AMSD OM-300 Vanquish

     Notes: This sniper rifle, little brother to the OM-50 Nemesis antimateriel rifle, is designed to be a takedown rifle – a rifle that may be disassembled into major components (stock, receiver, barrel, magazine), and put in a case or bag for transport, possibly discreetly.  The rifle can then be reassembled without having lost the zero of its sights or optics (as long as they are left on the rifle when taken down).  Assembly or takedown takes about three minutes. The Vanquish’s stock is on collapsible aluminum rails that are adjustable for LOP, and has a detachable cheek pad.  The butt is attached to this bar assembly, and has a recoil pad, an extendible monopod, and a cheekpad for long eye-relief scopes. It is made of polymer.  The Vanquish has a 20-inch heavy-profile barrel with compact muzzle brake; the barrel is threaded and can be user-swapped for a flash suppressor, a larger or smaller muzzle brake, or suppressor.  The barrel is fluted to reduce weight.  It can digest most forms of ammo.  The receiver has an oversized bolt handle for a positive grip; this is at the rear of the receiver.  The spiral-fluted bolt is itself based on the tried-and-true Remington 700 bolt. The receiver begins as an 8.16-kilogram steel billet which is machined down to the final product, which weighs about 1.36 kilograms.  Tolerances are tight, necessary to take the assembly and reassembly process without losing zero.  Many shooters say the action is a bit still, but this is another example of the Vanquish’s tight tolerances.  However, the same shooters say the trigger action is excellent. Controls are the familiar AR-15-type control set, though the pistol grip is a MagPul ergonomic design.  Vanquishes are all made in house, making spare parts easy to get and with a quick turn-around.

     The Vanquish is a switch-caliber design; only barrels much be switched out in most cases, though the use of .300 WSM ammo will also require a change of bolt.  The standard scope recommended by AMSD is the Leupold Mk 4 LR/T 3.5-10x40mm.

Brugger & Thomet APR-338

     Notes: The APR-338 (Anti-Personnel Rifle) was designed from the outset to be a military rifle, with police use a secondary thought; it was not meant to be a civilian rifle.  The receiver and action are milled from a single block of high-grade steel.  Atop this receiver is a 9.5-inch length of MIL-STD-1913 rail, with an up to 40-MOA slope to help align optics.  Though the buyer may mount any optic he chooses, the standard scope is one of Schmidt & Bender’s line.  The rear of the MIL-STD-1913 rail and the front of the barrel just behind the muzzle have flip-up iron sights.  The safeties include a fully-protected bolt stop/release, and bolt uses a short throw.  The bolt handle curves a bit to the rear, as this was found to be most ergonomic for use with the APR-338.  The barrel is 27 inches, free-floating, and fluted, and the barrel can be removed and replaced with a simple wrench rather than requiring a special tool.  The barrel is tipped with a two-baffle muzzle brake, and the muzzle has a cap which protects threads that allow the use of a silencer (the one which comes with the rifle fits over and covers the muzzle brake).  The upper receiver is bolted to an aluminum lower receiver, and the fore-end has a removable bipod adjustable for height and cant.  An accessory groove underneath the fore-end allows for the installation of a hand stop.  The stock is of aluminum and polymer, and is adjustable for length of pull, cheekpiece, and height of the butt.  It also folds to the right.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The APR-338 is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

SiG-Sauer SG-550 Sniper 

     Notes: This is the sniper rifle version of the Swiss SG-550 assault rifle.  The SSG-550 Sniper was developed primarily at the behest of police departments in Western Europe and a few other countries, primarily for SRT-type units, to be a short to medium-range marksman’s weapon; in the circumstances where the SG-550 Sniper is intended for use, the shortcomings of the 5.56mm NATO cartridge in a sniper’s weapon is not a great disadvantage.

     The SG-550 Sniper differs from a standard SG-550 assault rifle in several respects.  First, it has no automatic fire capability.  The barrel is cold hammer-forged instead of being a standard SG-550 barrel, and it is heavier than a standard barrel, lengthened to 25.6 inches, and has no flash suppressor.  The trigger is two-stage, match quality, and more sensitive than the standard SG-550 trigger at 3.3 pounds of pull weight.  The SG-550 Sniper is equipped with a light alloy bipod which folds and is also adjustable for height and cant.  The stock is also made from light alloy, but includes a buttplate adjustable for length of pull and height (and somewhat for angle) and has a rubber recoil pad.  The cheekpiece is adjustable for height.  The stock folds, but this is only recommended for transport or storage, as the folded stock is in the way of the trigger, pistol grip, fire controls, and most of the magazine.  The pistol grip, made from polymer, is adjustable for angle and includes an adjustable handrest as well as a small counterweight to the long barrel.  On top of the receiver is a MIL-STD-1913 rail for optics mounting, which extends down the ends of the handguards; there are no iron sights.  (The standard scope for Swiss forces, and the one which is sold with the rifle, is a special version of a Hendsoldt 1.5-6x telescopic sight which was designed specifically for the SG-550 Sniper.)  An anti-mirage band is optional, but when mounted it covers the part of the MIL-STD-1913 rail on the handguards.

SiG-Sauer SG-716 DMR

     Notes: This is the sniper variant of the SG-716 family; it is specifically to be a military Designated Marksman Rifle, but has found much more employment with police departments worldwide, including several in the US.

