TEXT: Millennium’s End RPG Optional Rules 
  Controllability of Rapid/Auto-fire Weapons 
  By Jeff Pawlowski, MillenniumsEnd.com 
  Introduction, How this rule was born 
  After much arguing and lamenting, after many, many, many (many, many, many1) rounds 
  of ammunition, and after some impromptu surveys and field tests, have I come to the 
  conclusions in which I have used for this rules variant.  It came to my attention that not 
  all weapons are created equal.  This is a very easy conclusion for anyone that has had the 
  pleasure of shooting many types and varieties.  Even with this very evident fact, 
  Millennium’s End rules state, “Assess a –20 penalty whenever a character rapid-fires, to 
  all but the first roll in a sequence,”2 and “for auto-fire weapons,… the penalty is –30.”3  
  Statistically, this states that Millennium’s End treats all weapons the same when it comes 
  to ergonomics, recoil, feel, etc.  All of these traits are fairly subjective, but there is no 
  doubt that particular weapons are especially well suited (by design or accident) for 
  accuracy and handling while in automatic fire.  There is no doubt that particular weapons 
  are unwieldy while in automatic fire.  This set of rules will help portray this attribute to 
  weapons. 
  Data, The results of impromptu field surveys 
  Below is a set of data used to assist me in creating these rules.  These weapons were rated 
  by males and females, tall and short, and left handed and right handed shooters.  All 
  participating shooters were experienced with automatic weapons.  Ratings ranged from 1 
  to 10, with a rating of 5 being considered “average.”  It should be noted that this data is 
  the result of a survey, so this data is subjective, and the opinions of the shooters. 
  The colors show where the general group rated each particular weapon.  With 29 people 
  firing each weapon, groupings opinions of five to nine resulted in a Yellow designation 
  and ten or move votes resulted in Green. 
                                                   
  1 Many, many, many, many, many, many, and many 
  2 012-000, Millennium’s End Rulebook v2.0 (2nd Printing), page 97, Rapid-Fire Rule 
  3 012-000, Millennium’s End Rulebook v2.0 (2nd Printing), page 97, Auto-Fire Rule 
  
   
  Caliber 
  Name 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  8 
  9 
  10 
  11.43 x23 Ingram M10 
  3 
  8 
  14 
  3 
  1  
   
   
   
   
  5.45 x39 AK74 
   
  3 
  8 
  11 
  5 
  1  
   
   
   
  5.56 x45 Colt AR-15 Carbine 
   
  1 
  2 
  9 
  7 
  5 
  5  
   
   
  5.56 x45 Colt M16A1 
   
   
  2 
  8 
  9 
  8  
  1 
  1  
  5.56 x45 HK 33 
   
   
   
   
  9 
  10 
  8 
  2  
   
  5.56 x45 SIG 551 
   
   
   
  3 
  7 
  9 
  6 
  3 
  1  
  5.56 x45 Steyr AUG 
   
   
  1 
  4 
  12 
  9 
  3  
   
   
  7.62 x39 AKM 
   
  1 
  15 
  10 
  2  
   
   
   
   
  7.62 x51 FN FAL 
   
   
  2 
  13 
  12 
  1 
  1  
   
   
  9 x19 
  Beretta 93R 
   
  16 
  12 
  1  
   
   
   
   
   
  9 x19 
  Colt 635 
   
   
   
   
  1 
  5 
  13 
  10  
   
  9 x19 
  Glock 18 
  1 
  17 
  9 
  2  
   
   
   
   
   
  9 x19 
  Glock 18C 
   
  4 
  13 
  12  
   
   
   
   
   
  9 x19 
  HK MP5A2 
   
   
   
   
   
  6 
  12 
  9 
  2  
  9 x19 
  HK MP5KA5 
   
   
  1 
  6 
  11 
  10 
  1  
   
   
  9 x19 
  HK VP70M 
   
   
  3 
  9 
  9 
  8  
   
   
   
  9 x19 
  IMI Mini-Uzi 
   
   
  8 
  10 
  9 
  2  
   
   
   
  9 x19 
  Steyr AUG 
   
   
   
   
   
