Doomingsland
20-11-2006, 02:19
TDX .40 Caliber Standard Issue Sidearm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/Doomingsland/doompistol2.png
Picture by Mekugi
Design History and Overview
10.5x33mm (.415 DDI Magnum) revolvers have been carried into battle by Legionaries for over a century. The 10.5mm cartridge is currently in service with over half a dozen other nations as well; it has recieved mixed reviews. While its brutal stopping and penetration power is absolutely unquestioned, it is not exactly suited for use with a semi-automatic pistol. Various autos in 10.5mm chamberings have been manufactured by various companies, including Doomingsland Defense Industries and Pwnage Ordnance, only one has seen anything close to wide spread service: the Pwnage Ordnance TD-II.
This excellent piece of hardware, however, was built from the ground up for use with special operations forces. As such, it was very expensive; and its recoil was nothing to laugh at, being far worse than the various 10.5mm revolvers in Imperial service. This was not a weapon that suited the High Command in terms of equipping whole armies.
As such, DDI's Advanced Sidearm Munition Research Program (ASMRP) went to work, developing a round for use with a semi-auto pistol with the capability of penetrating a Level IIIA Kevlar Vest and still maintain a high degree of stopping power. Granted: such a task is bound to generate high recoil, but it could easily be accomplished without resorting to a magnum-sized beast such as the 10.5x33mm.
Research for this new round occured simultaneously to a commercial venture by Doomingsland Defense Industries: a new semi-auto pistol. DDI clearly intended to field the new round on this new frame, but the weapon was initialy completed before the round itself had been selected. As a result, it was marketted in a variety of chamberings, including .415 Short (10.5x18mm) and 4.8x33mm in addition to foreign calibers such as 9mm Luger and .45 ACP.
This family of weapons, dubbed the TDX (the actual designation TDX was reserved for the military version which would not be released for some years; other versions recieved the designations TDX-A, TDX-B, et cetera), was available in a variety of different frames (polymer, aluminum, steel, et cetera), chamberings, finishes, sizes. It was designed by famed gun designer Ioannes Lucasus Aemillianus, responsible for such weapons as the DR-78, the famed DR-83, DAC-97, and DRS-84. There was a TDX for every concievable customer, from the child learning to shoot his first pistol, to the average citizen carrying the weapon as self-defense (as law requires in the Imperium Doomanum), to the most hardcore special forces operator.
Even amidst this new weapon, the High Command stuck to its 10.5mm revolvers, all the way through the Czardaian Crusade and for some years after.
By the time the new round was ready to be fielded, the TDX had seen wide commercial success within the Empire, and DDI knew precisely how to build a version around this new round. This new round, dubbed the .40 Doomingsland Defense Industries (10x23mm), was a worthy successor to its mighty predecessor. This new round featured a bottlenecked case, which, because of its design, was capable of holding enough powder to allow for 10mm Auto-esque penetration and killing power. Not only this, but the bottlenecked cartridge design made for near-flawless feed, creating an extremely reliable service weapon.
During the Imperial Sidearm Munition Competition (ISMC), there was only one other round competing: the 10.5x25mm cartridge, which was, quite simply, a shortened 10.5x33mm cartridge. The High Command was by far more impressed with the .40 DDI cartridge, and thus that round was chosen for what was to be the Imperium Doomanum's favored sidearm for decades to come.
Overall Design
The TDX is a general-issue magazine-fed double/single action semi-automatic service sidearm chambered for the .40 Doomingsland Defense Industries (10x23mm bottleneck) cartridge. The standard issue version in the Imperial Army is a carbon steel-framed single-stack weapon featuring a five-inch cold-forged barrel; the barrel is also threaded to allow for the attachment of a sound suppressor. The Imperial Army-issue version features fixed iron sites with tritium inserts, allowing for superior low-light capabilities. The reason for the High Command's choice of fixed iron sites is rather simple: while match grade iron sites are great, they are simply fragile. They are not something you would drag through the mud.
The TDX is built from the ground up to take serious punishment: hence the ultra-sturdy carbon steel frame and fixed iron sites. The TDX, like all Imperial service weapons, it has passed the standard twenty-thousand round torture test without a single failure to chamber or fire. Other tests included running a freight truck over the weapon; it did not fail to fire after that, nor did the safety fail when a door was slammed on the hammer, and of course the standard array of temperature tests.
