UFO fanfic: Official X-Com pistol

[FullAuto]

Just wondering if there _is_ an official X-Com pistol, as I can't find any mention of one in the fanfic. Certain characters have their own personal sidearms (Gaston Duchante and his Calico, for example) but there doesn't seem to be a certain make & model that's issued to everyone.

A good choice would be something made by H&K so X-Com could get it's standard weapons from the same company, just to keep things simple. So, what do we think?

[Zager]

The 1911. Tried and tested. It's reliable and powerful.

[JellyfishGreen]

H&K MK23 mod.0 .45ACP - If it's good enough for SOCOM it's good enough for XCOM. It's heavier than 9mm.

 

And apparently the same ammo as Zager's suggestion - here's a link for the M1911 Colt .45.

 

Sig Sauer 220 also takes .45ACP ammo.

 

It's hard to picture Mutons shrugging off .45 rounds, must be hella tough.

 

Not that I'm a gun nut or anything. :angel:

[FullAuto]

Personally I'd go for the USP 9mm, seeing as it's more reliable than pretty much every .45 calibre gun ever made and it's got a bigger magazine capacity.

However, the SOCOM is a H&K gun so it's just as reliable, it's .45 calibre so it packs more punch and it takes a 12-round magazine. Just like the pistol in the game.

[Neorapsta]

I personally prefer the good old Desert Eagle .50 AE. It has a small clip capacity but if your a decent shot you can take anything out.

[FullAuto]

The X-Com agents of smaller stature might find that a bit unwieldy. It's big, heavy and if you've got small hands you have to change your grip to use the safety. Add to that the small magazine capacity and the fact that the SOCOM is only a slightly smaller calibre and holds nearly twice as many rounds.....

[Snikers]

Comparing the damage of the pistol in comparison to the damage of the rilfe, I can only say it better be one hella pistol.

 

 

...That's about all I got.

[Zager]

Maybe it's loaded with devastator ammo?

[FullAuto]

You'd think so. Either coppertops or something like HydraShok perhaps. Special handgun ammunition is a moot point however, until we decide what the official pistol is going to be, or if we are going to actually have one.

[JellyfishGreen]

Well goodness. If it means that much to you, write it in, like I do, and ignore those who complain. Four discussion posts is usually enough for a consensus around here, I've found.

 

The MK23 mod0 holds 12 shots (like the game pistol), has ammo with knockdown power comparable to the rifle (like the game pistol), is used by modern special forces (like the game pistol), takes no notice of snow and desert environments (like the game pistol), I think you can see where my line of reasoning is going.

 

Sure the .50 might pack a bigger punch - and 9mm's more ammo - but we're hoping to move up to laser pistols anyway.

 

Not to say there's room for anyone who is fond of a different model of pistol, especially if they also take .45ACP ammo.

 

I only give sidearms to my HW troops anyhow, in the game. Real life or fic I'd take all the ammo and weapons I could manage.

[FullAuto]

It just seems a litte inconsistent to me that we have an official rifle but not an official pistol. The SOCOM does match pretty well with the in-game pistol, I'll agree with you there. It's also made by H&K so X-Com could get all of it's rifles and pistols from the same supplier, keeping things simple.

[The Veteran]

If you want official weapons, you're going to love a certain new game that's just around the corner

[Snikers]

"Just around the corner?" You're not talking about Aftermath, are you? In that case, you're a little behind schedule...

[JellyfishGreen]

No, Vet's talking about his own fanproject that he's recruiting for, where every XCOM soldier has to handcraft his own XCOM-brand rifle, and probably spend the evenings pressing their own bullets

[FullAuto]

It'll only take them a couple of years before they can actually shoot things.

[Dan_010]

"I personally prefer the good old Desert Eagle .50 AE. It has a small clip capacity but if your a decent shot you can take anything out."

 

My thoughts exactly, besides who says you can't modify the gun to accept a bigger clip?

 

"It's big, heavy and if you've got small hands you have to change your grip to use the safety."

 

Safety? Whose ever heard of having the safety on in the heat of battle?

 

 

Dan.

[Snikers]

Safety? Whose ever heard of having the safety on in the heat of battle?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I imagine anyone that doesn't want to trip or get bumped and have their gun go off in the holster, blasting a bullet through the holster into their leg. Or related hilarious incidents that can arise from running around with a safety off. Guns have those safety switches for reasons.

