Heavy Weapons

      Power armor was initially designed during the mid 21st century as a means to add heavy support to infantry operating in urban conflicts. This tradition began a long line of heavy but short ranged weapons that could provide excellent support for infantry in urban environments. As the technology matured and power armor proliferated into other theatres of combat, however, the quest for heavy power armor weapons changed. This change sought out longer ranged weapons with knock down power that could shatter a 20th century main battle tank. Power armor portable rail guns were the first stage in this new requirement. While rail guns were ideal for some purposes - they were point of impact killing weapons. Enter the rapid fire field cannon. The rapid fire field cannon combined the technology of early 21st century 20 mm infantry support cannons with rail gun technology, to produce a weapon that could fling out two 20 mm armor piercing explosive shells, a nano-second apart, at high speeds to inflict far more damage than either a 20 mm cannon or even a rail gun of similar size and weight. Furthermore the modest blast radius increased the field of damage considerably, without causing the amount of destruction an automatic grenade launcher inflicts. When Salt Lake City fell the rapid fire field cannon was just coming into maturity. As a result the rapid fire field cannon saw only limited use by the military in the years preceeding the cataclysm since most of the R & D work into the project was believed destroyed by the Mexican Empire's nuclear attack on Salt Lake City.

      A quick note regarding rapid fire field cannons is that NO other manufacturers on RIFTS Earth have yet made the leap from producing pure rail guns into producing what is in effect a rapid fire rail cannon. The closest any manufacturer is to a rapid fire field cannon is ironically enough, Bandito Arms. The Bandit 6000 (As seen on pg. 176 of RIFTS World Book 14: New West.) was in fact one of the earliest prototypes of this weapon type. It was a functioning mock up built to showcase the proper conventional chamber feed. This was long before the E-Mag accelleration unit under development in Salt Lake City was intended to be fitted to a working prototype. Bandito Arms has become aware of this fact, over the years, and is presently working on an E-Mag accelleration unit, knocked off from the RFFC-17, for their own Bandit 6000. Once this project is completed, and they've knocked off the armor piercing shells as produced by S-Mart, the Bandit 6000 will inflict 1D6x10 M.D. on a rapid-fire two shell burst, but it will only have a blast radius of three feet. Weight will also be significantly increased to right around 85 Lb.

†S-Mart RFFC-12 Rapid Fire Field Cannon: This old fashioned RFFC is based upon a prototype design found within Project Archive. While not originally intended as a combat weapon when it was designed prior to the cataclysm, fledgling S-Mart simply altered the ammunition feed slightly, and turned this prototype RFFC into a conveniently shaped and sized power armor weapon. It is most often mounted on forearms of power armor units, but it can be mounted just about anywhere. The downfall to this weapon is it's weight is higher than most of the light rapid fire field cannons yet does less damage, it is shorter ranged than most modern infantry lasers, and it does less damage than any of the other rapid fire field cannons produced by S-Mart. The only advantage to it is it's relatively short length. This weapon can not be utilized by any power armor with a chassis class less than C.

†S-Mart RFFC-14 Rapid Fire Field Cannon: This was the most advanced power armor portable RFFC developed that was found in Project Archive. Unlike the previous version, this one appeared to have been designed and built primarily for power armor use. This version is a rifle intended to be carried by power armor, and introduced a longer range comparable to contemporary rail guns of the time, but damage inflicted is MUCH greater. This was allowed for, not by the use of a larger caliber as has been the solution in times past, but by introducing more E-Mag accellerator banks! The result, and therefore the draw back, is the weight. No power armor with a chassis class less than Class G may utilize this weapon.

†S-Mart RFFC-17 Rapid Fire Field Cannon: This rapid fire field cannon design was found not in power armor weapon development archives, but rather in cyborg weapon development archives. Traditionally cyborgs have slightly less strength than power armor, thus a light weight rapid fire field cannon was highly desirable. S-Mart, having done little in the development of new cyborg designs, decided to impliment this weapon in their power armor development program. What this RFFC rifle offers that the others do not is it's low weight to destructive capacity ratio. It may be used by any power armor with a chassis class of B or higher, yet has exactly twice the knock-down power of the Coalition States highly vaunted C-40R Rail Gun. What this weapon lacks, however, is range. It's range is on par with modern infantry lasers of this time.

