McMillan M-87R 

     Notes: Another favorite of the US Marine and Navy snipers, the M-87R is a highly modified Remington 700 action with a new synthetic stock and new chamber and barrel.  They typically use 20x Unertl scopes.  This rifle saw action with the USMC and (in limited numbers) with US Army snipers in Desert Storm.  The M-87 has a very efficient muzzle blast compensator to reduce recoil to that similar to a .375 Remington round.  The M-87R has an adjustable cheek piece and a bipod.  The M-87 is a single-shot version of this weapon. 

     The McMillan 14.5mm Rifle is a limited-production version of the M-87R chambered for the 14.5mm cartridge.  This rifle is heavier than the M-87R, but the design is virtually the same.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The US Navy and Marines used numbers of the M-87R when the need for a .50-caliber sniper rifle arose in the Twilight 2000 timeline; they also made some very limited use of the 14.5mm Rifle.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

M-87R

.50 Browning Machinegun

9.75 kg

7

$7780

14.5mm Rifle

14.5mm KPV

14.96 kg

5

$10710

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

M-87R

BA

9

2-3-4

8

3

Nil

117

With Bipod

BA

9

2-3-4

8

2

Nil

153

14.5mm Rifle

BA

10

2-2-3

8

4

Nil

112

With Bipod

BA

10

2-2-3

8

2

Nil

146

 

McMillan Tac-50

     Notes: This is a heavy antipersonnel and antimateriel rifle designed for use at long ranges.  The Tac-50 comes in both magazine-fed and single-shot versions; the magazine-fed version is sold primarily to military organizations, while the single-shot version is sold primarily to civilian long-range rifle enthusiasts and police organizations.  Both versions feature a stock with provision for butt spacers in the root of the stock and may be detached entirely if desired (normally for transport; the barrel may also be removed for the same reason).  The barrel is heavy and fluted, and is tipped with a lightweight but effective muzzle brake.  Tac-50s sold to civilians typically have simple scope rings, while those sold to military and police concerns normally have a MIL-STD-1913 rail.  In either case, iron sights are not normally provided.  The Tac-50 has a pistol grip due to the stock design and has a lightweight but strong bipod.  Notable users include US Navy SEALS and the Canadian Army.  It was with this weapon (which the Canadians call the LRSW, or Long-Range Sniper Weapon) that a Canadian sniper made the world’s record (at the time) for a firearms kill.  This was done at a range of 2430 meters against a Taliban truck driver.  (Thanks to Darwin Liu for the correction on the Canadian sniper record shot.)

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

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Tac-50 (Bolt-Action)

.50 Browning Machinegun and .50 Match

11.8 kg

5

$7815

Tac-50 (Single-Shot)

.50 Browning Machinegun and .50 Match

9.93 kg

1 Internal

$4661

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Tac-50 (Bolt-Action, .50 BMG)

BA

9

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

117

Tac-50 (Bolt-Action, .50 BMG, Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

152

Tac-50 (Bolt-Action, .50 Match)

BA

9

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

143

Tac-50 (Bolt-Action, .50 Match, Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

186

Tac-50 (Single-Shot, .50 BMG)

SS

9

2-3-4

9

4

Nil

117

Tac-50 (Single-Shot, .50 BMG, Bipod)

SS

9

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

152

Tac-50 (Single-Shot, .50 Match)

SS

9

2-3-4

9

4

Nil

143

Tac-50 (Single-Shot, .50 Match, Bipod)

SS

9

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

186

 

MG Arms Behemoth

     Notes: One gun expert calls the Behemoth “True to its name…”, it is such a big rifle.  It’s designed to be the longest-range .50 BMG rifle in existence, but thusfar has had no combat use or any experience off the range, where performance is excellent.  It’s longer than my mother is tall (5’1” long; my mother is 4’11”) and heavy. It is “built like a bank vault,” with solid and true construction.  The Behemoth has had the input of none other than Robert Pauza, whose rifle you can see the stats for below.  The Behemoth’s genesis was driven by customer demand and demand from law enforcement.

