Secret Weapons in GURPS

by Hans-Christian Vortisch

"Secret Weapon. A weapon closely guarded or kept under concealment so as to be used with advantage before countermeasures can be taken against it."
--Dictionary of Weapons and Military Terms

This article deals with weapons used in covert operations, either by secret agents or special operation troops. It is thus intended as direct support for GURPS Espionage and Special Ops. Both concentrate only on modern day guns, and had to neglect older and the more bizarre designs out there because of space constraints. Some designs will also be useful in GURPS Cliffhangers campaigns, or certain historical adventures set in the 20th century.

"Secret agents operating inside enemy territory may carry concealed weapons, mainly for use as a last resort to avoid capture . . . special forces have to carry out such a wide variety of missions that they have a great need for specialised weapons."
--The Visual Dictionary of Special Military Forces

Below the reader will find a mixture of types suitable for covert operations. Most were not necessarily secret in the strictest sense of the term, nor easily hideable, but all were used or intended to be used in secret operations with either secret agents, counter-intelligence agents, or SpecOps soldiers. There are guns literally hand-built for special missions along with some which were made by the million. Some were built into everyday objects, some were easily concealable under clothing, some were vehicle-mounted. Some were used by lonely assassins. Some were used by entire battalions in daring commando raids. And some were probably never used in action at all.

Special Weapons

Aste Stockflinte, 9x10mmR Flobert, Germany, 1910 (Holdout -4)
A smoothbore singleshot weapon concealed as a walking cane. Weapons like this were very popular with civilians in the late 19th century and made in many countries. This one was made in Germany before WWI, where guns like this were often outlawed in certain cities and counties, and forbidden nationwide after 1928. It fired a weak rimfire round. A 9x30mmR smallshot shell could be loaded instead; Dam 1d+1*, Acc 1, 1/2D 3, 1/4D 6, Max 20.

SS-Waffenakademie Koppelschlosspistole, 7.65x17mmSR Browning (.32 ACP), Germany, 1944 (Holdout +6)
The bizarre Koppelschlosspistole (belt buckle pistol) was developed by the SS-Waffenakademie at Brünn (Brno). A special belt buckle was fitted with a springloaded cover. When activated (e.g. by pressing a catch on the buckle or by pulling a string when the wearer was ordered "hands up!"), the cover would open up, revealing four barrels loaded with 7.65mm cartridges. These immediately fired. The belt was intended to be issued to agents as a last-ditch self-defense weapon to avoid capture. The full snap shot penalty always applies, and hits will usually be to Hit Locations 10 or 11. Only a handful were manufactured, and they were probably never used in combat.

SOE Sleeve Pistol Mk I, 7.65x17mmSR Browning (.32 ACP), UK, 1944 (Holdout +1)
This was a slender tube holding a firing chamber and an integral sound suppressor (Hearing -6). It could be carried concealed up one's sleeve. Just before firing it had to be slipped into the hand and could then be fired by pointing the arm at the target. To reload, the cap at the end had to be unscrewed and the spent case removed (about 10 seconds). This was a pure assassination weapon designed by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE).

U.S. Naval Gun Factory Glove Pistol MK1, 9x20mmR (.38 S&W), USA, 1944 (Holdout +3)
Developed by U.S. Naval Intelligence, this weapon consisted of a heavy leather glove with a small metal plate riveted to the back of the hand. This mounted a very short barrel loaded with a single round and a striker assembly, which protruded slightly when the hand was balled into a fist. The weapon was to be used in hand-to-hand combat. The user was to strike the target with his fist, thus firing the bullet point-blank into whatever body part he had hit. Of course, the Glove Pistol's use was highly questionable, and it is unlikely that it was ever used in action.

Llama Pressin, 7.65x17mmSR Browning (.32 ACP), Spain, 1982 (Holdout +2)
This unique weapon was nothing more than two very short barrels side-by-side in a rectangular block, triggered from a button trigger. It came in a cheap-looking plastic case, from which it could be fired without removing the case. The 4.8"x1"x2" case was a non-descript thing of the type used for sun glasses. The double-barreled weapon was developed to discreetly arm a bodyguard. Reloading was not an option in a fire fight.

