Considering allowing Improved HVACs to use Standard and Snub ammo, with a corresponding lack of smoke and increased accuracy (less recoil due to heavier guns).
Also came up with a Gast AC for good measure. Dakka dakka.
Gast ACs (alternatively, "Dual-Barrel ACs")
Type: Ballistic
Tech Base: Both
Available: 3057A CSV, 3060A IoS
Tech Level: E
gAC/2 gAC/5 gAC/10
Heat: 1/shot 1/shot 2/shot
Damage: 2/shot 5/shot 10/shot
Range: 3/9/18/27(36) 1/7/14/21(28) x/6/12/18(24)
Notes: * May fire up to 3 shots per turn.
* Gast ACs never jam. Ever.
* IS gACs reuse Standard/Snub AC ammo.
* Clan gACs reuse Clan LB-X ammo.
* Gast ACs' targeting bonus from Targeting Computers,
AES, etc is capped at -1 unless it fires in single-shot
mode.
* If a Gast AC takes one critical hit, it can still
function, but only as a single-shot weapon. Two or
more critical hits will disable the gun entirely.
Tons: 10 IS, 8 Clan 13 IS, 11 Clan 17 IS, 15 Clan
Crits: 3 IS, 2 Clan 7 IS, 5 Clan 12 IS, 10 Clan
Ammo/ton: 45 20 10
Cost (unl): 140,000 235,000 375,000
BV: 76 146 260
In search of new means with which to combat the surprisingly tenacious Inner Sphere powers, the Clan Crusaders have not been idle. While rumors have been flying of the Burrocks trading with yakuza within the Draconis Combine, and the Ghost Bears have begun reverse engineering recent Inner Sphere technologies, the Steel Vipers took yet a different tack, putting more resources into research and development and developing a new type of autocannon.
The idea behind the new autocannon's mechanisms dates back before the invention of the K-F drive, to a two-barreled machine gun called the Gast Gun. Indeed, some Machine Guns produced in the Periphery still rely on this mechanism, firing bullets out of alternating barrels and having the recoil action of one shot load the bullet in the other barrel.
While this has been largely superceded, the main advantages of the Gast mechanism is that jams are nearly unheard of, and half of the gun can still function even when damaged. The main downside is the high weight-to-damage ratio.
Prototypes of these weapons were captured from the Vipers' captured factory complex on Pandora by the Waco Rangers in a daring raid. Inner Sphere powers have since deployed their own versions of the Gast Autocannons, though only the Lyrans and the Isle of Skye seem to be particularly fond of it.
Thoughts?