    Selected parts are heat-treated; the barrels are heat-treated too, but not in-house.  The barrel is a 26, 29, or 31-inch Pac-Nor bull barrel with lightening cuts in them.  The barrel is tipped by a beefy MG Super Eliminator multi-baffle muzzle brake; and is free-floating.  Like the P-50, the Behemoth is based on the Tokarev SVT-40 adjustable gas/blowback system of World War 2, which is simple, easy to machine, and locks up tight when cycling.  The gas-adjustment system is simpler than an SVT-40, requiring only a pull on a button-shaped knob. The gas tube has vent holes, but they are inside the handguard. The receiver cover, trigger housing, trigger/hammer support frame, and handguard are from 7075-T6 aluminum.  The receiver is made from heat-treated 17-4 stainless steel. The bolt carrier is also of heat-treated 17-4 stainless steel. Field stripping is likewise easy, if a bit tricky. The receiver and top of the handguard have a MIL-STD-1913 rail.  The receiver rail is solidly attached with a large rail. The stock is adjustable for cheek height, length, and butt angle, and has a thick recoil pad. Finish is in Cerekote and may be any color desired.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Behemoth (25” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

15.34 kg

5

$5645

Behemoth (29” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

15.72 kg

5

$5783

Behemoth (31” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

15.88 kg

5

$5851

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Behemoth (25” Barrel)

SA

8

2-3-4

11

2

Nil

88

With Bipod

SA

8

2-3-4

11

1

Nil

115

Behemoth (29” Barrel)

SA

9

2-3-4

11

2

Nil

111

With Bipod

SA

9

2-3-4

11

1

Nil

145

Behemoth (31” Barrel)

SA

9

2-3-4

12

3

Nil

123

With Bipod

SA

9

2-3-4

12

1

Nil

160

 

Pauza P-50

     Notes: Designed by Robert Pauza and at first sold by his company, Pauza Specialties, by 2007 the Pauza P-50 was being sold by Freshour Manufacturing.  Though reportedly “many sales” have been made to various governments, exactly who is using the P-50 other than civilian long-range rifle enthusiasts is unknown.

     The P-50 appears to be heavily-built and equally heavy in weight, but it’s really about the same weight as other rifles in its class.  This primarily due to the use of high-strength, high-grade steel in its construction, as well as a decent amount of aircraft-grade aluminum.  Operation is, surprisingly, based upon the old Soviet Tokarev SVT-40 – suitably enlarged and strengthened, of course.  The P-50 is therefore gas-operated, with a dropping-bolt action and fires semiautomatically.  Barrels are free-floating and tipped with a long (though narrow) harmonica-type muzzle brake. Virtually all external metal is Teflon-coated, and many internal parts are hard chrome-plated.  The gas system has three adjustment settings to help the P-50 cope with dirt and moisture.  The pistol grip is similar to that of the M-16, but the selector switch is more reminiscent of the M-14. The charging handle, ejection direction, and selector switch can be reversed to accommodate left and right-handed shooters.

     The P-50 exists in two versions.  The standard P-50 (sometimes referred to as the “P-50 Sporting Rifle”) uses a 29-inch barrel.  The receiver is topped by a carrying handle, which itself has a Weaver rail mounted on it.  The stock is coated with rubber, and it can be detached along with the barrel for transport.  A bipod adjustable for height and cant is mounted under the gas block, and this can readily be removed.  The stock also has a projection underneath it to allow the shooters nonfiring handed to grasp the stock to steady the rifle.

     The P-50 “Carbine” is very similar to the standard P-50, but uses a 25-inch barrel.  The P-50 Carbine has a short handguard, and a foregrip may be attached to this handguard, allowing it to be used with the bipod as a conventional antimateriel rifle or as a heavy assault weapon. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The P-50 is an exceedingly-rare weapon in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

P-50

.50 Browning Machinegun

14.52 kg

5

$10002

P-50 Carbine

.50 Browning Machinegun

12.47 kg

5

$9868

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

P-50

SA

9

2-3-4

11

3

Nil

107

With Bipod

SA

9

2-3-4

11

1

Nil

139

P-50 Carbine

SA

8

2-3-4

10

3

Nil

84

With Bipod

SA

8

2-3-4

10

1

Nil

109

 