This is a result of the TDX's sheer simplicity: it has as few parts as possible and DDI has the tolerances in what they call the "sweet spot". The tolerances are tight enough to allow for superb accuracy, while being loose enough so that it goes bang every time you want it to. Also contributing to this is the bottlenecked design of the cartridge, which allows for vastly more reliable feeding than straightwalled cartridges. The weapon's action is similar to the H&K USP's short recoil system, while using the M-1911A1's cam lock for the locking mechanism. The TDX was designed to be extremely easy to field strip, and has only thirty-eight parts total.
In addition, the standard issue TDX has a 2.75" piccatiny rail machined into the frame for the mounting of accessories, such as flashlights and lasers, including the Luminus LI-XVIIA tactical flashlight/laser system, featuring both six individual high-strength LED bulbs with a combined output of 120 lumens surrounding a high-powered green tactical laser. The Imperial Army-issue TDX comes in a parkerized tenifer finish; this is a highly durable scratch-resistant finish, and is dull, preventing light from reflecting off of the weapon and potentialy giving away the position of the shooter. All metal parts in the TDX are treated with the tenifer finish.
The TDX is also a very safe weapon. It features numerous safeties in order to allow for the weapon to be safely carried when loaded. The weapon's trigger utilizes a safety similar to Glock's trigger, requiring that an external lever built into the trigger be depressed in order to allow for the trigger to move. The TDX also features a 1911-style grip safety, which forces the shooter to grip the weapon in the proper manner in order for the trigger to be operated. This also acts as a drop safety.
The weapon's actual safety is located in an easily reached position, allowing the shooter to thumb the safety on and off without changing his or her hand position. A loaded chamber indicator on the slide also shows the shooter when there is a round in the chamber without forcing the shooter to pull back the slide and observe the chamber (although that is recomended). A decocker mechanism allows the shooter to drop the hammer safely without pulling the trigger.
The TDX is double/single action. This means that the first pull of the trigger (if the hammer is down; after pulling back the slide and chambering a round the hammer should be up, but shooters often choose to carry with the hammer down for safety reasons) is double action: it performs the actions of pulling back the hammer and dropping it, setting off the round. After this first round the hammer will stay back; thus all following pulls of the trigger are in single action.
Doomingsland Defense Industries also prides itself on the sheer ergonomics of the TDX. Because the weapon utilizes a single-stack magazine, DDI designers were able to craft a very slim grip (grips on the standard model are checkered rubber) for the TDX. The result: the TDX is even more comfortable than the famed 1911 to grip; it becomes an extension of the hand. This results in a far more accurate weapon overall, as the shooter is able to manipulate the weapon more easily.
The TDX also has a very easy to use layout. There are cocking serrations both in the back of the slide and in the front. The pull of the slide is also silky smooth. The magazine release is located so that the shooter can use his or her trigger finger to eject the magazine: this allows the shooter to maintain their form as opposed to many other guns which force the shooter to use their thumb to reach for the magazing release. The slide release is also positioned far back enough to allow for the shooter to easily thumb it. In addition, a magazine release button, safety, and decocker is located on either side of the weapon, making it highly ambidexterous.
Cartridge
The TDX is chambered for the .40 Caliber DDI (10x23mm bottleneck) cartridge. This round was developed as a requirement for a replacement to the ancient 10.5x33mm cartridge. This round has very similar killing power to the mighty 10mm Auto cartridge in a more compact and reliable bottlenecked form. While it has a shorter casing, the casing is wider, allowing for just as much powder to be packed in.
The bottlenecked design also is very beneficial for feeding, as bottlenecked cartridges are superior to straightwalled cartridges in this aspect. The round boasts both flat trajectory shooting and superior knockdown power: a heavy round moving at a high velocity. This is a deadly combination that results in knockdown power vastly superior to that of the famed .45 ACP cartridge.
DDI has developed several loads for this cartridge. There is a 230 grain full metal jacket (FMJ) cartridge for superior penetration of cover and all around utility. A 215 grain jacketed hollowpoint (JHP) round designed for maximum expansion in a target is also in service, boasting superior killing power but inferior penetration to the FMJ round. Several other loads, including a frangible load, are available as well. However, the primary round used by the military is the Armor Piercing Fragmenting Jacket cartridge.
