The Randall Firearms Company was a short-lived (1983-85) company devoted primarily to M-1911A1 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 M-1911A1 (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 found 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 M-1911A1 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 M-1911A1 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 M-1911A1 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 M-1911A1-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.

Notes: Described by Peter Kokalis as a "machinist’s nightmare," the P-51 was designed by JD Pederson in 1919 to be a pistol that was accurate, easy to shoot, and finely-built. The P-51 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 P-51s were built, not many exist any more. Many of the remaining P-51s 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).

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.

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. (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.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Notes: The Ruger .22 Rimfire pistol series began in 1949 with the Ruger Standard Model (also known as the "Standard Auto"), which was actually manufactured until 1982. The design was partially inspired by the Luger; Bill Ruger did this partially because many thought the Luger’s grip angle was ideal, and partially to capitalize on the fame of the Luger after World War 2. The Standard Model used a fixed barrel with a reciprocating cylindrical bolt; there is no slide as such, though the pistol is cocked by grasping the two serrated "wings" at the end of the receiver. The Standard Model had an internal hammer, and the mechanism was designed to function as fast as possible. Barrels were tapered and either 4.75 inches or 6 inches. Until 1951, the Standard Model had checkered grips with the symbol of Sturm, Ruger and Company on a red medallion; with the death of Alexander Sturm in 1951, the background of the medallion was changed to black in memory (and stayed that way until nearly the end of production of the Mark II series). Though most of the Standard Model Pistols were built in the US, a few hundred were assembled in Mexico using US-made parts and have Spanish markings instead of English markings.

Within a few years, shooters were demanding a target version of the Standard Model; in 1951, Ruger answered this demand with the Mark I (also known as the "Mark I Target"). It was virtually identical to the Standard Model, but had adjustable sights and optional wood grip plates (still emblazoned with the Sturm, Ruger and Company logo). The first Mark Is appeared with a 6.9-inch straight barrel, but from 1952-55, a tapered 5.25-inch barrel was offered, and from 1963 until 1982 when the Mark I was replaced by the Mark II, 5.5-inch bull barrel was also built. A few Mark Is, mostly those with bull barrels, were also built with muzzle brakes, and 5000 examples of a stainless steel model were built in 1976 to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the death of Alexander Sturm (the Mark I was one of his last designs). In addition, some examples were made with fixed sights (primarily in 5.25-inch barrel versions) and from stamped or pressed steel parts to cover the lower-priced end of the market; these examples of the Mark I were primarily meant for simple plinking or recreational shooting.

Notes: This successor to the Mark I appeared in 1982. It was at first available only in the Standard version, with a blued finish and black Delrin plastic grip plates, with a 7-inch barrel. (Shorter versions were added later.) Target models began to appear in 1983, and stainless steel versions in 1984 (versions with an extra "K" in the model number are in stainless steel). A plethora of versions and variants then began to appear, both from Ruger and from custom models by various gunsmiths. Over 2 million Mark IIs have been built, and production of them has only recently stopped, to be replaced by the Mark III series.

The Mark II Standard was the first; it comes in MK-4, MK-6, and MK-7 versions, roughly indicating their barrel lengths (4.75", 6", and 7".) Stainless steel versions are named KMK-4, KMK-6, and KMK-7. The Mark II Target versions are basically the same pistols with adjustable sights and heavier barrels. The KMK-4 Target is quite different; it has a 4.75" barrel with an adjustable rear sight, and a special match grip with an adjustable hand rest. The Mark II Government Competition is also a variant of the Mark II Target; it has a very heavy barrel with flattened sides, an adjustable sight, and a rail for mounting other types of optics.

The Mark 22/45 was designed as a training pistol, and the grip has the same angle as the Colt M-1911A1. This unfortunately means that the magazines cannot be used in a standard Ruger Mark II and vice versa. The controls of the pistol are, as much as possible, in the same position as those of the M-1911A1. The frame of the Mark 22/45 is made of black Zytel composites.

The Mark II Bull Barrel comes in a variety of sizes, ranging from P-4 version with a black Zytel frame and an adjustable rear sight to the MK-10 with a steel frame and long 10-inch barrel. They all have in common a heavy bull barrel for extra accuracy and stability.

The Suppressed Mark II was a special issue weapon to US military and government agencies, most notably US Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces, where it replaced the suppressed High Standard pistol. It uses a very large wipeless silencer, and has modifications to quiet its action so that a slide lock is not necessary. The silencer is permanently affixed and cannot be removed except by those with Armorer skill. The weapon is quite a bit larger than most Mark IIs, and the .22 Long Rifle round is of limited killing power, but it does have its usefulness, most notably in close-up elimination of enemy personnel and assassination. It was primarily used by US military forces in the 1980s, but remains in the inventory, and may still be used by the CIA.

