AKU-94

    Notes: This is a bullpup version of the various AK-series weapons, generally sold as a kit to convert existing AKs rather than a full weapon.  It was not a Russian weapon, but instead was sold in the US and Europe, as well as some other parts of the world, by a couple of American companies.  It was one of the few bullpup rifles available to the general public before the war, most bullpup weapon being produced exclusively for military and police forces.  The conversion from standard AK to AKU-94 configuration takes about 2 hours and takes an Easy: Gunsmith or Difficult: Small Arms (Rifle) roll.  The resulting weapon is over 25 centimeters shorter, but has a creepier trigger pull.  In addition, the construction of the AKU-94 is such that left-handed firers tend to have the charging handle hitting their face during firing, so it is definitely a right-handed weapon.  The new weapon is also not as well balanced as a standard AK. 

     Production of this weapon stopped with the Brady Gun bans, but picked up again in the late 2000s using imported parts under Century International Arms.  These were designated the Century 1975, and built only in 7.62mm Kalashnikov.  For game purposes, this is identical to the AKU-95 in 7.62mm Kalashnikov.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Though there were some reports of Russian and Chinese troops using these weapons, the reports of Russians using them are probably misidentified OTs-14s, and the Chinese weapons were probably locally-manufactured weapons of similar design and characteristics.  Though there were some civilians who had this modification done to their weapons, the AKU-94 was never a widely-used weapon, and most of them were made from AK-47s or AKMs.  There were most likely almost no conversions of AKMRs to this standard, but such a modification will exist only in the Twilight 2000 world.

     Merc 2000 Notes: This is mainly just a novelty type of conversion.

Alexander Arms Genghis

     Notes: This is basically an AR-15 carbine modified to fire 5.45mm Kalashnikov ammunition (which Alexander Arms calls the .21 Genghis round; Alexander Arms’ round does differ in several ways from the 5.45mm Kalashnikov, but not in any way that can be simulated with Twilight 2000 game mechanics).  The Genghis features a 16-inch barrel; it is not typically equipped with a flash suppressor, being designed primarily for the civilian market, but does have a MIL-STD-1913 rail instead of a carrying handle, and is built to otherwise meet or exceed military and police specifications.  (Versions with carrying handles instead of MIL-STD-1913 rails are also available.) Ten-round magazines are normally supplied with the Genghis, but modified AR-15/M-16 magazines with larger capacities are also available.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This rifle is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Armalite AR-18

     Notes: This weapon was designed in the 1970s with experience gained from the M-16 series.  Armalite found that there were a lot of countries that wanted to license-produce the M-16, but did not have the modern facilities required to produce the more complicated M-16.  The AR-18 was designed to be simple and cheap to produce, as well as being relatively “soldier-proof.”  The US Army tested it, but did not produce it; it was then licensed to Howa Machinery in Japan, NWM in the Netherlands, and Sterling in Great Britain.  They also got virtually no military contracts, and Sterling sold its license to a company in the Philippines (who also got no military sales).  Much more lucrative was a semiautomatic civilian version, the AR-180; tens of thousands of AR-180s were sold to civilians in various countries.  The AR-18S is a shortened AR-18, similar in concept to the CAR-15. Bayonets and rifle grenades can be used, if the flash suppressor is removed.

     A later civilian version, the AR-180B, is somewhat different than the standard AR-180 and bears some elaboration.  The AR-180B uses a lower receiver made from polymer strengthened with a steel liner.  The shape of this lower receiver mimics the original lower receiver exactly, so that an upper of an AR-180 may be placed on a lower from an AR-180B and vice versa.  The trigger group of the AR-180B is borrowed from the AR-15 instead of being the original AR-180 design.  The front and rear sights are also borrowed from the AR-15A2, though the protective ears are different from those of the AR-15A2, and there is no elevation adjustment wheel on the AR-180B (elevation adjustments are done on the front sight).  The scope mount is of original AR-180 design.  There is a new design magazine well which allows the use of AR-15, M-16, and AR-18 magazines.  The magazine release button is thus the same as on an AR-15, and there is a small protrusion to prevent its being pressed accidentally.  The AR-15 has a sort of “half-pepperpot” muzzle brake instead of the original flash suppressor.  The barrel is slightly longer at 19 inches.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Starting in 1995, production of military AR-18s started again in the Philippines and Great Britain, who managed to sell a large amount of them to African and Southeast Asian countries.  Sterling later produced more for issue to local militia units loyal to the Crown.  NWM in the Netherlands also produced some AR-18s, and they were used by Dutch and Luxembourg resistance fighters against the French.  In the US, many as Russian or Mexican soldier (or sometimes, Milgov, CivGov, or New American soldier) discovered that their enemy was a local militia soldier armed with an AR-180 converted to automatic fire. 

