NationStates Jolt Archive

.50cal has been known to go through armor on certain parts of tanks, kill people from miles away, and split engine blocks on big diesel trucks. But up till now .50cal has been reserved for vehicle mounted machineguns and specialist snipers. You're average Joe is stuck with a LAW or an RPG at best in many cases, but why? We asked the same question and came up with an answer, introducing the new:

RDIE-74 Disposable Anti-Material Weapon
(or as the troops call it: the Killstick(tm))

Utilising metal-storm technology, the RDIE-74 stacks 24 deadly rounds in its 4 barrels, sealed from the outside until they are ready to be fired electrically. A fold-out 6x scope gives it the ability to snipe, and a rubber-bottomed bipod helds keep it steadily grounded. A gel based recoil sleeve prevents it from kicking wildly out of control in its two firing modes: quad shot and all-or-nothing. Its is a rugged weapon with less than 10 moving parts and it is waterproof until its front hatch is open.

A single volley from it is enough to easily kill any infantry, vision slit, or vulnerable engine, and the combined all-at-once mode can slam through almost 2ft of concrete.

Tired of killing camels with missiles? Why waste your troops time with expensive rocket launchers? Buy a Killstick today!

Only: $140

I see you're not really worried about hitting anything, with a barrel length of... oh... two to four centimeters or so for the first rounds? Also, without a barrel to channel the propulsive force of the ballistic propellant, you get a .50 BMG round moving like a musket ball. Great for sniping at a range of, oh, 50 meters or less.

No wonder it's called the Killstick--"If you use it, it'll kill your fool ass dead!"

Metalstorm technology is like any other--it has a limited range of uses. Using it for things outside of its design envelope is... risky.

But up till now .50cal has been reserved for vehicle mounted machineguns and specialist snipers.

And pistols. .50 Action Express, anyone?

Infantrymen with broken wrists anyone?

The idea is to kill with quantity, not quality, and 4 .50cal slugs are going to hurt like hell no matter how fast they're going. Would you want to be smacked by 4 musket shots? Metal storm delivers tons of fun :-). (also on their website it shows an OICW type weapon using stacked 20mm grenades, so its not impossible...)

GMC: I was speaking in military terms, the desert eagle is kinda an oddball gun....

NK: Hence the bipod and recoil gel. Plus rifle type weapons are more likely to dislocate the shoulder, if that makes you feel better.

Smurfden would like to buy 1.5 million of these Killsticks. Money will be wired immediatly.

(also on their website it shows an OICW type weapon using stacked 20mm grenades, so its not impossible...)

Um, said weapon is designed for area effect, not precision shooting, so a long barrel is unnecessary. [Also, the OICW is a really stupid idea.]

NK: Hence the bipod and recoil gel. Plus rifle type weapons are more likely to dislocate the shoulder, if that makes you feel better.

Um, gel will only delay the recoil, you need to vent gas somewhere to actually get rid of it.

Also, um:

Its is a rugged weapon with less than 10 moving parts and it is waterproof until its front hatch is open.

Metalstorm mechanisms have no moving parts.

Smurfden: Order confirmed, enjoy your Killsticks(tm)!

GMC: I'm just saying its technically feasible, the fact that the OICW is a joke with a big pricetag is irrelevent.

The gel being crushed out of the way actually does absorb some recoil, but the point is merely to slow it down over a longer period. Obviously the size of the bipod denotes the impossibility of firing this from a standing position, or any position where it will recoil back onto the shoulder.

I'm talking about the trigger, fold out scope, front hatch, and bipod.

I'm talking about the trigger, fold out scope, front hatch, and bipod.

Ah. It's normal to only count 'moving parts' as the parts of the mechanism that move, otherwise you end up counting stuff like hinged lens cap covers.

And unless you have a reasonably long barrel on the thing [which would make it a *very* large unit probably only practical for two men [one carrying barrel front and tripod [because a bipod doesn't absorb recoil, it just steadies the gun] and one with the 'breech' unit]] you won't be hitting anything above the aforementioned range of 50 metres. High explosive grenades don't have to hit their target bang-on, hence there's a much larger margin for error, particular when as with the MS area denial system you're firing dozens or hundreds at a time.