Pistols

Secret Weapons in GURPS

Czeská Zbrojovka vz.27, 7.65x17mmSR Browning (.32 ACP), Czechoslovakia, 1927 (Holdout -0)
A small blowback pistol, adopted by the Czechoslovakian police. Production continued after the German occupation, and the weapon was issued to the German police and Waffen-SS as the P27(t). From about 1943, small numbers were made with slightly longer barrels and screw-on sound suppressors, and these were used by German Abwehr agents, Brandenburg commandos and SS-assassins; Dam 2d-2-, Hearing -5. The SS-Waffenakademie produced and supplied the 7.65x17mmSR K-Patrone, which held a small amount of Aconitine poison (2d damage, see p. CII146 under "Wolfsbane"). In turn, captured weapons were used by the British Special Air Service (SAS).

Production of the vz.27 was resumed after WWII and continued until 1951. Surplus weapons were later delivered to struggling communist countries such as Ethiopia and North Vietnam. In the 1950s it was adopted by the West German foreign intelligence service, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND).

Walther P38, 9x19mm Parabellum, Germany, 1939 (Holdout -1)
The P38 superseded the 9x19mm Luger P08 as the standard service pistol of the German military and was consequently made in huge numbers, also by Mauser and Spreewerke. It was the first high-power pistol to use a double-action system. Its commercial counterpart, the Heerespistole (HP), was made between 1938-1945, while the P38 was kept in production until 1946 under French occupation. In the immediate years after the war, it was used by French, Israeli, Norwegian and East German forces.

The P38SD, a modified version, was available with a barrel prepared for the attachment of a sound suppressor, but in much smaller numbers and for special units only. This was commonly used with a special subsonic round, the 9x19mm Nahpatrone with reduced charge; Dam 2d-1, Hearing -5. The P38SD was a standard CIA weapon in the 1950s and 1960s, and also used by the West German Fernspäher (long-range reconnaissance patrol) units.

During the 1940s and again between 1975-1981 the P38K was made. It differed in a shortened barrel; Dam 2d+1, Wt 2.3, Holdout 0. The P38K was used by SpecOps units during WWII, and in post-war years by both the East German Stasi and shortly by the West German GSG9 antiterrorist unit.

In 1957 an improved P38-model with a lightened aluminum frame (Wt 2.1) was adopted as the P1 by the newly formed West German military and was also available commercially, foreign users including Austria, Chile, Pakistan and Uruguay. Although slowly superseded in German service by the 9x19mm H&K P8 since 1994, it is still in production for the civilian market.

High Standard HDMS, 5.6x16mmR (.22 Long Rifle), USA, 1944 (Holdout -2)
The commercial High Standard HD pistol was modified into the HDMS, a silenced weapon with integral sound suppressor for the agents of the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS); about 2,000 were made. It was usually loaded with hollow-points.

Pistols in this caliber have always been popular with professionals. They are light, accurate and easily silenced. For example, Israeli Mossad assassins have long used the Beretta Mod 70 in this way.

KGB Troika, 7.65x17mm, USSR, 1950 (Holdout +2)
The Troika (the name given to it by Western intelligence agencies) was a typical spy weapon designed for assassination at close range. It was a small hide-away gun chambered for a unique electrically primed 7.65mm cartridge. In place of a magazine it had a replaceable barrel cluster which was inserted into the weapon from above. The cluster consisted of three preloaded over-and-under barrels with integral sound suppressors (Hearing -6). After all three barrels had been fired the cluster had to be replaced. Three different types of projectiles were available, a normal bullet, a hollow-point bullet (p. HT7) and a poison projectile containing cyanide (the poison does 4d of damage, causing cardiac arrest; see p. CII141). The pistol fired electrically; a commercial 9V battery went into the grip. The slimline frame allowed it to be easily hidden. All Troikas were hand-made in small numbers in the workshops of the KGB.

Apparently, it was copied as an unreloadable plastic throw-away weapon by Arab terrorists during the 1970s for use in airplane hijackings. This version was undetectable by metal detectors when the battery was removed. It was not suppressed.

