Bul Impact

     Notes: The company of Bul Transmark was founded in 1990 by a group of gunsmiths and shooters who have experience in both military and competitive areas.  They do not often sell their products in the US, due to the restrictions of the Brady Gun Bill (though this, of course, may change in the future with the demise of the Bill this year).  The Impact is one of these pistols; it is a polymer-frame weapon also known as the Impact Hi-Cap due to the size of its magazines.  The weapon has multiple safeties, including an automatic firing pin safety and a manual safety catch; in addition, the weapon can be locked with a key that prevents any part of the mechanism from working.  The Impact is relatively small weapon, despite the magazine capacity; a variant known as the Impact Longslide has a more normal barrel length.

     In 2002, Bul began marketing an improved version of the Impact, called the Cherokee.  Though designed primarily for military and police use (they are, in fact, used by several military and police units worldwide), they are also having minor sales success on the civilian market.  Like the Impact, the Cherokee uses a modified Browning operation, and most of the design changes have to do with the use of higher-strength polymers in the construction and a more ergonomic shape.  Original production Cherokees were “one size fits all,” but starting in 2006, more improvements were made.  The Cherokee now comes in a standard frame and the “G-Frame” Cherokee, which uses a wider grip for shooters with large hands.  (A by-product is that the G-Frame versions can also accept a shoulder stock, attacked to a hole in the bottom of the grip. The standard model does not have this hole, nor is the grip wide enough to put such a hole in it.)  In addition, a MIL-STD-1913 rail was molded into the dust cover of the 2006 Cherokees.  There is also Cherokee Compact; although G-Frame versions exist of the Compact, the Compact still cannot accept a shoulder stock.  Currently, Cherokees are chambered only for 9mm Parabellum; no word has been given on whether or not other chamberings will be made available in the future.

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

Bul M-5

     Notes: The M-5 is a 1911-type pistol on steroids, designed to be equally useful as a combat pistol and a competition pistol (the M-5 IPSC actually passes the rules for Limited and Standard IPSC classes).  It has a frame of Xanex synthetic material, and is available in several calibers.  The trigger pull is adjustable, and has an adjustable rear sight.  On the M-5 IPSC, the front and the back of the slide have cocking grip grooves, and there is an ambidextrous safety catch.  The magazine catch is enlarged, and the magazine well is beveled to facilitate quick reloading.  The magazines that are delivered with the M-5 IPSC are chromed.

     The M-5 Modified is a more normal sort of pistol; however, it is still equipped with an Optima 2000 optical sight on the slide in place of the rear sight for quick target acquisition.  The M-5 Modified has an ambidextrous safety, and a frame made of Xanex synthetic material.  The magazine catch is enlarged, and the magazine well is beveled.  The trigger is adjustable, though not to the degree that the M-5 IPSC’s trigger is. 

     The M-5 Target appears to be a long version of the M-1911; however,   is has a Xanex synthetic frame, Aristocrat adjustable rear sight, and a polished stainless steel slide.  The safety is normally on the left slide, but can easily be converted into an ambidextrous safety.  The trigger is adjustable in the same manner as the M-5 Modified.  The M-5 Target is perhaps the most “normal” of the M-5 series.

     The M-5 Ultimate Racer is just the opposite; it is the most “tricked out” of the M-5 series.  It has a large compensator at the muzzle of the weapon, a slide that is partly open to reduce weight, a scope rail, an enlarged magazine release, an ambidextrous safety, and a beveled magazine well.  The trigger is adjustable in the same manner as the M-5 Modified and M-5 Target.  The M-5 Ultimate Racer comes with an optical sight included in the cost of the weapon, but other optics can be mounted.

     The M-5 is also sold in the US under the Charles Daly name.

IMI Barak

     Notes:  Called the SP-21 in the US, the Barak is a modern polymer pistol that is ergonomically shaped and described as a pleasure to shoot.  The front of the trigger guard is recurved for the index finger of the off hand.  The controls are ambidextrous.  The mechanism is an updated pattern based on the Czech CZ-75 pistol, though the recoil mechanism is more reminiscent of the Desert Eagle series.  The sights are 3-dot, and are dovetailed so that they can be removed and replaced with other sighting accessories. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon is rare, but available, in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

IMI Desert Eagle

     Notes: Designed and built in Israel, the Desert Eagle was the first commercial automatic pistol to fire the .357 magnum cartridge. The Desert Eagle is manufactured to be scope-ready. It is a large pistol that uses a heavy rotating bolt operation, unusual in a pistol.  These weapons are popular among civilians, particularly in the US, but have not found much acceptance in military or police circles.  (Special operations use is rumored.)

