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 in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

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 Grendels the US military is rumored to be testing 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.

Notes: The AR-10 is the direct ancestor of the AR-15/M-16 series of rifles, built to compete for the standard US service rifle with the likes of the M-14 and AR-10, and losing out to the M-14 primarily due to politics rather than any real shortcoming of the weapon (of which there were many). The AR-10 itself had a rather inglorious career as a military rifle; it was almost a year too late for the weapons trials that eventually produced the M-14, was rejected by even the special operations troops of most countries, suffered in its early forms from burst barrels, and was bought in semi-large numbers only by Sudan; Sudan’s troops largely rejected it and they mostly went into storage for decades. The Dutch also conducted extensive (and tough) trials with the AR-10, but ultimately rejected it too.  Starting in the early 1990s, there was a revival of sorts for the AR-10, this time in civilian semiautomatic form; these versions have had far more success than the original version. The original AR-10 has a 20-inch barrel tipped with a flash suppressor.

There are number of modern AR-10 clones that have been popping up as of late. These versions are mostly made by Eagle Arms, a division of Armalite. The AR-10B was the first of these clones, introduced in 1996; it was introduced in 7.62mm NATO caliber, with a .243 Winchester version was introduced in 1998, and in 2004, a version firing .300 Remington Short Action Magnum was put on the market.

The AR-10B is closely-based on the original AR-10B, but the parts are made of more modern materials and manufacturing methods. Emphasis has been given to functionality, reliability, and parts commonality with the AR-15/M-16 series as well as the M-15 series (Armalite’s improved version of the AR-15/M-16 series). They use forged aircraft aluminum upper and lower receivers, a firing pin spring to prevent firing if dropped or bumped, and modifications to allow the AR-10B to use the more powerful loads available today. The AR-10B can use original AR-10 magazines, modified M-14 magazines, and magazines built by Armalite for AR-10B use. The AR-10B, like the original AR-10, has no forward assist. AR-10Bs are equipped with compact muzzle brakes instead of flash suppressors, both for control and to comply with the Assault Weapons Ban, which was still in effect at the time of their introduction. Civilian and police models do not have bayonet mounts. The AR-10A2 was designed specifically for civilians, is locked on semiautomatic and cannot be fired on automatic, and does not come in a .300 RSAUM version. A carbine version of the AR-10A2 is new as of 2006; it is essentially the same as a standard AR-10A2, but uses a 16-inch barrel, a sliding M-4-type stock, and can be had in an optional flattop version with a MIL-STD-1913 rail. The AR-10A4 is basically identical to the AR-10A2, but the carrying handle is deleted from the upper receiver as is the front sight, and the gas block shape is modified. This allows for the mounting of a full-length MIL-STD-1913 rail. The AR-10A4 LE (Law Enforcement) carbine is designed for SRT-type teams; it uses a flash suppressor instead of a muzzle brake, and the handguards have four-position MIL-STD-1913 rails. The AR-10A4 LE uses a collapsible stock, and it may be had in semiautomatic or full-automatic versions. In all these cases, the standard barrel length is 20 inches, though carbine versions with 18-inch barrels are also made; in the case of the AR-10A4 LE, a version with a 16-inch barrel is also made.

The AR-10(T) version of the AR-10 has a heavy match barrel, no flash suppressor, rounded, fluted, free-floating handguards, and a MIL-STD-1913 rail for use with any sort of sight or optic. (There are no iron sights sold with the AR-10(T), though they can be mounted on the MIL-STD-1913 rail.) The lower receiver is basically a larger version of the AR-15 lower receiver. The AR-10(T) uses a 24-inch heavy match barrel with a target-crowned muzzle instead of a flash suppressor or muzzle brake. It uses round aluminum handguards instead of AR-15-type handguards. The AR-10(T) is equipped with a lightweight folding bipod adjustable for height and cant.

