Energy vs Projectile

[Mark S]

In a personal, combat weapon type situation, where the objective is to make an enemy soldier incapable of further combat as quickly as possible, and hopefully force a couple of his buddies to pull him back for medical attention, is an energy weapon any better than a projectile weapon?

[Sea Skimmer]

Projectiles inflict damage by delivering energy. The delivery system doesn't matter, its how the energy delivered interacts with the target that does. In both categories the interaction can vary widely. You need a far more specific comparison.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Projectile weapons anyday. Especially smallarms, in reality they are simply, more effective and reliable than any "blaster" or "phaser" that may be seen in sci-fi. That and KE is a bitch to block, light can be reflected, particles can be halted or disrupted and other types are probably too exotic to use or dangerous.

[SyntaxVorlon]

Depends on your environment as well. If you are out in space you don't want kickback unless you have attached yourself to a ship or station or rock, without that you'll go flying off. PPGs, blasters, handweapon beams, all good for near zero g environments. On the ground you can do what you like, though if you are in a pressurized environment you'd probably want to go low calibur, just in case you don't want to take the chance of blowing a seal somewhere. In other words don't use a high powered rail gun inside a space station or on mercury without a pressure suit.
As for regular earthbound combat, use what you like. Be careful with beams though, too high energy and the dissapation might boil you.

[Sea Skimmer]

Depends on your environment as well. If you are out in space you don't want kickback unless you have attached yourself to a ship or station or rock, without that you'll go flying off. PPGs, blasters, handweapon beams, all good for near zero g environments.

But only because they often ignore physics. Blaster weapons do have recoil though, as should any ranged weapon.

[Captain Jack]

Question: Would a laser cauterize wounds? If so would that make it less effective than a projectile weapon of similar energy?

[Admiral Valdemar]

Question: Would a laser cauterize wounds? If so would that make it less effective than a projectile weapon of similar energy?

Yes, it would. If you want a good non-lethal weapon then sonic weapons or microwaves are probably best.

But again, you can't beat the tried and tested handgun, I'd take a Magnum over a blaster anyday.

*Drools over Magnum 500 hunting handcannon*

[Sea Skimmer]

Question: Would a laser cauterize wounds? If so would that make it less effective than a projectile weapon of similar energy?

Yes it does, one or two people have been killed by accidentally walking in front of lasers in tests. However the damage path of a laser is quite wide. But for the same power a projectile likely will do more damage.

[Captain Jack]

But again, you can't beat the tried and tested handgun, I'd take a Magnum over a blaster anyday.

*Drools over Magnum 500 hunting handcannon*

THE RECOIL, THE PAIN!
Give me a 9mm any day.

[Captain Jack]

Question: Would a laser cauterize wounds? If so would that make it less effective than a projectile weapon of similar energy?

Yes it does, one or two people have been killed by accidentally walking in front of lasers in tests. However the damage path of a laser is quite wide. But for the same power a projectile likely will do more damage.

So I guess projectiles will stay for a long time as small arms

[Admiral Valdemar]

But again, you can't beat the tried and tested handgun, I'd take a Magnum over a blaster anyday.

*Drools over Magnum 500 hunting handcannon*

THE RECOIL, THE PAIN!
Give me a 9mm any day.

Well as the Jackal 13mm anti-freak gun doesn't exist (in reality as a proper gun, there is a BB of it though), that's the closest handcannon there is. I just need to wait a month for the reconstructive wrist surgery before I can use it again.

[SyntaxVorlon]

Depends on your environment as well. If you are out in space you don't want kickback unless you have attached yourself to a ship or station or rock, without that you'll go flying off. PPGs, blasters, handweapon beams, all good for near zero g environments.

But only because they often ignore physics. Blaster weapons do have recoil though, as should any ranged weapon.

The difference in masses and energy transfer make energy weapons better for space use.

It takes a LOT more force to get 5 grams of metal moving at something like 400 mph than it does for 5 nanograms of helium or some other particle of the like. There's no kickback for a laser. At any rate, the purpose of a ppg is not to cause structural damage to the reciever(most people call this sort of structural damage HUGE FUCKING HOLES in your body) but to cause immediate heat damage. Particles moving at 400 mph are still going to put holes in your body, but they are also going to cause serious burns.
If you shoot a slug thrower in space you are going to get the full effect of CoM. Hell on earth you can dislocate your shoulder with a large gun(shotgun say[I'm not an afficianado]) if you position yourself correctly. Transfer all of that KE to the rest of your un anchored body in space and you'll start tumbling. Then you'll probably throw up because you are so unused to space that you brought a shotgun with you to shot at someone.

[Kuroneko]

Question: Would a laser cauterize wounds? If so would that make it less effective than a projectile weapon of similar energy?

Well, yes, if you consider turning bits of your flesh into superheated plasma that rips and burns the surrounding tissue when it expands at near Mach-1 to be a loss of effectiveness, it would.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Question: Would a laser cauterize wounds? If so would that make it less effective than a projectile weapon of similar energy?

Well, yes, if you consider turning bits of your flesh into superheated plasma that rips and burns the surrounding tissue when it expands at near Mach-1 to be a loss of effectiveness, it would.

That and a powerful enough pulse will blowback the target if human. Get a decent pulsed laser and keep it firing for long enough while you strafe and you have a holey target of one that is now in two pieces.

[Captain Jack]

I see: a Powerful laser can be very nasty. What we need now is a good portable power supply.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I see: a Powerful laser can be very nasty. What we need now is a good portable power supply.

Polonium-210 rod encased in a 10/89/1% mixture of CO2, N and He, produces lethal blasts of 1.9kW to a target upto 1.5km away. Lasts around 60 days before nuclear decay reduces power significantly.

[Captain Jack]

Nuclear decay? The antinuke people will shit themselfs.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Nuclear decay? The antinuke people will shit themselfs.

I hope they do, I can then feed them spicy pizza which is probably more dangerous.

[Captain Jack]

I see: a Powerful laser can be very nasty. What we need now is a good portable power supply.

Polonium-210 rod encased in a 10/89/1% mixture of CO2, N and He, produces lethal blasts of 1.9kW to a target upto 1.5km away. Lasts around 60 days before nuclear decay reduces power significantly.

Any idea how big (is it portable) this powor supply is?

[Admiral Valdemar]

I see: a Powerful laser can be very nasty. What we need now is a good portable power supply.

Polonium-210 rod encased in a 10/89/1% mixture of CO2, N and He, produces lethal blasts of 1.9kW to a target upto 1.5km away. Lasts around 60 days before nuclear decay reduces power significantly.

Any idea how big (is it portable) this powor supply is?

The Stavatti TIS-1 is around 107cm long (the full proposed rifle that is, it's just a bit heavier than the current M-16 model).

[Slartibartfast]

I have one in my flashlight right now.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I have one in my flashlight right now.

*Watches the torch go critical mass and explode*

[Slartibartfast]

*Appears unharmed from a cloud of smoke, with the face blackened, in accordance to Ammendment C of the Cartoon Law of Physics*

[Sea Skimmer]

There's no kickback for a laser.

If by that you mean recoil, then you are wrong. Lasers do have recoil.

[Sea Skimmer]

Well as the Jackal 13mm anti-freak gun doesn't exist (in reality as a proper gun, there is a BB of it though), that's the closest handcannon there is. I just need to wait a month for the reconstructive wrist surgery before I can use it again.

Humanity invented the grenade launcher for a reason