  7 
  13 
  8 
  1  
  9 x19 
  Tec-9 
  2 
  17 
  10  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Because all results are subjective, some particular notes should be made. 
  1. Small submachineguns (HK MP5K) with little distance between the fore and 
  trigger vertical grips tended to fair poorly with left-handed shooters.  Their right 
  arm would be in the path of hot brass as their right hand grasped the fore grip. 
  2. Taller shooters prefer adjustable/collapsible stocks versus fixed stocks.  Reasons 
  given were that adjustable stock could be extended slightly further than the 
  optional fixed stock.  Fixed stocks can be extended with padded butt plates. 
  3. Comfort with a particular weapon results from practice.  Even after firing a few 
  bursts, accuracy improves due to personal adjustments in stance and 
  compensating for recoil, muzzle rise, etc. 
  4. Viet Nam veterans tended to rate the M16A1 higher than other shooters.  This has 
  been attributed to familiarity and comfort level with the weapon. 
  
  Rules Alterations 
  The chart above clearly shows two things.  The first, as pointed out by Robert Thomas, is 
  that weapon comfort and controllability is a very personal thing.  No data listed above 
  clearly shows something definitive.  The second, as I prefer to point out, is that weapon 
  opinions do form a particular consensus of results.  Opinions may vary, but superiority of 
  particular weapons (or even inferiority) clearly result when compared to one another. 
   
  Most weapons will have a controllability modifier of 0 (zero).  In the above chart, 
  weapons that fall at numbers four, five, and six, should have a zero modifier.  Weapons 
  with better controllability would have a modifier of +5, cumulative with the –20/-30 
  modifiers for rapid-fire and auto-fire.  Exceptional weapons would have a +10 modifier.  
  Weapons that have poor controllability have a modifier of -5.  Exceptionally poor and 
  uncontrollable weapons would have a modifier of –10.  Remember that these modifiers 
  are cumulative with the –20/-30 rapid-fire and auto-fire modifiers only. 
   
  Because familiarity with a particular weapon greatly affects the users accuracy, any 
  unfamiliar weapon that is picked up in battle should start with a –5 modifier.  Each 
  consecutive pull of the trigger reduces this penalty by one point.  After five pulls of the 
  trigger, the user will have become familiar enough with the weapon’s recoil, sights, etc.  
  This only counts for weapons that the user has never fired before. 
  Examples of the Applied Attribute 
  Caliber 
  Name 
  Control 
  11.43 x23 Ingram M10 
  -10/-5 
  5.45 x39 AK74 
  -5/0 
  5.56 x45 Colt AR-15 Carbine 
  0 
  5.56 x45 Colt M16A1 
  0 
  5.56 x45 HK 33 
  0/+5 
  5.56 x45 SIG 551 
  0/+5 
  5.56 x45 Steyr AUG 
  0 
  5.7 x28 
  FN P90 
  +5/+10 
  7.62 x39 AKM 
  -5 
  7.62 x51 FN FAL 
  -5/0 
  9 x19 
  Beretta 93R 
  -10 
  9 x19 
  Colt 635 
  +5 
  9 x19 
  Glock 18 
  -10/-5 
  9 x19 
  Glock 18C 
  -5 
  9 x19 
  HK MP5A2 
  +5 
  9 x19 
  HK MP5KA5 
  0 
  9 x19 
  HK VP70M 
  0 
  9 x19 
  IMI Mini-Uzi 
  0/-5 
  9 x19 
  Steyr AUG 
  +5 
  9 x19 
  Steyr TMP 
  0 
  9 x19 
  Tec-9 
  -10/-5 
   
  Please note that controllability is very 
  subjective.  To the left is a collection of 
  attributes that cover a good variety of 
  weapons.  You should be able to guess-
  timate controllability figures for other 
  weapons not on the list. 
   
  Controllability of automatic pistols 
  should all be around 0 (zero) except for 
  overly developed weapons.  Stipulation 
  only, the FN Five-seveN (without the 
  benefit of firing the weapon) is supposed 
  to have very little recoil that would 
  benefit from a +5 modifier for 
  controllability. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Millenniums End/Millennium's End Controllability of Rapid & Auto-Fire Weapons.pdf