DDI, of course, has recognized that not all targets (if not most) are unarmored. As a result, a special round was developed to deal with both armored. This 165 grain round, called the Armor Piercing Fragmenting Jacket (APFJ), is capable of both penetrating a Level IIIA Kevlar vest, and cause a grevious wound on an unarmored target. This round consists of a pointed tungsten nose and core section immersed in a blended metal jacket that flattens out upon impact with a hardened surface, or an object unable to be penetrated (such as a vest). When this happens, the tungsten core is able to continue through, piercing the armor.
With unarmored targets, the case expands as the round penetrates. This both creates a massive wound from the fragments, and causes the core to begin to tumble within the target, creating an extremely lethal and difficult to treat wound. The lighter 165 grain load boasts both lower recoil and higher velocity, allowing for superior armor penetration properties.
The .40 Caliber DDI cartridge is an inherently accurate, as well. This is also a highly streamlined cartridge with a flat trajectory, meaning that the round's flight path will remain the same for most of the projected engagement range. A shooter will spend less time figuring out how much higher they have to aim given a range and be able to fire much more quickly and accurately.
Cartridge Specifications
Name- .40 Caliber Doomingsland Defense Industries
Case length- 23.2mm
Case diameter- 11.25mm
Rim diameter- 10.77mm
Base diameter- 11.19mm
Neck diameter- 10.74mm
Projectile length- 7mm
Projectile width- 10.16mm
Projectile weight (APFJ)- 165 grains
Round length- 30mm
Muzzle velocity (5" barrel)- 1,479 feet per second
Specifications
Type- Sidearm
Caliber- .40 Caliber Doomingsland Defense Industries (10x23mm Bottlenecked)
Muzzle Velocity- 1,479 feet per second
Operation- Short recoil
Barrel Length- 5 inches
Overall Length- 8.2 inches
Weight- 1.31kg loaded
Feed- 10 round single-stack magazine
Rifling- Polygonal
Rate of Fire- N/A
Fire Modes- N/A
Export Cost- $750
BUYER INCENTIVE:
Customers adopting the TDX as their standard service sidearm that have purchased the DAC-97 sub machinegun from Doomingsland Defense Industries will recieve .40 DDI conversion kits for all of their DAC-97s free of charge.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/Doomingsland/doompistol2.png
Picture by Mekugi
Design History and Overview
10.5x33mm (.415 DDI Magnum) revolvers have been carried into battle by Legionaries for over a century. The 10.5mm cartridge is currently in service with over half a dozen other nations as well; it has recieved mixed reviews. While its brutal stopping and penetration power is absolutely unquestioned, it is not exactly suited for use with a semi-automatic pistol. Various autos in 10.5mm chamberings have been manufactured by various companies, including Doomingsland Defense Industries and Pwnage Ordnance, only one has seen anything close to wide spread service: the Pwnage Ordnance TD-II.
This excellent piece of hardware, however, was built from the ground up for use with special operations forces. As such, it was very expensive; and its recoil was nothing to laugh at, being far worse than the various 10.5mm revolvers in Imperial service. This was not a weapon that suited the High Command in terms of equipping whole armies.
As such, DDI's Advanced Sidearm Munition Research Program (ASMRP) went to work, developing a round for use with a semi-auto pistol with the capability of penetrating a Level IIIA Kevlar Vest and still maintain a high degree of stopping power. Granted: such a task is bound to generate high recoil, but it could easily be accomplished without resorting to a magnum-sized beast such as the 10.5x33mm.
Research for this new round occured simultaneously to a commercial venture by Doomingsland Defense Industries: a new semi-auto pistol. DDI clearly intended to field the new round on this new frame, but the weapon was initialy completed before the round itself had been selected. As a result, it was marketted in a variety of chamberings, including .415 Short (10.5x18mm) and 4.8x33mm in addition to foreign calibers such as 9mm Luger and .45 ACP.
This family of weapons, dubbed the TDX (the actual designation TDX was reserved for the military version which would not be released for some years; other versions recieved the designations TDX-A, TDX-B, et cetera), was available in a variety of different frames (polymer, aluminum, steel, et cetera), chamberings, finishes, sizes. It was designed by famed gun designer Ioannes Lucasus Aemillianus, responsible for such weapons as the DR-78, the famed DR-83, DAC-97, and DRS-84. There was a TDX for every concievable customer, from the child learning to shoot his first pistol, to the average citizen carrying the weapon as self-defense (as law requires in the Imperium Doomanum), to the most hardcore special forces operator.
