XP95A1 Spectre

The XP95A1 "Spectre" is an electronic pulse action, integrally suppressed, semi-automatic magazine fed handgun chambered in a electrically initiated fully combustible 4.6×36 mm (.177 calibre) caseless cartridge. This class of ammunition is designed so as not to leave behind any physical evidence (e.g., spent brass, fragments, powder residue, etc) that can be used to identify the weapon, individual shooter or nation of origin. The combustible cartridge is fully consumed upon firing with no case to eject. Even if the gun itself is recovered it has been "sanatised" i.e., lacks markings on the exterior or interior surfaces to frustrate any identification. The principal users are intended to be special operations and intelligence personnel engaged in sensitive missions abroad where it is politically necessary to maintain plausible deniability of their presence or actions.

History

Background and development

Bullets and casings recovered at a scene of a shooting can be forensically analysed for individually identifying characteristics, such as tool markings, case stampings and striation patterns. A weapon and ammunition system that cannot be traced back to its user or manufacturer is therefore highly desirous, especially by criminals, intelligence officers and special operators alike. The clandestine services of The Unitary Technocracy of Etoile Arcture and The Imperial Federation of the Monavian Empire both recognised the potential in a caseless firearm that might silently neutralize opponents without leaving behind any forensic evidence. The two agencies would go on to jointly issue a request for proposal to industry calling for a high-accuracy suppressed handgun that could fire subsonic caseless ammunition effective in close quarters and confined spaces. Development of the weapon was conducted under the codename "Mousetrap" (as in the idiom "to build a better mousetrap"), in an allusion to the huge technological challenge in developing a successful caseless weapon. Sequoia Weaponworks would be the prime contractor, developing the handgun under the internal project name "Spectre" (in a less than subtle nod to its intended use by "spooks"), while Sequoia Cartridgeworks, under the internal project name "Ephemera", would develop the suite of 100% combustible small-calibre caseless ammunition that would be key to defeating the ends of forensic science.

Design

General description

The internal parts of the pistol are 3D-printed from powdered Inconel, an austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloy that resists very high pressures and temperatures without deforming. Fabrication is by a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process to extremely tight ISO metric tolerances of ±5 g for ensuring gas-tight sealing, combined with laser cladding in a high-temperature self-lubricating wear-resistant titanium-carbide powder coating to enhance durability. A monolithic outer shell or wrap fully shrouds the action and integral dry suppressor, except for an extraction port protected by a spring-loaded dust shutter. This self-reinforcing grip, frame and receiver is 3D-printed from high temperature resistant carbon fibre reinforced filament (semi-aromatic polyamide copolymer reinforced with high-modulus carbon fibre). The carbon fibre material dissipates high combustion temperatures in the chamber and barrel and can safely contain a premature or "slam fire" detonation of a caseless ammunition round. The external appearance of the gun most closely resembles a Match target pistol, with a very high grip profile that holds the barrel axis close to the shooter's hand helping to reduce muzzle climb for faster aim recovery in rapid shooting.

Sights

A low profile "Guttersnipe"-type open sight is mounted on the upper rear receiver. This is an injected-moulded polymer block with V-notch sight channel having three equally-proportioned fluorescent yellow interior walls angled inwards so when properly aligned the sight picture appears on a single focal plane. This provides for both-eyes-open aiming with fast responsive target acquisition that is conducive to instinctive shooting (i.e. without aiming). A non-reciprocating T-shaped charging/cocking handle is located on the rear receiver sliding on internal rails and does not interfere with the sights.

Ammunition

The caseless or "Hülsenlose" ammunition consists of a solid moulded cuboid-shaped block of nitramine double-base propellant (a moderated high explosive compound insensitive to shock and temperature) coated in an oil and water-resistant lacquer sealant that hardens the block without making it brittle. It has an ignition temperature profile double that of conventional nitrocellulose propellant that better resists cook-off, and burns more cleanly producing no detectable muzzle flash, smoke and residue. The propellant fully telescopes a high ballistic coefficient spoon tip or "Löffelspitz" bullet. This has an axisymmetric chiselled tip that has no effect on terminal ballistics, with high stability in flight with an increased tendency after penetration of clothing and body armour to 'keyhole' i.e., to yaw and tumble in soft tissue producing a large permanent wound cavity that quickly incapacitates the target. The bullet makes a small entry wound akin to a tiny puncture even at close range and quickly looses energy and slows without over-penetrating leaving no exit wound. The bullet design resembles conventional ball ammunition with a steel jacket and high density tungsten-carbide core that produces no fragmentation on impact and can perforate the soft armour panels used in NIJ HG1 (formerly NIJ 0101.06 Level II) compliant bulletproof vests. The round is effective at typical combat ranges of ~25-50 m beyond which the external ballistics of the suppressed bullet suffers detrimentally from rapid velocity decay.

Action

To solve the heat-related issues that plague caseless weapon designs (chamber sealing without a case, ammunition cook-off in a hot chamber, throat erosion and barrel wear reducing operational life) the weapon uses a mechanically simple sliding chamber action that quickly dissipates heat. This comprises a reciprocating sleeve with an axial space that forms the firing chamber. This slides in-line with the axis of the barrel, supported at the aft end by a fixed breechblock that is pushed by gas pressure when a round is fired to dynamically seal the chamber. The weapon is loaded by the action of the sleeve/chamber sliding between the rear breech and forward barrel positions, stripping a round vertically from a single-stack magazine where it is gathered into the chamber and forced into the leade of the barrel. The square cross-section chamber is precisely aligned with the polygonal bore of the barrel for accepting the cylindrical profiled bullet. The magazine contains a rectangular type braided wire spring and self-levelling follower to ensure a reliable feed. The rear charging handle can be used to chamber a round, or to clear the chamber of a dud or unfired round by sliding the sleeve forward to push the round until it meets a swinging ejector that pushes it out of an extraction port. For semi-automatic loading a short-stroke gas piston driven by gas tapped from the barrel operates the sliding sleeve/chamber via an operating rod.

