Inside Firearms: Behind the lock plate

This discussion is solely dedicated to firearms found in ARCANUM ... excluding tesla gun, flamethrower, GL, and other "Fallout" style weapons.

Vendigrothian-based weapons were also excluded, due to its pure fiction nature... for them made firearms out of Mithril !!!. the thread is all about firearms that could become real (or already exists) with late-victorian era technologies, however, those "junk", and "master crafted" kins are welcome for discussion sir.

this thread is about mechanism, operation, and real-life functionality of firearms based on their in-game stats, apperances, and (for "craft" firearms... construction materials). i'm not sure of any of those has any background histories.

(I have no means to make a spoiler of game items)

Pictures taken from Arcanum World http://arcanum.phx.pl/arcanum/_arms.html

1. Flintlock pistols


I don't think those guns are really flintlocks anymore! since in game storyline, every guns (except fuel-based and electrical-based ones) were made around percussion primer (i think it was Mercury fulminate). if there's any reasons for those to be called as such. i think...
- it was originally flintlick weapons, which later converted into percussion guns. In real history, earliest percussion guns were made out of flintlock weapons, in another word. those flintlock guns were converted into percussions... for example..


^ Actual flintlock pistol, this one was of french design but its chassis was the common feature of 17th-early 19th century pistols.

the file said "Flintlock pistol", the picture said that it used to be one.
- All of those flintlock pistols, and its percussion successors, were single-shot weapons (repeating flintlock pistols did exists but extremely rare! for good reasons), and i guess much of them were still using either loose powder ammunitions or paper cartridge of some sort. yet i'm not sure if those weapons still remain in use during Wild west days? ...

In game. i think those "flintlock" pistols are
- all converted into percussion weapons
- many of those pistols further converted into breech loaders of some sort. regardless that it is still single shot weapons. yet it doesn't mean that muzzle loaders were completely faded out of active use.

2. Revolvers


Symbol of Wild West america! it is clearly that the weapons were modeled after Colt single action revolvers, and i'm pretty sure that in game, all of them are single actions (although the earliest double action revolvers were invented just a few years after Samuel Colt launched his first functional revolvers, double-action mechanism didn't become popular until the dawn of 1900s, i believe it was because of the delicacy of double action mechanism, and the contemporary steels were not so strong, many double action weapons only support weaker ammo... anything weaker than .44 Winchester or .45 long colt) . but... even some versions of the revolvers seen in game were seems to be made for loose powder ammo. I believe otherwise....
judging from what i've played through the game itself, I think that those revolvers appeared in game were all speed-loading single sixs. maybe many of them are top-break revolvers like early Smith&Wessons



or anyone think otherwise?

... just for today.... there will be more guns to debate here.

 

That all sounds good to me.

As far as the flintlocks go, a few minutes of Googling supports the idea that percussion pistols that looked similar to the Hand-Crafted Flintlock (or that French one in the picture) were used for duels and target shooting until about 1850. Similar weapons were being used at least until the 1870s, so I think they make sense in terms of the game.

I'm okay with the idea that there are still some pistols like that around. Especially considering that the Hand-Crafted Flintlock is a learned schematic. Making a reproduction of an obsolete gun is a perfectly reasonable thing to do in real life, so why not in Arcanum?

 

3. Hushed Revolver

^ Another craft weapon, made by plugging engine muffler into fine revolver muzzle. however, silenced revolver is a real impossible thing! even such weapon did appear in the latest Sherlock Holm movie. however the realism that of any revolver has an exposing windage (?) between chambre and barrel proved difficulti to make a silencer version for this weapon. same problem why revolver rifle exists but not very popular, the same windage also allows "sparks" to leak out of barrel, which could hurt, or at least, annoy a shooter.
its silencer size is also impractical for assassin job. i don't think that professional assassins will choose this weapon for their missions since the target is likely to suspect any abnormality of his/her "delegates", they rather use poison, dagger, or derringer pistols (with or without silincer mounted on the muzzle) to finish off victims. yet it doesn't mean that Hushed revolver doesn't fit any criminal activities. street robbers rely on building wall and narrow alley as their primary cover, and as long as they stay inside the shadow, and police patrols were not so strict (as in Tarrant) using this revolver may prove advantageous.