And $140 is way too inexpensive, you'd be hard pushed to buy just the scope for that.

Well, being necessary parts, I counted them, besides the scope they are all needed to fire the weapon(unless you want to fall on your ass in a hurry).

Just like they say on the website, accuracy improves as it fires deeper down the barrel(and IRL there are .50cal pistols and they don't seem to have so much trouble shooting past 50 meters, even with barrels as short as 12 inches.) As you can see, the bipod on this is not a standard two sticks in the ground, but rather something like a cleated shoe.

The scope amounts to basically a few pieces of plastic, in some countries you can buy RPGs for less than this.

Just like they say on the website, accuracy improves as it fires deeper down the barrel.

Won't help you if the barrel is too short the whole way down. Would also make the first couple of shots not even worth carrying if you didn't have a decent barrel length before them.

(and IRL there are .50cal pistols and they don't seem to have so much trouble shooting past 50 meters, even with barrels as short as 12 inches.)

The fact that a gun can shoot a bullet past 50 metres doesn't mean it's accurate past fifty metres. That's why nobody makes sniper pistols. Nobody outside circus trickshots and uberprofessional marksmen [as in way above the skill of any regular soldier] can hit at decent [ie rifle] ranges with a pistol.

As you can see, the bipod on this is not a standard two sticks in the ground, but rather something like a cleated shoe.

Bipods are still in the wrong place to counteract recoil in any way, they're only to steady the front of a weapon on a surface. You'd need a tripod to actually take recoil away from the firer's shoulder.

The scope amounts to basically a few pieces of plastic, in some countries you can buy RPGs for less than this.

That's because RPGs don't have complex electrical sequential firing mechanisms. It's also because said RPGs are made of appallingly low-grade materials or bought off corrupt Russian Army soldiers for nothing like their real value [or quartermasters emptying entire depots, in some cases].

Those .50-cal pistols also aren't trying to fire through goopy 'anti-recoil' gel. One 600-grain .50-cal is bad enough; firing four at a time...

I do see a use for this: Basically, a heavy Claymore mine. Other than that... basically useless. If you're going to snipe something, give the trooper a real sniper rifle instead of a heavy box that they have to come within spitting distance to actually have some hope of hitting the target. If you're going to take out materiel, give the trooper a real anti-material or anti-light vehicle rifle for the exact same reason. This weapon's niche is too small to be useful for any real armed force on the offense.

Metalstorm weapons are for putting a large volume of wide-area munitions (like 20mm explosive rounds) into a relatively large area--hence, 'storm.' This is why most Metalstorm weapons are mortars, where short barrel lengths aren't such a big deal to begin with. What Metalstorm systems are not for are for putting large numbers of point-munitions (like any sort of bullet) in places that need some semblance of accuracy (like a person-sized target). By the time you can use this weapon in that role, the enemy has already probably detected you and has shot you with a cheap Chinese SKS or a third-hand AK derivative that cost just as much.

Like you said, you can get an RPG for less than this in saturated-market countries like Arabic ex-Soviet proxies. An RPG is a much more effective anti-vehicle and anti-materiel weapon than this. Someone can also get a cheap AK that shoots straighter for less than this Metalstorm weapon. An AK is a much more effective anti-personnel weapon than this. Both weapons would be lighter than this, and both can be reused, making their cost even lower for price-paid for people-killed if we want to talk McNamara-style warfare. This weapon is an overengineered niche toy that uses fancy military duckspeak to make it sound more effective than it could ever possibly be.

It isn't too short the whole way down.....

Again changing the subject, this isn't a pistol, its barrel length early-on resembles that of a .50cal target pistol, but unlike them it is a large supported rifle so it doesn't require an incredibly steady hand.

It doesn't rest on the shoulder, if you'll look at the picture, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Don't try and use large words like electrical sequential firing mechanisms to conceal the fact that it basically amounts to a battery and a McDonalds grade timing chip. Disposable electronics are a very common feature among things like thigs.