RAD M-600/M-650 SLAMR

     Notes: Originally patterned on an Iver Johnson design, Redick Arms bought out the company and redesigned the rifle slightly for military contract sales.  An accurate rifle, it has found favor with some SOCOM sniper teams for long-range shots.  A special stock-mounted 10-round pouch (included with the rifle) was designed for snipers to have easy access to loose rounds for more rapid reloading.  The M-650 is an M-600 with a shorter barrel and fed by a magazine. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The weapon found favor only with a few snipers in the military services; however, a shortage of .50 caliber rifles in 1996 and 1997 (due to foreign sales of the Barrett and McMillan designs) brought their model back to production to fill the void.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

RAD M-600 SLAMR

.50 Browning Machinegun

10.43 kg

1-I

$2225

RAD M-650 SLAMR

.50 Browning Machinegun

13.52 kg

7-I

$7925

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

M-600

SS

9

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

124

M-600 (Bipod)

SS

9

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

161

M-650

BA

9

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

124

M-650 (Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

9

1

Nil

161

 

RAD M-614

     Notes: This is a 14.5mm heavy antimateriel rifle that has seen some use by “unnamed parties.”  The caliber is satisfyingly large, but accuracy can be hampered by the poor-quality 14.5mm KPV ammunition which is generally available.  The range is still satisfyingly long, and the rifle is capable of destroying light equipment or damaging light vehicles.  The rifle is capable of mounting far better optics and night vision equipment than corresponding Bloc rifles. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The M-614 saw some use by US and British special operations snipers during the Twilight War.  Accuracy was hampered due to the generally poor quality of 14.5B ammunition available during that time period, even in the limited amount available of US manufacture. 

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

RAD M-614

14.5mm KPV

20 kg

1-I

$2919

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

M-614

SS

11

2-2-3

11

3

Nil

180

M-614 (Bipod)

SS

11

2-2-3

11

2

Nil

235

 

Robar RC-50

     Notes: Originally designed for long-range competition shooting enthusiasts, the RC-50 has spread into the military and police realms, and is now used by several military special operations units and police forces worldwide. 

     The RC-50 is basically a conventional bolt-action magazine-fed heavy-caliber rifle in design.  The action of the RC-50 is machined from a solid billet of steel and is mated to a 29-inch heavy match-quality barrel which is free-floating and tipped with a large and effective muzzle brake.  The stock is a McMillan fiberglass/composite stock, with a raised cheekpiece and a buttplate adjustable for length of pull and with a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.  The trigger mechanism is a modified version of the Remington 700 trigger mechanism, tuned and set at a pull weight of only 2.5 pounds.  The forward portion of the stock has a mounting stud for a bipod; the bipod supplied by Robar is manufactured by Parker-Hale, and is adjustable for height and cant.  The receiver is topped by a MIL-STD-1913 rail for optics, and no iron sights are provided. 

     A variant of the RC-50, the RC-50F, is identical to the RC-50 except for the stock which may be folded for transportation.  (The RC-50F could conceivably be fired with the stock folded, but the shooter would probably be very sorry…)  When unfolded, the stock is held in place by a heavy bolt that screws into a block in the stock. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These rifles are extremely rare in the Twilight 2000 timeline, and rarely seen outside of military forces in the American Southwest.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

RC-50

.50 Browning Machinegun

11.84 kg

5

$7883

RC-50F

.50 Browning Machinegun

11.84 kg

5

$7978

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

RC-50

BA

9

2-3-4

11

3

Nil

118

(With Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

11

1

Nil

154

RC-50F

BA

9

2-3-4

9/11

3

Nil

118

(With Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

9/11

1

Nil

154

 

