Questions tagged [weapons]
For questions about existing weapons or designing new ones.
-6
votes
1answer
84 views
How could an ultimate power armour be made? [closed]
In my setting, I want to have soldiers wearing some kind of power armor, but not just a simple power armor, but a truly (almost) ultimate solution to "taking damage" problem. My question is whether it'...
4
votes
2answers
129 views
Advanced psionic system and psionic grenades
So I'm creating a world in which an advanced psionic system exists. On a distant planet there was an AI rebellion resulting in the death of 95% of the planet's population and the remaining survivors ...
-3
votes
1answer
107 views
Cats versus Dogs with Cucumbers [closed]
In my world, dogs and cats are at war over a disputed territory between their kingdoms but they are at an impasse and have been for many years.
Somehow the dogs find out that cats are terrified of ...
6
votes
5answers
389 views
What it takes for body armor to stop a .50 cal?
The .50 BMG is a very powerful round with a lot of penetrating power. I want to survive it.
I did some research on my own, I'm just not sure how to combine these in a way to effectively stop a .50 ...
4
votes
4answers
132 views
Weapons for Bio-Electric creatures
The Tzzin are a race of reptilian humanoids that have some resemblance to electric eels. They are capable of generating and discharging electric charges through their hands.
With their Stone Age ...
49
votes
22answers
12k views
How to prevent superluminal traveling idiots from wrecking half of the universe?
Linked but not a duplicate of this question.
An example of the problem
During the last Star-Wars movie, I was dumbfounded by the sheer stupidity of admiral Holdo's move, during this particularly ...
-2
votes
5answers
167 views
Team of people need to destroy a highly guarded room without hurting anyone [closed]
In my fantasy novel, there is a rebellion that needs to be stopped. They have a weapon in a highly guarded room that is under ground. The team tasked with stopping the rebellion plans to drop several ...
11
votes
4answers
320 views
How might my sea dwelling civilization defend against land-dwellers?
I've searched through a lot of merpeople related questions on this site and didn't see anything that related particularly to me as most questions have to do with underwater combat or dwellings on the ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Camel guns/ zamburak
How effective are these guys? And could they somehow be considered the predecessor to the modern tank just as the horses of the medieval age were?
4
votes
3answers
301 views
Can a troll hide withstand bullets?
The trolls in my story have a very thick and nigh impenetrable skin. In the time before guns, you would need a very sharp high-grade steel blade to breach the skin and, even then, after a few hits, ...
5
votes
4answers
248 views
Could the 14-15th century world build a tank/AFV?
Using technology already available to them at the time, could the 14-15th century world create a somewhat effective tank/AFV that could either be used to move artillery quicker around the battlefield ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
Laser Induced Plasma Channel Inspired Gun
The idea is for a gun that was manufactured by revolting mining colonists from existing mining lasers, as such a weapon would be easily procured from their own resources. The weapon itself would be ...
53
votes
8answers
9k views
Does a grenade kill you the same way a gun does?
Disclaimer
This seems a particularly stupid question, but the more I think about it, the less trivial I find it. Worldbuilding possess the most appropriate tags. It does not fit in physics-network ...
5
votes
8answers
569 views
Small Species - What weapons would make sense?
One thing that I've been thinking about, for one of my sci-fi worlds, is the main race that inhabits it. They’re a small mammalian species, about three and a half feet tall on average, evolving on an ...
24
votes
7answers
8k views
Chlorine Trifluoride as a Space Weapon?
Pretty self-explanatory. Could a spaceship use a "ClF3 Mortar" to fire copper shells at enemy vessels? At first glance, this seems like a good weapon: it can burn even in space and can set fire to ...
6
votes
2answers
508 views
Weaponising the Tesla earthquake machine or modern equivalent
In 1935 at his annual birthday party/press meeting a 79-year-old Tesla
related a story where he claimed a version of his mechanical
oscillator caused extreme vibrations in structures and even an
...
0
votes
1answer
145 views
How would immersion in water affect a gas-mask?
As he debuted his super hero career as an unlicensed superhero, my main character always wears a gas-mask to conceal his identity and protect himself against tear-gas from police force.
