Personal Marble Cannon Version 147, or PMC-147 as it is commonly known as, is the most recent and most powerful infantry marble cannon to be used by the Atlan military. It was developed by the renowned Infantry Weapons Systems, a military arms company based in Sed.
From the outside the PMC-147 appears very similar to the other competing marble cannons used throughout the world (including Infantry Weapons Systems’ previous iteration, the PMC-100). Visual differences from the model 100 include longer launch barrels around the hand, and a glove mount that sits farther back on the wrist (to accommodate the longer barrels without losing the ability to use one’s hand). The ammunition tubes traveling from the ammunition pack to the hand unit are lighter and more durable and are now routed from the bottom of the ammunition pack. Upon closer inspection one will also find that the ammunition tubes are slightly elastic, giving a variety of users a comfortable and effective range of motion.
It isn’t what’s on the outside that makes the PMC-147 so revolutionary however. The ammunition pack, a close guarded secret and wonder of Magi-Tech, is what sets this marble cannon apart from any others.
While exact specifications and materials used in the ammunition pack are highly classified, the basic structure is now widely known. The ammunition pack is a large, solid backpack that contains the volatile payload of marble bombs. Unlike many other ammunition packs, the 147′s doesn’t separate into main chambers to store the ammunition. Instead, it holds each and every marble bomb in a separate chamber, just large enough to accommodate the bomb itself. This addition has been the single most important feature in keeping the Atlan military safe from friendly fire or accidents. Whereas other ammunition packs are susceptible to sudden impacts or drops which would cause the entire ammunitions storage to detonate, the 147′s ammunition pack can withstand the blow from a sledgehammer without damaging the payload.
Another revolutionary feature of the PMC-147 is its rapid feed technology. Through a combination of turbines, gravity and pressure differences a well trained infantryman or woman can launch 200 rounds per minutes, nearly double the current record held by the PMC-100 (at 96 rounds per minutes). With what the designers are calling an ‘intelligent’ ammunition pack, the size, shape and location of the marble bomb chambers adjusts and changes dynamically to keep the ammunition distribution equal throughout the pack, while simultaneously preparing the next sequence of rounds. So as a user begins to deplete their ammunition the inside of the pack will actually change shape. The exact method of making the pack change shape is classified, but its basic function is known. Padded poles, slightly thicker than a sewing needle, are locked into tracks surrounding the inner walls of the pack. As the ammunition is depleted, these tracks will slide in all three dimensions, grabbing and securing the marble bombs as they are needed. Primary motion for the poles is a combination of a user’s magi input, pressure difference and an external power source (usually solar).
The PMC-147 is available only to the Atlan military. Because of IWS’s exclusive contract with the Atlan government no other nation or entity is able to purchase the weapon. Many other nations and factions have made great attempts to copy the 147′s design recently. However, none of them have been nearly as successful.
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