Recoil itself will be exactly the same as it's a function of mass(not weight)/velocity.
IIRC, most propellant explosives contain their own oxidant and don't require air (guns can fire underwater, but the bullets are hugely slowed down by the density of the medium - a 9mm lethal range is a few feet at most). It is risky though - any air in the barrel could make the gun explode, and the mechanism is unliely to let you get more than one shot off. In a vacuum these problems wouldn't be an issue so I suspect "normal" guns would work just fine.
Ballistics is a wonderful thing in vacuum, since there's no drag to slow the bullet, pure vector calculations will work, so artillery would be much more accurate.
ETA - was clearly simultyping with Tony! His point about gravity on recoil is fair, i.e., things are less "anchored down", but the actual force being applied should by my reckoning be exactly the same as on Earth (or on Jupiter). Hadn't considered the temperature issues.
Brian Dolton
Yi Qin stories:
"The Box Of Beautiful Things" - IGMS#3
"The Man Who Was Never Afraid" - Abyss and Apex #20
"At Blue Crane Falls" - Abyss and Apex #25 "Where No Wind Blows" - Staffs & Starships #2
"What The Sea Refuses" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"What The Heart Bears" - Black Gate (forthcoming)
"Above The Clouds" - Paper Blossoms, Sharpened Steel (forthcoming)
Other Land Of Wind And Ghosts stories:
"The Dragon Path" - Fictitious Force (forthcoming)
"Three Out Of Four" - Sorcerous Signals Feb-Apr 08
Stories in other settings:
"The Unicorn Hunter" - OG's Speculative Fiction #8
"Call Centre" - Necrotic Tissue #1
"When Winter Came" - ASIM #32
"Cold Fire" - Flashing Swords #9
"St. Saviour And The Devil's Dandy" - Flashing Swords (forthcoming) |