Randall Curtis E LeMay Four-Star

     The Randall Firearms Company was a short-lived (1983-85) company devoted primarily to M1911A1 clones and their derivatives.  Though in their short existence they built almost 10,000 weapons, most of them of such high-quality that they closely-approach hand-made weapons in quality.

     One of their products was done at the request of then SAC Commander General Curtis LeMay.  He wanted a distinctive pistol for his bomber crews that would not only be a functional and durable weapon, but also a status symbol.  He also wanted a smaller pistol than the M1911A1 (to fit better amongst all the equipment flight crews already carried) and something more powerful than the .38 Special revolvers they carried at the time.  LeMay, who had founded the Marksmanship Training Program for his crews, used that unit’s armorers to help develop the pistol, which became known as the Curtis E LeMay Four-Star pistol, or more commonly, the “Randall LeMay.”

     Though AMT differs, it appears that the Randall LeMay was the first M1911A1 version to be built entirely of stainless steel (except for the wooden grip plates).  Unfinished stainless steel was chosen not only for its looks, but for its resistance to corrosion and durability.  The barrel was chopped to 4.25 inches, and the butt was shortened by a half an inch.  LeMay initially wanted Colt to manufacture the weapon with Air Force funding, but the Air Force refused to fund it and Colt refused to manufacture it.  (Despite his genius, LeMay was never really liked by the rest of the Air Force brass due to his less-than-diplomatic disposition.)

     General LeMay, however, was a personal friend of Art Hanke, who was the head of manufacturing and engineering at Randall.  They agreed to build LeMay’s pistol; since they were already building a full-size version of the M1911A1 as well as a Commander-sized version, it merely took a small change in manufacturing machinery.  The initial model was called the A-311 version by Randall; this was chambered for .45 ACP.  Rather than being flared or coned, the barrel was straight and thick, as well as using a standard M1911A1 bushing.  It had a full-length guide rod. (This feature would become more important later.)  It had a squared trigger guard instead of the more common rounded one, a trigger adjustable for overtravel, and a wide, flat beavertail grip safety.  Unfortunately, only 361 A-311s were built; the Randall company was already getting into trouble financially, and it was obvious that the Randall LeMay would never be accepted by the Air Force.  The ultimate disposition of these pistols is unknown, though a number of them were known to have been given to LeMay’s favorite commanders, and of course LeMay kept one for himself.  (As a matter of fact, the LeMay family is known to own 6.7% of the entire production run of Randall LeMays, though the exact mix is unknown.)  The A-311 had standard Commander-type sights (for the time).  A variant of the A-311, the A-331, used a flat-top slide and a Millett Low-Profile adjustable rear sight. (It was virtually snagless.)  261 of these were built; like the A-311, their ultimate disposition is unknown.  (Versions with standard and Millet-type sights are identical for game purposes.)

     As I said, the thickness of the barrel would become important, for this thick barrel not only increased accuracy, it also allowed Randall to easily offer the Randall LeMay in different calibers.  The A-312 was chambered in 9mm Parabellum, but only two prototypes were built; an A-332 version with Millet-type sights were also built, but only nine production examples were ever made.  In addition, a few versions were built in .38 Super (exact amount unknown), and one prototype was made to fire the .451 Detonics Magnum cartridge.  The 9mm and .38 Super versions were meant to be sold in Europe; unfortunately, Randall failed before production could be ramped up.

    The Randall LeMays make are an interesting comment on both the development of the M1911A1-type pistol as well as General LeMay, and I believe it is unfortunate that Randall failed, that the Air Force never approved the weapon, or that Colt didn’t grab the design when they had the chance.  Versions in all calibers are included below, for speculative purposes.

