The New BFC Standard Issue Service Weapon

Meet the ABR

This is the 4th BFC Standard Issue Weapon

1st was the BDR  - supplied by Zuvic

2nd was the SBR - Made by Black Faction

3rd was the Stop Gap Weapon - Name designation has slipped my mind.

4th is the new ABR - or Advanced Barbiturate Rifle.

The story starts with the BDR which was supplied by Zuvic Tech, bullpup design it was extremely reliable, robust and parts were plenty. 

After the Zuvic incursion supply continued however the Mistress knew that they needed new weapons that did not rely on external suppliers. 

Black Faction began designs on a similar bullpup design with an electronic feed system, lighter weight and much cheaper than the BDR. 

Once Zuvic pulled their production supply of the BDR and refused to support Black Faction with new rifles or parts the design on the new rifle for Black Faction was sped up. 

The SBR or Standard Barbiturate Rifle was rolled out 8 months after the Mallera Deep assault and encountered numerous problems. 

Failures in field resulted in over 400 expenditures directly attributable to rifle failure both in combat and in Azologoth extraction .

The issues were ironed out but the rifles were inferior to the CPD new Service Weapon, the BDRX. 

Once in the higher up position Vanessa immediately began designs on the new service weapon. 

The new service weapon was to be a replacement for all Black Faction Rifles including the heavy high powered weapons. 

During the period of very heavy losses due to the capturing of the case and also the total destruction of a Sector, SBRs and parts were scarce. She needed a stop gap.

The Stop Gap Rifle was a clone of the BDR but smaller lighter and cheaper. It simply had to do in the mean time. 

However the small number produced actually out performed both the BDR and SBR in combat, with the only downfall being its fragility. 

After the internal conflict within Black Faction and Vanessa's aspirations to destroy the alliance, weapons in total were running low. 

The ABR had a set of requirements she laid out, reliability, durability, modularity and interchangeable ammunition.

Her earlier desires to lower the potency of her ammunition were quashed by Phaedra, however she did give the design team once last requirement. 

Reduction of Barbiturate load to make a less lethal shot. 

The rifle has three basic power settings. 

This achieved by the magnetic feed system with pushed micronized powder from the internal hopper (enough for 600 full power rounds) the setting determines how much goes into it. 

Vanessa's requirement for a manual/mechanical relay without processors or complex electrics is a stroke of genius. 

The operator turns a switch, it changes the setting by moving the solid component. 

The Gas System operates from a hypergolic mixture which reacts to the binding agent in the powder (modified synthetic polymer) which solidifies from head forming a solid slug.

The Solid slug is propelled down the barrel and out the end.

When the operator fits the gas block magazine, which contains 50% more gas and powder than the rifle alone, the reaction pressure can be increased from standard operating pressure of 20,000psi to 35,000psi sending a heavier round through a larger diameter barrel. 

The switch varies the barrel diameter also. 

Gas Block Magazines are intended to be used with HAU units or during azologoth extractions. 

The advantage of these new rifles more than anything, is th ability for the units to engage Azologoth and enemy units at greater ranges.