When the US Army began looking for a SASS (Semiautomatic Sniper System), Armalite responded by developing the AR-10 SASS. This version was to be used as a tactical sniper weapon by the spotter member of a sniper team. The SASS is quite similar to the AR-10A4, but also has three other MIL-STD-1913 rails at the 3, 6, and 9-o’clock positions on the handguards, a free-floating heavy SST 24-inch barrel, a Harris bipod adjustable for cant and height, flip-up/removable front and rear iron sights as well as a Leupold scope, a Magpul stock with an adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate, and a screw-off flash suppressor which can also take a silencer or suppressor. The AR-10 SASS was not selected by the US Army, but Armalite decided to sell them on the civilian and international markets starting in the 3^rd quarter of 2006, calling it the AR-10 SuperSASS. Though perhaps more appropriate in the Sniper Rifles section, it is included here for completeness.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The AR-10A4 and AR-10 SuperSASS do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline. The AR-10A2 is very rare, but the AR-10A2 Carbine does not exist as such in manufactured form, though some such modifications have been done after the fact. The AR-10A4 LE Carbine also does not exist, except in forms modified from actual AR-10A4s, and the AR-10 SuperSASS is also absent from the Twilight 2000 timeline. The original AR-10 is a rather rare commodity in the Twilight 2000 timeline, merely because few serviceable copies exist by 2000.

Notes: The Bushmaster .308 moniker encompasses a number of related rifles that are based on the AR-15/M-16 series of rifles. These rifles can be had in 16-inch or 20-inch barrel lengths, in flattop configuration with a MIL-STD-1913 rail or with a carrying handle, and with either an AK-74-style muzzle brake or the more effective "Izzy" muzzle brake. They can have skeletonized stocks or standard AR-15-style stocks. All of them come with 10 or 20-round magazines (depending upon whether they are sold to civilians or police/military), but all can feed from any FAL-type magazine. Flattop versions are generally referred to as Bushmaster A3’s, while those with carrying handles are called A2’s. "Izzy" style brakes are, for the time being, paired with skeletonized stocks, while AK-74-style brakes are paired with standard stocks.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Notes: In the 1930’s, the FBI was finding out that the Thompson submachineguns issued to FBI agents as heavy weapons were incapable, in many cases, of penetrating the heavy bodies of the cars of the period, especially from the front angles. They were interested in acquiring the Browning BAR, but the BAR was just too large and heavy for most FBI purposes. Therefore, the FBI has Colt redesign the BAR into a lighter weapon for them, and built about 90 of them for their agents, they saw little use, but one famous use was the team that took down Bonnie and Clyde; the Monitor was in the hands of a Texas Ranger named Frank Hamer. The Monitors were farmed out to various police agencies after that, though many were destroyed later on.

The basic receiver of the Monitor is virtually identical to that of the standard BAR, but stock is shortened, a pistol grip is fitted, the sights are designed for the shorter barrel of the Monitor, and the gas tube and operating rod is also redesigned. The muzzle brake, designed by Cutts, was specifically designed for the Monitor, and is huge. (Despite the compensator, the muzzle blast is massive, though it cuts recoil quite a bit.)

Notes: These rifles are basically 5.56mm DPMS Panthers that are "sized up" to fire 7.62mm NATO (.308 Winchester) ammunition. There are a number of versions, in some cases corresponding to their smaller-caliber counterparts.

The Panther Long Range 308 (LR-308) is greatly re-engineered to produce better accuracy. The company refers to it as a "precision rifle." The receiver is milled, rather than cast or stamped, and the entire rifle is much more robust than the normal AR-15-type rifle. The LR-308 is equipped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail that allows the mounting of virtually any sight or optics. The rail on the LR-308 is raised slightly to optimize it for telescopic sights. The barrel is a very heavy bull barrel that is 24 inches long. The LR-308 has no dust cover, no brass deflector, and no forward assist. The magazines that are sold with the LR-308 are see-through plastic. The LR-308 B 18 is similar, but uses an 18" barrel. The Panther LR-308 T 16 H-BAR is also similar, but uses a heavy free-floating barrel instead of a bull barrel, and it is a 16" barrel. The Panther LR-308C is similar in many ways to the LR-308 T 16 H-BAR, in that it is basically a long-range carbine variant of the .308 Panther, but it is a more militarized weapon able to use standard Panther 10-round magazines as well as 20-round magazines which are compatible with the FAL or AR-10, uses a flash suppressor, a heavy barrel, a flattop upper receiver with a MIL-STD-1913 rail, a dust cover and brass deflector a more snag-free design, a more snag-free design, and a 6-position composite folding stock. The rumor mill says the LR-308C is available in automatic form to qualified buyers, but I cannot confirm this. Nonetheless, I have included automatic stats below.

