Ballistic Firearm

A Ballistic Firearm is any projectile weapon which fires solid metal cartridges, shells, or micro-missiles.

Overview
Ballistic weapons are popular general-purpose weapons in many armies across the galaxy. They do not suffer the same faults as many energy weapons, namely their rapid heat generation, and are not overly specialized, such as in the case of needle guns. They are widely seen as a 'jack of all trades' weapon, good at all roles, though they can be outclassed by more specialized firearms. For example, a ballistic sniper rifle will generally be outclassed by a railgun.

Ammunition
Ballistic firearms can be loaded with several different kinds of ammunition.


 * Armor Piercing Cartridge

Armor piercing (AP) cartridges have become the standard in many armies due to the widespread use of Power Armor. Standard AP cartridges utilize hardened metal shells for piercing armor, and their shotgun equivalents use metal slugs.


 * Depleted Uranium Cartridge

Depleted uranium (DU) cartridges utilize projectile comprised of Uranium-238 to pierce armor. They are much more commonly found on vehicle-mounted weapons than they are in infantry firearms. DU rounds are particularly popular in space combat as the radioactive nature of the cartridge poses little to no no risks to the surrounding environment.


 * Tracer Cartridge

Tracer cartridges are projectiles with a built-in pyrotechnic charge that makes the bullet's trajectory visible, allowing the user to make on-the-spot corrections to their aim. They are also occasionally used to mark specific targets for concentrated fire. Tracers are technically obsolete in some societies due to the development of advanced Heads-Up-Displays and weapon-HUD synchronization, though they may still be used regardless.

See also: Incendiary Weapon
 * Incendiary Cartridge

Incendiary ammunition contains a flammable compound that ignited upon contact. As well as being particularly effective against lightly-armored units, incendiary ammunition is also used to spark fires, detonate explosive materials, and damage electronics.

See also: Acid Weapon
 * Acid Cartridge

Acid cartridge contain a small amount of corrosive acid which is released upon contact with a target. The acid will proceed to slowly burn through the armor and flesh of a target, and the affected areas create weak points through which other bullets can more easily pierce the target.

See also: Poison Weapon
 * Poison Cartridge

Poison cartridges are munitions which have been laced with a deadly poison often designed to kill within hours or minutes of being injected into the target.


 * Pathogen Cartridge

Used particularly often by the Reaper's Fist of the Margan dynasties, pathogen rounds are similar to poison rounds, but have instead been laced with deadly biological agents.


 * Crystal Cartridge

Another creation of the Margan, crystal rounds are bullets with a small crystal inside of the round. Upon contact, this crystal embeds itself inside of the target, prompting crystal growth and poisoning the victim.


 * EMP Rounds

Developed by the Gronian Imperium, EMP rounds generate a small electromagnetic pulse upon impact with a target. As well as disrupting electronics, they also temporarily open a small hole in energy shielding, allowing the subsequent rounds to pass through unimpeded.


 * Explosive Cartridge

Explosive rounds are designed to explode upon contact. They are effective against armor but are especially powerful against unarmored units, such as many Biomatter strains.


 * Micro-Missiles

Also known as micro-rounds (or micro-shells for shotguns), micro missiles are missiles which are slightly larger than most heavy caliber rifle rounds. Coming in various formats such as acidic and armor piercing, micro missiles are effective against infantry, battlesuits, and light armor alike. In the case of shotguns, they possess longer range than standard shotgun shells, though this is not the case for other weapons as they do not contain enough fuel for longer ranges. Micro missiles do not fit into standard firearms, and require either a dedicated weapon to be used properly; alternatively, they can be added unto another weapon via an attachment.