Rifts Up Close: NG-Super

By Tim Willard

Northern Gun released the "NG-Super" combination laser pistol/microgrenade launcher in 82 PA in hopes of increasing their market-share among juicers, crazies, and cyborgs. Triax had been slowly edging out their market share since their arrival in 67 PA, and the fact that Northern Gun no longer had a monopoly on weaponry had finally sunk in 73 PA after Triax took more than 500 million credits of the market, and Northern Gun profits dropped by the same amount.

The NG-57 had been a hot seller, and still sold well, so the researchers at Northern Gun abandoned the program to make their weapons have the sleek "futuristic" look that seemed to be the main selling point of Wilk's and Triax weapon, and the designers were told to "go brutal and menacing" according to an intercompany memo by the board of directors.

Looking for something to pack a serious punch, the researchers checked the databases for anything that could be of any help and discovered a discontinued "micro-grenade" program that had developed marble-sized grenades. The program had been abandoned after the grenades proved too small and lightweight for distance throwing, which put the user in danger. However, these munitions promised to be the solution to the problem.

A weapon frame was built out of hyper-alloys and polyceramics, with the grenade launcher magazine at the rear of the weapon and the eclip inserted into the pistol grip. To extend the range of the grenades a pair of magnetic rings were used to cause the barrel to act as a coil gun (or Guass Gun), to improve muzzle velocity.

The laser section of the pistol was added after the grenade launcher section was perfected, and a laser targeter/rangefinder was added into the front top carrying handle. The laser featured a high powered emitter and artificially grown hexagonal quartz crystals as a focusing matrix.

The fire selector to switch between laser and pistolis located on the left side of the weapon above the trigger, but is too far up to be easily switched by the thumb. The weapon has no safety or fire selector, but it is often added in by third party after manufacturer armorers (500 Cr).

The grenade magazine connector (shown on the illustration) is prone to snapping off as substandard plastics were used for it. Without the connector, the grenade magazine cannot lock into place. Replacing it is fairly cheap (50 Cr, can be done by firer) and is often done at the gunshop were the pistol is purchased, or by the seller. (If it's done by the seller, increase price by 500 Cr)

While the forward sight contains a ranger-finder, it was never connected to any type of display, a strange oversight, as the range-finder is actually advertised. However, sellers usually use a small LED system to display the numbers, attaching it to the back of the carrying handle. (Add 1,500 Cr to price; or can be done with 15 Cr worth the parts and 45 minutes)

Occasionally the recoil of the grenade launcher will cause the energy clip to eject, another problem easily fixed by increasing the strength of the rocker pins. (500 Cr if done by seller, 250 Cr. by a 3rd party, 25 Cr worth the parts and 1 hour if done by user)

The grenade launcher is reloaded by shotgun pumping the front handgrip, as this not only moves a grenade from the magazine to the firing chamber, but the action charges the capacitors that power the two coils and the magnetic chamber pressure system via dual magnetic rails that generate a significant amount of energy. However, this makes it so either the person must possess significant strength or the weapon will have to draw from the power pack. In addition, this magnetic rail generation system often fails after several months, and requires the entire pistol to be disassembled and the parts replaced. (450 Cr in parts and 2 hours OR 1,500 Cr for a professional 3rd party) Most used pistols have defunct rail systems, and many people don't even know the pump energizing action exists.

If the "energizing rails" are not functioning, the weapon's coil-gun feature as well as the magnetic chamber pressure can be disengaged by opening the case and flipping a pair of micro-switches (10 minutes of work or 125 credits) or the weapon consumes a single shot from the energy clip.

In a fully functional system, the grenades are fired from the chamber by a combination magnetic chamber pressure and the grenade's chemical charge, and then accelerated even further by a pair of coils wrapped around the barrel. Without this system the grenade launcher range drops to 50m (150 ft). Without the "charging rails" the system uses a single shot from the eclip to launch the grenades.

The laser, while fairly sturdy and one of the more high powered lasers on the market, is still obviously added as an afterthought. The power-conduits to the laser emitter are occasionally magnetized, resulting in intermittent firing, the entire weapon has to be disassembled to repair or service the weapon's laser equipment. In addition the laser emitter often is pulled out of tune by the charging rails, requiring the weapon to be opened and the laser emitter re-tuned. To top it off, there is no storage compartment containing tools, and the tools are sold seperately to open the weapon's casing, run diagnostics, and repair the system. (1,200 credits for the tools and diagnostic computer, usually added by more high end sellers for +2,000 Cr to the price)

The weapon is not built for an extended e-clip, but the proper locking pins can be added for an additional 1,250 Cr (+2,000 if added by seller) or a belt-pack. Belt pack conduit cable mating plugs can be added for 3,500 Cr (+5,000 Cr for one modified before sale)

Another problem with the pistol involves the internal magazine. A sharp blow can cause the grenades to move out of alignment, either jamming inside the internal magazine or when loaded into the chamber. (Loading the internal magazine requires the removal of the magazine and hand loading them into the pistol through that port), the only way to unjam them is to open the casing (a 5 minute job) and remove the grenades. Another problem is with the grenades stored in the internal magazine becoming magnetized and suffering a 50% degradation in the range. An after factory modification of magnetic "grounding" circuitry to protect the magazine can be made for 1,500 Cr (if done by seller, increase price by 2,000 Cr), as well as the addition of a removable plate on the frame to allow quicker and easier access to the grenade storage area. (3,500 Cr by after-factory armorers, 4,000 Cr by seller, or 5 hours of work and 25 Cr worth the parts)

Weight: 13 lbs
Length: 11 inches unloaded, 14 inches with grenade magazine added
Caliber: 2 cm/15mm (grenades)
Maximum Range: 400m (1200 ft) for the laser, 350m (950 ft) for the grenade launcher with magnetics engaged, 150m (450 ft) for uncharged grenades
Maximum Effective Range: 300m (900 ft) for the laser, 300m (900 ft) for grenade launcher with magnetics engaged, 50m (150 ft) for uncharged grenades
Typical Combat Range: 100m (300 ft) for both
Magazine Capacity: 20 laser shots for standard eclip, 35 for extended clips, 110 for belt pack, 6 grenades inside internal magazine and an additional 8 grenades within the clip. Firing a grenade with the magnetic charge if the charging rails are inoperative requires the equivalent energy of a laser shot.
Manufacturer's Cost: 5,750 Cr
Wholesale Cost: 15,000 Cr
Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 21,000 Cr
Black Market Price: 23,000 Cr
Wilderness Price: 7,500 Cr