Firing system

A non-pyrotechnic digital electrical ignition system sends a short high voltage DC pulse (~18 joules) over a spark gap in the chamber to prime the ammunition. A combustible electrically conductive microcrystalline antimony and potassium picrate primer is embedded in the sidewalls of the caseless cartridges that is sensitive to only a specific voltage and amperage to avoid accidental detonation. The firing cycle operates in the following way:

1. A voltage storing capacitor charged by a battery quick discharges into a flash circuit connected to a 12 V electrode and electrically grounded breach plug to output the high-voltage signal to deliver the electric current to initiate the primer;

2. A denatured hexogen explosive booster charge detonates at the base of the bullet pushing it out of an axial hole in the cuboid cartridge into the through-bore barrel extension where it is momentarily halted by frictional forces. This creates a gas-tight seal (obturation) that stops hot propellant gases blowing back (expanding behind the projectile) to ensure consistent chamber pressures and predictable interior ballistics;

3. The destructive deflagration of the main propellant charge in the chamber increases the combustion gas pressure to the point that it overcomes the static friction of the seated bullet and accelerates it through the barrel. The propellant, booster and primer are fully burned, leaving no powder residue to foul the action.

The electronic trigger comprises an adjustable spring and seers that press the push button of an electric switch for actuating the electric charge. The system operates silently so as not to alert a nearby enemy and has a very low latency (~2 ms) with minimal "lock time" (i.e. lag between pulling the trigger and firing the round). This ensures very high first-round hit probabilities through the elimination of off-barrel movements, harmonic vibrations and muzzle climb of a conventional mechanical system with sear, striker and firing pin. The trigger movement is very short and sharp with no break point that aids accuracy. The electronic firing system is energized by a high-voltage (11.1 V) PEQ box sized lithium polymer (LiPo) three cell rechargeable battery with 1600 mAh of capacity and a 25C/50C discharge rating. The battery is a replaceable unit loaded into a compartment in the magazine floor plate and connected by wiring embedded in the grip. The voltage, amperage and timing control of the electronic ignition system is managed by an AVR architecture low-power 8-bit RISC microcontroller for reliable and predictable ignition of the ammunition. There are three safety switches - an arming switch that safes the weapon by preventing charging of the capacitor by the battery, a safety switch that protects against accidental discharge by disconnecting the flash circuit from the charged capacitor, and a firing switch actuated only by the trigger. With the system armed and safety disconnected the trigger functions like a single-action trigger allowing the gun to be carried in a equivalent to Condition One i.e. "cocked and locked" or ready for instant use.

Operational considerations

The specialised nature and unique design features of the XP95A1 imposes certain limitations on its use in the field. The weapon is designed purely for offensive purposes and lacks the concealability expected of a defensive handgun. The fully sealed gun housing renders the internal mechanism non-user-serviceable, and it must be dissembled in the factory for maintenance and repair. To ensure reliable function of the firing system magazines must be factory loaded to ensure high quality assurance that none of the caseless rounds are fractured or deformed to maintain proper headspace between the case and bullet, a major cause of misfires and malfunctions involving caseless ammunition. The weapon is prone to overheating on semi-auto fire and can literally become too hot to handle when running more than a dozen rounds at once through the mechanism. The barrel is also prone to excessive fouling and requires cleaning or replacement after firing around fifty rounds. Operation is contingent on a fully charged battery, with a limited number of recharge/discharge cycles limiting battery life, and battery performance will be significantly degraded by extreme hot and cold and humid environmental conditions.

Users

The XP95A1 has never been officially acknowledged to exist or adopted into service by any nation and there is no open-source confirmation of its existence. It is most probable that the export of the weapon (if it does exist) has been highly restricted. The following list is purely speculative and may be inaccurate.

• Etoile Arcture - purportedly used by the Special Action Teams (SAT) of the Intelligence Directorate of Etoile Arcture (IDEA).

• Monavian Empire - purportedly used by the Directorate of External Operations (DEO) of the Federal Intelligence Department (FID).

• Korrodos - purportedly used by the Special Services Division (SSD) of the Korrodosian Joint Intelligence Service (JIS).

• Lamoni - purportedly used by the Special Action Division (SAD) of the Lamonian Intelligence Agency (LIA).

• Animarnia - purportedly used by the Special Tactics And Reconnaissance (SPECTRE) unit of the Central Intelligence Service (CIS).

• Sulaymaan - purportedly used by units of the Special Service Command.
  

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Specifications (XP95A1)

• Cartridge: 4.6×36 mm CL

• Action: Gas operated, sliding chamber, electronic pulse action

• Weight: 1.3 kg loaded

• Overall length: 381 mm

• Barrel length: 178 mm

• Feed type: 21-round, detachable box magazine, single column

• Sights: Guttersnipe open sights

• Muzzle velocity: 350 m/s

• Effective range: ~25-50 m

• Fire control: electronic trigger

• Rate of fire: 2,200 rpm cyclic

• Trigger pull: adjustable, 4.4-13.4 N

• Unit replacement cost: US$5,000

Experimental weapons of Etoile Arcture
Handguns	XP95A Spectre
Rifles	G10A3 Demon Individual Automatic Weapon
Machine Guns	MG10A3 Demon Squad Automatic Weapon
Grenade launchers	Metal Storm 3GL
Non-lethal devices	XM32A1 Electronic Noise-Flash Diversionary/Distraction Device