Auto Weapons

Auto Weapons are ranged weapons which use solid-slug ammunition and thus are the equivalent of the real world's solid bullets. They are found in pistol, rifle or cannon form. Auto Weapons are still popular among soldiers of the Imperial Guard; it was the standard-issue weapon for them until the 32nd Millennium. While autopistols and autoguns are similar to their laser-variants, autocannons are very unlike lascannons. Autocannons are rapid-fire heavy weapons designed to eliminate heavily armoured infantry or light vehicles, and are often used by the Imperial Guard's heavy weapons teams in battle, due to their versatility and reliability. There are also sniper rifles which use solid slug ammunition - although, like other auto weapons, they are restricted by their use of heavier ammunition. The advantage the Sniper Auto Weapon has over its photon-based counterpart is that fewer enemies will recognize the report of the rifle, as opposed to the long-las' ruby beam.

Auto Weapons are still used throughout the Imperium of Man and are similar in operation to twentieth and twenty-first century fully-automatic firearms. They use solid ammunition rather than the easily rechargeable power packs of the more common Imperial laser weapons, meaning Auto Weapons are more likely to run out of ammunition in a protracted battle. The strong point of Auto Weapons is that they use relatively basic technology and are capable of being produced even on low-technology worlds. As they are identical in game terms to las weapons, Auto Weapons have been removed from all current army lists, with the exception of the autocannon. Autopistols and autoguns are similar in power to their laser counterparts (laspistol and lasgun) but the autocannon is very different to the lascannon. Instead of possessing very high power, it has a higher rate of fire, which has allowed it to survive the recent streamlining of weapons types available to the Imperial Guard commander.

Autogun


The autogun is a firearm similar to a twentieth and twenty-first century automatic rifle in appearance and operation. Unlike the 2nd and 3rd Millennium versions, it uses small caliber, caseless bullets which are made from metal or synthetic materials. It has a high rate of fire, shooting bursts of high-velocity rounds. Autoguns often find their way into the hands of all forms of militia, and are the standard arm in less advanced cultures.

Autopistol
Autopistols are rapid-firing automatic pistols which fire in short bursts. They are similar to 20th century submachine guns, but more compact. Essentially they are the pistol version of the autogun. Since the release of Codex: Imperial Guard (3rd Edition, Revised Codex), the autogun has been removed from use due to a lack of distinction between it and the laspistol. Autopistols are still in use throughout the Imperium due to the fact that they can be produced on low-technology worlds. Like the autogun, the autopistol uses caseless ammunition. The weapon works by using a solid hammer to ignite a chemically-combustible propellant, expelling the solid projectile through the barrel. The reactive force of the bullet's expulsion returns the breech, loads a further bullet, re-cocks the mechanism and (providing the trigger is still depressed) fires a further round until the magazine is empty or the trigger is released. Some Imperial Guard Regiments, including the Cadian 8th Regiment, often equip their troops with autopistols as sidearms, improving their combat firepower. In other quarters, it is felt that only the Guard's officers should be equipped with pistol weaponry, so such equipment is reserved for soldiers of and above the rank of Lieutenant.

Autocannon
Autocannons are similar in concept to twentieth and twenty-first century tank guns. They are rapid firing and use mass-reactive explosive ammunition. They are usually either mounted on weapon carriages or vehicles because of their great weight. Due to their high rate of fire and sufficient killing power, they are effective against heavy infantry and light vehicles. Autocannons are used by the Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Witch Hunters of the Ordo Hereticus and the Chaos Space Marines.

Battle Cannon
The Battle Cannon is a larger and heavier version of an autocannon. It fires a large, high-explosive shell, which causes far more damage and explodes over a wider area than that of the smaller autocannon. Due to its massive size, it is only mounted on Imperial vehicles or special weapons carriages.

Macrocannon
A Macrocannon is the largest form of Auto Weaponry, and is much heavier even than the Autocannon. They fire massive and explosive shells at a maximum range of around 40 kilometers. Although it is possible to mount Macrocannons on heavy vehicles, they are more suited for use as emplacements and for static defence due to their considerable size and potency. Macrocannons are a Standard Template Construct (STC) technology, and often form the primary weapon of Imperial starships.