Notes: The Panther is DPMS’s primary AR-15 clone. They are generally built to higher standards than the AR-15, often with heavy, floating, and/or bull barrels, target-crowned muzzles, flattop receivers, round aluminum handguards, closer tolerances in construction – basically a better version of the AR-15.

The Arctic Panther is an AR-15A3 variant designed for police use as a spur-of-the-moment sharpshooting rifle – to fulfill the same role in police forces as a designated marksman rifle would in the military. To this end, the Arctic Panther has a heavy, free-floating, fluted barrel with a crowned muzzle, round handguards (made of aluminum, not plastic), and a flattop upper receiver with a MIL-STD-1913 rail. (No optical sights are provided – the Arctic Panther is designed primarily to be used with a telescopic sight.) A secondary consideration gave the Arctic Panther its name – while the stock and pistol grip are the standard AR-15-type black, the handguards and receiver are finished in white, while the barrel is finished in light silver. The result is a silhouette that breaks up very well in snowy weather, as well as some urban environments. Normal magazines sold with the weapon are 10-round plastic magazines, but the Arctic Panther can also take standard AR-15 and M-16 magazines.

The Lo-Pro Classic Precision is sort of an economy version of the Arctic Panther. It is finished in standard AR-15-style black, and the receiver is constructed of a somewhat lower-grade aluminum than the Arctic Panther. The barrel is still heavy, but not fluted or free-floating, and is shortened to 16 inches. It does not have a brass deflector nor a forward assist. The handguards are standard AR-15 carbine-type. Though it is basically a "no-frills" rifle, it is nonetheless accurate despite its short barrel.

The Panther A2 Tactical is a version of the Panther with full-length handguards, but only a 16-inch barrel (I must say it is rather odd looking to me for that reason). The barrel is a heavy barrel, and civilian versions have no flash suppressor or muzzle device of any sort (military/police versions have a flash suppressor). The construction of the A2 Tactical is heavy for extra stability. The A2 Tactical has a standard AR-15A2-type carrying handle with sights.

The Panther AP4 Post-Ban 5.56mm is a Panther with a heavy 16-inch barrel, a very effective Miculek muzzle brake, and a flattop receiver with a MIL-STD-1913 rail with a detachable carrying handle. The carrying handle has standard AR-15 iron sights. There is also a pre-ban version; this version has a sliding M-4-style stock.

The Panther AP4 Carbines are sold only to military and law enforcement concerns. They are AP4s with standard-type barrels, but with sliding stocks, flash suppressors, short carbine handguards, and standard AR-15A2-type carrying handles. They come in two barrel lengths. It is rumored that DPMS will make full-auto versions upon request by proper agencies, but this is not confirmed; full auto stats are included in case.

The Panther Bull Classic is one of the original Panther series rifles; it has a 20-inch bull barrel, round aluminum handguards, but a standard AR-15-style stock and carrying handle. The Panther Bull Sweet Sixteen is, as the name would indicate, a Panther with a 16-inch floating bull barrel. The Sweet Sixteen has no iron sights, but does have a MIL-STD-1913 rail on the flattop receiver for the mounting of optics. The bolt carrier is chromed, and the bolt itself is phosphated for extra reliability. The Panther Bull Twenty is virtually identical, but has a 20-inch barrel; the Panther Bull Twenty-Four has a 24-inch barrel. The Panther Bull Twenty-Four Special is a heavy version of the Panther Bull Twenty-Four; it has a heavy bull barrel which is fluted and has a palm rest on the pistol grip, and heavier construction for extra stability. The Panther Super Bull 24 has an extra-heavy bull barrel, skeletonized stock, the MIL-STD-1913 rail on a removable riser, and even heavier construction.

The Panther Carbine is a short version of the Panther, sold only to law enforcement and military concerns. It features an 11.5" barrel with a long 5-inch flash suppressor/muzzle brake, or a 16" barrel with a standard flash suppressor. It has a sliding stock, and a standard AR-15-type carrying handle. It is rumored that DPMS will make full auto versions of the Panther Carbine for the proper authorities, but this is not confirmed; full auto statistics are included in case.

The Panther Classic is virtually a standard AR-15 clone, for the most part. It does, however, have a heavy barrel (but with no flash suppressor). A police/military version is available, with a flash suppressor. The Panther Classic Sixteen is similar, but uses a 16-inch barrel. Another version, the Southpaw Panther exists, both in civilian and police/military versions; it is simply, as the name suggests, a left-handed version of the Panther Classic, with ejection to the left and the operating controls reversed.

The Panther CMP is a version of the Panther with standard handguards, a heavy stainless steel barrel, and special micro-adjustable sights for its role in national shooting matches. The rifle parts are made to especially close tolerances.

The Panther Kitty Kat is sold only to law enforcement and military concerns. It is a Panther with an abbreviated 7-inch free-floating barrel tipped with a flash suppressor, sliding M-4-style stock, and round aluminum handguards. It is rumored that DPMS will make automatic versions upon request, but this is not confirmed. Just in case, stats for a full-auto version are included below.

The Panther Lite 16 has a carbon fiber stock that looks like an M-4-style sliding stock, but is in fact fixed, and does not have the heavy barrel. A military/police version of the Panther Lite Sixteen is made; this has an actual sliding stock and a flash suppressor. They are very lightweight carbines.

The Panther Tuber is an odd-looking variant of the Panther, with a nearly full-length handguard and virtually no part of the barrel projecting from the handguard except for the very tip of the muzzle. This allows for a well-protected free-floating heavy barrel, but means there is no front sight. (The top of the receiver has a MIL-STD-1913 rail for optical sights.) The forward portion of this extended handguard is a round one similar to other Panther designs, while the rear portion of the handguard is patterned after an M-203 grenade launcher barrel, being ribbed. The weapon is otherwise similar to an AR-15A3, though it has only a 16-inch barrel.

One of the newest members of the Panther 5.56mm family is the Pardus. Intended to be a smaller, sleeker version of other Panther 5.56mm rifles, the Pardus featured tapered, almost dehorned lines, a 16-inch free-floating bull barrel (the barrel is so thick the Pardus almost looks like it has an integral silencer), and a 6-position sliding stock. Mil-STD-1913 rails festoon the Pardus, including a rail which extends from the receiver top to the end of the handguard, a streamlined gas block with a short MIL-STD-1913 rail, and three rails on the handguard. Another is on the left side of the receiver. Mechanically, the Pardus includes an internal recoil compensation device. The internal parts are plated with Titanium Nitride, which minimizes the need for lubrication. Both the upper and lower receiver are of aircraft-quality aluminum, hard-coated with Teflon. Many other parts, such as the trigger guard, trigger, and controls are also of aluminum, hard-coated with Teflon. The Pardus has no iron sights as sold.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The following weapons in this entry do not exist in the Twilight 2000 World – Arctic Panther, Lo-Pro Precision Classic, Panther AP4 Post-Ban, Panther Classic (though the Police/Military version DOES exist), Panther Classic Sixteen (except, again, for the Police/Military version), Panther Lite 16 (ditto), Panther Tuber, and Pardus. Many of the existing Panther series weapons, especially the AP4 Pre-Ban, Panther Classic, Panther Lite 16, and Panther Carbine have been issued to US forces as "substitute standards" for the M-16 and M-4.