Service Rifle

The Service Rifle is a rifle-based weapons system originally designed in PA 244 for the United Defence Directive as its primary longarm. It's highly configurable into a stubby, carbine, assault rifle, marksman rifle, and heaps of other configurations depending on the user's requirements. The weapon and its numerous official derivatives and models, and copycat designs are a common sight in many gun stores.

• 6.8x45mm, delayed blowback receiver and 17“ inch long barrel as standard, with threading on the end for accessories.
  • Both parts easily replaceable with other calibres. ~5mm and ~7mm calibres are most common, but 'overgrown SMGs' have been created by chambering the gun for pistol ammunition.
• Cocking handle and ejection port can be made left or right handed.
• Integrated, two-prong sliding stock as standard, which can be replaced with a solid stock or removed entirely.
  • 32” in length with the stock in. 39“ in length with the stock out.
• Upper and lower rails for accessories, integrated into the barrel shroud.
• Ambidextrous fire selector, with Safe, Semi-Auto, and Full-Auto modes.
  • Civilian and sporting models are sold as Semi-Auto only.
• Flip-up front iron sight, and adjustable rear peep sight with modes for targets within 100 metres, and targets up to 300 metres away.

This rifle fires a 6.8x45mm bullet composed of copper-jacketed lead or steel, held in a brass case containing an active chemical propellant, and a primer on the base. When struck, the primer releases a spark which ignites the chemical - creating a pressure which pushes the bullet out of its case and through the barrel.

The action works as a conventional, delayed blowback firearm. To load the gun, a magazine containing ammunition must be inserted into the magazine well, and pushed all the way in. The user then pulls a cocking handle at the front of the weapon towards them to cock the gun's hammer for the first shot, and load the first bullet of the magazine into the chamber.

To fire, the user pulls the trigger and a firing pin strikes the primer on the bullet in the gun's chamber - the recoil from the ensuing shot is used to push a series of bolt pieces backwards. The motion of these bolts pull the fired bullet out of the cartridge and eject it out, and then moves the next bullet from the magazine into the chamber, while also pushing the hammer backwards.

If the weapon is set to Safe, the firing pin is prevented from striking the bullet's primer - by having a bit of metal interpose itself between the bullet and the firing pin. Works simply enough.

(To be done)

The following variants.

The following ammo types are commonly used in the Service Rifle.

• Soft Point
• Full Metal Jacket
• Jacketed Hollow Point
• Tracer

Join the United Defence Directive and pass basic training, and they'll give you one, in addition to a Mark 8 Laser Pistol, and a term of duty to defend Traveller and the Unity Protocol!

It is possible to purchase a civilian, semi-auto model on any of Traveller's colonies for ¤1500⁰⁰ to ¤2000⁰⁰, depending on secondhand status and retailer.

The Kingdom of Albion's armoury manufactures derivative called the R66 Lancet, which shares a calibre and receiver with the Service Rifle, but has has some visual and operational differences. For starters, the Full-Auto firing mode is replaced with a three round burst, the design of the barrel shroud differs, and the fold-up iron and peep sights are replaced with with a tall front sight and a carry-handle which holds the rear sight.