Thumbing (p. 14).
  Two-Handed Thumbing
  Hard
  Default: Guns (Pistol)-2.
  Prerequisite: Guns (Pistol); cannot exceed Guns (Pistol) skill.
  This technique permits you to buy off the -2 to Guns (Pistol)
  for thumbing a single-action revolver held in two hands. See
  Two-Handed Thumbing (p. 14).
  Work by Touch
  Hard
  Default: Armoury-5.
  Prerequisites: Armoury (Small Arms); cannot exceed prereq-
  uisite skill.
  Changing a barrel, clearing a major malfunction, and many
  other non-combat applications are at -5 if you must work by
  touch – e.g., in the dark or while wearing night vision goggles
  (pp. 19-20) – but if you routinely practice this way, it will even-
  tually become second nature.
  STYLE COMPONENTS
  45
  I like to picture the target as a piece of rebar with a couple of
  tennis balls skewered on the rebar. The two tennis balls represent
  the brain and the heart. The rebar represents the spinal cord. Is
  this a difficult target to hit? Of course, but it is realistic.
  – Kyle Lamb, Green Eyes & Black Rifles (2008)
  
  . . . you must forget all you have heard about “warning
  shots” or “shooting to wound.” Pistols and revolvers are not
  weapons of defense with which to frighten or wound; they are
  weapons of attack with which you kill. You do not draw a
  gun to enhance your authority, save face, rally the troops, or
  make some abstract point.
  – William Cassidy, Quick or Dead (1978)
  Tactical shooters are the highly skilled warriors of the Age
  of Gunpowder. Anyone can fire a gun and score a deadly hit –
  that’s the key to the success of the firearm over other weapons
  that require a lifetime of training. Being a gunfighter is some-
  thing else entirely. It requires knowing when, where, and how
  to shoot (and when not to shoot) – and learning all the little
  tricks that help a shootist survive against other good gunmen.
  Over time, shooters have developed basic training schools
  that are similar to the styles of martial artists. This chapter
  uses the martial-arts style format found in Martial Arts and
  Gun Fu.
  FIGHT LIKE YOU TRAIN,
  TRAIN LIKE YOU FIGHT
  Tactical shooters spend many hours preparing for a few sec-
  onds of combat. This includes physical training, to increase fit-
  ness and hone reflexes, and mental training, to prepare for the
  instant when a squeeze of the trigger will mean the difference
  between life and death. Classes on psychology, physiological
  response to combat, and post-traumatic stress are part and
  parcel of modern tactical shooting: most trained police and
  military shooters will be able to explain the basic mental and
  physical challenges of a firefight.
  On the Range
  A professional shooter rarely gets to choose how he trains,
  as he will usually belong to an organization with a specific
  training program for getting in top shape. The person in charge
  of that training is often a veteran soldier or cop, and typically
  a skilled instructor with the title of range master. He designs
  courses of fire, ensures that safety regulations are followed,
  and assesses the training and the shooter – at each stage of the
  shooter’s development – so the final product is a person who
  can shoot and kill discriminately.
  Training typically starts with a cold range, meaning that all
  weapons are unloaded (Condition Four; see p. 8) unless the
  shooter is explicitly commanded to load them. Actions are
  called out by the instructor: “Place a loaded magazine in your
  weapon,” “Aim center mass and squeeze the trigger,” “Eject the
  magazine, secure it in your load-bearing gear, and walk off the
  range with your weapon up and downrange.” Movement on a
  cold range is typically limited (prone to kneeling to standing)
  and done at “half-speed,” so as to prevent a fall that could dis-
  charge the weapon. Cold range work is typical of military basic
  training, police academies, and routine police qualification –
  and of the minimal training that most civilian sports and self-
  defense shooters can hope for.
  As training progresses, more responsibility is placed upon
  the shooter. A hot range is “designated,” meaning anyone mov-
  ing past the safety line is assumed to be operating a loaded
  weapon. Movement on a hot range is less constrained, and may
  include time pressure. In addition, the instructor will seldom
  give detailed commands to the shooter, instead using more
  general directives: “Draw and fire at the targets from left to
  right.” Hot range work is typical of most shooting done at the
  unit level in the military, at tactical shooting matches, and in
  advanced law enforcement training courses.
  After a shooter has passed the basic requirements of a
  shooting course, he’ll likely move on to the next stage. If this
  involves a new range master, the shooter will typically be run
  through simple instructions on a cold range to prove basic
  handling skills, and to establish the instructor’s authority.
  The next stage in tactical shooting is dynamic range work –
  that is, exercises where the shooter and/or targets are moving,
  and the shooter is under time constraints. Every shot is on the
  clock, or fired from cover, or while running or moving up a
  flight of stairs. The level of difficulty increases until the final
  stages are done at full speed in combat conditions; e.g., with
  full tactical gear, in the dark, with flashing lights and sirens,
  and the target illuminated by a police cruiser’s headlights.
  Dynamic range work is intended to stress the shooter and to
  simulate actual combat conditions. It often involves “shoot/no
  shoot” scenarios. Special operators and SWAT teams conduct
  most of their training under dynamic training conditions.
  Courses of Fire
  The quality of basic firearms training varies considerably.
  The most basic training, like that which armed security guards
  get, is done under strict, cold conditions over the course of a
  single day. Many U.S. states require only 16 hours of instruc-
  tion: some legal briefings and a single visit to the range!
  Trainees will typically shoot at default Guns skill, but will at
  least be familiar (p. B169) with the weapon they used.
  However, many private security companies go far beyond this;
  the best are staffed by former special-ops soldiers and utilize
  full dynamic range firing, just like in their old units.
  Police academies are a little more rigorous, typically giving
  40-80 hours of firearms training, some under simulated com-
  bat conditions. Police officers learn to use a full spectrum of
  force, from their mere presence (and verbal skills) to lethal
  weapons. Their training includes scenarios where the officer
  must decide whether to try to arrest a suspect or shoot him.
  GUNFIGHTERS
  46
  CHAPTER FOUR
  GUNFIGHTERS
  
  The best police academies include “kill houses” (Martial Arts:
  Fairbairn Close Combat Systems, p. 4, and SWAT, p. 8), force-
  on-force training using paintball guns or laser simulators, and
  combat indoctrination scenarios, where the officer must nego-
  tiate a lengthy obstacle course and then fire on “shoot/no
  shoot” conditions. When completed, the training gives the
  graduate 1 point in Guns.
  Other law enforcement agencies have much higher stan-
  dards; rookie FBI agents receive no less than 115 hours of
  intense firearms instruction, and will burn 3,000-5,000 rounds
  during their training. Graduates typically receive 2 points in
  Guns or possibly a full style.
  Military training may include much of the same training
  that police officers receive, though the shooter’s ability to dis-
  criminate is less important in wartime conditions. Soldiers are
  also taught tactical skills, in part via live-fire training – firing
  real bullets in a simulated fire team or squad attack. Trainees
  receive 2 points in Guns, or a full style, upon completion.
  SWAT and special-operations training combines all of the
  above, running for weeks at a time and at a high intensity
  from the outset. The unit members often rotate the job of
  range master; the creative new scenarios keep the team fresh
  and at a high level of readiness. Graduates of such course
  receive at least 2 points in Guns and often a full style; they
  may also learn Combat Reflexes and/or a number of suitable
  perks and techniques.
  ASSAULTER
  6 points
  The Firearms Training Unit teaches new agents to handle
  Bureau-issued handguns, shotguns, and carbines.
  – Julie Linkins, “FBI Academy” (1997)
  The Assaulter style covers the use of the entire range of
  handheld offensive small arms in a fluid firefight. It’s primarily
  taught to TL6-8 infantry, special warfare units, and police
  SWAT teams. Stylists concentrate on long arms skills and the
  techniques to employ them.
  Assaulter stylists are proficient in a number of Guns spe-
  cialties, with Rifle or SMG almost always being the primary
  one. Handgun instruction is often included, as a backup to
  the long arms. Depending on instructor and timeframe, the
  style may feature elements of Point-Shooting (pp. 49-51) or
  Modern Pistol (p. 48). The student learns how to immediately
  transition to a sidearm (p. 14) in case the long arm runs dry
  or malfunctions.
  One of its most important techniques is Close-Quarters
  Battle, which allows efficient fire on the move at short ranges.
  Quick-Shot is also common, for engaging multiple opponents.
  Stylists usually fire at the torso, but those trained in hostage
  rescue often learn Targeted Attack. Masked Shooting allows
  effective fire while wearing a gas mask. Most assaulters oper-
  ate in teams, which makes Battle Drills common. Special-ops
  troops often have Cross-Trained. Green Eyes is practically
  mandatory for TL8 shooters.
  Some historical examples:
  • The training received by the Sturmtruppen of the
  Imperial German army during WWI emphasized Masked
  Shooting, Barricade Tactics, and Battle Drills. Its Style
  Familiarity included the Luger P08 and LP08 (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 1, p. 16), Bergmann MP18/I (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  p. 27), Mauser Gew98 and Kar98a (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2,
  p. 6), Madsen Muskete (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 15), Lewis
  Mk I (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 19), and Maxim MG08/15
  (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 16).
  • The WWII training of U.S. Marines (WWII, p. 75) fea-
  tured Immediate Action and Battle Drills. Its Style
  Familiarity included the Colt M1911A1 (High-Tech, p. 98),
  Winchester Model 1897 Trench (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  pp. 22-23), Springfield M1903 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2,
  p. 8), M1 Garand (High-Tech, p. 113), Winchester M1
  (High-Tech, p. 113), M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle
  (High-Tech, p. 113), Auto-Ordnance M1A1 Thompson
  (High-Tech, p. 122), Guide Lamp M3 (High-Tech, p. 125),
  Browning M1919A4 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 25), and
  Browning M1919A6 (High-Tech, p. 132).
  • The Short Gun instruction imparted on the 1st Special
  Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Special Ops, p. 28)
  favors Close-Quarters Battle, Fast-Firing, Immediate
  Action, Masked Shooting, Quick-Shot, and Targeted Attack,
  and also includes Battle Drills, Cross-Trained, Green Eyes,
  Grip Mastery, SOP (Cleaning Bug), and Tap-Rack-Bang.
  During the 1980s, Style Familiarity covered a customized
  Colt M1911A1 and the High Standard .22 HDMS (SEALs in
  Vietnam, p. 25), Guide Lamp M3, H&K MP5 series (High-
  Tech, p. 123), and Colt XM177E2 Commando (SEALs in
  Vietnam, p. 27). Today, it includes the Colt M1911A1,
  Glock 22 (High-Tech, p. 101), Colt M4A1 (High-Tech, p. 119),
  and H&K HK416D10RS (pp. 63-64).
  • The FBI (Cops, pp. 27-28) has taught an Assaulter style
  with Modern Pistol (p. 48) elements since the 1980s. Emphasis
  lies on Immediate Action, Retain Weapon, Grip Mastery
  (Pistol), and Off-Hand Weapon Training (Pistol). Style
  Familiarity for modern FBI agents (Cops, p. 47) includes the
  Glock 22 and its variants; SWAT-qualified agents or Hostage
  Rescue Team (HRT) operators (SWAT, p. 14) are additionally
  familiar with the Springfield TRP Bureau model (p. 58). Long
  arm familiarity includes the Remington Model 870P (High-
  Tech, pp. 105-106), Scattergun TR-870 Model 90102 (p. 59),
  RRA LAR-15 (p. 63), and H&K MP5 series; SWAT agents will
  also be trained on the Colt M4A1, and HRT operators add the
  H&K HK416D10RS.
  GUNFIGHTERS
  47
  Untrained Shooters
  For those legally armed who are not cops or members of
  the military, training becomes more difficult. Many carry on
  without any training at all – an invitation to legal, moral and
  financial disaster.
  – Patrick Rogers, “Firearms Academies” (2002)
  Poorly trained personnel are often thrust into combat.
  To reflect the differences between competent and incompe-
  tent shootists, use Untrained Fighters (Martial Arts, p. 113),
  modified as follows:
  • Replace the Fear rules with Shell Shock (p. 34).
  • Only shooters with at least DX level in a shooting skill
  may use an option covered by a shooting technique (pp. 43-
  45) – e.g., Ranged Rapid Strike (p. 18), which is improved
  as Quick-Shot (p. 45).
  
  Skills: Five of Fast-Draw (Ammo, Pistol, or Long Arm) or
  Guns (Grenade Launcher, LMG, Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, or SMG).
  Techniques: Close-Quarters Battle (any); Fast-Firing (any);
  Immediate Action (any); Masked Shooting (any); Quick-Shot
  (any); Retain Weapon (any); Targeted Attack (any).
  Perks: Armorer’s Gift (any); Barricade Tactics (any); Battle
  Drills; Cool Under Fire; Cross-Trained (any); Green Eyes; Grip
  Mastery (any); Intuitive Armorer (any); Lightning Fingers
  (any); Motorized Training (any); Off-Hand Weapon Training
  (any); Quick Reload (any); Standard Operating Procedure
  (any); Sure-Footed (any); Tap-Rack-Bang (any); Trademark
  Move; Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per.
  Advantages: Acute Vision; Combat Reflexes; Danger Sense;
  Fearlessness; Fit; Night Vision; Signature Gear.
  Disadvantages: Chummy; Hard of Hearing; Impulsiveness;
  Overconfidence.
  Skills: Armoury (Small Arms); Axe/Mace; Connoisseur
  (Guns); Forced Entry; Gunner (MG); Guns (LAW); Intimida-
  tion; Shield; Soldier; Spear; Stealth; Tactics; Throwing; any pri-
  mary skill not learned initially.
  Techniques: Close-Hip Shooting (any); Double-Loading;
  Work by Touch.
  Perks: Early Adopter (any); Tracer Eyes.
  MODERN PISTOL
  4 points
  . . . a pretty quick hit was better than a lightning-fast miss.
  – Jack Weaver, “History of the Weaver Stance” (2003)
  The Modern Pistol style originated in the 1960s and 1970s
  from a group of American handgun shooters, chief among
  them Jeff Cooper, a former Marine lieutenant colonel. It was
  named “modern” in contrast with existing, one-handed meth-
  ods – from 19th-century “target shooting” to early 20th-century
  Point-Shooting styles (p. 49-51).
  The Modern Pistol style uses a two-handed stance (p. 11-
  12) at all ranges, rather than just for long-distance shots.
  Instructors originally favored the asymmetric “Weaver
  stance,” but since the 1990s, many have replaced it with the
  more flexible and natural “Isosceles stance.” Modern Pistol
  stylists always shoot with the sights (p. 13) – at least with a
  wobbly “flash sight picture.”
  Modern Pistol shooters usually fire at the center of mass, as
  it’s easily targeted and (in real life) may damage the vitals by
  chance; use the advanced wounding rules on p. 162 of High-
  Tech to reflect this. Students are also taught Targeted Attacks,
  typically to the vitals and skull; some instructors favor the
  pelvic shot (p. 15). Some Modern Pistol schools teach the
  Mozambique drill (pp. 15-16), which works best with Quick-
  Shot (Pistol) and Targeted Attack (Pistol/Skull).
  Since a stylist draws his pistol with one hand but grips it
  with two, a student can take Grip Mastery (Pistol) as soon as
  he buys the Style Familiarity and Guns (Pistol) – instead of hav-
  ing to first spend 10 points on the style. This doesn’t change the
  limit on how many perks he can learn (p. 37).
  Training focuses on presenting and reloading the pistol as
  fast as possible; Quick Reload is common. Many stylists also
  learn Immediate Action and Tap-Rack Bang, to quickly get a
  malfunctioning weapon back into action. Concealed Carry
  Permit is typical for civilians.
  In recent years, the previously well-entrenched lines
  between Point-Shooting and Modern Pistol have become per-
  meable. Some Modern Pistol instructors have adopted instinc-
  tive, unsighted shooting and emergency one-handed methods
  like Behind-the-Back Shot and Close-Hip Shooting – but only
  as secondary training for close-quarters situations.
  Historical examples include:
  • The original Modern Technique – developed by the South
  West Combat Pistol League, including Ray Chapman, Jeff
  Cooper, Jack Weaver, and others – primarily incorporates
  Immediate Action, Quick-Shot, and Targeted Attack. Typical
  perks are Concealed Carry Permit, Grip Mastery, and
  Trademark Move. It specifies using a “semiautomatic pistol in
  a large caliber,” although any handgun can be used. Early styl-
  ists preferred the Colt .45 Government (High-Tech, p. 98), but
  Weaver was famous for his S&W K-38 Combat Masterpiece
  revolver (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 25).
  • Modern Los Angeles Police officers (Cops, p. 27) receive
  instruction in Close-Quarters Battle, Immediate Action, Retain
  Weapon, and Grip Mastery. Style Familiarity covers the issued
  Glock 22 (High-Tech, p. 101) and several authorized optional
  service pistols, including the Beretta Mod 92F (High-Tech,
  p. 100), Glock 17 (High-Tech, p. 100), Glock 21 (High-Tech,
  p. 101), and S&W Model 4506 (pp. 57-58), as well as backup
  guns like the Glock 26 and 27 (High-Tech, p. 101); SWAT offi-
  cers are also familiar with the Kimber TLE II (p. 58).
  • Officers of the New York Police Department (Cops, p. 26)
  are taught a stripped-down variant which focuses heavily on
  Immediate Action, Retain Weapon, and of course Grip
  Mastery. Style Familiarity covers the Glock 19 (High-Tech,
  p. 101), SIG-Sauer P226 (High-Tech, p. 102), and S&W Model
  5946 (p. 57) service pistols, as well as authorized backup guns
  like the Glock 26, S&W Model 640 (p. 55), and S&W Model
  3946 (p. 57).
  Skills: Fast-Draw (Ammo); Fast-Draw (Pistol); Guns (Pistol).
  Techniques: Close-Quarters Battle (Pistol); Fast-Firing (Pis-
  tol); Immediate Action (Pistol); Quick-Shot (Pistol); Retain
  Weapon (Pistol); Targeted Attack (Pistol/Skull or Vitals).
  Perks: Armorer’s Gift (Pistol); Barricade Tactics (Pistol);
  Battle Drills; Concealed Carry Permit; Cool Under Fire; Cross-
  Trained (Pistol); Grip Mastery (Pistol); Intuitive Armorer
  (weapon); Lightning Fingers (Pistol); Off-Hand Weapon Train-
  ing (Pistol); One-Hand Drills (Pistol); Standard Operating Pro-
  cedure (Cleaning Bug); Sure-Footed (Sand or Uneven); Quick
  Reload (Detachable Magazine or Swing-Out Revolver); Tap-
  Rack-Bang (Pistol); Trademark Move; Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per.
  Advantages: Acute Vision; Combat Reflexes; Danger Sense;
  Night Vision; Signature Gear.
  Disadvantages: Hard of Hearing; Overconfidence.
  Skills: Armoury (Small Arms); Connoisseur (Guns);
  Holdout; Stealth; Tactics.
  Techniques: Behind-the-Back Shot (Pistol); Close-Hip
  Shooting (Pistol); Masked Shooting (Pistol); Targeted Attack
  (Pistol/Pelvis).
  GUNFIGHTERS
  48
  
  Perks: Early Adopter (Pistols); Fastest Gun in the West;
  Green Eyes; Motorized Training (Pistol); Standard Operating
  Procedure (any); Supplier (any).
  POINT-SHOOTING
  4 points
  We were not taught to hold the gun out at arm’s length or with
  two hands but to draw the gun and hold it tucked into your navel
  with the gun pointing straight ahead so that wherever you looked
  your gun moved round toward the target you were looking at. So
  you . . . drew your gun straight into your navel, pom, pom, the
  chap was dead . . .
  – Ronald “Henry” Hall, “Memories on
  His and Her Majesty’s Service” (2004)
  Point-Shooting teaches a shooter to fire his weapon (usually a
  handgun) by pointing it instinctively at the target, rather than by
  “properly” aiming. Outside of conventional military operations,
  most gunfights occur at less than 10 yards, and often below three
  yards (Handgun Ranges, pp. 9-10). Taking the time to properly
  sight isn’t feasible at such distances, especially if the weapon
  must first be drawn from a holster and the opponent is closing
  in. Unfavorable (but typical) conditions, such as bad lighting, a
  moving and shooting opponent, and other distractions, make
  sighted shooting even more difficult in actual combat.
  Many successful 19th-century gunfighters and duelists
  used this style, despite conventional wisdom at the time
  being to only fire deliberate shots with an outstretched arm.
  Some cavalry units also trained in Point-Shooting, since rid-
  ing a horse made aiming difficult. By the early 20th century,
  progressive-minded firearms instructors, such as William
  Fairbairn of the Shanghai Municipal Police, developed
  courses that taught students how to shoot under adverse con-
  ditions. See Martial Arts: Fairbairn Close Combat Systems
  for much more on Fairbairn, the SMP, and the Allied agents
  and commandos he and Eric Sykes trained in WWII. After
  the war, Point-Shooting was quickly forgotten, except by spe-
  cialists like the British SAS (Special Ops, pp. 42-43), who
  favored it until the 1980s.
  Point-Shooting prepares a gunman for combat at short dis-
  tances – about 10 yards or less. For longer shots, a two-handed
  stance (p. 11-12) and aimed shooting (p. 13) are more effective,
  though seldom trained much.
  A stylist is adept at quickly drawing and readying his
  weapon from a holster, and is trained to use one-handed and
  hip-shooting stances (p. 11). He will primarily use unsighted
  shooting (p. 13), which gives him an edge in Who Draws First?
  (p. 10) contests and in close combat (pp. 25-26). Instructors
  teach an exaggerated “combat crouch” – a hunched posture
  which reduces the shooter’s silhouette. This is modeled by the
  ability to dodge (p. 17), possible only with unsighted shooting.
  GUNFIGHTERS
  49
  4 points
  Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas (Accuracy, Power, Speed).
  – IPSC Handgun Competition Rules (2009)
  Based on the Modern Pistol style (p. 48), Practical
  Sports Shooting represents the training that civilian
  sports shooters acquire by competing in matches offered
  by the International Practical Shooting Confederation
  (IPSC), U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), or
  similar organizations. Shooters tackle a series of “stages,”
  in which they shoot at a number of (usually differing) tar-
  gets at varying ranges – often with obstacles, moving tar-
  gets, required fast-draws or magazine changes, etc. The
  stages are shot on a “hot range” (p. 46) against the clock,
  so competitors need to be both good shots and fast. While
  most Practical Sports Shooting involves handguns, there
  are also matches for shotguns and rifles.
  When this style was created in 1976, by shooters includ-
  ing Ray Chapman and Jeff Cooper, it was modeled on com-
  bat shooting. Like the biathlon or other combat sports
  (p. B184), it has lost many of its original, deadly applica-
  tions. Strict safety, procedural, technical, and various other
  rules and restrictions mean that even world-class competi-
  tors are sport shooters, not combat shooters – although
  they may have acquired valuable traits. Some instructors
  consider Practical Sports Shooting useless; they believe it
  ingrains behavior that will get you killed in a real firefight,
  such as disregard for cover.
  Stylists usually fire double-taps (paper targets must be
  hit twice for full marks) and do everything quickly – drawing,
  firing, reloading, etc. A student can take Grip Mastery
  (Pistol) as soon as he buys the Style Familiarity and Guns
  Sport (Pistol), as for Modern Pistol stylists. Style Famil-
  iarity covers only the models of firearms that he has
  trained with.
  Skills: Fast-Draw (Ammo); Fast-Draw (Pistol); Guns
  Sport (Pistol).
  Techniques: Fast-Firing (Pistol); Immediate Action (Pis-
  tol); Quick-Shot (Pistol).
  Perks: Fastest Gun in the West (Pistol); Grip Mastery
  (Pistol); Off-Hand Weapon Training (Pistol); Quick Reload
  (any); Standard Operating Procedure (Cleaning Bug); Sup-
  plier (any); Sure-Footed (Sand or Uneven); Tap-Rack-Bang
  (Pistol); Trademark Move; Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per.
  Advantages: Acute Vision; Signature Gear.
  Disadvantages: Hard of Hearing; Overconfidence.
  Skills: Armoury (Small Arms); Connoisseur (Guns);
  Games (Practical Sports Shooting); Guns Sport (Rifle or
  Shotgun).
  Techniques: Double-Loading; Fast-Firing (Rifle or Shot-
  gun); Immediate Action (Rifle or Shotgun); Quick-Shot
  (Rifle or Shotgun).
  Perks: Armorer’s Gift (Pistol, Rifle or Shotgun); Early
  Adopter (any); Grip Mastery (Rifle or Shotgun); Off-Hand
  Weapon Training (Rifle or Shotgun); Tap-Rack-Bang (Rifle
  or Shotgun).
  Practical Sports Shooting
  
  Point-Shooting doesn’t bother with Targeted Attacks – the
  style is all about speed, not hit location. Shooters usually fire
  at the torso, as it’s easiest to hit and (in real life) may damage
  the vitals by chance; use the advanced wounding rules on
  p. 162 of High-Tech to reflect this.
  After a brief peak during the mid 20th century, Point-
  Shooting has become rare, having been all but overtaken by
  Modern Pistol styles (p. 48). This is mainly due to the success
  of the two-handed shooting stance, which allows better con-
  trol over the handgun. Though slower to assume than a one-
  handed position, its stability makes all shooting more
  accurate, aimed or not.
  Modern Pistol is also preferred by many organizations for
  its emphasis on safety. Point-Shooting insists on having your
  finger on the trigger at all times, while Modern Pistol keeps it
  outside the trigger guard until you’re about to shoot. While
  experienced shooters have been aware of this rule since the
  19th century, making it a part of basic handgun training helps
  prevent the kind of (all-too-common) negligent discharge that
  endangers innocent bystanders or even the shooter himself.
  Although Point-Shooting is primarily intended for use with
  handguns, it’s also taught for long arms including SMGs, car-
  bines, and shotguns. Variants
  include:
  • In the late 19th century,
  U.S. Cavalry troopers (Old
  West, pp. 94-95) were taught
  Point-Shooting
  for
  both
  mounted and dismounted
  combat; this was an excep-
  tion to the usual U.S. Army
  handgun instruction. This
  version
  lacks
  Close-Hip
  Shooting and Close-Quarters
  Battle, but features Cavalry
  Training, Combat Riding,
  and Mounted Shooting. Its
  Style Familiarity covers the
  Colt
  M1873
  (High-Tech,
  p. 95) and S&W M1875
  Schofield (High-Tech, p. 95).
  • The
  Fairbairn-Sykes
  Handgun
  Shooting
  Style
  (Martial
  Arts:
  Fairbairn
  Close Combat Systems, p. 12), developed from 1919, is the most
  influential Point-Shooting variant; most others are based on it.
  This system emphasizes Close-Hip Shooting and Cross-Trained.
  It instructs students to carry the semiautomatic pistol in
  Condition Three (Unready) (p. 8) and teaches how to ready it
  almost instantaneously during a Fast-Draw. For a SOE agent
  (Martial Arts: Fairbairn Close Combat Systems, pp. 17-18 and
  WWII: Return to Honor, p. 36), handgun Style Familiarity
  includes the Beretta Mod 34 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 19),
  BSA Welrod Mk II (p. 54), Colt .32 Pocket (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 1, p. 15), Colt .38 Super Auto (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  p. 18), Colt .45 Government (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  pp. 17-18), FN-Browning HP (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 21),
  and High Standard .22 HDMS (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 25).
  • The FBI’s Pistol Combat Course was developed by Special
  Agent Hank Sloan in 1935 and used until 1982. Off-Hand
  Weapon Training is mandatory for agents lacking Ambidexterity.
  For an FBI agent (Cops, p. 47, and WWII: Dogfaces, p. 62),
  Style Familiarity includes the Colt .38 Official Police (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 12), Colt .38 Detective Special (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 13), and, to a lesser extent, the Colt .38
  Super Auto. Post-WWII, agents also used the S&W Model 10
  M&P (High-Tech, p. 95), S&W Model 19 Combat Magnum
  (High-Tech, p. 96), and S&W Model 60 Chief’s Special Stain-
  less (High-Tech, p. 96).
  • The Israeli System was developed by Dave Berkemann in
  1968 and taught to Israeli law enforcement agencies and
  armed citizens. It advocates carrying the pistol in Condition
  Three (Unready), and provides training in how to ready it
  during the Fast-Draw. It teaches Close-Hip Shooting but lacks
  Close-Quarters Battle; shootists are supposed to stand still
  while shooting. Style Familiarity includes the Beretta Mod
  1951 (p. 56), Beretta Mod 70 (p. 56), FN-Browning HP, and
  Webley Mk IV M&P (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 8). By the
  1980s, many Israeli instructors had switched to a Modern
  Pistol style.
  • The California Highway Patrol has taught Point-
  Shooting since the 1990s; Style Familiarity includes the S&W
  Model 4006 (p. 56).
  Skills:
  Fast-Draw
  (Ammo); Fast-Draw (Pis-
  tol); Guns (Pistol).
  Techniques: Behind-the-
  Back Shot (Pistol); Close-
  Hip
  Shooting
  (Pistol);
  Close-Quarters Battle (Pis-
  tol); Fast-Firing (Pistol);
  Immediate Action (Pistol);
  Quick-Shot (Pistol); Retain
  Weapon (Pistol); Thumb-
  ing (Pistol).
  Perks: Concealed Carry
  Permit; Cool Under Fire;
  Cross-Trained (Pistol); Dou-
  ble-Loading; Fastest Gun in
  the West (Pistol); Off-Hand
  Weapon Training (Pistol);
  Quick Reload (any); Stan-
  dard Operating Procedure
  (Cleaning
  Bug);
  Sure-
  Footed (Sand or Uneven);
  Tap-Rack-Bang (Pistol); Tracer Eyes; Trademark Move;
  Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per.
  Advantages: Acute Vision; Combat Reflexes; Danger Sense;
  Night Vision; Signature Gear.
  Disadvantages: Hard of Hearing; Overconfidence.
  Skills: Acrobatics; Armoury (Small Arms); Broadsword;
  Connoisseur (Guns); Guns (any); Holdout; Shield; Soldier;
  Stealth; Tactics.
  Techniques: Cavalry Training (any); Close-Hip Shooting
  (any); Close-Quarters Battle (any); Combat Riding (Horse);
  Dual-Weapon Attack (Pistol); Fanning (Pistol); Fast-Firing
  (any); Immediate Action (any); Masked Shooting (any);
  Mounted Shooting (Horse/Pistol); Quick-Shot (any).
  GUNFIGHTERS
  50
  
