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Basically,Ive read the various rule copendiums and novels over the years and noticed that depending on the publication,it either implies that an autocannon is either a multi-barreled chain gun type of system,or a single shot large caliber round.
When I think "Autocannon" Im thinking along the lines of the GAU-8A Avenger that the A-10 Warthog is armed with.Something that fires multiple depleated uranium rounds through a rotating barrel assembly.

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Autocannons:
The direct descendants of the gunpowder weapons first used on ancient Terra, autocannons use a chemical charge to propel an explosive-tipped, unguided projectile at the target. There are four types of autocannon, three of which are standard weapons used in war machines from fighters to BattleMechs. The fourth is solely a naval weapon.
The standard autocannon is a rapid-firing auto-loading weapon, with a caliber ranging from 30 to 200 millimeters. Modern-day military experts grade these weapons not by caliber, but by damage potential. For example, the damage potential of a rapid-fire, 50mm cannon may place it in a higher damage category, whereas a 200mm cannon with a slow rate of fire might be classified as a medium damage weapon.
The so-called "ultra" group autocannon fire at faster than normal rates, increasing potential damage. However, this extremely rapid rate of fire makes the ammunition feed more likely to jam and reduces accuracy. The ultra-rapid fire mode means that in many cases, fewer than half the shells fired actually hit the target. To compensate for this problem, many ultra cannons are designed to fire at the standard rate as well, allowing the operator to switch to ultra mode when presented easier targets.
The LB-X series of autocannon are similar to standard cannon, but may also fire a "shotgun" shell. The larger, lighter shell increases the likelihood of hitting the target, but does less damage than the heavier standard projectile.
The fourth class of autocannon, found only on WarShips and space stations, weighs between two and five thousand tons. Though the chemical propellants they use limit their range to that of conventional autocannons, naval autocannon (NAC) can do tremendous damage by virtue of their colossal size. One or two shells alone may destroy a DropShip. However, like most naval weapons, their size also prevents them from accurately tracking small, swift targets.

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Also got to remember that Battletech is simplified to make it playable, otherwise they're would be a hell of a lot more details thrown in for accuracy.

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You mean like the fact that an average AC/5, with a barrel of about 120mm, can only throw a shell at most 540 meters, while an M1 Abrams today can fling that same shell almost three miles? If so, keep me away from the chemical propellants, they suck.

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So I'd argue it is certainly with in the realm of belief to say they fire large shells. Namely a unit firing an autocannon every 10 seconds would create a stream of large shells.

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You're not addressing part of my statement: I said "You don't fire "streams" of single large shells."

The original poster wondered if autocannons fired one shell every ten seconds or if they were like MGs and fired streams of shells. I was pointing out that the "single large shot" autocannon was incompatible with fluff descriptions of "streams" of shells.

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BattleSpace Sourcebook, pp25-26
Autocannons:
The direct descendants of the gunpowder weapons first used on ancient Terra, autocannons use a chemical charge to propel an explosive-tipped, unguided projectile at the target. There are four types of autocannon, three of which are standard weapons used in war machines from fighters to BattleMechs. The fourth is solely a naval weapon.
The standard autocannon is a rapid-firing auto-loading weapon, with a caliber ranging from 30 to 200 millimeters. Modern-day military experts grade these weapons not by caliber, but by damage potential. For example, the damage potential of a rapid-fire, 50mm cannon may place it in a higher damage category, whereas a 200mm cannon with a slow rate of fire might be classified as a medium damage weapon.
The so-called "ultra" group autocannon fire at faster than normal rates, increasing potential damage. However, this extremely rapid rate of fire makes the ammunition feed more likely to jam and reduces accuracy. The ultra-rapid fire mode means that in many cases, fewer than half the shells fired actually hit the target. To compensate for this problem, many ultra cannons are designed to fire at the standard rate as well, allowing the operator to switch to ultra mode when presented easier targets.
The LB-X series of autocannon are similar to standard cannon, but may also fire a "shotgun" shell. The larger, lighter shell increases the likelihood of hitting the target, but does less damage than the heavier standard projectile.
The fourth class of autocannon, found only on WarShips and space stations, weighs between two and five thousand tons. Though the chemical propellants they use limit their range to that of conventional autocannons, naval autocannon (NAC) can do tremendous damage by virtue of their colossal size. One or two shells alone may destroy a DropShip. However, like most naval weapons, their size also prevents them from accurately tracking small, swift targets.