     Merc 2000 Notes: This was surprisingly common in issue to people working for US or British intelligence, due to the problem with tracking down exactly who made the weapon, and the ease with which its parts could be made.

Armalite LEM-15A4

     Notes: Unlike most of ArmaLite’s AR-15 clones and models, the LEM-15A4 was designed with law enforcement in mind, and its sale to US civilians is restricted.  It is very much like a semiautomatic version of the M-16A4, with its flattop receiver and MIL-STD-1913 sight rail; however, the barrel is only 16 inches, and is heavier than that of the M-16A4.  The handguards are specially made; they are the same length as an M-4’s handguards, and include a mount for a full-sized flashlight on top and offset to the left.  The LEM-15A4 comes with an Elcan Optical Sight, but will accept any sort of NATO-compatible sight or scope. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon could sometimes be found as a substitute standard among US troops, particularly among those raised by CivGov forces after the November Nuclear Strikes.  Most of these were modified for automatic fire.

Armalite M-15

     Notes: The M-15 is essentially a modernized version of the AR-15, and may also be regarded to some extent as a smaller version of Armalite’s New AR-10 Series.  The M-15 comes in four basic versions: the M-15A2, basically very similar to the AR-15A2, but with a heavy barrel, muzzle brake, carrying handle a la AR-15, and round handguards and a stock similar to those of the AR-15A2.  The standard barrel is 20 inches, but there is also a carbine version with a 16-inch barrel.  The M-15A4 is basically the same weapon as the M-15A2, but uses a flattop upper receiver with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.  The M-15A4 is meant to be used with various optics, but there is a very short MIL-STD-1913 rail in front of the handguards, and iron sights may be attached to the two rails.  The A-15A4 is a little lighter than the M-15A2.  The M-15A4(T) is a target version of the M-15A4; the rifle version uses a 24-inch heavy barrel which is target crowned and designed for accuracy, and it has no muzzle brake or flash suppressor.  The upper receiver is flattop and has a MIL-STD-1913 rail, and the handguards are round and made from aluminum.  There is also a carbine version of this weapon; this has the heavy target barrel, but it does have a muzzle brake and the barrel is only 16 inches.  The trigger of these two versions is a National Match two-stage trigger.  The M-15A2 and A-4 Carbines are special models designed for military and police use; they may have automatic fire capability as options, use an M-4-style folding stock, and may have a 14.5-inch or 16-inch barrel with a flash suppressor instead of a muzzle brake.  The M-15A4 LE Carbine is flattop; the M-15A2 LE Carbine has a carrying handle.

Arms Tech Compak-16

     Notes: The idea behind this weapon was to produce a compact version of the M-16 while avoiding the massive muzzle blast and firing signature that such a weapon normally produces.  To this end, Arms Tech used a standard M-16 lower receiver and paired it with a modified upper receiver using a specially designed barrel shroud/muzzle brake.  The standard buttstock was replaced with a sliding wire stock, and the carrying handle was replaced with a MIL-STD-1913 rail (the stock Compak-16 comes with an Occluded Eye Sight licensed-produced from a South African design). The cyclic rate has also been reduced to 600 rpm (though this has no effect game-wise).  The rifling allows for the effective use of either SS-109-type or M-193-type ammunition, as well as subsonic rounds.  Arms Tech has also designed a silencer for use with the Compak-16, which is easily attached and removed, as well as one which replaces the barrel assembly and becomes an integral part of the Compak-16.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Though it had little success with the military or police, survivalists and militia members in the US liked the Compak-16, especially female members. 