Heckler & Koch P9S, 9x19mm Parabellum, West Germany, 1970 (Holdout -1)
A double-action pistol using the same roller-locking action as most longarms made by H&K. It was adopted by the GSG9 antiterrorist unit, but in their service replaced by the 9x19mm H&K P7 in 1980. Other SpecOps users have included the Dutch SBS naval commandos, the Greek MYK naval commandos, and the Portuguese and Spanish police GEO antiterrorist units. The P9S was also widely sold commercially, in both combat and sports versions, the latter with match grip, muzzle weight and accurrized sights; Acc 5, Wt 2.8. EBO of Greece made it under license.

A number of sound-suppressed versions were made to special order beginning in 1973, including some made for a Swiss agency and a larger batch for the U.S. Navy SEALs, replacing the obsolete 9x19mm S&W MK22-0 Hush Puppy; Wt 3.2 with the suppressor attached. The SEALs used it throughout the 1980s and apparently right until 1996, when it was officially superseded by the 11.43x23mm (.45 ACP) H&K MK23-0.

From 1976 the basic P9S was also made in 11.43x23mm for the American market; Dam 2d+, Wt 2.2, AWt 0.5, Shots 7+1, ST 11, Rcl -2. A much smaller number was made in 7.65x21mm Parabellum for the Italian market; Dam 2d-, Shots 8+1.

Tzniitochmash MPS, 7.62x35mm, USSR, 1972 (Holdout +2)
This was another purpose-built assassination weapon. It was a double-barreled derringer-type weapon, which was loaded with two-round clips. The cartridges were of the silent "piston" type (Hearing -6). They didn't require a sound suppressor, as the powder gases were contained within the sealed cartridge case. A bullet fired from this pistol would look exactly as if fired from a 7.62x39mm AK-47 assault rifle, down to the rifling marks, and might thus suggest to the authorities that the shot was fired from a much greater distance. The weapon was used both in Afghanistan and Central America by Soviet KGB agents and SpecOps units such as the Spetsnaz.

Shotguns

Remington MOD 7188 MK1, 18.5x70mmR (12-gauge), USA, 1968 (Holdout -6)
This was a full-automatic conversion of the Remington Model 1100 semi-automatic shotgun. It was developed for the U.S. Navy SEALs, and very small numbers were used in operations during the Vietnam War. It was fitted with rifle sights and a bayonet lug for the M7 knife/bayonet of the M16.

Submachine Guns

Steyr M.12/P16, 9x23mm Steyr, Austria, 1916 (Holdout -2)
This machine pistol was a variant of the Austrian service pistol M.12, designed for Austrian mountain troops fighting the Italians in the Dolomites during WWI. It featured a fixed, elongated 16-round magazine, which was loaded with 8-round stripper clips. A wooden shoulderstock was sometimes attached (+3 Acc, using Light Auto skill). Some 9,900 were supplied before production ceased in 1918.

In 1940, a number of surviving guns was re-barreled to fire the 9x19mm Parabellum round and issued to the German SpecOps commandos of the Brandenburg regiment. These could also be fitted with a sound suppressor.

Marlin UD42, 9x19mm Parabellum, USA, 1942 (Holdout -5)
This submachine gun was made by Marlin Firearms for the United Defense Supply Corporation, which was a cover organization set up by the OSS. The UD42 was of high quality, and externally resembled the Auto-Ordnance M1921 Tommy Gun. It had a wooden foregrip. The weapon fired from a closed bolt in single shot mode (Acc 8) and from an open bolt on full auto (Acc 6). The double magazine consisted of two separate magazines taking 20 rounds each, mated at the back. After 20 rounds had been expended, it had to be removed, turned over and re-inserted (requiring 2 seconds). About 15,000 of these guns were made. Most were taken by the OSS, and either issued to agents inserted into occupied areas or dropped by parachute for use by resistance fighters. Some 2,000 were thus delivered to the French resistance.

