Gyrocs

Gyrocs are small arms that fire .50-caliber fin-stabilized rockets. They have replaced Needle Weapons as the standard firearms of the Grand Army; the Grenadiers use them in addition to their signature flamethrowers. They are available in a variety of sizes, but the Grenadier Assault Gyroc (GAG), comparable to an assault rifle, is the most common. As compared with Needle weapons, Gyrocs have improved range, accuracy, and less recoil (as the rocket's main acceleration happens after it leaves the firing chamber).

What drew the GA most to gyrocs was that they could be outfitted with a variety of different warheads, allowing them to be customized for a variety of mission profiles and threats. Standard Light Anti Personal (SLAP) is the standard load-out. Other rounds available include Cryo rounds, CHEM rounds (a small-scale hypdodermic, capable of delivering whatever drug is inside), Armor Piercing rounds, high explosive rands, electrical capacitor rounds, non-lethal Tangler rounds, and even Homing rounds for snipers. A common feature on many gyrocs is multiple magazines, for easy switching between ammunition types.

An added benefit of Gyrocs is that the unified caliber greatly simplifies supply.

Gyrocs biggest disadvantages vis a vis Needle weapons are their cost and complexity. Needlers are simple and mechanical reliable. Some have accused the GA of spending megageld developing gyrocs because they wanted 'to be all fancy-pants and different'. Gyrocs are a GA proprietary technology, licensed to contractors like the Kuat Consortium to be produced for GA usage and purchase only.

Additionally, since the Gyroc round accelerates outside the barrel, it is not always effective at close ranges. The GA retains needle weapons for their pistols (mostly Kuat N2 Predators), and still use their flamethrowers and combat shotguns for intense close-quarters fighting.

The development of these weapons was significantly criticized in the budget cut era. Wrote one critic, "The GA was spent billions of geld to replace perfectly good needlers just so they can be their own special, unique, snowflake with their own guns that no one else has."