[Cass100199]

"I wanted a Masterkey for my M60"

Isn't that what grenades are for?

I've noticed military/ paramilitary people tend to pick military guns, whereas normal sci-fi fans go for the more sci-fi-ish weapons.

[CanRay]

Where does that put me, then?

[Mäx]

I'd prefer a Masterkey system to an underbelly grenade launcher myself, but that's just because I really don't see much use to launched grenades on most Shadowruns, while shotguns can always be effective in some cases.

Thats why, when i have time to build up my pure combat character, i will most likely get her a Nitama Optimum II as her main weapon.
Ofcource i have been toying with an idea of adding an underbarrel grenade launcher to that, making it a triple weapon

[Mystic]

"I wanted a Masterkey for my M60"

Isn't that what grenades are for?

I've noticed military/ paramilitary people tend to pick military guns, whereas normal sci-fi fans go for the more sci-fi-ish weapons.

Not always. Depends on what the "situation" or game is. In a game like SR, yeah sure. But I tend to opt for more muti-purpose weapons. And Like CanRay said, you can't go wrong with shotguns. When I create any character of any game, I tend to use a "bracket" approach to weapons. Example...

1) Main/Primary Weapon: This is the weapon you use most often, also can be a signature weapon. For SR, that would normally be an Assault Rifle or SMG. In a more fantasy setting, think battleaxe/longsword/Bastard sword.
2) Secondary weapon: A weapon to go to if the primary weapon goes poof or if it becomes impractical. For example, moving from an open battle field to a CQB. An assault rifle would be unwieldly while that SMG, shotgun, or even a heavy pistol would be ideal. A warhammer, morning star, or shortsword usually fill the bill in other settings.
3) Long range weapon. Sometimes you got to reach out and touch someone. Unless Im specifically playing a longgunner, an assault rifle usually fills this nitch or in other cases a Longbow or heavy crossbow.
4) "Speciality" weapon. In fantasy settings this is usually my blunt weapon for dealing with things like pesky skeletons or things that slashing/piercing dosent work...or if I dont WANT to kill things right away. For something like SR, think specailty rounds, tasers, shock gloves, etc
5) Consealed Carry or "Battle Casual". In some games you cant walk down the street or will be in situations where the heavy or obvious stuff would cause problems. A consealed heavy pistol or light pistol with specialty rounds or a shortsword and daggers I like best for this.
6) Weapon of last resort. When all else has failed, and you need to do something NOW, this is what I try to have. It depends on the character what form this takes, but I have used everything from shaped grenades, a Ruger Warhawk, a poison dagger, to a spiked helm (think headbutt of doom).

Now a lot of these weapons tend to overlap in terms of purpose, but ultimately the point is I like to have at least something for every occasion on me at all times whenever possible

[Digital_Viking]

"I wanted a Masterkey for my M60"

Isn't that what grenades are for?

I've noticed military/ paramilitary people tend to pick military guns, whereas normal sci-fi fans go for the more sci-fi-ish weapons.

I may have tried to juryrig an M203 on my 60 once...

[Digital_Viking]

Not always. Depends on what the "situation" or game is. In a game like SR, yeah sure. But I tend to opt for more muti-purpose weapons. And Like CanRay said, you can't go wrong with shotguns. When I create any character of any game, I tend to use a "bracket" approach to weapons. Example...

1) Main/Primary Weapon: This is the weapon you use most often, also can be a signature weapon. For SR, that would normally be an Assault Rifle or SMG. In a more fantasy setting, think battleaxe/longsword/Bastard sword.
2) Secondary weapon: A weapon to go to if the primary weapon goes poof or if it becomes impractical. For example, moving from an open battle field to a CQB. An assault rifle would be unwieldly while that SMG, shotgun, or even a heavy pistol would be ideal. A warhammer, morning star, or shortsword usually fill the bill in other settings.
3) Long range weapon. Sometimes you got to reach out and touch someone. Unless Im specifically playing a longgunner, an assault rifle usually fills this nitch or in other cases a Longbow or heavy crossbow.
4) "Speciality" weapon. In fantasy settings this is usually my blunt weapon for dealing with things like pesky skeletons or things that slashing/piercing dosent work...or if I dont WANT to kill things right away. For something like SR, think specailty rounds, tasers, shock gloves, etc
5) Consealed Carry or "Battle Casual". In some games you cant walk down the street or will be in situations where the heavy or obvious stuff would cause problems. A consealed heavy pistol or light pistol with specialty rounds or a shortsword and daggers I like best for this.
6) Weapon of last resort. When all else has failed, and you need to do something NOW, this is what I try to have. It depends on the character what form this takes, but I have used everything from shaped grenades, a Ruger Warhawk, a poison dagger, to a spiked helm (think headbutt of doom).