Remington P51

     Notes: Described by Peter Kokalis as a “machinist’s nightmare,” the P51 was designed by JD Pederson in 1919 to be a pistol that was accurate, easy to shoot, and finely-built.  The P51 is ergonomically correct, and does have natural pointing qualities; it was also built to tolerances that were almost unheard of at the time.  It was also somewhat of a mechanical nightmare.  This nightmare begins with the usually-benign operation of delayed blowback; it continues with the breech block, which is two-piece and not a part of the slide like most pistols.  This required a number of other features not normally found on automatic pistols, such as mechanisms to make the breech block and slide recoil together, make the breech clock clear the frame during travel, cock the hammer, etc.  The grip safety is another exercise in complication – it doubled as a cocking indicator.  The manual safety can only be engaged when the pistol is cocked.  The magazine release consists of two concentric buttons, and when pushed, the magazine does not fall free of the pistol; instead, is pops out just enough to be grasped and pulled from the weapon.  The sights are very low profile – enough to be unusable. 

     Though many P51s were built, not many exist anymore.  Many of the remaining P51s exist in an almost unfired state, however; disassembly and reassembly is enough to scare off many shooters from wanting to use it (so they don’t have to clean it).

Remington 1911 R1

     Notes: Remington’s first automatic pistol in nearly a century, the R1 is Remington’s version of the tried-and-true 1911 pistol.  The R1 is a hybrid of the original M1911 and the Colt 80-series, with some other touches added by Remington.  It is not Remington’s first experience with the 1911 – Remington made almost 22,000 M1911 pistols during World War 1.  The R1 keeps the scalloped frame behind the trigger guard, a lowered ejection port, a shorter trigger and hammer, and a lengthened grip safety and beavertail. It has a flat mainspring housing and checkered, double-diamond grip plates.  The R1 also has the Colt 80-series’ passive firing pin block safety.  This protects against accidental discharges if the pistol is dropped or bumped.  The sights are dovetailed into the slide and both are high-profile sights or the three-dot type.  Most of the R1 is carbon steel, but the 5-inch barrel is stainless steel and match-quality.  The exterior finish is black oxide; interior parts are coated in a finish which enhances lubrication. The ejection port has a scallop on it to reduce damage to the brass as it is ejected from the port, and the R1 has a chamber-loaded indicator which is visual and tactile.

     The R1 Enhanced is a tricked-out version of the basic 1911 clone that the R1 is.  The R1 Enhanced adds an adjustable rear low-profile sight, a fiberoptic front sight (red in color), front slide cocking serrations, an extended beavertail/grip safety with a memory bump, a match hammer, a match trigger, a widened manual safety, a checkered backstrap with a serrated frontstrap, a match-grade stainless steel barrel and bushing, and checkered grip plates that Remington will size to the shooter if desired.  The grips themselves have a thumb groove.  The R1 Enhanced uses 8-round magazines with a bumper pad, but can also use 7-round and non-proprietary 8-round magazines.  The barrel remains 5 inches long, but the superiority over a standard R1’s barrel give it a little edge.

     The R1 Carry is designed for concealed carry while still throwing some major firepower.  The R1 is still the base, but the sights are a lower-profile non-adjustable rear sight and a tritium-inlay blade front.  The slide and frame are otherwise dehorned as much as possible. The beavertail is bobbed a bit, but still has a memory bump, the front and rearstrap are checkered, and controls are ambidextrous. The trigger is a match trigger, as is the hammer.  Like the R1 Enhanced, the Carry can take 7 and 8-round magazines, with the proprietary magazines from Remington having a bumper pad.  The Carry, named for its dehorned condition and ambidextrous controls, is otherwise the same size as a full-sized R1.

     As the name would indicate, the Carry Commander sort of blends the two first R1s and uses a shorter, 4.25-inch barrel.  The finish is a beautiful satin black oxide, there is checkering on the frontstrap and backstrap, the safety is enlarged and ambidextrous, as are other controls.  In addition, the ejection port is flared and lowered. And the trigger has reduced pull weight; it is also a match trigger, as is the hammer.  The barrel and bushing are also match-grade and made from stainless steel.

Republic Forge Custom Pistols

     Notes: Republic Forge frames and barrels deliberately come off the forge oversized, so they can be hand-finished and hand-fitted by the company.  Though they are largely built to individual standards, they do make a number of “standard” pistols that have the same standards as their hand-built pistols.  Finishes are many, including color case-hardened frames and slides, Parkerized, manganese phosphate, and Cerekote.  The result of all this hand-fitting is match-quality barrels, fully supported or integral feed ramps, and features like beveled and sometimes funneled magazine well and oversized controls, and an extended beavertail or a raised beavertail and undercut trigger guard, as well as a grip safety bump.