  Perks: Barricade Tactics (any); Battle Drills; Cross-Trained
  (any); Early Adopter (any); Green Eyes; Gun Shtick (Twirl);
  Intuitive Armorer (any); Lightning Fingers (any); Motorized
  Training (any); Quick-Swap (Pistol); Standard Operating
  Procedure (any); Supplier (any).
  RIFLEMAN
  3 points
  My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I
  must master my life.
  – William Rupertus, “My Rifle: Creed of a U.S. Marine” (1941)
  Rifleman is for those shooters who rely entirely or at least
  mostly on an ordinary rifle. It’s typical of, but not exclusive
  to, TL5-6 infantry troops prior to the wide adoption of auto-
  matic weapons. Stylists are experts at getting the most out of
  bare-bones equipment. While many will be adept at using a
  sling to carry and brace the rifle (p. 12), they seldom use
  sophisticated targeting equipment or “tactical” gear, often
  due to limited means. As a side effect, stylists usually have
  high Guns skill; if you can’t afford to waste cartridges, you
  learn to make each shot count.
  A stylist will often have Targeted Attack to ensure one-shot
  kills. Related skills such as Guns (Grenade Launcher) and
  Spear may also be part of the training.
  Some historical examples:
  • British infantry from 1890 to WWI emphasized Battle
  Drills and added Spear. Style Familiarity covers the Lee-
  Metford Mk I and its developments (High-Tech, p. 112).
  • Members of the Boer commandos around the turn of the
  20th century would add Combat Riding and Mounted
  Shooting, and remove Battle Drills. They focused on Targeted
  Attack (Rifle/Vitals). Style Familiarity covers the Mauser Model
  1895 (use stats of the Mauser Gew98 in 7¥57mm Mauser on
  p. 111 of High-Tech) and Richards-Martini Model 1896 (use
  stats of the Martini-Henry Mk I on p. 109 of High-Tech).
  • Modern Canadian Rangers have Sure-Footed (Snow) and
  Stealth, and may learn Mounted Shooting (Halftrack or
  Horse/Rifle) and Targeted Attack (Rifle/Vitals). They typically
  lack Battle Drills. Style Familiarity covers the Canadian
  Enfield No.4 Mk I (High-Tech, p. 112).
  Skills: Fast-Draw (Ammo); Guns (Rifle).
  Techniques: Fast-Firing (Rifle); Immediate Action (Rifle);
  Masked Shooting (Rifle); Quick-Shot (Rifle); Targeted Attack
  (Rifle/Skull or Vitals).
  Perks: Armorer’s Gift (Rifle); Battle Drills; Cool Under Fire;
  Cross-Trained (Rifle); Grip Mastery (Rifle); Lightning Fingers
  (Rifle); Off-Hand Weapon Training (Rifle); Quick Reload
  (any); Standard Operating Procedure (any); Sure-Footed
  (any); Tap-Rack-Bang (Rifle); Tracer Eyes; Trademark Move;
  Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per.
  Advantages: Acute Vision; Combat Reflexes; Danger Sense;
  Night Vision; Signature Gear.
  Disadvantages: Hard of Hearing.
  Skills: Armoury (Small Arms); Breath Control; Connoisseur
  (Guns); Fast-Draw (any); Guns (any); Soldier; Spear; Stealth;
  Tactics; Throwing.
  Techniques: Cavalry Training (any); Close-Hip Shooting
  (Rifle); Close-Quarters Battle (Rifle); Combat Riding (any);
  Mounted Shooting (any/Rifle); Precision Aiming (Rifle); Retain
  Weapon (Rifle).
  Perks: Barricade Tactics (Rifle); Deadeye; Early Adopter
  (Rifles); Green Eyes; Motorized Training (Rifle); Quick-Sheathe
  (Long Arm); Supplier (any).
  SHARPSHOOTER
  5 points
  His job is to deliver discriminatory highly accurate rifle fire
  against enemy targets, which cannot be engaged successfully
  by the rifleman because of range, size, location, fleeting nature,
  or visibility.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 23-10 Sniper Training (1994)
  Sniper,
  sharpshooter,
  precision
  marksman
  –
  the
  Sharpshooter style covers highly trained riflemen who shoot
  from hidden positions over long distances at high-value tar-
  gets. The term dates back to the specialized riflemen of the
  late 18th century, but this style is specifically for elite marks-
  men using precision rifles with optical sights. The first such
  shootists appeared in the late 19th century, during conflicts
  such as the American Civil War, but the art truly came into its
  own during WWI.
  A stylist is often as much of a reconnaissance asset as he is
  a shooter. His ability to approach and depart unseen allows
  him to gather intelligence – to be either passed back to his
  superiors or used to set up a perfect shot.
  For a military sniper, the most important technique is
  Precision Aiming (p. 45). He will almost always fire at ranges
  from 300 to 2,000 yards – usually at the easiest hit location: the
  torso. For a police or hostage rescue sharpshooter, Precision
  Aiming is less important, as most of his engagements take place
  within 100 yards. Instead, the marksman will emphasize
  Targeted Attack (Rifle/Skull), as he needs to make absolutely cer-
  tain that the target can’t pose a danger to innocents after the shot
  is fired.
  Many sharpshooters have Deadeye. Weapon Bond can rep-
  resent a rifle modified to perfectly fit the shooter (p. 69). Some
  modern snipers, especially those who must shoot from heli-
  copters, have Motorized Training.
  Sharpshooter stylists usually have to pass higher qualifica-
  tions than other shooters. In addition, some traits are rare
  among military or police snipers due to their potential liability,
  including Addiction (Tobacco), correctable Bad Sight, and
  even left-handedness! Many sniper rifles are bolt-action
  designs only available for righties; for a leftie, such a weapon
  requires a Ready maneuver between each shot.
  Stylists usually work in pairs – one acting as shooter, the
  other as spotter (see Spotters and Observers, p. 27). Both are
  fully qualified sharpshooters. They exchange places to keep
  both alert; peeking through scopes is quite tiring (see Harsh
  Realism for Tactical Shooters, p. 32).
  Historical examples include:
  • The Lovat Scouts of the British Army, in WWI, had sharp-
  shooters famous for their Camouflage and Observation skills.
  Style Familiarity includes the Enfield SMLE Mk III (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 9; fitted with a Periscope Prism 2¥
  scope) and Enfield P/14 Mk I(T) (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2,
  pp. 10-11; fitted with an Aldis 3¥ scope).
  GUNFIGHTERS
  51
  
  • The Russian Snaiper of the Great Patriotic War (WWII,
  p. 79, and WWII: Red Tide, p. 114) was extensively trained in
  Camouflage, Stealth, and Tactics. He (or she!) typically lacked
  Precision Aiming, but often had Targeted Attack. Style
  Familiarity includes the Mosin-Nagant V-1891/30 (High-Tech,
  p. 111; fitted with a PEM 4¥ scope or PU 3.5¥ scope) and TOZ
  SVT-40 (p. 62).
  • The curriculum of a modern Recon Marine Scout/Sniper
  (Special Ops, p. 29) includes Precision Aiming and Targeted
  Attack, as well as Cross-Trained, Immediate Action, and SOP
  (Cleaning Bug). Battle Drills and Green Eyes are incorporated
  into the style. Their Style Familiarity covers the Colt M4A1
  (High-Tech, p. 119), Colt M16A4 (High-Tech, p. 117), KAC
  MK 11 MOD 0 SRS (p. 63), NWSC MK 18 MOD 0 CQBR
  (High-Tech, p. 121), PWS M39 EMR (a fine (accurate) variant
  of the Springfield M14 on p. 115 of High-Tech; with Schmidt
  & Bender 3-12¥ scope), PWS M40A5 (a fine (accurate) variant
  of the Remington Model 700 on p. 116 of High-Tech; with S&B
  3-12¥ scope), and Barrett M82A3 SASR (High-Tech, p. 118; fit-
  ted with S&B 3-12¥ scope).
  • The sharpshooters of the NYPD ESU (SWAT, p. 14) put
  special emphasis on Targeted Attack. Style Familiarity includes
  the Colt M4 (High-Tech, p. 119), Remington M24 (High-Tech,
  p. 116), and Barrett M82A3.
  Skills: Camouflage; Guns (Rifle); Observation; Stealth.
  Techniques: Immediate Action (Rifle); Precision Aiming
  (Rifle); Targeted Attack (Rifle/Skull or Vitals).
  Perks: Armorer’s Gift (Rifle); Cross-Trained (Rifle); Deadeye;
  Early Adopter (Rifles); Intuitive Armorer (weapon); Motorized
  Training (Rifle); Standard Operating Procedure (Cleaning Bug);
  Supplier (any); Tracer Eyes; Trademark Move; Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Per.
  Advantages: Acute Hearing; Acute Vision; Combat Reflexes;
  Danger Sense; Fit; Night Vision; Signature Gear; Single-Minded.
  Disadvantages: Callous; Loner.
  Skills: Armoury (Small Arms); Breath Control; Cartography;
  Connoisseur (Guns); Fast-Draw (Ammo or Long Arm); Guns
  (any); Intelligence Analysis; Navigation (Land); Soldier;
  Survival (any); Tactics; Throwing; Tracking.
  Techniques: Masked Shooting (Rifle).
  Perks: Battle Drills; Cool Under Fire; Green Eyes; Lightning
  Fingers (Rifle); Standard Operating Procedure (any); Tap-
  Rack-Bang (Rifle).
  SHOTGUNNER
  3 points
  The shotgun is best suited for close-range, short-duration con-
  flicts that do not require a great deal of firepower . . . or extreme
  penetration. The forgiving nature of its ammunition makes the
  shotgun particularly useful for low-light encounters or situations
  where the antagonists are moving quickly. Additionally, it is an
  easy weapon to learn, and its manual of arms is uncomplicated.
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Shotgun (1996)
  The shotgun is not an ideal combat weapon for a variety of
  reasons, but it’s widely available and can be employed success-
  fully in a gunfight. A tactical shotgunner will be thoroughly
  trained in exploiting the weapon’s inherent advantages, and in
  working around its downsides.
  A shotgunner knows when to use which ammunition, from
  buckshot for close-quarters combat to slugs for fairly precise
  medium-range shots. He knows what pattern a shotload will
  throw from his particular gun, and which shot size (High-
  Tech, p. 173) to select depending on the intended target and
  circumstances. This is all part of Guns (Shotgun) (p. 42).
  Quick-Shot (Shotgun) is popular, especially among accom-
  plished hunters and skeet shooters. Many learn Double-Loading,
  which works not only for double-barreled guns, but also for
  shotguns with integral tube magazines – you simply stack two
  shells front-to-back and slide them in. Shotgunners trained in
  door breaching (p. 24) will have the Forced Entry skill.
  Skills: Fast-Draw (Ammo); Guns (Shotgun).
  Techniques: Close-Hip Shooting (Shotgun); Close-Quarters
  Battle (Shotgun); Double-Loading; Fast-Firing (Shotgun);
  Immediate Action (Shotgun); Quick-Shot (Shotgun); Retain
  Weapon (Shotgun).
  Perks: Armorer’s Gift (Shotgun); Cool Under Fire; Cross-
  Trained (Shotgun); Grip Mastery (Shotgun); Lightning Fingers
  (Shotgun); Off-Hand Weapon Training (Shotgun); Quick
  Reload (Breechloader, Detachable Magazine, or Internal Mag-
  azine); Standard Operating Procedure (Cleaning Bug); Sure-
  Footed (any); Tap-Rack-Bang (Shotgun); Trademark Move;
  Weapon Bond.
  Optional Traits
  Secondary Characteristics: Improved Basic Speed and Per.
  Advantages: Acute Vision; Combat Reflexes; Danger Sense;
  Night Vision; Signature Gear.
  Disadvantages: Bad Sight; Bully; Hard of Hearing.
  Skills: Armoury (Small Arms); Connoisseur (Guns); Fast-
  Draw (Long Arm); Forced Entry; Guns (any); Intimidation;
  Soldier; Spear; Stealth; Tactics, Throwing.
  Techniques: Masked Shooting (Shotgun).
  Perks:
  Barricade
  Tactics
  (Shotgun);
  Early
  Adopter
  (Shotguns); Motorized Training (Shotgun); Skip Shot (Shotgun);
  Standard Operating Procedure (any); Supplier (any).
  GUNFIGHTERS
  52
  Americans are totally
  preoccupied with the impact of
  bullets upon human tissue and
  constantly strive to increase
  the effectiveness of handgun
  rounds with hollow points . . .
  or other innovations.
  – Danny Coulson,
  No Heroes (1999)
  
  We’ve all heard the story of the idiot who brought a knife to a
  gunfight . . .
  – Gabriel Suarez, The Tactical Advantage (1998)
  There are many different guns available at any given time.
  This section should help shooters find an appropriate weapon.
  CHOOSING YOUR WEAPON
  The selection of a handgun is frequently conditioned by emo-
  tional factors promoted and supported by advertising material,
  and the consumer-oriented nonsense one reads in the various
  gun magazines . . . If a glance at the current crop of magazine
  articles is any indication, we are amazed that men have been able
  to go to war without special sights, triggers, finishes, cut-downs,
  cut-aways, or grips, and have still managed to survive.
  – William Cassidy, Quick or Dead (1978)
  Which firearms are useful to a tactical shooter? There is no
  one answer – many aspects must be taken into account. Many of
  these have little or no relation to “effectiveness” – few militaries
  or police agencies arm their personnel with the “best” guns,
  despite what they tell said personnel or claim in press releases.
  Guns are selected for their cost (materiel is almost always bought
  from the lowest bidder), the cost of ammunition and accessories,
  their origin (“Not Invented Here” is often a big disadvantage in
  procurement for several reasons – some strategic, some silly),
  their availability (including in the specific quantity required),
  their relation to other weapons already in service, their fashion-
  ableness (“coolness factor” plays a remarkably big role even with
  national services), the personal preferences of those in charge of
  procurement, etc. Bribing and cronyism also have their impact,
  and are definitely not confined to banana republics . . .
  Therefore, the fact that a certain army, special unit, or
  police agency has adopted a specific gun doesn’t necessarily say
  much – sometimes it doesn’t even mean that the weapon in
  question meets the actual local requirements! Armed citizens,
  “contractors,” and other independent agents (including crimi-
  nals) are much less constrained in their choices anyway.
  Setting aside financial or legal restrictions, they can use what-
  ever they want – if they can find it!
  HOW TO GET THEM
  Machine guns, automatic weapons, and related paramilitary
  ordnance available to the professional adventurer and other qual-
  ified purchasers.
  – advertisement in Soldier of Fortune magazine (1979)
  Unless your employer has issued you a weapon, you need to
  acquire one first. Almost everywhere, gun acquisition and
  carry was unregulated until the early 20th century. By the mid
  20th century, many legislations had made it more difficult to
  legally buy, own, and/or carry a firearm, although today the
  details vary widely – from the civilian handgun bans (CR5) in
  Japan (1958) and the United Kingdom (1997) to the freedom of
  Alaska, Arizona, or Vermont, where anyone over 21 can carry
  a pistol (CR2) – to say nothing about effectively lawless areas,
  like much of Africa.
  Unless the GM and players want to go into the complicated
  details of firearms laws for the exact time and place of their cam-
  paign, they should stick to Laws and Customs (pp. B506-507).
  The easiest way to model the legal issues is with Concealed
  Carry Permit (p. 38), which allows the buyer to carry a hand-
  gun. A shooter can typically carry a long arm, like a shotgun,
  only on his own property or on hunting grounds with a hunt-
  ing license (which requires anything from a trivial fee to a
  complex licensing procedure best modeled as a perk of its
  own). A machine gun license, which allows ownership of a full-
  automatic weapon, should be modeled as a 3-point Unusual
  Background (p. B96), if available at all. Carry and use of auto-
  matic weapons is typically illegal even if possession and shoot-
  ing on a licensed range is allowed.
  None of this is required for police officers or military per-
  sonnel. Their access to service weapons is part of their Legal
  Enforcement Powers (p. B65) or Duty (pp. B133-134). Cops
  and soldiers are normally limited to what’s being issued to
  them (compare Basic Loads, pp. 79-80). Almost no military
  force and few police agencies allow personnel to choose their
  own armament. Some police officers, primarily in the U.S., are
  allowed to carry privately owned weapons, but these must be
  approved by their agency.
  If you can’t acquire a gun legally or want to get one outside
  of legal channels (e.g., a cop wants a “drop gun” to avoid red
  tape in case of a shooting), you need to turn to the black mar-
  ket (High-Tech, pp. 7-8). Starting the game with black market
  weapons requires GM permission and a plausible background
  story. Black market prices for guns are unpredictable, ranging
  from 10% to 1,000%, depending on the circumstances; assume
  double cost for those acquired prior to play.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  53
  CHAPTER FIVE
  TACTICAL
  FIREARMS
  If you can’t acquire a gun legally
  . . . turn to the black market.
  
  There really isn’t a “best” pistol for defense. If you want the
  “best,” you get a rifle. A pistol is a self-defense first-aid kit which
  you carry when you want to be armed but it isn’t convenient to
  carry your rifle . . . The pistol also serves as a second line of
  defense in case the rifle jams or runs out of ammunition.
  – Bruce Clayton, Life after Doomsday (1980)
  The following selection supplements the examples in other
  GURPS books, with special emphasis on guns filling particular
  tactical niches. Some weapon descriptions include statistics for
  specific accessories (e.g., a particular model of tactical light) that
  intentionally differ from the generic ones in High-Tech.
  HANDGUNS
  As an instrument of defence the pistol is undoubtedly the best
  weapon ever invented. Where the sword, the dagger and the club
  require skill, agility, and strength, the pistol requires very little of
  any of these.
  – Anonymous, The Pistol as a Weapon of
  Defence in the House and on the Road (1875)
  Barring a purely military setting, handguns are the firearms
  most likely to be used by shootists in GURPS. Handguns are
  small and lightweight, making them easy to carry, conceal,
  maneuver in tight confines, and use while moving (favorable
  ST and Bulk). They are moderately priced and legal to own in
  most settings (high LC).
  This usually compensates for handguns being less powerful
  (low Dmg) and less effective at a distance (low Acc and Range)
  than all other firearms. For a police officer, bodyguard, secret
  agent, armed citizen, or criminal, it simply isn’t practical to
  carry around a rifle, SMG, or shotgun all day. It’s far easier to
  carry a sidearm – or even two!
  Which exact caliber, make, and model a shooter prefers has
  as much to do with taste and personal preference as with the
  actual technical merits of individual designs. Modern consen-
  sus is that a pistol should be reliable, easy to use and control,
  and fire a cartridge at least equal in power to the 9¥19mm
  Parabellum (the most widespread combat pistol caliber). The
  .40 S&W offers an especially attractive compromise between
  cartridge size, controllability, and effectiveness – even more so
  in GURPS, where it takes advantage of several design break-
  points. Its success with hundreds of police agencies speaks for
  this, too. Many people also swear by the .45 ACP (see Cult of
  the .45, pp. 5-6).
  A large ammunition capacity is preferable, but the weapon’s
  overall dimensions should be kept in check, especially if it will
  be carried concealed. Low weight is better if the pistol is car-
  ried all day, even if done so openly. For close-quarters battle, an
  extended magazine (High-Tech, p. 155) often makes sense. The
  ability to add accessories (pp. 70-77) is advantageous, but not
  always necessary.
  Other considerations include the type of action (police and
  military weapons often have double-action-only or safe-action
  triggers that are less likely to go off accidentally), finish (con-
  cealed-carry guns should be impervious to sweat; military pistols
  should not glint, and should be resistant to the elements), ancil-
  laries (availability of magazines, holsters, etc.), and so forth.
  Sometimes handguns are shortened and otherwise modified
  for better concealment and a quick draw – gunsmithed (pp. 68-
  70) or special production examples include the “Fitz Special”
  handguns (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 9), ASP (p. 56), and
  Walther P38K (High-Tech, p. 100).
  Non-Repeating Pistols
  This is a catchall for handguns that are neither revolvers
  nor semiautomatic pistols.
  BSA Welrod Mk II, .32 ACP (U.K., 1943-1945)
  For many years, this unique hammerless weapon was the
  best sound-suppressed handgun available to Western forces.
  Designed by the Welwyn Herts Laboratories and made by the
  Birmingham Small Arms Co., it was named the Welrod after
  Welwyn and its rod-like appearance. Nicknamed the “bicycle
  pump,” the firearm is housed in a 12.2” tube (Holdout -3); the
  rubber-covered detachable magazine doubles as a pistol grip
  when inserted. Although it takes eight rounds, it frequently
  jams (Malf. 16) if more than five are loaded.
  The Welrod includes improved-visibility sights (High-Tech,
  p. 156), a perforated barrel, and an integral wiper suppressor
  (High-Tech, p. 159). It is manually cycled after each shot, for a
  total -3 to Hearing; after 15 rounds the rubber wipes are shot
  out, reducing this to -2. Replacement wipes are included, but
  require 10 minutes and an IQ-based Guns or Armoury (Small
  Arms) roll to insert. The tube has a concave hollow in the front
  – if pressed tightly against the unlucky target (see Close Combat
  and Close Combat, pp. 25-26), this gives an extra -1 to Hearing.
  The crude trigger lacks a guard and can be squeezed with
  gloves or mittens. It’s usually used with two hands (pp. 11-12).
  The Welrod Mk II was successful at filling its specific tacti-
  cal niche, with at least 2,800 made. It was issued to SOE and
  OSS agents (Martial Arts: Fairbairn Close Combat Systems,
  pp. 17-18), and supplied to resistance forces in the Far East
  and Europe (WWII: Return to Honor, pp. 46-47). American
  agencies designated it MK 1 MOD 0 .32 Hand-Firing Device.
  British and U.S. intelligence departments continued to issue it
  during the Cold War period; U.S. Army Special Forces (Special
  Ops, pp. 26-28) occasionally employed it in Vietnam.
  The Welrod Mk I (1944-1945) is much scarcer. It fires the
  9¥19mm Parabellum: Dmg 2d-1 pi, Range 110/1,200, Wt.
  3.4/0.2, Shots 7+1(3), ST 10, Cost $500/$26. It has the same
  jamming problems as the Mk II. British SAS troopers (Special
  Ops, pp. 42-43) fielded the Welrod Mk I as recently as the 1982
  Falklands War and 1991 Gulf War.
  TOZ MSP, 7.62×38mm SP-3 (Russia, 1972-)
  The Malogabaritnyj Spetsialnyj Pistolet (“small special pis-
  tol”) is a flat, double-barreled, hammerless, single-action der-
  ringer for covert assassination. It breaks open to load a clip of
  two silent rounds (CPS $6, WPS 0.033). The projectiles are the
  same as those used in the Izhmash AK-47 (High-Tech, p. 114)
  cartridges, and even show the same rifling marks once fired,
  which may confuse a coroner (-2 to Forensics). To ready, the
  pistol is cocked using a small lever below the trigger guard.
  The MSP was adopted by Spetsnaz (Special Ops, p. 40) as
  well as the KGB and its successors, the Russian FSB and SVR.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  54
  WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
  
  It was used for assassinations in Central America and
  Afghanistan during the 1980s, and exiled Chechen rebel lead-
  ers were shot with MSP pistols in Turkey in 2008-2009.
  Revolvers
  The first thing an officer requires is a serviceable revolver, one
  that is safe and reliable . . . He may carry any caliber from .32 to
  .45, but if he can place his shots and place them quickly all cal-
  ibers of arms are effective. The heavy calibers are . . . preferable
  and safer for the officer to use, as a slightly misplaced shot will
  cause the desired result.
  – J. Henry Fitzgerald, Shooting (1930)
  Revolvers reign supreme at TL5, but at TL6 are quickly
  superseded by semiautomatic pistols, leading to their technical
  obsolescence at TL7. By the 1950s, revolvers play virtually no
  role in military combat. They do remain popular police and
  civilian weapons until the 1990s (in America and some other
  places), but this has more to do with culture and tradition than
  anything else. Incidents like the 1986 Miami Massacre (p. 80),
  where several FBI agents were shot while frantically trying to
  reload their underpowered revolvers, proved that they were no
  longer tenable as primary arms for tactical shooting. Today,
  revolvers are mainly popular with recreational shooters, as
  well as with police forces in places with little violent crime,
  such as China or Singapore.
  Revolvers have low ammo capacities and are slow and com-
  plicated to reload. Due to their voluminous cylinders, they’re
  more difficult to hide under clothing than comparable semi-
  automatics. Revolvers aren’t necessarily more reliable than pis-
  tols, especially in environments with a lot of sand and dust.
  However, revolvers can offer more powerful cartridges; the
  .357 Magnum is a particular favorite of many.
  S&W Model 40 Centennial,
  .38 Special (USA, 1953-1974)
  This small, double-action-only hammerless revolver gives a
  snag-free draw (+1 Fast-Draw). It has a 2” (“snub-nose”) barrel.
  The Model 40 was carried as a backup gun by many law
  enforcement officers, often worn in an undercover holster on
  the ankle or in the small of the back (High-Tech, p. 154).
  The Model 640 Centennial (1990-1996) is a stainless steel
  (p. 76) variant that’s resistant to sweat, an important consider-
  ation for a concealed-carry weapon: Wt. 1.4, Cost $750.
  The Model 640-1 Centennial (1996-) is chambered for the
  .357 Magnum instead: Dmg 2d+2 pi, Range 180/2,000, Wt.
  1.6/0.18, ST 10, Rcl 5, Cost $750. Bagman Joe Sarno uses this
  in The Way of the Gun.
  S&W Model 686 Distinguished Combat Magnum,
  .357 Magnum (USA, 1981-)
  The double-action Model 686 was designed as the ultimate
  police service revolver – as sturdy as Smith and Wesson’s big
  Model 27 and 28, but as light as their Model 19 (High-Tech,
  p. 96). Made entirely of stainless steel, it features adjustable
  sights and is available in several barrel lengths – the 4” version
  in the table is typical. Treat as fine (accurate).
  The Model 686 was issued by many American police agen-
  cies during the 1980s, including the Florida, Kentucky, and
  West Virginia state police, until replaced by semiautomatics.
  It’s used by Sheriff Freddy Heflin in Cop Land.
  The Model 586 (1981-1999) is the same weapon, but of ordi-
  nary blued steel: Wt. 2.6, Cost $625. It was issued by the
  Apache Nation Police and Texas Highway Patrol, and used by
  FBI agent Warren Stantin in Shoot to Kill.
  The Model 686 Plus (1996-) is a seven-shot variant: Wt.
  2.9/0.25, Shots 7(2i), Cost $725.
  Semiautomatic Pistols
  . . . the original plan [for the 1942 liquidation of Reinhard
  Heydrich] was that they should be armed with Colt .38 Super pis-
  tols and they were certainly trained to be Deadeye Dicks with
  them. We had always taken the view that a sub-machine gun was
  far too bulky to carry on an operation of this sort.
  – Peter Wilkinson, Forgotten Voices
  of the Secret War (2008)
  At TL6-8, semiautomatic handguns are the primary tools of
  many tactical shooters. Compared to revolvers, they are flatter
  and thus easier to conceal, hold more shots, are quicker to
  reload, and (at least at TL7-8) are as reliable and safe to use.
  Any semiautomatic pistol can be converted to full-auto-
  matic (p. 69); gunsmiths have made machine pistols out of the
  Beretta Mod 92F (High-Tech, p. 100), Luger P08 (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 1, p. 16), Ruger Standard MK1 (High-Tech, p. 100),
  Walther PP (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 20), and others. Some
  conversions are quite elaborate, such as the Lebman weapons
  (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 18), built during the 1930s out of
  Colt .38 Super Auto and .45 Government pistols fitted with
  foregrips (p. 75) and compensators (p. 76). However, machine
  pistols are only useful when their low Bulk and high RoF are
  essential; considering their poor controllability (high Rcl) and
  legality (LC2), they aren’t normally a good idea.
  Molot APS, 9×18mm Makarov (Russia, 1953-1955)
  Adopted by the Soviet military in 1951 and entering service
  two years later, the Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Stechkina
  (“Stechkin’s automatic pistol”) is a double-action machine pis-
  tol intended to replace handguns and SMGs. When firing at
  RoF 4 or higher, use Guns (SMG) instead of Guns (Pistol), and
  raise Rcl to 3. The APS was originally issued with a 1.2-lb.
  wooden pistol stock that also doubles as a holster; this was
  later changed to a 0.8-lb. plastic stock (either gives Acc 3, ST
  7†, Bulk -3). A set of leather belt pouches ($50, 1 lb.) is avail-
  able to hold four magazines.
  The weapon was quickly relegated to storage for reserve serv-
  ice; Soviet border guards carried it until 1980. It has since gained
  favor with various Russian special-ops units, including Spetsnaz
  (Special Ops, p. 40), Spetsgruppa Alfa (Special Ops, p. 41), and
  OMSN (SWAT, p. 17), who employ it as a true machine pistol
  without the stock. Stechkins were sold abroad, turning up in the
  Middle East, Latin America, and elsewhere. Korean Jopok mob-
  ster Kim Sun-Woo uses one in The Bittersweet Life.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  55
  Pistols are trade-offs.
  – Eric Haney, Inside
  Delta Force (2002)
  
  Several thousand of the TsNIITochMash APB (1972-1975)
  or Avtomaticheskiy Pistolet Besshumniy (“silenced automatic
  pistol”) were created by converting standard APS pistols.
  The new barrel is perforated and features an integral expan-
  sion chamber (-1 Hearing): Dmg 2d-1 pi, Range 120/1,300,
  Wt. 2.8, Cost $900. It’s threaded for the attachment of a baf-
  fle sound suppressor (another -2 Hearing and -1 Bulk, $500,
  1 lb.). The APB comes with a 0.3-lb. wire pistol stock (Acc 3,
  ST 7†, Bulk -3) which has clips to hold the suppressor tube
  when not in use. The APB was famously employed in
  Operation SHTORM-333, the 1979 assault on Taj-Bek palace
  in Afghanistan (Special Ops, p. 19).
  Beretta Mod 1951, 9×19mm
  Parabellum (Italy, 1953-1980)
  The Modello 1951 is a single-action pistol adopted by several
  Mediterranean nations in the 1950s and 1960s, including the
  Italian navy and military police, and the armies of Egypt,
  Israel, and Tunisia. Beretta made over 100,000. Egypt pro-
  duced it under license as the Helwan – as did Iraq as the Tariq.
  It’s used by the Israeli Mossad agents in Munich.
  The much rarer Mod 1951R (1970-1976) or Raffica (“auto-
  matic fire”) is a machine pistol with a fire selector, heavier
  slide, and folding wooden vertical foregrip (p. 75) in front of
  the trigger guard: Wt. 3.2/0.4, RoF 16, Shots 10+1(3), ST 8†,
  Rcl 3, Cost $750/$26, LC2. It requires Guns (SMG) to use.
  It wasn’t successful due to the limited magazine capacity.
  However, it’s easily concealed and could give an attacker a
  nasty surprise.
  Beretta Mod 70, .22 LR (Italy, 1960-1985)
  This is a single-action “pocket pistol” with a spurless ham-
  mer. Originally intended for sports shooters (p. 49), the
  weapon has been famously used in tactical applications by Ital-
  ian and Italo-American Mafia assassins, Israeli Mossad agents,
  and Israeli Shin Bet sky marshals. While the sky marshals
  chose the Mod 70 because it would do only limited structural
  damage if fired aboard an aircraft, the other two groups appre-
  ciated the ease with which it could be suppressed (requires
  $100 threaded replacement barrel). In 1976, the Sayeret Mat’kal
  (Special Ops, pp. 38-39) used suppressed Berettas rescuing
  hostages in Operation THUNDERBOLT in Entebbe, Uganda.
  NORINCO QSW67, 7.62×17mm
  DAP64 (China, 1967-2006)
  The 67 Shi Weisheng Shou Qiang (“silenced pistol type 1967”)
  is a hammerless, single-action handgun for silent killing. It fea-
  tures a perforated barrel and integral baffle sound suppressor
  with rubber wipe (-2 Hearing). The wipe must be replaced every
  30 shots (only -1 Hearing otherwise). The QSW67 has a unique
  two-stage trigger: a light squeeze fires the weapon as a semiau-
  tomatic, a heavy pull all the way back locks the slide after the
  shot, preventing the action from cycling. This gives another -1
  Hearing, but reduces RoF to 1 (High-Tech, p. 161). It fires a pro-
  prietary round (CPS $0.1, WPS 0.018) that’s difficult to find out-
  side of China.
  The QSW67 was encountered by Western forces during the
  Vietnam War, and has since been exported in small numbers; it
  turned up in the hands of political assassins in India in 1980
  and of PLO terrorists in Lebanon in 1981. Cocaine dealer
  XXXX uses one in L4yer Cake.
  ASP, 9×19mm Parabellum (USA, 1976-1987)
  The ASP is a custom-made, hammerless, double-action-only
  pistol based on the S&W Model 39 (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 25).
  Developed by holster-maker Paris Theodore, it was designed for
  concealed carry (p. 32) and snag-free drawing (+1 Fast-Draw).
  Shortened (p. 69) and weight-reduced (p. 70), all edges are
  sanded off and the gun refinished with a corrosion-resistant
  coating (p. 76). Treat as fine (reliable). Translucent grip plates
  permit checking how many cartridges remain in the slotted
  magazine, similar to a transparent magazine (p. 74). The unique
  Guttersnipe sight allows reasonable accuracy at short range; on
  some guns it’s tritium-filled to act as improved-visibility sights. If
  a Model 39 is supplied, the customization costs $1,200. Intended
  for secret agents and bodyguards, about 300 were made by
  Armament Systems and Procedures Inc. (ASP).
  A few were fitted with a threaded barrel (+$300) to accept a
  detachable baffle sound suppressor (-2 Hearing, -1 Bulk,
  cheap, $250, 1.5 lbs.). The suppressor is a throwaway item with
  a service life of 100 shots.
  H&K P7, 9×19mm Parabellum
  (Germany, 1979-1986)
  Originally called the Polizei-Selbstladepistole (“police self-
  loading pistol”) or PSP before it was adopted as the Pistole 7
  (P7) by several German state police forces, this is a hammer-
  less handgun with a simple single-action system that is cocked
  by squeezing the handgrip and decocked (p. 8) by releasing it.
  This allows one-handed operation and makes it safe to carry
  with a round in the chamber (Condition Two; p. 8). Unfamiliar
  wielders sometimes neglect to press the squeeze-cocker and
  aren’t able to fire, or forget how light the trigger is when the
  cocker is squeezed, leading to a negligent discharge. The P7 is
  short, slim, and conceals well (p. 32) – among others, Delta
  Force commander Colonel Charlie Beckwith carried it while
  out of uniform.
  In Germany, the P7 has been issued by the GSG9 anti-ter-
  rorist unit (Special Ops, p. 36), the military police, and several
  law enforcement agencies including the Bavarian state police.
  More than 80,000 were made; it was licensed in Greece.
  The improved P7M8 (1981-2005) features a repositioned
  magazine release and adds a lanyard ring, but is identical in
  game terms. Some 50,000 were made. The P7M8 was issued by
  the New Jersey State Police and U.S. Park Police. Resistance
  leader Juliet Parrish fights lizard men with one in V.
  The slightly larger P7M13 (1982-1994) has a double-row
  magazine: Wt. 2.5/0.6, Shots 13+1(3), Bulk -2, Cost $1,850/$27.
  Some 18,500 were produced and it was licensed to the Mexican
  army. It was adopted by the Utah State Police, Navajo Nation
  Police, and Denver SWAT. A nickel-finish P7M13 is used by
  master criminal Hans Gruber in Die Hard.
  S&W Model 4006, .40 S&W (USA, 1990-1999)
  Smith and Wesson’s third-generation pistols cater to those
  who want a medium-priced American semiautomatic; the stain-
  less, double-action Model 4006 is unremarkable in its design fea-
  tures. It has a decocking lever. Optional improved-visibility sights
  and integral targeting lasers (High-Tech, p. 156) are available.
  The Model 4006 Tactical S&W (2000-2006) has ambidex-
  trous controls and an accessory rail (High-Tech, p. 161) under
  the barrel: Wt. 2.8, Cost $1,050. The California Highway Patrol
  has issued it with hollow-point (HP) ammo (Dmg 2d+2(0.5)
  pi++) since 2006.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  56
  