Now a lot of these weapons tend to overlap in terms of purpose, but ultimately the point is I like to have at least something for every occasion on me at all times whenever possible

That tends to be my thought process as well Mystic - and normally ends up with one of my characters like Mel Gibson in Mad Max:Beyond Thunderdome 

[Mystic]

There's a reason my group calls me the "Walking Arsenal". 

[CanRay]

1) Main/Primary Weapon: This is the weapon you use most often, also can be a signature weapon. For SR, that would normally be an Assault Rifle or SMG. In a more fantasy setting, think battleaxe/longsword/Bastard sword.
2) Secondary weapon: A weapon to go to if the primary weapon goes poof or if it becomes impractical. For example, moving from an open battle field to a CQB. An assault rifle would be unwieldly while that SMG, shotgun, or even a heavy pistol would be ideal. A warhammer, morning star, or shortsword usually fill the bill in other settings.
3) Long range weapon. Sometimes you got to reach out and touch someone. Unless Im specifically playing a longgunner, an assault rifle usually fills this nitch or in other cases a Longbow or heavy crossbow.
4) "Speciality" weapon. In fantasy settings this is usually my blunt weapon for dealing with things like pesky skeletons or things that slashing/piercing dosent work...or if I dont WANT to kill things right away. For something like SR, think specailty rounds, tasers, shock gloves, etc
5) Consealed Carry or "Battle Casual". In some games you cant walk down the street or will be in situations where the heavy or obvious stuff would cause problems. A consealed heavy pistol or light pistol with specialty rounds or a shortsword and daggers I like best for this.
6) Weapon of last resort. When all else has failed, and you need to do something NOW, this is what I try to have. It depends on the character what form this takes, but I have used everything from shaped grenades, a Ruger Warhawk, a poison dagger, to a spiked helm (think headbutt of doom).

Now a lot of these weapons tend to overlap in terms of purpose, but ultimately the point is I like to have at least something for every occasion on me at all times whenever possible

Which is the entire basis for the character I want to make, so far just called the "Borderline-Sociopathic Troll Who Names All His Firearms And Sleeps With Them In Rotation Like His Own Personal Harem". 

I have two forms of thought when it comes to equipping a character:

1)  The right tool for the right job.  If you need something small, compact, easy to get around detectors, foil-seal a Streetline Special and call it a day.  If you need something to rock 'n' roll and then drop without looking back, AK-97.  If you need something to seriously slot every mo'fo around, Ares Alpha.  The Ingram Smartgun-X is a great "Swiss Army SMG" in that it does a bit of everything (You can have it suppressed or compensated depending on the situation!).

2)  What weapon a person carries speaks about them.  A character's "Standard Carry Piece" can tell a lot about the type of person they are.  Do they go for the standard "I'm a Shadowrunner" Ares Predator?  Go for the equal firepower but more concealable Browning Ultrapower?  Enjoy the informed reliability of the Colt M2066?  Or require the firepower of a Machine Pistol of some sort?  Anything larger is unlikely to be carried constantly in most circumstances.  Unless they never leave the Barrens, which speaks about them as well.

Example:  The Accountant From Hell carries a customized Colt M2066 in 10mm Caseless.  He likes the numerical perfection of the caliber, and the nearly silent action (Save the supersonic crack) makes him nearly undetectable when using it.

Pup the Dog Shaman carries a short barreled Ruger Super Warhawk with a Gecko Grip as he wants any firefights he gets into to end quickly and efficiently, and feels "Home is where I hang my pistol.".  His other weapons are very much "Drop Pieces" save for his Hunting Rifle, in which he uses EX-Ex rounds which doesn't leave much in the way of ballistic evidence (But lots in the way of ballistic force!).