Before ...
0
votes
3answers
230 views
How does modern military equip itself to deal with people using medieval weaponry? [closed]
Imagine something like a 'Stargate scenario'. The modern military has a means to send small squads to other worlds populated by people. The majority of these people will be at medieval or lower ...
18
votes
5answers
6k views
Chainsaw airplane: Feasibility study
In my dream I have been chased by a plane which had chainsaw blades instead of wings. That woke up my inner worldbuilder and instead being terrified, I started to wonder if something is even possible. ...
-1
votes
4answers
126 views
What advancements in firearms technology to increase overall effectiveness could we see with material science more advanced than what we have today? [closed]
If there was access to more advanced material sciences (such as polymers, metallurgy, plastics, and ceramics), what new developments in weapons technology could we see that can be as paradigm changing ...
24
votes
7answers
6k views
How durable would a person need to be to survive impact at terminal velocity?
For a fantasy race, or for bio-augmented humans, how durable would they have to be to walk away from a 1000ft free fall unscathed? And how would this logically translate to other forms of durability?
...
3
votes
3answers
251 views
How to use and maintain assault rifles brought to the past
A group of time-traveling soldiers ends up in 15th century Europe. They have an arsenal of either AR's or SMG's and need to use them until their resources (ammo) run out. How can they maintain the ...
-1
votes
3answers
89 views
Why would a peaceful race construct weapons? [closed]
In my story, there is an immortal peaceful type iv civilization that has spead across the universe, helping other species to advance and to bring peace. They have left behind their need for war or ...
-1
votes
0answers
47 views
Could submachine guns be made in 14th-15th century? [duplicate]
If people of the 14th-15th century had the knowledge required to build a submachine gun, how would they do it and is it possible?
5
votes
5answers
273 views
Ultrapowerful chemical propellant for guns
I'm building a moderately hard scifi future setting that focuses on space and land warfare and I'm trying to decide what would be the most realistic from an engineering standpoint of artillery tech ...
7
votes
6answers
189 views
Intelligent wyvern's weapons and armors
Wyverns in this world are intelligent creatures (similar to humans), capable of communicating among themselves.
They are reptilians, cold blood, with hands capable of manipulating, and wings that, at ...
9
votes
5answers
1k views
Is a sling a viable ranged weapon option for someone with poor eyesight?
I have a character who is, for lack of a better term, a Monster Hunter. She's physically fit, has a pretty high pain tolerance/is generally pretty durable, and is skilled in various forms of hand-to-...
6
votes
4answers
334 views
How difficult would it be to use scrap metal from a car to make armour or an effective short sword without using fire?
Tools available would be wire, bricks, hammers, a hack saw, a pair of compound snips, and flex glue. As well as the intact body of the car itself. Assume you find the tools inside or easily within ...
68
votes
34answers
19k views
What (modern) weapons could be used to destroy skeletal enemies as completely as possible?
As per the cliché, after getting hit by a truck, our protagonist finds herself in a 'swords and sorcery' fantasy world. Also as per the cliché, she is granted an overpowered ability to make her new ...
2
votes
5answers
216 views
Will a civilization need to make weapons if their use of magic is limitless?
OK here's the scenario.
After 1000 years, the elves were able to build a kingdom for themselves. They were given by their creator God the ability to wield unimaginable magic, magic that can shape ...
21
votes
8answers
5k views
What sort of armor would a bounty hunter wear in the medieval age?
What sort of armor would a bounty hunter wear in a fantasy based world inspired by the medieval ages (1100 A.D - 1400 A.D) that would allow him to be both protected and agile, while remaining somewhat ...
5
votes
3answers
383 views
Would chainmail stop an arrow from a longbow?
Restated in more words, would a conscripted pikeman with a decent set of chainmail but no shield have any hope against an arrow from your basic english longbow?
0
votes
1answer
150 views
How practical is a Scythe? [closed]
In the story I am creating, I want to have the MC gain a shape-shifting scythe that can change sizes from a keychain to a massive 8-foot scythe. The scythe takes shape into a weapon most ideal for the ...