BSA STEN Mk IIS, 9x19mm Parabellum, UK, 1943 (Holdout -5)
This was a variant of the STEN Mk II (p. HT116) with an integral full-length sound suppressor. The suppressor was very effective (Hearing -6), but wore out after 30 or sometimes as little as 15 rounds. Burst-fire was strongly discouraged, the idea being to fire carefully aimed single shots to make it last longer. The magazine was badly designed, and the manufacturer advised to load it with only 28 rounds for more reliable feeding! The STEN Mk IIS was the most numerous sound-suppressed weapon of WWII. It was widely used by British and some Allied commando units, and many were also supplied to resistance groups in Western Europe, especially Denmark and France. Specimens captured by the Germans were used by their own SpecOps assets as the MP751(e).

Beretta Mod 12, 9x19mm Parabellum, Italy, 1959 (Holdout -4 with stock folded)
This blowback weapon used to be the standard Italian submachine gun. It had an integral foregrip and a folding wire stock. It was offered with magazines holding 20 (AWt 0.95), 30 or 40 (AWt 1.6) rounds. In 1961 it was adopted by the Italian armed forces and police as the PM-12 (including the GIS antiterror unit), and also delivered to a number of foreign nations, among them Chad, France, Guatemala, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, and Venezuela. The U.S. Navy SEALs acquired 200 in the 1970s, while the State Department bought large numbers for U.S. embassy guards in foreign countries. It was license-made by FN of Belgium, Taurus of Brazil, Bandung Arsenal of Indonesia, and Kaduna Arsenal of Nigeria. The Mod 12 was a favorite weapon of the terrorist Illich Ramirez Sanchez ("Carlos the Jackal"), and apparently also used by German RAF terrorists. In 1978 it was superseded in production by the slightly improved Mod 12S. For illustration, see p. SO2.

Heckler & Koch MP5K, 9x19mm Parabellum, West Germany, 1976 (Holdout -3)
The Maschinenpistole 5 Kurz was a chopped-down variant of the MP5 submachine gun (pp. HT116, SO105-106) without stock. It was normally used with the standard 30-round magazine, but a shorter 15-round magazine (AWt 0.7) was available. The gun was so small that it could be conveniently carried in a special shoulder holster. The MP5K was designed for bodyguards and SpecOps forces, and widely adopted by Western units of this type, including the German GSG9 and KSK, the U.S. Army 1st SFOD Delta, the helicopter pilots of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the pilots of the USAF 16th Special Operations Wing, the U.S. Navy SEALs, the French GIGN, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Australian and British SAS, the Irish Rangers, the Kuwaiti and Jordanian Special Forces, the Indian presidential guards, etc. Through hidden channels it was also acquired by the former East German Staatssicherheitsdienst (Stasi), the secret police and intelligence service, and apparently used as a standard weapon with in-country hit teams. It is safe to assume that the Soviets also acquired some. The gun has been made under license in England, Iran, and Turkey.

The MP5KA1 had the sights removed (+1 Fast-Draw), and with a 15-round magazine had these stats: Acc 3, Wt 5.0, Holdout -2.

The MP5KA4 available since 1982 had a 3-round burst option added, while the MP5KA5 was similar to the MP5KA1, also offering 3-round bursts.

In 1991, the MP5K-PDW was introduced, basically an MP5K with folding stock and a barrel prepared for a sound suppressor; Acc 7, Wt 7.3, Holdout -3 with stock folded. This was designed as an aircrew survival and self-defense weapon, and usually issued with a detachable sound suppressor (+1.25 lbs., Hearing -5). A special hardshell briefcase was offered by H&K, which held any one of the above models in a quick-detach mount. A trigger and a safety were incorporated in the carrying handle, so that the gun could be remote-fired through a hidden port from within, the spent cases being collected inside. The non-descript briefcase weighed 14.85 lbs. including the loaded gun and a spare 30-round magazine, and cost $1,600. When firing from the case, the full snap shot penalty is always applied.

Similar cased assemblies have been made in Czechoslovakia (suppressed 7.65x17mmSR CZ vz.61 Skorpion), Israel (9x19mm IMI Mini-Uzi) and in the USA (short-barreled 5.6x16mmR American 180).

