Colt Carbines

     Notes: Development of the AR-15/M-16 into a carbine variant (with a mid-length barrel, unlike the CAR-15 and its ilk) began in the late 1960s; ironically, the first carbine variant was designed for civilian and police use instead of military use.  The Model 605A had a 16-inch barrel and was based on the M-16A1, complete with forward assist.  Civilian versions had a solid stock and were rigged to fire on semiautomatic; police could get a version with a four-position folding stock and with full-auto capability.  The police version also had the unusual feature (at the time) of having an additional selector lever position allowing for two-round bursts.  The handguard was shortened appropriately, but still used a triangular cross-section with left and right handguard halves.  A Model 605B version was also designed; this version had a 15-inch barrel, full-length handguards with just the muzzle and front sight stand protruding (which probably looked rather strange), the four-position selector, and the collapsible stock.  Neither of these variants could use a bayonet or an underbarrel grenade launcher, and they used the prong-type flash suppressor.  They also did not sell very well, though some small amounts were sold to civilians and police departments.

     The Model 651 was designed shortly thereafter; it was based on the M-16A1, and had a solid stock and a 14.5-inch barrel tipped with a prong-type flash suppressor.  The Model 651 was designed primarily for export but I have not been able to find out how many sales were made.  The Model 652 is basically identical, but has no forward assist.  The Model 653 and 654 are identical to the Models 651 and 652 respectively, except for their collapsible stock.  The Model 653 was also license-built in the Philippines; these were known as the Model 653P. 

    The M-4 is a cut down carbine version of the M-16A2.  This weapon, unlike most of the M-16-based carbines and short assault rifles, can mount the M-203.  The weapon was designed for paratroopers and special ops troops, to allow them to jump with their weapon uncased (for faster access during combat jumps), as well as to replace the M-9 pistol in some roles, but is becoming the standard assault rifle in many other types of US units as well.  The British SAS and SBS also use a large amount of M-4s, particularly the M-4 SOPMOD. 

     Operation of the M-4 is essentially the same as that of the M-16A2 (in fact, they share a receiver and its internal components), but the barrel is 14.57 inches long (officially, 14.5 inches long).  The barrel is tipped with the same flash suppressor as the M-16A2, and fires on semiautomatic or three-round bursts.  The stock is a four-position sliding one, with a lever on the underside of the buttstock allowing for this sliding.  The M-4A1 is essentially the same weapon, but has the burst-fire mechanism replaced by a full auto setting.  There is also a version of the M-4 (alternatively called the M-4A1E1, M-16A3 carbine, Colt Model 923, and M-4A2), which is an M-4, complete with the burst mechanism, but the carrying handle replaced with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.  Another version of this carbine as the burst mechanism replaced with a full-auto setting, but I don’t know what official designations have been given to this version.  In the charts below, I call them the M-4A1E1 and M-4A1E2.

     With US special ops units using the M-4A1 variant so much, the US Navy Special Warfare Center developed the SOPMOD kit for the M-4A1 (which will also fit any of the M-4 series).  The M-4 SOPMOD replaces the carrying handle with a MIL-STD-1913 rail, and a RIS (Rail Interface System) replaces the standard handguards, providing four more MIL-STD-1913 rails where the standard handguard was.  This allows the M-4 SOPMOD to mount a dizzying array of accessories and optics, as well as items such as an underbarrel grenade launcher or shotgun kit.  The types of accessories are limited only by the imagination of the shooter and what the mission calls for.  (The player who is equipped with an M-4 SOPMOD may choose up to $300 of accessories for his rifle, and these are included in the cost.) 

     The Model 723 is based on the M-4; it shares the M-4’s general features, but has M-16A1-type sights and a slightly-longer 14.57-inch barrel.  The Model 723 is also built to the same standards as an M-4 SOPMOD model.  As with the M-4 SOPMOD, the player may choose $300 worth of accessories for his Model 723 as part of the cost of the weapon. Though primarily exported to the United Arab Emirates, it also used in small numbers by US Special Forces (reportedly actually Delta Force) under unknown circumstances. 

     Clones of the M-4 are legion, with and without sliding stocks (most have sliding stocks).  They can have literally innumerable differences, ranging from stocks to pistol grips to bipods to MIL-STD-1913 rails.  One common one uses a 16-inch barrel, and this is listed below. They may be semiautomatic civilian/police versions, or full-auto or burst capable.  Pick an analogue from the list below.

     Stag 15 has made its name on left-handed versions of civilian (and some say, limited military use) versions of the AR-15 and civilian versions of the M-4.  However, Stag 15 also makes right-handed versions now.