     The General of an officer-sized pistol that is also eminently useful as a backup gun for police.  It features a 3.5-inch barrel, G10 side grips, or VZ grips that are color coordinated, or Ivory.  They may have a bobtail or straight backstrap. The frontstrap is checkered to 25 lpi.  Sight are low-profile and a three-dot type, with a blade front.  The General has a shortened frame and grip to reduce its overall size.  It has the Republic Forge recoil reduction system.  The Defiant is a larger brother to the General; it has a commander-sized barrel and slide on a full-sized frame, but has the same salient features. The Stryker is similar to the Defiant, but has a Picatinny rail under the dust cover, and has a threaded barrel, to attach suppressors. The Valiant has a commander-sized barrel and slide and a shortened grip, with a smaller magazines, but not the rail.  The Patriot is similar to the Defiant, but has the choice of knurling instead of checkering on the frontstrap, forward cocking grooves, have a bobtail instead of straight frame, and a skeletonized trigger and hammer.  It is otherwise identical to the Defiant for game purposes.

     The Raider and Republic are virtually identical, being full-sized 1911s.  The big difference, in game terms, is that the Raider can have optional threads for the barrel (but not included); both have MIL-STD-1913 rails hilled into the dust cover.

     The Longslide is…well, what it sounds like – a 1911 with a six-inch barrel and slide.  It doesn’t come in all the calibers because it takes a certain amount of oomph to cycle a slide that heavy.

Rifle Dynamics 710P

     Notes: This is a smaller version of Rifle Dynamics’s Model 710 SBR and their Model 710 civilianized assault rifle.  The Model 710P is designed around a US-made NDS receiver, with a Venom gas block/FSB combination, a Melonite-finished 10-inch barrel. an Ultimak Picatinny rail, a US Palm pistol grip, a PWS FSC/47 muzzle brake, a G-2 trigger unit that makes trigger pull less in weight than the standard AK-model trigger pull, and the Fuller-designed rear and front sights.  Internals are made in Eastern Europe, and made from surplus parts.  Thus, the Model 710P is made mostly of US-made parts, and assembled by Rifle Dynamics in the US.  Unfortunately, the Model 710P does not come with the hardware for attaching a stabilizing brace, though there is a sling swivel, and another one in the front under the gas block.  The receiver is of stamped steel, with weld marks if anything, barely showing.  The pistol grip and fore-end are of polymer, as is the forward Picatinny rail, which is molded into the upper handguard.  The Model 710P takes standard AK/RPK magazines, whether steel or light alloy; I have not been able to discover whether the Model 710P is designed for polymer magazines, but I have never seen one with a polymer magazine in it.

Robar TSP/JCP

     Notes: These two pistols are Robar’s take on the stock 1911A1; as one writer said, “they have everything you need, and nothing else.”  Essentially, they are modernized M1911A1s.

     Though both are based on Jeff Cooper developments for the 1911, they have been modernized without sacrificing the original Jeff Cooper design.  The TSP (The Serious Pistol) follows Mr Cooper’s original concept while the JCP (Jeff Cooper Pistol) follows the design of Jeff Cooper’s carry gun.  (Together, the TSP and JCP are known as Jeff Cooper Legacy Pistols.)  They are both made with frames of 4140 steel on a Remport frame style. The barrels, match quality with a match bushing, are also made by Remport, out of 416R stainless steel. The controls are mostly in the same place, but the manual safety is low-mounted and many say easier to reach. Both have forward cocking serrations as well as back. Surfaces on the TSP and JCP have been given a melt treatment to make most surfaces and angles dehorned. Front sights are ramped while the rear is fully adjustable via a screwdriver (or some other blade) on the JCP and Novak Lo-Mount on the TSP. The innards of the TSP and the JCP are made by Ed Brown, C&S Tactical Match, and Wilson Combat.  The memory-groove grip safety is a product of Ed Brown, and the recoil spring is by Wilson.  Most of the other working parts are by C&S Tactical Match. The bobbed hammer on the TSP is a bobbed NP3 of standard design, but match-quality.  The JCP has a commander hammer. The grips are by VZ Grips, and are the Double Diamond grips.  The TSP is finished in Black Nitride slide and frame (except for the cocobolo grips). The JCP frame is a Robar NP3 frame, and the frame is nickel-plated and the slide blued, also known as an “IPSC finish.” Deliberately, neither the TSP or JPC has a Picatinny Rail under the dust cover. The TSP Greider/Videckis triggers have a pull weight of three pounds, while the JCP has a weight of four pounds, and they have a surprisingly short break.  The triggers are both match-quality.  The TSP is a full-sized 1911 with a 5-inch barrel, while the JCP has a commander-sized 4.5-inch barrel