Rifles

Cranston-Johnson M1941, 7.62x63mm (.30-06 Springfield), USA, 1941 (Holdout -6)
This was a self-loading rifle developed in the late 1930s in an unsuccessful bid to replace Garand's M1. It had an internal 10-round magazine loaded with 5-round clips or single cartridges. Some 2,000 made by Cranston Arms were taken by the U.S. Marines in 1942, and used in the Pacific Theater until sufficient M1 rifles became available. Service was restricted to Marine Parachutists and the Marine Raiders. In about 1944 these were returned to the USA and given to the OSS, which dropped many by parachute over Europe to resistance fighters, mostly in France. The U.S. Army Rangers also got some, many of a 50,000 contract originally for the Dutch colonial troops in the East Indies, which could not all be delivered. Many of those wound up with the Brazilian forces in Europe.

One thousand were made in 7x57mm Mauser for Chile (Dam 6d+2) before production ceased in 1944.

Rheinmetall FG42/II, 7.92x57mm Mauser, Germany, 1943 (Holdout -6)
The German Fallschirmjäger (parachutists) were under the control of the Luftwaffe (air force), and used some weapons differing from normal Heer (army) units. The Fallschirmjägergewehr 42 was developed by Rheinmetall to a Luftwaffe requirement for a combined rifle and light machine gun. It was a very unique design of bullpup configuration, with the magazine feeding from the left side above the pistol grip. The gun had several good design features such as a straight-line stock with recoil-reducing spring and a muzzlebrake compensator, but operationally it was a failure in the end because of the insistence of using the full-power rifle round. It fired from a closed bolt in single shot mode (Acc 10) and from the open bolt position on full auto (Acc 8). Features also included an integral folding bipod and a spike bayonet which swiveled backwards when not in use. The pre-series FG42/I was ready in 1942.

The FG42/II entered limited production the next year and was first used in May 1943 in a SpecOps operation on the Greek isles and also in the famous operation "Eiche," the daring raid to free Mussolini on September 12, 1943 in Italy. Two Fallschirmjäger per 9-man squad carried the FG42/II in place of the standard 9x19mm ERMA MP40 submachine gun.

The main production weapon, the improved FG42/III made by Krieghoff, was not delivered until 1944. It differed from the earlier types in a number of ways; Wt 12.6, RoF 10*, Rcl -2.

The FG42 was often fitted with a 4x scope (+2 Acc). Only about 7,000 of all types were made for the Luftwaffe. Late in the war, a separate batch of some 4,100 was made for the Heer.

Remington M1903A4, 7.62x63mm (.30-06 Springfield), USA, 1943 (Holdout -6)
A dedicated sniper version of the Springfield M1903A3 bolt-action service rifle (see p. HT114). It featured a 2.5x Weaver scope and was loaded with 5-round stripper clips or single cartridges. During WWII, each Ranger platoon had one sniper with this rifle. It was also used in the initial stages of the Vietnam War.

The Remington M1942 adopted by the USMC was a similar weapon. It was based on the Springfield M1903A1 and was fitted with a 8x Unertl scope (+3 Acc). It was used until the 1960s.

Haenel StG44, 7.92x33mm Kurz, Germany, 1944 (Holdout -6)
The Sturmgewehr 44 was the first assault rifle in both name and shape and function, the direct forefather of Kalashnikov's AK-47. It fired an intermediate power round and used a curved large-capacity magazine. It evolved via the MKb42, MP43 and MP44, which were all basically the same gun with almost identical statistics. A few thousand of the MKb42 were made and successfully tested at the front in 1942, whereupon the MP43 was put into full production. Minor production changes led to the MP44, which was re-designated the StG44 in December 1944. More than 430,000 were made by Haenel, ERMA, Mauser, Sauer, Steyr and Walther, and it was intended to replace all rifles and submachine guns in German service; it was also installed as bow-machine gun in the experimental Panther II tank.

As to clandestine use, about 300 were fitted in late 1944 with the top secret Leitz ZG1223 Vampir active IR-sighting system. This consisted of an IR-spotlight and IR-scope mounted on the gun (5.1 lbs.), and a heavy battery assembly carried in a rucksack (29.9 lbs.). It could be used to a range of some 75 yards and negated all darkness penalties.