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Im not saying autocannons must be chain like or cannon like, to be honest I do't rightly care myself.

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Not that it matters but i always thought of the AC's as tank cannons that fired once around and reloaded.

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Autocannons:
The direct descendants of the gunpowder weapons first used on ancient Terra, autocannons use a chemical charge to propel an explosive-tipped, unguided projectile at the target. There are four types of autocannon, three of which are standard weapons used in war machines from fighters to BattleMechs. The fourth is solely a naval weapon.

The standard autocannon is a rapid-firing auto-loading weapon, with a caliber ranging from 30 to 200 millimeters. Modern-day military experts grade these weapons not by caliber, but by damage potential. For example, the damage potential of a rapid-fire, 50mm cannon may place it in a higher damage category, whereas a 200mm cannon with a slow rate of fire might be classified as a medium damage weapon.

The so-called "ultra" group autocannon fire at faster than normal rates, increasing potential damage. However, this extremely rapid rate of fire makes the ammunition feed more likely to jam and reduces accuracy. The ultra-rapid fire mode means that in many cases, fewer than half the shells fired actually hit the target. To compensate for this problem, many ultra cannons are designed to fire at the standard rate as well, allowing the operator to switch to ultra mode when presented easier targets.

The LB-X series of autocannon are similar to standard cannon, but may also fire a "shotgun" shell. The larger, lighter shell increases the likelihood of hitting the target, but does less damage than the heavier standard projectile.

The fourth class of autocannon, found only on WarShips and space stations, weighs between two and five thousand tons. Though the chemical propellants they use limit their range to that of conventional autocannons, naval autocannon (NAC) can do tremendous damage by virtue of their colossal size. One or two shells alone may destroy a DropShip. However, like most naval weapons, their size also prevents them from accurately tracking small, swift targets.

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Something that always bugged me is that the machine gun fires one point of ammo a round and does a set damage for this one shot.

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Ok, I wasn't the safest child on the block to spend time with.

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Maybe not, but it sounds like you had the most fun.

Oh, the things you learn when you earn your chemistry merit badge...

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(note this is an armor peircing round or at best a mix of high explosive rounds, as apposed to entirely high explosive like SRMs)

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Armor piercing. Thus, despite the fact that it is, in fact, a smaller explosion, the ammunition rips through anything in it's way. See?

Sounds good, at any rate.

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As Vamps points out The M1 abrams has a somewhat comparable gun and its ammo bays are protected more so than that offered by case while the gun and ammo weighs less than in battletech

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Technical Readout: 3050
....This BattleMech, a Federated Commonwealth design with the same name as that realm's heir to the throne, was one of the first to get special priority for increased production and widespread deployment throughout the Federated Commonwealth. It was also an early candidate for recovered Star League-era technology.
....It is ironic that the Victor is no longer produced in the Federated Commonwealth. Despite all the advance planning, the Draconis Combine captured the world of Quentin in the War of 3039-and with it, Independence Weaponry, the Federated Commonwealth's only producer of the Victor. House Kurita now produces the upgraded design for its own regiments, and the Federated Commonwealth has been reduced to purchasing the entire output of the HildCo Interplanetary factory in the St. Ives Compact.
....The new model VTR-9K employs endo steel in its internal structure, which lightens the weight enough to accommodate upgraded weapons. The original Victor's two medium lasers have been replaced with pulse technology, and the 'Mech sports a mammoth Gauss rifle in place of an AC/20. Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment protects the pilot in case the gauss rifle explodes.

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Can you quote a part of a novel where Victor's Victor fired an autocannon instead of a gauss rifle?

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In the absence of anything solid,

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um...so what about RAC's, shouldn't they be just a different AC if the numbers simply the damage potenial for ten seconds...see where i'm getting?

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