EDIT

They aren't 'firing through' the gel, the barrels rest in front of it, it basically acts like an artificial shoulder. The fact that it fires 4 shots simultaneously negates any change in accuracy between shots.

It acts like a cheap version of both, it is a disposable weapon meant to be given to average soldiers so they don't have to carry a fancy and expensive rifle.

It isn't designed to compete as an assault rifle, it is designed to destroy stuff, a man with an M82 can also be shot by an AK.

This is a disposable weapon, so the reuseability price of RPGs isn't factored in(being different classes of weapons). Plus even the ones that can fire more than once can't fire nearly as fast and thier ammo weighs more.

Derringers were also tiny pistols that weren't particularly well suited to holding the ammo they did, blaming poor material quality for its danger isn't the same as blaming accuracy.

Early on, it doesn't even resemble a pistol. It resembles a .50 caliber derringer, and pepperboxes were known for being almost as dangerous to their carriers as their intended targets.

Again changing the subject, this isn't a pistol, its barrel length early-on resembles that of a .50cal target pistol, but unlike them it is a large supported rifle so it doesn't require an incredibly steady hand.

No, YOU pulled up the pistol as an attempt to claim the irrelevant comparison with the non-existance accuracy of a .50 cal pistol at rifle ranges. If you have a short barrel, you cannot fire as accurately, certainly not to rifle ranges.

It doesn't rest on the shoulder, if you'll look at the picture, you'll see what I'm talking about.

No, I can't see how it's held at all. It has only one visible handhold. If it has no shoulder stock, you might as well giving up on firing it accurately and call it a giant SMG, since that's all it would be useful for.

Don't try and use large words like electrical sequential firing mechanisms to conceal the fact that it basically amounts to a battery and a McDonalds grade timing chip..

If that's what's inside your gun, good luck to the poor bastard who has to fire it. If a shot doesn't fire and the next one does, he'll be rather badly fucked. Metalstorm is a complex system with a fair few failsafes to prevent shit like that happening.

Somehow, I see this as being really popular with inner city gangs for use in drive-by shootings, but little else.

A pistol can technically fire accurately out to quite some range, but the setup of having to hold it up unbraced makes it very difficult in practice. If the pistol had a long stock and a bipod, it could be done. This happens to have the stability of a rifle, so it isn't as innaccurate as a pistol.

It is like a bazooka or RPG in that it rests on top of the shoulder and the scope is on the side of the weapon.

You seriously overcomplicate the metal-storm system, if a charge doesn't fire, it knows something is up and it stops(because it didn't complete a circuit), this isn't a complex action at all. It isn't measuring light inside the barrel to see if theres an explosion, its working on a simple electrical circuit.

A pistol can technically fire accurately out to quite some range, but the setup of having to hold it up unbraced makes it very difficult in practice. If the pistol had a long stock and a bipod, it could be done. This happens to have the stability of a rifle, so it isn't as innaccurate as a pistol.

And if the pistol has a long barrel too...In other words, if a pistol was a carbine it would be accurate. Concession accepted.

It is like a bazooka or RPG in that it rests on top of the shoulder and the scope is on the side of the weapon.

Dear lord...You'd shatter your wrist and shoulder on the first shot. Also, very few bazooka-layout weapons are designed to be fired at long ranges, which against screws with your 'sniper' stuff.

You seriously overcomplicate the metal-storm system, if a charge doesn't fire, it knows something is up and it stops(because it didn't complete a circuit), this isn't a complex action at all. It isn't measuring light inside the barrel to see if theres an explosion, its working on a simple electrical circuit.

Oh, it knows, does it? There's absolutely no way for the firing mechanism to measure if the charge ignited or not, only if the igniter circuit did something. You would need a second system to ensure the shot had actually been fired. And this thing is disposable, so precision electronics of any kind are a no-no.

It isn't a concession, a pistol can fire accurately without a long barrel, its just the projectile speed will suck(a given). The reason it is hard to fire a pistol accurately is because it isn't stabilized like a rifle.