Notes: This small-caliber pistol is due to replace the Ruger Mk IIs and Ruger Mk 22/45s in production in 2004. The shape is roughly the same, but there are several changes and improvements to the Ruger Mk III. One of these changes is the magazine release; instead of a spring-loaded hook at the bottom of the magazine well, the Ruger Mk III has a more modern button arrangement on the left side of the frame in a position similar to the M-1911. The ejection port has been reshaped to reduce stoppages, particularly those due to stovepiping. The Ruger Mk III has a chamber loaded indicator, the first ever found on a rimfire pistol. The pistol can also be locked into a safe mode by use of a key. A third safety is a magazine safety; if there is no magazine in the weapon, it will not fire, even if there is a round chambered.

The first version of the Mk III is the MKIII512; this has a 5 1/2-inch barrel, micro-adjustable rear sight, and blued finish. The second version is the P4GCMKIII model of the Mk III 22/45; this weapon has the classic 1911-like shape and features of earlier Ruger 22/45s, in addition to the improvements described above and a polymer grip frame. This version has a 4-inch barrel. The third member of the Mk III line is the Mk III 678 Hunter; this has the improvements of the Mk III line, plus a fluted 6.875" barrel, Weaver rail (plus backup iron sights), special cocobolo grip plates with special checkering, and a lightened trigger pull. Later versions include the MKIII678, with a 6.875-inch slab bull barrel for extra accuracy, checkered laminate grips with a thumbrest, and drilled and tapped for a scope mount in addition to having adjustable iron sights. The MKIII4 has a short 4.75-inch barrel and fixed sights, and is designed primarily for plinking rather than target shooting. The MKIII6 is similar, but has a 6-inch barrel. More models of the Mk III are promised for the future.

Twilight 2000 Notes: These pistols do not exist.

Notes: The P-85 was Ruger’s first "large-caliber" pistol, and was designed specifically for the competition to replace the M-1911A1 as the US military’s primary sidearm. As such, it has a high magazine capacity, ambidextrous controls, a decocking lever, and a firing pin safety. The P-85 uses a light alloy frame, but almost all of the internal parts are made of stainless steel, and the slide is blued steel. The P-85 is capable of firing virtually any sort of 9mm Parabellum ammunition. (A rare variant, chambered for 9x21mm, was also produced in small numbers, and is similarly tolerant of ammunition.) The ejection port is large for more positive extraction. The hammer is the so-called Commander-type (a ring-shaped hammer). The sights are of the three-white dot type, and the front of the trigger guard is squared-off for the index finger of the nonfiring hand. The P-85 has been called ungraceful-looking, and even unattractive, but is what it is: a military pistol, and an excellent one at that.

In 1990, a version with a stainless steel frame and slide was introduced: the KP-85. A version of the P-85 with only the decocking lever being ambidextrous was also introduced at this time, the P-85DC (KP-85DC in stainless steel). These two are identical to the P-85 and KP-85 for game purposes.

The P-89 is a further development of the P-85. It is slightly longer and heavier than the P-85, but is otherwise identical to the P-85. Variants include the stainless steel KP-89, the P-89/KP-89DC with a decocker only, and the KP-89DAO in stainless steel and with a double-action-only operation. These are all identical to the P-89/KP-89 for game purposes.

A rare variant of the KP-89, the KP-89X, was also built in limited quantities (some 6000 in all), most of which were sold in Europe. They are designed to fire 7.65mm and 9mm Parabellum, with the caliber changeable simply be changing the barrel and recoil spring. The safety catch could be moved from the left to the right side of the pistol by the user.

The P-90 and KP-90 are essentially variants of the P-89 and KP-89 chambered for .45 ACP. The P-90 and KP-90 do not have decockers, but do have conventional manual safeties. A later variant, the KP-90DC, does have a decocker.

Manufactured only from 1992-1995, the "P-91" was actually manufactured only in stainless steel and with only the decocker ambidextrous, and is therefore more properly known as the KP-91DC. A KP-91DAO version also exists. The KP-91 is otherwise the same as the P-85 and its related weapons, except for its caliber.