The weapon continued to surface for many decades after WWII in smaller conflicts in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, usually delivered to Communist forces by sympathetic nations such as Czechoslovakia and East Germany. Thus it was encountered by the Americans in Vietnam and the Israelis in Lebanon.

Izhmash AKS-74UB, 5.45x39mm, USSR, 1979 (Holdout -5 with stock folded)
This was a SpecOps version of the AKS-74U assault carbine (p. SO100 under "AK-74"). The flashhider of the standard issue weapon was replaced by a detachable PBS-2 sound suppressor (Hearing -5). Typically used with special subsonic ammunition, it could also fire standard rounds, although with less good results (Dam 3d, Hearing -3). It had a folding stock and could use all magazines of the AK-74-series, including a short 20-round magazine (AWt 0.9) and the 45-round magazine (AWt 1.65) and 90-round drum (AWt 4.55) of the RPK-74 light machine gun. The gun was adopted by SpecOps units of all Soviet armed forces, including those of the Ministry of the Interior. It continues to be used in Russia.

The AKS-74UB could mount the 30mm BS-1 underbarrel grenade launcher (see below).

Walther WA2000, 7.62x66mmB (.300 Winchester Magnum), West Germany, 1982 (Holdout -7)
The Walther Automat 2000 was supposedly one of the most accurate sniper rifles ever designed. It was a bullpup weapon literally built around an extremely heavy, free-floating barrel. It had a fully adjustable wooden stock with thumbhole grip, a folding bipod and a variable power scope (2.5-10x). The WA2000 fired semi-automatic. It was only made to order and each was adjusted to the individual customer (one of them being James Bond in The Living Daylights). It could be set up for left-hand firers.

Alternatively, it could be ordered in 7.62x51mm NATO or 7.5x55mm Swiss (both Dam 7d).

Although offered until 1988, production already ceased in 1984, a mere 72 having been sold. A handful were acquired by the German state police of Baden-Württemberg, both in 7.62x51mm and 7.62x66mmB, and used by SWAT officers. The price listed is for a used gun in perfect condition.

Machine Guns

Vickers G.O. Mk I, 7.7x56mmR (.303 SAA), UK, 1937
This gas-operated machine gun (commercial designation Mark K) was based on the Vickers-Berthier Mk I light machine gun of the Indian Army. It was adopted by the Royal Air Force to replace the 7.7x56mmR BSA-Lewis Mk III as a defensive gun on airplanes such as the Fairey Swordfish naval scout or the Vickers Wellesley bomber. Like the Lewis, it fed from a large platter drum magazine on top of the receiver. The gun was soon obsolete as an aircraft weapon, surplus weapons being used from about 1942 onwards by British elite raiding and reconnaissance units such as the Long Range Desert Group and SAS as vehicle armament, especially for use against aircraft. A typical Willy's jeep of the SAS in North Africa and later France was fitted with twin guns on a pintle mount at the co-drivers seat, and another pair of linked guns behind the drivers seat, covering the rear when the vehicle was standing still. It was still in service in 1956, when the Willy's jeeps airdropped together with the British Paras over Egypt during the Suez crisis were armed with twin guns at the co-driver's seats.

The Mark K was also delivered to Poland and Spain, while Argentina bought some in 7.65x53mm Mauser (Dam 6d+2) and Turkey in 7.92x57mm Mauser (Dam 7d+1). These were all used on aircraft.

Cadillac Gage-Stoner MK23 MOD 0 Commando, 5.56x45mm (.223 Remington), USA, 1969 (Holdout -7)
In 1962, Eugene Stoner, father of the AR-15 family, started to design a modular firearm system which allowed assembly of a rifle, a carbine, and several machine guns from a common set of parts. The Model 63 system was tested by the USMC, but rejected.