4. Fancy pistol


another flintlock weapon converted to use percussion primer. but if you wield this weapon, it looks much like blunderbuss pistol. the name "Fancy" comes from its engravings, which was common for hi-so wielders


should we say that this weapon is in fact another type of shotgun? for its designs to use buckshots rather than slug round.

5. Hand Cannon


named for its barrel size and appearance, this one is also designed to use with buckshots, to use against crowd in short range. this one however, is designed especially to use with "modern" centerfire cartridge (and not 12 gauge ones!). by its appearance (no exposing hammer) i believe this weapon use striker as a firing mechanism instead of percussion hammer. this weapon SHOULD be top-break breech loader.

6. Long range pistol

I'm not sure whether does this weapon is breech loader or muzzle loader. but i Do believe that it is single shot pistol with magnifier glass mounted on top! this "magnifier glass" sight looks more like modern Red dot sight. (even marksman ironsight did exists at that time). Historically, there was better weapon of the same class that known to exist. I believe it is Colt Buntline, i believe there was a scoped version exists (appeared in Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive, the weapon used by Doc McCoy was Col Buntline with a very very long sniper scope!).

The weapon might be assassin's "tool" if he/she choose to eliminate his/her victim (s) by shooting through the window and not by entering the same building victim is inside and do a kill at close range. it can be packed inside normal luggage (while Looking glass rifle required a littlebot more complicated methods of concealed carry). However, this weapon was made with a "tusk" in front of its pistol grip. i think this feature serves as either gun stand, or foregrip, providing shooter a steady aim, and thus, increased accuracy, Other criminals however, doesn't seem to fond of this weapon if they prefer alley ambush, where narow alley seems to turn magnifier glass scope into a decor rather than having its actual usefulness.

or anyone thinks otherwise?

 

......

......

I wouldn't say simply giving a basic flintlock/percussion pistol a paint job turns it into a shotgun.

 

I tend to agree with Muro, but if you look at the barrel opening at the end of the fancy pistol, you can see it appears larger and sort of flared-out compared to the regular flintlock.

Semantics, really.

 

The Fancy Pistol has stats comparable to the revolver (no adjectives). This suggests to me that it could just be chambered for larger caliber bullets than the regular flintlock.

Perhaps the regular flintlock is a .32 and the Fancy Pistol is a .45?

 

larger.

regular flintlock (percussion) pistol chambers .45, .75 or .69, fancy pistol chambers 1 inch slug shot (or buckshots!)

I don't mean that paintjob influences killing power. i said that "fancy pistol" was made as large bore weapon from its very birth, and then the manufacturer marketed this weapon at hi end market so he/she made a "fancy" decor. the firing mechanism was originally flintlock (or p'rhaps, snaphance)



4. Rifle

Three-band rifled "musket". Judging from its profile and appearance, this weapon should be breech loader, and possibly, repeating weapons, for me. "Rifle" should be of Spencer designs.



Spencer designs was... i think, the first firearms to use detachable magazine.

I'm not sure if this "rifle" was a standard military service weapon in any army in Arcanum? but judging from Lianna Pel Dar's inverview. this must be Tarrant standard issue weapon used by Line infantry. if i say this should be repeater weapon, then Pel Dar will "confirm" how Tarrantian line infantry formations easily mowed down elite Cumbrian Dragon Knights. Also Pel Dar will said that this weapon was first issued to "elite" troops, is it analogy to Civil War sharpshooters?

assume that no one in Arcanum has invented Bolt action rifle as yet. if UK wants an army upgrade, Spencer-designs may be its first choice i think.

5. Shotgun


A 12 gauge calibre weapon, Looks like this weapon is more like a hunting tool than CQB thing, it could be either flintlock or percussion lock. Alas I really have no idea beyond that. Who knows whether is it either muzzle loader or breech loader, single shot or repeating weapon?

 

It's definitely pump action, possibly also of Spencer design.



The yellow jacket is most likely the pump, of course different from Spencer's shotgun. In general, though, the grip of the Arcanum shotgun reminds me very much much of Flintlock/Fancy Pistol grip:




You can even see the flintlock mechanism on the shotgun! It might be a meld of the two designs, with the modified grip helping make it look more Victorian. I might be wrong on the grips, though, my eye isn't very trained on firearms.