     An increasing number of companies are making M-4s (and their civilian counterparts) chambered for 6.8mm SPC.  For the most part they are identical to the standard M-4/M-4A1/Civilian M-4, except for the caliber.  As with standard M-4 clones, civilian and most law-enforcement versions have 16-inch barrels and military and some LE versions use the 14.5-inch barrel.  (Civilian versions often have a fixed stock; subtract $20 from the cost and use the higher of Bulk figures.) They are also internally somewhat different from the standard M4 clone.  A smaller amount make these clones chambered for 6.5mm Grendel; these normally require bigger changes to the guts and to the magazine well, and it’s often not a simple lower receiver change.  Finally, a large amount of companies are offering M-4 clones which use a gas piston system instead of the direct gas impingement system of the standard M-4; unfortunately, this is difficult to simulate in game terms, though there are some benefits in the area of cleaning, maintaining cleanliness of the internal parts and chamber, and a small increase in accuracy.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Airborne, special ops, and some Marine units will have these weapons; most other units will not. 

     Merc 2000 Notes: The M-4 has worked its way into a lot of NATO and US units, and a civilianized version is also available.  Civilian versions often have a fixed stock, and sometimes are not equipped with a flash suppressor; they usually don’t have bayonet lugs, either.

Colt M-16 Assault Rifle Series

     Notes: This is the standard combat rifle of the US, as well as having been used or being used by over 50 other armies.  The M-16 rivals the AK-series for widespread use. The M-16 is an effective and popular weapon, but is a bit sensitive to dirt. The M-16 was originally designed by the small arms genius Eugene Stoner, based on the AR-10’s action and a development of the .222 Remington round, which was designed to fall in range, penetration, and wounding potential somewhere between the 7.62mm NATO round and the .30 Carbine round.  The US Army had expressed a desire (against the wishes of the DoD) as early as 1957 for a light rifle to replace the M-14 as its standard assault rifle, which had already proven to be too heavy for regular troop use and uncontrollable in automatic fire.  The prototypes went through several iterations based upon troop and small-arms-expert evaluations.  Different ammunition types also were tried, and the AR-15 (as the M-16 was called at the time by Stoner) also faced fierce opposition from the DoD’s Chief of Ordinance, who wanted to stick with the M-14.  This meant that official adoption, first by the USAF, did not occur until 1962, who issued it to their security troops), and later that year, for use by SEAL and Special Forces advisors in Vietnam.

     Since the SPIW program essentially produced nothing acceptable to the military, Secretary McNamara finally intervened and told the Army to accept the M-16, first for special ops, airborne, Air Cav, and air assault troops, and then later for the Army and Air Force in general.  This crash program unfortunately led to quality control problems, which were only partially rectified.

     The original M-16 contained most of the features which became standard on future M-16s.  It uses the now-standard 20-inch length barrel, though the flash suppressor is slightly different than on later models (though still of the slotted type), and is also made of light alloy instead of the steel of later models.  It has no forward assist, and the chamber and barrel are not chromed, which led to quick corrosion and fowling in Vietnam’s climate.  (Air Force Security troops, for the most part not operating in such environments or in the bush, didn’t really have this problem.)  At the time of issue, the M-16 was still using the IMR Ball propellant recommended by Eugene Stoner, which also greatly decreased fouling and corrosion.

     The M-16A1 is perhaps the most common version of the M-16. The original M-16A1s quickly suffered from not being used with IMR Ball propellant (instead, the military decided to go with a much cheaper propellant that caused much more fouling and corrosion, and though they later changed to better-quality propellant, it still did not match the quality of the original IMR Ball propellant), a myth that sprang up among soldiers that the M-16A1 didn’t require any regular cleaning, and a barrel and chamber that corroded rapidly. Thus, the M-16A1 quickly gained a reputation of jamming, usually at the wrong moment.  The problems with corrosion were largely fixed by chroming the chamber and barrel.  The M-16A1 also introduced the forward assist, which is sort of plunger that can be used to fully close the bolt when the M-16A1 is fouled inside the receiver or otherwise does not seat properly.  (This feature as added at the insistence of the Army and Marines; the USAF also has some M-16A1s, but most of them don’t have forward assists, and are often mistaken for original M-16s.)  The T-bar charging handle was made wider, the slotted flash suppressor was changed to steel construction (and later changed to the now-familiar birdcage pattern), and the magazines were changed from steel to an aluminum alloy (including a new 30-round magazine introduced in 1969).  Most of the problems experienced with the M-16A1 can be traced back to improper maintenance (personally, even though I have always cleaned my weapons thoroughly, have always had problems with extraction failures on both the M-16A1 and A2, however, as did many of my fellow soldiers).  The recoil buffer had mass added, which both curbed the too-high cyclic rate and also corrected a problem where the bolt tended to literally “bounce” inside the receiver, resulting in a bolt which did not close properly.  It should be noted that in addition to Colt, many M-16A1s were manufactured by GM’s Hydra-Matic division and Harrington & Richardson.  (The M-16A1s built by these two alternate manufacturers actually turned out to be superior in quality to those manufactured by Colt!)  The M-16A1 has turned up in some strange places; for example, leftist rebels in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala were often encountered with it.  The serial numbers on the captured M-16A1s were traced to weapons lost or abandoned in Vietnam before US involvement in that country ended.  In addition, some 30+ countries are licensed to manufacture the M-16A1, so they may be encountered pretty much all over the globe.

