Firearms Performance

When the time reached 12:30, everyone had arrived.

Since it was a small banquet, only 25 people were invited. Apart from Uncle Leif, everyone else had either brought their juniors or their sons and daughters-in-law, basically arriving in pairs.

It was fortunate that so few people attended, otherwise, the dining table wouldn't have been large enough.

Once everyone was present, Altair signaled Hahn to begin the banquet.

As Hahn lightly rang a bell, signaling the start of the luncheon, Altair stood up to escort some important guests to their seats. The other guests took their seats as they pleased.

The seating arrangement for the luncheon was not as strict as for the banquet.

Once everyone was seated, the servants began serving the meal, starting with cold platters, ham, then hot dishes, roast meat, roast chicken, roast vegetables, followed by dessert: fruit tart and pudding.

As there was a performance in the afternoon, only low-alcohol white wine or apple wine was served during the luncheon.

During the luncheon, Altair and everyone else enjoyed a lively meal for an hour and a half.

After the meal, Altair had a chance to get acquainted with everyone.

The elderly group was generally starting to relinquish power and enter retirement.

The middle-aged individuals, like Karel Duarte, had largely completed their power transitions and were establishing their footing.

Among the younger generation, a few were around his age and were still in their learning phase, acting as students and making plans for after they came of age.

The luncheon concluded. After a brief period of casual conversation, Hahn entered and whispered to Altair, "Simon's arrangements are complete. The performance can begin."

After hearing this private remark, Altair looked at the assembled guests. He noticed that most of them, except for some of the younger ones, were looking at him.

Altair smiled and shook his head helplessly, thinking, They must have been waiting for Hahn to come in and give the announcement.

He then stood up and said, "Everyone, thank you for attending the Sheffield Family's banquet. As a token of our gratitude, we have prepared a fireworks display for you. After the performance, you will also have the opportunity to participate. Please follow me to the backyard."

Altair and Hahn made a gesture of invitation.

Hahn led the way, while Altair accompanied Uncle Leif and the others out of the living room.

Those who were in the know also wanted to watch, so they followed. As for the rest, seeing most people leaving, they also followed.

They were led to the backyard and seated on a pre-built viewing platform.

From the platform, one couldn't help but admire Simon's professionalism. Standing here, one could see the entire firing range.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Altair began his introduction: "Since 1145, Emperor Roselle's invention of the steam engine and improvements to rifled artillery completely ended the age of knights."

"This led to the rapid rise of the Republic of Intis during that era, allowing it to dominate other nations for nearly 50 years. It wasn't until Roselle was assassinated in the White Maple Palace and Intis fell into civil war that other nations seized this opportunity to initiate their Industrial Revolution."

"After that, the warfare between the two nations completely shifted to firearms. And an unavoidable issue with firearms, which is gunpowder, is the foundation of this series of weapons. Whoever possesses better technology can gain a significant advantage."

"Of course, this statement isn't entirely accurate, as the army possesses a large quantity of high-powered weapons like the 'Steam Rifle.' However, you should all be aware of the drawbacks of these weapons: high cost, complex maintenance, reliance on phlogiston for power, and the need for specially trained personnel to operate them."

"The solution to these problems is to update gunpowder technology. Whoever possesses cheaper, more powerful new gunpowder will be able to control the changes in the arms landscape."

"Today, the performance we have prepared for you is a weapons test firing event using 'New Gunpowder' technology."

As soon as Altair finished speaking, Simon led all the members of his team to a corner of the firing range. Upon receiving the signal to begin, the 12-person team commenced the demonstration.

Due to the distance exceeding a hundred meters, the sound of the Kar98k rifles used by the team reached the viewing platform, having faded from a sharp crackle to a muffled "bang."

Altair observed the satisfied expressions on their faces and offered a brief introduction: "'Kar98k' is a bolt-action rifle, chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges, fed by a 5-round internal magazine, with an effective range of 800 meters. Its length is 1100mm, and its unloaded weight is approximately 3.9 kilograms."

"Its bolt operation is smooth and reliable, with excellent accuracy. When equipped with an optical sight, it can be used as a sniper rifle. Its drawbacks include a slow rate of fire, making it unsuitable for close-quarters combat."

"However, its inherent superior performance cannot be denied. Compared to the weapons currently in active service with the army, it is low in cost and high in power. The ammunition uses entirely new smokeless powder."

The current timeline is in the late Victorian Era of the "Original World." Ordinary weapons have not yet fully transitioned to smokeless powder technology.

Uncle Leif watched the demonstration on the firing range and casually asked, "What are the production cost and time for this rifle?"

Altair inwardly rejoiced. Uncle Leif was truly kind. He had been waiting for someone to ask a question so he could highlight the advantages. "Because the Kar98k is a new type of firearm, its current production time is between 12-14 hours. Once mass production begins, this time can be compressed to about 9 hours."

Altair's statement caused these influential figures to nod frequently.

The Kar98k's demonstration followed the complete process of a weapons test, covering range, accuracy, muzzle velocity, and environmental simulations including immersion in water, sand, and low temperatures, followed by continuous firing.

After the Kar98k test was completed, Simon and his team switched to the MG42 for testing.

The MG42, with its incredibly high rate of fire of 1200 rounds per minute, unleashed a continuous barrage of sound, like tearing cloth, "zizizi—zizizi—." There was no discernible interval between individual shots, more like the sharp screech of a metal grinding wheel cutting steel, exuding immense pressure.

Seeing the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, Altair could understand. After all, heavy machine guns of the current era did not produce such an effect. He directly introduced it:

"The MG42 is a general-purpose machine gun, capable of fulfilling both light and heavy machine gun combat roles."

"It is chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges and fed by a belt. Its theoretical rate of fire is up to 1200 rounds per minute. Its effective range is 800 meters (light machine gun mode) and 1000 meters (heavy machine gun mode). Its length is 1219mm, and its unloaded weight is approximately 11.5 kilograms."

"Its rate of fire is extremely high, with a sound resembling a chainsaw's roar, providing exceptional suppression capabilities."

"It is manufactured using stamping processes, resulting in low cost, high production volume, and excellent reliability, capable of adapting to harsh battlefield environments such as extreme cold and mud."

"Its drawback is the rapid ammunition consumption due to the high rate of fire, placing high demands on the shooter's control and logistical support. However, I believe this ammunition consumption is not a disadvantage for the army, or even for an industrial power like ours."

"If these two firearms are paired, they can form the core firepower unit of an infantry squad. The Kar98k would be responsible for precise aimed fire and medium-to-long-range sniping. The MG42 would undertake suppression fire and area denial tasks."

If the Kar98k had brought surprise to these individuals, the MG42 brought sheer shock, as the design of this machine gun completely surpassed all existing firearms.

After the demonstration, everyone participated in a trial usage session, eager to try out these weapons that could influence the course of battle.

When Altair announced the production cost and time, these high-ranking individuals looked at him as if appraising a piece of gold.