Rifts Up Close: TX-16 Pump Rifle

By Tim Willard

In July of 101 PA the Triax Pump rifle was started to be offered in the Great Lakes area, and by March of 102 PA it was available from the Pecos Badlands to the Dakotas to the Dinosaur Swamp, and all places in between. Ammunition availability has been excellent, with the ammunition costing either 650 Cr per round, with 100 Credits for an empty speed loader strip or 2000 Cr for a speed loader strip with 8 of the rounds attached to it.

The weapon is marked as being made in Bonn and Neurenburg Germany, and the molycircs are hardened against EMP. The weapon is usually brought by ship to the Great Lakes ports and offered there, with Triax authorized subsidiaries taking it from there and offering it in other places.

The frame is made of advanced non-magnetic hyperalloys and molecularly bonded macroplast. The weapon's frame breaks down into several parts. The upper reciever, which is the barrel and the internal magazine, the lower section is the cocking mechanism and the pump-activated energy rails, the handgrip, and the forward handguard. The trigger is button activated, requiring 3 lbs of pressure to activate it, and the trigger well is large enough to fit most cyborg fingers, power armor gloves, and environmental armor gloves. The forward handgrip is lightly pebbled to provide excellent grip even under damp conditions, and the pistol grip has malleable plastic grips that deform to the operator's hand to allow a tight grip. The forward handguard is made of duraluminum, with the rotating screw housing remaining in excellent shape even after the handguard has beeen rotated several thousand time. The handguard can stand up to more punishment than expected, as it has been used more than once to punch an opponent without damage to the handguard, and some operators have taken to mounting spikes on the handguard after locking the handguard into place and adding on another wire stock. Many enhanced warriors distrust the fragile appearing dualuminum handguard/wire stock, chosing to replace it with a thicker foldable stock. The weapon uses open sights, with the front sight post being mounted on the forward part of the barrel.

The handgrip on the top of the weapon has a sight that operates in an unconventional manner. The sight uses a laser distancer that allows the user to know the range to the target, as well as passive nightvision systems. However, rather relying solely on a targeting pip, the sight lines up with the forward aiming post on the end of the barrel, allowing for greater accuracy. The internally mounted scope can be used with either passive nightvision, or unenhanced sight. The scope does not have telescopic ability, although some users have the sight modified to allow telescopic sighting, after having the front post removed.

The grenades are stored in an internal magazine, and are loaded one at a time through the port located on the right side of the weapon, and moved back to the rotating storage magazine by pumping the forward slide.

The rounds are fired via magnetic chamber pressure, which propels the round through a rifled barrel to impart a spin on the round. Once the round leaves the barrel small micro-fins deploy to impart even further stabalization on the round. The shotgun shell appearance is to contain the micro-HEAP round.

The round operates by the forward edge of the round striking a solid object, detonating the explosve at the rear of the shotgun appearing round. The detonation of the micro-explosive causes the copper convex plate to invert into a small lance of molten copper surrounded by plasma. The pinpoint lance penetrates armor, liquifying the armor it contacts. If the the explosively forged penetrator does not penetrate the armor, the heat transfer and inflitration of the liquid copper causes a "divot" to pop free, leaving a weakened part of the armor behind.

To the inexperienced eye, however, the round appears to be a micro-grenade that does not have a normal damage radius. The damage radius is not from the grenade itself, but from armor fragments that are blasted from the armor by heat transfer shock.

The weapon packs a devastating punch, holds up well under combat, and has a well thought out design, with the internal magazine being heavily shock dampened, and easy for the operator to get to in case on internal jam. A trained operator can open the weapon in less that 10 seconds, access the internal clip in another 15 seconds, clear the jam in roughly 5 second, and reassemble the weapon in another 10 seconds.

The weapon generates the needed energy by high powered generators located at the end of the pump bar. When the weapon is pumped, the dragging of the grip down the bar activates the generators, generating electricity that is stored in a built in capacitance gel storage cell. The energy lasts for several days if not immediately used by firing the weapon. The energy is used to create the magnetic barrel pressure that fires the round.

Despite the misnomer by the public that this weapon is a grenade launcher (Triax has made no such claims) this weapon is actually a high powered shotgun that uses innovative and highly advanced shells. The primary evidence, that should be obvious to everyone, is that this weapon is not an indirect fire weapon, but rather a point to point weapon with a fairly flat ballistic arc.

While the weapon is forward heavy, a stock is available from Triax and other weapons dealers that make the weapon excellently balanced, as well as carrying a buttkit that includes tools as well as a diagnostic scanner.

Weight: 21 lbs
Length: 28"
Caliber: 15mm
Muzzle Velocity: 935 m/s
Minimum Range: 10m (30 ft)
Maximum Range: 650m (1950 ft)
Maximum Effective Range: 550m (1650 ft)
Typical Combat Range: 250m (750 ft)
Magazine Capacity: 16

Manufacturer's Cost: 4,500 Cr
Wholesale Cost: 23,000 Cr
Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 37,000 Cr
Black Market Price: 14,000 Cr
Wilderness Price: 9,000 Cr