 

^ Pump action firearms were first invented by John Moses Browning, he whom later developed numerous semiautomatic and automatic firearms and their mechanismas that now became widely accepted. I don't think Spencer designed pump action weapons.

"yellow jacket" might be a pump. but saying that this shotgun is flintlock is quite an uncanny. since very few repeating flintlock firearms exists, and all of them are designed as either multibarrel weapons or revolver (including the infamous Puckle gun). It is nigh impossible to make repeating weapons using either flintlocks or certain percussion cartridges witht its magazine being tube, box with spring, or even hopper... for flintlock you must prime frizzen every shots or have "salt flask" contains priming powder attached to its firing mechanism to pour down primer at a predefined amount in order to fire.


^ multibarreled flintlock pistol. this one is hand-crafted and designed for hi end markets.



Snaphance revolver


^ Puckle gun

 

You might have misunderstood me.

1. On the topic of Browning vs Spencer: I never said Spencer invented pump shotguns. I just said it resembles a Spencer shotgun. More so than a Browning shotgun at least.

2. I never said I think the Arcanum shotgun is flintlock either, I just mentioned that they reused at least a part of the graphic for the Fancy Pistol when they designed/redesigned the shotgun. Compare those 2 images I posted and tell me you don't see an uncanny similarity. But no, that doesn't imply it's a flintlock shotgun, just that identifying and comparing it to a real-life shotgun is harder because of that design. The stock reminds me more of Spencer than of Browning, that's it.

P.S. I might be talking out of my ass here, but Wikipedia says that Spencer was indeed the creator of the first successful pump-action shotgun in 1882, while Browning mostly concentrated on lever-action until 1897 and the first pump-action Winchester, model 1897.

 

^ just check the Wikipedia. you bet! The spencer who invented the early repeater rifle was in fact the the SAME spencer who invented the commercial-successful 12g pump shotgun.


^ The mechanism itself is very strange though, the feeder valve also serves as breechblock (of some sort i think) and ejector in one! the first glance i saw this gun in this pose. i though the weapon was critically damaged!

I assume that a gunsmith named Spencer did exists in Arcanum as well as in real life.

6. Hunting Rifle

This weapon was derived from real life top break rifles. and of course! made exclusively for civilian market. i'm not sure whether does this version a single barrel or double barrel. but i'm pretty sure that the ignition system was either internal hammer or ... more likely, striker pin. (as used in modern firearms)

7. Marksman Rifle

^ Is it a pun to "Sharps Rifle"? this one is explicitely Remington Rolling block rifle!



this weapon DID join some wars. when the USA was at war against Spain, Spanish militia uses this weapon as marksman gun, militias prefered ambush over line formations ya know.

Rolling block mechanism has a big flaw for not supporting "long" cartridges. i guess at that time it was made for civilian market rather than military (and too bad! many breechloaders uses short cartridge, i don't know the reasons why? was it a mechanical flaws of early breech loaders? or an intentions to sell it to gold rushers since those type of clients need an ammunition that can be used both for rifle and his pistol. I don't really know why? for me it's more a weapon for forest poachers than military "chasseurs"

8. Clarington Rifle

^ This weapon is explicitely of Henry's design, and a common lever action weapon saw in Wild West movies. but what is Clarington stands for? a dude in Arcanum who filed for the gun's patent. OR an industrialist name who runs an arms plant in Tarant?
judging its usefulness... it doesn't fit Military market as i believe that this weapon chambers ".44 Winchester" of that universe. which is also miracolously fits Colt SAA's cyinders. but if this weapon could join any army, i'd say that either cav or Grenadier units may get one. for its effective range was something around assault rifle's range i think. Line infantrymen is more likely to get any rifle that uses "long" charges. which (i think) all of them are single shots

 

The engine muffler as a silencer is an alleged joke. Check the idioms and tropes article for run downs of all the in game functions and situations of Arcanum.

It's entertaining at least.

 

Wow, that's nice, I want it to be in my gun.

___________________
A man with a briefcase can steal millions more than any man with a stun gun.