     There are other versions of the Desert Eagle, but they are built almost exclusively for export and sold primarily by the US company of Magnum Research.  (Magnum Research is also licensed as the primary distributor and exporter of the Desert Eagle and other IMI products worldwide.)  These include the Mark VII Desert Eagle, which is chambered for .44 Magnum and uses a 6 or 10-inch barrel.  The Mark XIX also uses a 6 or 10-inch barrel; the Mk XIX, however is chambered for .50 Action Express.  The Mark XIX also comes in a Component System, which includes a receiver with changeable barrels in a kit allowing it to use 5, 6, or 10-inch barrels.  (The 5-inch barrel version is identical to the standard Desert Eagle in .50 Action Express for game purposes.)  Both the Mark VII and Mark XIX are available in a bewildering variety of standard and special finishes, ranging from simple black oxide to tiger-striped!  (There is even one version plated in 24-karet gold!)

     Latest iterations of the Desert Eagle add a MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the slide.  For this version, add 1% to the price, and 0.01 kg.  For game performance purposes, it is otherwise identical to the standard Desert  Eagle.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: It is unknown how many members of US, NATO, Australian, South Korean, Israeli, and other special operations forces used the various Desert Eagle designs during the Twilight War, but it may have numbered in the thousands between all the countries.  They were, however, primarily put to use against marauders and suchlike by civilians. 

IMI Jericho 941

     Notes: Designed and built by Israeli Military Industries, the Jericho is sold as the “Baby Eagle” in the US (by Magnum Research; many shooters and even some firearms dealers in the US won’t know what you’re talking about if you call it a Jericho), though it is not related to the Desert Eagle in any way – internally, the derivation from the CZ-75 is obvious.  The Jericho uses an external design meant to make it look like a smaller version of the Desert Eagle, but that is a marketing hook and not actually required for the operation of the Jericho.  Since its introduction in 1990, the Jericho has proven itself to be a rugged and reliable weapon, and the marketing campaign by Magnum Research has been a stroke of genius.  The Jericho was not imported for most of the duration of the Assault Weapons Ban, but is Magnum Research is now selling them again.

     The Jericho is built almost entirely of high-strength steel, with only a few minor portions such as the grip plates and trigger guard being made of other materials such as plastic or light alloy.  It makes the Jericho a relatively heavy weapon for its size, but like all weapons of a high relative weight, this helps reduce recoil.  The grip plates are of stippled plastic, with the front and rear straps having fine serrations to help the shooter’s grip on the Jericho.  The trigger guard is squared off and slightly curved inward for a supporting finger; the front edge of the trigger guard also has fine serrations.  Standard sights are usually large and wide for quick aiming, but not too large (or poorly-shaped) that they snag when drawn.  Early versions of the Jericho used fixed 3-dot-type combat sights with tritium inlays, but current sights do not have any dots or illumination.  Current sights, however, are more conducive to quick target acquisition (though not in poor illumination) and dovetailed to provide rough windage adjustments or replacement.

     The safeties on the Jericho are very different from its parent CZ-75 design.  They are ambidextrous, with the actual safety being mounted on the frame; when the Jericho is on safe, the firing pin retracts far enough that it cannot actually strike the primer of a round in the chamber, and the hammer then drops.  The safety can be easily switched to the safe position with the thumb of the firing hand – but you’ll need a long and strong thumb to switch back into the fire position with that same thumb.  The Jericho also has a slide lock.  The double-action trigger’s pull is long, heavy and rough for that first double-action shot, but subsequent shots are light, smooth, and quick.  The operating system itself is tough and reliable.  The Jericho is known for its ability to digest pretty much any ammunition you decide to use, regardless of manufacturer or type, and can easily handle a lot of abuse from wildcatters. 

     The standard pistol is the Jericho 941.  The standard Jericho 941 uses a 4.41-inch barrel, with a blued finish and black side plates.  Other finishes include stainless steel (called the 941F), chromed, and even titanium gold.  The Jericho 941FS is a compact form of the weapon using a 3.78-inch barrel, and the Jericho 941FB is an even more compact version with a 3.5-inch barrel and a shorter grip; a lesser known version of the 941FB, the 941FBL, also has an alloy frame.  A competition version, the 941 IPSC, was once offered; this uses a 5.24-inch barrel; the IPSC also uses a single-action trigger (which is also set back further in the trigger guard), a muzzle compensator, adjustable sights, drilling and tapping for an optics mount, and a slide that narrows towards the muzzle.  Another competition version that is no longer offered is the 941PS, with a 4.09 inch barrel and otherwise having the features of the 941 IPSC except for drilling and tapping.  A short production run marked the 941FL, which has a polymer frame (called “polymeric” by IMI), and a rail under the dust cover for accessories. 