The Panther LR-300 is a different sort of beast, as it is much heavier than even the LR-308, and it fires .300 RSAUM ammunition instead of 7.62mm NATO. It uses a 20-inch fluted bull barrel, and a skeletonized stock to reduce the weight of the weapon somewhat. It is otherwise similar to the LR-308.

In mid-2006, DPMS introduced the Panther LR-260 rifle with a 24-inch barrel, and later followed it with the Panther LR-260H rifle with a 20-inch barrel. Both of these weapons fire the .260 Remington (6.5-08 A-Square) cartridge, and are based on the Panther LR-308. The LR-260 uses a bull barrel which is button-rifled, has a chromed bore, and made of stainless steel. Finish is primarily in various shades of matte black, and the LR-260 has sling swivels as standard; the forward sling swivel can used as a bipod mount. The top of the receiver has a MIL-STD-1913 rail, and the gas block also have very short rails of this sort suitable for use with tactical lights, laser aiming modules, bayonet mounts, and suchlike. There are no iron sights. The LR-260H is virtually identical except for its somewhat lighter 20-inch barrel which is tipped with a DPMS-designed flash suppressor. Both feed from proprietary magazines which are made of steel.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The LR-308C is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline, nor are the two LR-260 rifles.

Notes: Basically an American-made FAL, modified for civilian use. They range from almost-exact copies of real FN-made FALs (except for a semiautomatic sear) to versions with folding stocks, short barrels, or modified for some of more extreme antigun laws (such as California). The standard SA-58 looks just like a standard FAL, but is modified for semiautomatic fire only. The upper receiver is of blackened steel (though stainless steel is an option, and looks sharp), and the lower receiver is of blackened aircraft aluminum. The barrel is equipped with an FN-style flash suppressor, and the barrel has an attachment point for a bipod. (There is, of course, no attachment point for a bayonet.) The stock, handguard, and pistol grip are of reinforced fiberglass. Like most military rifles, the rear sight is adjustable for windage and the front post for elevation. Options for the SA-58 Standard include a handguard, pistol grip, and stock of walnut, a scope mount, a rubber recoil pad, a bipod, and a match-grade set trigger. The SA-58 Carbine is similar, but the barrel is either 16.25 or 18 inches, as opposed to the standard SA-58’s 21 inches. Also similar is the SA-58 Medium Contour, but the barrel is somewhat heavier (and called a medium contour barrel, hence the name). The SA-58 Bull Barrel has a heavy bull barrel for more accuracy and resistance to heat deformation, and the barrel is match-grade and free-floating. The pistol grip is the same style as that of the Minimi SAW instead of the standard FAL-type pistol grip. A MIL-STD-1913 rail is standard with the SA-58 Bull Barrel.

The SA-58 Predator is a civilian hunting variant of the SA-58, with no flash suppressor, a 16 or 19-inch medium contour barrel, green synthetic furniture, a MIL-STD-1913 rail for scope mounting, with backup iron sights, smaller magazines, and three choices of caliber. The SA-58 Graywolf is a modification of the Predator, finished in gray and black, with round ventilated handguards, a 21-inch match-grade bull barrel, a Minimi-style pistol grip, a Harris bipod, and a skeletonized stock.

The SA-58 Collector’s Series are rifles designed to look and function as much as possible the more unusual military FALs of the past. The SA-58 Congo is finished in black, with standard FAL-type furniture, and a standard 18-inch barrel. The barrel is equipped to accept a bipod. Being actually a civilian rifle, it is not able to take a bayonet. The SA-58 Para Congo is the same weapon, but is equipped with a folding stock. The G-1 FAL is a copy of the original German post-war battle rifle (the G-1, a German-made copy of the FAL), and has a 21-inch barrel, a wooden stock, a long flash suppressor (as opposed to the short Belgian-style flash suppressor), a black finish for all surfaces except the stock, a folding bipod, and even markings in German instead of English. In addition, the lower receiver is of steel instead of aluminum, as per the original G-1 version of the FAL. The SA-58 T-48 is an unusual version with a fixed magazines which is fed by stripper clips from the top, a walnut stock, pistol grip, and handguards, a 21-inch barrel, a long flash suppressor, and a black finish for the metalwork.