  The Model 5906 (1989-1999) is the same size and shape but
  chambered for the 9¥19mm Parabellum: Dmg 2d+2 pi, Shots
  15+1(3). It was adopted by many police forces, but also the
  Mexican marines. Aftermarket magazines for 20 rounds ($28,
  0.8 lb.) or 30 rounds (-1 Bulk, $29, 1.2 lbs.) are available. In
  1989, gunsmith Patrick Wittbrot converted five into machine
  pistols for American collectors: Malf. 16, Dmg 2d+2 pi, RoF
  19!, Shots 15+1(3), ST 10, Rcl 3, Cost $1,500/$27, LC2. These
  require Guns (SMG).
  The Model 5946 (1989-1999) is identical to the Model 5906
  but double-action-only: Acc 1. Since 1994, this is one of the
  sidearms authorized by the New York Police Department
  (Cops, p. 26), with HP ammo (Dmg 2d+2(0.5) pi+). It has been
  issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police since 1996.
  Mafia soldier Christopher Moltisanti favors it in The Sopranos.
  The Model 5946TSW (2000-2002) has an underbarrel rail:
  Acc 1, Wt. 2.8/0.6, Cost $1,050.
  The Model 3946 (1990-1999) is a shortened, hammerless,
  double-action-only, single-stack version of the Model 5946,
  commonly carried by detectives or as a backup gun: Dmg 2d+1
  pi, Acc 1, Wt. 1.8/0.3, Shots 8+1(3), Bulk -1, Cost $850/$26.
  Still another variant is the Model 4506 (1990-1999), a
  full-sized single-stack variant in .45 ACP: Dmg 2d pi+,
  Wt. 2.9/0.5, Shots 8+1(3), ST 10, Rcl 3, Cost $1,050/$27.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  57
  Non-Repeating Pistols Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (PISTOL) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  7
  BSA Welrod Mk II, .32 ACP
  1d+2 pi-
  1
  120/1,300
  2.4/0.2
  1
  8+1(3)
  9
  -3
  2
  $450/$26
  2
  [1, 2]
  7
  TOZ MSP, 7.62¥38mm
  1d+2 pi
  0
  200/650
  1.2/0.1
  2
  2(5)
  7
  -1
  2
  $250
  2
  [3]
  Notes
  [1] No lanyard ring (High-Tech, p. 154).
  [2] Integral sound suppressor; see description.
  [3] Silent ammunition (High-Tech, p. 165).
  Revolvers Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (PISTOL) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  7
  S&W Model 40, .38 Special
  2d-1 pi
  0
  90/1,000
  1.6/0.17
  3
  5(2i)
  9
  -1
  2
  $650
  3
  [1]
  8
  S&W Model 686, .357 Magnum
  3d-1 pi
  2
  190/2,000
  2.8/0.21
  3
  6(2i)
  10
  -2
  3
  $700
  3
  [1, 2]
  Notes
  [1] No lanyard ring (High-Tech, p. 154).
  [2] Fine (accurate).
  Semiautomatic Pistols Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (PISTOL) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  7
  Molot APS, 9¥18mm
  2d pi
  2
  150/1,600
  2.7/0.7
  12
  20+1(3)
  9
  -2
  2
  $600/$27
  2
  7
  Beretta Mod 1951, 9¥19mm
  2d+2 pi
  2
  160/1,800
  2.3/0.4
  3
  8+1(3)
  9
  -2
  2
  $625/$26
  3
  7
  Beretta Mod 70, .22 LR
  1d+1 pi-
  1
  70/1,400
  1.2/0.2
  3
  8+1(3)
  7
  -1
  2
  $550/$25
  3
  [1]
  7
  NORINCO QSW67, 7.62¥17mm
  1d+2 pi-
  2
  120/1,300
  2.5/0.2
  3
  9+1(3)
  9
  -2
  2
  $500/$26
  2
  [2]
  7
  ASP, 9¥19mm
  2d+1 pi
  1
  140/1,600
  1.7/0.3
  3
  7+1(3)
  8
  -1
  2
  $1,650/$26
  3
  [1, 3]
  8
  H&K P7, 9¥19mm
  2d+2 pi
  2
  160/1,800
  2.1/0.4
  3
  8+1(3)
  9
  -1
  2
  $1,550/$26
  3
  [1, 3]
  8
  S&W Model 4006, .40 S&W
  2d+2 pi+
  2
  160/1,800
  2.7/0.6
  3
  11+1(3)
  9
  -2
  2
  $1,000/$27
  3
  [1]
  8
  H&K MK 23 MOD 0, .45 ACP
  2d pi+
  3
  150/1,600
  3.2/0.8
  3
  12+1(3)
  10
  -3
  3
  $2,000/$28
  3
  [3, 4]
  8
  Springfield TRP Bureau, .45 ACP
  2d pi+
  3
  150/1,600
  2.4/0.5
  3
  8+1(3)
  10
  -2
  3
  $2,400/$27
  3
  [1, 4]
  8
  Kimber TLE II, .45 ACP
  2d pi+
  3
  150/1,600
  2.5/0.5
  3
  7+1(3)
  10
  -2
  3
  $1,050/$27
  3
  [1, 4]
  8
  SVI Infinity IMM, .45 ACP
  2d pi+
  3
  150/1,600
  3.7/0.9
  3
  11+1(3)
  10
  -3
  3
  $5,200/$28
  3
  [1, 4, 5]
  Notes
  [1] No lanyard ring (High-Tech, p. 154).
  [2] Integral sound suppressor; see description.
  [3] Very reliable. Won’t malfunction unless lack of maintenance
  lowers Malf. (p. B407).
  [4] Fine (accurate).
  [5] Integral muzzle compensator (p. 76).
  
  Since 1997, it’s one of the pistols authorized by the Los
  Angeles Police Department (Cops, p. 27). LAPD Detective Vic
  Mackey uses it in The Shield, as does Detective Tom Ludlum
  in Street Kings.
  The double-action-only Model 1076 (1990-1993) is similar to
  the Model 4506 but in 10¥25mm Auto, with improved-visibility
  sights: Malf. 16, Dmg 3d-1 pi+, Acc 1, Range 210/2,300, Wt.
  2.9/0.6, Shots 9+1(3), ST 11, Rcl 4, $1,150/$27. In 1990-1993, it
  was issued by the FBI (Cops, pp. 27-28), whose HP service
  ammo was underloaded (Dmg 2d+1(0.5) pi++, ST 10, Rcl 3).
  Agents were issued four 9-round magazines, two 11-rounders
  ($27, 0.7 lb.), and one 15-rounder (-1 Bulk, $28, 0.9 lb.).
  H&K MK 23 MOD 0, .45 ACP (Germany, 1996-)
  Designed to the specifications of the U.S. Special
  Operations Command (Special Ops, p. 88) for an Offensive
  Handgun (OHG), this large double-action pistol was developed
  from the H&K USP (High-Tech, p. 102). Treat it as both fine
  (reliable) and fine (accurate), with a corrosion-resistant finish.
  It has a decocking lever, improved-visibility sights, and an
  underbarrel rail for an Insight AN/PEQ-6 laser/light module
  (p. 74). A quick-detach baffle sound suppressor (-3 Hearing, -1
  Bulk, expensive, $1,500, 0.7 lb.) is available; adding water gives
  a further -1 to Hearing (see Wet Suppressors, p. 71). The serv-
  ice round is extra-powerful hollow-point (HP+P) (Dmg
  2d+1(0.5) pi++, ST 11).
  Some 1,950 pistols were acquired by SOCOM in 1996 and
  mainly used by U.S. Navy SEALs (Special Ops, pp. 30-31).
  Despite its merits, the MK 23 MOD 0 was too large and heavy
  to be a successful sidearm; a decade later, it had been largely
  phased out of U.S. service. Monster hunter Dr. Robert Neville
  is armed with one in I Am Legend, as is resistance fighter John
  Connor in Terminator Salvation.
  Springfield TRP Bureau, .45 ACP (USA, 1998-)
  The single-action Tactical Response Pistol is a fine (accurate)
  copy of the Colt .45 Government. It features ambidextrous con-
  trols, improved-visibility sights, a beveled magazine well (p. 74),
  and a corrosion-resistant finish. The TRP was adopted in 1998
  by the FBI for its SWAT-qualified agents (SWAT, p. 14). From
  2006, the pistols supplied to the FBI add an underbarrel acces-
  sory rail for a small SureFire tactical light (25-yard beam, expen-
  sive, $250, 0.25 lb., 2¥XS/1 hr.): Wt. 2.5, Cost $2,500. The FBI’s
  issue ammo is HP+P (Dmg 2d+1(0.5) pi++, ST 11). Special Agent
  Colby Granger uses the TRP in Numb3rs.
  Kimber TLE II, .45 ACP (USA, 2002-)
  Kimber’s Tactical Law Enforcement single-action pistol is a
  fine (accurate) copy of the Colt .45 Government with
  improved-visibility sights and beveled magazine well. The
  TLE/RL II (2002-) adds an underbarrel accessory rail for a
  small SureFire tactical light (25-yard beam, expensive, $250,
  0.25 lb., 2¥XS/1 hr.): Wt. 2.6, Cost $1,100. Both models were
  adopted by the SWAT platoon of the Los Angeles Police
  Department (SWAT, p. 13) in 2002, as well as by similar units.
  The LAPD’s issue load is HP+P (Dmg 2d+1(0.5) pi++, ST 11).
  The TLE/RL II features prominently in S.W.A.T. and Street
  Kings, and is the sidearm of most operators in The Unit.
  SVI Infinity IMM, .45 ACP (USA, 2005-)
  Strayer-Voigt Inc. produce single-action “race guns” based
  on the action of the Colt .45 Government. Every Infinity pistol
  is custom-made for the buyer (Fitting a Gun to Its Owner,
  p. 69). The stainless steel weapon in the table was designed for
  IPSC competition shooting, and features an ambidextrous
  safety, high-capacity magazine, jet funnel (p. 74), and integral
  compensator (p. 76). Treat as fine (accurate). Its finish and
  workmanship gives +1 to reactions – see Styling (High-Tech,
  p. 10). Extended 14-round magazines are available ($29, 1.2
  lb.). It’s the sidearm of the Company men in Heroes.
  SHOTGUNS
  Normally the nine pellets in the cartridge will spread about
  one inch to a yard of range. The spread of the pellets is uneven;
  even at a distance of 15 yards all of them will not hit a man-size
  target. Depending upon the individual gun, at 50 to 60 yards the
  pattern will be 5 to 6 feet in diameter, and some of the pellets will
  hit a man-size target consistently. Beyond this distance, it is quite
  possible that all nine pellets might miss a man . . .
  – Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed (1976)
  Shotguns are useful general-purpose long arms for police
  officers and private citizens. The first tactical shotguns – mod-
  ified for combat use instead of hunting – were the double-bar-
  reled coach guns of the late 19th century. These were often
  ordinary fowling pieces with the barrels sawed off to make
  them more maneuverable; see Shortening a Long Arm (pp. 69-
  70). The same applied to the repeating riot guns that appeared
  from 1883 and are still used today.
  The next step was to increase ammunition capacity and
  upgrade the sights – e.g., in the 1930s, U.S. Border Patrol officer
  Charles Askins modified his Remington Model 11 with an
  extended 9-round magazine tube (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  p. 23) and a white handkerchief around the muzzle as an impro-
  vised improved-visibility sight (High-Tech, p. 156). Since then,
  better materials, new sighting arrangements, and a variety of
  ammunition choices have been introduced, but most of today’s
  combat shotguns differ little from those available a century ago.
  Shotguns have the highest availability of all firearms – they
  are cheap and often available to civilians even when other
  firearms are illegal. When Colonel Bob Denard’s mercenaries
  assaulted the Comoros islands in 1978, most of his “dogs of
  war” were armed with semiautomatic or pump-action shot-
  guns, as military hardware couldn’t be secured.
  Shotguns make it easier to hit your target; cops using shot-
  guns in real firefights achieve three times the percentage of hits,
  on average, of those using handguns. This is due to both hav-
  ing a shoulder stock and longer sightline (giving better Acc),
  and typically firing a multiple-projectile load (High-Tech,
  p. 172). Shotguns have a wide range of ammunition options
  (High-Tech, p. 103) – including buckshot (p. 78) for close-in
  work, slugs (p. 78) for long-range shots, beanbags for riots, etc.
  However, the large, heavy cartridges give most shotguns poor
  ammo capacity and their heavy recoil limits controllability
  (high ST and, when firing slugs, Rcl).
  Sporting guns, with their long 26-32” barrels, are cumber-
  some (Bulk -6). A tactical shotgun should have a short barrel of
  18-22” length (Bulk -5 for a conventional weapon); for entry
  work, in hallways, vehicles, etc., it’s even better to go for a
  12-15” barrel (Bulk -4). Stakeout guns with pistol grip and
  6-10” barrel (Bulk -3) are specialty items only – they are to be
  whipped up from behind a store counter or from under a coat,
  or to be used for Door Breaching (p. 24). The shorter guns are
  restricted in most countries since the mid-20th century (LC2).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  58
  
  Tactical shooters typically prefer 12-gauge; smaller calibers
  like 20-gauge only make sense for weaker shooters, and 10-
  gauge weapons are usually too heavy and too difficult to con-
  trol for general use.
  Double-barreled or lever-action shotguns are useful when
  nothing else is available, but a tactical shotgun should be a semi-
  automatic or pump-action. Semiautomatics fire faster (higher
  RoF) and are often more controllable (lower ST and Rcl), but are
  more expensive and ammunition-sensitive (-1 to Malf. if using
  discount-priced ammo; High-Tech, p. 175). They don’t work
  with low-impulse ammo, such as many less-lethal and specialty
  loads (High-Tech, p. 103). Semiautomatics require only one
  hand for operation; they are popular with dog handlers who
  need to hold the leash of their canine partner.
  Pump-actions, while slower-firing, are reliable and can
  shoot anything fed to them. However, even trained gunmen
  may experience stoppages (p. B407) due to “short-stroking” –
  failing to slide the forestock far enough in the heat of battle.
  Police agencies often use dedicated pump-actions for firing
  less-lethal ammo such as beanbags or rubber shot; these typi-
  cally have brightly colored stocks for easy identification.
  Both pump-actions and semiautomatics are available with a
  tube magazine or detachable magazine. While the latter
  allows much faster reloading, a tube magazine allows
  a round to be loaded directly into the chamber; this is
  useful if you suddenly need a slug or beanbag when
  the tube is filled with buckshot. Individual shells for a
  tube magazine are also more handily carried than big
  detachable magazines.
  Full-automatic shotguns are practically useless –
  the weapons and their ammo are heavy, bulky, and
  notorious for jamming. Furthermore, as RoF is typi-
  cally no more than twice that of a semiautomatic
  shotgun, the drawbacks aren’t worth it compared to
  a SMG or assault rifle. The few full-automatic shot-
  guns developed haven’t been successful (compare
  High-Tech, p. 107, and SEALs in Vietnam, p. 26).
  Tactical shotguns at TL8 often feature side carri-
  ers (p. 73), buttstock ammunition loops (p. 73),
  and/or speedload stocks (p. 75). They allow shells to
  be carried on the gun, making specialized load-bear-
  ing equipment or loose shells in coat pockets super-
  fluous. It also makes it easy to keep different ammo
  types organized – e.g., buckshot in the magazine,
  slugs in the side carrier, and beanbag rounds in the
  speedload stock.
  High Standard K-1200 Riot #8111,
  12G 2.75” (USA, 1964-1978)
  The K-1200 Riot is a pump-action shotgun with unchoked
  18” barrel, based on the Flite King series of sporting guns. This
  was a popular American police weapon during the 1960s and
  1970s. The otherwise identical K-1200 Riot #8113 has rifle
  sights that allow effective use with slugs (p. 78).
  High Standard Model 10B #8291,
  12G 2.75” (USA, 1970-1977)
  This unique weapon is a semiautomatic bullpup shotgun
  with unchoked 18” barrel. It was designed for the tactical
  needs of police officers, and is balanced to allow effective one-
  handed use (multiply ST by 1.2, see p. 13), e.g., if firing out of
  a car window or suspended from a two-point sling (pp. 71-72)
  under a coat. It was the first weapon with an integral mount for
  a small, detachable Kel-Lite tactical light (15-yard beam, $100,
  1 lb., 2¥S/2 hrs.) on top of the receiver. The weapon only func-
  tions reliably if full-power, all-brass rounds are used (Malf. 16
  otherwise). Like most bullpup weapons, it can’t be fired left-
  handed. It features folding sights for use with slugs. In the
  1970s, a $50 aftermarket magazine extension was available:
  Wt. 10.9/0.91, Shots 7+1(2i). The Model 10B can be seen in the
  final confrontation of Thief.
  Franchi SPAS 15, 12G 2.75” (Italy, 1988-)
  A combat shotgun with a button to switch between semiau-
  tomatic (RoF 3) and pump-action fire (RoF 2). Most less-lethal
  munitions must be fired pump-action. The SPAS 15 features a
  folding stock, carrying handle, and detachable box magazine.
  Its 17.7” barrel is unchoked. It has rifle sights for use with slugs
  or APDS rounds (High-Tech, p. 103), though the latter are rare.
  The Italian military adopted the SPAS 15 in 1999; it is also in
  service with European counter-terrorist units such as the
  French GIGN (Special Ops, pp. 35-36) and Italian GIS. It’s
  used by LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna in L.A. Takedown.
  Scattergun TR-870 Model 90102,
  12G 3” (USA, 1991-)
  Based
  on
  the
  Remington
  Model
  870P
  (High-Tech,
  pp. 105-106) with unchoked 18” barrel, the Tactical Response
  870 is a weapon optimized for police use. Changes like larger
  controls and a stronger magazine spring make it fine (reliable).
  Features of the Model 90102 adopted by the FBI (Cops,
  pp. 27-28) include improved-visibility sights for use with slugs,
  a small SureFire tactical light in the forestock (25-yard beam,
  expensive, $350, 0.25 lb., 2¥XS/1 hr.), and a 4-shot side carrier.
  Agencies typically issue softer-firing 12-gauge 2.75” shells:
  Dmg 1d+1 pi, RoF 2¥9, ST 10†, Rcl 1/4.
  The similar TR-870 Model 90121 (1991-) employed by the
  U.S. Border Patrol has an unchoked 14” barrel, slightly
  extended magazine, and improved-visibility sights: Wt. 8/0.55,
  Shots 5+1(2i), Bulk -4, Cost $900, LC2.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  59
  
  TacOps Clandestine-12, 12G 3” (USA, 2000-)
  Made by Tactical Operations Inc., this is a conversion of the
  Remington Model 870P (High-Tech, pp. 105-106) designed for
  low-profile entries. It has an unchoked 14” barrel, baffle sound
  suppressor (-2 Hearing, -2 Bulk, rugged, $1,200, 3.75 lbs.),
  improved-visibility sights for use with slugs, small SureFire tac-
  tical light in the handguard (25-yard beam, expensive, $350, 0.25
  lb., 2¥XS/1 hr.), 4-round speedload shotgun stock, and 6-shot
  side carrier, all included in cost and weight. Apply a further -1 to
  Hearing (total -3) due to the manual operation of the gun.
  A stand-off muzzle attachment is mounted on the suppres-
  sor for door breaching (p. 24). The suppressor can be taken off
  (improving Bulk to -4), which converts the weapon into an
  ordinary short-barreled shotgun. The Clandestine-12 was
  adopted by the Los Angeles Sheriff Department’s SED unit,
  among others.
  Serbu Super-Shorty, 12G 3” (USA, 2005-)
  Based on the Remington Model 870, this is a compact shot-
  gun for bodyguard or other concealed use (e.g., in a shoulder
  rig, p. 73). Only 1.5’ long, it has an unchoked 6.5” barrel (+3 to
  Hearing and Vision rolls to locate the weapon firing in the
  dark), pistol grip, folding vertical foregrip (p. 75), and no butt-
  stock. Although chambered for 3” Magnum shells (Dmg 1d+2
  pi, Wt. 4.9/0.36, RoF 2¥12†, ST 12, Rcl 1/6), it normally fires
  2.75” rounds (in table). A tactical holster ($145, 1 lb.) with
  loops for three spare shells is available. The Super-Shorty is
  used by Saudi police officer Faris al-Ghazi in The Kingdom.
  Remington Model 1100 Tac-2,
  12G 2.75” (USA, 2007-)
  The Model 1100 Tac-2 is a semiautomatic shotgun with
  unchoked 18” barrel and black synthetic stock, intended for
  police use. It can mount an optional 6-shot side carrier. The
  similar Model 1100 Tac-4 (2007-) has a 22” barrel and extended
  magazine tube: Wt. 8.6/0.88, Shots 8+1(2i), Cost $900.
  Both are based on the Model 1100 Field (1963-1988) and
  Model 1100 Classic Field (2003-2006), sporting guns with 28”
  barrels and wooden stocks: Wt. 8.4/0.44, Shots 4+1(2i), Bulk -6,
  Cost $800. The Model 1100 is the most common semiauto-
  matic shotgun in America. Its shoulder stock can’t be removed
  as it contains the action spring.
  RIFLES
  Personal weapons are what raised mankind out of the mud,
  and the rifle is the queen of personal weapons.
  – Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle (1997)
  The rifle is the premier tactical weapon. In a decent infantry
  caliber, it combines penetration and take-down power (high
  Dmg), precision (high Acc), and effectiveness over distance
  (high Acc and Range). Many have considerable firepower (high
  Shots). Given a choice, most tactical shooters will prefer a rifle
  over any other firearm.
  The main disadvantage of a rifle is its weight and size (poor
  Bulk). Shooters have always tried to improve this, e.g., by
  shortening the barrel (p. 69) or by installing a folding stock
  (High-Tech, p. 160); most manufacturers offer carbines (short
  rifles) for this reason. In the 1930s, Clyde Barrow liked to saw
  off the barrels and stocks of his stolen Browning Automatic
  Rifles (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 11) to make them handier
  when fired from a car. During the Vietnam War, some U.S. sol-
  diers built their own carbines by shortening the barrel of their
  Colt M16A1 rifles (High-Tech, p. 117), because of the scarce-
  ness of issued carbines like the Colt XM177E2 (SEALs in
  Vietnam, p. 27).
  Semiautomatic rifles are often converted to full-automatics
  (p. 69). During the 1930s, gunsmiths modified rifles like the
  Winchester Model 07 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, pp. 9-10). In
  WWII, some troops worked with semiautomatic service
  weapons. Forrest Guth, of Easy Company, 506th PIR, turned
  M1 Garand rifles (High-Tech, p. 113) into full-automatic “Guth
  Specials.” In modern times, most such upgrades are done to
  the Colt AR-15 series (High-Tech, pp. 117, 119) or to semiauto-
  matic variants of the AK-47 (High-Tech, p. 114).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  60
  Shotguns Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (SHOTGUN) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  7
  High Standard K-1200 Riot,
  1d+1 pi
  3
  40/800
  8.7/0.66
  2¥9
  6+1(2i)
  10†
  -5
  1/5
  $600
  3
  [1]
  12G 2.75”
  7
  High Standard Model 10B,
  1d+1 pi
  3
  40/800
  10.3/0.52
  3¥9
  4+1(2i)
  11†
  -4
  1/4
  $750
  3
  [1]
  12G 2.75”
  8
  Franchi SPAS 15, 12G 2.75”
  1d+1 pi
  3
  40/800
  10.1/1.5
  3¥9
  6+1(3)
  10†
  -5*
  1/4
  $1,150/$28
  3
  [1]
  8
  Scattergun TR-870
  Model 90102, 12G 3”
  1d+2 pi
  3
  40/800
  9/0.72
  2¥12
  4+1(2i)
  11†
  -5
  1/5
  $1,150
  3
  [1, 2]
  8
  TacOps Clandestine-12, 12G 3”
  1d+2 pi
  3
  40/800
  13/0.55
  2¥12
  5+1(2i)
  11†
  -6
  1/5
  $2,700
  2
  [1, 3]
  8
  Serbu Super-Shorty, 12G 3”
  1d+1 pi
  2
  30/600
  4.7/0.22
  2¥9
  2+1(2i)
  11†
  -3
  1/5
  $750
  2
  [1]
  8
  Remington Model 1100 Tac-2,
  1d+1 pi
  3
  40/800
  8.4/0.66
  3¥9
  6+1(2i)
  10†
  -5
  1/4
  $850
  3
  [1]
  12G 2.75”
  Notes
  [1] First Rcl figure is for shot, second is for slugs.
  [2] Very reliable. Won’t malfunction unless lack of maintenance lowers Malf. (p. B407).
  [3] Integral sound suppressor. See description.
  
  VKT-Lahti Pstkiv/39,
  20×138mmB Solothurn (Finland, 1939-1944)
  The Panssarintorjuntakivääri malli 1939 (“antitank rifle
  model 1939”) is a massive, 7.3’-long, semiautomatic weapon.
  It’s usually fired from one of its two integral folding bipods –
  one spiked, the other with small plywood skis for use on snow.
  It feeds from a magazine inserted in the top. It fires an AP
  round (in table). Other projectile types are available, but rare:
  AP-T (Dmg 6d¥3(2) pi++ inc), APEX (Dmg 6d¥3(2) pi++ with
  1d+1 [1d] cr ex follow-up), SAPHE-T (Dmg 6d¥3 pi++ with
  2d-1 [1d] cr ex follow-up), and WP-T (Dmg 6d¥3 pi++ inc with
  1d+1 [1d(0.2)] burn ex follow-up).
  The Pstkiv/39 was designed by Aimo Lahti and nicknamed
  Norsupyssy (“elephant gun”). Unfortunately, it failed as an
  antitank weapon, as tank design had already advanced too far
  for such a small-bore gun. The Finns used it effectively
  against the Soviets during the Continuation War (WWII:
  Frozen Hell, pp. 21-23) – targeting trucks and other soft-
  skinned vehicles, the vulnerable rear of light tanks, and even
  low-flying aircraft. It was also employed as a countersniper
  weapon. The WP round was used to ignite forest fires to force
  the Soviets out of their trenches.
  Some 1,900 were made and served in Finland until the
  1950s; several hundred were kept in Finnish war stocks until
  1986. More than 1,000 were unloaded on the American col-
  lector market from 1960, for 5% of normal cost! Some new
  owners found alternative applications. For example, in 1963,
  expatriate Cubans attacked a Soviet freighter in the bay of
  Caibarién, Cuba, with a Pstkiv/39 from a motor launch.
  Similarly, a camouflaged (p. 76) example is pintle-mounted
  (p. B467) on cocaine dealer Mario Fuente’s yacht in the
  Miami Vice episode “Payback.”
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  61
  It is apparent that the close range lethality deficiency of
  the 5.56mm (M855) [round] is more a matter of perception
  rather than fact . . . The majority of the soldiers . . . that
  voiced or desired “better knock-down power” or a larger cal-
  iber bullet did not have actual close engagements. Those that
  had close engagements and applied Close-Quarters Battle
  (CQB) tactics, techniques, and procedures . . . – controlled
  pairs in the lethal areas: chest and head and good shot place-
  ment – defeated the target without issue . . .
  – U.S. Army Infantry Center, “Soldier Weapons
  Assessment Team Report 6-03” (2003)
  At TL7, and especially at TL8, military and police forces
  gradually replace shotguns, SMGs, and full-size rifles with
  small-caliber assault carbines in many applications.
  My Carbine Sucks
  Carbines have come under criticism after their wide-
  scale use in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. In addition
  to reliability issues having to do specifically with the Colt
  M4 (High-Tech, p. 119) – the most widely used carbine –
  many users complain about lack of “stopping power.”
  There are several reasons for this, which can be addressed
  in a realistic campaign:
  • Psychologically, even trained shooters often expect
  one-shot kills, like in movies and video games. Rifle bullets
  aren’t death rays, though. The 5.56¥45mm NATO cartridge
  was based on a varmint caliber intended to kill 40-lb. coy-
  otes, not 160-lb. humans. Barring a skull or vitals hit, a sin-
  gle shot won’t immediately bring an adversary down – just
  as for most any small-arms caliber. It’s unreasonable to
  expect people to die instantly wherever you hit.
  • Solid, small-caliber rifle bullets (High-Tech, p. 166)
  need to yaw and/or fragment in flesh in order to cause
  rapid incapacitation. To do this reliably, they need to
  impact at a minimum velocity (e.g., 2,400-2,500 feet per
  second for the 5.56¥45mm NATO). The short barrels of
  carbines mean this velocity won’t be reached beyond a
  certain range (e.g., 150 yards from a 14.5” barrel, as on
  the Colt M4A1). Carbines with shorter barrels, such as the
  11.5” Colt CAR-15A2 R733 Commando (High-Tech,
  p. 119), 9” H&K G36C (High-Tech, p. 121), or 8.3” TOZ
  AKS-74U (High-Tech, p. 114), barely develop the required
  velocity at the muzzle, and won’t retain it beyond 50 yards
  or so. At the GM’s option, small-caliber assault carbines
  (below 6.35mm/.25-caliber) can be treated as having the
  small piercing (pi-) wounding modifier at ranges beyond
  those listed above. Heavier match bullets (p. 77) require
  less velocity, doubling these ranges.
  Example: At 0 to 150 yards, the Colt M4A1 does 4d+2 pi,
  but beyond that out to 1/2D Range, it does 4d+2 pi-, and past
  1/2D Range it does 2d+1 pi-. Using match ammo, it instead
  does 4d+2 pi out to 300 yards; the rest is unchanged.
  My Carbine Rocks
  However, there are many reasons why small-caliber car-
  bines are so popular at TL7-8:
  • Carbines are shorter and lighter than full-length rifles
  and many shotguns, making them as handy as SMGs.
  Their low Bulk is vital for close-quarters battle in jungle or
  urban settings.
  • Small-caliber carbines are easier to control than
  shotguns or large-caliber rifles (low ST and Rcl), making
  them more universally applicable for small-statured
  shooters. They are also more comfortable to shoot for
  stronger shooters.
  • Despite some loss of power due to the short barrel, a
  rifle-caliber carbine still offers more penetration, inherent
  accuracy, and effective range than a shotgun or pistol-cal-
  iber weapon like a SMG.
  • Carbines share ammo, parts, and accessories with
  their full-length equivalents (making both cheaper), an
  important consideration – at least for military organizations.
  Anyone familiar (p. B169) with a certain rifle is able to use
  the corresponding carbine without penalty, and vice versa.
  The Tactical Carbine
  