     Merc 2000 Notes: This is mostly a civilian niche weapon, though there has been some experimentation by the US military, the CIA, and various Federal agencies.

Auto-Ordnance M-1 Carbine

     Notes: The M-1 Carbine was designed in response to a 1940 US Army request for a weapon to replace the pistol and submachinegun in rear area troops.  However, a lot of M-1 Carbines were actually used by infantry leadership personnel, paratroopers, commanders, and suchlike; it was modified, reworked, and put into uses far different than it’s intended role as a weapon for support troops.  It continued in service until well into the Vietnam War, where it was often issued to ARVN troops and strikers working for US Army Special Forces.  Before military production stopped, almost 6.5 million of them had been built in the US and Italy (by Beretta).  M-1 Carbines are still in use in 2010; they were sold and given away by the US government to civilians, bought by police departments, and given to Third World armies supporting the US cause during the Cold War.  There are still some civilian arms companies manufacturing the M-1 in small numbers, and they also have been modified for many different calibers by both manufacturers and individual weaponsmiths. Today, virtually all M-1 Carbines are in the hands of private owners; it seems to have never lost its cachet. As with the M-1 Garand, the M-1 Carbine was produced by a large number of companies during World War 2, and later copies were also produced by several countries (both licensed and unlicensed manufacture).

     There were four variants of the M-1 Carbine built by the US government: the basic M-1, a standard format rifle; the M-1A1, an M-1 with a folding metal stock built for World War 2 paratroopers; the M-2, a selective-fire version of the M-1; and the M-3, an M-1 built specifically to mount the then-new IR sniper scopes being experimented with at the end of World War 2.  (Only 2100 M-3’s were made, and most of them were converted back to the M-1 specification later.) Construction of the M-1 was deliberately kept as simple as possible without sacrificing quality, and most World War 2-era M-1 Carbines will still function today with standard maintenance.  The balance is good, and the 18-inch barrel wears well despite a relatively long length of exposed barrel.  The stocks have a space for a small cleaning kit in them accessed through the buttplate, except on the M-1A1, where an abbreviated version was built into a part of the folding stock. Various changes were made during production to simplify production; most of these alterations revolved around the amount of wood used on the handguards and their configuration, though the magazine catch was also modified from a button to a lever. Some versions also had a muzzle device for the launching of rifle grenades. The M-1 Carbine was well liked by most troops, despite complaints about its relatively-anemic cartridge.

     In 2005, Auto-Ordnance began making a new version of the M-1 Carbine, and later introduced three other versions.  Their version, the AOM-130, is not an exact reproduction; the stock is of stained birch instead of the linseed oil-finished walnut of the original version.  The Auto-Ordnance Carbine has some later M-2-style features, such as a safety which consists of a rotary switch instead of a crossbolt safety; an M-2 style bolt instead of the original “flat” bolt (though it does not contain an auto sear); the rear sight is of the improved M-2 variety; the front sight is protected instead of being open; and the weapon has a bayonet lug.  Furthermore, the rear sight is more adjustable than the standard M-2 sight.  There is also a slight weight difference; the Auto-Ordnance M-1 Carbine is heavier than the standard M-1 Carbine.  The AOM-130 is shipped with 15-round magazines, but can also take 30-round magazines (if you can find one).  The AOM-140 is identical, except for a modification that allows it to take only a 10-rund magazine specially designed for it; it is designed for sale in California.  The 10-round magazine will not fit in any other of the new Auto-Ordnance M-1 Carbine versions.  For game purposes, it is otherwise identical to the AOM-130. 

