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20th Century Ammo Stats

Page history last edited by Michael 3 years, 3 months ago

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"Finland red, Germany black, Egypt white."

Keep in mind that some of these weapons have different damage values than the numbers found in Call of Cthulhu. We're using the Taylor Knock-Out Factor (TKO) as the basis for comparison, by the way.

TKO	damage
less than 2.25	1d6
2.25 to less than 4.5	1d8
4.5 to less than 9	1d10
9 to less than 13.5	1d10+2
13.5 to less than 18	2d6+2
18 to less than 27	2d6+4
27 to less than 36	3d6+2
36 to less than 72	3d6+4
72 to less than 144	4d6+1
144 to less than 288	2d10+4
288 to less than 576	5d6
576 to less than 1152	5d6+2

On the chart below, "pen" is the maximum penetration, the most armor that the bullet can get through.

Ammunition Effects
name	pen	damage	notes
.22 Long Rifle	7	1d6	common rimfire cartridge
5.56mm NATO ball	10	2d8
6mm Lee Navy FMJ	13	1d10+2
.25 ACP	?	1d6
.270 Winchester	?	2d6+2	common bolt-action round
7mm Mauser	?	1d10+2	old Latin American military round
.30 Carbine	?	1d10+2	old US military round
.30-30 Winchester	8	2d6
.30-06 Springfield	12	2d6+4
7.62x25mm	?	1d10	standard Soviet SMG cartridge
7.62x39mm	12	2d6+1	standard Soviet rifle cartridge
7.62x39mm AP	14	2d6+1	standard Soviet rifle cartridge
7.62x54mm AP	14	2d6+4	Soviet MG/sniper cartridge
7.62mm NATO ball	12	2d6+4
7.62mm NATO AP	14	2d6+4
8mm Mauser	12	2d6+4	old German military round
.303 British	12	2d6+4
.357 Magnum	9	1d10+2
.36 cap-and-ball pistol	4	1d8
.38 Special	5	1d8
.380 ACP	5	1d8	also known as 9mm Short
.38 Super Auto	7	1d10	some loads are 1d10+2
9mm Parabellum	7	1d10	even +P ammo is still only 1d10
9mm Parabellum AP	9 to 11	1d10
9.3x40mm	9	2d6+1	22nd Century round, used in the DRA
10mm Auto	7	2d6+2	used in the Bren Ten handgun; most later weapons are loaded to produce 1d10+2 damage
.41 Magnum	8	2d6+4
.410 gauge birdshot	1	1d6+1 / 1d3 / 1d2	3" hulls
.410 gauge 000 buckshot	6	2d6 / 1d6	3" hulls, dice count separately against armor
.410 gauge slug	7	1d10+2	3" hulls
.44 cap-and-ball pistol	5	1d10
.44-40 Winchester	8	1d10+2	loads for pistols or rifles
.44-40 Winchester	8	2d6+2	loads for rifles only
.44 Special	8	1d10+2
.44 Magnum	10	2d6+2
.444 Marlin	10	3d6+4
.45 Long Colt	9	2d6+2
.45 ACP	8	1d10+2
.45 Winchester Magnum	8	2d6+4	used by a few large semi-auto handguns
.45-70 Government	8	2d6+4
.455 Webley Mk II	8	1d10+2
.50-110 Winchester	10	3d6+2	for old lever-action rifles
.50-140 Sharps	?	3d6+4	for old single-shot buffalo rifles
.50 cal Browning AP	21	4d6+1
.50 cal Browning ball	17	4d6+1	simple lead bullets
.54 cap-and-ball rifle	7	2d6+4
.58 cap-and-ball rifle	8	3d6+2
16 ga #4 shot	6	2x1d6+1 / 1d6+1 / 1d4	dice count separately against armor
16 ga slug	8	3d6+4	Brenneke rifled slug
12 ga 000 buckshot	6	4d6 / 2d6 / 1d6	dice count separately against armor
12 ga #7 birdshot	<0.1	4d2 / 2d2 / 1d2	dice count separately against armor
12 ga BRI sabot slug	12	3d6+4	original hard lead variety
12 ga slug	10	4d6+1	Brenneke rifled slug
12 ga flechette	2	4d3/2d3/1d3	hardened steel with tail fins
10 ga 00 buckshot	6	4x1d6+2 / 2x1d6+1 / 1d6	dice count separately against armor
10 ga slug	10	4d6+1	Brenneke rifled slug
10 ga slug	13	4d6+1	armor piercing slug (hard lead, perhaps steel core)

An interesting chart: how many rounds of the given ammunition per metric ton? This presumes normal packing in boxes, crates, pallets, etc.

ammunition rounds per ton
type	rounds
.30-06 on stripper clips or en-bloc clips	26,000
.30-06 on belts	27,500
7.62mm NATO on stripper clips	27,500
7.62mm NATO on belts	29,500
.50 caliber on belts	6,600
60mm mortar shells	600
81mm mortar shells	220
20x139mm rounds for Rh202 autocannon	2,300
37mm anti-tank rounds	440
40mm HEDP M433 grenades	2,880
2.75" FFAR	60
90mm M371A1 HEAT for M67 rifle	90

Comments (2)

Instead of 1d10, like the other ammo at that TKO level? Note that 2d8 isn't even on our chart -- 2d8 is the legacy, traditional number for "M16 bullets" in Call of Cthulhu. We can call it the effect of "M16 bullets tumble" or something, but really it's ( a ) the "way it always has been in gaming", and ( b ) the Taylor number is an overly-simple calculation, meant to give relative values for big African game cartridges. 2d8 seems to fit the "place in military usage" better than 1d10.