  In 1965, five Canadian West End Gang members broke into
  a bank vault in Syracuse, New York, by using 33 AP rounds to
  chew through 18” concrete (DR 216*, HP 105) – inspiration for
  the film Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Their rifle was fitted with
  an improvised baffle sound suppressor (-3 Hearing, -4 Bulk,
  $100, 60 lbs.) fashioned from a 55-gallon drum!
  TOZ SVT-40, 7.62×54mmR Mosin-Nagant
  (Russia, 1940-1945)
  The Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva obrazets 1940 goda
  (“Tokarev’s self-loading rifle model of the year 1940”) is a semi-
  automatic weapon with detachable magazine. It takes a 1-lb.
  knife bayonet (Reach 1, 2*) and was normally issued with three
  magazines, two carried in a belt pouch ($25, 0.5 lb.). The
  SVT-40 was widely used by the Red Army during WWII, with
  some two million being made.
  About 51,700 were fitted with the PU 3.5¥ scope (+1 Acc,
  $125, 1.3 lb.) for use by snipers (WWII: Red Tide, p. 114).
  Although the weapon wasn’t as accurate as the Mosin-Nagant
  V-1891/30 (High-Tech, p. 111), the SVT-40 was popular, espe-
  cially with those who had trouble with the Mosin-Nagant’s stiff
  manual bolt-action.
  H&K HK93A2, .223 Remington
  (Germany, 1974-1989)
  This is a semiautomatic version of the HK33A2 assault rifle
  (High-Tech, p. 116) with 16.25” barrel. It came with a 25-round
  magazine (in table), but 5-round ($26, 0.3 lb.), 20-round ($33,
  0.8 lb.), and 40-round ($35, 1.4 lb.) magazines were available.
  Optional accessories include a 0.6-lb. bipod, battery-illumi-
  nated Hensoldt 4¥ telescopic sight (+2 Acc, ignores -2 in dark-
  ness penalties, rugged, $750, 1.5 lbs., XS/200 hrs.), and
  three-point sling (p. 72). In the 1980s some were sold with
  desert or woodland weapon camouflage (p. 76). Some 20,000
  HK93 rifles were made.
  The HK93A3 (1974-1989) is identical save for the
  retractable stock: Wt. 9.8, Bulk -5*, Cost $1,450.
  The HK43 (1971-1974) was the forerunner of the HK93A2
  and has the same stats. Only 377 were built.
  Most of these rifles were exported to the USA and marketed
  to sheriff’s departments, hunters, and survivalists. West
  German RAF terrorists (p. 80) used HK43 and HK93A2 rifles
  smuggled back from Switzerland; they sawed off the barrel to
  about 12” and removed the stock (see Shortening a Long Arm,
  p. 69) to ease concealment. The HK93A2 was adopted by the
  London Metropolitan Police’s CO19 firearms unit (the former
  SO19, see SWAT, p. 17). It’s used by the Norwegian monster
  hunters in The Thing.
  TOZ AKS-74UB, 5.45×39mm M-74
  (Russia, 1985-1990)
  The Avtomat Kalashnikova Skladnoy obrazets 1974 goda
  Ukorotshjenniy Besshumniy (“Kalashnikov’s assault rifle with
  folding stock model of the year 1974, shortened, silenced”) is a
  variant of the TOZ AKS-74U (High-Tech, p. 114) for use by
  Spetsnaz troops (Special Ops, p. 40). A carbine with an 8.3”
  barrel, it has a detachable wiper sound suppressor (-1 Hearing,
  -1 Bulk, $150, 1.4 lbs.) and normally fires subsonic ammuni-
  tion (-2 Hearing), which doesn’t cycle the action and requires
  manual operation (-1 Hearing, RoF 1), for an overall -4
  Hearing. Without subsonic ammo, Dmg improves to 4d-1 pi
  and RoF to 11, but suppression yields only -1 Hearing.
  The AKS-74UB has a folding stock and can use all maga-
  zines of the AK-74 series, including a scarce 20-round maga-
  zine ($32, 0.9 lb.) and an extended 45-rounder ($36, 1.8 lbs.).
  The issued canvas belt pouch ($50, 0.5 lb.) takes four 30-
  rounders; Spetsnaz often carry six 45-rounders in a LBV
  (High-Tech, p. 54). The AKS-74UB normally mounts the TOZ
  GSN-19 silent underbarrel grenade launcher (pp. 66-67).
  F.R. Ordnance MC-51,
  7.62×51mm NATO (U.K., 1988)
  The Machine Carbine 51 is a conversion of the H&K G3A4
  rifle (High-Tech, p. 116) allowing single shots, 3-round limited
  bursts (RoF 9), and full automatic fire. Its 9” barrel and
  retractable stock gives it the approximate size of the H&K
  MP5A3 (High-Tech, p. 123). It was designed for the British
  SAS (Special Ops, pp. 42-43) for operations in Northern
  Ireland. The short barrel generates excessive muzzle blast (+2
  Vision and Hearing to locate in the dark). Total production of
  the MC-51 didn’t exceed 50; the British instead adopted the
  H&K G3KA4 as the L100A1.
  Several gunsmiths make similar guns; Bill Fleming in the
  U.S. even offered the shortened HK51K (1988-1996), with 4.7”
  barrel, vertical foregrip, and buttcap instead of stock: Malf. 16,
  Dmg 5d pi, Acc 3, Range 670/2,800, Wt. 8.4/1.7, ST 10†, Bulk
  -3, Rcl 4. This has worse firing characteristics (+3 Vision and
  Hearing rolls to locate in the dark). Extended 30-round maga-
  zines ($33, 2.4 lbs.) were made for this, and are used by DEA
  agent John Hatcher in a sound-suppressed HK51K in Marked
  for Death.
  KAC M4A1K, 5.56×45mm NATO (USA, 1994)
  Hand-built by Knight’s Armament Co. from standard Colt
  M4A1 carbines (High-Tech, p. 119), the M4A1K is modified for
  the specialized needs of an aircrew survival weapon. It has a
  10” barrel and lacks a carrying handle, using flip-up front and
  rear sights instead; it can mount various optics on the integral
  accessory rail. Protrusions like the case deflector and forward-
  assist handle are removed to streamline the gun for fast exit
  from a crashed chopper – this also gives +1 Fast-Draw (Long
  Arm). The M4A1K has a simple telescoping stock and a rudi-
  mentary integral baffle sound suppressor to reduce the firing
  signature (-1 Hearing). About 20 were made for helicopter air
  crews of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment
  (Special Ops, pp. 28-29).
  KAC SR-25, 7.62×51mm NATO (USA, 1995-)
  Designed by Eugene Stoner and made by Knight’s Armament
  Co., this is a semiautomatic precision rifle – treat as fine (accu-
  rate). Similar in shape to the AR-15, it features a 20” match bar-
  rel and accessory rail on top of the receiver to accept a scope.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  62
  The best countersniper weapon
  is another sniper.
  – USMC Headquarters,
  FMFM 1-3B
  Sniping (1981)
  
  A 9-round magazine is available ($28, 0.7 lb.). The SR-25 is sold
  on the commercial market; it was acquired by U.S. Army Special
  Forces (Special Ops, pp. 26-28) and employed in 2001 on the
  hunt for Osama bin Laden (Special Ops, p. 137). Other users
  include Australian (Special Ops, p. 34), Danish, Israeli (Special
  Ops, pp. 38-39), and Polish (Special Ops, p. 39) forces.
  The MK 11 MOD 0 Sniper Rifle System (SRS) (2000-) and
  M110 Semiautomatic Sniper System (SASS) (2007-) are mili-
  tary versions – the MK 11 MOD 0 is used by the U.S. Navy and
  USMC, including the SEALs (Special Ops, pp. 30-31) and
  Recon Scout-Snipers (Special Ops, p. 29), while the M110 was
  adopted by the U.S. Army. Both feature accessory rails around
  the handguard, a 0.6-lb. bipod, and a Leupold 3.5-10¥ scope
  (+1 to +3 Acc, negates -2 in darkness penalties, rugged, $1,500,
  1.2 lb.): Acc 6+3, Wt. 16, ST 11B†, Cost $7,000. They can be
  used with a quick-detach baffle sound suppressor (-3 Hearing,
  -1 Bulk, rugged, $1,500, 2 lbs.). The U.S. military uses match
  rounds (+1 Acc) as standard issue.
  CheyTac M200 Intervention,
  .408 CheyTac (USA, 2001-)
  Designed by Cheyenne Tactical for extreme-range sniping,
  the M200 Intervention is a bolt-action rifle with 29” match bar-
  rel, adjustable stock, detachable magazine, accessory rails,
  bipod, and muzzle brake – treat as fine (accurate). The .408
  CheyTac cartridge (10.36¥77mm, CPS $3.5, WPS 0.14) has a bal-
  listic coefficient surpassing comparable rounds. The M200 nor-
  mally fires match rounds (+1 Acc), but match-grade APHC (Dmg
  5d¥2(2) pi, +1 Acc) and dim tracer (Dmg 5d¥2 pi+ inc) are also
  available. The weapon typically mounts a Nightforce 5.5-22¥
  scope (+2 to +4 Acc, negates -2 in darkness penalties, rugged,
  $1,700, 2 lbs., T/720 hrs.) with optional Insight AN/PVS-14 add-
  on night sight (Night Vision 7, expensive, $3,800, 0.8 lb., XS/50
  hrs.) and an Insight AN/PEQ-2A combination IR tactical
  light/targeting laser (650-yard IR beam or 5,500-yard IR laser,
  $1,000, 0.5 lb., 2¥XS/10 hrs.). It can be fitted with a baffle sup-
  pressor (-4 Hearing, -2 Bulk, $2,300, 3 lbs.).
  The M200 was acquired by several special-ops units,
  including the Polish GROM (Special Ops, p. 39). It’s used by
  Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger in Shooter and by oper-
  ators in The Unit.
  RRA LAR-15, 5.56×45mm NATO (USA, 2002-)
  Made by Rock River Arms, this is a semiautomatic copy of
  the Colt M4A1 carbine, with a 14.5” barrel, adjustable stock, and
  accessory rails on the receiver and on all sides of the handguard.
  A cleaning kit stores in the stock. The LAR-15 was adopted in
  2003 for DEA and FBI agents (Cops, pp. 27-28), fitted with a
  SureFire tactical light (25-yard beam, expensive, $250, 0.25 lb.,
  2¥XS/1 hr.), EOTech battery reflex sight (+1 Guns, ignores -3 in
  darkness penalties, rugged, $550, 0.7 lb., 2¥XS/1,000 hrs.), and
  two-point sling (pp. 71-72). Government-issue is barrier-blind
  hollow-point (HP-BB) (Dmg 2d+9(0.5) pi+).
  H&K HK416D10RS,
  5.56×45mm NATO (Germany, 2004-)
  The HK416D is an assault rifle built on the lines of the Colt
  M4A1 and M16A4 (High-Tech, pp. 117, 119), but using the pis-
  ton-driven mechanism of the H&K G36 (High-Tech, p. 121).
  This makes it less prone to internal fouling; treat as fine (reli-
  able). Available in several lengths, the one most popular with tac-
  tical teams has a 10.4” barrel (in table). The HK416D145RS has
  a 14.5” barrel (Dmg 4d+2 pi, Range 750/2,900, Wt. 9), the
  HK416D165RS has a 16.5” barrel (Dmg 5d-1 pi, Acc 5, Range
  770/3,200, Wt. 9.2, Bulk -5), and the HK416D20RS has a 19.9”
  barrel (Dmg 5d, Acc 5, Range 800/3,500, Wt. 9.9, Bulk -5).
  All feature a pistol grip with waterproof storage space for
  a spare firing pin (or similar small part), beveled magazine
  well (p. 74), adjustable stock with compartments for a clean-
  ing kit and six XS batteries, as well as accessory rails on the
  receiver and on all four sides of the handguard. The HK416
  can use M16 magazines but is delivered with heavier steel
  magazines (in table) that ensure more reliable feeding (see
  Quality Magazines, p. 74).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  63
  Rifles Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (RIFLE) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  6
  VKT-Lahti Pstkiv/39,
  6d¥3(2) pi++ 5
  1,700/7,200 124/14.7
  1
  10+1(3) 18B†
  -10
  3
  $12,000/$62
  2
  20¥138mmB
  6
  TOZ SVT-40, 7.62¥54mmR
  7d pi
  4
  1,000/4,200
  9.6/1
  3
  10+1(3)
  10†
  -6
  3
  $600/$28
  3
  7
  H&K HK93A2, .223 Remington
  5d-1 pi
  5
  460/2,900
  9.1/1.2
  3
  25+1(3)
  8†
  -5
  2
  $1,300/$28
  3
  7
  TOZ AKS-74UB, 5.45¥39mm
  2d-1 pi
  4
  250/1,600
  8.2/1.2
  1
  30+1(3)
  8†
  -4*
  2
  $900/$28
  2
  [1]
  8
  F.R. Ordnance MC-51,
  6d-1 pi
  4
  780/3,300
  10.8/1.7
  9/10
  20+1(3)
  11†
  -4*
  3
  $3,000/$31
  2
  7.62¥51mm
  8
  KAC M4A1K, 5.56¥45mm
  4d pi
  4
  600/2,500
  6.5/1
  10
  30+1(3)
  9†
  -4
  2
  $1,200/$34
  2
  [1]
  8
  KAC SR-25, 7.62¥51mm
  7d pi
  6
  1,000/4,200 11.1/1.6
  3
  20+1(3)
  10†
  -6
  3
  $3,500/$31
  3
  [2]
  8
  CheyTac M200, .408 CheyTac
  5d¥2 pi+
  6+4 1,700/6,500 34.5/1.5
  1
  7+1(3)
  14B†
  -7*
  4
  $11,500/$31
  3
  [2, 3]
  8
  RRA LAR-15, 5.56¥45mm
  4d+2 pi
  4
  750/2,900
  7.3/1
  3
  30+1(3)
  9†
  -4
  2
  $1,450/$34
  3
  8
  H&K HK416D10RS,
  4d pi
  4
  600/2,500
  8/1.4
  12
  30+1(3)
  9†
  -4
  2
  $1,600/$34
  2
  [4]
  5.56¥45mm
  8
  Barrett REC7, 6.8¥43mm
  5d+1 pi
  4
  780/3,300
  8.4/1.4
  12
  30+1(3)
  9†
  -4
  2
  $2,500/$36
  2
  [4]
  Notes
  [1] Integral sound suppressor. See description.
  [2] Fine (accurate).
  [3] Weight includes telescopic sight.
  [4] Very reliable. Won’t malfunction unless lack of maintenance
  lowers Malf. (p. B407).
  
  Optional accessories include Grip Pod vertical fore-
  grip/bipod (p. 75); improved-visibility sights; Aimpoint colli-
  mating sight (+1 Guns, ignores -3 in darkness penalties,
  expensive, $500, 0.4 lb., XS/200 hrs.); Trijicon ACOG reflex
  sight (+1 Guns, ignores -3 in darkness penalties, rugged, $400,
  0.3 lb.); Trijicon ACOG 4¥ telescopic sight (+2 Acc, ignores -3
  in darkness penalties, rugged, expensive, $1,600, 1 lb.);
  Schmidt and Bender optic that combines collimating sight
  with 1.1-4¥ variable scope (+1 Guns, +0 to +2 Acc, ignores -3 in
  darkness penalties, expensive, $2,000, 1 lb., T/100 hrs.); or
  Nightline AN/PVS-17 2.25¥ night sight (+1 Acc, Night Vision 7,
  rugged, expensive, $7,500, 1.9 lbs., XS/40 hrs.). For $200, it
  comes optimized for over-the-beach operations – no Malf.
  reduction for firing underwater (High-Tech, p. 85). Another
  option is a $100 two-stage gas-regulator for optimum use with
  a quick-detachable wet baffle sound suppressor (-3 Hearing, -1
  Bulk, expensive, $1,500, 1 lb.): set for silenced use, the action
  doesn’t cycle after each shot and requires manual operation
  (another -1 Hearing, RoF 1).
  The HK416D10RS was acquired by the U.S. Joint Special
  Operations Command in 2004, for such elite units as the
  Army’s 1st SFOD-D (Special Ops, p. 28) and the Navy’s DEV-
  GRU (Special Ops, p. 31). Tactical teams of the FBI (SWAT,
  p. 14), U.S. Capitol Police, and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
  also adopted it. The USMC started fielding the HK416D165RS
  as the M27 automatic rifle in 2010. Foreign users of the series
  include Dutch (Special Ops, p. 45), French (Special Ops,
  p. 35), Italian, Malaysian, Norwegian, and Polish units. Opera-
  tors in The Unit employ the short version, while John Connor
  uses the HK416D145RS in Terminator Salvation.
  Barrett REC7, 6.8×43mm SPC (USA, 2008-)
  Problems with the 5.56¥45mm NATO fired from short-
  barreled carbines (see The Tactical Carbine, p. 61) led to the
  development of the 6.8¥43mm Special Purpose Carbine
  (SPC) cartridge (CPS $0.6, WPS 0.039). Barrett’s Reliability
  Enhanced Carbine (REC7) or “Recce” is modeled on the Colt
  M4A1’s exterior, but uses a piston action for improved reliabil-
  ity; treat as fine (reliable). The entry carbine has a 12” barrel,
  accessory rails around the handguard and on the receiver, and
  an adjustable stock. It’s threaded for a baffle sound suppressor
  (-2 Hearing, -1 Bulk, $500, 1 lb.).
  Barrett also offers a civilian version with a 16” barrel: Dmg
  6d pi, Acc 5, Range 820/3,500, Wt. 9/1.4, RoF 3, Bulk -5, LC3.
  SUBMACHINE GUNS
  The basic advantages of . . . submachine guns . . . are the pos-
  sibility of simple construction, small manufacturing costs, light
  weight, handiness, and the use of light and inexpensive ammu-
  nition . . . The deficiency of pistol ammunition, as compared
  with rifle ammunition, is in the height of the trajectory, range,
  and penetration. But this is not too important when the weapon
  is to be used in night fighting, or in the dense jungle, since vision
  is limited even during the day, and a man cannot shoot effectively
  much further than he can see.
  – Thomas Nelson, The World’s Submachine Guns (1963)
  Submachine guns are effective close-quarters-battle
  weapons. Their compact size (modest Bulk), high rate of fire,
  and overall controllability (low ST and Rcl) make them a
  popular choice for situations in which these features are
  advantageous. However, the pistol cartridges they fire have
  limited power, accuracy, and range. For these reasons, many tac-
  tical shooters now prefer the assault carbine, which has the
  same advantages as the SMG while firing a serious round (see
  My Carbine Rocks, p. 61). This trend started in the 1960s (at
  TL7), but didn’t find universal acceptance until the 1990s (TL8).
  Submachine guns continue to be used in some tactical
  niches, including sound-suppressed and compact SMGs for
  personal defense, bodyguard, or other concealed-carry work.
  Compared to assault carbines, SMGs have a lower visual and
  auditory firing signature even when unsuppressed, making
  them less distracting when fired indoors.
  These weapons are regularly modified. During the 1920s and
  1930s, gangsters detached the shoulder stock of their Auto-
  Ordnance Model 1921 Thompson guns (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 1, pp. 28-30) to allow concealment under a coat and eas-
  ier use from a car. Other SMGs also often have their stocks
  removed or replaced by folding stocks (see Shortening a Long
  Arm, p. 69).
  Lysaght Owen Mk I, 9×19mm Parabellum
  (Australia, 1942-1944)
  Designed by Lieutenant Evelyn Owen and made by Lysaght,
  the Owen Machine Carbine (OMC) is a sturdy but cheap SMG
  with vertical foregrip (p. 75) and integral compensator (p. 76).
  Most made in 1943 and 1944 feature factory spray-painted
  weapon camouflage (p. 76). It feeds from the top, with the box
  magazine sticking out above the weapon; this gives the Owen
  excellent handling characteristics and allows it to be more eas-
  ily fired from the prone position. The 0.5-lb. stock can be
  removed in one second (Acc 2, Wt. 10.2, Bulk -3, Rcl 3). Most
  Owens made from 1943 can mount a 1-lb. knife bayonet
  (Reach 1). The OMC was issued with a canvas pouch ($50, 0.5
  lb.) holding five magazines.
  It was used by the Australians and New Zealanders during
  WWII and the Korean War, and many were still in service dur-
  ing the Malayan Emergency and even the Vietnam War. More
  than 45,000 were produced.
  ZML PM 63, 9×18mm Makarov
  (Poland, 1964-1974)
  The PM 63 was adopted by the Polish military and police as
  the Pistolet Maszynowy wzor 1963 (“machine pistol model
  1963”). It has a progressive trigger (High-Tech, p. 83), folding
  stock, and folding foregrip. Its barrel extension works like a
  compensator (p. 76). The magazine goes into the pistol grip,
  allowing reasonably effective one-handed use (multiply ST by
  only 1.2; see p. 13). The magazine takes 25 rounds, but a
  shorter 15-round magazine ($27, 0.5 lb.) is available. The
  PM 63 is usually worn in a long arm holster (p. 73) and issued
  with 15-round magazine loaded in the holstered gun and three
  25-rounders in a canvas belt pouch ($50, 0.5 lb.). A shoulder
  holster (High-Tech, p. 154) is available for security service.
  Some 70,000 were made. The PM 63 was widely exported,
  especially to the Middle East and Northern Africa. Some of
  these countries supplied them via diplomatic pouch to terror-
  ist groups like the Palestinian PFLP or West German RAF
  (p. 80). The Arab DMRLA terrorists in the Iranian embassy in
  London in 1980 (Special Ops, pp. 12-13) were armed with
  this. Other users have included Cuban, East German, and
  Vietnamese security agencies. It’s used by Polkovnik Zaysen
  in Rambo III.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  64
  
  TDI Kriss Super V SMG, .45 ACP (USA, 2008-)
  Designed by French engineer Renaud Kerbrat and pro-
  duced
  by
  the
  Swiss-owned
  Transformational
  Defense
  Industries in the U.S., the boxy-looking Kriss is a unique
  design with greatly reduced muzzle flip, for low ST and effec-
  tive Rcl 1! It offers semiautomatic fire, 2-round limited bursts
  (RoF 6), or full-auto. The Kriss Super V uses the magazine of
  the Glock 21 (High-Tech, p. 101); an extended 30-rounder ($37,
  1.8 lbs.) is available. The 0.5-lb. folding stock can be removed
  in one second (Acc 2, Wt. 5.7, Bulk -3, Rcl 2). It features a
  waterproof storage space in the pistol grip for two XS batteries
  and accessory rails on top of receiver and under barrel.
  Optional accessories include vertical foregrip, SureFire
  LED tactical light (50-yard beam, expensive, $140, 0.17 lb.,
  XS/1.3 hrs.), EOTech battery reflex sight (+1 Guns, ignores -3
  in darkness penalties, rugged, $550, 0.7 lb., 2¥XS/1,000 hrs.),
  detachable wet baffle sound suppressor (-3 Hearing, -1 Bulk,
  expensive, $1,400, 0.8 lb.), and one-point sling (p. 71).
  The Kriss Super V SBR/SO (2009-) is semiautomatic: RoF 3,
  Cost $2,050, LC3.
  LIGHT MACHINE GUNS
  Light machine guns, the present breed especially, are all
  designed to be fired from the hip and in many cases they can also
  be fired from the shoulder . . . nearly every country has consid-
  ered the light machine gun as an assault weapon, with the dual
  purpose of being transformed into a defensive, fixed-position
  weapon when the need arose.
  – Frank Moyer and Robert Scroggie,
  Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques (1971)
  Machine guns are squad- or platoon-level military weapons.
  Their tremendous volume of fire over sustained periods offers
  distinct advantages. Special-ops units, who are usually out-
  numbered, often carry a higher percentage of light machine
  guns than ordinary infantry, to maximize firepower on the
  assault and the defense. A LMG allows a small patrol or fire
  team to establish immediate fire superiority in close quarters
  such as jungle or urban settings.
  Small teams or single gunners often can’t carry enough
  ammunition to keep up with the amount that LMGs consume.
  This gets worse in special-ops environments, where MGs are
  one-man weapons; in ordinary infantry units, machine gun-
  ners usually have an assistant, and most members of a fire
  team or squad will carry at least some spare ammo for the
  unit’s MG(s).
  LMGs used by small standalone teams are often lightened,
  shortened, and otherwise modified. Production examples
  include the FN MINIMI-Para (High-Tech, p. 137), Saco M60E3
  (High-Tech, p. 134), and Stoner MK 23 MOD 0 Commando
  (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 29). Others are modified by unit armor-
  ers or gunsmiths (see Shortening a Long Arm, p. 69), such as
  the cut-down Saco M60 (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 28).
  At TL6, shooters occasionally use modified (and even
  unmodified) aircraft MGs to take advantage of their low weight
  and high RoF – or sometimes simply because no real LMGs are
  available. Examples include the Lewis Mk II (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 2, p. 19).
  Machine guns require a way to carry the ready belt –
  “Ramboing” with a loose belt dangling from the gun gives at
  least -1 Malf., as the belt twists and tangles, often picking up
  twigs, leaves, and other debris. Many services have adopted
  belt containers from the start – compare the 50-round drum
  for the Rheinmetall MG34 (High-Tech, pp. 132-133) or the 200-
  round box for the FN MINIMI (High-Tech, pp. 136-137).
  If a belt container is not available, a machine-gunner
  should keep only a short “starter” belt loaded while on the
  move. Once situated, he can insert a full-length belt, prefer-
  ably handed to him by his assistant. Although the U.S. mili-
  tary issues a flimsy cardboard-and-canvas 100-round belt
  box (7 lbs. including belt) for the Saco M60 (High-Tech,
  p. 134) and FN M240 series (High-Tech, pp. 134-135), most
  gunners from Vietnam to Iraq just load a shortened 25-
  round belt to get things going. This is a less-than-optimal
  solution; see Magazine Modifications and Reloading Aids
  (pp. 73-74) for aftermarket accessories.
  Browning Stinger, .30-06 Springfield (USA, 1945)
  The Stinger was conceived by U.S. Marine Sergeant Mel
  Grevich during jungle operations in 1944. He modified a
  Browning M2 aircraft MG (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 25)
  into a ground weapon by adding new sights, a 2.4-lb. bipod,
  wooden shoulder stock, carrying handle, and camouflage paint
  job (p. 76). The Stinger is lighter than the Browning M1919A4
  MMG (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 25) and its bastard cousin,
  the Browning M1919A6 LMG (High-Tech, p. 132), and fires at
  a higher RoF. It feeds from a 100-round belt in a box clamped
  to the receiver (6.1 lbs., 7 lbs. with can).
  Sergeant Grevich built six such weapons in early 1945. He
  and other members of the 5th and 28th Marine Divisions –
  including Medal of Honor recipient Corporal Tony Stein – used
  them at Iwo Jima (WWII, p. 33, and WWII: Dogfaces, p. 22).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  65
  Submachine Guns Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (SMG) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  7
  Lysaght Owen Mk I, 9¥19mm
  3d-1 pi
  3
  170/1,900
  10.7/1.4
  11
  33(3)
  9†
  -4
  2
  $250/$29
  2
  [1]
  7
  ZML PM 63, 9¥18mm
  2d pi
  2
  150/1,600
  4.4/0.9
  10
  25(3)
  10†
  -3*
  2
  $500/$28
  2
  [1]
  8
  TDI Kriss Super V SMG, .45 ACP 2d pi+
  3
  150/1,600
  6.2/0.8
  6/16
  13+1(3)
  7†
  -4*
  1
  $2,300/$33
  2
  [2]
  Notes
  [1] Includes compensator (p. 76).
  [2] Includes recoil-mitigation system (see description).
  
  SOG RPD, 7.62×39mm M-43 (USA, 1967-1972)
  This is an armorer conversion of the ZiD RPD (High-Tech,
  p. 134) with the barrel sawed off at 10” and the bipod removed
  to make it lighter and handier. Due to the short barrel and
  missing flash hider, it has a distinctive muzzle blast (+2 to
  Hearing and Vision rolls to locate the weapon firing in the
  dark). Instead of the ordinary 100-round belt, it uses a length-
  ened 125-round belt, in the original drum with a short exten-
  sion. A piece of linoleum in the drum eliminates the usual
  rattle. A cleaning kit fits in the buttstock.
  This weapon was created by U.S. Army Special Forces
  weapons specialists attached to the Military Assistance
  Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observation Group
  (MACV-SOG), an organization that sent small long-range
  reconnaissance patrols into enemy territory (Special Ops,
  p. 9, and SEALs in Vietnam, p. 58). Most SOG guns were
  captured Chinese-made copies of the original Russian
  weapon; few were converted.
  ARES Shrike 5.56 AMG,
  5.56×45mm NATO (USA, 2005-)
  The Shrike 5.56 Assault Machine Gun is a belt-fed LMG the
  size of a Colt M4A1 carbine (High-Tech, p. 119). In fact, it uses
  the unmodified lower receiver of the M4A1 – including pistol
  grip, magazine well, and adjustable stock – mated to a 12.75”
  quick-change barrel and belt-feeder. The weapon can use either
  M16 magazines or disintegrating belts in 100-round (3.2 lbs.,
  3.4 lbs. in soft pouch) or 200-round lengths (-1 Bulk, 6.4 lbs., 7
  lbs. in the rattling FN MINIMI can). The option of using mag-
  azines allows shooters to carry a loaded belt, then switch to
  magazines (which are easier to carry and take only three Ready
  maneuvers to insert) once the belt is expended. The disassem-
  bled weapon fits into an attaché case (High-Tech, p. 31);
  assembly requires an Armoury (Small Arms)+4 or Guns (LMG)
  roll and 20 seconds.
  Using the gas-regulator, RoF can be increased to 15, but this
  reduces Malf. to 16. Accessory rails allow attaching a foregrip
  with retractable bipod (p. 75), Aimpoint collimating sight (+1
  Guns, ignores -3 in darkness penalties, expensive, $500, 0.4 lb.,
  XS/200 hrs.), and even an underbarrel weapon like the KAC
  Masterkey (High-Tech, p. 106) or Colt M203A2 (High-Tech,
  p. 142)! It can be fitted with a detachable baffle suppressor (-3
  Hearing, -1 Bulk, $750, 1.5 lbs.).
  GRENADE LAUNCHERS
  A very good choice of immediate suppression weapon for the
  mounted unit is the U.S. M79 grenade launcher. It is much
  shorter and lighter than the M203 and can be maneuvered with
  one hand. The launcher’s compact size allows it to be placed in a
  scabbard and still be quickly brought to bear.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, FM 3-05.213
  Special Forces Use of Pack Animals (2004)
  Handheld grenade launchers are useful tools for the tactical
  shooter. The variety of munitions available (High-Tech, p. 143)
  allows answers to virtually any situation. Grenadiers will typi-
  cally carry a mix of different rounds.
  Their main disadvantage is that they add weight to already
  overburdened shooters, because grenadiers need a second
  weapon such as a rifle in addition to the launcher. A stop-gap
  solution is to lighten the launcher – see the SOG M79 (below)
  for an example. An ultimately more successful answer is the
  TL7 development of the underbarrel grenade launcher, which
  allows men to be always armed with a primary weapon and
  grenade launcher, while saving weight. Underbarrel launchers
  are typically mounted below rifles and carbines, but can also
  be fitted to other weapons – whether by design or by cus-
  tomization. For example, the Australian SASR (Special Ops,
  p. 34) occasionally mounted a Colt XM148 launcher (SEALs in
  Vietnam, p. 29) below a Sterling L34A1 suppressed SMG
  (High-Tech, p. 125).
  SOG M79, 40×46mmSR (USA, 1967-1969)
  This is a desperate attempt to allow a U.S. Army Special
  Forces SOG recon soldier to carry both carbine and grenade
  launcher. The barrel of a Colt M79 (High-Tech, p. 142) is
  sawed off at 6” and the stock whittled down to a pistol grip
  (see Shortening a Long Arm, p. 69) and fitted with a lanyard
  (High-Tech, p. 154). The resulting weapon is inaccurate but
  useful for the initial break-contact phase of a Peeling drill
  (pp. 22-23) or similar maneuver.
  The Viet Cong likewise appreciated the M79 – and even
  came to the same conclusion as the Americans, occasionally
  cutting down their captured weapons in the same way!
  TOZ GSN-19, 30mm VOG-T (Russia, 1976-1990)
  The GSN-19 is a unique launcher designed for special ops.
  Nicknamed Kanarejka (“little canary”), it mounts below a mod-
  ified Izhmash AKMS rifle (High-Tech, p. 114) or TOZ
  AKS-74UB carbine (p. 62), the combination being called the
  Besshumnyi Strelkovo-granatometniy-1 (“silenced rifle grenade
  launcher-1”) or BS-1 Tishina (“silence”). The 0.55-lb. grenade is
  inserted from the muzzle. Only a HEAT warhead is available,
  for the destruction of high-value targets like command and
  control systems or mobile missile launchers.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  66
  Machine Guns Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (LMG) (DX-4, Gunner (Machine Gun)-2, or most other Guns at -2)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  6
  Browning Stinger, .30-06
  7d pi
  5
  1,000/4,400
  30/7
  20!
  100(5)
  12B†
  -7
  2
  $8,500
  1
  7
  SOG RPD, 7.62¥39mm
  4d+1 pi
  4
  550/2,300
  13.9/6.3
  13
  125(5)
  10†
  -6
  2
  $1,500
  1
  8
  ARES Shrike 5.56 AMG, 5.56¥45mm
  4d+1 pi
  4
  700/2,900
  10.4/3.4
  10
  100(5)
  9†
  -4
  2
  $5,300
  1
  The machine gun’s tremendous
  volume of fire over sustained periods
  offers distinct advantages.
  