Safety Harbor Firearms SHTF-50

     Notes: The SHTF-50 is not actually sold as a complete rifle; instead, the SHTF-50 is a replacement upper receiver/bolt carrier group (along with the hammer) designed to be mounted on a standard AR-15-type lower receiver.  (It will not work with an M-16/M-4-type lower receiver.) The addition of the SHTF upper receiver and bolt carrier group turns the weapon into a .50-caliber rifle.  It should be noted that the SHTF-50 is not normally sold with a scope or a bipod; however, the presence of a two level Mil-STD-1913 rail above the upper receiver and short MIL-STD-1913 rails above and below the gas block allows for the easy attachment of these accessories, and I have included them in the cost of the rifle as presented in the stats below.  The new upper receiver is machined from 4130 chrome/moly steel, while the new bolt carrier group is of 4340 chrome/moly steel, and the barrel is of 4140 chrome/moly steel.  The MIL-STD-1913 rails are of aluminum alloy and are not integral with the receiver or gas block.  Barrels may be 18, 22, or 29 inches long, and are tipped with a long cylindrical multi-baffle muzzle brake. These rifles are very light in weight for the cartridge they fire, and the stock they use depends on the buyer – the stats below are for a standard, fixed AR-15A2-type stock. Recoil is generally heavier than most rifles of their class. However, the AR base makes for a compact rifle compared to most .50-caliber rifles.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

SHTF-50 (18” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

6.58 kg

5

$5409

SHTF-50 (22” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

7.03 kg

5

$5544

SHTF-50 (29” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

8.39 kg

5

$5780

SHTF-50 Upper (18” Barrel)

N/A

5.22 kg

N/A

$4993

SHTF-50 Upper (22” Barrel)

N/A

5.67 kg

N/A

$5121

SHTF-50 Upper (29” Barrel)

N/A

7.03 kg

N/A

$5345

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

SHTF-50 (18”)

SA

8

2-3-4

7

4

Nil

47

With Bipod

SA

8

2-3-4

7

2

Nil

62

SHTF-50 (22”)

SA

8

2-3-4

8

4

Nil

88

With Bipod

SA

8

2-3-4

8

2

Nil

103

SHTF-50 (29”)

SA

9

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

107

With Bipod

SA

9

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

139

 

Serbu BFG-50

     Notes: This is a heavy-caliber rifle designed primarily for long-range shooting enthusiasts, but also has possible military and police applications.  It is a fairly lightweight weapon for its class, and is constructed mostly of Mil-Spec grade alloy steel.  Production standards are very high, up to double what one finds in comparable military rifles.  The BFG-50 is also designed for simplicity and ease of care and manufacture, which means it can be produced quickly and inexpensively when necessary (though only about 750 have been built; they are mostly made to order).  The current design is a single-shot bolt-action model, though production of a magazine-fed version is expected shortly, and semiautomatic prototypes are in the experimental phase.  (I have sufficient statistics for a magazine-fed bolt-action version, which is also shown below; I don’t for the semiautomatic model).  A “carbine” model and a full-sized model are offered; both are bullpup designs with a simple fixed tubular stock and a rather sparing recoil pad on the butt.  They have a short MIL-STD-1913 rail on a raised mount top of the receiver for optics.  The muzzle brake is large and beefy (called by the company a “Shark Brake”); an option for this brake is engraving which says “Have A Nice Day.”  The weight listed below includes a bipod and a scope, though the company does not normally ship the BFG-50 with either.

     The BFG-50A is a semiautomatic version of the BFG-50.  The BFG-50A uses Barrett 10-round magazines, and operation is via a modified version of that used by the Swedish Ljungman AG-42.  The 26-inch barrel is tipped by a different muzzle brake than the BFG-50 (called by Serbu a “Shark Brake,” as it has a “gills”). In the future, Serbu intends to make other barrel lengths available, and the barrel, barrel extension, and handguards are easily removable to this end.  Unlike the BFG-50, the BFG-50A is not a bullpup design.

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

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

BFG-50

.50 Browning Machinegun

14.8 kg

1 Internal

$4624

BFG-50 Carbine

.50 Browning Machinegun

12.5 kg

1 Internal

$4391

BFG-50

.50 Browning Machinegun

18.5 kg

5

$7762

BFG-50 Carbine

.50 Browning Machinegun

15.6 kg

5

$7528

BFG-50A

.50 Browning Machinegun

11.34 kg

10

$5743

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

BFG-50

SS

9

2-3-4

8

3

Nil

106

(Bipod)

SS

9

2-3-4

8

2

Nil

137

BFG-50 Carbine

SS

8

2-3-4

6

3

Nil

67

(Bipod)