How will it break your shoulder if it is resting on top of it? (The wrist is saved by the handgrip moving)

Honestly, if the ignitor goes off just fine and the propellent doesn't fire, that means there's something wrong with the propellent, which is something that gets insured against in the factory. Electronic firing is more reliable than mechanical firing to begin with.

It isn't a concession, a pistol can fire accurately without a long barrel, its just the projectile speed will suck(a given). The reason it is hard to fire a pistol accurately is because it isn't stabilized like a rifle.

Yes, and that the short barrel results in low accuracy. You can negate this to some extent with a heavy charge [though not nearly enough], but a short barrel means the bullet is guided by the rifling for less time and therefore is less accurate.

How will it break your shoulder if it is resting on top of it? (The wrist is saved by the handgrip moving)

Since nothing is absorbing the recoil the gun, with no shoulder rest, just a flat bottom, will slide backwards on firing until the trigger group smashes into your shoulder joint. With 24 .50 BMG rounds fired in less than a second, that would really hurt, especially since you have no visible muzzle brake on this gun.

Honestly, if the ignitor goes off just fine and the propellent doesn't fire, that means there's something wrong with the propellent, which is something that gets insured against in the factory. Electronic firing is more reliable than mechanical firing to begin with.

For this price you don't get factory safety checks.

As said, if you want a general-purpose gun, buy an AK, want a tank killer, buy an RPG-7, want an AMAT sniper's weapon buy an M82 [although they aren't that accurate] or if that isn't enough something exotic and near-futurey like a high-calibre [15-50mm] post-barrel ignition ramjet rifle, want a support weapon then build yourself some power armour and slap on a real Browning M2. This thing is useful for drive-by shootings, and that's about all.

I think someone is severly overestimating penetration values for a .50bmg...

24 .50's have the same penetration as 1, it just hits more places. If you are intending to hit lighter targets, you could use light HE grenades more usefully, the range would be fairly similar too, accuracy wise. 24 25mm grenade's would do a great deal of damage to a light vehicle, while a .50 has to rely on actual penetration, something that short barrels hinder. For the light role, it simply seems less effective than something with area effect. You would also have to reduce the propellent in the bullets. 1 .50 round has horrible recoil. 24 at the same time, with all the anti-recoil systems in the world, will break a sholder, or snap a wrist if you dont have something supporting the back.

If you are going for heavier targets, don't bother. A .50 wouldn't even penetrate an AMX-30, from what I hear. Unless you get two shots in one hole(unlikely, with the accuracy problems), its single .50 penetration, which isn't much. An RPG-7 will have many times as much penetrationg as even three .50's in one hole, very unlikely as that is. For heavier targets, an AT-4 or RPG-7 would just be much more effective.

This rifle is a decent idea, but flawed in concept of munition.

who cares if its short ranged..... its $140, a .50 pistol is more than that :)

Ok, here we go.

First: A standard .50BMG (browning machine gun)l M2 ball round uses a 720 grain bullet moving at about 2800 feet per second, with a muzzle energy of 12,600 foot pounds. Funny little rule we have in physics that says "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." The force required to get the bullet to that muzzle energy is is given by Force=Mass*Acceleration. That same amount of force however, is also directed backwards, and this is where we get recoil. In a normal gun, the cartridge, seated against the face of the bolt absorbs this energy and transfers it to the stock and ultimately the shooter. In the case of the .50 BMG, this results in chamber pressures in excess of 55,000 psi. If that sounds like alot, it is. Because of the high pressures involved, the barrels, recievers, and actions of most .50 cal rifles share a common trait. They are HEAVY. The extra weight is in all the extra material required to contain the pressures, and as a side effect, more weight=less felt recoil as the recoil impulse is lessened. So, assuming your barrels are about 33 inches (based on containing 5 rounds and propellant each), that equates to between 25 and 35 pounds of barrel, times four barrels, for a grand total of over a hundred pounds, empty.