     The SG-716 DMR is an outgrowth of the earlier SG-716 Patrol rifle.  As such, the DMR starts with an accurate rifle as a genesis, and improves greatly upon it.  Interestingly, the SG-716 DMR comes with no muzzle device for its 18-inch barrel; it merely has 0.625x24 threads which will fit most muzzle devices, including flash suppressors, muzzle brakes, and suppressors.  It does have a cap to put over the threads, which functions as a target crown.  The barrel is free-floated, cold hammer-forged and of heavy profile, and is made from chrome-moly-vanadium steel.

     The top of the receiver and handguards are equipped with a Picatinny rail, full-length for the mounting of several optics.  There is a short length of rail under the handguard at the front, to which is normally attached a Harris bipod. Short side rails at the front sides of the handguard allows for the mounting of other accessories. The body of the rifle is based on the AR-10, without the carrying handle, and redesigned for SiG’s needs and the needs of shooters.  The receiver halves are made of the standard 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum, to which is attached a MIAD pistol grip.  The trigger pack is a Geiselle SSA, which is tuned, two-stage, and breaking at 6 pounds upon the first stage of the trigger pull.  It is a match-quality trigger. The SG-716 comes with a set of BUIS, and also comes with SiG TANGO6 3-18x44 scope.  The stock is a MagPul PRS, solid and fixed and adjustable for length of pull, and has an adjustable cheekpiece.  It is also adjustable for

     The SiG-716 DMR is gas operated, but uses a short-stroke gas piston to drive the action.  Some say that piston-driven guns are less accurate than direct impingement due to the motion of the piston, but SiG-Sauer has engineered the SG-716 DMR to take this motion’s effect on recoil, primarily due to the use of very tight tolerances (all over the rifle, not just the piston).  Some say that piston-driven rifles are more accurate, especially when using a suppressor. The low-profile gas block is adjustable, allowing for normal use, use in adverse conditions, suppressor use, and gas off for use when silence from the action is desired. This gas adjustor is accessed from under the handguard, just ahead of the Picatinny rail segment. The upper receiver has an oversized charging handle, a forward assist, and a dust cover.  The controls are fully ambidextrous.  It ships with two MagPul polymer PM AG’s, but it will accept most AR-10, M-14, SR-25, and several commercial 7.62mm magazines.

SiG-Sauer SSG-2000

     Notes: This weapon was purpose-built for military and law enforcement snipers, as well as for professional target shooters.  The SSG-2000 is a highly modified version of a civilian rifle, the Sauer 80/90 (also known as the STR, Scandinavian Target Rifle).  The SSG-2000 is in use by Swiss police, Jordan, Hong Kong police, Taiwan, and some British police forces. 

     The SSG-2000 is known for its smooth bolt action and efficient muzzle brake; locking and unlocking also make use of a non-rotating bolt, resulting in a cocking handle turn of only 65 degrees.  The 24.1-inch barrel is heavy and hammer-forged, and tipped with a combination flash suppressor/muzzle brake.  The trigger group includes a low-weight firing trigger with a pull of 4 pounds and a set trigger which reduces the trigger pull weight to only 0.5 pounds.  (0.5 pounds is considered a good pull weight for competition shooters, but way too light for snipers.)  The safety allows the bolt to be opened and the weapon unloaded and loaded, but the bolt cannot be closed again until the weapon is taken off safe again.  There is also a chamber-loaded indicator which can be felt as well as seen.  The stock is of fine wood and is of the thumbhole-type; it has a buttplate with a recoil pad and which is adjustable for length and height.  Stocks may be left or right-handed as necessary.  The SSG-2000 has no iron sights, but is equipped with sight rings for most Western telescopic sights.  The standard telescopic sights sold with the SSG-2000 are a Schmidt & Bender 1.5-6x42 or a Zeiss Diatal ZA 8x56T.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Though heavy and complicated, the SSG-2000 was often a feared weapon, particularly among Italian soldiers, Chinese soldiers facing Taiwanese snipers and members of the Hong Kong Garrison, and anti-government forces in Britain. 

     Merc 2000 Notes: The SSG-2000 was considered too heavy, complicated, and expensive to be a popular weapon. 

SiG-Sauer SSG-3000

      Notes: This is a sniper rifle built to the technical standards of the SSG-2000, but in a smaller and lighter package.  One of the differences includes the use of a MIL-STD-1913 rail for mounting optics instead of the SSG-2000’s mount and rings (though the mount/ring setup is still available for the SSG-3000 if desired); there are still no iron sights on the rifle. The standard telescopic sight sold with the SSG-3000 is a special version of the Hensoldt 1.5-6x24L BL, designed specifically for use with the SSG-3000.   The receiver is machined from a single billet of light alloy, and the bolt’s locking lugs lock directly to the barrel instead of the receiver.  The receiver is stressed as little as possible.  The bolt contains a light firing pin and also has a short travel, producing a very short lock time.  The 24.1-inch barrel is heavy and cold hammer-forged, and tipped with a combination muzzle brake/flash suppressor.

     Two trigger units are available for the SSG-3000: a standard trigger and a two-stage trigger.  Both of these units are adjustable for pull weight and length, and as most of the SSG-3000 is modular, wither trigger unit may be used in any particular SSG-3000.  Originally, the SSG-3000 was built from fine-quality laminated wood, but most have been built with a McMillan polymer stock.  In both cases, the stocks have padded buttplates adjustable for length of pull, height, and angle, and also have a padded cheekpiece adjustable for height.

     Variants of the SSG-3000 include the SSG-3000 Tactical, with a shorter barrel and a larger muzzle brake (and not found in a wood-stocked version), and a training version of the SSG-3000 which fires .22 Long Rifle ammunition.  Both are otherwise identical to the standard SSG-3000 and share the same features other than those required for their modifications.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Training models were often converted to assassination weapons by the addition of a silencer, or used by civilians.