The Dead Man’s Switch – Medium Caliber Multi-Purpose AutoCannon Program

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Authors: FLY-SF, DsW-4, PolandBall, RHO-915, unknown

Last revision: 19 Nov, 2025 at 04:06 UTC (9)

File size: 1.88 MB

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Description:

M230 and M230LF utilize 30x113mmB, which features reduced recoil, compact size, lighter weight, and lower production costs compared to longer rounds. You can find 30x113mmB SAPHEI in My New Ammunition Pack

The handheld version of M230 is fielded as a versatile, bodysize-2.0 weapon, while its Dragoon variant sacrifices some ammo capacity for quicker reloads

30x113mmB is a solution to deliver more sustainable, cost-effective, and efficient 30mm firepower. This approach stems from the fact that 30x173mm or 30x165mm weapons—along with their associated ammunition—are excessively heavy, bulky, and costly, while also suffering from overkill in any missions

Sounds familiar? It’s essentially the same concept as transitioning rifles from full-power cartridges to intermediate rounds

M230 isn’t without flaws. Its accuracy is mediocre, and its rate of fire falls short of cannons like the GAU-8

M230LF: A long-barrel M230 with better range/accuracy but slower fire rate. Fits Mule/ArmySteed/Chelydridae

XM274 and XM275 utilize 75mm telescoped ammunition (132mm case diameter, 483mm length). In-game, these rounds are more compact than 125mm ammunition

For gameplay balance and personal fondness, I’ve added theoretically plausible fictional munitions variants, including Canister, Shrapnel , Incendiary, and EMP.

The handheld, general-purpose XM274 autocannon in-game is bodysize-3.0 weapon with higher production costs, but its combat effectiveness makes it worth the investment

Similarly, as a large-caliber enthusiast who admittedly doesn’t know much about small arms, I’ve also included a Dragoon Module weapon version of the XM274 autocannon. This variant requires 200 load capacity to operate, which in vanilla gameplay might give balance enthusiasts what could be considered overpowered combat capabilities

The XM275 autocannon is an electrothermal variant of the XM274, firing the same ammunition(fictional weapon).

In-game, the XM275 operates as a fixed turret that consumes 60Wd of power per shot(CE-Only, need D-Lib), delivering slightly greater firepower than its XM274 counterpart.

In certain scenarios, manufacturers identified upgrade opportunities for existing combat vehicles. Similar to the issues observed with overpowered autocannons, the main guns mounted on the Chelydridae and Chameleon also exhibited excessive firepower and insufficient sustained combat capability

To address this, manufacturers developed two new turrets equipped with XM274 to improve ammunition commonality, reduce vehicle weight, and enhance sustained combat performance

Please refer to the autoloader schematic. The diagram below shows the autoloader mechanism of the 75AD MAG automatic cannon, which operates on the same principle as the XM274. The rotary revolver design of the autoloader dictates this ammunition’s distinctive shape

XM274’s autoloader does not require the gun to maintain a fixed elevation angle for reloading. With a cyclic rate of 60–120 rpm (0.5–1 second per round), it earned the nickname "antitank machinegun"

Yes, though it has been modified in-game for gameplay purposes 😉 In reality, this cannon was developed as part of the Medium Caliber Antiarmor Automatic Cannon(MCAAC) program and was tested on the HSTV-L(High Survivability Test Vehicle Lightweight) experimental vehicle

The XM274 was designed by the legendary Eugene Stoner (November 22, 1922 – April 24, 1997), best known for creating the AR-10 and AR-15 series – the latter of which evolved into the U.S. military’s standard-issue M16 rifle and its variants

M230 chain gun uses the M789 HEDP as its main ammunition(pens 51mm RHA,90°). It is mainly mounted on Apache-series helicopters. The M230LF is a version with an extended barrel and reduced rate of fire. M1 AbramsX also features an M230LF weapon station