The portable railgun is a man-portable electromagnetic projectile weapon used primarily by Compact military forces and resistance fighters during the invasion of Amargosa. Firing solid metal slugs at high velocities, the weapon delivers devastating kinetic energy capable of punching through light armor, disabling vehicles, and obliterating targets at range.
Designed as an anti-vehicle or anti-material weapon, the portable railgun is heavy, cumbersome, and requires significant power to operate. Compact military versions are typically issued to specialized infantry or vehicle crews for heavy assault operations. The weapon’s size and recoil make it ill-suited for untrained users — as JT Austin discovers firsthand.
During the events of The Children of Amargosa, JT attempts to use a portable railgun in a desperate bid to defend himself from a Gelt battle wagon. Inexperienced and caught in the chaos, JT’s first use of the weapon nearly ends in disaster as he fumbles with the weapon’s unfamiliar loading mechanism and recoil management. His destroys the dish weapon, and the blast destabilizes his firing position, slamming him into a tree.
The railgun becomes a symbol of both the technological might of the Compact and the brutal learning curve faced by civilian survivors turned resistance fighters.
Notes:
- Electromagnetic projectile weapon firing metal slugs at hypersonic speed.
- Effective against vehicles, light fortifications, and armored targets.
- Heavy and difficult to operate without training.
- Power-hungry; requires energy cells or external power packs.
- JT Austin’s first attempt to use a portable railgun nearly results in disaster in Gimme Shelter.
- Later, JT successfully uses the railgun to destroy a Gelt battle wagon by targeting its energy dish.
- Used by Compact forces and later by resistance fighters on Amargosa.
Appearances: The Children of Amargosa