Truvelo NTW-20

     Notes: The NTW series was originally designed by Mechem; Denel bought the rights to the NTW series in the late 1990s, and then assigned production to one of Denel’s subsidiaries, PMP (Pretoria Metal Pressings).  Truvelo now produces this series of rifles. The NTW essentially comes in two versions: the NTW-20 fires 20mm ammunition, while the NTW-14.5 normally is chambered for 14.5mm KPV ammunition, with versions firing 12.7mm Russian or .50 Browning Machinegun built for specific orders.  These rifles have apparently been built for several countries, including SANDF, in unspecified numbers and for unspecified clients.  SANDF accepted the first NTW-20 in 1998, with an initial order of 30 rifles; procurement by SANDF since then has been kept secret.

     The NTW series is generally similar across all chamberings.  The semi-bullpup receiver and parts of the action are common to all chamberings, and any particular NTW series rifle may be changed to another by simply changing the barrel and magazine, and in most cases, the bolt carrier unit and telescopic sight.  (At the very least, re-zeroing of the scope will be required when changing ammunition.)  The NTW series uses a bolt-action operation, with magazine feed from an angled magazine well on the left side of the receiver, and spent cases ejected to the right.  Magazines for the NTW series are proprietary, and in the case of 20mm or API ammunition also provide fuze protection; the version chambered for 20mm HS-404 is different in that it is not magazine-fed.  The action also includes a hydrodynamic/pneumatic buffer system to help absorb recoil.  Two interchangeable buffers are provided; one is designed for most climates, while the other is meant for use in cold climates.  The recoiling parts extend all the way into the stock, and the magazine feed is behind the pistol grip.  For transport, the barrel, receiver, bipod, sight unit, and bullpup stock may be separated.  A pair of backpacks have been designed for manpacking the rifle; one carries the receiver, stock and bipod, while the other carries the barrel, telescopic sight and other required sighting equipment, and the magazines and ammunition.  Either pack may carry a groundsheet tarp and a light foam mattress designed for use with the rifle.  In the case of the version chambered for 20mm HS-404 ammunition, the weapon can also be mounted on the same tripod as used by the M-60 machinegun (a NATO Light Tripod, or NLT), and this may be added to either backpack or carried by a third soldier.

     The stock of the NTW series is adjustable for length of pull and includes a handle under the stock for the off hand when firing (which may be extended and used as a monopod of sorts).  There is no dedicated cheekpiece, but the pistol grip and trigger group are essentially one unit adjustable for position along the bottom of the receiver (and may also be adjusted for position independently).  The trigger is adjustable for pull weight, but this requires an armorer’s help.  The buttplate includes a rubber recoil pad, but most NTW-series shooters complain that this pad is simply not thick enough to really do any good.  The bipod is located under an extension of the receiver, and is adjustable for height and cant.

     Barrels are of tempered cold-hammered steel and fluted.  The barrel of the NTW-20 is 39.4 inches; for the NTW-14.5, it is 48 inches.  Each is tipped with a large double-baffle muzzle brake.

     The development of the NTW series is still in process.  Newer developments include high-impact plastic magazines, a more compact muzzle brake, and an action which allows the rifle to be cocked immediately (while the recoil phase is still going), which leads to faster follow-up shots and relieves some of the pressure on the trigger group.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The NTW-20 was available for the Twilight War, but only in small numbers at the start of hostilities.  The NTW-14.5 was also available, but not chambered for 12.7mm Russian or .50 Browning Machinegun.  The NTW series had few exports either immediately before or during the Twilight War, but the Israelis are known to have used a small number of them.  It would have still been sold by Mechem in this timeline.     

     Merc 2000 Notes: This has been a best-seller on the world arms market, and is even used in small numbers by countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia.  Unfortunately, use by terrorist organizations is not unknown. 

Truvelo Mega Sniper

     Notes: The Mega Sniper is essentially an enlarged version of the SG-1 sniper rifle (see South African Sniper Rifles), and is in fact considered to be another member of the SG-1 rifle family.  The primary job of the Mega Sniper is antimateriel work, with a secondary role as a countersniper and general long-range sniping weapon.

     The Mega Sniper comes in single-shot and magazine-fed bolt-action versions.  In both cases, the receivers are machined from solid 817M40 steel billets.  Virtually all parts of the Mega Sniper are mounted on or around a rail made of the same type of steel.  The actions of the single-shot and magazine-fed versions are necessarily different; though both use bolt-action operation, the bolt of the single-shot model is shorter than that of the magazine-fed version.  The receiver can be configured for use by both right and left-handed shooters, as can the cheekpiece.

     The stock is built from another solid billet, but of aircraft-quality aluminum.  It is adjustable for length of pull and also has a cheekpiece adjustable for height; both are padded.  The stock also has a vertical grip for the nonfiring hand. The Mega Sniper is equipped with a bipod of light but strong aluminum alloy which is adjustable for height.  The barrel is made from heavy steel of a slightly different composition than the receiver, is button-rifled, and fluted.  The barrel is 39.4 inches long and tipped with a large two-chamber muzzle brake.  The top of the receiver has a MIL-STD-1913 rail for the mounting of optics.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This is an exceedingly rare weapon, and almost never found outside of South African forces.