     Other minor variants include a version of the Model 941F with a frame-mounted safety.  There are also optional features available at the request of the buyer, including SA (single-action) and DAO (double-action only) operation, ambidextrous safeties, different finishes, a locking mechanism that locks the pistol with a key, the frame-mounted safety noted above, and a threaded barrel for a silencer.

     It should be noted that while the Jericho was first offered in 9mm and .41 Action Express chamberings (that’s where the “941” in the name comes from), the .41 Action Express chambering was dropped soon after the .40 Smith & Wesson round became available.  This makes Jerichos in .41 Action Express caliber a bit rare and unusual.  9x21mm was also dropped soon thereafter, also making it relatively rare.  The .45 ACP chambering is new to the Jericho, and built primarily for export to the North American market, for import by Magnum Research.  Unlike most Jerichos, the .45 ACP version uses a steel frame exclusively, and is not available with an alloy or polymer frame.  In addition, it is a semi-compact pistol, with a 3.93-inch barrel.

     The newest version is Magnum Research’s Baby Eagle FA (for “Fast Action”).  This is a striker-fired version of the Jericho, with DAO operation and a special Fast Action trigger pack which decreases substantially the trigger pull weight of trigger pulls beyond the first. Other differences include an adjustable rear sight, a dovetailed front sight, a MIL-STD-1913 rail under the dust cover, a squared-off trigger guard, and a more ergonomic polymer frame and grip.  Barrel length for the 9mm version is 4 inches and 4.15 inches for the .40 version.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Jericho 941PS, Jericho 941FL, and the Jericho 941 in .45 ACP do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline, nor does the Baby Eagle FA.

IMI Micro Eagle

     Notes: Like the Mountain Eagle and the “Baby Eagle,” the Micro Eagle is not related to the Desert Eagle in any way, but is instead a totally different pistol.  The Micro Eagle name is a hook used by the pistol’s importer and primary seller, Magnum Research in the US.  The Micro Eagle is a compact, slap-sided pistol which is largely dehorned and designed for concealed carry and self-defense.  It is very small, but the trigger guard is enlarged to allow the use of even a heavily-gloved hand and to allow the shooter to position the pistol quickly in his hand.  The operation is unusual; it uses gas-assisted blowback instead of straight blowback, which somewhat softens recoil. The extractor is external, and the pistol is DAO. Sights consist of a low ramp front and a low-profile rear notch with no-snag ears.  The shooter controls are enlarged yet low-profile. Barrel length is 2.22 inches.

IMI Mountain Eagle

     Notes: Despite the name, this weapon is not related to the Desert Eagle in any way.  The Mountain Eagle is a large polymer-frame rimfire pistol with composite barrel and an aluminum-alloy receiver.  Despite the size (nearly 27 centimeters with the standard barrel), the Mountain Eagle is a light weapon due to its construction materials.  The rear sight is adjustable, and the front sight is dovetailed so it can be removed and replaced if desired.  Two variants exist: The Compact Edition, with a 4.5-inch barrel (as opposed to the standard 6.5-inch barrel), and the Target Edition, with an 8-inch target barrel and a two-stage trigger.

IMI Uzi Pistol

     Notes: The Uzi Pistol is a very small version of the Uzi designed primarily for bodyguard and civilian use.  Introduced in 1984, the Uzi Pistol looks like an even smaller version of the Micro-Uzi, and indeed the Micro-Uzi was the base design for the Uzi Pistol.  Though the Uzi Pistol is far too large to be a true concealed-carry weapon, it can be concealed under a trenchcoat or parka, or in a briefcase-type item or a small backpack.  It can also be useful as a weapon for home defense or in places like trucks or boats (subject to local laws, of course…). 

