I thought bolt pistols were big?

[NPC]

Im not a 40k expert but I thought bolt weapons were made for big marine guys and massive compared to normal humans

[Stormer]

The bolters we use are """Civilian""" grade bolters, translation, these are bolters that are actually meant for normal humans to fire. The Bolters that Space Marines use are much larger than the ones we use here in Darktide.

[✠ GUNNAR ✠]

"The Space Marines are not the only warriors of the Imperium to carry boltguns into battle, but the version carried by the Adeptus Astartes, the MK Vb Godwyn pattern boltgun, is by far the largest and most devastating. By comparison, the smaller patterns of boltgun carried by the Adeptus Sororitas or the champions of the Imperial Guard are pale reflections. So large is the Godwyn pattern that no normal man could heft one, let alone survive its unforgiving recoil."
Munitorium: Boltguns (eBook)

"'Mortal' bolters are a rank apart and are so designed that mere humans can wield them. Designed with smaller grips and lighter construction, these bolters do not have the same capacity for slaughter as the Astartes versions, yet can easily cut a man in two. Supplied by the Departmento Munitorum to Imperial Guard forces throughout the galaxy, even these pale shadows of Marine bolters are rare trophies to be passed down from generation to generation."
- Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook, pg. 173

[Grr. [SG CMD] Majah Lazah]

Originally posted by Innocent ÚwÚ:

Im not a 40k expert but I thought bolt weapons were made for big marine guys and massive compared to normal humans

Bolt pistols are made to size and caliber of the force using them

[A Good Dad]

Originally posted by ✠ GUNNAR ✠:

"The Space Marines are not the only warriors of the Imperium to carry boltguns into battle, but the version carried by the Adeptus Astartes, the MK Vb Godwyn pattern boltgun, is by far the largest and most devastating. By comparison, the smaller patterns of boltgun carried by the Adeptus Sororitas or the champions of the Imperial Guard are pale reflections. So large is the Godwyn pattern that no normal man could heft one, let alone survive its unforgiving recoil."
Munitorium: Boltguns (eBook)

"'Mortal' bolters are a rank apart and are so designed that mere humans can wield them. Designed with smaller grips and lighter construction, these bolters do not have the same capacity for slaughter as the Astartes versions, yet can easily cut a man in two. Supplied by the Departmento Munitorum to Imperial Guard forces throughout the galaxy, even these pale shadows of Marine bolters are rare trophies to be passed down from generation to generation."
- Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook, pg. 173

[Pwner1]

And yet they use the same ammunition! You cannot debunk this. People keep saying that marine bolters use bigger shells, but the facts at large are that the standard bolt round in the imperium is .75 and the heavy bolter shell is .998 there is no difference in ammunition for guardsman/sororitas issue round and space marines. Some argue there is but only pull up some PnP rpg excerpt that contradicts lore at large.

[Morrtanius]

Originally posted by Pwner1:

And yet they use the same ammunition! You cannot debunk this. People keep saying that marine bolters use bigger shells, but the facts at large are that the standard bolt round in the imperium is .75 and the heavy bolter shell is .998 there is no difference in ammunition for guardsman/sororitas issue round and space marines. Some argue there is but only pull up some PnP rpg excerpt that contradicts lore at large.

Eh, I guess you can handwave it by saying that mundane human bolter patterns use less propellant in their shells in order to soften the initial recoil. That would leave the caliber the same while substantially reducing penetration. The performance against unarmored targets will be about the same, though the mundane human patterns will struggle a lot more against armored hostiles - such as what Space Marines can expect to face on a routine basis.

[Bug Guy]

Originally posted by Pwner1:

And yet they use the same ammunition! You cannot debunk this. People keep saying that marine bolters use bigger shells, but the facts at large are that the standard bolt round in the imperium is .75 and the heavy bolter shell is .998 there is no difference in ammunition for guardsman/sororitas issue round and space marines. Some argue there is but only pull up some PnP rpg excerpt that contradicts lore at large.

I remember hearing this (and reading it) but the barrel, and the ammunition you can clearly see on heavy bolters, look much larger than .75 or .998 caliber. you can about shove an entire soda can in bolter replicas, and thats way bigger than 3/4 of an inch. So its probably more likely that bolter rounds are about a square inch across and heavy bolter rounds are close to that 20mm profile. The creators probably just knew that .75 caliber was really big (it is) and went with it because it sounds cool.

That said, if that is simply a design, modeling, and art issue where it is supposed to be .75 across most bolter patterns, than Mortanius' point is likely correct. We have tons of real life examples of same calibers but reduced power. The 5.56 round is the same diameter as a .22 cailber pistol, but is siginicantly more powerful.