Next, remember that 55,000psi of pressure? Well, as I said they are normally contained by the action, but in the case of your "weapon" they are resisted by the next projectile in line. Without going to my Mechanics of Solids lab with a .50BMG projectile and putting it on the UTM, I can't say at what point you will start to get deformation, but it is probably a good bet that /something/ will happen to that round. Next thing you know, it is wedged into the barrel and all the other charges go off behind it, turning your little toy into a smoking hole in the ground.

On to your gel. The only way this could even have an effect on recoil is if the barrels are supported by nothing but the gel in their longitudianl axis, meaning that the whole barrel recoils with every shot. While this is a tried and true method on some pistols, and most large cannon, it would never be used on a high rate of fire system, because the barrel has to return to its rest position after every shot, meaning fire rate would have to be limited.

Aaaaand, here is the kicker. Barrels do not only contain a projectile and aim them somewheres, but they also accelerate them! The expanding gasses behind a projectile in a barrel are what make it go fast! The difference of a few inches barrel length can effect muzzle velocity by several hundred feet per second. So you basically have a pea-shooter until you get down to your 4th and 5th round per barrel. Not only that, but each set of rounds you fire will have a different zero point, as they will all be moving at different velocities, pretty much making a scope....useless.

Oh, and one last point. Another common feature you see on 50BMG rifles that are not pintle/tripod mounted are muzzle brakes! Using the well known Barret M82 as an example, that big hunk of steel on the end of the barrel accounts for an almost 70% reduction in felt recoil, and it still feels like a 12-gauge shotgun when you fire it!

Did I mention that most of these weapons are in the 6-10 thousand dollar range?

And before you ask "Hey, who is this schmuck, what does he know?" I am a nationally competitive shooter with what you might call a little bit of experience in high-power rifles.

http://pages.slu.edu/org/karmazin/1000yd.jpg

This has been a Karmabaijani Public Service Post.

It will still be as accurate as an RPG at least, it is intended for use at the same ranges.

The gel is absorbing the recoil and the handgrip moves with heavy recoil.

It is intended to knock out LAVs and tanks from certain angles, not to snipe, not to give support, it is like an RPG but you can hold more ammo for less weight(consider carrying a rocket for every jeep you want to kill and you see why this works out better, RPGs are overkill for small vehicles and underkill for big tanks).

The barrel weight you just gave is as much as an entire m82, so I think you may be overinflating the values.

The deforming bullets are a planned part of metalstorm necessary to prep them for firing.

The all at once mode fires so fast the felt recoil is all at once, there is no intermediate machinegun-like mode so the repeat rate on the recoil dampeners is moot.

The scope is there only because an aiming device is needed.

It will still be as accurate as an RPG at least, it is intended for use at the same ranges.
Riight. The first rounds derringer away, probably recoiling and killing the user; those shots also have ludicrously low momentum due to low muzzle velocity and have nil armor penetration against anything not soft and squishy. Muzzle velocity slowly increases to pistol capability (still crappy for armor penetration) and then to M-2 capability for the very last salvo. For this thing to serve its intended role, it has to get to the very last rounds without killing its user first... or having the user getting his fool ass shot by someone with a real weapon.

The gel is absorbing the recoil and the handgrip moves with heavy recoil.
The gel doesn't do jack. All the force still gets deposited quite neatly on whatever it is... oh, but it's over-the-shoulder, meaning that the gun has nothing to stop it save a) the user's hand (bad) and b) cleats (also bad)--unless the user is using the cleats on Louisiana mud. On anything not the consistency of thick mud... cleats come away, as their reaction is not in line with the recoil, creating a force moment that wants to sling the barrel upward. As the upper force (recoil) is far greater than the resisting force (cleat friction) the weapon slings upwards dramatically and starts spewing rounds into the air as well as having the butt end get the guy in the kidney. Even if that doesn't happen, the user gets a bullet rocket that flies behind him... shooting bullets that shoot his fool ass.

Anyone seeing a pattern?

It is intended to knock out LAVs and tanks from certain angles, not to snipe, not to give support
With the very last rounds. The first (derringer) and middle (pistol) rounds do not have the armor penetrationr required.