Even amidst this new weapon, the High Command stuck to its 10.5mm revolvers, all the way through the Czardaian Crusade and for some years after.
By the time the new round was ready to be fielded, the TDX had seen wide commercial success within the Empire, and DDI knew precisely how to build a version around this new round. This new round, dubbed the .40 Doomingsland Defense Industries (10x23mm), was a worthy successor to its mighty predecessor. This new round featured a bottlenecked case, which, because of its design, was capable of holding enough powder to allow for 10mm Auto-esque penetration and killing power. Not only this, but the bottlenecked cartridge design made for near-flawless feed, creating an extremely reliable service weapon.
During the Imperial Sidearm Munition Competition (ISMC), there was only one other round competing: the 10.5x25mm cartridge, which was, quite simply, a shortened 10.5x33mm cartridge. The High Command was by far more impressed with the .40 DDI cartridge, and thus that round was chosen for what was to be the Imperium Doomanum's favored sidearm for decades to come.
Overall Design
The TDX is a general-issue magazine-fed double/single action semi-automatic service sidearm chambered for the .40 Doomingsland Defense Industries (10x23mm bottleneck) cartridge. The standard issue version in the Imperial Army is a carbon steel-framed single-stack weapon featuring a five-inch cold-forged barrel; the barrel is also threaded to allow for the attachment of a sound suppressor. The Imperial Army-issue version features fixed iron sites with tritium inserts, allowing for superior low-light capabilities. The reason for the High Command's choice of fixed iron sites is rather simple: while match grade iron sites are great, they are simply fragile. They are not something you would drag through the mud.
The TDX is built from the ground up to take serious punishment: hence the ultra-sturdy carbon steel frame and fixed iron sites. The TDX, like all Imperial service weapons, it has passed the standard twenty-thousand round torture test without a single failure to chamber or fire. Other tests included running a freight truck over the weapon; it did not fail to fire after that, nor did the safety fail when a door was slammed on the hammer, and of course the standard array of temperature tests.
This is a result of the TDX's sheer simplicity: it has as few parts as possible and DDI has the tolerances in what they call the "sweet spot". The tolerances are tight enough to allow for superb accuracy, while being loose enough so that it goes bang every time you want it to. Also contributing to this is the bottlenecked design of the cartridge, which allows for vastly more reliable feeding than straightwalled cartridges. The weapon's action is similar to the H&K USP's short recoil system, while using the M-1911A1's cam lock for the locking mechanism. The TDX was designed to be extremely easy to field strip, and has only thirty-eight parts total.
In addition, the standard issue TDX has a 2.75" piccatiny rail machined into the frame for the mounting of accessories, such as flashlights and lasers, including the Luminus LI-XVIIA tactical flashlight/laser system, featuring both six individual high-strength LED bulbs with a combined output of 120 lumens surrounding a high-powered green tactical laser. The Imperial Army-issue TDX comes in a parkerized tenifer finish; this is a highly durable scratch-resistant finish, and is dull, preventing light from reflecting off of the weapon and potentialy giving away the position of the shooter. All metal parts in the TDX are treated with the tenifer finish.
The TDX is also a very safe weapon. It features numerous safeties in order to allow for the weapon to be safely carried when loaded. The weapon's trigger utilizes a safety similar to Glock's trigger, requiring that an external lever built into the trigger be depressed in order to allow for the trigger to move. The TDX also features a 1911-style grip safety, which forces the shooter to grip the weapon in the proper manner in order for the trigger to be operated. This also acts as a drop safety.
The weapon's actual safety is located in an easily reached position, allowing the shooter to thumb the safety on and off without changing his or her hand position. A loaded chamber indicator on the slide also shows the shooter when there is a round in the chamber without forcing the shooter to pull back the slide and observe the chamber (although that is recomended). A decocker mechanism allows the shooter to drop the hammer safely without pulling the trigger.
The TDX is double/single action. This means that the first pull of the trigger (if the hammer is down; after pulling back the slide and chambering a round the hammer should be up, but shooters often choose to carry with the hammer down for safety reasons) is double action: it performs the actions of pulling back the hammer and dropping it, setting off the round. After this first round the hammer will stay back; thus all following pulls of the trigger are in single action.