     Though the US Army was satisfied with the M-16A1, the Marines were not.  In 1980, they began to tinker with the M-16A1, producing the M-16E1A1, which eventually resulted in the M-16A2, which was adopted by the Marines in 1983. Changes made for the M-16A2 included better chroming for the chamber and barrel, a change to a 1:7 rifling twist (from 1:12) to suit the superior SS-109 ammunition which had been developed by FN and Heckler & Koch, the omission of the bottom slot from the flash suppressor (allowing it to function as sort of a partial muzzle brake), and a small block added behind the ejection port to deflect hot brass away from left-handed shooters (hot brass often ends up in the shirts or face of left-handed shooters of the M-16 and M-16A1).  The handguard was changed from its triangular cross-section to a round, ribbed criss section; this is not only ergonomically better, but simplifies the supply chain by eliminating the need to have left and right handguard sections.  They also dissipate heat better.  The pistol grip was also redesigned, with finger swells.  The formerly solid polymer stock was replaced with a fiberglass/nylon composite which is filled nylon foam, which helps counteract the fact that the M-16A2 is heavier elsewhere, and is also far stronger than the original stock.  The rear sight is replaced by one which allows adjustments for windage and elevation by simple dials (on the M-16A1, windage adjustments had to be made by sticking the point of a bullet or other object into holes in the adjustment dials, and elevation was done on the front post in the same manner).  Perhaps the most controversial change was the fire selector; the capability for fully automatic fire was replaced with a 3-round burst feature, with a cyclic rate so high that the recoil from the first round is not felt until the third round is already out of the barrel.  The barrel is the subject of more misunderstanding than anything else on the M-16A2; it is roughly double the thickness, but only at about the last third of the barrel.  Many think this is to increase accuracy (untrue), to increase heat dissipation (mostly true), and to stiffen the barrel (a little bit true).  However, the primary reason for this thickening is a reflection of grunt mentality; the primary reason this was done is to stop soldiers from bending the barrel when using their rifle as an ad hoc crowbar.

     The US Army was originally quite reluctant to accept the M-16A2; they did not want to have to switch to SS-109 ammunition since they had mountains of old M-193, and they did not like the burst fire mechanism, as they felt that the ability to produce massive quantities of firepower increased the confidence and morale of its troops.  (In essence, they were underestimating their people.)  Ironically, a version of the M-16A2 was made with full-auto capabilities, but they were built only for export as the request of certain customers, and not used by the US military.  However, in 1985, they were basically forced by the Pentagon to adopt the M-16A2.  In addition to the full-auto M-16A2 mentioned above, other versions built for specific export customers include an M-16A2 with full auto features as well as M-16A1-type sights, and an M-16A2 with a medium-weight M-16A1-type barrel.

     The M-16A3 is identical to the M-16A2 but has a removable carrying handle that is mounted on a MIL-STD-1913 (for better mounting of optics) and is without burst control.  This version is the current standard version of the M-16A1 for the US Army and Marines, and is often seen with an ACOG-type sight mounted on the rail rather than standard iron sights.  The M-16A3 also restores the full-automatic feature to the M-16, in lieu of the 3-round burst feature.  The M-16A4 is identical to the M-16A2 except for the removable carrying handle and MIL-STD-1913 rail, and uses the selector with the 3-round burst feature. 

     Other variants of note include the AR-15 HB, also known as the Model 606 or Heavy Assault Rifle M-1.  The “HB” stood for Heavy Barrel;” the AR-15 HB was a variant of the M-16A1 designed for use as a squad automatic weapon or as a weapon for what would now be called a designated marksman.  The AR-15 HB could take a detachable version of the BAR’s bipod or a standard scissors bipod.  The Model 606A was essentially simply a heavier-barreled M-16A1, and the Model 606B was the same weapon, but with an additional selector position to allow burst fire.  Only a few hundred were built, primarily for field and combat evaluation use.