†S-Mart RFFC-19 Rapid Fire Field Cannon: This is an S-Mart development of the RFFC-17 with a rearranged cooling system and an extra bank of E-Mag accellerators. The result of the modifications was an increase in knock-down power and a slight decrease in weight. In most other respects it is essentially the same as the RFFC-17. Unfortunately for interested parties the RFFC-19 is not available to anyone but the N.O.M.A.D. military and the Allied Naval Fleet. Not even the Red Devils of Wa-Daisho or the Imperial Kyatashiro military branches were permitted to purchase this weapon type, it is considered an asset of Desert Star only.

†S-Mart ISC-2 Infantry Support Cannon: An infantry support cannon, according to S-Mart's definition, is an offshoot of the rapid fire field cannon. Instead of firing rapid fire bursts, however, this involves a different grade of E-Mag banks to accellerate a single shell to incredible speeds. The result is a reasonable range with damage capabilities that match that of the RFFC-12. The advantage to an infantry support cannon over a rapid fire field cannon is that it eats less ammunition and provides a better range than the lightest of rapid fire field cannons, while being substantially lighter in weight. The ISC-2 from S-Mart is a bulky looking rifle with a heavy duty recoil suppression system. As a result of the reduced amount of weight and the recoil suppression system any power armor produced by S-Mart can wield it.

S-Mart ISC-3 Infantry Support Cannon: This weapon began as a modified form of the classic ISC-2 that increased the number of E-Mag accelleration banks, the caliber of the shell to 30 mm, and completely redesigned it's use profile. The result was a long ranged weapon, not especially designed for heavy hitting - but capable of it, but more significantly it was designed to operate in indirect fire modes using a Remote Targeting Computer. This made it a light, power armor portable, howitzer! As a result of the increased weight from the added E-Mag accelleration banks, only power armor built on chassis of D class or higher may wield it. This weapon uses S-Mart 400 series 30 mm ammunition exclusively. (Note: To use this weapon in the indirect fire mode the suit MUST be equipped with a Remote Targeting Computer!)

S-Mart HMP-1 Heavy Mortar Pack: This weapon is built as a modular backpack that can be fitted and removed without adverse effects on the power armor suit utilizing it. When in place it appears to be a pair of 75 mm wide tubes that protrude slightly over the helmet of the power armor on both sides of the shoulders, with a large drum like assembly at the base connecting both tubes. This is in effect a pair of 75 mm mortars with servos that allow up to a 70 degree arc to the fore. Within the drum shaped pack is the payload of the twin mortars and the servos for operations. The mortars give a significant kick and will pull any power armor with a chassis less than D class down onto their back if in a standing position when firing. If kneeling anything with a B Class chassis or greater can carry it. The only other prerequisite is that the power armor suit MUST be equipped with a Remote Targeting Computer to use this weaponry effectively.

S-Mart RR-1 Recoilless Rifle: This is a shoulder mounted weapon, very similar in mounting strategy to that of a Glitter Boy's Boom Gun. In appearance it looks like a very insignificant tube structure slightly flared towards the end, with a cross at the aft side of the weapon. On top of the weapon is a box like structure that resembles a largely oversized clip! What this insignificant appearing piece of hardware actually is, however, is a 75 mm Recoilless Rifle. Essentially an artillery piece mounted on a power armor unit! The advantages to this weapon is versatility in the variety of shells possible to be carried, the significant range of 18,000'. The disadvantages though are a low weapons payload, inability to reload the weapon without assistance, and the significant backblast. When this weapon type became available to customers in 117PA it became one of the hottest modifications being made to suits. The only prerequisit to be able to use this weapon to it's full range is to be equipped with a Remote Targeting Computer, otherwise it only has a 6,000' range.

S-Mart RG-4 Rail Gun: This is an S-Mart knock-off of the Triax TX-500 Borg Rail Gun and looks almost exactly like it, with a few "cosmetic" differences. The reason the TX-500 was chosen for a knock-off project was it's light weight, long range, relatively good knock-down power, and economy of use. This weapon uses 10 mm rail gun rounds.(A burst of rail gun rounds is cheaper than even a single 20 mm cannon shell.)

