Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-211.26.90.25-20130827133032/@comment-147.41.128.8-20131128011341

In one of the novellas contained within the Salamanders book, it specifically mentions that a bolt pistol is of a smaller calibre than a full sized bolter. While it doesn't say this directly, while a Salamanders Scout is attempting to rescue some aspirants, he meets one of the aspirants, and gives him his bolt pistol for protection. He specifically says to 'hold in in both hands, or the recoil will dislocate your shoulder.' The Scout doesn't give the aspirant the bolter because:

A-The Scout still needs the weapon;

B- He knows that the human won't be able to fire the bolter without bracing against his ribcage, which will in turn result in the recoil of the Astartes sized bolter caving in the aspirants ribcage.

While the bolter is indeed similar to a RPG in some respects, we cannot accurately gauge its strength because:

A- It doesn't exist yet;

B- We are trying to compare this weapon to Space Marines in power armour, which enhances their strength significantly.

As I have said before, in the book Iron Warrior, a Guard officer threatens a subordinate with a bolt pistol, which he specifically states is .75 calibre. And if a human can fire a bolt pistol like that one-handed, then doesn't it make sense that a bolter, designed for demi-gods, as they are ofter called, would be of a larger calibre?

As for the heavy bolter, the shell it fires are certainly 1.5 inches across, maybe even more.