     The AR-15, AR-15A1, AR-15A2, and AR-15A3 are civilian versions of the M-16/M-16A1/M-16A2/M-16A3; they cannot mount a bayonet, and usually have been “fixed” so that a conversion to automatic fire is beyond the abilities of normal gun owners or even armorers of normal skills. Those few versions built during the Assault Weapons Ban period (even variants built by other companies) usually have no flash suppressor, and were sold with 5 or 10-round magazines (though they can still accept any sort of M-16-type magazine). 

     Though many special variants of the AR-15 have been made (most by private gunsmiths), some of them include the AR-15 HBAR (Model 611), which is a civilian variant of the AR-15 HB above; it has no bayonet lug nor a forward assist.  The Model 611P is a Model 611 built in the Philippines, and the Model 621, which was built for export but is otherwise identical to the standard AR-15 HBAR.  The AR-15A2 HBAR (Model 737) is based on the AR-15A2, with the heavier barrel (essentially, the barrel is heavy throughout its length, instead of just the last third); however, it uses M-16A1-type sights.  The AR-15A2 Delta HBAR (Model 741) replaces the carrying handle and rear sight with a special mount for a Colt-designed rubber-armored 3-9x sight, and an ambidextrous raised cheekpiece (with an undercut for pulling back the charging handle).  The Delta HBAR was introduced in 1987, but was produced for little over a year.  The AR-15A3 HBAR (Model 941) is basically the same as the AR-15A2 HBAR, but has a MIL-STD-1913 rail instead of a carrying handle.

     Like the M-4, there have been many accessories designed for the M-16 series, ranging from new handgrips to different flash suppressors or even firing different ammunition.  The first underbarrel grenade launcher, the M-203, was designed specifically for the M-16A1.

     Meanwhile, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army and Marines have been using specialist versions of the M-16A3; the Army calls theirs the SDM-R (Squad Designated Marksman Rifle), while the Marines call it the SAM-R (Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle).  These are “semi-sniper rifles,” designed for sharpshooters assigned to squads of troops who are not trained as full snipers.  The SDM-R itself comes in two models – most are in fact based on the M-16A3, but the 82^nd Airborne and 101^st Air Assault Divisions employ many that are based on a flattop version of the M-4 Carbine.  (It should be noted that DPMS Panther also makes a civilian model of the SDM-R, which is virtually identical.)  The SDM-R and SAM-R use a heavy, match-quality barrel, and the carrying handle is replaced by a MIL-STD-1913 rail which extends from the receiver to the front sight post.  No rear iron sights are normally used, but can be added to the rail.  The front sight can also be removed as required. The barrel is 20 inches long and is free-floating, but uses a 1:8 twist to accommodate both standard SS-109 ammunition and match-quality rounds, and is made from stainless steel. The trigger and fire mechanism has been replaced by a two-stage match trigger, and the SDM-R and SAM-R are semiautomatic-only weapons.  On the handguards is mounted a Harris S-L light bipod, adjustable for height and cant.  The M-4-based version is identical except for the 14.5-inch barrel.  The cost of these weapons below include a compact telescopic sight.

     Like the Colt Carbine, clones of the M-16 and AR-15 abound.  You can basically pick one below as an analogue.  I have also included stats for an 18, 22, and 24” standard-weight barrel, with fixed stock.  Other stats may be inferred from other versions; on the average, a sliding stock increases cost by $20 and reduces Bulk when closed by two steps.

     An increasing number of companies are making M-16s (and their civilian counterparts) chambered for 6.8mm SPC.  For the most part they are identical to the standard AR-15/M-16, except for the caliber.  A smaller amount make these clones chambered for 6.5mm Grendel; these normally require bigger changes to the guts and to the magazine well, and it’s often not a simple lower receiver change.  Finally, a large amount of companies are offering M-4 clones which use a gas piston system instead of the direct gas impingement system of the standard M-4; unfortunately, this is difficult to simulate in game terms, though there are some benefits in the area of cleaning, maintaining cleanliness of the internal parts and chamber, and a small increase in accuracy.

     Stag 15 has made its name on left-handed versions of civilian (and some say, limited military use) versions of the AR-15 and civilian versions of the M-4.  However, Stag 15 also makes right-handed versions now.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The M-16A3 and A4 do not exist in as great a quantity in the Twilight 2000 timeline as in the real world; nor does the AR-15A3 and its HBAR variant.  The SDM-R and SAM-R were in fact made in the Twilight 2000 timeline, both in the US and by local armorers; however, in the Twilight 2000 timeline, they are called the M-16A3E1 and M4E1.

