I have a race in my world that in most respects is comparable to a human, perhaps not in form but certainly in function.
One of the key differences between humans and this species is a lack of opposable thumbs.
- This species still has five fingers.
- The fifth, instead of being a thumb is essentially an extra pinky where the thumb would be, this changes the wrist bones and all that.
- Their fingers are slightly longer and slightly stronger
- Their manual dexterity is slightly lower than a human, meaning precision is a bit lower.
As in the title I am particularly concerned with how this would impact the development of firearms. For the sake of this question assume all other aspects of using a firearm are functionally the same as a human. (aiming for example)
Firearm Requirements:
- Must be for personal use, meaning only one person needed
- Include design considerations for both pistols and rifles (both single and burst/auto)
- How will it be held
- How will the trigger be situated
- Ensure reload is effectively easy
- The weapons should stay as similar to modern ballistic firearms as possible