From Lexicanum

Additions to be made: Changes to reflect canon of Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition) including use of some ammo by Sternguard Veterans, Dragonfire Bolts, Vengeance Rounds and the slight change in official info on Hellfire Rounds--Whitefang 03:51, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Note: Bolter ammunition does not use depleted deuterium like the codex says; this is an obvious typo which Games Workshop has admitted to. Depleted deuterium is an isotope that cannot be depleted in the first place, nor would it be a viable ammunition construct. Using deuterium in a bolter round would be as bad as using water. Or worse, air. Depleted Uranium is the correct compound to use, as it is an actual heavy element that is also used in modern-day weapons --Dacon 00:31, 27 June 2009 (UTC)

Please refrain from changing this back to deuterium again, as it is a mistake that should not be reproduced on this wiki.

Any official source where I can read the GW admittals? Because otherwise I'll have to apply the "Suspension of disbelief" rule. --Madness 11:40, 27 June 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately no, any official admittals don't seem to currently exist, or be easily available for the public. However, based on several other sources and common knowledge of the stable isotope, it's more likely that the Deuterium issue was either an error on the part of GW writing/fact checking "that they are still kicking themselves over," according to second-hand sources (considering the "depleted" part, I believe that it's highly likely they were trying to reference Uranium but missed the mark), an attempt at adding technobabble to the source to increase it's depth (while it had a generally positive effect, the smallest amount of fact-checking makes the idea of deuterium shells comical), or another lie culminated by the Adeptus Mechanicus in order to guard their technologies secrets.

Though the idea that the shells are filled with deuterium has proliferated, I'd feel that calling it a suspension of disbelief is a near impossible stretch of illusions. I will continue to search for any official documentation of the error. --Dacon 22:31, 27 June 2009

Maybe you can try asking in the Black Library forums. Also, please sign your posts by clicking on the "Your signature with timestamp" icon up in the bar, the one with this image:[1] --Madness 22:55, 27 June 2009 (UTC)

can a boltgun work in a vacuum?

Space Marines can operate in a vacuum, which is 'common knowledge' and shown in some canon books such as "soul drinkers" (vol.1). However, can a boltgun operate in a vacuum? As far as I know, they use conventional combustion techniques for both firing the shell, and for the shell detonating once it impacts the target. So are marines 'defenceless', apart from hand-to-hand combat, in a vacuum?

-- Live-D