SDN World 3 Commentary Thread I

[Siege]

The Sultanate manufactures the KTW A-1 6.5mm machine carbine, for all your bullet-spewing needs!

[Ryan Thunder]

I don't think that sort of thing is supposed to exist yet. Not unless that 6.5 mm ammunition is a pistol round, anyway.

[Norseman]

I don't think that sort of thing is supposed to exist yet. Not unless that 6.5 mm ammunition is a pistol round, anyway.

A shortened down lighter BAR using 6.5mm ammuniton (Krag-Jorgensen style) might do the trick. Mind you the Brazilians rely on a simple bolt action rifle, by now they are probably using a simple magazine mechanism fed by stripper clips. If you need automatic firepower then an LMG or HMG is probably your better choice.

[Steve]

It occurs to me that without Mussolini as the first example, "fascism" in SDNW3 wouldn't be called fascism but something else like corporatism or even, heh, "nationalist socialism". Portugal may have actually coined whatever phrase becomes used for it given their government is Fascist-style.

[Raesene]

It occurs to me that without Mussolini as the first example, "fascism" in SDNW3 wouldn't be called fascism but something else like corporatism or even, heh, "nationalist socialism". Portugal may have actually coined whatever phrase becomes used for it given their government is Fascist-style.

If I ever manage to write one of this timeline's speeches by Benito M., he will be a nationalist communist. His aim is the reunion of all Italians (how that should be feasible against Thanas' Germany or the Eastern Roman Empire is beyond my imagination) in a communist state.

I have an event similar to H.'s Bürgerbräukeller-Coup in mind, using something else as my starting point. I haven't decided yet wether he will escape or not.

[Ryan Thunder]

Yeah but if you want to go that route (towards semi-auto) you could just purchase the Mondragon Modelo 1908 which now fully equips the Mexican Army with a n 8 round semi-automatic and 20 round fully automatic 7mm rifle. Nice to be at the front of that curve

The Grand Army of Colombia employs the Silva Borrasca 1920 semi-automatic rifle chambered for 7.7×57 Colombian spitzer hollow-point, fired from 5-, 10-, or 15-round magazines, and Estrella Volcán 1920 automatic rifle chambered for a mixture of 7.7×57 Colombian spitzer hollow-point and tracer rounds fired from a 30-round magazine.

Yeah, alright, so our line troops are still using a pump-action rifle. That's not *that* bad.

[Steve]

I'm seeing a lot of semi-autos around. People wouldn't be happening to techrush, would they...?

[Norseman]

I'm seeing a lot of semi-autos around. People wouldn't be happening to techrush, would they...?

I'm not doing semi-autos for the simple reason that they are utterly superfluous and not too reliable.

[Ryan Thunder]

I'm seeing a lot of semi-autos around. People wouldn't be happening to techrush, would they...?

They've been around for a surprisingly long time, actually, in the form of "self-loading" rifles.

I figured I'd only give them to my elites, just because that sort of thing wasn't in general military use until the 1930s. Most everyone else, on the other hand...

---

Also, Evincer, I meant to include you in the CSTO but I forgot to add your country's name to the list.

[Evincer]

The standard rifle and machinegun round of the Bolivarian Union is 7.62X54 mm Russian, as the BU adopted the Mosin-Nagant rifle in 1895, producing on license from Russia. (Tula was glad to get some foreign orders on a continent that couldn't threaten them.)

The Bolivarian Union utilizes a derivative of the Mosin-Nagant rifle, namely the Finnish derivative. The Mosin-Nagant rifles are reworked and rearsenalled, and extensively gunsmithed with match barrels and factory bedding.

The Mosin-Nagant rifle bolts retain the "generous" Russian tolerances. As a result, they are not as accurate as the Finnish Nagants. However, the extensive gunsmithing and match barrels lead to greater accuracy than the Russian rifles. In addition, the Boliviarian Nagants are zeroed without the bayonets, so that they do not require a bayonet attached for proper zero. (In addition, they tend to be shorter than the Russian Nagants, except for the original 1895 models.)

Though production has continued almost uninterrupted for 30 years, including scattered spikes during the revolution of 1906-1909 when the supply chains allowed, there are barely enough rifles to equip the total standing and reserve army. The possible shortage has led Bolivaria to negotiations with the Soviet Union to import further rifles. Many officers and support personnel rely on the Modelo 1910 automatic pistol as a sidearm.

The Modelo 1910 was adopted as the standard service pistol immediately after the conclusion of the Second Revolution. It is a Colt 1910 (essentially a Colt 1911 without a grip safety), chambered in the new post-revolutionary standard pistol caliber of 9X23 Rapido, which is similiar to .38 Super. 9X23 Rapido is also the standard submachinegun cartridge used in the m1918 (Bergmann).

Shortages of M1910 pistols, as a result of the high quality separate steel and machining that is used in the extractors, has resulted in secondary use of S&W Model 10s, the frames of which have been strengthened to accept the 9X23 cartridge.

[Evincer]

Is it possible to get a list of who's communist and who's not? It's tad confusing and hard to keep track.

