J11-M Sabretooth Cannon

## Overview

The J11-M Sabretooth Cannon is a battle-tested semi-automatic direct-fire ballistic cannon of the Iron Horde, in service since the days of the Iron Federation. It has served in countless conflicts and campaigns, forming the backbone of the Iron Horde's ground offensive. The cannon was originally developed in Y3603 by premier weapons manufacturer Brownstark Firearms Co. under the auspices of the Iron Federation. The weapon system fires a 100mm solid uranite penetrating sabot, capable of punching through over three feet of high strength steel. The magazine fed semi-automatic design creates a wall of firepower that can obliterate enemy PVT armor columns in a matter of seconds.

### History

#### Development

After the Iron Federation claimed victory during the Collingian Civil War, they bolstered their arsenal with their conquered foes' munitions. This included numerous cannons, explosives and rockets. One particular weapon in particular, the Wotan Cannon, was confiscated from the LaRocque Clan arsenal in the northern region of the territory. This cannon proved to be particularly effective at offensive combat, being fed by a magazine. A small battery of Wotans could match the firepower of much larger groups of single shot cannons, which the LaRocque Clan used to deadly effect against the Iron Federation only a few years earlier. Berach Corsair enjoyed the mass destruction it could cause, and ordered his new acquisition Boerelem to reverse engineer and replicate the design. For six years Boerelem engineers worked feverishly to create a competent weapon system from the captured ordinance. Testing their designs began in early Y3597, but failed to meet project specifications. Serious malfunctions with the gas and feeding system produced constant jams and failures to feed.

#### Laroussian War

In Y3598 war broke out between the Iron Federation and the bloodthirsty Laroussian Sandhawks of the Synovian Desert. With a new and pressing battlefront opening up, Corsair could not wait for Boerelem's incompetence to resolve itself. He promptly had all Boerelem engineers involved with the project put to death, and recruited Brownstark Firearms, Co. to finish the job. Brownstark picked up where Boerelem left off, designing a new round and shell type with a unique daxite-based propellant. This new addition was intended to add more pressure to the system, fixing the poor gas performance and failures to feed. Testing for Brownstark's design began in late Y3601, succeeding on all project parameters. All prototypes fired 10,000 rounds continuously with no malfunctions, being allowed to cool every time barrels became too hot. Berach Corsair was pleased with the superior performance commending Brownstark for their genius and awarding them exclusive weapons contracting rights for the foreseeable future. Production of the new cannon was slated to begin late Y3602, with new weapons slated to reach live combat in Y3603.

The new cannons reached the Laroussian battlefront in late 3604 due to major production and tooling issues in a number of the manufacturing plants. Most cannons were mounted on modified K2 Bardiche Light Tanks, or in circumstances of scarcity, towed behind modified K1A Charger vehicles. The cannons performed their duties well, outputting a withering amount of fire, giving the Laroussian Sandhawks and their Heavy Rashidans no quarter. By Y3613 the Laroussians had been pushed to the brink of destruction, their towns and villages razed by the unmatched firepower of the Sabretooth Cannon.

#### Variant II: Double Barreled Sabretooth Cannon

The success of the first iteration of the Sabertooth Cannon was widespread, with multiple branches of the Iron Horde adopting into their battle doctrine. It was not until after the 1st Battle of Bulwark that members of the Iron Ordinance Department sought to improve its performance. By that time the chassis of their military vehicles had greatly increased in strength, allowing them to carry much heavier loads. It was suggested that instead of trying to think of some way to engineer a different weapon or improve upon its core design, why not just make two...? It was roundly agreed upon, and efforts were made to create the double barreled variant of the Sabertooth. Simple enough, the design is two Sabertooth Cannons affixed to a rotating turret, with their receivers milled opposite of each other so as to be able to feed properly. The new design delivered a horrifying amount of firepower, obliterating targets on the testing grounds in a matter of seconds. While not yet serving in any serious conflicts, the J11DB-M will be sure to make its mark when the time inevitably arrives.

### Features

#### Nitrexite Barrel Shroud

The current iteration of the Sabertooth weapon system employs a dedicated Nitrexite barrel shroud with an integral hexagonal baffel system to increase surface area, thus increasing heat dissipation potential. While other weapons in the Iron Horde's arsenal have the barrel itself made from the endothermic material, the kinetic and violent shaking forces produced by the weapon make it a poor candidate for such a design.

#### Grade 7 Taaisteel Receiver

To handle the immense pressures produced by the rounds fired, the Sabertooth's receiver has been upgrade to drop-forged Grade 7 Taaisteel. This material is rated to easily handle Daxite-based shells, going all the way up to pressures created by grade 12 explosives and incendiaries, such as Gellar Sulfites.

Pictured: K4D Tomahawk Light Support Tank with mounted J11DB-M Sabertooth