SS

8

2-3-4

6

2

Nil

88

BFG-50

BA

9

2-3-4

10

3

Nil

106

(Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

10

1

Nil

137

BFG-50 Carbine

BA

8

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

67

(Bipod)

BA

8

2-3-4

9

2

Nil

88

BFG-50A

SA

9

2-3-4

11

3

Nil

90

(Bipod)

SA

9

2-3-4

11

1

Nil

117

 

SSK .950 JDJ Gun

     Notes: Originally designed as an experiment by SSK, the .950 JDJ Gun was then intended for production work after it’s last example was built, but the high cost (both in rifle in ammunition) and it’s low utility in its intended role made SSK decide against production.  The .950 JDJ Gun was actually designed as a big-game hunting gun instead as a military firearm, and it skirts the line in many countries between hunting rifle and “destructive device.” (The fact that .950 JDJ comes only in ball ammunition and the relatively low muzzle energy compared to other 20-25mm-type rounds keeps the .950 JDJ Gun from being a destructive device in the US.) Ultimately, only three examples were built. These sometimes come up in online auctions; the last time one sold, it commanded a RL price of $125,000.

     The .950 JDJ Gun uses a 33.5-inch bull heavy-bore barrel, tipped with a massive multi-baffle muzzle brake. Between the barrel and brake, the barrel is longer than many other rifles are, including their stocks and receivers.  The first two examples built were of relatively crude construction without weight-saving measures, meaning that they are loads for more than one shooter to carry.  The third example is less than half the weight of the first two, with a great deal of attention being paid to weight-saving materials and construction methods. Furniture construction is largely synthetic, with a straight-line design and with a thick recoil pad on the butt.  The first two examples had no bipod and no sort of nods to comfortable carrying; the third has a bipod and has carrying harness swivels.  The three examples of the .950 JDJ Gun were equipped with 7x Burriss scopes, and these are included in the price below.

     The .950 JDJ round itself is essentially a short, fat bullet.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

.950 JDJ Gun (#1 & 2)

.950 JDJ

53.98 kg

1 Internal

$12693

.950 JDJ Gun (#3)

.950 JDJ

34.93 kg

1 Internal

$13159

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

.950 JDJ (#1 & 2)

SS

17

2-2-2

12

3

Nil

152

.950 JDJ (#3)

SS

17

2-2-2

12

4

Nil

152

With Bipod

SS

17

2-2-2

12

2

Nil

182

 

Stoner SR-50

    Notes: This Stoner design was introduced in 1996.  It was probably the last Eugene Stoner design produced before his death from cancer in 1997.  It is a lightweight semiautomatic design that can mount a variety of sights and optics, though it was normally delivered to military forces with a Leupold 10x scope.  It uses an unusual right-hand magazine feed, and the bipod is the same one on the M-60 machinegun. The right-hand feed allows the shooter to take a lower profile than he might be able to if a big magazine got in the way, and allows the receiver to be shorter without resorting to a bullpup design.  

     Twilight 2000 Notes: During the Twilight War demand by NATO armed forces for heavy sniper rifles for its special operations snipers meant that the SR-50 was used in large numbers  As it is more accurate than most .50-caliber sniper rifles, it was much sought after.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

SR-50

.50 Browning Machinegun

14.28 kg

10

$5954

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

SR-50

SA

9

2-3-4

9

3

Nil

145

SR-50 (Bipod)

SA

9

2-3-4

9

1

Nil

189

 

Ultimate Arms Warmonger LR25-Magna

     Notes:  The salient feature of the Warmonger is its light weight.  This is primarily due to the material of which it is made, designed by research as Ultimate Arms and its predecessor, Uselton Arms. This material is called by Ultimate Arms ZK Magna – an alloy of stainless steel, magnesium, with zircon chloride and zinc, along with some proprietary metals and materials.  The result is a very light yet highly strong metal.  The barrel is made of a different alloy with different ratios of materials than the rest of the rifle. This makes the rest of the rifle relatively lighter than the barrel.  The barrel itself, without the muzzle brake, is a mere 2.27 kilograms, despite being 31 inches in length and having the standard (though unfluted) profile for a sniper rifle.  The 18-inch and 24-inch barrels are correspondingly lighter.  Despite the light weight, the barrels have all the strength of other standard sniper rifle barrels.  In addition, the barrels are match-quality and the Warmonger rifles are essentially almost handmade, with hand forgings.  The barrels are tipped with a 20-centimeter muzzle brake with five baffles, though further details have not been revealed. The trigger is a match trigger. Currently, several scopes and optic devices are being tested on the Warmonger. The Warmonger has a top receiver Picatinny Rail and short lengths of rail near the middle of the barrel at the bottom and both sides. The Warmonger is finished with a proprietary Ultimate Arms coating which is black in color.  Of course, as a sniper rifle, a soldier’s Warmonger comes with a single scope or optic of his choice.