The slightly improved Model 63A entered production in 1966 and was immediately seized upon by the U.S. Navy SEALs. A belt-fed light machine gun version of the Model 63A was extensively used in Vietnam by the SEALs (and only them) beginning in 1967. This weapon fed from a disintegrating belt, which was usually transported in a 100-round plastic container clipped below the receiver; Dam 5d, 1/2D 500, Max 3,500, Wt 15.2, AWt 3.3, Shots 100.

A further improved version was the Model 63A1. It was officially adopted by the SEALs as the MK23-0 Commando, the only Stoner machine gun to be so. The MK23-0 had a shortened, fluted barrel and lacked both the bipod and carrying handle of the earlier guns. It introduced an aluminum drum container which held a 150-round belt. Only 800 of the Model 63A and 63A1 guns were made.

Santa Bárbara-CETME AMELI, 5.56x45mm NATO, Spain, 1982 (Holdout -6)
The Ametralladora Ligera was one of the lightest weapons of its class. It resembled a smaller version of the German 7.92x57mm Rheinmetall MG42, a 7.62x51mm NATO variant of which was made in Spain as the MG3S. The AMELI was a belt-fed weapon using either 100-round or 200-round (AWt 6.6) disintegrating belts, which came in plastic assault packs attached under the weapon. The cyclic rate of fire could be changed by installing either one of two bolt carriers available. The AMELI was adopted by the Spanish Army and Mexican Marines. One interesting feature was that it disassembled very easily and would then fit into a small briefcase, together with a 100-round box. A trained operator could assemble the gun from the briefcase in 20 seconds (an Armoury (Small Arms) or Guns (Light Auto) roll is required).

Since the late 1980s, a lightweight version was available; Wt 14.8 with 100-round belt.

Grenade Launchers

Izhmash BS-1, 30mm, USSR, 1986
This was a unique underbarrel grenade launcher only seen mounted under the AKS-74UB suppressed assault carbine (see above). It silently launched a 30mm HEAT grenade by means of a piston, which was activated by a 9x18mm blank cartridge. Flash and sound were contained within the weapon, helping to conceal the grenadier's position. The grenade was muzzle-loaded, while the blank cartridges were fed by means of a bolt-action system from a curved 10-round magazine in the launcher's pistol grip. The whole assembly weighed 3.3 lbs.

Hand Grenades

NWM V40, The Netherlands, 1968 (Holdout +3)
The V40 minigrenade was the smallest hand grenade ever produced in quantity. Its body was spherical and only 1.5" across (about the size of a golf ball), with a filler of 1.1 oz. of RDX. The fuse detonated it after 4 seconds. It came in bandoleers of five (1.4 lbs.). The V40 was combat-trialed in 1969 in Vietnam by the U.S. Navy SEALs and U.S. Army Special Forces, but not adopted. It was copied in China and North Korea.

Selected References

Dockery, Kevin (1991). Compendium of Modern Firearms. R. Talsorian Games, Berkeley.
        Only some of the listed weapons are described here, but the book is too good to miss.

Gander, Terry, ed. (2000). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2000-2001. Jane's Information Services, London.
        The most valuable single-volume resource in the field of modern firearms. For purposes of this article, older issues of this since 1975 annually published book are actually more useful.

Hogg, Ian (1996). Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. HarperCollins, Glasgow.
        An inexpensive handbook, whose descriptions, pictures and data fulfill most players' needs.

Hogg, Ian (1999). The Greenhill Military Small Arms Data Book. Greenhill/Stackpole, London/Mechanicsburg.
        Excellent source for technical data, manufacturers etc. 295 pages and worth every penny. Almost no pictures, you need at least another book to visualize what Hogg is talking about.

Smith, Walther/Smith, Joseph (1973). Small Arms of the World. Stackpole, Harrisburg.
        Another excellent book, available in a number of different editions. If you get only one book on guns, get this.

Tucker, Louise, ed. (1993). The Visual Dictionary of Special Military Forces. Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries. Dorling Kindersley, London/New York/Stuttgart.
        No stats, no explanations and weak on dates, it is nevertheless worthwhile for its very good illustrations, not restricted to guns either. Actually includes much secret agent equipment as well.

Notes

Wt: Loaded weight of the gun, in pounds.

