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I recently started a 40k relatet graphic project and I have problems deciding on some aesthetic stuff. Which pistol design looks better, the bolter-like or shotgun-like one?



If you like it you can see some more here http://avatrass.deviantart.com/gallery/

Option 2 looks a bit to bulky. The more streamlined version of Option 1 just looks better.

Option two got the reinforced ram of a Space marine shotgun fyi

Where does the ammo go? The lower barrel doesn't have an associated ejection port (or are both ports linked to the same cocking handle?). You might be trying for the GW aesthetic, but please bear in mind that GW couldn't design a decent firearm to save their lives

I based it roughly on these pictures


Don't try to find logic or realism here, it's 40k the only true rule is the rule of cool

How large might this gun be?

Hey it's being based off the year 40k they may have come up with a caseless ammo by then, therefore an ejection port isn't needed.

sing your life It's supposed to be quite large, approximately bolt pistol size.

Skal098 wrote:
Hey it's being based off the year 40k they may have come up with a caseless ammo by then, therefore an ejection port isn't needed.

If it is a Bolter or Bolter derivative, then yes, don't know about Stubbers, though. GW's art has had less than logical design decisions in the past, however.

Skal098 wrote:
Hey it's being based off the year 40k they may have come up with a caseless ammo by then, therefore an ejection port isn't needed.

You still need an ejection port on caseless weapons to eject dud rounds and to safely clear the chamber. Autoguns and certain variants of assault cannon (i.e. the ones described in words, rather than the ones depicted by the GW artists) are caseless. Bolters haven't been caseless in text or image for a long long time.

@OP - ah-ha, in that case, go with 1. I prefer the fore/aft sight aesthetic rather than the soid rail.

I think its more an autopistol then than a boly pistol since there is no showing magazine in the bottom, and yes it will need a ejection port.
That being said, I like #1 more

Looks like option 1 is winning.


Is it better now?

P.S. have some early power sword snapshot

Option 1 in my opinion looks better. I don't like the rail on the second one as it looks a little to bulky.
Why do you have the front bottom grip on it though? I know the pictures have it but its a pistol not a boltgun right?

I still feel like you need to make it a little wider.

Nice sword. It seems to have a really narrow fuller, though. At this point you might as well just make it fully diamond section and be done with it

2, the rail looks like something you could attach optics onto, ala the M4

I won't comment much on the mechanical design because... 40k, but I think some of the ergonomics and basic shapes could use a bit of tweaking.

The grip and trigger guard are both fairly awkward looking in terms of fitting in the hand. 40k tends to favor big chunky grips with exaggerated curves to fit into big meaty gloves. Ditto for the trigger guards, which are oversized to fit big sausage fingers.
Here's some good examples of grip shapes. Note the wider bottom and concave top where the heel of the hand fits.

Ditto for the trigger guard. Here's some RL examples of enlarged trigger guards to fit winter gloves.


The profile view of the gun is alright, but the width and breadth of the thing could use a bit of beefing up. Right now it's a pretty boring slab (again, 40k... but not really an excuse for bad design). Make it more visually interesting by blocking out the silhouette from above/front. Play around with bevels, overlapping shapes, curves, parts that look like they can be taken apart, etc etc.

Thanks for your advice! It'll be certainly helpful. I want the basic shape to remain boxy and similar to what I have now, but I'm planning numerous minor tweaks to make it look more interesting.