Colt M-16-Based Short Assault Rifles

      Notes: There have probably been innumerable short and micro versions of the M-16 built over the past 40 years, both for the US and for (and in) other countries.  Most of them are simply shortened M-16s of various types built using different manufacturing methods, different stock lengths or pistol grips, or slightly different materials, but most of these conform to the other examples shown here.

     The CAR-15/XM-177 series is one of the more ubiquitous members of this sort of weapon.  The first CAR-15 appeared in 1965 for use by US Army Special Forces in Vietnam, to give them a lighter carry weapon and one that was more suited to Vietnam’s short-ranged combat.  The original CAR-15 was simply an M-16 with the barrel chopped in half to 10 inches.  The prototypes had shorter versions of the M-16A1’s triangular handguards, but the ones that reached combat had round, ribbed handguards.  The stock remained solid, but was shortened a little.  Unfortunately, the flash suppressor remained the original prong-type, and that was its greatest problem -- the abbreviated barrel spat out a large amount of unburned powder, muzzle blast, and muzzle flash in general.  In a firefight, the shooter became effectively deafened in a matter of seconds, and at night, blinded as well. 

     The US Air Force envisioned a version of the CAR-15 which could be carried disassembled in a pilot’s survival pack (mostly by the pilots of heavy aircraft and helicopter crews).  This had several variations from the CAR-15; the stock was a tubular fixed detachable stock 3 inches shorter than a standard M-16 stock, the pistol grip was shortened, and the muzzle sported a cone-shaped flash hider.  They were to have been issued with 10 or 20-round magazines.  It was quickly judged that the CAR-15 Survival Rifle, as the weapon was known, was still too large a package to be carried in a pilot’s bug-out pack.

     The CAR-15 Survival Rifle was a non-starter, but Special Forces realized CAR-15 itself showed some promise, with a major overhaul.  First, the prong-type flash suppressor was discarded in favor of a much larger flash/suppressor/muzzle brake that did a much better job of suppressing the muzzle blast and flash.  Second, the stock of the CAR-15 Survival Rifle was greatly improved, turned into a four-position sliding stock, and fitted to the new weapon.  Third, the pistol grip was restored to the standard length of an M-16’s pistol grip.  This resulted in the XM-177, also known as the CAR-15 Commando (the weapon was never released from its experimental designation, and was always a limited-issue weapon), and the GAU-5/A/A (the US Air Force’s designation; at that time, three different designation systems were used, depending upon the branch of service using the weapon) which appeared in 1965. Like the Air Force’s M-16s, the XM-177 had no forward assist.  The GAU-5/A/A version that was first issued to the Air Force had a very stubby 9.8-inch barrel; problems with the GAU-5/A/A (primarily due to The XM-177’s Stoner-designed gas system for the M-16 series not really being designed for a barrel of 10 inches or less without considerable modification) led quickly to the GAU-5/A/B, with a slightly longer 10-inch barrel.  The XM-177 was meant for issue to Air Force Security Police, but was primarily issued to the newly-forming elite Pararescue teams that were subsets of the PJs. 

     Shortly thereafter, the XM-177E1 version appeared; this version was essentially the same as the GAU-5/A/B version of the XM-177, but based upon an M-16A1 receiver with its forward assist; there was also a slight weight difference.  Though intended for special operations use, carrying an XM-177E1 became a sort of status symbol among line officers and senior NCOs.  In 1967, the barrel was lengthened to 11.5 inches, to reduce the amount of unburned powder and to increase the reliability of the weapon.  This version was known as the XM-177E2, which became the most common of the XM-177/CAR-15 series.  The XM-177E2 was also capable of mounting the then-new M-203 underbarrel grenade launcher.  Collectively, the XM-177 series was known as the Commando series.  (Trivia note: Most of the time when people see pictures of troops in Vietnam or slightly later and think they are seeing a CAR-15, they are actually seeing an XM-177E2.)  The XM-177E2 was primarily issued to special ops units, LRRPs, and such troops, and was rare in line units.  The USAF also used a further modified version of the XM-177E2, which they called the GAU-5P; this version had the barrel lengthened to 14.49 inches (making it more a carbine than a short assault rifle, but included here for completeness).

     Functioning members of the XM-177 series are today difficult to find; US special ops units continued to use them well into the 1980s, and many other XM-177s were cannibalized to provide spare parts for other XM-177s (Colt stopped producing XM-177 parts in the 1970s), and most XM-177s had been shot out by the time they were replaced.