     The other versions are the AOM-150, which is a copy of the M-1A1 folding-stock version; again, there is a weight difference, and the AOM-150 has the same modifications as the AOM-130.  The AOM-160 is a sort of modern version of the M-1 Carbine; it has black polymer furniture, a black oxide finish on the external metalwork, and a side-folding polymer stock mounted on a steel frame.  The polymer of the pistol grip is rubber-coated and checkered, and has a small finger stop at the bottom.  The barrel shroud is steel and perforated for cooling (though I wouldn’t think it would really be necessary).  Despite all the polymer, it is the heaviest of the new Auto-Ordinance M-1 Carbines.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Auto-Ordnance versions of the M-1 Carbine are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Barrett M-468 Carbine

     Notes: This modification of the M-16/M-4 series was designed specifically for use by US special operations forces.  The weapon was initially tested in very limited quantities in Afghanistan starting in 2002, and some are also being used in Iraq.  The M-468 is essentially a stock M-4 or M-16 lower receiver with a new upper receiver and barrel designed by Barrett, and firing new ammunition designed by Remington.  The new upper receiver has a bolt carrier group designed for the new cartridge, and the weapon is fed from modified M-16-style magazines.  The upper receiver is fitted with a MIL-STD-1913 rail in lieu of a carrying handle, there are four further such rails on the handguard, which is similar to that of the M-4 SOPMOD.  Folding iron sights are fitted to allow clear use of optics and accessories. 

     Recently, a version with a short 12.5” barrel and the capability to mount a suppressor has been designed.  This version is primarily aimed at military users (particularly special operations), and a civilian version is not planned, as the barrel is too short for legal civilian sales in the US.  In this version, the muzzle brake is much more beefy, and a sliding stock is standard.

     The model number “468” refers to the year 2004 (the official date of entry into military stocks) and the caliber (6.8mm).  Barrett also produced a semiautomatic version for civilian use, without all the bells and whistles.

     In 2008, Barrett released the REC-7 (Reliability Enhanced Carbine, designed in 2007) carbine.  This is essentially an M-468 with the operation changed to use a gas piston system instead of a straight Stoner-type gas impingement system.  More of the key components are of stainless steel, particularly the innards.  The gas regulator is adjustable, allowing for the removal of the flash suppressor and attachment of a silencer.  The iron sights are folding types.  Barrel length is 16 inches with a heavy barrel.  The stock is an M-4-type sliding stock. In 2010, Barrett introduced the REC-7 in 5.56mm NATO.  At the same time, the stock for all REC-7s was changed to a Magpul MOE sliding stock, an adjustable gas regulator was added for suppressed fire, and the upper receiver has a MIL-STD-1913 rail as well as four-point rails on the handguards.  The top rail forms a continuous rail, including one above the gas block.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

BF1 Vindicator

     Notes: Introduced in 2004, this is a truly weird small-caliber weapon: a belt-fed, rimfire carbine.  It is normally only available in semiautomatic form, but an automatic version is available to Class III dealers or police, military or certain government agencies.  Currently, the stocks are made of laminated walnut, but other stock options are promised for the future.  The BF1 can take clip-on and bolt-on bipods without modification, but a bipod is not provided as standard equipment.  The sights are a proprietary design and consist of a combination of a post rear sight and a front sight called a “spade” (due it’s shape being reminiscent of a spade in a deck of playing cards).  This system helps cut down on target obstruction from the sights themselves.  Current BF1’s are chambered for .22 Long Rifle and .17 Mach 2 Rimfire, but in the future, Eric Graetz (the designer) plans to chamber the weapon for .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire and .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Bushmaster Carbon-15

     Notes: This has been described as an improvement over the original Carbon-15 by Professional Ordnance.  (Bushmaster acquired the Carbon-15 after Professional Ordnance declared bankruptcy in 2002.)  It is, in appearance and operation, quite different from the AR-15, from the lightened stock to the “miniaturized” bolt carrier group.  The biggest difference is the use of light carbon-fiber construction in the new stock, handguards, and even the upper and lower receiver housings.  The bolt carrier group is much shorter than the standard AR-15 bolt carrier group due to the deletion of the forward assist; it is felt by Bushmaster that its Carbon-15 design, together with improvements in ammunition, make the forward assist unnecessary.  The selector controls are ambidextrous.  The Carbon-15 uses a flattop receiver; a MIL-STD-1913 rail extends from the rear of the upper receiver to the end of the handguards.  The barrel is heavy, but made of lighter alloys and is fluted, further driving down the weight without compromising accuracy.  The Carbon-15 has a new muzzle brake that is extremely effective, actually driving the barrel down when firing.  At present, the Carbon-15 is available only in a semiautomatic version, but an automatic version is contemplated for the future for law enforcement and military use.