AWt: The weight of the standard ammunition container or a number of loose rounds. Optional magazines are listed in the descriptions.

Cost: Cost with one empty magazine, unloaded, including any sighting devices as per description.


Special Weapons
WeaponMalTypeDamageSSAcc1/2DMaxWtAWtRoFShotsCostSTRclTL
Aste Stockflinte, 9x10mmR, Guns (Spec)critCr1d104251502.00.011/61$10/-8-15
Koppelschlosspistole, 7.65x17mmSR, Guns (Spec)16Cr2d-1-100105001.00.0444n/a8-26
Sleeve Pistol Mk I, 7.65x17mmSR, Guns (Spec)critCr2d-1-80505001.50.011/101n/a8-26
Glove Pistol MK1, 9x20mmR, Brawling16Cr2dn/an/an/an/a0.50.031/61n/a8-16
Llama Pressin, 7.65x17mmSR, Guns (Spec)critCr2d-1-1001001,5000.80.022~2$100/-8-27

Pistols
CZ vz.27, 7.65x17mmSR, Guns (Ptl)critCr2d-1-1021001,5001.80.253~8+1$50/-8-16
Walther P38, 9x19mm, Guns (Ptl)critCr2d+21031501,8002.40.43~8+1$75/1,0009-16
High Standard HDMS, 5.6x16mmR Guns (Ptl)critCr1d-103506002.50.43~10+1$75/-7-16
KGB Troika, 7.65x17mm, Guns (Ptl)critCr1d-100101501.30.253~3n/a8-17
H&K P9S, 9x19mm, Guns (Ptl)critCr2d+21041501,8002.30.43~9+1$500/-9-17
Tzniitochmash MPS, 7.62x35mm, Guns (Ptl)critCr1d+2101505001.30.052~2n/a9-17

Shotguns
Remington MOD7188 MK1, 18.5x70mmR, Guns (LtAu)critCr4d*125251509.61.17*7+1$1000/-12-27

Submachine Guns
Steyr M.12/P16, 9x23mm, Guns (MP)critCr2d+21031501,8002.80.413*16$50/-10-36
Marlin UD42, 9x19mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr3d-1106/81601,90011.12.011*2x20$200/-10-16
BSA STEN Mk IIS, 9x19mm, Guns (Rfl)critCr2d-11061001,0009.01.47*32$25/-10-16
Beretta Mod 12, 9x19mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr3d-11061601,9008.51.39*30$500/-10-17
H&K MP5K, 9x19mm, Guns (MP)critCr2d+21041501,8005.61.215*30+1$900/1,50010-27

Rifles
Johnson M1941, 7.62x63mm, Guns (Rfl)critCr7d+114101,0004,65010.20.63~10$80/-11-26
Rheinmetall FG42/II, 7.92x57mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr6d+1148/108003,90012.41.815*20$100/-11-36
Remington M1903A4, 7.62x63mm, Guns (Rfl)critCr7d+11510+11,0004,65010.20.61/25+1$120/-11-26
Haenel StG44, 7.92x33mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr5d1285003,10013.22.08*30$70/-10-26
Izhmash AKS-74UB, 5.45x39mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr2d1062001,5009.21.210*30$500/75010-17
Walther WA2000, 7.62x66mmB, Guns (Rfl)verCr8d+11413+31,3005,00017.40.93~6+1$12,50012B-27

Machine Guns
Vickers G.O. Mk I, 7.7x56mmR, Gunner (MG)critCr6d+21886003,80025.04.02096$350/-n/a-16
Stoner MK23-0, 5.56x45mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr5d-11485003,00014.24.314150$3,000/-10-17
CETME AMELI, 5.56x45mm, Guns (LtAu)critCr5d1488003,50017.43.415/20100$2,50010B-17

Grenade Launchers
Izhmash BS-1, 30mm HEAT, Guns (GL)critExp5dx2(10)144100350+3.30.51/51$600/-11-17

Hand Grenades
NMW V40, ThrowingcritExp1d [2d]n/an/an/an/a0.3n/an/an/a$5-n/a7


Article publication date: January 26, 2001

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