24
votes
12answers
9k views
Why Laser “Guns”? [closed]
We all love laser guns (which are usually plasma weaponry) but why guns? It's not like we need the long barrel for making it more accurate or the stock to control recoil. So why guns and why not ...
8
votes
7answers
2k views
Is it possible to prevent a gun from firing by blocking the mechanism with your hand? [closed]
Suppose that someone is pointing a gun right at you.
He's not really convinced about shooting, so you talk and manage to get very close.
You keep talking and you can actually put a hand on the gun, ...
9
votes
6answers
985 views
What's a good way to classify railguns?
Most weapons and artillery are split by bore diameter, e.g. naval rifles of 203mm, 406mm etc.
Railguns and coilguns probably won't be classified the same way, I think. Cause if multiple models use a ...
5
votes
6answers
765 views
Material for weapons and tools in a magnetic field
What material for weapons and tools would a tribal/medieval society use if there was a magnetic field preventing the use of iron? The iron would be attracted by the ground, obviously. It can`t be used ...
2
votes
2answers
101 views
Fighting by human cannonball - medieval kamikaze (part 1 - steering)
Kamikaze pilots were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of
military aviators who initiated suicide attacks for the Empire of
Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of ...
25
votes
11answers
6k views
How do I scientifically explain a specific type of wood piercing through armor when not even bullets can?
I've created a monster with three weaknesses:
A soft spot in his belly that can be pierced through normally with objects, but the monster is so big and fast that hitting it is extremely hard and ...
31
votes
15answers
4k views
What kind of weapons would a much smaller species use to fight humans
I have a group of pixies fighting a group of humans. The pixies are about 4-6 inch tall humanoids, which seems like it puts them at a big disadvantage unless they seriously outnumber the humans, or ...
11
votes
9answers
3k views
Feasibility of an endothermic gun
I had the idea of a "void weapon", which would "generate cold" rather than heat on triggering. All the air from the chamber would be sucked out (thus "creating cold") and on firing, it would open the ...
1
vote
0answers
110 views
How big could a cannon be made [closed]
what is the absolute upper bound on the size of gunpowder cannons, (not rail guns or similar) in terms of shell weight and bore diameter before some mechanical or material problem prevents it from ...
3
votes
5answers
473 views
Usability of frictionless bullets
An inventor, inspired by hydrophobic sprays, has created a spray that temporarily removes the friction of whatever it's coated on. Curiously, he decided to coat a 10mm Auto cartridge with it. With ...
2
votes
4answers
190 views
Metal “Claws” Vs. Regular Claws
My species of aliens happen to have hook shaped claws on their main climbing limbs, these they will sometimes use for combat. However, I was wondering, would a metal "cover" over them, that's ...
7
votes
13answers
4k views
Could machine guns be produced in the 14th century? [duplicate]
Could light machine guns such as the Madsen be made during the 14th century? And since materials may be scarce only a few would be produced for use by a single soldier in a unit. Lets say their ...
-1
votes
5answers
222 views
Is a face liquefier a possible weapon?
So, say I’m a evil dictator who wants to create fear in the hearts of rebels. Usually, I just cover them in pitch, light them ablaze and throw them down the nearest canyon, but I want to try something ...
22
votes
11answers
6k views
How long would it take to nuke an alien spaceship in orbit?
Some gigantic, and presumably evil, alien spaceship has taken up residence in LEO. This spacecraft is ominously blocking all satellite communications, and launching smaller flying saucers towards the ...
3
votes
5answers
227 views
Would it be possible to use chlorine trifluoride as the payload of an artillery shell?
Let's assume that a country with technology at about the same level as Germany in the early 1930s wants to weaponize ClF3.
Would they be able to use them it as the payload of artillery shells? What ...
4
votes
6answers
376 views
Sentient trees. Can they develop technology?
Flying insects are the only moving animals in this world - they take care of pollination.
Adult trees (over 10 years old) are rooted to the spot with very wide-spreading root systems. Trying to ...
-1
votes
1answer
143 views
Disposable harmonica gun cartridge?
Would it be possible to make a harmonica gun in which the "magazine" is lightweight, easily made, and disposable? Preferably with the technology of the 1800s or earlier.