1993 brought the P-93 and KP-93, which were compact versions of the P-89 and KP-89. Both are DAO weapons, allowing Ruger to not have to place any controls externally except for a magazine release, though there are a number of passive safeties. The hammer, when not cocked, fits flush into the slide and frame. P-93DC and KP-93DC variants also exist, with an ambidextrous decocker on the slide above the grip and an ambidextrous magazine release. The sights are three-dot high-visibility white types, and the front of the trigger guard is squared off to facilitate two-handed shooting.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The P-85 and P-89 were selected by the US Marines and Coast Guard over the M-9 due to their excellent resistance to corrosion.

Notes: This pistol was introduced in 1994. It is a mid-sized pistol in two calibers and several models. The P-94 marks a sort of different design philosophy at Ruger -- the use of more modern manufacturing techniques and materials to produce a relatively lighter weapon, and the use of smoother contours to produce a sleeker pistol. The standard P-94 uses DA/SA operation, has an aircraft-grade aluminum frame and steel slide and a manual safety. The KP-94 denotes, as with most Ruger designs, a version using a stainless steel frame and slide. The KP-944 is virtually identical to the KP-94, but is found only in .40 Smith & Wesson and has additional streamlining. The standard P-94 did not see any substantive variants, but the stainless steel-framed models had DAO models without external controls (other than a magazine release) and versions with decockers. There is also a KP-94L version; this model is identical to a 9mm version of the KP-94, but is equipped with an integral laser aiming module in front of the trigger guard below the dust cover.

The P-94 series is equipped with 3-dot high-contrast sights. The rear sight is adjustable for windage, and both are dovetailed in and may be replaced. The magazine release is ambidextrous; versions with decockers have ambidextrous decockers as well. DAO versions cannot be thumb-cocked; if this is attempted with a DAO model, the hammer will simply fall again without firing the weapon.

Notes: This compact Ruger pistol was designed specifically to be able to fire the +P loading of 9mm Parabellum without significant wear on the barrel or mechanism. A composite polymer frame is used along with an ergonomic molding to make it possible to fire high-power loadings over a long period of time without great fatigue on the part of the shooter. It also sort of breaks the mold in naming conventions; the entire series has a composite Xenoy frame, but the slides are different as are certain components. The P-95 has a semigloss black steel slide, and the KP-95 a stainless steel slide; the P-95DC and KP-95DC have only the ambidextrous decocker, without a safety catch; the P-95DAO and KP-95DAO have double-action-only operation. All are identical for game purposes.

In 2006, Ruger redesigned a number of features of the P-95. The polymer frame was greatly strengthened; as stated in Shooting Times magazine, the new frame is "a custom compounded, high-strength polymer with long-strand fiberglass filler." This material also has great resistance to wear and cleaning solutions, as well as being strong enough that the internal mechanism, particularly in the area of the slide rails, to be reduced in complication. The new P-95 has been partially dehorned (particularly in the slide and trigger guard). The backstrap and frontstrap were given textured finishes, granting the shooter a better hold. The frame has been given a matte black finish instead of the semigloss finish of the original P-95. Under the dust cover is a short MIL-STD-1913 rail. The cocking grooves on the slide of the new P-95 are deeper and much easier to grasp. Sights are 3-dot and dovetailed in; in addition, the rear sight is adjustable for windage on its own. Trigger action has been made lighter and smoother. The decocker has been made ambidextrous and is of a design which is much easier to actuate; in addition, the magazine release and safety (if so equipped) are also ambidextrous. Finally, depressing the magazine release makes the magazine fall free of the pistol, speeding up reloads. Though the new production P-95 has a different cost, it is otherwise identical to the stats of the P-95 for game purposes.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The KP-95 is a rare weapon, the last Ruger product made before the November Nuclear Strikes; the P-95 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Notes: This is sort of a version of the P-95 in .45 ACP caliber, but it is designed to be relatively lighter and slimmer in profile than other heavy-caliber Ruger pistols. It is similar in design to other pistols of the P-series, but is larger to handle the higher caliber. Like other P-series pistols, it is a very light and handy weapon. It uses a black Xenoy composite frame and a stainless steel slide, and comes only in models equipped with decockers or in DAO versions and is thus more properly known as the KP-97. (There is not actually any "P-97" or "KP-97" as such.) The finish may be in semi-gloss black or with the slide left in natural stainless steel. The grip shape is ergonomic and designed to allow recoil forces to spread evenly into the hand. The KP-97DC and DAO versions are identical for game purposes.

Notes: This pistol is going to be the first of a new line of Ruger P-series pistols. It is an almost total makeover of the KP-97 series, which the P-345 is replacing in production. The P-345 has been built to operate within smaller package that has a slimmer profile. The P-345 has essentially the same operation, but it is re-engineered to fit in a smaller space. It has redesigned sights, three safeties (as the Mk III above), and a polymer frame.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This pistol does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.