[Pwner1]

Originally posted by Bug Guy:

Originally posted by Pwner1:

And yet they use the same ammunition! You cannot debunk this. People keep saying that marine bolters use bigger shells, but the facts at large are that the standard bolt round in the imperium is .75 and the heavy bolter shell is .998 there is no difference in ammunition for guardsman/sororitas issue round and space marines. Some argue there is but only pull up some PnP rpg excerpt that contradicts lore at large.

I remember hearing this (and reading it) but the barrel, and the ammunition you can clearly see on heavy bolters, look much larger than .75 or .998 caliber. you can about shove an entire soda can in bolter replicas, and thats way bigger than 3/4 of an inch. So its probably more likely that bolter rounds are about a square inch across and heavy bolter rounds are close to that 20mm profile. The creators probably just knew that .75 caliber was really big (it is) and went with it because it sounds cool.

That said, if that is simply a design, modeling, and art issue where it is supposed to be .75 across most bolter patterns, than Mortanius' point is likely correct. We have tons of real life examples of same calibers but reduced power. The 5.56 round is the same diameter as a .22 cailber pistol, but is siginicantly more powerful.

First time I ever heard about differing bolter propellent loads.

[Arani]

Originally posted by Innocent ÚwÚ:

Im not a 40k expert but I thought bolt weapons were made for big marine guys and massive compared to normal humans

Personally I love the appearance and sounds of it! But its kinda funny that the bolt pistol has a realistic-ish size, while the much weaker laspistol is about the size of a house! xD

How games frequently make all weapons oversized is a bit of an issue of mine, never liked it. Pistols are almost always the size of rifles, daggers & knives the size of full on longswords etc. It just looks so dumb imo.

[Bug Guy]

Originally posted by Pwner1:

First time I ever heard about differing bolter propellent loads.

My guess would be its more just that the cartridge is shorter, hence a smaller propellant load. The bolt pistol and boltgun magazines we use look less long than a godwyn pattern boltgun. Just going off of how it fits into our hands vs how we see a boltgun magazine fit into a space marines power armored hand in media.

Its all just guesswork of course, I havent seen any actual reference to any of this in any media ive read. Just trying to reason around their own inbuilt lore that the primary fuse of standard boltgun rounds are too severe for humans and our own logic that reducing the receiver size wouldnt affect that almost at all

[Luckycharms]

There isn't supposed to be much recoil to a boltgun since they don't shoot a bullet, but a rocket. Like a javelin missile, there is still recoil as the projectile leaves the weapon but the force of the projectile is coming from its rocket and not the propellant.

From: https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Bolter

A brutally efficient weapon, the bolter fires mass-reactive bolts at its targets, each one a self-propelled missile which explodes with devastating effectiveness after penetrating its target. The fear and awe that bolter fire creates makes it a perfect weapon for shock troops, the hammering thunder of the guns mixing terrifyingly with the dull, wet explosions as flesh is blown apart.

[Pwner1]

Originally posted by Luckycharms:

There isn't supposed to be much recoil to a boltgun since they don't shoot a bullet, but a rocket. Like a javelin missile, there is still recoil as the projectile leaves the weapon but the force of the projectile is coming from its rocket and not the propellant.

From: https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Bolter

A brutally efficient weapon, the bolter fires mass-reactive bolts at its targets, each one a self-propelled missile which explodes with devastating effectiveness after penetrating its target. The fear and awe that bolter fire creates makes it a perfect weapon for shock troops, the hammering thunder of the guns mixing terrifyingly with the dull, wet explosions as flesh is blown apart.

What's the casing for?

[BecauseRaisins]

Originally posted by Pwner1:

What's the casing for?

looking cool

[ElviraDemonQueen]

ow my lord by the Emperor anything that HOLY here we go again with the BOLTER guns are only for space marien... like if you dig into the 40K lore there are no joke HUMAN Boltor guns the Bolt pistol and Boltor rifle is one of them. they are not as powerfull and difrent Type of ammo then what the space mariens use but they do Exsist. you can take this guns as a smaller bolter version and yes imperial guards even have big boltor mashiengun version but they have to be carry by 2 people sometimes 3.

even sisters of battle got there own Bolt guns with special blessings and all to shoot blessed ammo they are difrent versions then the Guardsmen use and more powerfull then there version. so yes Bolt guns do exsist for the human's

PS commisar useing bolt pistols too its been shown in some games and trailers of gameworkshop them selfs

[Qau'lthir]

Originally posted by Pwner1:

And yet they use the same ammunition! You cannot debunk this. People keep saying that marine bolters use bigger shells, but the facts at large are that the standard bolt round in the imperium is .75 and the heavy bolter shell is .998 there is no difference in ammunition for guardsman/sororitas issue round and space marines. Some argue there is but only pull up some PnP rpg excerpt that contradicts lore at large.

Wrong. The Guardsman Bolt is .50 cal the reason for this being that firing a .75 cal round without wearing Power Armour or being an Augmented human would, quite literally, rip your arm out of your socket due to the recoil.