     Yes, tested. The Warmonger is currently available only to the Department of Defense, though they may one day be made available to others.  Exactly who is testing the Warmonger or which units are in on the testing is currently unknown, though one could probably guess.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

Warmonger (31-Inch Barrel)

.50 BMG

6.58 kg

5

$8052

Warmonger (24-Inch Barrel)

.50 BMG

6.43 kg

5

$7789

Warmonger (18-Inch Barrel)

.50 BMG

6.18 kg

5

$7563

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

Warmonger (31”)

BA

9

2-3-4

10/11

7

Nil

147

(With Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

10/11

3

Nil

192

Warmonger (24”)

BA

9

2-3-4

9/10

6

Nil

99

(With Bipod)

BA

9

2-3-4

9/10

3

Nil

129

Warmonger (18”)

BA

8

2-3-4

8/9

6

Nil

61

(With Bipod)

BA

8

2-3-4

8/9

3

Nil

79

 

Vigilance Rifles VR-1

     Notes: Though relatively new to the firearms scene, Vigilance Rifles is headed by Keary Ritchie, who has about 20 years of firearms designs experience, mostly in heavy-caliber rifles.  Though they are currently capable only of low-rate production, the VR-1 is acknowledged by many firearms designers as being a superior rifle.  The VR-1, though the fore-end appears a bit lumpish, is a mean brute-looking rifle of considerable capabilities, and comes in four powerful chamberings.

     The VR-1 is gas-operated, and coupled with a rotating bolt and a fixed ejector that improves reliability.  The barrels are all 24 inches long, and tipped with a large multi-baffle titanium-alloy muzzle brake.  The barrel is fluted to save weight, and has a bull profile.  The muzzle brake is attached via threading, and it can be removed and replaced with Vigilance Arms’ GSS suppressor (which is also quite large, but effective). The upper receiver is of high-strength stainless steel, and the lower receiver of high-strength aluminum alloy.  The stock and fore-end may be of wood or synthetic.  (The wood stocks look much better in my opinion.) The butt has a thick rubber recoil pad and the buttplate is adjustable for length of pull.  The stock itself has a pronounced cheek swell.   Atop the receiver is an integrated MIL-STD-1913 rail for optics. The smallest caliber the VR-1 is chambered for is .338 Lapua Magnum; this chambering was the last one in the current design, as the military has shown interest in a VR-1 chambered in that caliber.  The other chamberings are much more powerful: .375 CheyTac, .408 CheyTac, and the unusual chambering of .505 Gibbs.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: In the Twilight 2000 timeline, Keary Ritchie makes these rifles at request, assuming you can find his hideaway.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

VR-1

.338 Lapua Magnum

7.7 kg

5

$2702

VR-1

.375 CheyTac

8.82 kg

5

$3362

VR-1

.408 CheyTac

9.46 kg

5

$3606

VR-1

.505 Gibbs

11.5 kg

5

$4805

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

VR-1 (.338)

SA

6

1-3-Nil

8

2

Nil

113

With Bipod

SA

6

1-3-Nil

8

1

Nil

142

VR-1 (.338, Silenced)

SA

4

1-2-Nil

11

1

Nil

79

With Bipod

SA

4

1-2-Nil

11

1

Nil

98

VR-1 (.375)

SA

7

1-3-5

9

2

Nil

109

With Bipod

SA

7

1-3-5

9

1

Nil

136

VR-1 (.375, Silenced)

SA

5

1-2-Nil

12

2

Nil

80

With Bipod

SA

5

1-2-Nil

12

1

Nil

98

VR-1 (.408)