Nas carries a S&W M650 (Essentially a Ruger Super Warhawk in stats), as he typically thinks about shooting vehicles more than people, and has a pair of custom Ceska Black Skorpions for dealing with people.

And so on.

[Operator]

Which is the entire basis for the character I want to make, so far just called the "Borderline-Sociopathic Troll Who Names All His Firearms And Sleeps With Them In Rotation Like His Own Personal Harem". 

I have two forms of thought when it comes to equipping a character:

1)  The right tool for the right job.  If you need something small, compact, easy to get around detectors, foil-seal a Streetline Special and call it a day.  If you need something to rock 'n' roll and then drop without looking back, AK-97.  If you need something to seriously slot every mo'fo around, Ares Alpha.  The Ingram Smartgun-X is a great "Swiss Army SMG" in that it does a bit of everything (You can have it suppressed or compensated depending on the situation!).

2)  What weapon a person carries speaks about them.  A character's "Standard Carry Piece" can tell a lot about the type of person they are.  Do they go for the standard "I'm a Shadowrunner" Ares Predator?  Go for the equal firepower but more concealable Browning Ultrapower?  Enjoy the informed reliability of the Colt M2066?  Or require the firepower of a Machine Pistol of some sort?  Anything larger is unlikely to be carried constantly in most circumstances.  Unless they never leave the Barrens, which speaks about them as well.

Example:  The Accountant From Hell carries a customized Colt M2066 in 10mm Caseless.  He likes the numerical perfection of the caliber, and the nearly silent action (Save the supersonic crack) makes him nearly undetectable when using it.

Pup the Dog Shaman carries a short barreled Ruger Super Warhawk with a Gecko Grip as he wants any firefights he gets into to end quickly and efficiently, and feels "Home is where I hang my pistol.".  His other weapons are very much "Drop Pieces" save for his Hunting Rifle, in which he uses EX-Ex rounds which doesn't leave much in the way of ballistic evidence (But lots in the way of ballistic force!).

Nas carries a S&W M650 (Essentially a Ruger Super Warhawk in stats), as he typically thinks about shooting vehicles more than people, and has a pair of custom Ceska Black Skorpions for dealing with people.

And so on.

To offer additional example, Operator carries either a Walther Secura Kompakt or a SR3-era Browning Max Power (Ultra minus laser sight) for the concealed punch. The Secura has statistical concealment bonuses, the other has story flavor and is his link to SR3. The Browning, being his most basic firearm, receives the most care and attention.

If concealment isn't an issue, he will carry the Predator with whatever ammunition he has available. Predators may be an old hat as far as he's concerned, but that's a lot of ammo capacity tied to an inherent smartlink feature. It coincidentally doesn't require much care as it's not something he uses all the time.

A Remington 990 covers the Longarms category while also being a "home" defense weapon, and lastly I decided his Corpsec story roots favored the HK-227X. I still struggle between that and the SCK 100 since it is in the hands of every Japanese megacorp.

Each of these weapons, except for the Browning, has an internal smartlink. My intent is to highlight him as a practical and frugal fellow who knows how to make the most of modest means.

[Cass100199]

Not always.

Well yeah; it's anecdotal. I wasn't trying to state it as a fact, just my observations.

But to address your weapon needs, this is how I see it. I don't want a weapon that only does one thing well. I want something multi-use. I don't need an SMG for CQB if I have a carbine. I don't need a long gun for distance, if I have an assault rifle/ carbine. So, I traditionally pick up the Colts or AK's in the game as they all have those uses. Shotguns? Not incredibly useful to me. They don't do anything I can't do with full auto.

And really, you can do CQB with a pistol. You don't need anything fancy. It saves you money to buy other things to make shooting them more accurate.

[Mystic]

I know this goes without saying, but I'll say it anway. One should consider your situation you are working in when determing what weapon is to be used. Case in point, you are Merc-A recently employed to work in the current unpleasantness near Bogata. What do you carry?