  A captive piston arrangement launches the grenade while
  capturing the flash and sound – in effect, like using silent
  ammunition (High-Tech, p. 165). The piston is activated by a
  5.45¥39mm blank cartridge; 10 rounds are carried in a detach-
  able magazine ($26, 0.4 lb.) in the launcher’s pistol grip. (Until
  1985, launchers used an 8-round magazine of 7.62¥39mm
  blanks.) The launcher is a bolt-action design. While the war-
  head’s detonation is totally obvious, the reduced firing signa-
  ture allows the grenadier to slip away undetected, in theory.
  ISTEC ISL201, 40×46mmSR (U.K., 2000-)
  This is a compact launcher mounted under a H&K MP5A3
  (High-Tech, p. 123) by replacing the handguard – it can also be
  fitted to the H&K HK53A3 carbine (High-Tech, p. 116) or F.R.
  Ordnance MC-51 carbine (p. 62). A side-opening design, it fires
  all grenades of its caliber. The ISL201 was adopted by the
  London Metropolitan Police’s CO19 firearms unit (the for-
  mer SO19, see SWAT, p. 17) and other special units,
  including in Italy and Malaysia.
  HAND GRENADES
  You can never carry enough grenades. You can use them
  without giving your position away.
  – 7th Special Forces Group, “B-720 Tips” (1995)
  Hand grenades are useful in tactical combat. Genuine
  explosive grenades are confined to military operations,
  while police forces have access to less-lethal grenades. In
  close-quarters battle, grenades with a limited casualty
  radius are popular. These include concussion grenades
  such as the AMC MK III (High-Tech, p. 191), EiHGr39
  (High-Tech, p. 191), or Diehl HGR DM51 without fragmen-
  tation sleeve (High-Tech, p. 193), but also small fragmenta-
  tion grenades like the ARGES HG 86 (High-Tech, p. 193) or
  NWM V40 (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 31).
  Kodak T13 Beano (USA, 1944-1945)
  Designed for OSS agents (Martial Arts: Fairbairn
  Close Combat Systems, pp. 17-18, and WWII: Dogfaces,
  p. 60) and the resistance fighters supplied by them, the
  T13 is a powerful fragmentation grenade the size and
  shape of a baseball. To avoid having it thrown back by
  the enemy and to better attack vehicles, the grenade has
  an impact fuse rather than a time fuse, detonating it the
  instant it connects with a hard surface. To protect the
  thrower, the fuse doesn’t arm until the grenade has covered a
  minimum flight distance of 8 yards. Tens of thousands of
  Beanos were made, but the fuse proved unreliable (Malf. 16);
  a critical failure on the Throwing roll means that the thrower
  didn’t securely hold the grenade, resulting in a premature det-
  onation in his hand! If the grenade lands on soft ground, roll
  1d: 1-2 means it won’t detonate!
  ARGES HG 84 (Austria, 1984-2000)
  The Handgranate 84 (“hand grenade model 84”) is a frag-
  mentation grenade with high-explosive filler and a plastic body
  containing several thousand steel pellets. It was widely
  exported, and licensed to Pakistan, from whence it has spread
  as the POF HG 84P2A1 to various other users.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  67
  Grenade Launchers Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  GUNS (GL) (DX-4 or most other Guns at -4)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Acc
  Range
  Wt.
  RoF
  Shots
  ST
  Bulk
  Rcl
  Cost
  LC
  Notes
  7
  SOG M79, 40¥46mmSR
  4d-1 [2d] cr ex 1
  30/300
  4/0.5
  1
  1(3)
  12
  -3
  3
  $500
  1
  [1]
  7
  TOZ GSN-19, 30mm
  1d+1(10) cr ex 2
  30/440
  4.3/0.55
  1
  1(3)
  10†
  –
  3
  $1,500
  1
  [1, 2, 3]
  linked
  4d-1 cr ex
  8
  ISTEC ISL201, 40¥46mmSR 4d-1 [2d] cr ex 1
  30/440
  3.2/0.5
  1
  1(3)
  8†
  –
  2
  $1,000
  1
  [1, 3]
  Notes
  [1] First Range figure is minimum range, not 1/2D.
  [2] Grenade launch is “silent” (see description).
  [3] Clamps under SMG or carbine: add weight to weight of host weapon and add -1 to weapon’s Bulk.
  Pipe Bombs
  Ordinary civilians have no use for grenades – but resistance
  fighters, terrorists, and criminals often do. Unless they can
  steal or otherwise acquire real grenades, they have to make do
  with improvised explosive devices (High-Tech, p. 191).
  A pipe bomb can be made at TL3+. It consists of a metal
  pipe fitted with screw-on caps at both ends. It’s filled with a
  low-powered explosive available to civilians, such as black
  powder, guncotton, dynamite, or a sugar/disinfectant mix-
  ture. The fuse is usually a length of time fuse (High-Tech,
  p. 187); more sophisticated bombs may have detonators like
  a time clock (High-Tech, p. 188). The pipe serves to protect
  the explosive, but also yields some fragmentation. To
  improve that, the bomb can be surrounded with heavy nails,
  tied or taped to the pipe. The first known use of a pipe bomb
  was during the 1886 Haymarket riots in Chicago.
  Making one requires an Explosives (Demolition) roll and
  about 5 minutes if the explosive is ready-made and the pipe
  is already threaded to accept screw-on caps (such pipes can
  be bought in hardware stores).
  A typical pipe bomb is about 1’ long and weighs 1 lb.; its
  0.5-lb. explosive filler does 6d [1d] cr ex. If wrapped with 1 lb.
  of fragmentation material, it does 5d [2d] cr ex. Fuse length
  varies but will usually be from 1 to 10 seconds. Cost depends
  on the components. Malf. is 14! LC1.
  
  ALS Pocket Smoke (USA, 2003-)
  This is a compact chemical smoke hand grenade popular
  with special ops and “contractors” because at 5” long and 1.5”
  wide it’s lighter and smaller than conventional smoke grenades
  (Holdout -1). It’s available in several colors including white,
  red, green, and yellow – there is even a variant issuing CS tear
  gas instead (High-Tech, p. 171).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  68
  I was packing an old Colt .45 New Service with only a two-
  inch barrel. I had hacked the barrel off, dehorned the hammer,
  cut out the trigger guard, and made it a fast draw gun.
  – Charles Askins, Texans, Guns & History (1970)
  Many tactical shooters improve or modify their guns. This
  can mean anything from putting some rubber bands around a
  pistol grip to make it less slippery to completely rebuilding the
  weapon. Most tasks require at least one Armoury (Small Arms)
  roll; unless specific rules are provided, failure means the time
  is wasted and the gunsmith must try again, while a critical fail-
  ure damages the weapon in some way.
  The following gunsmithing rules are generic. They may not
  apply to every firearm. Individual weapon descriptions some-
  times state whether specific modifications are either common or
  can’t be done at all. If nothing is specified, use common sense.
  For example, bullpup weapons can’t have their shoulder stock
  removed or replaced by a folding stock, the magazine capacity
  of a weapon with a tube magazine below the barrel may be
  reduced if the barrel is shortened, and so on.
  See Firearm Quality (High-Tech, p. 79) for improving a
  gun’s accuracy or reliability.
  Adding Accessories
  See Firearm Accessories (High-Tech, pp. 153-161) and
  Tactical Equipment (pp. 70-77) for many gadgets which can be
  added to a firearm. Most require no or only minor modifica-
  tions to the weapon – especially if accessory rails (High-Tech,
  p. 161) are used. An Armoury (Small Arms)+4 or IQ-based
  Guns roll is required to correctly fit a new accessory to a
  firearm; this seldom takes longer than 30 minutes.
  Complicated or involved additions require an Armoury
  (Small Arms) roll and take one hour of work. Example include
  a new, slightly longer barrel with a thread cut into it to mount
  a detachable sound suppressor (High-Tech, p. 159), or a pistol
  stock (High-Tech, p. 160) being added to a handgun that isn’t
  designed to mount one.
  Caliber Conversion
  Modifying a firearm so it can take a different round is pop-
  ular, often because weapons are scarce during wartime or cer-
  tain calibers are easier to obtain by the new owner (whether
  due to cost or availability). A caliber conversion requires a new
  (or rebored) barrel and sometimes additional modifications;
  magazines often need to be acquired elsewhere. However, the
  basic action can usually be kept. This requires two Armoury
  (Small Arms) rolls, two hours of work, and materials worth
  25% of the cost of the weapon.
  The new caliber is often smaller but can be larger; multi-
  ply original caliber by 1.2 to find the maximum increase. This
  will change the damage done by the firearm; the GM should
  use the Dmg of a weapon, similar to the model being modi-
  fied, that fires the new caliber. It can’t be much more power-
  ful, though – multiply basic damage by 1.2 to find the
  maximum increase.
  Example: During WWII, many captured weapons were con-
  verted to calibers the new owners found easier to obtain. The
  Germans liked to convert the Soviet ZiD PPSh-41 (High-Tech,
  p. 124) – with maximum caliber 7.62mm ¥ 1.2 = 9.14mm –
  from 7.62¥25mm Tokarev to 9¥19mm Parabellum. The
  adapted weapon used the magazines of the ERMA MP40
  (High-Tech, p. 124). Like the MP40, the conversion does 3d-1
  pi, which is inside the 3d ¥ 1.2 = 3d+2 maximum.
  Converting a Long Arm into a Bullpup
  Most long arms can be converted to the so-called bullpup
  configuration – that is, a shape in which the trigger is located
  forward of the action. This changes the balance of the weapon
  and reduces the length. It usually also means that the weapon
  can no longer be used left-handed (or right-handed, if so con-
  structed), as the cases will be ejected into the face of the
  shooter. A conversion requires extensive modifications and
  often means a net weight gain.
  GUNSMITHING
  Hand Grenades Table
  See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.
  THROWING (DX-3 or Dropping-4)
  TL Weapon
  Damage
  Wt.
  Fuse
  Bulk
  Cost
  LC
  Note
  7
  Kodak T13 Beano
  7d+2 [2d] cr ex
  0.75
  Impact
  -2
  $40
  1
  [1, 2]
  8
  ARGES HG 84
  6d+2 [2d] cr ex
  1.1
  4-5
  -2
  $30
  1
  [1]
  8
  ALS Pocket Smoke
  Smoke (4 yd.)
  0.17
  1-2
  -1
  $25
  3
  [1, 3]
  Notes
  [1] Takes a Ready maneuver to pull the pin.
  [2] Unreliable (see description).
  [3] Fills a 4-yard radius with smoke (p. B439). Cloud lasts about 20 seconds under typical conditions.
  
  This conversion requires three Armoury (Small Arms) rolls,
  two days of work, and materials worth 30% of the cost of the
  weapon. Ready-to-install bullpup conversion kits are available
  for certain long arms – e.g., for the Ruger Mini-14 (High-Tech,
  p. 117). These cost 25% of the cost of the weapon and require
  only one Armoury (Small Arms) roll and two hours of work. In
  either case, improve Bulk by 1 (to no better than Bulk -3) and
  increase weight by 1 lb. Many gunsmith conversions are less
  reliable, giving -1 to Malf. Converted rifles sometimes also suf-
  fer -1 Acc due to the trigger linkage.
  The bullpup configuration is effectively a TL7 development.
  It works best with semiautomatics and full-automatics, but can
  also be applied to bolt-action and pump-action guns.
  Converting a Semiautomatic
  to Full-Automatic
  Any semiautomatic weapon can be converted to full-auto-
  matic fire. In fact, one of the challenges of semiautomatic design
  is preventing such weapons from firing bursts – runaway semi-
  automatics are a discomfiting but not uncommon occurrence
  on shooting ranges! Gunsmiths and manufacturers began offer-
  ing this conversion between 1900 and WWI, a mere decade after
  the introduction of the first self-loading weapons.
  This conversion requires an Armoury (Small Arms) roll.
  Assign a penalty depending on the weapon’s basic design. For
  example, converting a Winchester M1 carbine (High-Tech,
  p. 113) or certain open-bolt pistols like the original semiauto-
  matic Intratec TEC-9 (High-Tech, p. 102) is a favorable task,
  with a +1 difficulty modifier (p. B345). Converting a Colt
  CAR-15 R6001 Sporter (High-Tech, p. 119) is an average task
  with no modifier. Rebuilding a pistol such as the Colt .45
  Government (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 17-18) into a selec-
  tive-fire machine pistol is an unfavorable task at -1.
  Modifiers: +1 if the armorer has previously converted this
  type of gun successfully; -3 if this is his first attempt to convert
  any semiautomatic; +1 for an aftermarket kit (which often only
  allows full-auto rather than selective fire); +2 for the availabil-
  ity of factory parts (which indicates a rebuild rather than a
  conversion); and from -2 to +2 for the Armoury (Small Arms)
  tool kit (High-Tech, p. 24) being used.
  Conversion requires 10 minutes for a favorable task, 12
  hours’ work for an average task, and two days’ work for an
  unfavorable task. Failures don’t work, and extend the conver-
  sion time by one day. Critical failures turn the gun into scrap
  metal. Any critical success gives a gun with ordinary Malf.; oth-
  erwise, Malf. is -1 from the pre-conversion gun – conversions
  almost never run as reliably as factory guns. Almost every-
  where, conversion will lower LC by 1.
  Typically, RoF will be 20! for a converted pistol, 25! for a .22-
  caliber pistol, 6! for a shotgun, 10! for a rifle in a large caliber
  such as 7.62¥51mm NATO, 15! for a rifle in a small caliber
  such as 5.56¥45mm NATO, and 20! for a .22-caliber rifle.
  Examples: A Colt CAR-15A1 R6001 carbine with full-auto
  sear has RoF 15!, while a converted NORINCO Type 56S-1 rifle
  (Chinese semiautomatic copy of the AKMS on p. 114 of High-
  Tech) has RoF 10!.
  Fitting a Gun to Its Owner
  A gun can be modified to fit its owner perfectly. Features
  like length of pull of the shoulder stock; overall weight; pistol
  grip shape and size; checkering or other texture improvement
  of the grip, trigger, hammer, or other surfaces; trigger pull; and
  sights can be adjusted to a specific shooter. This includes spe-
  cially shaped stocks for one-armed or one-eyed shooters
  (p. B147). Double the cost of the weapon.
  The ultimate “modification” is a made-to-order gun. This
  was and is common for the more expensive shotguns and
  sporting handguns and rifles, such as the SVI Infinity (p. 58) or
  H&H .600 Royal Express (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 7).
  Paying full price for a new gun of this type already includes fit-
  ting it to the (original) owner.
  The ideal way to model this in GURPS is to treat it as a
  Weapon Bond (p. 41), but note that a shooter can also bond to
  a gun that is not modified in any way!
  Shortening a Handgun
  Most handguns with Bulk -2 or -3 can have their Bulk
  improved by 1 by shortening the barrel (and slide, if the barrel
  is completely covered by it). This requires an Armoury (Small
  Arms) roll and five hours, and costs 50% of the gun’s cost. The
  conversion will lower weight somewhat; reduce it by 0.5 lb.
  Multiply Dmg by 0.85 and reduce Acc by 1. ST and Rcl may
  also get worse. LC is usually not affected.
  Shortening a Long Arm
  Shortening a long arm means removing part of the barrel
  and/or stock. Long arms with Bulk -6 or worse can have Bulk
  improved by up to 2 by shortening the barrel; those with Bulk -4
  or -5 can only have Bulk improved by 1. This reduces weight by
  0.75 lb. per point of Bulk improvement for a single-barrel
  weapon, or by 1 lb. per point for a double-barreled weapon or
  machine gun. For rifled weapons only, reduce Acc by 1 per point,
  and multiply Dmg by 0.85 for +1 Bulk or by 0.75 for +2 Bulk.
  In either case, Bulk can be improved by an additional +1 if
  the stock is removed or replaced by a folding stock (High-Tech,
  p. 160) – unless the weapon is a bullpup. If the stock is
  removed, reduce Acc by 1 and weight by 1 lb., multiply ST by
  1.2, and add +1 to Rcl (unless Rcl is 1).
  A long arm’s Bulk can never be improved to better than
  Bulk -3. Beginning in the 1920s, many legislations consider
  short barrels a sign of a “gangster weapon” (compare High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 4-5). At TL6-8, shortening the barrel of
  a long arm to Bulk -4 or better will generally lower LC by 1.
  Folding stocks may also be illegal.
  Simply sawing off a barrel or stock requires nothing more
  than a hacksaw (High-Tech, p. 25) and a couple of minutes of
  sawing. However, for any weapon other than a shotgun, it’s
  usually necessary to move back the sights, install a new fore-
  grip, refinish the weapon, etc. This requires two days’ work and
  two Armoury (Small Arms) rolls.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  69
  It was an antique, a .357 Magnum
  with the barrel and trigger-guard sawn off.
  – William Gibson,
  Neuromancer (1984)
  
  Example: During the Russian Civil War (1918-1922) and
  again during WWII, civilian fighters sometimes converted the
  Mosin-Nagant rifle (High-Tech, p. 111) into a handgun by saw-
  ing off stock and barrel. The so-called obrez (“sawed-off”) con-
  figuration reduces Dmg from 7d+1 pi to 5d+2 pi, weight by 2.5
  lbs. to 6.7 lbs., Acc from 5 to 2, and Bulk from -6 to -3. It
  increases ST from 10† to 12† and Rcl from 4 to 5.
  Weight Reduction
  Lugging around even a 2.5-lb. handgun all day can be pretty
  cumbersome, not to mention 10-lb. rifles and 25-lb. machine
  guns. If a lighter comparable weapon isn’t available, some-
  times it’s worth trying to reduce the weight of your firearm.
  Lightening a gun isn’t always a good idea, as it may reduce
  service life, controllability, or other parameters. However, the
  lower mass may outweigh any disadvantages.
  • One way to reduce weight is to shorten barrel and/or
  shoulder stock (p. 69). This usually has a negative impact on
  Dmg, Acc, Range, ST, Rcl, and/or LC.
  • Another is to use lighter ammunition; e.g., by employing
  plastic or alloy cartridge cases (High-Tech, p. 164) or lighter
  ammo carrying devices (such as plastic or alloy magazines,
  High-Tech, p. 155). These aren’t always available, however.
  • A third method is to machine away superfluous material
  from the slide or other massive components, and to use a
  fluted barrel, lighter bipod, or other weight-reduced parts. This
  requires 12 hours and an Armoury (Small Arms) roll. An 18 on
  that roll indicates that too much material was taken off, or in
  the wrong place, and the gun’s integrity was weakened; the
  next malfunction will be an explosion (p. B407)! Multiply
  (empty) weight by 0.85.
  Example: Cutting grooves in the slide’s sides and machin-
  ing off other excess material can reduce the empty weight of
  a FN-Browning HP pistol (High-Tech, p. 99) from 1.9 lbs. to
  1.6 lbs.; loaded weight becomes 2.1 lbs.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  70
  “Tactical” is a buzzword
  that helps sell stuff.
  geardo n. . . . 1. One who spends at least 50% of each pay-
  check (before taxes) on the latest & greatest gear, just to have the
  latest & greatest gear, regardless whether or not that gear will
  actually help the wearer perform his/her duties.
  – Albert Merrifield, Bob on the FOB (2007)
  “Tactical” is a buzzword that helps sell stuff. All a shooter
  really needs is a good gun, effective ammunition, and a prac-
  tical means of carrying both. This doesn’t mean that a lot of
  additional “Guccified” gear isn’t at least sometimes useful.
  Even small modifications can make a shootist’s life easier –
  and longer. The following expands on Firearms Accessories
  (High-Tech, pp. 153-161).
  SOUND SUPPRESSORS
  Low-signature weapons are excellent tools for solving a
  remarkably wide array of tactical and public-relations problems.
  – Alan Paulson, Silencer: History and Performance II (2002)
  See High-Tech (pp. 158-159) for basic rules and statistics.
  At TL6-7, not all semiautomatic pistols can be effectively
  used with a baffle suppressor. The suppressor’s weight attached
  to the barrel affects the action of the weapon. Most low-pow-
  ered blowback guns with a fixed barrel (like semiautomatic
  pistols in calibers up to .380 ACP and 9¥18mm Makarov) have
  no problems with this, nor do those full-power guns in which
  the barrel is fixed or only recoils straight back, such as the
  Beretta Mod 1951 (p. 56), Beretta Mod 92F (High-Tech,
  p. 100), H&K P7 (p. 56), or Walther P38 (High-Tech, p. 100).
  Other pistols, in particular those using a variation on the
  Luger or Browning action, won’t cycle reliably with a suppressor
  and get -2 to Malf. – usually resulting in a stoppage (p. B407).
  Together with the lower signatures of small-caliber rounds,
  this is the reason why most TL6-7 suppressed handguns fire
  low-powered rounds like the .22 LR or .32 ACP. Those that use
  more powerful ammunition are generally not semiautomatic,
  such as the BSA Welrod Mk I (p. 54), or have a slide-lock (High-
  Tech, p. 161) allowing only single shots between manual opera-
  tion (RoF 1) in suppressed mode, such as the S&W MK 22
  MOD 0 “Hush Puppy” (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 26). This is no
  longer an issue at TL8.
  Examples: The Colt .45 Government (High-Tech, pp. 98-99)
  uses a Browning action in which the barrel recoils and cants;
  mounting a TL6-7 suppressor will therefore lower Malf. to 15.
  This is one of the reasons why many Western agencies pre-
  ferred the Walther P38 for suppressed use during the Cold
  War. From 1958, the CIA even issued a field kit for the P38 –
  complete with threaded barrel ($200), wiper suppressor (-2
  Hearing, $300, 0.5 lb.), and 50 subsonic rounds (p. 77). The
  Glock 17 (High-Tech, p. 100) uses a modified Browning
  action – but when fitted with a TL8 suppressor, it will work
  flawlessly.
  Wiper sound suppressors (invented in 1933) increase the
  back pressure in the pistol and work on all pistol types. In addi-
  tion, the muzzle flash of the weapon is reduced or eliminated,
  allowing it to be used in an explosive atmosphere such as on oil
  rigs, near gas stations, or in illegal drug laboratories (SWAT,
  p. 39). On the other hand, wiper suppressors can’t be used with
  hollow-point (p. 78), frangible (p. 78), or multiple-projectile
  (High-Tech, pp. 172-174) ammunition – or with any load using
  a sabot, such as APDS (High-Tech, p. 167). Doing so will
  destroy the suppressor.
  All suppressors increase the cyclic rate of automatic
  weapons. Whenever a full-automatic firearm is fitted with a
  suppressor, multiply RoF by 1.1, rounding up. Faster-running
  guns are more likely to jam, though usually not enough to war-
  rant reducing Malf.
  TACTICAL EQUIPMENT
  
  Suppressors are ill-suited for Suppression Fire (pp. B409-410),
  as people are less afraid of what they can’t hear (see Cool
  Under Fire, p. 34).
  Shotgun Suppressors (TL6)
  Suppressors for shotguns are rare but not impossible – a
  design for .410-gauge guns was available as early as the 1920s
  (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 26). Most designs are TL8, how-
  ever. Only baffle designs can be used, and most shotgun sup-
  pressors are long and heavy, a result of the large gas volume
  generated by big-bore shotshells. Many feature a perforated
  barrel extension tube to protect the interior baffles from dam-
  age. They aren’t quite as effective as other suppressors, but
  profit from the use of subsonic ammunition (p. 77). Shotgun
  suppressors are used by sportsmen to protect their hearing
  and/or to avoid alarm in tightly settled neighborhoods, espe-
  cially in Europe. A detachable baffle suppressor for a shotgun
  gives -1 to -2 Hearing. -2 Bulk. $500 per -1 Hearing, 3 lbs. LC3.
  Wet Suppressors (TL8)
  Introduced in the 1980s, wet suppressors are baffle suppres-
  sors designed to be filled with an ounce or so of liquid or semi-
  liquid coolant to improve the sound reduction. Coolants
  include lithium grease, weapon oil, shaving gel, water, or even
  urine! Grease has the advantage that it stays in the can. Water
  and other liquids will drip out of the suppressor and should
  only be added immediately before firing; some shooters carry
  a sealed syringe for that. The coolant is consumed during fir-
  ing and must be replaced after two or three magazines’ worth
  of shots. Most spray back at the shooter in a fine mist. When
  wet, reduce the Hearing penalty by a further -1. A wet suppres-
  sor reduces or eliminates muzzle flash and isn’t subject to First-
  Shot Pop (above). No change in cost and weight. LC4.
  HOLSTERS,
  SCABBARDS, AND SLINGS
  On all weapons th[e] sling is part of the mounting system
  which turns the shooter into a true weapons platform . . . With
  the sling properly adjusted, either over the right shoulder, around
  the neck over the left shoulder, or looped around the neck, it
  becomes the shooter’s third hand.
  – Frank Moyer and Robert Scroggie,
  Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques (1971)
  These accessories are vital to carry your gun safely and con-
  veniently. More can be found on pp. 153-154 of High-Tech.
  Long Arm Slings (TL5)
  A sling allows a long arm to be carried at all times, while
  climbing, skiing, riding a horse or motorcycle, etc. It can also
  stabilize the weapon during firing (see Long-Arm Shooting
  Stances, pp. 12-13). In close-quarters battle, a sling allows quick
  transition to a handgun (p. 14). It helps prevent other people
  from taking your weapon, too, giving +2 to Retain Weapon rolls.
  Slings for rifles, shotguns, SMGs, LMGs, etc., are identical.
  Most are about 4’ long. Those used with LMGs can be fitted with
  additional padding to prevent the higher weight of the gun from
  digging into the gunner’s shoulders (+0.5 lb.).
  One-Point Sling (TL5)
  A one-point sling attaches only at the rear
  end of the weapon, forming a loop. The gun
  hangs muzzle-down under the strong arm
  shoulder or on your chest, depending on prefer-
  ence. “Dropping” the weapon is a free action.
  Bringing it up takes a Ready maneuver, or a
  free action with a successful Fast-Draw (Long
  Arm) roll, at +1 for the sling.
  • A TL5 leather one-point sling is $10, 0.8
  lb.; an expensive one, $20, 0.5 lb. Such slings
  were used for cavalry carbines like the
  Springfield M1873 (High-Tech, p. 110) or
  Winchester Model 1873 (High-Tech, p. 110),
  attached to what is today wrongly called a “sad-
  dle ring” on the receiver.
  • A TL8 synthetic one-point sling is $50,
  0.4 lb.
  One-point slings are sometimes improvised. During the
  1930s, bandits such as Clyde Barrow carried sawed-off shot-
  guns or stockless SMGs under their clothing by attaching a
  belt, loop of string, or rubber inner tube to the rear (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 1, p. 23). These require an IQ-based Guns+4 roll to
  set up. Many improvised slings dig into the shoulder, resulting
  in moderate pain (p. B428) if worn for longer than an hour.
  Sling Swivels (TL5)
  Weapons without sling swivels (or without the right sling
  swivels) can be fitted with such. $20, 0.1 lb. LC4.
  Two-Point Sling (TL5)
  A two-point sling is the classic sling attached near the front
  and rear of the firearm (High-Tech, p. 154). The weapon hangs
  muzzle-up or muzzle-down on the chest or back. When not
  needed, the gun can be “thrown” muzzle-down over the weak-
  side shoulder, out of the way. When it’s needed again, the
  shooter shrugs and slips the weapon back to the front. Either
  move takes two Ready maneuvers. A Fast-Draw (Long Arm)
  (p. 42) roll reduces this to one maneuver to ready the weapon
  – and one to stow it, if the shooter also has Quick-Sheathe
  (Long Arm) (p. 40).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  71
  First-Shot Pop
  A curious phenomenon experienced with baffle sound suppressors is
  that the first shot is louder than subsequent shots. Residual propellant
  present in the hot gases from the first shot ignites in the oxygen within
  the suppressor, generating a secondary combustion that is perceived as
  part of the shot (+1 Hearing). This consumes all the oxygen in the sup-
  pressor, so follow-up shots are quieter – it takes about an hour for the
  oxygen level to return to atmospheric concentrations after the last shot.
  This is an obvious problem, since it’s often precisely the first shot
  that counts! Over time it was found that putting grease or water into the
  can displaces enough oxygen to avoid the combustion. However, this
  only works for detachable baffle sound suppressors, and requires fre-
  quent refilling. See Wet Suppressors (below).
  The opposite applies to wiper suppressors, where the first shot is the
  quietest and the sound suppression gradually gets worse with each shot.
  