SA

7

1-3-5

9

2

Nil

117

With Bipod

SA

7

1-3-5

9

1

Nil

147

VR-1 (.408, Silenced)

SA

5

1-2-3

12

2

Nil

80

With Bipod

SA

5

1-2-3

12

1

Nil

98

VR-1 (.505)

SA

9

1-2-3

10

3

Nil

127

With Bipod

SA

9

1-2-3

10

1

Nil

160

VR-1 (.505, Silenced)

SA

6

1-3-Nil

13

3

Nil

80

With Bipod

SA

6

1-3-Nil

13

1

Nil

98

 

VM Hy-Tech VM-50

     Notes: VM Hy-Tech is run by Valy Rosca, a Romanian immigrant who escaped to the US (via Yugoslavia) while it was still part of the Communist Bloc, and he now lives in Phoenix, Arizona.  Working on firearms and machine shops since he was 14, he has since 2005 been producing small lots of some interesting .50-caliber rifles, most of which are bought by large-caliber rifle enthusiasts. 

     The VM-50R is a bolt-action rifle that is made of all-machined steel and aluminum.  This results in a very rugged and durable rifle that can stand a lot of abuse.  The action is utterly smooth, and little lubrication is necessary.  The 7-position adjustable stock is primarily of aluminum, with an adjustable cheekpiece and a thick Pachmayr recoil pad; the buttplate is also adjustable for length of pull.  The magazines are also machined and are as tough as the rifle itself; Rosca was not satisfied with the strength of existing .50-caliber magazines.  The VM-50R has no iron sights; instead, the rifle has a MIL-STD-1913 rail above the receiver.  At the end of the handguard is a steel VerPod folding bipod adjustable for height and cant.

     The barrels of the VM-50R are made by Lothar Walther, and can be 18, 22, 30, or 36 inches with a bull barrel.  (Custom profile barrels are also available upon request.)  The barrel is free-floating and is tipped by a massive muzzle brake designed by Rosca.  The trigger group is adjustable for pull weight (from three to fourteen pounds).

     The VM-50S is a single-shot version; other than the lack of a magazine feed, the stock is adjustable for nine positions instead of seven.

Weapon

Ammunition

Weight

Magazines

Price

VM-50R (18” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

11.79 kg

5

$7623

VM-50R (22” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

12.08 kg

5

$7757

VM-50R (30” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

12.61 kg

5

$8026

VM-50R (36” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

14.97 kg

5

$8228

VM-50S (18” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

9.98 kg

1 Internal

$1855

VM-50S (22” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

10.23 kg

1 Internal

$1989

VM-50S (30” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

10.68 kg

1 Internal

$2258

VM-50S (36” Barrel)

.50 Browning Machinegun

13.15 kg

1 Internal

$2460

 

Weapon

ROF

Damage

Pen

Bulk

SS

Burst

Range

VM-50R (18”)

BA

8

2-3-4

8/9

3

Nil

68

With Bipod

BA

8

2-3-4

8/9

1

Nil

84

VM-50R (22”)

BA

8

2-3-4

9/10

3

Nil

91

With Bipod

BA

8

2-3-4

9/10

1

Nil

114

VM-50R (30”)

BA

9

2-3-4

10/11

3

Nil

140

With Bipod

BA

9

2-3-4

10/11

1

Nil

178

VM-50R (36”)

BA

9

2-3-4

11/13

3

Nil

180

With Bipod

BA

9

2-3-4

11/13

1

Nil

230

VM-50S (18”)

SS

8

2-3-4

8/9

3

Nil

68

With Bipod

SS

8

2-3-4

8/9

2

Nil

84

VM-50S (22”)

SS

8

2-3-4

9/10

3

Nil

91

With Bipod

SS

8

2-3-4

9/10

2

Nil

114

VM-50S (30”)

SS

9

2-3-4

10/11

3

Nil

140

With Bipod

SS

9

2-3-4

10/11

2

Nil

178

VM-50S (36”)

SS

9

2-3-4

11/13

3

Nil

180

With Bipod

SS

9

2-3-4

11/13

1

Nil

230