ROMARM Model 96

     Notes: This Romanian weapon was initially designed for export sales, and it is possible that the Model 96 was first seen in combat in the hands of Chechen rebels in 1994.   It is a heavily built weapon made of pressed steel, and is stable in semiautomatic, burst, or automatic fire.  It is not certain whether or not the Model 96 has been adopted by the Romanian military, but it has appeared in some strange areas of the world.  

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Model 96 was not intended for domestic use, but it was pressed into Romanian service when the Twilight War intensified.  It was often used by Romanian special forces operating behind NATO lines, as it could use captured enemy ammunition; later, it was used against Bloc forces after Romania switched sides, as well as partisans in neighboring countries.   

Orita M-1941

     Notes: This weapon was first designed for use by pro-Nazi Romanian troops during the invasion of Russia in 1941, where it was primarily used against Russian troops armed with submachineguns.  Operation is by blowback and the Orita fires from an open bolt. The bolt has no mechanical locking, and if the bolt moves forward for any reason when a loaded magazine is inserted, the Orita will fire – whether you wanted it to or not.  However, if the action is not closed, the Orita will not fire. The selector lever allows only for safe and automatic fire. Barrel is 10.9 inches. After becoming part of the Soviet Bloc after World War 2, the Romanians were re-equipped with Russian weapons, and the Orita was relegated to use by the People’s Militia and Police Reserve units, where it was still found by the time of the Twilight War; these versions are largely M-1941/48 versions, with construction modified to make them easier to manufacture. A very scarce version was made after 1945, with a folding stock.

     The Orita has lasted so long because it is a physically very tough weapon that can take an incredible amount of abuse despite its fragile appearance. 

Uzina Mecanica Cugir

     Notes: The Cugir is a submachinegun of average design, in use by Romanian forces and offered for export.  It is easy to manufacture, requiring little in the way of special tools or dies.

     The Cugir operates by simple blowback and fires from an open bolt for both automatic and semiautomatic shots.  The Cugir makes much use of stamped steel, though the pistol grip and lower fore-end are polymer.  The 7.1-inch barrel is tipped with a simple but effective muzzle brake (it is essentially an attachment with slots cut into the top).  The safe/semi/auto lever is taken from the AK; the cocking lever also appears to be taken from the AK.  Sights are simple L-shaped sights, which flip for 50 meters and 100 meters.  The front sight is a post with ears. The folding stock is simply a strut with a folding buttplate. Atop the receiver, just ahead of the rear sight, is a short MIL-STD-1913 rail, perhaps 3 inches in length.

     The standard version is called the LP-7. Another version, the LP-7C, has a MIL-STD-1913 rail above the receiver.  It costs 1% more, but is otherwise the same as the LP-7. The LP-7C also fires on semiautomatic only.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Cugir is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline; however, it may be thought of as representative of the home-grown weapons that might crop up.