Nock Volley Gun

Statistics
1779–1804, UK, muzzle-loading flintlock. Caliber .46, Base Range 5, Capacity 7, Rate of Fire 1/10, DAM 6D8/3D8/1D8, Malfunction 90. Note: Damage is calculated like a shotgun. Shooters with a Build of 0 or lower take 1D3 HP damage from the recoil. On a Malfunction of 90–94, one to four barrels do not discharge, each dud reducing damage by –2 HP. On a malfunction of 95+, the rifle simply fails to fire.

Description
Designed by British engineer James Wilson and produced by London gunsmith Henry Nock, the thirteen-pound “Nock gun” is an example of a volley gun, a firearm equipped with multiple barrels. The Nock gun sports seven 20” smooth-bore barrels, each of which must be separately loaded through the muzzle. When the shooter pulls the trigger, the primer ignites the charge in the central barrel, which sparks the surrounding six barrels through six internal vents. All seven barrels fire simultaneously, hurling a cloud of lead at the deeply unfortunate targets.

Notes
Originally purchased by the Royal Navy, the Nock gun is a “deck sweeper,” a gun intended to be fired by sailors wishing to smartly repel unwanted boarders or tear up enemy rigging. In reality, it suffers from several flaws, not the least of which is its tremendous recoil—the backwards force exerted by discharging a fully-loaded Nock gun can dislocate a man’s shoulders, and leaves bruises on even the hardiest of shooters! Also, the gunpowder flash and burning wadding sometimes ignite the rigging of the very ship the user is trying to protect; and the act of tilting the gun downwards may cause loaded balls to become unseated or even roll out. Additionally, it’s a rare volley that actually fires all seven barrels, and sometimes confused shooters unwittingly double-shot unfired barrels upon reloading. Tedious to load, difficult to wield, and dangerous to use, the Nock gun went through a few iterations until the Royal Navy retired it in 1804.

White Leviathan > Chapter 1—Kingsport 1844 Handouts
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Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 22 August 2023
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