The Bolivarian Union is a state-led market economy currently governed by a socialist coalition.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

As stated in my OOB, the Southeast Asian Union uses licence-built M1903 Springfields and M1917 Enfields as its primary rifles. The SAU also produces the BAR and the Mondragón Modelo 1908 under license, with some modifications; a typical SAU BAR would actually be closer to the wz.1928 in terms of general layout (a short-barreled version fitted with a compensator, similar to the Monitor, is also produced), while SAU Mondragóns have been extensively modified to accomodate the .30-06 round and the BAR's 20-round magazine. The vast majority of my forces still use the Springfield and Enfield, with the Mondragón and BAR largely limited to the Marine Corps and the China Guards Armies.

One of the projects I'm working on behind the scenes involves recreating the ZB vz. 26 LMG in .30-06 to replace my Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercies, and I'm also interested in acquiring production licenses for the Browning M1919 and M2 so I can get around to replacing my Hotchkiss M1914s.

[Evincer]

I had meant to comment on Colombia's choice of pump action rifles. They are arguably a good decision, but they do have some drawbacks. Compared to a bolt-action rifle, pump actions are typically heavier, and are less accurate at longer ranges. The slide action may also be "heavy" to work, or alternately, rattle when the rifle is carried. However, for close (realistic) combat ranges of up to 200 yards, the pump action is probably competitive in accuracy with the bolt, and faster. (Given proper training, however, a bolt-action can be worked almost as fast as a pump-action, or as fast in some cases.)

A well-designed and manufactured pump-action rifle may be as accurate as a bolt action, but, at the very least, they may have a worse trigger pull, which impedes accuracy.

Bolt-actions are, pound for pound, typically stronger and more inexpensive to manufacture than pump-action rifles. They are also probably easier to work from the prone position.

A pump-action rifle might be well-suited to jungle patrols. Leave the bolt-actions for longer distances on flat terrain.

[Siege]

I don't think that sort of thing is supposed to exist yet. Not unless that 6.5 mm ammunition is a pistol round, anyway.

I think you'll find Vladimir Grigoryevich Fedorov produced a self-loading rifle (fittingly called the Fedorov Avtomat) in 1913 which was chambered in a 6.5mm cartridge. My version is not an exact copy, but it's certainly possible for such weapons to exist by 1925. It's not my main battle rifle though, that is still a simple 7.7mm bolt action. The A-1 would be issued to elite units only. If only because if everyone could go full-auto on the battlefield it'd probably kill my logistics .

[Lascaris]

I'm seeing a lot of semi-autos around. People wouldn't be happening to techrush, would they...?

Actually without WW1 it makes quite a lot of sense. The French in 1914 were on their way to replacing the Lebel rifle with a semi-automatic rifle with the Meunier A6 rifle chambered for 7x57 chosen as the replacement. Without WW1 interverning the French army will have the Meunier in service and with France having put a semi-automatic rifle in frontline service other armiers will be following...

[Lascaris]

I don't think that sort of thing is supposed to exist yet. Not unless that 6.5 mm ammunition is a pistol round, anyway.

Which one you preffer? 6.5x50 Arisaka, 6.5x52 Mannlicher-Carcano or 6.5x54 Greek Mannlicher?

[Raj Ahten]

So is everyone just skipping sub-machine guns then? No Thompson's for the troops? ?

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

So is everyone just skipping sub-machine guns then? No Thompson's for the troops? ?

I think we've already discussed that before. There are quite a few of us who use Thompsons, MP18s, and/or equivalents thereof.

[Raj Ahten]

I've got my Q3 production up. I edited my naval news post to reflect my first Lexington is finished. "Alpha line" is a set of fortifications that tie in (eventually) with Spanish ones near my northern border. As planned it's a set of fortified towns acting as strong points with interlocking artillery coverage. They aren't planned to be able to stand up to siege artillery or anything like that. Alpha is also several miles back from the border so as to not give it a militarized character as goods and visitors cross all the time into Cisplatina.

[Norseman]

Gah! I got to get my production up But I'm so darned busy! Tomorrow though I'll get Q1, Q2, and Q3 up. Also where would this defensive line of yours be running again?

[Steve]

Um, Lascaris, while France didn't have WWI it did have the Franco-Dutch War.

[Raj Ahten]

Also where would this defensive line of yours be running again?

Not entirely sure on the specifics yet. I'll be consulting a map and I also have to consult my new ally.

[MKSheppard]

I'm not doing semi-autos for the simple reason that they are utterly superfluous and not too reliable.

Perhaps for Japanese designs, but for example, John Browning introduced the Auto Five repeating shotgun in 1902; the first of his automatic pistols in 1900; and an autoloading rifle in 1906.

[Minister of Pigeonry]

How are we figuring the amount of IBPs gained from Industrial improvement/investment? I remember it was discussed but I can't seem to find the specifics, they're buried in one of these threads somewhere. When the Maintenance costs got pulled I put ten IBPs towards Industrial Improvement, should I assume that the Maintenance costs were never in there and count that 10 as having been "at work" since the start of Q2? Or wait a month into Q3?

Either way, how many new IBPs are gained per quarter/year/etc. from 10 IBPs invested? I believe I remember a set system wasn't established, whether or not to track by year or quarter. Anyhoo, I’m just trying to determine how many new points, if any, I have to work with.

[Steve]

For now, assume you get 2.5 IBPs per 10 IBPs allocated for a year's time. IOW, if you spend 20 IBPs starting now for industrial expansion, in Q3 1926 you'll get 5 more IBPs.