Gyros affecting recoil

A thread of 3 messages, 29 November 1990 to 1 December 1990, in the order they were sent.

#1877 Gyros affecting recoil

Mark F. Cook · 29 November 1990

Paul Baughman [email removed] writes:

>> Mark Cook says:
>>
>>One last point, the MT Imperial Encyclopedia (pg. 71) states that standard
>>equipment for the gauss rifle includes gyrostabilization.  If that addition
>>doesn't make it "Low Recoil", then I don't know what does.
>
>How does gyrostab make it low-recoil?  My understanding of how gyros work (not
>comprehensive, by any means ;+) don't let them absorb recoil, just help you
>keep the gun pointed at the target.  Gyros resist torqueing moments (is my
>terminology correct? ) but the full recoil should still hit your shoulder
>(wrist, whatever...).
>
>Yes?  No?

Yes AND no, Paul.  You're right that gyros don't absorb any recoil (you'll
still get kicked in the shoulder just as hard).  But that's not the point.
>From both a real-life military standpoint AND a RPG standpoint, the
detrimental effect recoil has on accuracy is barrel climb.  Virtually
nothing else matters.  While the gyro won't do anything to eliminate
in-line recoil (from the receiver back into your shoulder), it will
significantly reduce barrel climb by damping rotation of the weapon
in any axis.  This means that you are less likely to drift off target.
>From there, the benefit is obvious.  (BTW, this is why almost ALL modern
assault rifles have stocks which are DIRECTLY in line with the receiver.
By being designed that way, they cause a higher percentage of the weapon
recoil to be delivered as in-line recoil, thus drastically reducing the
rotation of the weapon due to recoil.  Result: more accurate weapon at
high ROFs.)

        Mark F. Cook

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#1887 Re: Gyros affecting recoil

Adrian Hurt · 30 November 1990 · reply to #1877

Mark F. Cook [email removed] writes:
>
> Yes AND no, Paul.  You're right that gyros don't absorb any recoil (you'll
> still get kicked in the shoulder just as hard).  But that's not the point.
> >From both a real-life military standpoint AND a RPG standpoint, the
> detrimental effect recoil has on accuracy is barrel climb.  Virtually
> nothing else matters.

I have to disagree again, Mark! :-)

One of the reasons Traveller classes weapons as low, medium and high recoil
is that some people fight in zero-G.  A low recoil weapon (e.g. snub pistol)
is better for use in zero-G than a high-recoil weapon (e.g. PGMP) because
it doesn't send you backwards at great speed into the wall behind you.
There's also the matter of the strength of the person holding the gun, and
the effect the recoil will have on someone who isn't holding it properly.

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#1903 Recoil in zero-G: Part 1

Mark F. Cook · 1 December 1990 · reply to #1887

Adrian Hurt [email removed] writes:

> Mark F. Cook [email removed] writes:
> >
> > Yes AND no, Paul.  You're right that gyros don't absorb any recoil (you'll
> > still get kicked in the shoulder just as hard).  But that's not the point.
> > >From both a real-life military standpoint AND a RPG standpoint, the
> > detrimental effect recoil has on accuracy is barrel climb.  Virtually
> > nothing else matters.
>
> I have to disagree again, Mark! :-)
>
> One of the reasons Traveller classes weapons as low, medium and high recoil
> is that some people fight in zero-G.  A low recoil weapon (e.g. snub pistol)
> is better for use in zero-G than a high-recoil weapon (e.g. PGMP) because
> it doesn't send you backwards at great speed into the wall behind you.
> There's also the matter of the strength of the person holding the gun, and
> the effect the recoil will have on someone who isn't holding it properly.

You're right, recoil does have a VERY strong effect on a combatant in
zero-G.  My comments (above) were strictly addressing combatants on
a planetary surface, or some other "gravitized" location.  Within
that limitation, I still stand by those statements.  And I still maintain
that gyros do nothing to reduce recoil; they only damp the rotational
effect it has on a weapon.  A weapon that isn't already "Low Recoil"
won't be helped by gyros, if used in zero-G.  The combatant will still
get thrown all over the place.

As for a weak person holding the weapon, or someone holding it improperly,
I doubt that gyros would help either of those folks, either.  A weak
person needs gravitics to reduce the weight of the weapon AND it's
recoil (ala PGMPs).  A person holding the weapon improperly deserves
the broken fingers and/or shoulder-blade. :-)  Again, I suppose
gravitics would help there also.

        Mark F. Cook

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