     IRL, these pistols are very expensive; one could by a decent medium-end motorcycle with the RL price of one of these pistols.

Rock River Arms 1911-A1 Limited Match

     Notes: This is built for certain classes of competition shooting, and complies with National Match standards.  It has features you would expect, like an ambidextrous manual safety and extended magazine release.  It also has a full-length guide rod, all-forged National Match stainless steel slide and frame, and a choice of 20, 25, or 30 lpi checkering on the grips, frontstrap, and backstrap. Cocking grooves are found on the front and back of the slide.  The rear sight is a lo-mount adjustable hidden leaf design, with the front sight is a dovetailed-in blade.  Both are dark in color and use a three-dot system; the color contrasts with the stainless steel of the slide. The top of the slide also has flattened 40 lpi checkering to counteract glare. The ejection port is flared and lowered for positive ejection. The trigger is match-quality with a 3.5-pound pull weight. The hammer is likewise match-quality and is a looPtype hammer; the sear is also match-quality. The 5-inch barrel is of match-quality with a match bushing; the feed ramp is tuned and polished.  The guide rod is two-piece; some say this leads to a more stable gun.  The finish is hard chrome, and the grips are G10 laminate grips. The entire pistol is hand-fitted and tuned.

Rock River Arms Basic/Pro Carry

     Notes: This 1911-type pistol has a 5-inch throated National Match-quality barrel, a lowered and flared ejection port for more reliable ejection of spent cases, a match-quality Commander-style loop hammer, an aluminum speed trigger with a 3.5-pound pull (at least this is what RRA claims, though most tests of the Basic Carry show a trigger pull of 3.9-4.2 pounds), an extended beavertail grip safety, dovetailed sights (a Novak low-profile rear and an RRA blade front) so they can be replaced with others, checkered rosewood grip panels, a frontstrap checkered at 20, 25, or 30 LPI, a National Match quality forged slide with grip serrations as the front and rear, and a dehorned and Parkerized finish.  It is guaranteed to be able to shoot 2.5-inch groups at 50 meters using 185-grain Match Semi-Wadcutter ammunition – and can fire at close to the same accuracy with other types of .45 ACP ammunition.

     The Pro Carry version is quite similar – but improved or otherwise different in many ways.  The Pro Carry version is available with a 4.25, 5, or 6-inch barrel, with the barrels made by KART from stainless steel and ported. The Pro Carry is almost totally dehorned (the extended beavertail and optional magazine base do stick out, and many buyers have found various odd sharp corners or protrusions here and there).  Trigger pull is said to be crisper than that of the Basic Carry (though it has the same pull weight).  The backstrap may be flat or arched upon request of the customer.  The rear sight is adjustable, and may be a low-profile Heinie or Novak sight; the front sight is an RRA blade.  Standard finishes include Black “T” and blued.  (The blued finish is rumored to show wear very quickly, but I’ve found that a lot of blued firearms do have their finishes wear quickly.) 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Introduced in 2005, these pistols are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Rock River Arms LAR15

     Notes: Essentially miniaturized AR15s, The LAR15 comes in four types.  All of them can take any AR15/M16-compatible magazine, feature free-floating barrels and AR15A2-type flash suppressors, and a long tube extending from the rear containing the recoil buffer and spring (unfortunately, necessary for a Stoner-type operating system).  Depending upon options chosen by the customer, the flash suppressor can be replaced by a Smith Vortex muzzle brake, the standard trigger guard can be replaced with an enlarged winter trigger guard, the pistol grip (normally Hogue rubber) can be black or green or replaced by an ERGO grip (or ERGO Tactical grip), and the charging handle latch can be replaced with an enlarged latch.  The short handguards may also be replaced with ones that have two or four MIL-STD-1913 rails.