  • A TL5-8 leather two-point sling is $10, 0.8 lb.; an expen-
  sive one, $20, 0.5 lb. Examples of the former include the
  leather sling issued with the H&K G3A3 (High-Tech, p. 116),
  and of the latter include the M1907 sling issued with the
  Springfield M1903 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 8) and M1
  Garand (High-Tech, p. 113).
  • A TL6-8 canvas two-point sling is $5, 0.6 lb.; an expensive
  one, $10, 0.4 lb. Examples of expensive slings include the one
  made for the Izhmash AK-47 (High-Tech, p. 114), and the M1
  sling issued with the Springfield M14 (High-Tech, p. 115) and
  Colt M16A1 (High-Tech, p. 117).
  • A TL7-8 synthetic two-point sling is $10, 0.3 lb.
  Examples include the slings issued with the Colt M16A2
  (High-Tech, p. 117) and Stoner MK 23 MOD 0 Commando
  (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 29). Synthetic slings (and their attach-
  ment hardware) support 300 lbs., allowing improvised use as
  a short rope – the breaking strength of just the strap material
  exceeds two tons!
  Three-Point Sling (TL7)
  A three-point sling, often called a “tactical” or “patrol” sling
  (High-Tech, p. 154), attaches near the front and rear of the
  weapon, but is designed so the end slung around the shooter
  attaches to the sling again near the center of gravity of the
  weapon – the third point. The first was the H&K R3/3 multipur-
  pose sling, introduced in 1973. It allows hands-free carry of the
  long arm so the wearer can transition to a sidearm, open a door,
  etc. The “military patrol ready” position has the weapon hanging
  on the shooter’s front, with the stock just below the strong arm
  shoulder at about mid-chest level and the muzzle slightly down-
  ward. From there it can be quickly raised to the shoulder and
  fired. The “port arms” position has the weapon supported
  almost horizontally with the muzzle angled upward on the
  chest. An alternate position is for the weapon to hang muzzle-
  down on either the strong side or off-side. The off-side allows
  easier transition to a sidearm holster on the strong side hip or
  leg. “Dropping” the weapon is a free action. Bringing it up again
  requires a Ready maneuver or a free action with a successful
  Fast-Draw (Long Arm) roll, at +1 for the sling.
  Alternatively, a three-point sling can be used to carry the
  arm in the “rucksack” or “biathlon” position, with the weapon
  vertically on the back, muzzle-down (or up, depending on pref-
  erence). It takes two Ready maneuvers to sling or unsling, or
  one with Fast-Draw (Long Arm).
  • A TL7-8 three-point patrol sling is $50, 0.4 lb. These
  include the slings issued with the Colt M4A1 (High-Tech, p. 119),
  H&K HK93A2 (p. 62), H&K HK416D10RS (pp. 63-64), H&K
  MP5A3 (High-Tech, p. 123), and FN M249 (High-Tech, p. 136).
  Retention Device (TL8)
  With the exception of the “rucksack” position on the back,
  most slings can’t prevent the weapon from banging and moving
  against the wearer whenever he is engaged in energetic hands-
  free activities like melee combat, running, jumping, rappelling,
  etc. This gives -2 to those skills! It can be avoided if the long arm
  is secured behind the hip using a retention loop or buckle worn
  on the belt or LBV. Engaging the retention device takes two
  Ready maneuvers, one with Fast-Draw (Long Arm) and Quick-
  Sheathe (Long Arm); disengaging takes one Ready maneuver, or
  a free action with Fast-Draw (Long Arm). Gives +2 to Retain
  Weapon (Long Arm) while engaged. $25, 0.5 lb. LC4.
  Pistol Holsters (TL5)
  A holster worn on the hip, including a belt, military,
  undercover, or retention holster (High-Tech, pp. 153-154), is
  convenient to wear and reach, but isn’t the best solution when
  sitting in a vehicle, due to the safety belt (or the seat itself).
  Similarly, bulky body armor may get in the way (p. 12), as
  may a slung long arm (if hung on the strong side, where the
  hip holster is). The latter is problematic, as it prevents a quick
  transition from the long arm to the sidearm. All these situa-
  tions result in -2 to Fast-Draw.
  A holster worn on the chest, including a belt, military, or
  retention holster, doesn’t hinder while seated and allows a fast
  transition. However, it only allows unconcealed carry.
  Examples include a holster integrated into a load-bearing vest
  (High-Tech, p. 54) or a holster attached to the front of an
  armor vest (High-Tech, pp. 65-67).
  Some holsters allow one-handed readying (compare One-
  Hand Drills, p. 39) from Condition Three (p. 8); the most
  famous is the M1916 military holster adopted by the U.S. Army
  for the Colt M1911 pistol (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 17-18).
  Increase cost by 10%.
  Pocket Holster (TL5)
  A pocket holster holds a handgun in a pants or coat pocket.
  It helps to conceal the gun and prevents it from snagging in the
  pocket, reducing the -3 Fast-Draw penalty to -2 (see Fast-Draw,
  p. 42). +1 Holdout. $50, 0.5 lb. LC4.
  A similar effect can be achieved by lining a pocket with
  leather or waxed canvas, as preferred by gunslingers like Wyatt
  Earp and Dallas Stoudenmire. This requires a Sewing roll.
  Speed Holster (TL8)
  A speed holster is a skeletonized holster that only covers a
  handgun’s trigger and trigger guard. It gives no protection to
  the gun and exposes it to the elements (p. B485). Designed for
  Practical Sports Shooting (p. 49), it’s useless as a service hol-
  ster, but fast to draw from. A locking mechanism gives the
  owner +2 to his Retain Weapon technique while his weapon is
  holstered. +1 Fast-Draw (Pistol). -2 Holdout. $200, 0.5 lb. LC4.
  Tactical Holster (TL8)
  A “tactical” or “drop-leg” holster is a holster that is worn
  low, on the upper leg rather than on the hip, and usually fixed
  to the leg with a strap. It’s popular with special-ops troops and
  SWAT operators, as it doesn’t interfere with body armor (p. 12),
  a seat belt, or a climbing or rappelling harness, and let one
  carry extra ammunition pouches and the like on the belt.
  Setting up a belt, military, or retention holster for “tactical”
  wear adds $50 and 0.5 lb. -2 Holdout. LC4.
  Concealed LBV (TL6)
  Military load-bearing equipment (High-Tech, p. 54) is obvi-
  ous – the belts, straps, and pouches instantly spell “soldier”
  even to a casual observer. If a shooter wants to effectively carry
  more than a few pistol magazines concealed under ordinary
  clothing, elaborate measures have to be taken. Examples
  include retention loops for rifle or SMG magazines sewn onto
  a waistcoat worn under a suit, or hidden magazine pouches
  sewn into a jacket – the latter ploy being used by U.S. Army
  Delta Force operators (Special Ops, p. 28) in the ill-fated
  Operation EAGLE CLAW in Iran in 1980.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  72
  
  Treat either as a load-bearing vest, but with -1 Fast-Draw
  (Ammo). About eight rifle/SMG magazines can be carried
  this way on the front of a waistcoat, or a dozen in a standard
  coat. For 5¥ cost, the setup can give +1 (quality) to Holdout.
  Making it yourself saves the cost but requires both an IQ-
  based Sewing roll and a normal Sewing roll. Increase cloth-
  ing weight by 1 lb. LC4.
  Long Arm Holster (TL6)
  Military flap holsters have also been made for long arms of
  Bulk -3 or -4. These are intended for cavalry or vehicle crews
  so they can keep their long arms close at hand. Examples
  include holsters for the Winchester M1 carbine (High-Tech,
  p. 113), TOZ AKS-74U assault carbine (High-Tech, p. 114), and
  ZML PM 63 machine pistol (p. 64). Generally, only the small-
  est magazine available fits. -3 Fast-Draw. $150, 2 lbs. LC4.
  Concealed Carry Clothing (TL8)
  Clothing optimized for the concealed carry of handguns has
  always been available in the form of custom-made one-offs; see
  Undercover Clothing (High-Tech, p. 64). This was popular in
  the 19th century, especially in Europe. Since the 1990s, several
  manufacturers have offered affordable, mass-produced ordi-
  nary clothing (Status 0) that is tailored for concealed carry – a
  pair of jeans, a waistcoat, or a light summer jacket. Each item
  features concealed pockets for a handgun (Bulk -2 or better)
  and two magazines, and sometimes for a tactical folding knife
  (High-Tech, p. 198) and a pair of handcuffs (High-Tech,
  p. 217). -2 Fast-Draw and +2 Holdout. $60, 1 lb. LC4.
  Shoulder Rig (TL8)
  This is a harness (rather than a sling) to suspend a compact
  long arm (Bulk -3 or -4) muzzle down under the shoulder of the
  strong arm, concealing it under a coat or jacket. It allows the
  weapon to be whipped up and fired while attached to the rig.
  The weapon is balanced by two or three magazine pouches
  under the weak arm. Commercial shoulder rigs were introduced
  in the early 1980s for the H&K MP5K (High-Tech, p. 123) and
  IMI Uzi (High-Tech, p. 125). They are popular with bodyguards.
  +1 Holdout and +2 Retain Weapon. $120, 1 lb. LC4.
  MAGAZINE MODIFICATIONS
  AND RELOADING AIDS
  See Reloading (p. 20) for details on how to reload. Bonuses
  to Fast-Draw (Ammo) stack for devices that can be used simul-
  taneously – at most one carrying device (e.g., wrist pouch), one
  drawing assist (e.g., fast-draw magazine loop), and one inser-
  tion aid (e.g., jet funnel). More items can be found on p. 155 of
  High-Tech.
  Buttstock Ammunition Loops (TL6)
  These are cloth, leather, or plastic loops on the shoulder
  stock of a long arm, holding five to 10 individual shotshells or
  rifle cartridges. This can be useful for a hunter or sniper in the
  prone position, as it requires little movement to retrieve spare
  rounds from the buttstock carrier to the magazine. +1
  Fast-Draw (Ammo). $25, 0.2 lb. LC4.
  Side Carrier (TL6)
  Invented in 1875 and adopted by several mili-
  taries for their single-shot rifles, a side carrier
  allows cartridges to be carried on the side of the
  receiver. This allows a quicker reload, as the shells
  are closer to the chamber/magazine more easily
  retrieved than from a pouch. A side carrier holds
  four to 10 cartridges, depending on caliber – the
  TL6 “Metcalfe Loading Block” for the Springfield
  M1873 rifle (High-Tech, p. 110) holds eight, while
  common TL8 designs for 12-gauge shotshells hold
  either four or six. +1 Fast-Draw (Ammo). $25, 0.5
  lb. LC4.
  Shell Bag (TL6)
  Intended for shotgunners, this is a bag attached
  to the belt or slung over the shoulder, with a large
  flap opening that allows quicker reloading than does
  fishing for shells in a coat pocket or an ammo pouch. +1 Fast-
  Draw (Ammo) – but if carrying more than one type of ammo,
  picking out the right cartridges is at -4 to Fast-Draw. $35, 0.5
  lb. for a small one holding 25 shells, $60, 1 lb. for a large one
  holding 100 shells. LC4.
  Buttstock Magazine Pouch (TL7)
  This is a pouch for one or two magazines that slips over the
  butt of a long arm. It allows spares to be carried on the weapon
  without need for load-bearing gear, or simply adds a conven-
  ient way to carry an additional magazine. The first, introduced
  in 1942, held two 15-rounders for the Winchester M1 carbine
  (High-Tech, p. 113). Today, pouches for a single 30-round mag-
  azine are commonly used with the Colt M16A4 (High-Tech,
  p. 117), H&K G36 (High-Tech, p. 121), etc. It can’t be fitted to
  a bullpup weapon, since those have the ejection port near the
  buttstock or are otherwise not set up for it. $25, 0.2 lb. LC4.
  LMG Assault Pack (TL7)
  This is a container that clips to a LMG to allow mobile assault
  with a fully loaded gun (otherwise only a short starter belt
  should be inserted; see p. 65). Many LMGs include an assault
  pack by design, but some don’t. Aftermarket packs include:
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  73
  
  TL7 Canvas Assault Pack: A stiffened pouch holding a 50-
  round belt, adopted by the Swedish army for use with the FN
  MAG (High-Tech, p. 134). $20, 2.1 lbs. (5.4 lbs. loaded).
  TL8 Plastic Assault Pack: A plastic box holding a 100-round
  belt, privately acquired by U.S. troops from 1989 for use with
  the Saco M60 (High-Tech, p. 134). $15, 0.4 lbs. (7 lbs. loaded).
  TL8 Nylon Assault Pack: A zippered pouch holding a 50-
  round belt, adopted by the U.S. Army in 2005 for the FN
  M240B (High-Tech, p. 135). $20, 1.1 lbs. (4.4 lbs. loaded).
  Beveled Magazine
  Well or Jet Funnel (TL8)
  A beveled magazine well is widened and flared so the mag-
  azine can be inserted more easily and quickly. This can mean
  anything from hand-beveling the well with a file to a full-blown
  “jet funnel” attachment (a lengthened magazine well with an
  even wider opening for easier insertion). Jet funnels are for
  “race guns” used in competition shooting, like IPSC. Less obvi-
  ous beveled magazine wells are mainly found on gunsmithed
  combat arms. +1 Fast-Draw (Ammo). $100, neg. LC4.
  Fast-Draw Magazine Loop (TL8)
  This is a plastic loop attached to the base of a detachable
  magazine, allowing quicker retrieval from a magazine pouch.
  Introduced commercially by Magpul in 1999, similar loops
  have been improvised with cord and tape as early as the 1970s.
  Magazine loops are widely used today with assault rifles – less
  so with other weapons. +1 Fast-Draw (Ammo). $3, neg. LC4.
  Quality Magazines (TL8)
  For many firearms, magazines are made that are of a differ-
  ent quality from the original. Cheap quality magazines are half
  cost, but give -1 to Malf. Good quality magazines are 1.5¥ cost,
  but give +1 to Malf. Examples of the latter include the steel
  H&K HRM (2001) and the polymer Magpul PMAG (2007),
  both for weapons using the M16 magazine, which is badly
  designed and usually of cheap quality. LC4.
  Transparent Magazines (TL8)
  Magazines made of translucent plastic allow you to check
  how much ammunition you still have (see Reloading, p. 20).
  They are standard for some weapons, including the FN P90
  (High-Tech, p. 126), H&K G36 (High-Tech, p. 121), and Steyr
  AUG (High-Tech, p. 118). In the 21st century, they are avail-
  able as aftermarket accessories from Mexico for the H&K G3
  series (High-Tech, p. 116) and from Turkey for the H&K
  HK33 and HK93 series (p. 62). Others can be made. Calculate
  cost and weight as if buying plastic extended magazines
  (High-Tech, p. 155). LC4.
  Wrist Pouch (TL8)
  This is a wristband worn on the strong arm that holds a pis-
  tol magazine or a few shotshells in a pouch or loop for a quick
  reload. The wrist pouch is a specialty item not much used, but
  it has a niche in certain close-quarters battle operations. +1
  Fast-Draw (Ammo). $15, 0.15 lb. LC4.
  SIGHTS AND TARGETING AIDS
  More sights and targeting aids can be found on pp. 155-157
  of High-Tech.
  Aiming Light (TL7)
  This is a powerful light similar to a tactical light, but focused
  so it has a dark spot in the center of its beam. This can be used
  as an aiming point not unlike a targeting laser out to half the
  range of the light’s beam. The most popular device of this type is
  the German Hensoldt ZPP, introduced in 1979, which mounts on
  top of the receiver like a scope. Due to their inefficient batteries
  and outdated bulb technology, aiming lights fell out of favor dur-
  ing the 1990s. 140-yard range. +1 Guns out to 70 yards. -1 Bulk.
  $400, 3.8 lbs., 5¥S/90 min. LC3.
  Laser/Light Module (TL8)
  This accessory combines several targeting lasers and tactical
  lights in one device running on the same batteries. Endurance is
  given for the white light, which is the most power-consuming;
  the lasers can be used on their own for about 20 times as long.
  There are several popular designs, including:
  Insight AN/PEQ-6 LAM (1997). The American Laser Aiming
  Module was designed for the H&K MK 23 MOD 0 (p. 58), but
  is also used on the Glock series (High-Tech, pp. 100-101), H&K
  USP (High-Tech, p. 102), H&K MP5 series (High-Tech, p. 123),
  etc. It includes a 750-yard red targeting laser, 200-yard IR tar-
  geting laser, 25-yard tactical light, and 50-yard IR tactical light.
  $1,900, 0.3 lb., 2¥XS/5 minutes. LC3.
  Oerlikon LLM01 (2004). The German Laser-Licht-Modul is
  used by several militaries, including the Austrian army on the
  Steyr AUG (High-Tech, p. 118), British army on the H&K L85A2
  (High-Tech, p. 118), and German and Spanish armies on the
  H&K G36 (High-Tech, p. 121). It incorporates a 200-yard red
  targeting laser, 200-yard IR targeting laser, 25-yard tactical light,
  and 25-yard IR light. $1,500, 0.5 lb., 2¥XS/1 hour. LC3.
  Insight
  AN/PEQ-16
  IPIM
  (2007).
  The
  Integrated
  Pointer/Illuminator Module was designed for the Colt M4A1
  (High-Tech, p. 119), but is also used on all other U.S. military
  long arms, including LMGs and light antitank weapons. It
  includes a 2,200-yard red targeting laser, 2,200-yard IR tar-
  geting laser, 25-yard tactical light, and 150-yard IR tactical
  light. $2,275, 0.4 lb., 2¥XS/1 hour. LC3.
  Micro Reflex Sight (TL8)
  In addition to reflex sights intended for long arms, micro
  reflex sights have been introduced in the early 21st century.
  These are barely larger than ordinary handgun rear sights and
  don’t decrease handling. They give +1 Guns at ranges up to 50
  yards. $250, neg., T/2 years. LC3.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  74
  The amount of ammunition
  carried in the belt is usually
  sufficient for a single engagement.
  – USMC Headquarters,
  Small Wars Manual
  (1940)
  
  Off-Axis Viewing Device (OAVD) (TL8)
  This periscopic device is mounted on a rail on top of a long-
  arm receiver – typically behind a collimating sight, but it can
  also be used on its own. The ocular can be swiveled to the left
  or right, and allows the shooter to view through it while stand-
  ing to the side of the weapon. The OAVD allows firing around
  corners, over barricades, etc., exposing only the gun and the
  hand(s) holding it. Invented in 2005 for the Australian army, it
  was licensed to the Swedish Aimpoint company in 2008 for
  worldwide sale. It doesn’t allow a proper firing stance with the
  weapon’s stock braced against the body; treat as firing without
  a stock (p. 12), giving -1 Acc and +1 Rcl (unless Rcl 1), and mul-
  tiplying ST by 1.2. Due to the awkward grip and sighting, all
  Guns rolls are at -2. $350, 0.3 lb. LC2.
  STOCKS, TRIPODS,
  AND BIPODS
  Will [a forward pistol grip] make you shoot better? More than
  likely not; it will, however, give the tactical shooter something to
  hang onto in adverse conditions.
  – Kyle Lamb, Green Eyes & Black Rifles (2008)
  More on stocks, tripods, and bipods can be found on p. 160
  of High-Tech.
  Tripods and Other Mounts (TL5)
  According to Bipods and Tripods (p. B412), weapons mounted
  on tripods or similar fittings are considered braced, for +1 Acc.
  This is the same bonus granted to weapons used from a bipod.
  However, tripods offer a more stable firing platform than bipods
  – as do vehicle weapon mounts (p. B467). This is true even if the
  vehicle is not moving. As an optional rule for increased realism,
  the GM may allow an improved bracing bonus:
  Flexible mounts that allow weapon movement, such as
  tripods, open mounts, bow mounts, arm mounts, etc., give +2
  Acc for bracing.
  Fixed mounts that hold the weapon rigidly, such as car-
  riages, hardpoints, and turret mounts, give +4 Acc for bracing.
  On a moving vehicle, the combined bonus for Accuracy,
  Aim, bracing, and targeting systems still can’t exceed the vehi-
  cle’s SR, unless stabilized (p. B548).
  Vertical Foregrip (TL6)
  A vertical foregrip is a grip sticking down below the hand-
  guard of a gun. It may be fixed or may fold along the underside
  of the gun when not in use. Some firearms include one as part
  of the basic design, such as the Armsel Striker (High-Tech,
  p. 106), Auto-Ordnance Model 1921 Thompson (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 1, pp. 28-30), ERMA EMP (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 1, p. 30), Saco M60E3 (High-Tech, p. 134), and Steyr
  AUG (High-Tech, p. 118).
  It’s common on weapons with a short fore-end, for which a
  vertical foregrip allows proper two-handed use and prevents
  the shooter’s off hand from slipping in front of the muzzle – a
  useful safety measure. Examples include the Beretta Mod 93R
  (High-Tech, p. 100), Franchi PA3 (Gun Fu, p. 37), H&K MP5K
  (High-Tech, p. 123), H&K MP7A1 (High-Tech, p. 126), and
  Sterling Mk 7A4 (High-Tech, p. 125).
  Other guns can have a foregrip added below the barrel,
  either permanently or (at TL8) removable on an accessory rail
  (High-Tech, p. 161). $30, 0.5 lb. LC4.
  Many TL8 foregrips are hollow, allowing (often waterproof)
  storage of small items – typically two or three spare XS batter-
  ies for electronic accessories, or a replacement firing pin or
  bolt. $60, 0.3 lb. LC4.
  Some TL8 foregrips include integral mountings for a tacti-
  cal light (High-Tech, p. 156) and/or targeting laser (High-Tech,
  p. 156), with the switches wired into the grip. This allows
  switching the gadget on or off as a free action with the off
  hand. See Combination Gadgets (High-Tech, p. 10) to calculate
  weight and cost.
  Other TL8 vertical foregrips include a retractable bipod
  (High-Tech, p. 160) that drops down from the bottom of the
  grip, introduced in 2005 by Grip Pod Systems. The bipod
  deploys as a free action when the release button is
  depressed, foregoing the usual Ready maneuver to unfold it.
  $120, 0.5 lb. LC4.
  Guns with a vertical foregrip get +2 to Retain Weapon, as
  it’s easier to hold onto the weapon. A foregrip may also repre-
  sent one of the many small features that fit a weapon so per-
  fectly to a user that GURPS calls it a Weapon Bond (p. 41).
  Moreover, while removing or shortening the buttstock of a long
  arm normally multiplies ST by 1.2 (Shortening a Long Arm,
  pp. 69-70), this is not the case for a weapon with a foregrip.
  The penalties to Acc and Rcl are unaffected, however.
  Example: Sawing off the stock of a FN Auto-5 shotgun
  (High-Tech, p. 105) raises ST to 10† ¥ 1.2 = 12†. If a foregrip is
  added, ST remains 10†.
  Speedload Shotgun Stock (TL8)
  This is a plastic replacement shoulder stock containing two
  spring-loaded tubes in the sides that hold two shotgun shells
  each. These can be retrieved and inserted into the magazine.
  Speedfeed Inc. introduced this accessory in the 1980s for some
  shotguns, including the Remington Model 870 (High-Tech,
  pp. 105-106) and Remington Model 1100 (p. 60); it could be
  made for others. Despite the name, it doesn’t speed up reload-
  ing. $120, neg. (but the four rounds increase the weight of the
  weapon). LC4.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  75
  If you do not have a gun within your immediate reach when
  the gunfight starts, who cares about all that other stuff?
  – Mark Moritz, “12 Carry Techniques” (1990)
  
  MISCELLANEOUS
  ACCESSORIES AND
  MODIFICATIONS
  One of the objects of primary concern for camouflaging is the
  rifle . . . Camouflage netting can be attached to the stock, scope,
  and sling, then garnish tied in the netting to break up their dis-
  tinctive outline. The stock and barrel can be painted for special
  terrain, such as snow and desert areas.
  – USMC Headquarters, FMFM 1-3B Sniping (1981)
  More accessories and modifications can be found on
  pp. 160-161 of High-Tech.
  Corrosion-Resistant Finish (TL5)
  The steel used in firearms is susceptible to corrosion.
  Corrosion can reduce the service life considerably, although
  initially it only reduces the resale value. Unchecked, rust will
  eventually ruin the gun (-1 to Malf. for heavy corrosion) until
  it ceases to function completely!
  Rust can be prevented by cleaning and lubrication (High-
  Tech, p. 80). Weapons routinely exposed to a humid environ-
  ment (including those carried concealed close to the body!)
  should be constructed from stainless steel or be given a corro-
  sion-resistant finish. The former is expensive, can’t be refitted,
  may increase weight, and is really only applicable for hand-
  guns. The latter can mean anything from a brightly polished
  TL5 nickel-plated finish to various non-reflective TL8 corro-
  sion-resistant coatings. Increase cost by 10%. Bright finish
  gives -2 to Camouflage and Stealth rolls!
  Examples of stainless steel guns include the SIG-Sauer
  P226 SL (2004-), a variant of the P226 (High-Tech, p. 102) with
  black-anodized stainless slide and frame: Wt. 3/0.6, Cost
  $1,000. The Remington Model 870 Marine Magnum (1992-) is a
  version of the Model 870 (High-Tech, pp. 105-106) with bright
  nickel-plating for yachtsmen or seaboard use: Cost $600.
  Compensator (TL6)
  This is a muzzle attachment designed to reduce the recoil
  and muzzle rise of a firearm. It vents some of the firing gases
  upward and/or to the rear, thereby reducing the climbing and
  recoiling movement of the weapon. This improves the chances
  of hitting with rapid fire.
  A compensator reduces the weapon’s ST rating by 1, and
  grants +1 to effective skill whenever three or more shots are
  fired (RoF 3+). A weapon fitted with it gives +2 to Hearing and
  Vision rolls to locate it in the dark, and gives the shooter -2 to
  resist being dazzled (p. 18). Any shooter unfamiliar (p. B169)
  with a weapon so fitted is at a further -2 to Guns due to the dis-
  tracting flash and unburned powder propelled into his sight-
  line and back at him during firing! A compensator can be
  combined with a muzzle weight, but the skill bonus can’t
  exceed +1. It can’t be combined with a flash hider, muzzle port,
  or sound suppressor. $350, 0.2 lb. (pistol or SMG), 0.5 lb. (shot-
  gun or medium-powered rifle), 0.7 lb. (high-powered rifle).
  Halve cost and weight at TL7. LC3.
  Flash Hider (TL6)
  This muzzle attachment prevents the shooter from being
  blinded by his own muzzle flash in the dark; see Light
  Adaptation (p. 18). GURPS assumes that a weapon has a flash
  hider as required, unless mentioned otherwise. It can’t be com-
  bined with a compensator, muzzle port, or sound suppressor.
  $25, 0.1 lb. LC3.
  Weapon Camouflage (TL6)
  Firearms come in shapes that are easy to spot, especially
  outdoors – unnatural straight lines, black stocks, glinting
  metal, etc. Trying to hide or stalk with a long arm (Bulk -4 or
  worse) normally gives a penalty to Camouflage and Stealth
  rolls: -1 for Bulk -4 or -5, -2 for Bulk -6 or -7, -3 for Bulk -8 or
  -9, and so on. This can be avoided by camouflaging the
  weapon. Snipers have done so since WWI by wrapping up their
  rifles with burlap or other material, similar to a ghillie suit
  (High-Tech, p. 77), but camouflage paint is simpler and more
  suitable to non-stationary shooting.
  Soldiers commonly painted their guns white in the field
  during WWII winter operations. The Australian army was
  perhaps the first to issue camouflaged weapons, with the
  Lysaght Owen Mk I (p. 64) in 1943. Some manufacturers sell
  camouflaged firearms from the factory at no or little extra
  cost. During the 1980s, Heckler and Koch offered woodland-
  and desert-camouflaged versions of the HK33A2 rifle (High-
  Tech, p. 116) and HK23E machine gun (High-Tech, p. 136).
  Remington currently sells hunting models of the Model 700
  rifle (High-Tech, p. 116), Model 870 shotgun, and Model 1100
  shotgun (p. 60) in camouflage patterns. More usually, shoot-
  ers just do it themselves, using Camouflage skill and a few
  cans of removable weapon paint. $10, neg. LC4.
  Muzzle Port (TL7)
  This adds ports or holes in the top of the gun’s barrel, vent-
  ing some of the firing gas to the top just like a compensator. A
  ported barrel works like a compensator (above), but also
  reduces muzzle velocity (-1 Dmg). A muzzle port can’t be com-
  bined with a compensator, flash hider, or sound suppressor; it
  can be combined with a muzzle weight, but the skill bonus
  can’t exceed +1. $100, neg. LC3.
  Muzzle Weight (TL7)
  This is a small weight attached below the barrel of a firearm
  to reduce the weapon’s tendency to flip upward during firing.
  This improves the chances of hitting with rapid fire, and also
  changes the balance of the gun. Properly tuned to gun and
  shooter, it can represent one of the small things that GURPS
  calls a Weapon Bond (p. 41). Muzzle weights were designed for
  and are mainly used on competition handguns.
  A muzzle weight grants +1 to effective skill whenever three or
  more shots are fired (RoF 3+), but also worsens Bulk by -1 – a
  pistol with Bulk -2 has Bulk -3 with a muzzle weight fitted. A
  muzzle weight can be combined with a compensator or muzzle
  port, but the skill bonus can’t exceed +1. $100, 0.1-0.5 lb. LC3.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  76
  S&W Model 1076, all stainless steel.
  It’s a beautiful weapon . . .
  – Gordon Cole, Twin Peaks
  
  Pocket Weather Sensor (TL8)
  This cell phone-sized device is capable of collecting all the
  weather data that a sharpshooter needs – wind speed and
  direction, barometric pressure, air temperature, etc. – and also
  indicates altitude. It gives +1 to Precision Aiming (pp. 26-27).
  Each readout requires one Ready maneuver. $350, 0.2 lb.,
  XS/400 hrs. LC4.
  Rangefinder Binoculars (TL8)
  These combine military-grade binoculars (High-Tech,
  p. 47) with an integral IR laser rangefinder. The device includes
  7¥ magnification, laser-protected lenses (Protected Vision),
  reduced lens shine, a digital compass (High-Tech, p. 52), and
  an IR laser rangefinder that requires one Ready maneuver to
  calculate accurate distance to 5,250 yards (see Rangefinding,
  p. 27). It’s rubber-armored, waterproof, and will float (treat as
  rugged). $11,000, 3.7 lbs., XS/3,000 measurements. LC4.
  Sniper Program (TL8)
  This is a Complexity 0 computer program (High-Tech, p. 22)
  that assists a sharpshooter with Precision Aiming (pp. 26-27),
  doing all the calculations for him. The program is designed to
  run on a commercial tiny computer (High-Tech, p. 20), and via
  this can access weather and altitude data. Much of the other
  data has to be manually inserted by the sniper, including range,
  type of weapon and ammunition, etc. The program supports
  shots out to 3,300 yards, and its output is formatted to tell the
  sharpshooter how to adjust his scope. It gives +4 to Precision
  Aiming. $30. LC4.
  The tiny computer can be clipped in a protective case ($50,
  0.4 lb.) to an accessory rail on the side of the rifle’s handguard.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  77
  Provided that they reach the necessary penetration depth, those
  bullets with the largest expanded diameter are the most effective.
  – Martin Fackler, “The Ideal Police Bullet” (1990)
  The right ammunition is at least as important as your choice
  of weapon. The many options available at TL5-8 are detailed in
  Ammunition and Warheads (High-Tech, pp. 161-178). Below are
  hints and suggestions to help you choose between them.
  Ammunition Options
  Match quality ammunition will normally be issued because
  of its greater accuracy and reduced sensitivity to the wind . . .
  In ammunition other than match, accuracy and point of impact
  may vary noticeably.
  – USMC Headquarters, FMFM 1-3B Sniping (1981)
  See High-Tech, p. 165, for all but barrier-blind ammo.
  Barrier-Blind (-BB) (TL8)
  Bonded bullets that are “blind to barriers” are designed to be
  less affected by low-DR cover such as building glass panes, car
  doors, and windshields (see Cover In and Behind Vehicles, pp. 30-
  31), but also magazines carried in vests (see Tin Star Armor, p. 7).
  They have become popular after the turn of the 21st century,
  especially for use in patrol carbines and sniper rifles.
  BB is an option only available for solid or HP rifle rounds
  with a minimum Dmg of 3d. Replace 2d of the damage with a
  +7 bonus. Multiply cost by 1.5.
  Example: A 5.56¥45mm HP round does 4d+2(0.5) pi+ from
  a H&K HK416D145RS (pp. 63-64). A HP-BB round would do
  2d+9(0.5) pi+.
  Extra-Powerful (+P)
  At TL8, many law-enforcement and civilian self-defense
  shooters use extra-powerful ammunition in handguns and
  SMGs, to eke out the best performance possible from these rel-
  atively low-powered weapons. Military shooters seldom use it,
  except in special-ops applications where pistols or SMGs are
  employed as primary weapons. Before TL8, +P ammo is rarely
  used, as many arms are not built to fire it safely.
  Match-Grade
  Expensive match-grade ammo – often handloaded (High-
  Tech, p. 174) – is the hallmark of the police or military sharp-
  shooter. Other than that, it isn’t commonly used by combat
  shooters. The main reason is that gunfighters require thou-
  sands of rounds for training and combat, which are bought in
  large lots, whereas match-grade ammo is made in small
  batches. However, special-ops units are increasingly using
  match rounds even in assault carbines (e.g., the MK 262
  MOD 0 round in 5.56¥45mm NATO), as these are also effective
  over longer range (see My Carbine Rocks, p. 61).
  Subsonic
  Subsonic ammunition is used in weapons with detachable
  sound suppressors to further reduce the firing signature – but
  not in those with integral suppressors, such as the Izhmekh PB
  (High-Tech, p. 100), Enfield Sten Mk IIS (High-Tech, p. 125),
  H&K MP5SD series (High-Tech, p. 123), or Sterling L34A1
  (High-Tech, p. 125). These reduce muzzle velocity to subsonic
  levels by way of their perforated barrels; using subsonic ammo
  in such a gun does not noticeably reduce sound, but it further
  lowers muzzle energy, typically to unacceptable levels.
  Multiply Dmg and Range by 0.8 for such weapons.
  Example: Firing subsonic ammo from an H&K MP5N (High-
  Tech, p. 123) doesn’t change stats (Dmg remains 3d-1 pi), but
  from an H&K MP5SD6 it reduces Dmg from 2d pi to 2d-1 pi.
  Projectile Options
  This platoon leader found also that after the ground floor was
  captured, a few AP shots (from an M1 Garand or BAR) upward
  through the floors would usually bring remaining enemy down
  with hands in the air.
  – U.S. Army Headquarters, Combat Lessons No.6 (1945)
  See High-Tech, pp. 166-173 for details and statistics.
  CHOOSING YOUR AMMO
  
