According to Bungie.net, the UNSC started using the M319 Grenade Launcher in 2263. The Fall of Reach takes place in 2552. This is the equivalent of the United States military fighting in Iraq with these: I'm not usually too picky about canon or anything, but wtf is up with that?
If it gets the job done, there's no need to improve on it; those muzzle loaders you have posted were unreliable, one-shot, inaccurate weapons, therefore, the've been replaced. The grenade launcher on the other hand, probably serves the exact same role as it was meant to, so it's no surprise that it's still around in the Halo universe.
And, I found out earlier today, when you Noob-Tube a vehicle (like a wraith in my situation) the vehicle gets EMPed. As if you shot it with a charged plasma pistol.
If not you, then my question is why you bothered posting at all. I'm 99% sure Ladnil didn't post this thread with the express hope of receiving spammy and rather glib replies, so yeah.... True enough, but still, 300 years? Surely in that time there would have been at least one technological advancement, however slight, which warranted a tweak or remodel of some kind. 300 years without the need for a change sounds like a pretty stagnant civilisation tbh, methinks you found a Bungie.net typo. Whereabouts did you find it?
It's in the weapon description in the service record. As for why I care, I don't really. I said right there in the OP I don't usually care about canon. 300 years seems like an extremely long time though, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
My reasoning is that Spartan III's, and possibly the entirety of Reach, would have resorted to outdated weaponry in a last ditch effirt to save the planet. True, it's a bit iffy. But don't tell bungie, or they might take my precious gun from me.
Sure its old technology but it still does the same thing. I wouldn't want to get hit by one of those rifles, they fire puny cannon balls which are just as good at killing people. Sure modern weapons are much more efficient and effective but both fill out the same function.
A bow and arrow will pierce some body armor bullets will not. One thing about humans is always constant: you die. It just depends on what is best at completing that. What advances have affected a knife. It still kills the same.
They still don't USE bow and arrows and such. It's simply not efficient....the idea of "if it ain't broke, don't fit it" doesn't really apply, especially to weapons engineers. I'm pretty sure 300 years is way too long to still be using a weapon, must be a typo.
The stainless steel combat knives with specialized edges for different functions of today are a lot more advanced than any blade 300 years ago. You'd think somewhere along the line the UNSC would develop some kind of upgrade to grenade launcher technology. Maybe in the campaign the Spartans will raid a military technology museum and all will be explained. Or maybe the thing is just the AK-47 of the future. Though even that is only 60 years old.
Well obviously it probably has grenadier rifling or something, maybe a more accurate scope. If I recall correctly, a whole age went by where people used the same shape of club. All a grenade launcher needs to do is launch a grenade. Any more range and you could just as easily strap a rocket to it.... Grenades are probably more explosive, but its not like you would need a plastic explosive launcher when you have a rocket launcher on hand.
I was talking to a friend about a concept close to this a few years ago. Why would humans even still be using bullets at that time? We already have the neccessary technology to make lasers (There is an anti-ICBM version mounted on a 747 that is currently being produced) by that time we should have weapons that could probably outclass even the covenant
i would have thought there would have been a sort of belt fed grenade launcher or a 6 shot rotational not one shot reload
Duckyz they actually do have one of those 6 shot revolver style already, as in present real life. To elaborate on Richard's comment and my response; Its always cheaper to stick a piece of lead in somebody's head than to burn a hole in it with a high wattage light.
yea thats what i was thinking of, they have both, belt fed and six shot, (weaponology on discovery, i got bored) or even a cartrage* style for easy manuverabilty* and burning holes in peoples heads is funner than a peice of lead... just guessing
Still, gunpowder was less cost efficient than bows and arrows, evevntually a point will be crossed and I belive it will be well before 2552 or whenevet Halo is