Heavy Rifle

Heavy Rifle
Production information
Type Ballistic
Tech Base Inner Sphere Experimental
Year Availability Pre-Spaceflight[1]
Year Extinction IS = ~2825[1][2]
Technical specifications
Heat 4
Damage 9
Minimum Range 2
Short Range 1-6
Medium Range 7-12
Long Range 13-18
Tons 8
Critical Slots 3
Ammo Per Ton 6
Cost (unloaded) 90,000
Ammo Cost (per ton) 3000
BV (2.0) 91 (Rifle)/ 11 (ammo)[3]



Description[edit]

The Heavy Rifle is the largest Rifle in the family. The precursor to the modern Autocannon, the Rifle was based on the main guns used by tanks on pre-spaceflight Terra. The Heavy Rifle used heavier rounds and larger propellant loads to fire its shells. The Rifle was phased out of service with most major powers because it lacked stopping power against most battlefield units.[4] Though it has excellent range and can actually damage a BattleMech, its weight and ammunition capacity are no match for a standard autocannon. Another drawback is the Heavy Rifle's inability to use the special munitions available to an autocannon.

There are reports of some Periphery powers introducing units equipped with Rifles, but these reports were unconfirmed until the introduction of the Arbiter.[5]

Models[edit]

The Heavy Rifle is manufactured on the following planets:

Avalon Slugger[edit]

This 150mm gun fired a 68 kilogram projectile. [6]

Manufactured on Manufactured by Typically used in References
New Avalon Novais Motors Estevez Main Battle Tank [7]

Meridian Mark II[edit]

Manufactured on Manufactured by Typically used in References
New St. Andrews Meridian Manufacturing ARB-001 Arbiter [5][8]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tactical Operations, p. 411
  2. Second Succession War, p. 102, "Weapons and Equipment Extinction Table"
  3. Tactical Operations, p. 383, "Inner Sphere Weapons And Equipment BV Table"
  4. Tactical Operations, p. 337, "All rifles subtract 3 from their damage points when attacking any battlefield unit except conventional infantry, battle armor, 'Mechs with commercial armor, and support vehicles with a BAR less than 8. This can mean that the rifle inflicts no damage."
  5. 5.0 5.1 Experimental Technical Readout: Corporations, p. 8, "ARB-001 Arbiter"
  6. Era Digest: Age of War, pg. 1, "Just Following Orders"
  7. Era Digest: Age of War, p. 24, "Estevez"
  8. Technical Readout: Prototypes, p. 100, "ARB-001 Arbiter"

Bibliography[edit]