     A post-ban variant of the Carbon-15, the C-15M4 (Carbon-15 Model 4) is an M-4-style Carbon-15 which still has the carbon-fiber upper and lower receiver and handguards, but there is also a partially-synthetic collapsible stock.  The barrel is similar to that of the standard Carbon-15, but is not fluted.  Unlike the Carbon-15, the C-15M4 will accept standard M-16/AR-15/M-4 parts.  The C-15M4 uses standard AR-15/M-16/M-4 magazines; automatic versions are sold only to military or law enforcement concerns. Another post-ban variant of the Carbon-15 is the Carbon-15 in 9mm Parabellum; this version is basically a C-15M4 rechambered for 9mm, with appropriate changes in the sights.  Though technically a submachinegun instead of an assault rifle, it is included here for completeness.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Bushmaster M-17S

     Notes: This weapon was originally designed in Australia by a company named Edenpine, and meant for sale on the civilian market.  Edenpine realized that Australia’s rather restrictive civilian firearms laws would severely limit its sales in that country; therefore, Edenpine reached an agreement that Bushmaster would build and sell the M-17S under the Bushmaster name, with Edenpine receiving royalties from each sale as well as money from the licensing of the design. 

     The M-17S is basically a bullpup version of the AR-18 in a semiautomatic version.  The Bushmaster company made no apologies for the fact that it would use any magazine that would fit in the AR-18, AR-15, or M-16 series, nor the fact that it could be very easily converted to automatic fire.  The operating parts of the M-17S are largely made from stainless or chrome-plated steel, with the upper receiver being made almost entirely of a single aircraft-grade aluminum extrusion and the lower receiver from fiberglass-filled nylon composites.  Because of the bullpup layout, Bushmaster was able to lengthen the barrel to 21.5 inches, giving the M-17S greater accuracy than most assault rifles. The M-17S has a carrying handle topped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.  The M-17S is specifically meant for use with optical sights or other aiming accessories, but it does have rudimentary backup iron sights.  The M-17S is no longer in production, but when it was, it was primarily built as a semiautomatic rifle, with a flash suppressor for police/military use or without one for civilian sales.  (Rumors state that a small number were also built with automatic fire capability, but this is not confirmed.  I have included stats below for automatic fire just in case.) 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: There was some limited military and police use, but this was mostly a weapon used by civilians and militia forces.  Most were found in the US, but some were also found in the UK. 

Bushmaster XM-15E2S Dissipator Carbine

     Notes: The Dissipator is a carbine variant of the M-16A2 that uses standard-length M-16A2 handguards and a front sight placed further forward than most carbine variants of the M-16A2.  This means that despite the shorter length, the sight radius is almost identical to the standard M-16A2, which allows a little better accuracy.  It also allows better dissipation of heat than a normal M-16A2 carbine (hence the name), and means that the Dissipator can mount the M-203 using a standard M-16 interface rather than having to have a custom-made interface. 

     Other versions of the Dissipator include the Shorty, which has a fixed stock, the Target Model, which is almost identical to the M-16A3 and A4 except for the burst/automatic selector, and semiautomatic-only versions of the weapon for civilian use (these do not have flash suppressors or bayonet lugs, and cost $6 less than their military counterparts).  Other than civilian sales, the only large-scale users of the Dissipator series as of 2002 were the US Department of Energy. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: As the Twilight War intensified, the US company of Bushmaster became, along with Colt, Armalite, and a few other companies, a major supplier of M-16 series weapons to the US military and its allies.  (Some US soldiers were actually equipped with the Dissipator Target Model instead of the M-16A3 or A4.)  They did not have much luck with the Dissipator before the war, but as Bushmaster was one of the weapons manufacturers that survived the November Nuclear Strikes, the MilGov asked them to distribute some of their Dissipator Carbines to some of the militia units formed in the aftermath of the nuclear strikes.  MilGov thought the carbine would be especially suited to female militia members, and some of the younger members (some militia members were as young as 12 in some places).  Bushmaster complied and even manufactured a limited extra quantity, hampered only by irregular supplies of raw materials. 