  Armor-Piercing (AP)
  Armor-piercing ammunition – of any of the types – is often
  fired from MGs. It’s less commonly used in other small arms,
  but various AP and API rounds are widely employed with the
  ZiD PPSh-41 SMG (High-Tech, p. 124) and Izhmash AK-47
  rifle (High-Tech, p. 114). During the 1970s and 1980s, some
  American police forces issued Teflon-coated (p. 7) APHC and
  AP rounds to help TL7 handguns penetrate cars (pp. 30-31),
  but these faded from the scene after their misappropriation by
  criminals and terrorists. More recently, TL8 saw AP and APHC
  rounds being introduced for some pistols, PDWs, and assault
  rifles to improve performance against body armor, and APHEX
  rounds used by sharpshooters in anti-materiel rifles.
  Armor-piercing ammunition is rarely found outside of mil-
  itary applications. It’s often outlawed for civilians (LC2 or less),
  though this is not the case in many U.S. states.
  Buckshot
  The most common combat shotload is 00 buckshot with
  .33-caliber pellets. Smaller and more numerous pellets give
  increased hit chances; e.g., the #4 buckshot load, which nor-
  mally delivers 27 .24-caliber pellets with Dmg 1d(0.5) pi- from
  12G 2.75” shells, was popular with American police and mili-
  tary during the 1960s and 1970s. However, smaller pellets are
  often incapable of inflicting serious wounds or penetrating
  many types of cover (pp. 29-31) – even light walls. While this is
  an advantage for the home defense shooter who worries about
  loved ones or neighbors, most tactical shooters have returned
  to the familiar “double-ought.”
  At TL8, improved propellants allow an additional layer of
  pellets to be crammed into shells, increasing the number of 00
  buckshots pellets: from 9 to 12, from 12 to 15, or from 15 to 18.
  Multiply ST by 1.1 and CPS by 1.2.
  Frangible
  Frangible ammunition has been available for a long time,
  but was only used for practice until the 1980s. Since then, it
  has gained acceptance in specialty niches such as door breach-
  ing (p. 24), and is now occasionally used as a primary load in
  both handguns and long arms, especially by special units
  tasked with operations in urban environments.
  Hollow-Point (HP)
  Hollow-point ammunition, including any of the variants
  (soft point, pre-fragmented, home-made dum-dum, etc.) with
  similar effects, is the premier choice for use against unpro-
  tected humans, and in service with most police agencies the
  world around.
  It fares poorly against body armor, and against car bodies
  and windshields (pp. 30-31). On the other hand, HP typically
  means that overpenetration and ricocheting are less of an issue
  – an advantage in urban combat.
  For legal reasons, HP hasn’t been available to military users
  since 1899. Some jurisdictions, like New Jersey (1979) and the
  United Kingdom (1968), have made it illegal in handguns for
  defensive purposes (LC2), but allow its use in target shooting
  and hunting (LC3). Others, like Belgium, have outlawed it
  entirely for civilian use (LC2).
  Solid
  “Ball” or “full metal jacket” (FMJ) is the standard ammuni-
  tion for military small arms, and the most common projectile
  type everywhere. It’s a good all-around choice, but may not
  be optimal for every threat. Against unarmored targets, hol-
  low-point bullets (above) are more effective, while against
  body armor and vehicles, armor-piercing projectiles (above)
  are required.
  Solid Shotgun Slug
  Slugs allow a shotgun to reach out to distances at which a
  shotload is no longer effective. They are popular backup loads
  for police officers or hunters in situations where they need the
  extra range, or need to punch through cover or armor. A shot-
  gun requires rifle sights to take advantage of the +1 Acc bonus
  given to slugs. Most modern combat shotguns feature such
  sights as standard, but dedicated fowling guns don’t.
  Projectile Upgrades
  See High-Tech, p. 175, for more on tracers.
  Tracer
  Tracer projectiles are mainly used in MGs to help in aiming
  and for their incendiary effects. They were popular in military
  SMGs during the 1940s and 1950s, too. Police forces from the
  1920s to 1950s sometimes used tracers for handgun training.
  Military team leaders often carry one or more magazines
  loaded entirely with tracers. This allows them to initiate and
  direct their unit’s fire through example (see Tactics in Action,
  pp. 21-25), simply by firing at a selected target. Sharpshooters
  may carry a supply of tracers to mark targets for friendly
  forces. Firing only tracers instead of one every three or four
  rounds can also help to conceal the true number of a force; in
  the dark, it will appear that more rounds were fired. Make an
  Observation-2 or Soldier roll to avoid being fooled by this.
  Tracers can tell you that your ammunition supply is nearing
  its end; many modern shooters load a few tracers at or near the
  bottom of a magazine to indicate that it’s time to reload (p. 20).
  Tracers come in a variety of colors. Traditionally, U.S. and
  other Western militaries have used red – and nowadays,
  infrared (“dim tracer”) is increasingly common for use with
  night-vision equipment (pp. 19-20). Cold War Soviet tracers
  were green. However, modern German, Russian, Chinese, and
  most other tracers are red, as well.
  Tracers can even change color during flight; many militaries
  employ dark-ignition tracers, which burn traceless for a cer-
  tain distance (typically 50 or 100 yards) to conceal the location
  of the shooter. Dark-ignition tracers are preferred for night
  combat, as they don’t blind the shooter (see After the Firefight,
  pp. 34-35), especially if using night vision equipment (see
  Shooting in Darkness, pp. 18-20). The Germans employed a
  tracer during WWII that changed from green to red at 550
  yards, allowing the gunner to gauge the distance to a target.
  Never forget that tracers work both ways and may reveal
  where you are and possibly even that you’re running out
  of ammo. This can be prevented by using dark-ignition or
  dim tracers.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  78
  Never forget that tracers
  work both ways . . .
  
  You will either have too much ammunition (assuming you
  don’t need it) or you won’t have enough ammunition (assuming
  that you will). If you have been involved in the past, it is a sure
  bet that you carry much more spare ammunition now than you
  ever did before.
  – Patrick Rogers, “Tactical Shooter” (1999)
  Characters should keep track of weapons and ammuni-
  tion, and note how and where they carry it all. Just how much
  guns and ammo is realistic, though? Use these historical
  examples as guidelines. Don’t forget to calculate encum-
  brance (p. B17)!
  BASIC LOADS
  . . . uniformed officers in field assignments shall carry as a
  minimum for their primary semiautomatic pistol two fully
  loaded reserve magazines in the magazine pouch.
  – LAPD Manual (2010)
  The following entries show the guns and ammunition
  issued to specific armed professionals. In a combat zone,
  shooters often carry twice as much ammo if they can get it!
  U.S. Army Cavalry Trooper (1876-1892): Colt M1873 (High-
  Tech, p. 95) or S&W M1875 revolver (High-Tech, p. 95) with
  five rounds in the underloaded revolver and 20 in belt
  pouch, and Springfield M1873 carbine (High-Tech, p. 110)
  with 20 rounds in belt pouch; the carbine pouch was often
  replaced by a “prairie belt” with loops holding 45 carbine
  cartridges. A front-line addition was a bandoleer holding 50
  carbine rounds.
  Texas Ranger (1881-1897): Colt .45 SAA Cavalry revolver
  (High-Tech, p. 95) with five rounds in the underloaded
  revolver and 45 in belt loops (many swapped the issue gun for
  the same model in .44-40 Winchester) and Winchester Model
  1873 carbine (High-Tech, p. 110) in .44-40 Winchester with
  12 rounds in carbine and 45 in belt loops.
  British Army Soldier (1890-1903): Lee-Metford Mk I rifle
  (High-Tech, p. 112) with eight rounds in rifle and 102 in two
  belt pouches (HP was issued in 1897-1899). Officers had a
  Webley Mk I revolver (High-Tech, p. 96) with six HP rounds
  in revolver and 20 in belt pouch.
  Shanghai Municipal Police Constable (1925-1943): Colt .45
  Government pistol (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 17-18) or
  Colt .380 Pocket pistol (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 15) with
  12 rounds in two underloaded 7-round magazines. Consta-
  bles would often carry unregistered spare rounds.
  U.S. Marine (1927-1940): Springfield M1903 rifle (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 8) with 105 rounds in 21 5-round clips;
  Colt M1918 BAR (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 11) with 220
  rounds (AP and tracers mixed 4:1) in 11 20-round magazines
  (his assistant carried 160 more rounds in eight magazines);
  Winchester M1897 Trench shotgun (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  p. 23) with 5 buckshot rounds in magazine and 24 loose
  rounds; or Auto-Ordnance M1921AC or M1928AC Thompson
  SMG (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 28-30) with 200 rounds in
  two 50-round drums and five 20-round magazines. At least two
  MK II grenades (High-Tech, p. 191). Officers and BAR gunners
  added a Colt M1911A1 pistol (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  pp. 17-18) with 21 rounds in three 7-round magazines.
  German Fallschirmjäger (1943-1945): Mauser Kar98k
  rifle (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 6) with 125 rounds (120
  solid, 5 AP) in 25 5-round clips; Rheinmetall FG42 automatic
  rifle (High-Tech, p. 115) with 180 rounds in nine 20-round
  magazines; or ERMA MP40 SMG (High-Tech, p. 124) with
  224 rounds in seven 32-round magazines. Machine gunners
  instead carried a Rheinmetall MG42 (High-Tech, p. 134)
  with 50 rounds (solid and tracers mixed 3:1) in a belt drum
  (two assistants carried 1,100 more rounds, including one 50-
  round belt of AP and AP-T). At least two EiHGr39 grenades
  (High-Tech, p. 191) and a StiHGr24 grenade (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 2, p. 30). Officers and machine gunners added a
  Walther P38 pistol (High-Tech, p. 100) with 16 rounds in two
  8-round magazines.
  U.S. Army Airborne Soldier (1944-1957): Springfield M1
  Garand rifle (High-Tech, p. 113) with 104 rounds (64 solid, 40
  AP) in 13 8-round clips; Colt M1918A2 BAR (High-Tech,
  p. 113) with 260 rounds (AP and tracers mixed 4:1) in 13 20-
  round magazines (two assistants carried 480 more rounds in
  24 magazines); Winchester M1A1 carbine (High-Tech, p. 113)
  with 75 rounds in five 15-round magazines; or Auto-
  Ordnance M1A1 Thompson SMG (High-Tech, p. 122) with
  210 rounds in seven 30-round magazines. At least two MK II
  grenades. Officers added a Colt M1911A1 pistol with 21
  rounds in three 7-round magazines. A typical front-line addi-
  tion was two bandoleers, each with a further 48 rifle rounds
  in six clips.
  British Army SAS Trooper (1978-1989): FN-Browning High
  Power L9A1 pistol (High-Tech, p. 99) with 59 rounds in one
  20-round magazine and three 13-round magazines (one in
  wrist pouch); H&K L92A1 SMG (the MP5A3 on p. 123 of High-
  Tech) with 180 rounds in six 30-round magazines; and two
  Schermuly stun grenades (High-Tech, p. 193).
  U.S. Army Airborne Soldier (1994-): Colt M4 carbine (High-
  Tech, p. 119) with 210 rounds (including some tracers) in seven
  30-round magazines. At least two M67 grenades (High-Tech,
  p. 193) and an M83 grenade (High-Tech, p. 192). Grenadiers add
  a Colt M203 underbarrel launcher (High-Tech, p. 142) with
  18-24 40¥46mmSR grenades (14-20 HEDP, four illumination or
  smoke). SAW gunners have a FN M249 LMG (High-Tech, p. 136)
  with 600 rounds (solid and tracers mixed 4:1) in three 200-round
  belt cans or six 100-round belt pouches (three teammates carry
  600 more rounds). Snipers have a Remington M24 rifle (High-
  Tech, p. 116) with 120 rounds (100 match, 20 tracers). Officers
  and snipers add a Beretta M9 pistol (High-Tech, p. 100) with 45
  rounds in three 15-round magazines.
  FBI Special Agent (2003-): Glock 22 or 23 pistol (High-Tech,
  p. 101) with 45+1 or 39+1 HP+P rounds in three 15-round or 13-
  round magazines. Long arm in car is either a RRA LAR-15 car-
  bine (p. 63) with 180 HP-BB rounds in six 30-round magazines;
  H&K MP5/10A2 SMG (High-Tech, p. 123), limited to semiauto-
  matic or 2-round bursts, with 180 HP rounds in six 30-round
  magazines; or Scattergun TR-870 Model 90102 shotgun (p. 59)
  with four buckshot rounds in magazine, four rounds in side car-
  rier, and 20 loose rounds (10 buckshot, 10 slugs).
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  79
  TACTICAL LOADOUTS
  
  LAPD Officer (2005-): Glock 22 pistol with 45+1 HP+P
  rounds in three 15-round magazines (officers are encouraged
  to carry more); optional department-authorized, personally
  owned Glock 27 backup pistol (High-Tech, p. 101) with 9+1
  rounds in one magazine. Long arm in cruiser is a Remington
  Model 870P shotgun (High-Tech, pp. 105-106) with four buck-
  shot rounds in magazine and six rounds in side carrier; spe-
  cially trained officers are issued a semiautomatic-only Colt
  M16A1 urban patrol rifle (High-Tech, p. 117) with 60 HP-BB
  rounds in three 20-round magazines.
  LOADED FOR BEAR
  Suspects are on the north side, walking around like nothing.
  They’ve got AK-47s. Two of them. They’re dressed in all black.
  Heavy body armor.
  – LAPD radio traffic transcript (1997)
  What can you expect the opposition to carry? The following
  examples detail the guns and ammo used by historical crimi-
  nals and terrorists. They should allow a realistic assessment of
  what the good guys may be up against.
  Jesse James (1882): Around the time the outlaw Jesse James
  was shot in the back in St. Joseph, Missouri, he normally car-
  ried both a Colt M1873 Cavalry revolver (High-Tech, p. 95) and
  a S&W M1875 Schofield revolver (High-Tech, p. 95) with two
  belts full of ammunition, up to 100 rounds of .45 S&W. He also
  owned a Winchester Model 1873 carbine (High-Tech, p. 110) in
  .44-40 Winchester.
  Fred “Killer” Burke (1929): Burke was involved with the St.
  Valentine’s Day Massacre; the arsenal found at his Stevensville,
  Michigan hideout included a Colt .45 Government pistol (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 17-18); Winchester Model 97 shotgun
  (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 22-23) with the barrel and
  stock sawed-off; Savage Model 99A rifle (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 2, p. 6); Winchester Model 07 rifle (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 2, pp. 9-10); one each Auto-Ordnance Model 1921A and
  Model 1921AC Thompson SMG (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1,
  pp. 28-30) with five 100-round drums, six 50-round drums,
  and three 20-round magazines; and six MK V CN tear gas
  grenades (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, p. 31). He had some
  5,000 rounds in the house.
  Bonnie and Clyde (1934): When murderous robbers Clyde
  Barrow and Bonnie Parker were ambushed by a police posse
  near Sailes, Louisiana, their Ford V-8 held a Colt M1917 revolver
  (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 9); seven Colt M1911 pistols (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 17-18); a Colt .32 Pocket pistol (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 15); a Colt .380 Pocket pistol (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 1, p. 15); one 16-gauge and one 20-gauge Remington
  Model 11 shotgun (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 23) with sawed-
  off barrels and stocks; and three Colt M1918 BARs (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 2, p. 11) with 100 20-round magazines (most with
  AP ammo). They had more than 3,000 rounds in the car.
  Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF) (1977): During the ambush and
  subsequent abduction of industrialist Hanns
  Martin Schleyer in Cologne, Germany, ter-
  rorists
  Peter-Jürgen
  Boock,
  Sieglinde
  Hofmann, Willi-Peter Stoll, and Stefan
  Wisniewski of the West German RAF used a
  Colt .45 Commander pistol (High-Tech,
  p. 98) with two 7-round magazines holding
  HP rounds; a High Standard K-1200 Riot
  #8111 shotgun (p. 59) with two slugs and
  five buckshot rounds; one each H&K HK43
  and HK93A2 rifle (p. 62) with sawed-off
  barrels and two “jungle-taped” 20-round
  magazines of HP rounds each; and a ZML
  PM 63 machine pistol (p. 64) with two 25-
  round magazines. The terrorists fired 119
  rounds in about 90 seconds.
  Miami Massacre (1986): When bank rob-
  bers William Matix and Michael Platt were
  taken down by the FBI in Miami, they tried to
  escape using a S&W Model 586 revolver (p. 55) with six HP+P
  rounds; a Dan Wesson Model 14 revolver (use stats of Colt .357
  Python on p. 96 of High-Tech) with six HP rounds; a S&W
  Model 3000P shotgun (folding-stock copy of Remington Model
  870P on p. 106 of High-Tech) with six birdshot rounds; and a
  Ruger K-Mini-14F rifle (stainless-steel, folding-stock version of
  Ruger Mini-14 on p. 117 of High-Tech) with four 30-round mag-
  azines. The perpetrators fired 46 rounds in about 4 minutes.
  North Hollywood Shootout (1997): During their botched bank
  robbery in Los Angeles, Emil Matasareanu and Larry Phillips
  used a Beretta Mod 92F pistol (High-Tech, p. 100) with 15-round
  magazines; a Bushmaster XM15-E2S Dissipator carbine (copy
  of Colt CAR-15 R6001 on p. 119 of High-Tech) converted to full-
  auto, with 100-round twin-drum magazines; two NORINCO
  Type 56S rifles (Chinese semiautomatic copy of Izhmash AKM
  on p. 114 of High-Tech) converted to full-auto and fitted with
  folding stock (one also had a vertical foregrip), with 75-round
  and 100-round drums; a NORINCO Type 56S-1 rifle (Chinese
  semiautomatic copy of Izhmash AKMS on p. 114 of High-Tech)
  converted to full-auto, with 75-round and 100-round drums; and
  an H&K HK91A3 rifle (semiautomatic version of H&K G3A4 on
  p. 116 of High-Tech) converted to full-auto, with extended 30-
  round magazines. They fired an estimated 1,100 rounds, many
  of them with AP bullets (from over 4,000 transported in their
  car) over a period of 37 minutes.
  Mumbai Attack (2008): Infiltrating from Pakistan to Mumbai,
  India, the 10 Islamic terrorists each brought a cheap Pakistani
  cottage-industry copy of the TOZ TT-33 pistol (High-Tech, p. 99)
  with three 8-round magazines; an Izhmash AKMS assault rifle
  (High-Tech, p. 114) – some Russian, some East German copies
  – with eight 30-round magazines, “jungle-taped” in pairs; and
  eight POF HG 84P2A1 hand grenades (p. 67). They fired thou-
  sands of rounds in the 58 hours it took to apprehend them.
  TACTICAL FIREARMS
  80
  
  Special Agent Zee: We see private-sector security companies
  hiring . . . ex-Special Forces, Stasi, ex-KGB, like that, all the time.
  SAC Frank Pedrosa: Guys with trigger time, skill sets, real
  tradecraft . . .
  – Collateral
  This section lists a wealth of sources if you want to delve
  further into the subject matter. Much of the material allows
  you to better visualize the methods discussed in Tactical
  Shooting.
  RESEARCH MATERIAL
  81
  The selected books provide useful reading and usually
  include illustrations of how to do it.
  Applegate, Rex. Kill or Get Killed (Paladin, 1976). The first
  edition was written in 1943 and mainly summarized what
  (then) OSS Lieutenant Applegate had learned from Fairbairn
  and Sykes about Point-Shooting (as well as unarmed and
  knife combat). The fifth and final edition from 1976 doesn’t
  add substantial detail on firearms techniques, but includes a
  lot of other interesting material, such as TL6-7 gun selection
  advice. The USMC adopted it in 1991 as an instructional text-
  book FMFRP 12-80.
  Applegate, Rex and Janich, Michael. Bullseyes Don’t Shoot
  Back (Paladin, 1998). An updated discussion of Point-Shooting
  in response to the rise of the Modern Pistol and Practical
  Sports Shooting styles.
  Cassidy, William. Quick or Dead (Paladin, 1993). Essentially
  unmodified new edition of the 1978 classic on Point-Shooting.
  It has almost everything you need to know about the style,
  including an academically researched history and many illus-
  trations and hints for how to do it.
  Cunningham, Eugene. Triggernometry – A Gallery of
  Gunfighters (University of Oklahoma Press, 1996). Reprint of
  the original from 1934. It introduces the exploits of many
  famous Old West gunmen, narrated by those who knew them
  or knew people who knew them. This doesn’t necessarily make
  it historically accurate, but much of it rings true. It includes
  descriptions of commonly used shooting tricks and techniques,
  as well as TL5-6 gear.
  Fairbairn, William and Sykes, Eric. Shooting to Live
  (Paladin, 1987). Reprint of the primary textbook on Point-
  Shooting, written by Shanghai police officers Fairbairn and
  Sykes in 1939 and originally published in 1942. It has well-
  thought-out descriptions and illustrations on how to do it, as
  well as pointers on TL6 gun selection.
  FitzGerald, J. Henry. Shooting (Wolfe, 1993). Reprint of the
  original from 1930. FitzGerald was a Colt-employed gunsmith,
  shooting instructor, and certified ballistics expert. His book
  covers everything having to do with TL6 handguns, including
  target shooting, Point-Shooting instruction for police officers,
  and how to disarm an assailant – it even contains a photo of
  what would be later known as the “Weaver stance”!
  Griffith, Paddy. Forward into Battle – Fighting Tactics from
  Waterloo to the Near Future (Crowood, 1990). Detailed analysis
  of TL5-8 infantry tactics from 1808 to 1990, with special
  emphasis on the Age of Napoleon, the American Civil War,
  WWI, WWII, and Vietnam.
  Grossman, Dave. On Killing – The Psychological Cost of
  Learning to Kill in War and Society (Back Bay, 1996).
  Lieutenant Colonel Grossman, Ranger and psychology profes-
  sor, provides an analysis of how, when, and why people kill.
  Not without controversy, but the standard work on the topic.
  Lamb, Kyle. Green Eyes & Black Rifles – Warrior’s Guide to
  the Combat Carbine (Viking Tactics, 2008). A manual on how to
  shoot TL7-8 assault carbines (the Colt M4 series in particular)
  by former Special Forces Sergeant Major Lamb, with useful
  tips for the uninitiated as well as the experienced shooter.
  McGivern, Ed. Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting (Skyhorse,
  2007). Reprint of the classic from 1938. McGivern was a
  famous trick shooter who pioneered the use of timers and
  other devices to document “impossible” feats with TL5-6
  revolvers. He also covers contemporary police training.
  BOOKS AND MANUALS
  APPENDIX
  RESEARCH
  MATERIAL
  In a sustained firefight, a shotgunner
  spends too much time reloading and not
  enough time shooting . . .
  – John Plaster, SOG (2000)
  
  Plaster, John. The Ultimate Sniper: An Advanced Training
  Manual for Military and Police Snipers (Paladin, 2006). Retired
  Special Forces Major Plaster describes everything needed to
  know about the Sharpshooter style, although he’s primarily
  concerned with TL7-8 weapons and applications.
  Rosa, Joseph. Age of the Gunfighter: Men and Weapons at the
  Frontier 1840-1900 (University of Oklahoma, 1999). Descrip-
  tions of real gunmen, with lots of background information and
  superb color photos of the TL5-6 guns they employed.
  Stanford, Andy. Fight at Night (Paladin, 1999). Although
  already dated in the fast-moving world of TL8 night-vision
  aids, this book provides much information on shooting
  in darkness.
  Suarez, Gabriel. The Tactical Advantage (Paladin, 1998).
  Written for armed citizens and police officers, LASD Deputy
  Suarez describes and illustrates how to do house searches and
  how to address many other tactical problems of the Modern
  Pistol and Assaulter styles.
  RESEARCH MATERIAL
  82
  Few GURPS players are tactical shooters; for them, the most
  accessible resources are films and TV. While much of this
  medium is larger-than-life even when that isn’t immediately
  apparent, there are some examples that are reasonably realistic.
  The following selection is useful for the visualization of how rel-
  evant styles, advantages, perks, skills, techniques, and guns look
  in action. The descriptions may contain spoilers!
  Appaloosa (Ed Harris, 2008). Lawmen Virgil Cole and
  Everett Hitch are Point-Shooting stylists. Virgil demonstrates
  Fast-Draw, Quick-Shot, and Thumbing with a Colt .45 SAA
  Cavalry (High-Tech, p. 95). Both perform tactical reloads, top-
  ping up their revolvers immediately after shooting. While it
  isn’t believable that Everett would carry a bulky 8-gauge shot-
  gun at all times, its effects are realistic. He shows the polite
  (and safe) way to carry a double-barrel in civilized company –
  opening up the action to show it’s empty.
  Band of Brothers (Tom Hanks and Erik Jendresen, 2001).
  The men of Easy Company, 506th PIR – all Assaulter stylists –
  demonstrate realistic application of skills and perks like Guns,
  Soldier, Tactics, and Battle Drills, and the use of the M1
  Garand (High-Tech, p. 113) and Auto-Ordnance M1A1
  Thompson (High-Tech, p. 122). The series vividly shows the
  effects of being under fire and features the correct sounds of
  ricochets and bullets whizzing by.
  Black Hawk Down (Ridley Scott, 2001). An excellent depic-
  tion of the problems of modern combat in built-up areas,
  emphasizing cover (and the lack thereof), cover penetration,
  tactical movement using Close-Quarters Battle, etc. It literally
  demonstrates the deafening loudness of gunshots. The Delta
  Force operators show the efficiency of fast semiautomatic
  shots, while the Somali militiamen display the uselessness of
  “spray and pray.”
  Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982). Retired LAPD Detective
  Rick Deckard demonstrates Fast-Draw and the Isosceles stance
  with a heavy blaster pistol (Ultra-Tech, p. 123).
  Blood Diamond (Edward Zwick, 2006). Rhodesian soldier
  of fortune Danny Archer shows the Assaulter style with
  Combat Reflexes. He displays Fast-Draw and Quick-Shot with
  a 9¥19mm H&K USP Compact (High-Tech, p. 102), as well as
  the Modified Weaver stance and a fast Mozambique drill. With
  an Izhmash AK-47 (High-Tech, p. 114), he demonstrates the
  effectiveness of semiautomatic fire using double-taps.
  The Bourne Identity (Doug Liman, 2002). Although other-
  wise unrealistic, ex-CIA black ops agent “Jason Bourne” shows
  believable perks like Cross-Trained (Pistol), Off-Hand Weapon
  Training (Pistol), and SOP (Back to the Wall, Check the Crowd,
  and On Alert), as well as the Weaver stance.
  Bring Me the Head of Alfredo García (Sam Peckinpah, 1974).
  U.S. Army veteran Bennie is a Point-Shooting stylist carrying a
  Colt .45 Commander (High-Tech, p. 98) in Condition Two. He
  shows how to ready it during a Fast-Draw. Headhunter Johnny
  Quill employs a stockless Auto-Ordnance M1928A1 Thompson
  (High-Tech, p. 122) with a two-point sling.
  Bullit (Peter Yates, 1968). A notable scene shows a killer
  using a sawed-off take-down Winchester Model 97 (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 1, pp. 22-23), and, sensibly, ear plugs. He also picks
  up his spent shells. The final gunfight is about as realistic as it
  gets – deafening, brief, and unglamorous.
  Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942). Former gunrunner
  Rick Blaine is a Point-Shooting stylist, showing Close-Hip
  Shooting with a Colt .380 Pocket Automatic (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 1, p. 15).
  Collateral (Michael Mann, 2004). Jazz enthusiast Vincent is a
  Modern Pistol stylist favoring the Modified Weaver stance. He
  uses a .45-caliber H&K USP (High-Tech, p. 102) and a
  suppressed Ruger Standard MK2 (High-Tech, p. 100), and
  demonstrates Acute Hearing, Bloodlust, Combat Reflexes,
  Cross-Trained, Grip Mastery, and Trademark Move. Among his
  skills and techniques are Fast-Draw (Ammo and Pistol), Close-
  Quarters Battle, Quick-Shot, and Targeted Attack (Pistol/Skull).
  Vincent shows a perfect Disarming (Karate), Fast-Draw, and
  Close-Hip Shooting sequence, followed the next turn by a fast
  Mozambique drill on a different opponent. Cabdriver Max
  Durocher demonstrates how long it takes an unfamiliar user to
  ready a pistol with the safety applied.
  Female Agents (Jean-Paul Salomé, 2008). French SOE
  agents model the Point-Shooting style, mainly using the FN-
  Browning Mle 1900 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, pp. 14-15) and
  Beretta Mod 34 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 19), fitted with
  suppressors.
  Generation Kill (Ed Burns and David Simon, 2008). The
  Recon Marines are Assaulter stylists with accessorized Colt
  M4A1 carbines (High-Tech, p. 119). They demonstrate Battle
  Drills, the effectiveness of controlled semiautomatic fire, and
  how to employ IR targeting lasers with night-vision goggles.
  Sergeant “Pappy” Patrick is a Sharpshooter stylist with a
  Remington M40A1 (High-Tech, p. 116), and shows how sniper
  and spotter work together.
  The Getaway (Sam Peckinpah, 1972). Bank robber “Doc”
  McCoy is a Point-Shooting stylist displaying Off-Hand Weapon
  Training (Pistol). He shows excellent firearms handling, includ-
  ing paper-wrapping a High Standard K-1200 Riot shotgun
  (p. 59) to avoid attention. He demonstrates the application of
  Condition Two with his Colt .45 Government (High-Tech, p. 98).
  FILMS AND TELEVISION
  
