Questions

[Pointy Sextant]

Another point of confusion.

Flechette rounds fly longer and straighter than conventional rounds. Yet sniper rifles use conventional style rounds. Why is that? It seems to me that Sabot Flechette rounds would extend the range of snipers and thus increase their effectiveness. Is there a specific reason other than availability of ammunition that the changeover to Flechette rounds hasn't been made?

[Gunmaster45]

I'm pretty sure they are banned by the Genneva convention... but for some reason I could buy a box of 100 out of cheaper than dirt if I wanted without any restrictions. The flachette round seemed interesting but I can't see how they wouldn't mess up function since they aren't round at the head.

[Gunmaster45]

Also, purely as an artist, I regret not seeing the vector on that list. It has such clean lines.

You mean the Vector CP1? I think they are kind of ugly personally. I don't know how reliable they are, but it is an interesting enough choice. They looked good in xXx.

[AdAstra2009]

Originally Posted by Gunmaster45

I'm pretty sure they are banned by the Genneva convention... but for some reason I could buy a box of 100 out of cheaper than dirt if I wanted without any restrictions. The flachette round seemed interesting but I can't see how they wouldn't mess up function since they aren't round at the head.

Didn't stop the US Military from using them in Vietnam.

[Vangelis]

Originally Posted by Pointy Sextant

Another point of confusion.

Flechette rounds fly longer and straighter than conventional rounds. Yet sniper rifles use conventional style rounds. Why is that? It seems to me that Sabot Flechette rounds would extend the range of snipers and thus increase their effectiveness. Is there a specific reason other than availability of ammunition that the changeover to Flechette rounds hasn't been made?

Flechettes might fly straight, but their wound channels are tiny, they deflect easily [SALVO / SPIW found their 5.6x53mm and 5.6x44mm flechettes could be deflected by raindrops], they're very, very expensive to produce, tend to be loud and have excessive muzzle flash, and since their range largely comes from being light and aerodynamic, their performance against armour is spotty, too; there's something to be said for rounds having high momentum rather than just high kinetic energy.

Gunmaster45: It's been argued that the Geneva Convention forbids deploying artillery flechette rounds in civilian populated areas; people argue they violate the provisions protecting non-combatants, on the basis that an arty flechette is a fragmentation round with 8,000 8-grain nails as well as bits of the casing to kill people with, and so it might kill people. As opposed to any other artillery shell you might fire at a civilian populated area which wouldn't kill anyone, I guess.

[Pointy Sextant]

Originally Posted by Vangelis

Flechettes might fly straight, but their wound channels are tiny, they deflect easily [SALVO / SPIW found their 5.6x53mm and 5.6x44mm flechettes could be deflected by raindrops], they're very, very expensive to produce, tend to be loud and have excessive muzzle flash, and since their range largely comes from being light and aerodynamic, their performance against armour is spotty, too; there's something to be said for rounds having high momentum rather than just high kinetic energy.

Gunmaster45: It's been argued that the Geneva Convention forbids deploying artillery flechette rounds in civilian populated areas; people argue they violate the provisions protecting non-combatants, on the basis that an arty flechette is a fragmentation round with 8,000 8-grain nails as well as bits of the casing to kill people with, and so it might kill people. As opposed to any other artillery shell you might fire at a civilian populated area which wouldn't kill anyone, I guess.

I'm confused on a kinetic energy level how a raindrop deflects a round. That sounds fantastic to me. I thought that a flecette assault rifle was in therunning to replace the M16 at one point?