     Merc 2000 Notes: As the Notes, except that the Dissipator is also routinely supplied to CIA-equipped mercenaries.

Bushmaster XM-15LE Superlite Carbine

     Notes: This is basically an M-16 with a collapsible stock, shorter barrel, and otherwise made as light as possible and still maintain the tactical utility of an M-4.  The handguards have 4-way MIL-STD-1913 rails to allow the mounting of as wide a variety of accessories as possible; there is another MIL-STD-1913 rail on top of the receiver, which does not have the usual carrying handle.    There are two versions; the military model, as described, and the civilian model, which is semiautomatic only, has no flash suppressor or bayonet lug, and does not have the special handguards.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

CAV-15

     The CAV-15 is an unusual sort of M-4/M-16 clone; the lower receiver, stock, and pistol grip, are made of one piece of composite material, specifically Nylon 6 filled with glass fiber.  The handguards are made of the same material.  This material is very strong and totally resistant to corrosion.  It can also be molded in virtually any color and even to a specific shape if the user is willing to pay, allowing for cheekpieces, individual hand shapes and sizes, etc.  The manufacturer, Cavalry Arms, offers a lifetime guarantee on the lower receiver and handguards that they will not break.  The company makes the composite components in several different colors: black, green, tan, and even yellow, blue, and pink.  The usual M-16/M-4 carrying handle is eschewed in favor of a flat top with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.  Four models are available: the Commando, a military carbine not available to civilians; the Trooper, a civilianized Commando; the Scout, a semiautomatic carbine with a longer barrel; and the Rifleman, a full-sized rifle.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Cobb MCR

     Notes: The MCR is a development of Cobb’s entry in the US military’s SCAR program (which is itself a vastly-improved AR-15/M-16-type rifle). The MCR (Multi-Caliber Rifle) is a precision-built version of the SCAR, with a better barrel, tighter tolerances for the parts, more features, and in general far better accuracy than its rather distant predecessor.  Of course, the feature that gives the MCR its name is its ability to be easily and quickly changed between calibers fired – generally requiring only a swap of the upper receiver and the magazine adapter module (and the magazines, of course). The MCR is also capable of being greatly-customized, from the amount of MIL-STD-1913 rails to the stock configuration used.  (Figures below are for an “average” MCR – if there really is an MCR configuration that can be considered “average.”)  It should be noted as of the Fall of 2007, Cobb Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Bushmaster Arms.

     In general, the MCR series is of very tough construction, using upper and lower receivers machined from solid billets of T6-6061 aircraft-grade aluminum alloy.  The barrel is made by Lothar Walther (well-known for the high-quality of their barrels), and is free-floated, available in several lengths (including custom lengths upon request), and may or may not be tipped with a target crown, flash suppressor, or muzzle brake upon request.  The MCR comes standard with a MIL-STD-1913 rail above the receiver, and (depending upon the handguards chosen) may have up to six more MIL-STD-1913 rails, and at the gas block, two more very short lengths of MIL-STD-1913 rail.  A variety of stocks, ranging from fixed to true folding stocks are available, including standard AR-15/M-16 stocks and M-4-type collapsible stocks, skeletonized fixed stocks, and special stocks like those made by Vltor and other such companies.  (Figures for the fixed and folding stocks below, especially in terms of weight, are greatly generalized.)

     The MCR is divided into four groups: the MCR-100, MCR-200, MCR-300, and MCR-400.  They vary for the most part only in the upper receiver, barrel, and magazines/magazine well adapter.  However, changing an MCR-400 from .300 Winchester Magnum to .338 Lapua Magnum also requires a bolt carrier assembly change.  For the most part, the MCR is designed for civilian/police sales, and is available only in semiautomatic form; it is rumored though, since the MCR had its genesis in the Cobb’s SCAR design, that automatic versions are available to certain agencies and for military sales, so figures are provided below.

     Note: Due to the large number of chamberings and the huge size of the charts, they are broken into MCR-10, MCR-200, MCR-300, and MCR-400 sections.  Further, I do not know at this time whether all the calibers come in all of the barrel lengths listed (or even if there are other barrel lengths available for that matter) – but just in case…

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The MCR series is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.