Granted, it would suck mightily in sniping or support roles.

it is like an RPG but you can hold more ammo for less weight(consider carrying a rocket for every jeep you want to kill and you see why this works out better, RPGs are overkill for small vehicles and underkill for big tanks)
Okay, four barrels: four times fourteen pounds per barrel (http://www.barrettrifles.com/rifles/rifles_99.htm) is fifty-six pounds. Add in another six pounds or so for ammunition, tube, [complex] electronics, and such and you get a sixty-two pound weapon. Here's an example of something in that weight class (http://www.hkpro.com/gmg.htm):

http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/photos/gmg.jpg
Dr. Gabriel Robins with a Heckler & Koch Granat Maschinengewehr

An RPG-7 weighs about fourteen pounds and each round weighs about five pounds. For essentially equivalent weight, you get a launcher and ten munitions that can take out the target rather than a massive gun and four rounds that may take out the target.

The barrel weight you just gave is as much as an entire m82, so I think you may be overinflating the values.
Point. A .50-caliber BMG rifle barrel is on the order of fifteen pounds; however, thicker barrels will be necessary to deal with the additional load of multiple rounds firing without rupturing, especially as there's no place for the gas to go except the front (no breech-loss). The grooves on the side of a barrel tend to cut off three to five pounds, so, actually, twenty-pound barrels are not that much of a stretch. I'm sticking to the fourteen-pounders to give you the benefit of the doubt.

The deforming bullets are a planned part of metalstorm necessary to prep them for firing.
Riiiight. This would require specially made bullets designed to fracture and oblate in specific ways... which kills the advantage of using common and inexpensive BMG rounds. This is what happens if you use standard M2 ball shot (basic run of the mill standard BMG round):

1) First round fires. All is well.
2) Blast of propellant deforms the bullet behind it, which breaches the seal between it and its cartridge.
3) Next round is detonated. The cartridge, now having a spot weaker than its back end (namely, the breach in the seal), detonates and forces the cartridge in the opposite direction than desired while the bullet is pushed/tumbled out the barrel.
4a) Worst-case scenario: Barrel gets stopped up by bullet and cartridge, gas builds up rapidly, boom.
4b) Best-case scenario: Barrel is blocked but not completely occluded; gas vents safely but barrel becomes unusable.

The all at once mode fires so fast the felt recoil is all at once, there is no intermediate machinegun-like mode so the repeat rate on the recoil dampeners is moot.
BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD IDEA.

A gas-compensated .50-caliber rifle has a kick like a 12-gauge. That is with a HUGE muzzle brake.

Where do you see M-2s without muzzle brakes? On vehicle mounts. There is a very good reason for this.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/images/m2-50cal.jpg
See, no muzzle brake. This is because the Huge Steel Mount (TM) connected to the Huge Steel AFV (TM) can take the recoil so the Trooper's Delicate Hands (TM) don't have to.

The scope is there only because an aiming device is needed.
Then put on iron sights; they'll be just as useful. Lessee... how can people get away with aiming LAWs? Oh, yeah, they're only about five pounds and operate on the "recoilless" principle of firing a rocket out of an open tube (back-blast, anyone?). This thing operates on the principle of a projectile weapons, and accurate projectile weapons have ways to counteract the recoil that leads to barrel lift and kickback. Let's compare:

1) Stock--proven way to put recoil somewhere where it is less likely to break bones than relying on the delicate human wrist. This thing doesn't have one.
2) Tripod. Oh, this thing has "cleats." See above points.
3) Gas vent--blow gases backwards and so provide a forward force to counteract the backwards force of recoil. Nope, this thing lacks that too.

* - * - *

No offense, but this is an utterly foolish weapon. It serves no purpose that cannot be done better with tried and true weaponry, and--as I said before--is an attempt to link buzzwords together to make a product. That is bad engineering. Metalstorm has its uses; this is by far not one of them. The Metalstorm pistol was a demonstration piece never intended to perform any real mission.

