Bolter

The ubiquitous boltgun, or bolter, is commonly associated with the legendary Space Marines, however its variants are used throughout the armed forces of the Imperium.

The boltgun is a mid-range weapon, between the lighter bolt pistol and heavier heavy bolter, and is easily carried by any Space Marine. It works in the same way as other Bolt Weapons and in massed ranks produces such destruction as to easily frighten any enemy advancing into oncoming fire.

Boltguns make a unique roaring sound when fired, which is caused as the propellant in their shells ignites.⁶

For the Adeptus Astartes and Adepta Sororitas the Boltgun is a holy symbol of the Emperor's wrath.³ Each Marine carries a weapon hand-crafted by an artificer in either the Chapter's own forges or on a Forge World and at each step of its construction the proper rituals must be observed, and sacred oils are applied. The Marine's maintenance of his weapon therefore carries a degree of religious ritual, as well as being part of the dedicated daily rituals of the Space Marine.

Bolter designs

The model currently used by the Space Marines is designated the 'Astartes MK Vb Godwyn pattern' and tends to be fired in 4 round bursts. There were, however, many other variants used throughout history including:

• Ultima Pattern
• Crusade Pattern
• Heresy Pattern
• Filienostos Pattern
• Nostra Pattern
• Astartes Umbra Pattern
• Godwyn Pattern (older versions such as Astartes Mk. IIIa: Godwyn Pattern used by the Dark Angels Chapter)
• Godwyn-Deaz Pattern (used by the Sisters of Battle)³
• Locke-pattern - a variant of an old Adeptus Arbites design, the locke-pattern is the most common boltgun design found in the Koronus Expanse.⁷

They all have the same basic features and design. There are also various addons available to each bolter, including:

• M40 targeting scope
• Ammo Counter
• Sinister/Dexter locking mechanism.

The models used by the Astartes and the Sisters of Battle are much bigger and heavier than those given to officers of the Imperial Guard, for example. They cannot be handled properly without artificial support like that provided by the Power Armour used by both organisations.

Ammunition Types

The Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus have developed many types of bolter ammunition over the millennia. Apart from the standard pattern, these ammunitions are only available for high ranking officers and officials, elite forces such as Deathwatch Kill Teams, or on special missions. Their limited availability is due to a number of factors, including their huge costs of production (such as the Inferno bolt which needs an airtight vacuum production line) or their nearly lost technology. The most common variants are:

• Standard Bolts comprise the following components: Outer casing, propellant base, main charge, mass reactive detonator cap, depleted uranium core, diamantine tip.¹ The standard bolter shell is standardised at .75 calibre, whereas heavy bolter rounds are larger, at 1.00 Cal.
• Hellfire Rounds have devastating results on organic matter, as the rounds are developed to combat Tyranids.⁴ The core and tip are replaced with a vial of mutagenic acid¹ with thousands of needles that fire into the target upon the shattering of the vial, pumping the acid into the target.
• Stalker Silenced Shells are rounds with low sound signatures, meant for covert fighting and used in conjunction with an M40 targeting system and an extended barrel and stock on a bolter to produce a sniping weapon system. A solidified mercury slug replaces the mass-reactive warhead for lethality at sub-sonic projectile speed.¹ A gas cartridge also replaces both the propellant base and main charge for silent firing.¹
• Inferno Bolts are designed to immolate their targets and destroy them with superheated chemical fire. The uranium core is replaced with an oxy-phosphorus gel, known as Promethium.¹ It should be noted that the Chaos Space Marine Thousand Sons have their own similarly-named but unrelated type of inferno bolts, which are actually psychically-bound slugs that release arcane energies; these slugs explode with sorcerous energies upon impact.
• Metal Storm Frag Shells are best against multiple lightly-armoured targets. They detonate before impact and spray shrapnel, shredding their victims. A proximity detonator replaces the mass-reactive cap, and the diamantine tip and uranium core are replaced with an increased charge and fragmentation casing.¹ They are similar to flak rounds and are used against clusters of enemies.
• Kraken Pattern Penetrator Rounds are powerful armour-piercing rounds. The uranium core is replaced by a solid adamantine core and uses a heavier main charge.¹ Upon impact, the outer casing peels away and the high velocity adamantium needle accelerates into the victim, where the larger detonator propels shards of super hardened metal further into the wound. These are effective against heavily-armoured infantry.
• Psycannon Bolts are used by the Inquisition, primarily the Ordo Malleus and Grey Knights.^2,3 They are very similar in nature to the rounds fired by their namesake, the Psycannon, and are similarly used against psychic and daemonic targets. Of all the rounds these are the most expensive, as each and every bolt is inscribed with runes on a microscopic level. Other sources say that they contain an anti-psychic substance that still others claim is a byproduct of the Emperor's Golden Throne. The psychic nature of these rounds are not only effective at destroying daemonic targets but also highly efficient at piercing the powerful barriers created by forcefield generators (such as the Tau Shield Generator and the Imperium's own Iron Halo and Storm Shield).
• Dragonfire Bolts are used by Sternguard Veterans and release a gout of superheated gas that makes a mockery of cover.⁴
• Vengeance Rounds utilise an unstable flux technology which makes them slightly hazardous to use but makes them very good against armoured targets. In fact, they were originally developed to combat Traitor Marines.⁴
• Tempest Bolts incorporate tiny plasma shock generators that emit electromagnetic and thermal radiation when the shell detonates. Produced only on Mars, Tempest shells are noted as particularly effective against machines and mechanical targets.⁵

Please Note that Stalker, Inferno and Metal Storm pattern rounds are only in use by members of the Ordo Xenos, both active members and those that have returned to normal duty with their respective Chapters.

Magazines

The boltgun may have one of four different magazines. These include:

• Sickle - Standard magazine, 20-30 rounds¹
• Drum - 40-60 rounds, Prone to jamming¹
• Straight - 12-20 rounds, Easier to load¹
• Duplus X - Two sickle magazines strapped together¹

Sources

• ¹Warhammer 40,000 3rd Edition Rulebook p60
• ²Codex: Daemonhunters (3rd Edition) p18
• ³Codex: Witch Hunters (3rd Edition) p19,22
• ⁴Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition) p63,100
• ⁵Dark Heresy: The Inquisitor's Handbook, p. 148
• ⁶: Dark Heresy Rulebook, p.133
• ⁷: Rogue Trader Rulebook, p.122
• Codex: Space Marines (3rd Edition)
• Warhammer 40,000 4th Edition Rulebook
• Codex: Space Marines (4th Edition)
• Codex: Dark Angels (4th Edition)
• Faith and Fire (Novel)