Ammunition and Explosives

Ammunition is Scarce

Ammunition is scarce in the world, with most coming from pre-shattering stockpiles. A few lucky groups have the means to produce new ammunition. Almost all of these groups also have the might to destroy anyone who would attempt to take these means for themselves. Within groups that have limited access to sophisticated firearms, ammunition for these weapons is generally a privilege of the leaders and elite warriors. This is especially true among raiders and other violent groups.

Due to this, many groups make use of bows, crossbows, poisoned blowpipes, and spears. Some also use relatively primitive firearms loaded with loose black-powder and bullets. Some people have adapted fighting styles that create opportunities maximise the likelihood of hit the target. An example is the CAVE RANGERS's contact shooting, where a pistol is discharged at less than arm's length, often against a grappled target.

Most firearms fire only a single shot at a time, being bolt-action rifles, break-open shotguns, or semi-automatics. Even rifles with selective fire-modes are typically used in semi-automatic to conserve ammunition. Only a fool, or someone with access to a massive stockpile of ammunition, would routinely fire their weapon in full-auto. By extension of this general rule, machine guns and sub-machine guns are rarely used and then only by the most well equipped groups.

Manufacturing

Simple ammunition for weapons such as bow and crossbows are manufactured by almost all groups that make use of them. Groups with access to more advanced materials and tooling can produce higher quality arrows. For example, well balanced steel-shafted crossbow bolts instead of crude wooden bolts with lashed-on feathers.

The capacity to manufacture ammunition brand-new for firearms that use cartridges is extremely rare. This requires raw materials, tools, and skilled workers to make primers, cases, gunpowder, bullets. However, many groups can reload or re-manufacture ammunition if they have the equipment and components. Many groups do not access to large numbers of cartridge feeding firearms, so supplement them with muzzle-loaders, breach-loaders, and cap-and-ball guns. For these weapons, manufacturing black-powder and bullets is very easy, even with the most primitive tools and crudest materials.

Explosives is a similar situation. Complex items, such as rockets and explosive shells, are very hard to manufacture and cannot be made to the same quality as those from before the shattering. TOW missiles and other guided weapons are completely impossible to manufacture. Hand grenades, mines, and reloaded shells for grenade launchers can be made by anyone who has the capacity to reload ammunition.

Some groups make crude and unreliable explosive devices that are thrown, used for traps, or launched from hand-built launchers. These explosives are generally make from piping, cans, or other containers. They are filled with black-powder, gunpowder, high-explosives, or incendiary materials. Grenades might be launched using slings, sling-shot style bows/crossbows, or catapults. Explosives are also attached to javelins and crossbow bolts.