  Heat (Michael Mann, 1995). The heist crew led by Neil
  McCauley shows Combat Reflexes and Targeted Attack
  (Pistol/Skull). All three are highly skilled Assaulter stylists
  using traits like Guns, Tactics, and Battle Drills. They demon-
  strate exemplary application of the Modified Weaver stance,
  double-taps, slow Mozambique drills, suppression fire, a com-
  bined Counterattack/Bounding Retreat, kneeling behind cover
  while reloading, and fast reloads – which at three seconds are
  just normal “adventurer” reloads in GURPS! The film features
  much realistic detail, including improvised one-point slings
  (p. 71) for Colt CAR-15A2 R733 carbines (High-Tech, p. 119)
  and an IMI Galil ARM rifle (High-Tech, p. 117) carried under
  suits, custom-made concealed LBVs, and extremely loud gun
  fire. LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna carries his Colt .45
  Officer’s (High-Tech, p. 98) in Condition One. Detective Lou
  Casals shows how to breach a door with frangible slugs.
  The Kingdom (Peter Berg, 2007). FBI agents and their Saudi
  counterparts model the Assaulter style. The film shows many
  “dos” and “don’ts” of urban combat, including small-unit
  room-clearing tactics and the dangers of over-penetrating rifle
  rounds and wall-bursting hand grenades. Faris al-Ghazi shows
  a transition to his Beretta Mod 92F (High-Tech, p. 100).
  L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997). LAPD detectives
  “Bud” White and Ed Exley use Point-Shooting with Colt .38
  Detective Special revolvers (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 13) and
  Ithaca Model 37 M&P shotguns (High-Tech, p. 105). Although
  they show no special tricks, their gun handling is exemplary.
  Miami Vice (Anthony Yerkovich, 1984-1989). Noteworthy in
  this largely unrealistic series is the episode “Calderone’s
  Return,” in which hit man Ludovico Armstrong demonstrates
  a perfect Fast-Draw and fast Mozambique drill with Quick-
  Shot and Targeted Attack, using the Isosceles stance and a Colt
  .45 Government. He also employs ear plugs.
  Miami Vice (Michael Mann, 2006). A memorable scene
  shows what a Barrett Model 82A1 anti-materiel rifle (High-
  Tech, p. 118) will do to a car . . . and its occupants.
  Navy SEALs (Lewis Teague, 1990). Lieutenant Dale
  Hawkins shows how to breach a door with a Remington
  Model 870P Cruiser (High-Tech, pp. 105-106). A three-man
  stack demonstrates a Peeling drill to the right. Most of the pla-
  toon, all Assaulter stylists, employ the H&K MP5SD3 (High-
  Tech, p. 123) with stock retracted – but supported using a
  three-point sling. Hawkins demonstrates a neat close-combat
  move, striking an opponent with the muzzle of his MP5SD3
  before shooting him. The effect of their Barrett Model 82A1 is
  pure fantasy, though.
  No Country for Old Men (Ethan and Joel Coen, 2007). U.S.
  Army veteran Llewelyn Moss demonstrates an Immediate
  Action drill with a Colt .45 Government after a dip in the water
  and how to saw off a Winchester Model 97. He also shows other
  attention to detail, like picking up a spent case after a shot. Hit
  man Anton Chigurh displays a custom-made baffle sound sup-
  pressor for his sawed-off Remington Model 1100 (p. 60); its
  sound is unrealistic, however. Note how he checks the thickness
  of an interior wall before firing through an identical one.
  Open Range (Kevin Costner, 2003). Gunhand “Charley
  Waite” is a Point-Shooting stylist demonstrating Combat
  Reflexes, Off-Hand Weapon Training, Fast-Draw, Fanning, and
  Thumbing with his Colt .45 SAA Cavalry. “Boss” Spearman
  shows how to breach a door with a sawed-off 12-gauge double-
  barrel. The film perpetuates the big-bore blowback myth.
  Predator (John McTiernan, 1987). Ex-Special Forces Major
  “Dutch”
  Schaefer’s
  rescue
  team
  demonstrates
  that
  a
  Counterattack drill may even work against aliens.
  Proof of Life (Taylor Hackford, 2000). Former Australian
  SAS trooper turned kidnap-and-ransom negotiator Terry
  Thorne and his team are Assaulter stylists demonstrating
  excellent small-unit tactics. The rescue scenes show the effec-
  tiveness of an LMG like the FN MINIMI (High-Tech, p. 136) in
  an overwatch position, and how to effect a two-man entry. The
  film demonstrates how the safety on a Colt .45 Commander in
  Condition One can confuse someone without Guns skill.
  Public Enemies (Michael Mann, 2009). Bank robber John
  Dillinger has Motorized Training (SMG), Off-Hand Weapon
  Training (Pistol), and SOP (On Alert). He carries a stockless
  Auto-Ordnance Model 1921AC Thompson (High-Tech: Pulp
  Guns 1, pp. 28-30) with a shoulder rig under a long coat. The
  film showcases gunsmithed weapons including “Baby Face”
  Nelson’s Colt-Lebman .38 Super Auto machine pistol (High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 18) with foregrip, 14-round extended
  magazine, and compensator; “Red” Hamilton’s sawed-off
  Remington Model 11 (High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, p. 23); and
  Homer Van Meter’s sawed-off Colt M1918 BAR (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 2, p. 11) and Winchester Model 07 (High-Tech:
  Pulp Guns 2, pp. 9-10) with foregrip, 10-round extended mag-
  azine, and compensator.
  Ronin (John Frankenheimer, 1998). CIA veteran Sam is an
  Assaulter stylist with Combat Reflexes and Danger Sense. He
  demonstrates the Modified Weaver stance and double-taps
  with a Colt .45 Government, as well as the overwhelming fire-
  power of an H&K HK69A1 (High-Tech, p. 142) and FN MIN-
  IMI-Para Mk 2 (High-Tech, p. 137). French tour guide Vincent
  is a Modern Pistol stylist demonstrating Motorized Training
  and Quick-Shot with a Beretta Mod 92F (High-Tech, p. 100).
  English SAS wannabe Spence suffers from classic adrenaline
  afflictions. The film perpetuates the Teflon Bullet myth.
  RESEARCH MATERIAL
  83
  Look, son. Being a good shot and being quick with a
  pistol, that don’t do no harm, but it don’t mean much
  next to being cool-headed. A man who’ll keep his head,
  not get rattled under fire, like as not, he’ll kill you.
  – “Little Bill” Daggett, Unforgiven
  
  Shooter (Antoine Fuqua, 2007). While the film is improba-
  ble in many ways, USMC Gunnery Sergeant Bob Lee Swagger
  shows realistic components of the Sharpshooter style – includ-
  ing Deadeye, Off-Hand Weapon Training (Rifle), Precision
  Aiming (Rifle), SOP (Cleaning Bug), Sure-Footed (Naval), and
  Targeted Attack (Rifle/Skull). He demonstrates the effective-
  ness of ghillie suits and how to apply weapon camouflage. The
  film shows how sniper and spotter work together.
  The Shootist (Don Siegel, 1976). Gunslinger “J.B.” Books is
  a Point-Shooting stylist showing Fast-Draw and Thumbing
  with a Remington Double-Derringer (High-Tech, p. 91) and
  Colt .45 SAA Civilian (High-Tech, p. 95). The film includes
  much deliberation about what it takes to be a successful
  shooter. It proves that saloon tables aren’t bulletproof!
  The Sopranos (David Chase, 1999-2007). The episode “Guy
  Walks Into a Psychiatrist’s Office . . .” shows Mafia hit man Gigi
  Cestone damaging his hearing by firing a Glock 19 (High-Tech,
  p. 101) inside a car.
  Street Kings (David Ayer, 2008). LAPD Detective Tom
  Ludlow is a Modern Pistol stylist showcasing the SOP
  (Cleaning Bug) perk as well as the Harries stance, double-taps,
  a slow Mozambique drill from behind, and proper light disci-
  pline, blinding an opponent with a tactical light. The film
  shows how easily .44 Magnum bullets blast through drywall.
  Supernatural
  (Eric
  Kripke,
  2005-2010). Monster hunters Dean
  and Sam Winchester demonstrate
  the Harries stance on things like
  skinwalkers and rawheads, but
  display poor light discipline.
  S.W.A.T. (Clark Johnson, 2003).
  The LAPD SWAT officers are
  Assaulter and Sharpshooter styl-
  ists showing room-clearing tactics
  in action, including how to use a
  Benelli M3 Super 90 (High-Tech,
  p. 106) with door-breaching muz-
  zle device.
  Taken (Pierre Morel, 2008). Ex-
  CIA agent Bryan Mills is a Modern
  Pistol
  stylist
  displaying
  the
  Modified Weaver stance as well as
  Cross-Trained
  and
  Off-Hand
  Weapon Training. He parries an
  H&K MP5K (High-Tech, p. 123),
  then uses the Close-Hip Shooting
  technique with a SIG-Sauer P226
  (High-Tech, p. 102).
  Tears of the Sun (Antoine
  Fuqua, 2003). The U.S. Navy
  SEALs
  are
  Assaulter
  and
  Sharpshooter stylists, displaying
  Combat Reflexes, Battle Drills, Fast-
  Draw, and Close-Quarters Battle with the H&K MK 23 MOD 0
  (p. 58), SIG-Sauer P226, Colt M4A1, Springfield M14 (High-
  Tech, p. 115), FN M249E3 (MINIMI-Para Mk 2), and Saco
  MK 43 MOD 0 (treat as the M60E3 from p. 134 of High-Tech).
  They show Counterattack and Peeling drills in action.
  The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984). Resistance fighter
  Sergeant Kyle Reese shows how to saw off the butt of an Ithaca
  Model 37 M&P and how to sling it under the shoulder using a
  string, as well as how to make pipe bombs. The T-800 demon-
  strates a shoulder rig for the IMI Uzi (High-Tech, p. 125).
  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991).
  Former waitress Sarah Connor shows the Assaulter style with
  Modern Pistol elements, using the Isosceles stance and carry-
  ing a Colt .45 Government in Condition One. She demonstrates
  Combat Reflexes, Pacifism (Cannot Kill), Motorized Training
  (Pistol and Rifle), and One-Hand Drills (Shotgun).
  Thief (Michael Mann, 1981). Burglar Frank is a Modern
  Pistol stylist with a fine (accurate) Colt .45 Government pis-
  tol, customized by pistolsmith Jim Hoag with a longer barrel
  and new sights (and likely with a Weapon Bond). He demon-
  strates Fast-Draw, Condition One carry, and a one-man tacti-
  cal entry complete with Weaver stance, “slicing the pie,”
  double-taps, and a tactical reload. Note how he unintention-
  ally reveals himself by sticking out his pistol’s muzzle during
  a door entry.
  Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992). Aged gunman William
  Munny is a Point-Shooting stylist with a S&W No.3 Schofield
  (High-Tech, p. 95) and a sawed-off, double-barreled 10-gauge.
  He demonstrates Combat Reflexes and Thumbing. The film
  particularly deals with the special mindset required to prevail
  in a gunfight.
  Valkyrie (Brian Singer, 2008). German army Oberst Claus
  Graf von Stauffenberg displays
  One-Hand Drills with his Walther
  PPK (High-Tech, p. 99).
  The
  Way
  of
  the
  Gun
  (Christopher McQuarrie, 2000).
  Criminals “Mr. Parker” and “Mr.
  Longabaugh” use the Assaulter
  style with Modern Pistol ele-
  ments. Both demonstrate Combat
  Reflexes, Battle Drills, and One-
  Hand Drills (Pistol); Longabaugh
  also has Danger Sense. Using a
  Colt .45 Government in Condition
  One and a semiautomatic IMI
  Galil
  ARM
  rifle
  (High-Tech,
  p. 117), Longabaugh shows Fast-
  Draw (Ammo and Pistol), Close-
  Quarters Battle (Pistol and Rifle),
  Fast-Firing (Pistol and Rifle), Off-
  Hand Weapon Training (Pistol),
  and the wall-penetrating abilities
  of the 7.62¥51mm NATO round.
  Parker employs a Remington
  Model 870P and shell bag, and
  does an impressive transition to
  his Colt .45. They demonstrate
  the Modified Weaver stance, tacti-
  cal reloads, two-man room-clear-
  ing tactics, and even how sniper
  and spotter interact. By contrast, the bodyguards show the
  Isosceles stance with 9¥19mm H&K USP pistols. The bagmen
  favor Point-Shooting with revolvers.
  Wyatt Earp (Lawrence Kasdan, 1994). Although historically
  inaccurate, the film shows some realistic shooting. Marshal Ed
  Masterson gets his waistcoat set aflame by a close-contact
  shot. “Curly Bill” Brocius demonstrates Gun Shtick (Twirl)
  with a Colt .45 SAA Cavalry on Marshal Frank White.
  RESEARCH MATERIAL
  84
  
  2+1 drill, 15-16.
  .50-caliber legalities, 5.
  Accessories, adding, 68.
  Acute Hearing advantage, 36.
  Acute Vision advantage, 36.
  Advantages, 36; perks, 37-41.
  Aimed shooting, 14.
  Aiming, 14; lights (accessory),
  74; precision, 26-27; table,
  26; technique, 45.
  Akimbo shooting, 32.
  All-Out Attack maneuver, using,
  13, 14, 17, 21, 22, 24.
  ALS pocket smoke grenades, 68.
  Ambidexterity advantage, 36.
  Ambushing, 21.
  Ammunition, choosing, 77-78;
  Fast-Draw, 42; loops, 73;
  mixing, 31; myths, 5-7;
  options, 77; realistic travel,
  32; see also Magazines.
  Angular search, 23-24.
  ARES Shrike 5.56 AMG, 66.
  ARGES HG 84, 67, 68.
  Armor, exploiting gaps, 12;
  improvised, 7; myth, 7;
  shooting in, 12.
  Armorer’s Gift perk, 37.
  Armor-piercing (AP)
  ammunition, 78.
  Armoury skill, 41.
  Army soldiers, loadouts, 79.
  ASP pistol, 56, 57.
  Assault packs, 73-74.
  Assaulter style, 47-48.
  Attacks, see Battle Drills,
  Shooting, Techniques.
  Backup guns (BUG), 4.
  Bags, 73.
  Barrett REC7, 64.
  Barricade Tactics perks, 37.
  Barrier-blind (-BB)
  ammunition, 77.
  Barrow, Clyde, 80.
  Battle drills, 22-23; perk, 37.
  Behind-the-Back Shot
  technique, 43.
  Beretta Mod 1951, 56, 57.
  Beretta Mod 70, 56, 57.
  Binoculars, 77.
  Bipods, 75.
  Black market, 53.
  Black powder guns, 16.
  Blinding, from shooting, 18, 35.
  Bounding tactic, 21.
  Breath Control skill, 41.
  Browning Stinger, 65, 66.
  BSA Welrod Mk II, 54, 57.
  Buckshot, 78.
  Bulk, hindering shooting, 12.
  Bullets, see Ammunition.
  Bullpup configuration, 68-69.
  Burke, Fred “Killer,” 80.
  Burns, shooting, 35.
  Buttstock, ammunition loops,
  73; magazine pouches, 73.
  Caliber conversion, 68.
  Camouflage, skill, 41; weapon,
  76.
  Cans, 4; see also Suppressors.
  Carbines, 61; see also Rifles.
  Cavalry Training technique, 43.
  Center of mass (COM), 4; see
  also Hit Locations.
  Characters, loadouts, 79-80;
  recommended actions, 7-8;
  recommended traits, 7-8; see
  also Advantages, Perks, Skills,
  Styles, Techniques.
  CheyTac M200 Intervention, 63.
  Close combat, see Melee Combat.
  Close-contact shots, 25-26.
  Close-Hip Shooting technique,
  43; see also Shooting (Hip).
  Close-Quarters Battle technique,
  43.
  Clothing, concealed carry, 73.
  Combat Driving technique, 43.
  Combat Piloting technique, 43.
  Combat Reflexes advantage, 36.
  Combat Riding technique, 43.
  Compensators, 76.
  Concealed Carry Permit perk, 38.
  Concealing guns, 32, 72-73, 76.
  Concealment, see Cover.
  Connoisseur skill, 41.
  Cool under fire, 34; perk, 38.
  Corrosion-resistant finish, 76.
  Counterattack drill, 22.
  Countersniping, 27-28.
  Cover, built-up areas and, 29-30;
  outdoors, 29; shooting
  around, 28; vehicles and,
  30-31; using, 28-29.
  Criminals, loadouts for famous,
  80.
  Cross Entry, 25.
  Cross-Trained perk, 38.
  Cruiser configuration, 24.
  Danger Sense advantage, 36.
  Darkness, penalties, 18; shooting
  in, 18-20; technique, 45.
  Dazzle, 18.
  Deadeye perk, 38.
  Deadliness, mitigating, 7-8.
  Diagrams, 22-25.
  Dodging, against firearms, 17;
  shooting and, 17.
  Doors, breaching, 24, 33;
  entering through, 24-25.
  Double-Loading technique, 44.
  Double-tap, 4, 15.
  Drawing first, determining, 10.
  Drills, see Battle Drills.
  Drugs & Armor drill, 15-16.
  Dual-Weapon Attack technique,
  18, 44.
  Duty disadvantage, 53.
  Early Adopter perk, 38.
  Extra-powerful (+P)
  ammunition, 77.
  Eyestrain, 32.
  F.R. Ordnance MC-51, 62, 63.
  Face, hit location, 16.
  Failure-to-Stop (FTS) drill,
  15-16.
  Fallschirmjägers, German, 79.
  Fanning firearms, 14; technique,
  44.
  Fast-draw, magazine loops, 74;
  skill, 10, 42.
  Fastest Gun in the West perk,
  38.
  Fast-firing firearms, 14;
  technique, 44.
  FBI, loadout, 79; preferred guns,
  58, 59, 63, 64; shooting
  method, 19; skill levels, 42;
  tactics, 12, 19; training, 47,
  50; see also SWAT.
  Fearlessness advantage, 36.
  Fire and Maneuver advance, 21.
  Firearms, see Handguns, Long
  Arms, Shooting.
  First-shot pop, 71.
  Flash hiders, 76.
  Foregrips (accessory), 75.
  Forming up, 37.
  Franchi SPAS 15, 59, 60.
  Frangible ammunition, 78.
  Fright Checks, 33, 34.
  Full metal jacket (FMJ)
  ammunition, 78.
  Gabions, 30.
  Gangsta shooting, 32-33.
  Gesture skill, 21.
  Grabbing a gun, 25, 41.
  Green Eyes perk, 38.
  Grenades, 67-68; launchers,
  66-67.
  Grip Mastery perk, 39.
  Gun Shtick (Twirl) perk, 39.
  Gunfighter survival, 7-8.
  Gunner/TL skill, 42.
  Guns, see Handguns, Long
  Arms, Shooting.
  Guns/TL skill, 42; levels, 42.
  Gunsmithing, 68-70.
  GURPS, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11-13, 15, 18,
  31, 33, 34, 54, 69, 75, 76, 82,
  83; Action, 3; Age of
  Napoleon, 4, 10; Autoduel,
  3; Basic Set, 3, 29, 32, 42;
  Cops, 3, 5, 47, 48, 50, 57, 58,
  59, 63; Covert Ops, 3;
  Cyberpunk, 3; Gun Fu, 3, 6,
  24, 38, 39, 43, 46, 75; High-
  Tech, 3, 6-10, 12-15, 17-21,
  24-28, 30, 31, 33, 35, 38-40,
  42, 47, 48, 50-80, 82, 83;
  High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, 32,
  47, 50, 54, 55, 58, 64, 69, 71,
  72, 75, 79, 80, 82, 83; High-
  Tech: Pulp Guns 2, 47, 51,
  60, 65, 69, 72, 79, 80, 83;
  Horror, 3; Infinite Worlds,
  3; Martial Arts, 3, 11-13, 15-
  17, 26, 46, 47; Martial Arts:
  Fairbairn Close Combat
  Systems, 3, 5, 26, 38, 47, 49,
  50, 54, 67; Mysteries, 3, 35;
  Old West, 3, 4, 10, 12, 39, 50;
  Reign of Steel, 3; SEALs in
  Vietnam, 3, 5, 20, 21, 28, 47,
  48, 50, 56, 59, 60, 65-67, 70,
  72; Special Ops, 3, 5, 38, 47,
  49, 52, 54-56, 58, 59, 62-64,
  66, 72; Steampunk, 3; SWAT,
  3, 5, 23, 24, 25, 33, 47, 52,
  55, 58, 62, 64, 67, 70;
  Technomancer, 3; Traveller,
  3; WWII, 3, 5, 47, 52, 65;
  WWII: Dogfaces, 50, 65, 67;
  WWII: Frozen Hell, 61;
  WWII: Red Tide, 52, 62;
  WWII: Return to Honor,
  38, 50, 54; WWII: Weird
  War II, 3.
  H&K HK416D10RS, 63-64.
  H&K HK93A2, 62, 63.
  H&K MK 23 MOD 0, 57, 58.
  H&K P7, 56, 57.
  Hammer shooting method, 15.
  Handguns, 54-58; accessories,
  70-77; adding accessories, 68;
  choosing, 53; converting, 69;
  customized for owner, 69;
  Fast-Draw, 42; grabbing, 25;
  hammerless, 32; hip
  shooting, 11; myths, 5-6;
  obtaining, 53; ranges, 9-10;
  readiness conditions, 8;
  realistic concealed carry, 32;
  reducing weight, 70; shooting
  stances, 11-12; shooting two,
  32; shortening, 69; tables, 57;
  tilted, 32-33; transitioning to,
  14; see also Long Arms,
  Pistols, Shooting.
  Harries stance, 4, 19.
  Hearing, shooting and, 34-35.
  Heckler & Koch, see specific
  H&K weapons.
  INDEX
  85
  INDEX
  
  High Standard K-1200 Riot
  #8111, 59, 60.
  High Standard Model 10B
  #8291, 59, 60.
  Hip shooting, handguns, 11;
  long arms, 12-13; realistic,
  32; see also Shooting.
  History, tactical shooting, 4-5.
  Hit locations, 4, 15, 16.
  Hollow-point (HP) ammunition,
  78.
  Holsters, 72, 73; rule option, 12.
  Immediate Action, 17;
  technique, 44.
  Intuitive Armorer perk, 39.
  IR targeting, 19-20.
  Isosceles stance, 4, 12, 48.
  ISTEC ISL201, 67.
  James, Jesse, 80.
  Jet funnel, 74.
  Jungle magazines, 33.
  KAC M4A1K, 62, 63.
  KAC SR-25, 62-63.
  Killing intent, 34.
  Kimber TLE II, 57, 58.
  Kodak T13 Beano, 67, 68.
  Laser modules, 74.
  Law enforcement teams,
  see Police.
  Leapfrogging tactic, 21.
  Legal Enforcement Powers
  advantage, 38, 53.
  Light adaptation, of vision, 18.
  Light machine guns (LMGs),
  65-66; assault packs, 73;
  see also Long Arms.
  Light modules, 74.
  Lightning Fingers perk, 39.
  Lights, accessory, 74; using
  tactical, 19; see also
  Darkness.
  Load-bearing vests, 72-73.
  Loadouts, 79-80.
  Locks, shooting, 33.
  Long arms, accessories, 70-77;
  adding accessories, 68;
  choosing, 53; converting to
  bullpups, 68-69; customized
  for owner, 69; Fast-Draw, 42;
  grabbing, 25, 41; hip
  shooting, 12-13; holster, 73;
  one-handed shooting, 13;
  myths, 5-7; obtaining, 53;
  ranges, 10-11; readiness
  conditions of, 8; reducing
  weight, 70; shooting stances,
  12-13; shortening, 69-70;
  shoulder shooting, 12; slings,
  71-72; stockless, 12, 33;
  transitioning from, 14; see
  also Handguns, Shooting,
  Shotguns.
  Loops, 73, 74.
  Luck advantage, 36.
  Lysaght Owen Mk I, 64, 65.
  Machine guns, see Light
  Machine Guns (LMGs),
  Submachine Guns.
  Magazines, as protection, 7;
  concealing, 72-73; grips, 33;
  jungle, 33; loops, 74;
  modifications, 33, 73-74;
  pouches, 73; quality, 74;
  taping together, 33;
  transparent, 74; underloaded,
  20; wells, 74; see also
  Ammunition.
  Malfunctioning firearms, 17, 19.
  Marines, U.S., 79.
  Martial arts styles, suitable for
  shootists, 26.
  Masked Shooting technique, 13,
  44.
  Match-grade ammunition, 77.
  Melee combat, guns as melee
  weapons, 26; shooting and,
  25-26.
  Miami Massacre, 80.
  Military, acquiring weapons, 53;
  ammunition, 77, 78
  important traits, 39, 51;
  loadouts, 79; popular
  weapon options, 35, 54, 65,
  72, 73, 74; preferred weapons,
  6, 55, 56, 59, 61, 63-67;
  tactics, 8, 12, 16, 21, 22,
  25, 32; training, 34, 46,
  47; see also Battle Drills,
  GURPS Special Ops,
  Styles, SWAT.
  Minute of angle, 32.
  Modern Pistol style, 48.
  Molot APS, 55-57.
  Motorized Training perk, 39.
  Mounted Shooting technique,
  44.
  Mounts, gun, 75.
  Move and Attack maneuver, 17.
  Moving, shooting and, 17.
  Mozambique drill, 4, 15-16.
  Mumbai Attack, 80.
  Muzzle, ports, 76; weights, 76.
  Myths and legends, 5-7.
  New York reloads, 4, 14.
  Night combat, 18-20.
  Night vision, advantage, 36;
  equipment, 19-20, 74.
  Noise, from shooting, 34-35.
  Non-combat bonuses, 9.
  NORINCO QSW67, 56, 57.
  North Hollywood Shootout, 80.
  Observers, 27.
  Off-axis viewing devices
  (OAVD), 75.
  Off-Hand Weapon Training
  perk, 39.
  One-Hand Drills perk, 39.
  One-handed shooting, 11, 13.
  Parker, Bonnie, 80.
  Peeling, 4; drill, 22-23.
  Pelvis, hit location, 15.
  Perks, 37-41.
  Pipe bombs, 67.
  Pistols, Fast-Draw, 42; holsters,
  72; non-repeating, 54-55, 57;
  readiness conditions, 8;
  semiautomatic, 55-58; see
  also Handguns.
  Pocket shooting, 11.
  Point-blank shots, 6.
  Point-Shooting style, 49-51.
  Police, acquiring weapons, 53;
  ammunition, 77, 78;
  important traits, 51;
  loadouts, 79, 80; preferred
  guns, 6, 16, 54-62, 63, 64, 67;
  skill levels, 42; tactics, 8, 12,
  19, 40, 45; training, 32, 45-
  50; see also Battle Drills,
  GURPS Cops, GURPS
  SWAT, Styles, SWAT.
  Post-traumatic stress disorder
  (PTSD), 34.
  Pouches, 73, 74.
  Practical Sports Shooting style,
  49.
  Precision Aiming, 26-27;
  technique, 45.
  Projectiles, options, 77-78; see
  also Ammunition,
  Magazines.
  Psychological training, 33-34.
  Quick Reload perk, 39.
  Quick-Sheathe perk, 40.
  Quick-Shot technique, 45.
  Quick-Swap perk, 40.
  Range, 9-11; effective, 9;
  handgun, 9-10; long arm,
  10-11.
  Range masters, 46.
  Ranged Rapid Strike maneuver,
  18.
  Rangefinder binoculars, 77.
  Rangefinding, 27.
  Rangers, Texas, 79.
  Rapid Strike maneuver, ranged,
  18.
  Reaction speeds, 32.
  Readiness conditions, 8.
  Realism, harsh, 32.
  Reloading, 20; aids, 73-74; New
  York, 4, 14; tactical, 4, 20;
  perk, 39.
  Remington Model 1100 Tac-2,
  60.
  Retain Weapon technique, 45.
  Retention devices, 72.
  Revolvers, 55, 57; see also
  Handguns.
  Rifleman style, 51.
  Rifles, 60; see also Long Arms.
  Rigs, shoulder, 73.
  Robust (Sense) perk, 40.
  Rock ’n’ roll method, 16.
  Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), 80.
  RRA LAR-15, 63.
  S&W Model 4006, 56-58.
  S&W Model 40 Centennial, 55,
  57.
  S&W Model 686 Distinguished
  Combat Magnum, 55, 57.
  Scabbards, 72-73.
  Scattergun TR-870 Model
  90102, 59, 60.
  Semiautomatic gun, converting
  to full automatic, 69; see also
  Handguns, Pistols.
  Serbu Super-Shorty, 60.
  Sharpshooter style, 51-52.
  Shell bags, 73.
  Shell shock, 34.
  Shields, shooting and, 33.
  Shoot and Scoot tactic, 21.
  Shoot till down method, 16.
  Shooting, aiming, 14, 26-27;
  around cover, 28; as dirty, 35;
  as smelly, 35; as stressful, 35;
  as untidy, 35; bad methods,
  32-33; blinding from, 35;
  close-contact, 25-26;
  consequences of, 34-35;
  darkness and, 18-20; dodging
  and, 17; doors, 24; ear
  damage from, 34-35; first, 10;
  for effect, 15-16; follow-up,
  14; from vehicles, 31; high-
  speed, 14; hip, 11-13, 25, 32,
  43; history, 4-5; in armor, 12;
  instinctive, 13; locks, 33;
  melee combat and, 25-26;
  methods, 15-16; mixed
  ammunition and, 31; moving
  and, 17; multiple times, 18;
  myths, 5-7; noise from, 34-
  35; non-combat bonuses, 9;
  one-handed, 11, 13; pain
  from, 35; pocket, 11; range
  and, 9-11; realism options,
  32; several opponents, 17-18;
  shield use and, 33; sighted,
  13, 14; situational modifiers,
  11; snap, 13; stances, 11-13;
  stockless long arms, 12, 33;
  two guns, 32; two-handed,
  11-12; unsighted, 13;
  untrained, 47; see also Battle
  Drills, Styles, Techniques.
  Shortening, handguns, 69; long
  arms, 69-70.
  Shotgunner style, 52.
  Shotguns, 58-60; ammunition,
  78; breaching, 24; choked, 6;
  point-blank shots, 6; myths,
  5, 6; readiness conditions, 8;
  slugs, 78; speedload stocks,
  75; stocks, 75; suppressors,
  71; unchocked, 6; see also
  Long Arms.
  Shoulder, rigs, 73; shooting, 12.
  Side carriers, 73.
  Sidearms, see Handguns.
  Sights, 74-75; adjusting, 41;
  micro reflex, 74; using, 13-14.
  Situational awareness, 11.
  Skills, 41-42; degradation, 32;
  Guns levels, 42.
  Skip Shot perks, 40.
  INDEX
  86
  
  Skull, hit location, 16.
  Slicing the pie, 23-24.
  Slings, 71-72.
  Slugs, solid, 78; see also
  Ammunition.
  Smith & Wesson, see also
  specific S&W weapons.
  Smoke grenades, 68.
  Sniper program, 77.
  Sniping, 26-28.
  SOG M79, 66, 67.
  SOG RPD, 66.
  Solid ammunition, 78.
  Sound suppressors, 70-71.
  Special-ops teams, see Battle
  Drills, FBI, GURPS SWAT,
  GURPS Special Ops,
  Mozambique Drill, Police,
  Skills (Guns Levels), SWAT,
  Styles, Training.
  Speedload shotgun stocks, 75.
  Sports shooting style, 49.
  Spotters, 27.
  Spraying fire, 18.
  Springfield TRP Bureau, 57, 58.
  Stairwells, clearing, 25.
  Stainless steel, 76.
  Stances, 4, 11-13.
  Standard Operating Procedure
  perk, 40.
  Standoffs, resolving, 10.
  Stockless shooting, 33.
  Stocks, 75.
  Stress, caused by shooting, 34,
  35; handling, 33-34.
  Style Familiarity perk, 37.
  Style Perks, 37-41.
  Styles, firearms training, 47-52.
  Submachine guns, 64-65; see
  also Long Arms.
  Subsonic ammunition, 77.
  Supplier perk, 40.
  Suppression fire, 18.
  Suppressors, 4, 70-71.
  Sure-Footed perk, 40.
  Survival tips, 7-8.
  SVI Infinity IMM, 57, 58.
  SWAT, popular weapon options,
  33, 35, 72; preferred guns, 48,
  56, 58; skill levels, 42; tactics,
  24, 25, 45; training, 46, 47;
  see also Battle Drills, GURPS
  SWAT, Police, Styles.
  Swivels, sling, 71.
  Tables, aiming, 26; cover, 29-31;
  grenade launchers, 67;
  grenades, 68; handguns, 57;
  machine guns, 66; rifles, 63;
  shotguns, 60; skill levels, 42;
  submachine guns, 65.
  TacOps Clandestine-12, 60.
  Tactical reloads, 4, 20.
  Tactics, skill, 42; examples,
  20-25.
  Tap-Rack-Bang perk, 41.
  Targeted Attack technique, 45.
  Targeting aids, 74-75; see also
  Aiming, Sights.
  TDI Kriss Super V SMG, 65.
  Techniques, 43-45.
  Terms, 4.
  Threat, cocking, 33; recognition,
  33-34.
  Thumbing, 14; technique, 45.
  Tilted guns, 32-33.
  TOZ AKS-74UB, 62, 63.
  TOZ GSN-19, 66-67.
  TOZ MSP, 54-55, 57.
  TOZ SVT-40, 62, 63.
  Tracer Eyes perk, 41.
  Tracers, 78.
  Trademark Move perk, 41.
  Training, 46-47.
  Transitioning, 4, 14.
  Traumatic events, see Stress.
  Tripods, 75.
  Turning corners, 23-24.
  Two-handed thumbing, 14;
  technique, 45.
  Unsighted shooting, 13.
  Untrained shooters, 47.
  Unusual Background
  advantage, 37, 38, 53.
  Urban combat, 23-25.
  Vehicles, as cover, 30-31;
  shooting from, 31.
  Vest holsters, 12.
  Vision, adapting to light, 18;
  shooting and, 18, 32, 35.
  VKT-Lahti Pstkiv/39, 61-63.
  Walking the burst, 16.
  Weapon Bond perk, 41, 69.
  Weather sensor, 77.
  Weaver stance, 4, 11-12, 48.
  Weight reduction, 70.
  Wet Suppressors, 71.
  Work by Touch technique, 45.
  ZML PM 63, 64, 65.
  INDEX
  87
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/GURPS [multi]/4th edition/GURPS 4e - Tactical Shooting.pdf