     The four versions include one with a 7-inch barrel, one with a 10.5-inch barrel, and ones with the same barrel length but with a flattop receiver with a MIL-STD-1913 rail and a gas block with a very short MIL-STD-1913 rail at the top.  The standard types are known as A2s, while flattops are A4s.  Due to the short barrels, the LAR15 uses a gas piston instead of a direct Stoner-type gas impingement system.

     The LAR9 is essentially the same, except for its 9mm Parabellum chambering and the use of an AR15A1-type flash suppressor (if so equipped).

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The LAR15 and LAR9 do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Rock Island Armory Tactical 1911

     Notes: The Tactical 1911 is a 1911-clone which is for the most part exceptional for it’s ordinariness.  It is a copy of the M1911A1 that has few changes from the original pistol.  The Tactical 1911 is built from stronger steel, has a skeletonized trigger and loop-type hammer, and a light accessory rail under the dust cover.  Though the 5-inch barrel itself is also unexceptional, at the factory it is hand-fitted, a number of rounds fired through it, then the barrel is hand-adjusted once again.  The operation is almost identical to the Colt Series 70 pistols. The beavertail and grip safety are both extended for positive engagement and to eliminate hammer bite. Construction is largely of matte Parkerized steel, with the exception of the grip panels, which are smooth hardwood, and the hammer and trigger, which are aluminum.  The MIL-STD-1913 rail under the dust cover is monolithic – milled directly into the frame rather than being a separate add-on. The trigger is halfway between being long and short, but pull weight is lower than what one would expect from a 1911 at 4.5 pounds, and trigger pull is crisp. The slide lock/safety is ambidextrous.

     Some shooters say the slide lock/safety is shaped too sharply, and causes thumb pain after a session of shooting, though this can be fixed by dehorning the lever.  Another mark against the Tactical 1911 are the obvious tool marks and sharp and rough edges, seemingly with no effort at dehorning. (However, the RL price of the Tactical 1911 is almost cheap, and it is quite functional.) Some shooters describe what happens to their hands even after a short shooting session as “ballistic butchery.”  The Tactical 1911 also seems to be intolerant to dirt and fouling.  Cheap cocking grooves help make the gun look ugly.  It is an inexpensive gun and you get what you pay for(IRL).

Rock Island Armory TCM .22

     Notes: The TCM .22 is the brainchild of Craig Tuason, a gunsmith known for his experimentation with strange chamberings and wildcat cartridges.  One of these wildcat cartridges is the .22 TCM, which RIA has put into limited production and sell as part of their product line.  The pistol itself is a 1911 which is highly-modified internally; externally, it looks just like an accurized 1911, with an adjustable Novak rear sight, dovetailed front sight, skeletonized trigger, and a special loop hammer designed for easy jump cocking, with projections that aid in this.

     Internally, the weapon has been somewhat modified to take the new cartridge.  Without going too far into the particulars (I’ll do that under ammo), the .22 TCM is a 9mm Parabellum round necked down to take the bullet of a 5.56mm NATO round and loaded appropriately.  The TCM .22 can take stock 9mm Parabellum magazines; the magazines sold by RIA are shown below. (In fact, if you take a 9mm barrel and recoil spring and drop it in, the modified weapon will fire perfectly as a high-capacity 9mm 1911.)  The rear sight is modified to allow the use of the .22 TCM round as well as the 9mm Parabellum round (as RIA sells the appropriate 9mm parts with the TCM .22). Construction is almost entirely of forged steel, with a dark gray finish.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The TCM .22 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Rock Island Armory TAC Ultra FS