WTH is it with you and derringer weapons ricoheting and killing their user? How in the hell is a bullet going to leave the barrel and somehow manage to come back to the person behind the gun? Again, it is to be used like an RPG so the operator requires surprise or cover.

Who are you to say the gel doesn't do jack? It acts like a very large energy dump for recoil, much like a hydraulic or spring system. They aren't metal cleats if thats what you think, its a rubber sole so it can grip to things like grass and concrete. And it acts like a tripod. Just because it doesn't have the exact same shape as a tripod doesn't mean it can't be engineered to work like one; it isn't a standard bipod by a long stretch.

Even the first shots would have more energy than assault rifle bullets which are already known to penetrate some LAV armor(and definately jeep armor).

These barrels are shorter and cast in a single piece. And will you stop insisting on the complexity of the electronics? If they can pack them into a pistol(with a user identification system) I'm fairly certain this shouldn't be a problem. Also, comparing it to a GMG makes no sense given the weight of the ammo for a GMG.

Four rounds? Last time I checked(having created it :P), this has 24 bullets. Nevermind carrying 10 rpg rounds would be extremely encumbering given their size.

Its a disposable weapon, materials should be able to last at least long enough to get out the shots needed.

No, it doesn't require specially designed bullets, it is taken into account as a standard operating feature of metalstorm weapons, go watch their videos.

They used to have tripod mounts for .50 cals, this has a mount that acts like one.

Stock: Impossible given the amount of recoil generated, thats like asking to put a stock on the HMGs shown above. The gel acts like a very big artificial shoulder.
Tripod: It has the equivalent.
Gas vents: Impossible in metal storm weapons without a signifigant length of barrel added in front, impractical suggestion.

Your barrel can't be shorter and still fit in that many projectiles and propellant, and most barrels are cast or forged in a single piece. The fact is, when you start stacking chamber pressures of 55,000psi you need a heavier barrel to prevent it from bursting.

Its shorter to begin with, it saves a large amount of weight being forged in a single piece because the central areas where the barrels meet can be as thick as only one barrel since there is no danger of bursting inward.

WTH is it with you and derringer weapons ricoheting and killing their user? How in the hell is a bullet going to leave the barrel and somehow manage to come back to the person behind the gun? Again, it is to be used like an RPG so the operator requires surprise or cover.
It's called ricochet. Shorten the barrel enough, and the bullet tumbles as it leaves the barrel and still-expanding gases flow turbulently around it. The tumbling bullet moves erratically and, as this thing practically has to be fired prone, it's very close to something hard to bounce off of--the ground.

Who are you to say the gel doesn't do jack? It acts like a very large energy dump for recoil, much like a hydraulic or spring system.
I'm a third-year aerospace engineering major who has to study how forces affect objects. Even hydraulic and spring systems such as those found on the M16 don't actually REDUCE recoil, they DELAY it to increase accuracy. Every force has an equal and opposite reaction. Without gas venting, the forces imparted on the bullets making them go forward have only one reaction, and that's backward.

They aren't metal cleats if thats what you think, its a rubber sole so it can grip to things like grass and concrete. And it acts like a tripod. Just because it doesn't have the exact same shape as a tripod doesn't mean it can't be engineered to work like one; it isn't a standard bipod by a long stretch.
Okay, simple experiment for ya: Take a pair of sneakers. Drag them across a bunch of concrete. Not much resistance, right?

How is this weapon fired? Over the shoulder. What supports the weight most (i.e. what support is closest to the center of gravity)? The shoulder. What are shoulders usually covered by? Nice smooth clothing. Not very good for friction-based motion retardation.

Even the first shots would have more energy than assault rifle bullets which are already known to penetrate some LAV armor(and definately jeep armor).
Wrong. The first shots have practically no effective propulsive energy because they have no barrel to accelerate down. The bullet doesn't go magically forward; it has to be directed in front of the expanding gases that push it. Your system allows the gases to expand forward only for a few centimeters, at which point it is then free to expand further into the ambient air, wasting all of its energy.