S-Mart RG-5 Rail Gun: This is an S-Mart produced version of the USA-M31 Rail Gun, the standard armament carried by the U.S.A. SAMAS Power Armor presently deployed by the various Native American Preserves. It was chosen for production because of it's long range, excellent knock-down power for a power armor utilized rail gun, and of course it's economy of use. This weapon uses 10 mm rail gun rounds.

S-Mart RG-6 Rail Gun: This is an S-Mart produced version of the USA-RG14 Rail Gun - otherwise known as the "Boom Gun". It has long been a dream of various global powers to reproduce the USA-RG14, but none so far have succeeded in knocking it off, though none had access to Project Archive in the past, as S-Mart does. S-Mart's version is so close, only by examining serial numbers on the various components, may it be determined to not be a pre-cataclysm weapon. The downfall to this system is the necessity for power armor with a chassis class of D-J to be fitted with an EMT-1 Electromagnetic Turbine to compensate for this weapons incredible kick. A I orJ Class layout based power armor unit does not require this compensation system, however. Nothing less than a suit with a layout class of C or more may carry an RG-6.

† Items marked as such use the S-Mart 200 series of 20 mm cannon ammunition, which is an armor piercing round with ferrous metal bands wrapped around it's circumference, thereby permitting electromagnetic accelleration banks to drastically increase the speed of the projectile.


Name Damage R.O.F./Attack Range S.R. Cost Weight M.D.C. Drum/Clip Payload
RFFC-12 1D6x10 M.D. 2 1,650' 40 120,000 102 Lb. 60 100/20
RFFC-14 2D6x10 M.D. 2 4,000' N/A 220,000 275 Lb. 75 100/20
RFFC-17 2D4x10 M.D. 2 2,000' N/A 110,000 98 Lb. 50 100/20
RFFC-19 2D6x10 M.D. 2 2,000' N/A N/A 142 Lb. 50 100/20
ISC-2 1D6x10 M.D. 1 3,000' N/A 100,000 62 Lb. 45 100/Drum
*ISC-3 6D6 M.D./2D4x10 M.D. 1 11,000'/4,000' N/A 175,000 75 Lb. 50 60/Drum
HMP-1 Varies 1 16,000' 30 100,000 150 Lb. (Empty) 120 10/Drum
*RR-1 Varies 1 18,000'/6,000' 20 150,000 155 Lb. 100 6/Clip
RG-4 SB1 pg. 57 SB1 pg. 57 SB1 pg. 57 N/A 90,000 SB1 pg. 57 45 1,800/Drum
RG-5 WB15 pg. 198 WB15 pg. 198 WB15 pg. 198 N/A 140,000 WB15 pg. 198 WB15 pg. 197 1,800/Drum
**RG-6 RIFTS pg. 223 RIFTS pg. 223 RIFTS pg. 223 30 2.5 million RIFTS pg. 223 (Unloaded) RIFTS pg. 218 RIFTS pg. 223


* Items marked with a single asterisk, indicate weapons that will have two separate sets of damages and ranges. The first set indicates indirect fire while the second indicates line of sight fire.

** The drum of the RG-6 is integral with the design of the weapon and the housing for the shoulder mounting. Therefore really the S.R. section indicated should be 20 for the weapon, and 10 internal for the ammunition housing.

Ammunition & Utility Costs
Name Reload S.R. Cost Per Round Cost Per Empty Container Loaded Container Weight Container M.D.C.
200 series/20 mm 5 per clip; 20 per drum 400 per shell 57,000 per drum/1,500 per clip 15 Lb. per twin box clip; 110 Lb. per drum 100/25
400 series/30 mm 20 per drum 400 per shell 60,000 per drum 147 Lb. per drum 100
75 mm Mortar Shells N/A - Integral Varies N/A 230 Lb. (Loaded) N/A - Integral
75 mm Cannon Shells 20 per clip Varies 1,000 per clip 92 Lb. per clip 20
10 mm Rail Gun Rounds 10 per drum 2 per round 1,500 per drum 177 Lb. per drum 25
40 mm Rail Gun Flechette Rounds N/A - Integral 350 per round N/A - Integral RIFTS pg. 223+200 Lb. (Loaded) N/A - Integral




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