     The Uzi Pistol is actually quite similar to its parent Micro-Uzi; in fact, the Uzi Pistol is internally virtually identical to the Micro-Uzi, except that the Uzi Pistol lacks any provision in the mechanism for automatic fire.  (The Uzi Pistol can be converted to automatic fire, but IMI has designed it in such a way that doing it so would be two difficulty levels harder than normal.)  Externally, the Uzi Pistol is also quite similar, though the barrel length is only 4.5 inches, and it has no stock or any means to attach one.  Like the all Uzis, the Uzi Pistol is made largely of sheet steel stampings.  Controls are identical to those found on the Micro-Uzi (safety atop and to the left side of the frame, a cocking handle on top of the receiver, magazine release on the bottom left side of the grip), except that the fire selector allows only for safe and semiautomatic modes.  The sights are virtually identical to those of the Micro-Uzi – an adjustable rear sight with large protective ears, and a post-type front sight, also protected by large ears.  On the Uzi Pistol, however, the rear sights have a pair of white dots and the front has one white dot; this is primarily a concession to market forces.  The Uzi Pistol also has the grip safety common to all Uzis.  The Uzi Pistol is able to use any magazine designed for the Uzi series.

     One cannot, of course, get around the fact that the Uzi Pistol is a huge pistol, and it can take a bit of getting used to the size; most shooters find it rather awkward when they first start shooting it.  However, the weight also means that the Uzi Pistol has very little felt recoil.  The grip safety (like any Uzi) can be a bit stiff and hard to keep down, but this also makes the Uzi Pistol a very safe weapon.

     The only variant of the Uzi Pistol is a version chambered for .45 ACP; this chambering is nowhere near as common as the 9mm Uzi Pistol.  It of course uses different magazines, with only one capacity having been built for the Uzi Pistol.

KSN Kareen

     Notes:  The original Kareen appeared in 1969 as a license-produced version of the familiar Browning HP-35 Hi-Power.  The original Kareen was in fact little more than an Israeli-made version of the original Hi-Power, complete with a loop-type hammer, manual safety/slide lock on the left side – and sights that are too small and a double-action trigger pull that is too heavy.  However, the safety/slide lock is far easier to activate with the firing hand than even that of the HP-35 itself.  Later, KSN changed to a spur hammer and added a larger barrel bushing to protect the crown, matching the same changes on the Hi-Power itself; the grip plates were also changed to thin checkered hardwood, and the finish was changed from polished blue to highly-polished blue.  But overall, the original version of the Kareen is not considered among the best of the Hi-Power copies ever produced.  Statistics are otherwise the same as a standard Hi-Power for game purposes, and are shown below for convenience.

     The current version of the Kareen, the Mk II, is still a Hi-Power variant, but is much improved over the original Kareen, and also looks very different externally.  The Kareen’s redesign into the Mk II took five years and lots of consulting with military and police experts in Israel and other countries.  Improvements include a wrap-around ergonomic rubber grip (a checkered plastic grip is also available), ambidextrous controls, sights optimized for quick target acquisition (and dovetailed in to allow replacement), a lighter and smoother trigger pull, a squared trigger guard, a reshaped spur-type hammer, and an enlarged and specially-shaped beavertail that quite effectively eliminates the Hi-Power’s infamous hammer bite.  The standard magazine is still 13 rounds, though 10-round magazines were made during the US Assault Weapons Ban, and 15-round magazines for the Kareen Mk II have recently become available.  The Kareen Mk II’s barrel is 4.65 inches long, but a compact version is also made, with a shorter 3.86-inch barrel.  The compact version also does not have gripping grooves at the fron of the slide as does the full-sized Kareen Mk II.

KSN Golan

     Notes: The Israeli company KSN Limited acquired the rights to build and export the Yugoslavian CZ-99; Crvena Zastava never got to build or market the pistol because of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.  The Israelis then improved on the design, making it safer and more reliable, as well as easier to maintain, until it was basically “idiot-proof.”  They then marketed the design as the Golan, and it did fairly well among Israeli civilians and police as well in a few foreign countries, such as South Africa, Singapore, Thailand, and Argentina.  However, production in Israel did not itself last long, as production was transferred to South Africa (where it is known as the TZ-99).  The Golan has a frame of aluminum alloy and a steel slide, with a chrome-lined steel barrel and plastic ergonomic grips.

     Twilight 2000 Notes:  As IMI acquired this design shortly before hostilities began between China and Russia, they did not get to export it much.  It was therefore mostly issued to Israeli civilians for home defense.  In addition, Zastava did make a few of these weapons.

     Merc 2000 Notes: The Israelis exported this weapon far and wide.

Sirkis SD9

     Notes: This is a small polymer pocket pistol, noted for its squat lines and squared-off barrel and slide.  It is not an attractive weapon, but effective despite its small size. 

Sirkis SQP

     Notes: This is a small pocket pistol only 6.9 inches long.  They have large cocking grooves on the rear of the slide, and have a blued finish.  It is heavy for its size, but this contributes to stability.  The SQP is otherwise an unremarkable pistol.