     Some time after the advent of the M-16A2, special ops again expressed a desire for a Commando variant of the M-16A2.  Though (as far as I can tell; I’m not quite sure on this, and I invite corrections), it was designated the M-6 Carbine, it appears to be called simply the Commando or M-16A2 Commando most of the time.  It is based on the M-4 Carbine, but has a shortened 11.5-inch barrel tipped with a standard M-16A2/M-4 flash suppressor.  The 3-round burst mechanism was replaced with a full-auto sear, but there is also an M-6A1 version with a 3-round burst feature instead of the full-auto feature.  Though more modern propellants and cartridges lessen the muzzle flash and blast, this is reportedly a problem with these versions of the Commando.  Lately, pictures from Iraq and Afghanistan have been seen showing troops armed with flat-topped Commandos with MIL-STD-1913 rails atop the receiver, but I don’t know the designation of this version.  (I have called it the M-6A2 below.)

     This brings us to a rather weird variant of the M-16 series: the M-231 Port Firing Weapon.  (No, that’s not backwards; that’s the proper designation of the weapon.)  This version was specifically designed for used from the firing ports of the Bradley series of Infantry Fighting Vehicles.  In its early phases, the M-231 program came down to the Colt version or a version of the Heckler & Koch HK-53, but in the interests of interoperability, the Colt version won out, and became the M-231 PFW.  The M-231 has a 14.49-inch heavy barrel (primarily to minimize overheating) tipped with a standard M-16A2 flash suppressor.  Just ahead of the short handguard are wide threads which allow the M-231 to be quickly screwed into the Bradley’s firing point swivel ball.  Sighting was meant to be done through primarily through the vision block above the firing ports, with the magazines of the M-231 filled with tracers to allow the shooter to adjust his fire quickly.  Feed is from standard M-16 magazines, and internally, the M-231 is for the most part the same as the M-16A2.  However, the M-231 fires from an open bolt and the cyclic rate was greatly increased up to 1100-1200 rpm, to provide better suppressive fire.  The right side of the M-231 has integral attachment points for a canvas brass catcher.  The design of this bag also allowed the fumes from firing the M-231 to be vented outside of the Bradley.  Though the infantrymen inside the Bradley also have M-16A2s or M-4s to grab when they exit the vehicle, the M-231’s could be quickly dismounted and used as conventional short assault rifles if necessary.  The M-231 has no iron sights; the trough of the carrying handle is to be used as an emergency short-range sight when the M-231 is dismounted.  Early versions of the M-231 were issued with a sliding wire stock for use if dismounted, and even a stock which clipped onto the buffer tube was experimentally tried.  The wire stock (or a stock of any kind) was later discarded as being unnecessary, especially after the side firing ports of the Bradleys were plated over in the interests of adding more side armor.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The XM-177E1 and E2 were rarely seen in military service by the time of the Twilight War, but they were later pulled out of storage and put to good use, mostly by Milgov and Civgov forces inside the US, despite their generally poor condition.  The M-231 had even wider use than was intended by the designers; they were often stripped from immobilized Bradleys and used as assault rifles by both military and civilian forces, often with the addition of stocks removed from non-functional M-16s, M-177s, CAR-15s, or M-4s; M-231s were also seen with homemade wooden stocks or sliding wire stocks.

Alexander Arms AR-17

     Notes: Though the AR-17 recognizably uses the AR-15-type as its base, it departs from the AR-15 in many ways, not the least of which is its chambering in .17 HMR.  Like most rimfire rifles, the .17 HMR round does not develop enough gas to reciprocate an operating system that uses gas; instead, the AR-17 uses straight blowback operation.  The AR-17’s barrel has a heavy profile and is free-floating, but the barrel is lightened without losing strength by the cutting of spiral grooves into it.  The barrel is 18 inches long and tipped by a flash suppressor which doubles as a rebar cutter, though the manufacturer admits that the flash suppressor doesn’t really do anything to stop the almost-nonexistent flash, and the .17 HMR round is probably not strong enough to cut rebar; the flash suppressor is for the most part simply there for looks, and protect the target crown.  The handguards are of round composite with lots of cooling holes in either side, underneath the front of the handguard is an attachment point for a bipod.  The rest of the AR-17 is strongly-built, with a bolt-carrier group of ETD-150 high-strength steel; this bolt-carrier group is chromed for reliability.  The bolt-carrier group itself is clearly stamped “.17 HMR” in large letters to avoid accidental placement in a non-rimfire rifle.  The extractor is hardened stainless steel.  The upper and lower receiver are of aircraft aluminum.  Atop the upper receiver is a MIL-STD-1913 rail; there are no iron sights, as the AR-17 is designed to be used with optics.  Though a standard trigger group is normally supplied with the AR-17, Alexander Arms will ship the rifle with a special trigger pack that can be tuned in any way by a knowledgeable individual.  Magazines for the AR-17 are proprietary and made of polymer; the pistol grip is also polymer and is shaped like that of an AR-15A2.  Though current AR-17 magazines hold only ten rounds, Alexander Arms has high-capacity magazines in the works. The AR-17 is equipped with a sliding M-4-style stock.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The AR-17 is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Alexander Arms Beowulf