Several factors will come into play:
1) Avalability of ammo. This is a no-brainer. In pure game stats, this isnt an issue per sey, but a GM can easily make it one for "realism". If you carry ammo for a weapon that is uncommon for your theater of operation, you may have logistical problems. If you know ahead of time, make sure you have a weapon where you can get ammo from.
2) Serviceability. As a GM, this is one thing I tend to throw at my players who never say they are servicing their weapons (or count ammo). Sucks when your weapon malfuntions because you never clean the thing. And that heavily modified long-rifle with the custom-bells and whistles suddenly takes a stray round. What? Cant get that part here? Oops, out of luck. When "in the field" I tend to go for rugged and reliable that can be serviced easily.
2a) Environment. Sand, cold, heat/humidity, etc. All can play a role in what you choose. Again, not really covered stat-wise, but something I as a GM tend to throw in.
3) Visibility. Trying to conduct operations on the sly? Then dont bring in a custom Ares Alpha when everyone, including civilians, are all packing AK-97s. Not only will you stick out, but people will more likely remember something out of the ordinary.
4) Type of battle. Again; open field, CQB, ".22 to the back of the head", know your battle and plan accordingly. Or at least try to have a little something for everything. Also consider if you have to worry about things like penetration. Sometimes it is needed, sometimes it is a BAD thing.
5) Money. Nuff said. Cass makes a great point and that goes back to my ultimate point: know your battle or at least prepare as best you can.

[CanRay]

Another advantage that can be used is as old as Sun Tzu, and he might have cribbed it off someone else:  "Feed off the enemy".

If you can get a firearm that uses the same ammo, but is different from that of your enemies, you have an excellent solution!

One:  Cheap ammo, take off dead tangos (Or looted ammo stores.).  If the firearm can also use the same magazines, extra bonus!  (NATO Assault Rifles tend to be able to use the same magazines, with a few exceptions, who usually have adapters.).

Two:  You don't have to worry about friendly fire from having the same weapon (Thus the same sound when firing) as the enemies do in difficult to see situations.

(I've heard rumours, but never any confirmation or denial that the Sten Gun of WWII could use MP40 magazines, for example.  They could certainly use the same ammo.  If so, a prime example of this until the Germans came out with the MP3008.  But it's profile is different.).

[savaze]

"I wanted a Masterkey for my M60"

Isn't that what grenades are for?

I've noticed military/ paramilitary people tend to pick military guns, whereas normal sci-fi fans go for the more sci-fi-ish weapons.

I may have tried to juryrig an M203 on my 60 once...

Maybe I'm missing something here... but an M60 isn't mobile like an assault rifle. If I recall it's between 18-25 lbs, depending on the model, unloaded (it's belt-fed period and the military doesn't use short belts, so you're looking at a minimum of 10 lbs of belted 7.62 NATO ammo) and it's going to have at least a bipod. It's a 4-6 person weapon system, that's why a light machine gun like the SAW was adopted, so infantry units could have the advantages of the weapon without sacrificing the man power (which has for the most part left the M60, M240, and M2 as vehicle mounted weapons). So under barrel attachments, minus the bipod/tripod, would be pointless on the 60. On the other hand I have seen an M203 and masterkeys attached to the 249.

[Digital_Viking]

"I wanted a Masterkey for my M60"

Isn't that what grenades are for?

I've noticed military/ paramilitary people tend to pick military guns, whereas normal sci-fi fans go for the more sci-fi-ish weapons.

I may have tried to juryrig an M203 on my 60 once...

Maybe I'm missing something here... but an M60 isn't mobile like an assault rifle. If I recall it's between 18-25 lbs, depending on the model, unloaded (it's belt-fed period and the military doesn't use short belts, so you're looking at a minimum of 10 lbs of belted 7.62 NATO ammo) and it's going to have at least a bipod. It's a 4-6 person weapon system, that's why a light machine gun like the SAW was adopted, so infantry units could have the advantages of the weapon without sacrificing the man power (which has for the most part left the M60, M240, and M2 as vehicle mounted weapons). So under barrel attachments, minus the bipod/tripod, would be pointless on the 60. On the other hand I have seen an M203 and masterkeys attached to the 249.

I humped an M60E3, this was circa 87-90, as they were introducing the SAW. It came in at just under 24 lbs, and had a forward pistol grip mounted on the barrel. The M203 experiment involved duct tape, tequila and practice ordnance. It was not condoned by CMC or anyone with a shred of responsibility or common sense.

Mostly though, I was goofing  - there was no need for a Masterkey on the 60, thats what I had PFCs for.

[CanRay]

Or you could just make the structural integrity of the door go away with the '60 and walk through.  You might get some splinters, however.