This thread is not mine. All credit goes to Daemmerung from the old forums. This thread really helped me learn actions better because I could see them on a bunch of different guns. Hope it helps some of you too.
This is a survey of different repeater actions, viewed from the shooter’s perspective in various combinations with surrounding parts. I created it for my own education, and share it in the hope that I can ease others’ learning curve.
When sizing up a repeater, the action is the most difficult part to differentiate visually on the gun card. Buried between the sight, the body, and the grip, and with too little resolution (on my tiny traveler’s laptop, anyway) to make out distinctive side markings, actions have been my Achilles heel. However, when you’re holding the repeater in first-person perspective, you’re staring directly at the action; you need merely differentiate it from the sight above it, the body and grip below it, and the barrel in front of it.
Action 1
Action 1 conveys no bonuses or penalties. It is visually characterized by a round cylinder protruding from the rear of the weapon, flanked by two triangular wings. I unfortunately have entirely too many examples of this lame action.
Torgue, BLR body
Hyperion mat 3, BLR body
(The Crimson material doesn’t screenshot well, so I’ve avoided further examples of it.)
Hyperion, RF body
Tediore mat 3, TK (PRO) body
Vladof, HRD body
Vladof, HRD body, different sight
Action 2
Action 2 gives the pistol a slight boost in RoF, along with a slight increase in recoil, i.e., a penalty to recoil reduction. Visually it may be distinguished by a pair of convex curved sideplates flanking the hammer. It is considered another undesirable action.
Dahl mat 3, RF body
S&S mat 3, TK body
Action 3
Action 3 offers a reasonable boost in RoF, along with improved recoil reduction and a bonus to tech level. Visually, it has a gently curved top and is squared off in the rear; note however that different bodies will have differently shaped hammers, which may protrude from the rear of the action. This action is highly desirable on any elemental pistol.
Atlas mat 3, TK body
Dahl mat 3, HRD body
Action 4
Action 4 gives a pistol a damage bonus, but slows RoF and carries a considerable recoil penalty as well. Visually, it has a distinctive wedge or broad chisel shape. This can be a good action on a burst-mode pistol such as the Krom’s Sidearm pictured, though the shooter must compensate for barrel hop.
Atlas, TK body
Action 5
Action 5 offers both a damage bonus (though not to the extent of Action 4) and a formidable increase in RoF, while exacting no penalty to recoil reduction. The sides of the action curve down in a manner similar to those of Action 2, with the rear squared off like action 3; what’s more, three visually distinctive vent ports can be seen on the side near the front of the action, just behind the barrel. As with action 3, different pistol bodies will have different hammers visible. Generally, this is the most cherished action.
Hyperion, BLR body
Maliwan, TK body
Hyperion, HRD body
Maliwan, HRD body
Vladof mat 3, HRD body
S&S mat 2, MP body
(Note that the machine pistol body completely obscures the rear of the action, which makes identifying the action troublesome. The vent ports on the side of Action 5 remain visible and highly characteristic.)
This thread is kinda a compliment thread to