Doomingsland Defense Industries also prides itself on the sheer ergonomics of the TDX. Because the weapon utilizes a single-stack magazine, DDI designers were able to craft a very slim grip (grips on the standard model are checkered rubber) for the TDX. The result: the TDX is even more comfortable than the famed 1911 to grip; it becomes an extension of the hand. This results in a far more accurate weapon overall, as the shooter is able to manipulate the weapon more easily.
The TDX also has a very easy to use layout. There are cocking serrations both in the back of the slide and in the front. The pull of the slide is also silky smooth. The magazine release is located so that the shooter can use his or her trigger finger to eject the magazine: this allows the shooter to maintain their form as opposed to many other guns which force the shooter to use their thumb to reach for the magazing release. The slide release is also positioned far back enough to allow for the shooter to easily thumb it. In addition, a magazine release button, safety, and decocker is located on either side of the weapon, making it highly ambidexterous.
Cartridge
The TDX is chambered for the .40 Caliber DDI (10x23mm bottleneck) cartridge. This round was developed as a requirement for a replacement to the ancient 10.5x33mm cartridge. This round has very similar killing power to the mighty 10mm Auto cartridge in a more compact and reliable bottlenecked form. While it has a shorter casing, the casing is wider, allowing for just as much powder to be packed in.
The bottlenecked design also is very beneficial for feeding, as bottlenecked cartridges are superior to straightwalled cartridges in this aspect. The round boasts both flat trajectory shooting and superior knockdown power: a heavy round moving at a high velocity. This is a deadly combination that results in knockdown power vastly superior to that of the famed .45 ACP cartridge.
DDI has developed several loads for this cartridge. There is a 230 grain full metal jacket (FMJ) cartridge for superior penetration of cover and all around utility. A 215 grain jacketed hollowpoint (JHP) round designed for maximum expansion in a target is also in service, boasting superior killing power but inferior penetration to the FMJ round. Several other loads, including a frangible load, are available as well. However, the primary round used by the military is the Armor Piercing Fragmenting Jacket cartridge.
DDI, of course, has recognized that not all targets (if not most) are unarmored. As a result, a special round was developed to deal with both armored. This 165 grain round, called the Armor Piercing Fragmenting Jacket (APFJ), is capable of both penetrating a Level IIIA Kevlar vest, and cause a grevious wound on an unarmored target. This round consists of a pointed tungsten nose and core section immersed in a blended metal jacket that flattens out upon impact with a hardened surface, or an object unable to be penetrated (such as a vest). When this happens, the tungsten core is able to continue through, piercing the armor.
With unarmored targets, the case expands as the round penetrates. This both creates a massive wound from the fragments, and causes the core to begin to tumble within the target, creating an extremely lethal and difficult to treat wound. The lighter 165 grain load boasts both lower recoil and higher velocity, allowing for superior armor penetration properties.
The .40 Caliber DDI cartridge is an inherently accurate, as well. This is also a highly streamlined cartridge with a flat trajectory, meaning that the round's flight path will remain the same for most of the projected engagement range. A shooter will spend less time figuring out how much higher they have to aim given a range and be able to fire much more quickly and accurately.
Cartridge Specifications
Name- .40 Caliber Doomingsland Defense Industries
Case length- 23.2mm
Case diameter- 11.25mm
Rim diameter- 10.77mm
Base diameter- 11.19mm
Neck diameter- 10.74mm
Projectile length- 7mm
Projectile width- 10.16mm
Projectile weight (APFJ)- 165 grains
Round length- 30mm
Muzzle velocity (5" barrel)- 1,479 feet per second
Specifications
Type- Sidearm
Caliber- .40 Caliber Doomingsland Defense Industries (10x23mm Bottlenecked)
Muzzle Velocity- 1,479 feet per second
Operation- Short recoil
Barrel Length- 5 inches
Overall Length- 8.2 inches
Weight- 1.31kg loaded
Feed- 10 round single-stack magazine
Rifling- Polygonal
Rate of Fire- N/A
Fire Modes- N/A
Export Cost- $750
BUYER INCENTIVE:
Customers adopting the TDX as their standard service sidearm that have purchased the DAC-97 sub machinegun from Doomingsland Defense Industries will recieve .40 DDI conversion kits for all of their DAC-97s free of charge.