----about the M9----
Having been speaking with some guys who were in the army, and have fired
the weapon, I've heard that it has a distinct problem with jamming during
repeated firing, such as you would find in combat. Alternatively, I'd
recommend the Smith and Wesson 10-56 [I think that's the number] It's the
weapon that the FBI chose for first round stopping power, having lost too
many agents in incidents where the 9mm rounds they fired over-penetrated
the perpetrator. The FBI and the military did a study and discovered that
particular weapon possesses the best combination of reliability under field
conditions and first round stopping power. 10mm ... CCI Spier Lawman as
the round fired... Hollowpoint, very nasty.
----end excerpt----
OK, this sounds good. An even nastier alternative to the hollowpoints would be Glaser loads (which contain a sort of buckshot suspended in gel)... these produce effects similar to putting the muzzle of a shotgun into direct contact with the target and setting it off. BTW, is there a covert version of this weapon?
----about the Calico----
It was also used in Spaceballs, the movie. The problem with the Calico in
Japan is that it is a society with tight gun control. The only people
permitted to carry guns are the military, government agents, and some cops.
The other major problem with it is concealability. The Calico is NOT a
small gun. On the plus side, 100 round helical magazines are also
available, and they are interchangeable between the 9mm pistol and rifle
variants of the weapon.
If he goes with one of the larger variants of the calico, it would be
considered a SMG, since some variants are capable of autofire at rates of
better than 900 rounds per minute. However, there's also the H&K P90,
designed as a defensive weapon for vehicle and artillery crews. 5.7 mm
ammo with a number of available loads, including tracer, and I think even a
tranq round.
----end excerpt----
Oh yeah... I'd forgotten this thing's true size. It's a tossup between it and the P90. More on the gun control and concealability things later.
---G11 commentary----
Currently there's a problem with the weapon's feed... It doesn't feed
properly inverted. From what I've heard, the 3 shot burst is the basic
mode of the weapon, firing it so rapidly that literaly, by the time you
feel the recoil, all 3 rounds are on their way to the target. Also, it
fires so rapidly that 3 shots sound like a single loud shot.
----end excerpt----
Hmm. If Catbert decides to use this puppy, we'll have to note that it would be a more advanced version that the one presently available...
----shotgun----
Good shotgun, but while the rate of fire can make for an extraordinarily
lethal burst, the size and shape of the magazine makes it inconvenient to
carry more than a couple magazines without looking like you're begging for
trouble.
----end excerpt----
Again, the concealability factor will be discussed below.
----esoterica----
Why get the esoteric stuff from games? There are weapons out there, or in
development, that look and act exotic... for example, H&K is cooperating
with a firm in Minnesota to produce a 5.56mm battle rifle/20mm grenade
launcher combo that is INTRIGUING, and is expected to start seeing service
by approximately 2008. The Grenade launcher includes an integral laser
sight with electronic fusing for proper ranged detonation. The sights also
include Light amplification as well as a laser scope. The GL has a 6 shot
magazine, and is in long rifle form, with the rifle portion being small
enough that it is underslung on the grenade launcher.
----end excerpt----
Let me get this straight: the _rifle_ is slung under the GL, not the reverse? That aside, this beauty sounds like the M41A pulse rifle system. Said weapon is a 10mm rifle (100 shots/clip) mated to a 30mm GL (5-round handloadable internal magazine); seen in _Aliens_ and - briefly - in the Outlanders anime. Details of the game-based esoterica (Descent 2's gauss and plasma weapons, Abuse's 'flame rifle', and anything else I can dig up) are on hold pending Catbert's commentary on what I've already suggested.
Now, about concealability and gun control laws... good points there. I'm guessing that the concealment ability integral to Robert's kodachi would render this entire point moot (pocket dimension?). Hell, if I was an anime character with access to one of those, I'd want to have it store more useful things than a mallet. And in any case, if I was dealing with bugs like these, gun control laws would not be all that high on my consideration list. Were this sort of concealment not an option... Pistol (or pair thereof) in shoulder rig, fully loaded with 2 or 3 extra clips per; heavier weapon in a duffel (remember _Falling Down_?) For trips into the bugs' home court, of course, anything goes.
-Arthur Edwards
White Knight of the Order of Mihoshi Enthusiasts
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/7210/index.html