     Notes: The TCM TAC Ultra FS HC began as a variant of the TCM .22; it’s salient feature is it’s ability to take a drop-in 9mm Parabellum barrel (and very few other such switch parts necessary) to convert the pistol to fire 9mm Parabellum, without the need for tools or for extra magazines for the alternate caliber.  (Though the TCM .22 can also do this, you have to supply your own switch parts, and the TCM .22 will fire a bit roughly and unreliably when used with 9mm ammo and parts.)  As the Ultra FS HC is strong enough to fire the powerful .22 TCM round, it can even take hotloaded 9mm rounds like +P and +P+ rounds (which, unfortunately have no rules for them in Twilight 2000 v2.2 – though I do have an idea on this…)  The Ultra FS HC, however, does correct a problem that some shooters encountered with some definitely not-recommended hot-loads of .22 TCM; due to user demand for the ability to safely fire these powerful .22 TCM loads, the entire pistol is much more heavily-built, primarily from 4140 Ordnance steel, including the chromed-bore 5-inch heavy-profile barrel.  Aside from this major difference, the Ultra FS HC is largely the same design as the .22 TCM, but, as Walt Disney would say, is “plussed.” Some other differences include fixed, but dovetailed sights, G10 tactical grips, a double-Parkerized finish, a trigger adjustable for overtravel, partial dehorning (primarily done by angling the major corners), and the addition of a Picatinny Rail under the full length of the dust cover.

     Of course, RIA said to itself, “We have this good-looking, strongly-built pistol design now.  We should chamber it in 10mm Auto!” (OK, that conversation probably never took place, but you get the idea.) This idea begat the TAC Ultra FS 10mm.  Even IRL price, it’s a bargain that has been receiving a lot of praise.  It is, essentially, an Ultra FS HC that has been redesigned to fire the 10mm Auto cartridge.  (Some will say unfortunately), the biggest change is the change to a single-stack magazine, with it’s lower capacity; however, this also keeps from having to make the grips wider, a consideration when you are trying to sell to groups as disparate as American women, teenagers just old enough to have a pistol, special operations shooters, and even fourteen-year-old Filipino teenagers.  (Remember, RIA is a subsidiary of a Filipino company, Armscor…)  The heavy chassis also helps tame the felt recoil and muzzle flip of the 10mm cartridge.  The frame is also shaped a bit different, allowing a slightly higher grip on the pistol, needed for the powerful round.  The Ultra FS 10mm also has a fully adjustable rear sight, while the front sight is a white fiberoptic pipe.  Though it may seem to be a minor point, the slide stop is also checkered, something requested by prospective buyers.

     In both cases, there is a bit of snag point among shooters: there have been many complaints that the controls are a bit sharp, sometimes to the point of causing injuries.

Rohrbaugh R9

     Notes: Karl Rohrbaugh, the designer of this pistol, emphasizes that this is NOT a pistol for beginners – the combination of 9mm Parabellum ammunition and such a lightweight pistol is not something that an inexperienced shooter will be able to handle very well.  The R9 is a highly-concealable pistol that with an aluminum frame and steel parts made of stainless steel.  The standard R9 has no sights and no sharp edges of any sort; a variant, the R9s, has low sights that offer little chance of snagging.  The barrel is a mere 2.9 inches long, while entire length of the R9 is only 5.2 inches.  (They are identical for game purposes.) Both are built to thousandths-of-an-inch tolerances.  Use of +P ammunition is not recommended with the R9 – it’s too powerful for the weapon.

     As that combination of small size and 9mm rounds can be a bit hard to take, Rohrbaugh introduced a version of the R9 chambered for .380 ACP in 2008.  (Unfortunately, the recoil difference is not quantifiable in game terms.) They also introduced a variant of the R9s, the R9s Stealth, which is finished in matte black and with stippled black hard rubber grips.  The slide of the R9s Stealth is also coated internally with a finish called Diamond Black by Rohrbaugh, which reduces wear and the need for lubricants.  The R9s Stealth Elite is basically the same, but has the slide sanded by hand to reveal the stainless steel underneath on the raised areas.  Both are identical to the standard R9 for game purposes.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: In the Twilight 2000 timeline, the basic R9 in 9mm Parabellum is very rare; the rest of the R9 series is nonexistent.