     Notes:  This weapon is described by Alexander Arms, the manufacturer, as a “large caliber carbine.”  It is a highly-modified AR-15 firing a proprietary round called the .50 Beowulf; this round was made to fit in existing AR-15/M-16 series magazines with only slight modifications.  The rifle was designed based on recommendations from US special operations soldiers after experience in Afghanistan, and combat tested in small numbers by them in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The rifle is basically an AR-15 lower receiver built to stronger standards, along with a new upper receiver and collapsible stock.  The upper receiver uses a Picatinny Rail instead of the normal carrying handle.  The muzzle has a massive pepperpot-type muzzle brake. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Alexander Arms Grendel

     Notes: This is another development of the AR-15 series by Alexander Arms.  Again, the modifications to existing AR-15s basically consist of replacing the upper receiver and barrel unit with a new one of Alexander Arms manufacture.  It was designed to address shortcomings in the 5.56mm NATO round, by replacing the round with a new one which has superior ballistics and stopping power.  As with the Beowulf, the Grendel is rumored to be testing with the US military. They have a collapsible stock, MIL-STD-1913 rail instead of a carrying handle, and a muzzle brake to reduce felt recoil.  Civilian versions do not have the MIL-STD-1913 rail or the muzzle brake, nor do they normally have a bipod.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Grendel does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

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.

AR-57

     Notes: Produced by a company called, appropriately enough, AR57, the AR-57 is an AR-15A2 with a new upper receiver and barrel which allows the weapon to fire the 5.7mm FN cartridge.  Certain parts of the AR-15A2 (or A3) version (with or without a sliding stock) are required to use this modification; it will not work on a stock AR-15 or AR-15A1, as it will not cycle properly, and essentially produces a bolt-action rifle.  The new upper receiver comes in a version with 16.04-inch barrel or (where legal) an 11-inch-barrel SBR configuration.  Both FNH and AR57 produce proper magazines for use with this configurations; though aftermarket magazines are produced by ATI and KCI, these magazines have proven prone to failure in the AR-57 conversion.  The 5.7mm FN round performs quite well in the longer barrels, increasing range, stopping power and penetration (unfortunately, not measureable in Twilight 2000 terms), and the resulting conversion is slightly lighter than the standard AR-15A2 or A3.  The AR-57 conversion is primarily sold as an upper receiver set and magazine well conversion and not as a complete rifle.

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.

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.

Bushmaster .450

     Notes: The Bushmaster .450 began with US military forces in Iraq needing a more powerful weapon for CQB, but allowing for the “muscle memory” of troops used to the M-16/M-4 series.  Bushmaster and Tim LeGendre of LeMag Firearms worked together to produce an AR-15 derivative that fired a modified version of LeGendre’s .45 Professional round, called the .450 Bushmaster round.  The idea was to produce a round that had good short-range penetration and damage while still providing decent damaging effects at short range.  Another part of the design was to produce a weapon that could deal with car bombers by disabling their vehicles with powerful small arms fire.  For civilian use, the .450 Bushmaster is quite capable of one-shot stops versus any North American or European big game.

     The Bushmaster .450 is essentially built on a highly-modified Bushmaster AR-type base.  The Bushmaster .450 uses a 16 or 20-inch free-floating barrel that is noticeably wider, tipped by a slotted muzzle brake.  The upper receiver is a flattop, with a full-length MIL-STD-1913 rail; the handguards also have three more rails.  DPMS Mangonel folding iron sights are included as backups. The Bushmaster .450 can be had with a variety of stocks and pistol grips, but a folding or collapsible stock is not presently among the selections.  Current magazines are based on 20-round AR-15/M-16 magazines, but larger ones are being devised.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Bushmaster .450 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

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 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.