 

Dan, I'm very sorry I have to jump on you again so soon. Realize I'm not bullying you. I'm just the one that happens to be online right now.

[The Veteran]

Come on guys, you know I get excited when I see a new post in the fan-fic section but this isn't what I was expecting! Stop talking about pistols, or keep talking about pistols but do it in a nice dialogue in the fic

[Bomb Bloke]

Desert Eagle... I'm no weapons expert, but what would happen if you shot yourself in the leg with one of those in the holster? Would you keep your leg? Would it go right through? Or does it depend on the ammo?

[FullAuto]

The smallest calibre DE is .357 Magnum, which is big. There's also .44 and .50 calibre versions, which are bigger and huge, respectively. All three would put a sizeable hole right through your leg. If it hit at or below the knee and got a solid bone contact, there's a fair chance of it severing the limb. If not, you're still talking a nice big flesh wound.

To my knowledge, the two most popular (I use the term loosely) gunfighter-related accidental self-inflicted wounds are knee (known as Dodge City Complaint, from accidental firing) and toe (gunfighter's gimp, dropping the gun on your foot).

The DE would probably blow your knee apart and you'd be Hopalong to your friends from then on. Dropping it would mean broken toes, a DE weighs about a kilo and a half.

But in the fic we're not using DE's, we're using the wonderful Heckler and Koch Mk. 23, otherwise known as the SOCOM pistol. Which is .45 calibre (still big, but not as powerful as .357, .44 or .50) and is a big, heavy bullet that is fairly slow but doesn't bugger about. You're talking big wounds again. Best case scenario is a shot through the thigh or calf muscle, no permanent damage but lots of blood and pain.

As for ammo, you can get hollowpoints which 'mushroom' as they enter, reducing penetration, but I doubt a leg would be thick enough to provide enough 'braking', they'd probably still punch all the way through. A thigh, especially if the bullet hit bone, might be thick enough.

Got your eye on a negligent discharge accident, BB? Someone going to blow a hole in themselves?

 

My thoughts exactly, besides who says you can't modify the gun to accept a bigger clip?

 

You wouldn't need to modify the pistol any, you'd have to either extend existing magazines or have new ones made up. Not much of a job, really, but then the bottom of the mag, instead of being flush with the base of the pistol grip, would project an inch or two or three, and possibly snag when drawing the weapon. Very bad. You'd have a bugger of a time finding holsters and getting it comfy, too.

 

Safety? Whose ever heard of having the safety on in the heat of battle?

 

Pistols are back up guns for the X-Com troops. You go in cocked and locked, full magazine, bullet in the chamber, but safety most definitely on. It doesn't matter if you're using a .22 or a .357, you should have your safety on if you're not using the gun. They'll have the pistol holstered, whether it be on their hip, thigh, shoulder, wherever, it can get caught and tangled and if the trigger gets snagged and the safety's off...nasty. Nothing more stupid and embarrassing than shooting yourself by accident. When you draw the gun, you flick the safety with your thumb and by the time you're aiming, the safety's off and you can shoot. Just as quick as if it wasn't on, and a lot safer.

[AlanatXcomHQ]

In my opinion, if you want a small, lightweight pistol, go for a Glock 17.

 

Its small, most of it is made out of plastic so it hardly weighs anything and its got a 17-bullet clip. Its also got 3 safeties and it is very reliable.

 

But if its sheer stopping power you want. Go for a Magnum.

[FullAuto]

Well, Glocks are still 80% steel, and Magnums aren't really practical combat handguns thanks to their small capacity.

[Zager]

Frankly, I'm pretty impressed by the FN Five-SeveN. 20 rounds of 5.7mm AP ammo.

[Dumb_Commander]

I realy dont have favorites but my choice going between

 

Beretta 93R automatic pistol

OTs-33 Pernach

 

OR

 

M3A1 .45 cal. But thats not a pistol, thats a SubMachine gun

[Zager]

Beretta 93R automatic pistol

 

They don't make the 93R anymore. The three round burst option was just a toy, anyway. You couldn't possibly hit anything at any sort of range with it.

 

M3A1 .45 cal. But thats not a pistol, thats a SubMachine gun

 

It also happens to be obsolete.