While I know this passage, I am quite sure they still use a kinetic impulse (either mechanically or via explosive charge like a bullet) to leave the weapon - it is essential the same way a “rocket launcher” works.
If the solid fuel propellant would be the ONLY way to launch it, there would be way more causalities in the military ;D
No, at least our rockets start their “engine” only after travelling ~5 meters and arm themselves after being ~25 meters away.
I am quite sure there is a similar passage about the “bolts” and followed by an explanation why normal bolter shells are weaker if used in close combat (because the self propellant did not fire yet and/or had no time to accelerate the bolt).
i have only a very basic passing knowledge of 40k mostly from games and a couple of friends. so this is all pure supposition on my part.
do we have solid fuel propelled munitions of comparable size? the old RPG-7 just uses a single stage propellant? and that is much larger than a human sized bolt isnt it?
it is the 41 millenium not the 3rd , the empire of man has access to some xenos discoveres and many worlds chemical make ups, could the tech and mats simply be different enough that the analogy falls down?
couldnt the bolt simply accelerate rapidly burning faster as it goes to limit back splash? the space marine armour at least wouldnt have any issue to worry would it?
Yes, of course, there even are several different variants of bolts and Bolters alone. Bolters are only vaguely similar to 3rd millennium rocket launchers ;D We just need to look at the Adeptus Mechanicus to see even more strange and exotic “weapon systems”.
I just wanted to add what I know of the lore (knowledge collected over like 20 years really), spiced up with a real-world comparison I know about.
Therefore it is by no means my goal to “say what’s correct” or anything - not that this would be possible in Warhammer 40k with it unlimited pages of lore =)
Also, yes, like you said, even if the Space Marines use more “potent” and “dangerous” versions of the Bolter/bolts (and they do), their physique and armour would negate any detrimental effects.
So, to make it mayhaps more clear, I was referring to “standard bolts”, which are launched like a “normal bullet” and have a “rocket engine” for acceleration.
Quotes as reference/comparison:
“Standard bolts comprise the following components: outer casing, propellant base, main charge, mass reactive detonator cap, depleted deuterium core, diamantine tip. The calibre of the standard round .75 and it possesses a super-dense metallic core.”
“Gas-Powered Rounds, these Bolter shells are propelled only by the gas expelled from the barrel. As they lack the secondary rocket ignition, they are substantially more quiet than standard bolt rounds. As a result, they are used for stealth operations.”
Source: https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Boltgun
This is a technology we have now, though I think it’s mostly used in artiliary. Rocket assist howitzer shells.
There was a real life hand weapon that shot rocket bullets called the gyrojet. This didn’t have an intial charge and that was a problem with the gyrojet. It was useless at fistfight range, it would literally bounce off people until it went 25 yards. The rockets do not seem to have burned the user off the gyrojet, and the design had potential, but it didn’t survive.
I do think there’s rockets out there that are launched by hand with only rocket propellant and which do not burn the user, but I could be deeply mistaken about that as I have not studied the matter in any detail.
Can we focus back the constant gun racking when switching weapons please! In battle you dont constantly rack a gun just because you switched a weapon and you shouldn’t have to rack a weapon when you change a magazine when you know the ammo was not exhausted. I do not believe having the racking animation every time was implemented to “balance” weapons, it seems it was not fully looked over by the developers as an issue. We can get in to the lore of things but the lore will not go in depth in the complete function (most of the time) of basic weapon functionality and can only fill in the blanks using modern weaponry as examples.
I do see that the developers has implemented staged reloads in the game which i do like alot however on those guns where the animation of racking a weapon just because i switched to it undermines the staged reload process and can ruin the gun plays fluidness. Its annoying and should be looked at. Anyways lets open this discussion back up and debate about it. I love this game to much to let such a little hinderance ruin the gun play for me and i hope it bugs you all as much to speak out as well.
If the devs were smart, and wanted to maintain this useless animation to add time delay when switching from melee they could have you partially pull the charging handle, checking/looking at the round in battery, then close the bolt.