The Tactical Series is a line of SA-58s designed for police, military, and government agency use. They may be had in selective fire or semiautomatic versions, and typically have features not meant or legally available to the general public. The SA-58 Tactical Carbine (also known as the SA-58TAC) has a 16.25-inch fluted medium-contour barrel with an M-16-type flash suppressor, a MIL-STD-1913 rail above the upper receiver, a shortened gas system for increased reliability, a standard or skeletonized stock, and synthetic furniture, with the entire carbine having a black finish. The Limited Edition Tactical Carbine is similar, but is meant more for collectors who are legally allowed to possess such weapons; the receivers and the barrel are of stainless steel, with a medium-gray finish to the metalwork and furniture. This version uses a short muzzle brake instead of a flash suppressor. The SA-58 OSW uses a very short 11 or 13-inch barrel with an M-16-type flash suppressor, a MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the weapon, four-position MIL-STD-1913 rails on the handguard, a standard or folding stock, and a Minimi-type pistol grip.

There are also "California" models of almost all these weapons (except the Tactical Series and the G-1 FAL); these have no flash suppressor of any kind, no bipod lugs, no carrying handles, and are limited to special 10-round magazines; they are otherwise identical to their parent models.

Twilight 2000 Notes: Most of these rifles are available in the Twilight 2000 timeline; however, the "California" models are not.

Notes: This is basically an Enfield No 2 (Pattern ’14) Rifle rebarreled for .30-06 Springfield ammunition. This was done to address an urgent World War 1 need for rifles and the resulting shortfall of M-1903s. Almost 2 million were used by US troops during World War 1, and they went into storage after that war. Nearly 120,000 were sent to England during World War 2 to equip their Home Guard, where they were painted with a red band around the stock to distinguish them from No 2 Rifles. After 1946, most of these rifles were sold to US target shooters and hunters. This is the weapon that Sergeant Alvin York used to such great effect in World War I when winning his Medal of Honor; it was, in fact, more commonly issued to US combat arms troops in World War 1 than the M-1903.

Notes: This weapon, normally known as the EBR (Enhanced Battle Rifle) is a heavily modified M-14 designed primarily for special operations use, and particularly, US Navy SEALs. The wooden stock and fore-end are removed; the stock is replaced with Sage’s Enhanced Battle Rifle Stock, a lightweight aluminum alloy adjustable stock designed to reduce weight, yet provide a stable platform. This stock includes an adjustable cheekpiece and an adjustable-length butt. It is also a straight-in-line stock, which helps tame barrel climb. The action also sits lower in the new stock, further reducing barrel climb. The EBR is equipped with a handguard, and this handguard is of the wrap-around variety, synthetic, and equipped with four MIL-STD-1913 rails for the mounting of various equipment. The side and bottom rails are half the length of the handguard, while the top rail is full length for better mounting of optics; in addition, this rail joins to a rail on top of the receiver. The barrel is free-floating to enhance accuracy. There are backup iron sights, but the EBR is really meant to be used with various optics and telescopic sights. The parts are basically redone; and fitted to very tight tolerances. The barrel is tipped by a Vortex muzzle brake/flash suppressor. The weapon is equipped with an effective and lightweight bipod designed by Keng’s Firearms Specialty. The traditional charging handle has been replaced with one similar to that of the M-16/AR-15/M-4 series, and also has a bolt hold-open device similar to those rifles. The trigger is two stage and match quality. As with the M-4 SOPMOD, the EBR may be equipped with a staggering amount of accessories; in game terms, the player may choose up to $300 of accessories when he takes this rifle, and they are included in the cost of the weapon. The result of all this is that the EBR bears almost no outward resemblance to the parent M-14. The EBR is rumored to have been battle-tested satisfactorily in Iraq and Afghanistan, though this has not been confirmed.