These barrels are shorter
May have an effect...

and cast in a single piece.
Most gun barrels are. If they don't, they tend to fall apart (explosively). If you reduce the weight too much (i.e. remove too much material), they tend to fall apart (explosively). The weight issue cannot be avoided. Many engineers and soldiers have died learning this from "weight efficient" cannon for hundreds of years.

And will you stop insisting on the complexity of the electronics? If they can pack them into a pistol(with a user identification system) I'm fairly certain this shouldn't be a problem.
Complex electronics are light. Go take a look at any modern integrated circuit--the chips in your computer will work.

Just because they are small does not mean that they are not a) complex and b) expensive.

Also, comparing it to a GMG makes no sense given the weight of the ammo for a GMG.
The weight of your weapons system is equal to that of a GMG. The example says:

NO TROOPER CAN BE EXPECTED TO LUG THIS AROUND LIKE A LAW. THIS IS A CREW SERVED WEAPON.

Four rounds? Last time I checked(having created it :P), this has 24 bullets. Nevermind carrying 10 rpg rounds would be extremely encumbering given their size.
24 rounds, 20 of which are useless for the mission you're designing it for.

Oh... and a sixty-pound tube. Really unencumbering.

Its a disposable weapon, materials should be able to last at least long enough to get out the shots needed.
It's sixty pounds of disposable weapon. It'll be disposed all right--tossed by the side of the road by the trooper who wants a real weapon.

No, it doesn't require specially designed bullets, it is taken into account as a standard operating feature of metalstorm weapons, go watch their videos.
Nice videos... looks like recoil is still a problem, and it looks like the Metalstorm people were smart enough to give their bullets some barrel to work with. Then again, shooting holes in cars isn't much of an accomplishment...

They used to have tripod mounts for .50 cals, this has a mount that acts like one.
As if. The cleats don't even carry most of the weight of the weapon and as friction-based resistive force is based on normal force (i.e. weight) ...

Stock: Impossible given the amount of recoil generated, thats like asking to put a stock on the HMGs shown above. The gel acts like a very big artificial shoulder.
Except the gel doesn't impart the force to ANYTHING. There's nothing to push back against the gel--which means that there is no way for the system to be in equilibrium and you get a bullet rocket.

Tripod: It has the equivalent.
A wholly ineffective one.

Gas vents: Impossible in metal storm weapons without a signifigant length of barrel added in front, impractical suggestion.
Impractical suggestion for an impractical system.

I suggest you go and watch the videos yourself. All of the metal storm weapons seem to be able to move the very large steel structures that they are attached to with recoil.

I've taken your criticisms to mind and redesigned........

Introducing: Diet Killstick(tm)!

Due to complaints about the original Killstick(tm) being "a heavy bitch", we've decided to make a lighter, more troop-friendly version of it!

Holding only 5 rounds this time, the Diet Killstick is much more portable, but all things considered it is still very powerful. The original gel-based recoil absorption system has been dropped and replaced by a floating trigger-group, and a muzzle break has been added. Firing single shots or all five at the same time, the Diet Killstick acts like a poor-mans anti-material rifle, at a poor-man's cost!

Only $65

Good, good. This is a much more feasible weapon--especially now that each round has at least some barrel to go down to. The floating trigger group, coupled with the muzzle brake and a decent spring system, should keep the 'bullet rocket' effect down and make it a safer weapon (to the user).

why not just use a Barret Light Fifty
sturdier/ more stable/accurate and easier to reload

Because a dedicated precision sniper rifle is very expensive, and it requires lengthy marksmanship training. These can be distributed to normal footsoldiers to give them the occaisionally needed .50cal firepower when they need it, not just when there is a specialist with a multi-thousand dollar rifle around.

if yu tip it down wont all the bullets fall out?

......No, they are packed in snugly, also there is a waterproof tab sticking out of the muzzle break that protects them from moisture until it comes time to fire.

can I buy 5,000 of them?

Yep, we'll ship them automatically as soon as you wire the money.

ok wired the money

Shipped! Enjoy .50cal goodness in a can!