Christensen Arms CA-15

     Notes: The CA-15 is an AR-15 clone with a few different twists; so far, no automatic/military version has been announced, though there are several semiautomatic variants for use by police and civilians.  The real-world price of a CA-15 is much higher than most AR-15 clones, but the CA-15 has several new and different features that make it a more reliable, easy to use, and accurate version of the AR-15. The CA-15 uses a push-rod gas piston operation, as many current AR-15/M-16 clones are using, to reduce fouling and improve reliability.  The gas block is Melonite-treated for extra durability and has a two-position setting to allow for continued reliability as the rifle’s interior gets dirty. The inside of the upper receiver is plated with nickel-boron, which gives it extra durability and reduces the need for lubrication of the bolt carrier. The bolt carrier key is integral with the bolt carrier instead of being a separate part, which strengthens the bolt carrier and gives the CA-15 one less part to fail. The bolt carrier group is beefy and designed to address bolt carrier tilt, which can be a reliability problem on other AR-15 clones. The upper and lower receivers are made of high-strength and low-weight 7075-T6 aluminum, though most of the interior and working parts are of steel.  The nickel-boron finish of the receiver is a matte medium gray as standard, though other finishes are available; the bolt carrier group and other metal working parts actually have the same finish on them, but appear to be chromed in color due to the difference in finish color when applying the finish to aluminum or steel. The finish has a somewhat slick surface, reducing the need for internal lubrication and helping to keep the receiver clean externally. The receiver has an integral shell deflector, like the M-16A2 and AR-15A2, though it extends outwards a bit more then on the AR-15A2 or M-16A2.  The upper receiver is topped with an integral MIL-STD-1913 rail; the CA-15 is meant to be used with some sort of optic and has no iron sights unless the shooter attaches some to the rails.  The selector lever operation, trigger action (which is two-stage), and the operation of the charging handle is described as very smooth, much more so than most AR-15 clones. The Timney trigger pack can be adjusted by a gunsmith for length of pull and pull weight; standard pull weight is a light three pounds.  The takedown pins have knobs on them to make them easier to remove, though the takedown pins themselves lock tight when pushed in.

     The barrels are a heavy-profile, match-quality, floating barrels, which may be of different lengths depending upon the variant of the CA-15.  These barrels are tipped by a flash suppressor that is designed for use as both a rebar breaker (by putting the flash suppressor directly on the rebar section and firing) and a lock-blower.  The barrels are also unusual in that they are made of carbon fiber with an internal steel sleeve; the object of the designers was to lighten the rifle as much as possible.  This sleeve has a chromed bore, and the barrel extension is also chromed. The handguards are also of carbon fiber, and include a MIL-STD-1913 rail at the top of the handguard (extends the full length of the handguard) and one at the bottom of the handguard (extends halfway down the handguard from the front).  These rails are integral to the handguards, and the top rail is continuous with the rail on top of the receiver.  The pistol grip is also of carbon fiber, overmolded with a Hogue rubber design, and the magazines designed for use with the CA-15 also have an outer shell of carbon fiber (though the CA-15 can use any magazine that the AR-15/M-16 series can use if chambered for 5.56mm NATO/.223).  Assorted other parts, such as the selector lever, magazine release, charging handle, and takedown pins are also of carbon fiber.  The selector lever and magazine release are ambidextrous, with both found on each side of the lower receiver in the same place; the bolt catch is still found only on left side, in the usual place.  A buyer has several choices of stock: ACE fixed stock, ACE adjustable stock, Magpul CTR adjustable stock, the SCM fixed stock designed by Christensen Arms, and a standard M-4-type adjustable stock.  The SCM stock is designed to be light in weight and consists of a padded aluminum tube with a skeletonized butt on the end, and includes a rubber recoil pad (which has no effect in game terms due to the SCM-Stock-equipped CA-15’s lower base weight).

     Variants of the CA-15 include the Predator, which has a 20 or 24-inch barrel; receiver finishes may be matte gray, a tan color called by Christensen King’s Desert Shadow, or a white finish called King’s Snow Shadow.  Four choices of chambering are available for the Predator.  The Recon uses a 16-inch barrel, and is constructed otherwise like the Predator; it has five choices of chamberings (though .223/5.56mm NATO and .223 Wylde are identical for game purposes – though not in real world terms).  In addition, the 6.5mm Grendel chambering is no longer being offered by Christensen Arms.

     The CA-10 Series is designed for larger calibers, and is available in four chamberings.  The barrel is tipped by a compact muzzle brake, though this muzzle brake is not designed to be used as a rebar breaker like that of the CA-15.  The CA-15 is generally longer and heavier, as well as more heavily-constructed, due to the heavier and more power cartridges for which it designed.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The CA-15 is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.