Alzamendi rifle
An Alzamendi rifle is any variant of bolt-action rifle used by the Umayyad Caliphate in New Andalusia, starting with the Mo.22 of 1904. As our story begins, all New Andalusian services (FANA, the Caliphal Guard, and the Umayyad Fleet) have standardized on the 1925 Mo.44, supplemented by the Mo.340, Mo.1340, Mo.33/44, Mo.333, and Mo.30/42 conversions.
Designed by a committee, the Alzamendi rifle's introduction was repeatedly delayed by changing requirements, bureaucratic infighting, and the interference of Caliph Yusuf II himself. Despite this, it quickly became famous for its excellent ergonomics, finish, and reliability, as well as the superb ballistics of the Taha-725 cartouche.
Alzamendi variants that are different enough to reflect in GURPS rules include the following:
Design and Development
The jundis deserve a rifle that I would be proud of.Less than a decade after its introduction, it was clear that the Mo.90 rifle was obsolescent. Caliph Yusuf II ordered the War Palace to find a replacement. In the finest traditions of the New Andalusian military, a committee was formed to do the work and immediately became mired in development hell.
- The first major delay came in early 1895, when an ACP F/94 became available for testing. After it thoroughly outperformed every design under consideration, work was suspended while the War Office explored licensing production.
- To nobody's surprise, licensing talks fell through, but the commission was given a long list of necessary features. Since no gun in existence met the new requirements, the commission was now responsible for designing a rifle "favorably comparable with the F/94."
- FANA's Ordnance Department was bitterly divided about whether to pursue a larger- or smaller-bore rifle than the F/94, and for political reasons the commission was forced to consider ideas from both camps, splitting its attention and resources. This only ended in 1897, when Yusuf II (largely as a matter of taste) mandated a small-bore rifle, and even then Taha-725 only became the agreed-upon chambering in 1903.
- To everyone's dismay, Yusuf II (a sportsman and gun aficionado) fell in love with the Alzamendi rifle, adopted it as his pet project, and invited himself onto the committee late in the design. He immediately suggested a number of small improvements, only some of which (notably changes to the stock profile) were feasible, affordable, or possible.
Variants
The UCNA's Mo.number classification system is needlessly precise and detailed. A single object can be assigned multiple Mo.numbers if different services adopt it at different times (often the case with the Umayyad Fleet, whose small arms are legally defined in relation to FANA's), and even the most insignificant conversions have their own label. Thus, while the Alzamendi rifle officially has more variants than a shark has teeth, most are distinctions without difference, and the UCNA has never worried about perfect uniformity.Alzamendi variants that are different enough to reflect in GURPS rules include the following:
- Decoration: Official specifications for an Alzamendi rifle require "no checkering" (a grudging concession from Yusuf II), but this is rarely enforced and often openly violated by the Caliphal Guard (who occasionally need to look presentable for their duties.) Surplus rifles, especially older ones that have been converted, regularly get decoration work done as part of their refurbishing (+1 to reaction rolls, Cost $950).
Left-handed action: The UCNA's armed forces are officially right-handed. Any left-handed Alzamendi rifle has to be specially ordered (usually Cost +$100) and, if it has military proof marks, commands a high price from collectors.- Magazine cutoff: FANA has issued a limited number of Alzamendis with magazine cutoffs, mostly for use by rifle grenadiers whose ability to rapidly change ammunition types is important. Using the magazine cutoff (a Ready maneuver) changes the Alzamendi's RoF to 1(3).
- Single-set trigger: The Caliphal Guard has ordered a limited number of Alzamendi rifles with single-set triggers, mostly for security detail: Acc 6.
- Threaded barrel: As our story begins, a threaded barrel is available as an option but rarely advertised. This allows the Alzamendi to mount a 0.34 kg baffler (-2 to Hearing, plus another -1 for being a bolt-action weapon, -1 Bulk).
See also
- Cardan rifle, a contemporary second-generation design used by France
- Gannen rifle, a second-generation design used by the Japanese Empire
- Go-gun, a first-generation rifle used by England-Scotland during the same era
Mo.44 Alzamendi (TL6)
Item type
Weapon, Ranged
Subtype / Model
Used by
Rarity
Often sold as surplus, but never second-hand; you don't let go of an Alzamendi
Weight
4.5kg (includes 0.6kg leather sling)
Dimensions
107.5cm
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