Notes: This was designed to produce a sniping weapon with reasonable accuracy and with as little weight as possible. That light weight was its best selling point as well as it’s worst enemy; civilian hunters liked the fact that it was so easy to tote around, while complaints arose from the police and military communities about recoil, the lack of accuracy from it’s short, lightweight barrel, a flimsy bipod, and what may be an undeserved rumor of fragility. It therefore made far more sales to civilians than military or police, and the product was eventually put into lower-volume production and new ones could be hard to find by the late 1990s.

Notes: Though the H-TAC is not expected to be available until the 4^th quarter of 2007, the H-TAC is described as a rifle that will we useful for both civilian hunting and precision sniping purposes. In real-life terms, it is also advertised as "not breaking the bank."

The H-TAC, though made from traditionally-manufactured parts, is extensively hand-fitted and hand-tuned. Accuracy is not incredible, but it is creditable, ranging from 1 MOA to 0.75 MOA depending upon the ammunition used. (Thusfar, the H-TAC has not been tested with military sniping ammunition, but this may produce even greater accuracy.) The H-TAC uses a modified Howa action with a 90-degree bolt throw. Stocks are of a composite laminated fiberglass/Aramid fiber, with aluminum bedding for the barrel. The fore-end has a beavertail fore-end with forward heat vents., a raised cheek rest, and 3 sling swivels. The barrel itself is a match-quality 24-inch chrome-moly steel barrel with a wide free-float and a match crown.. The top of the receiver is steel, with a MIL-STD-1913 rail topping it. (No iron sights are provided.) The trigger unit is Mauser-type; it is adjustable for pull weight, but factory tuned to 3 pounds. Feed is from a 5-round internal box magazine, with the magazine loaded through a hinged floorplate. Under the fore-end is a Harris-type light bipod, adjustable for height and cant.

User reports of the H-TAC are unfortunately few, since it has not yet been placed on the market, but more information will surely be available into the future.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The H-TAC does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Notes: This is a simple but well-made design meant to provide a light sniper rifle available in several different calibers. Despite the lack of a Picatinny Rail, it and other Harris rifles are well known for their ability to mount virtually any sort of optic in the world, from a flashlight to some of those ancient night vision scopes made back in the 1950s. Despite being a rather beefy, strongly-made rifle, it is fairly light due to its glass fiber stock.

Notes: This was loosely based on the M-86, but is meant to be a flexible system rather than a family of separate rifles in different calibers. The M-89 is usually issued in a kit containing the weapon, a telescopic sight, a set of five barrels and bolts for use with the different calibers the M-89 may fire, a set of magazines appropriate to each caliber, and a set of tools appropriate to the task. Changing caliber is very easy (DIF: Small Arms (Rifle) or ESY: Gunsmith), and may be accomplished in a base time of two minutes. The sight mount is the same sort as found on the M-86. When firing 7.62mm NATO ammunition, M-14 magazines are used; the magazines issued with the weapon for other calibers are modified versions of the M-14 magazine.

Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon was a popular replacement for the M-24 in the hands of US snipers.

Notes: H-S Precision started out in the firearms industry manufacturing various components for different rifles, for a variety of other firearms companies and independent gunsmiths. In the late 1990s, H-S Precision decided that it had acquired enough expertise in producing rifle components to build its own rifles – thus was born the Pro 2000 series. The Pro 2000 is well-known for its accuracy. Common features to all Pro 2000 series rifles include a fluted stainless steel barrel, a synthetic stock with a padded buttplate adjustable for length of pull and an adjustable cheekpiece (left or right-handed) as well as a shoulder rest which may be extended from the butt, a stainless steel action, cut-rifling, a titanium firing pin, a heavy claw extractor, and a three-position safety. The trigger is adjustable in virtually any way required. The bipod is a Harris-type folding bipod, adjustable for height and cant. The barrel uses a bedding system patented by H-S Precision. Metal is normally finished in matte black, but a Teflon finish is optional. The telescopic sight normally sold with the Pro 2000 is a Leupold Vari-X III 14x, but the scope mounts will accept virtually any sort of Western civilian, police, or military scope, and H-S Precision will mount a MIL-STD-1913 rail on the rifle if desired.

The basic versions of the Pro 2000 are the HTR (Heavy Tactical Rifle), the STR (Short Tactical Rifle), and the RDR (Rapid Deployment Rifle). The HTR was H-S Precision’s first rifle; it features a heavy match-quality 24-inch barrel, which may be tipped with an optional muzzle brake. The chamberings shown below are the most common for military and police work, but H-S Precision will chamber the HTR in any long or short-action cartridge meeting SAAMI specifications. The STR is basically the same rifle, but uses a 20-inch barrel. The RDR is a lightweight version of the Pro 2000, with a smaller thumbhole stock, a buttplate and cheekpiece with less-precise (and simpler) adjustments, and a lighter 20-inch barrel. The RDR is designed only for short-action cartridges, but can be chambered for any short-action SAAMI-compliant cartridge.

The Pro 2000 TTD (Tactical Take Down) is a special model of the HTR. It is designed to be broken down easily, yet reassembled quickly and without the scope or its mount losing its zero; H-S Precision’s patented lock-up and adjustment system ensures that all parts come back together tightly and without play. The TTD can be broken down into small enough components that it will fit into a large briefcase. The TTD is designed only for short-action cartridges, but again HS-Precision will chamber the TTD for any SAAMI-compliant short-action cartridge. If the shooter wants to change calibers, he can do so with a simple barrel change if the case head diameter is the same; if a cartridge with a different case head diameter is desired, a change of bolts is also required. The barrel is 24 inches and fluted, like the HTR, but it is not as heavy as that of the HTR.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The HTR weapon was another very common substitute issue for the M-24 among US snipers. The STR, RDR, and TTD are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Notes: A relatively new entry into the tactical rifles market, Iron Brigade Armory’s primary product is the TPR (Tactical Precision Rifle) series. There are several such rifles, from the relatively inexpensive (in real-life terms) to the deluxe.

The base rifle, the TPR itself, is intended for those agencies such as smaller police departments who need an extremely accurate sharpshooting weapon, but cannot afford Iron Brigade’s top-of-the-line rifle (the Chandler M-40, later in this entry). The TPR begins with a Remington 700PSS as a base, but through much tuning, modification, and hand-finishing, it becomes a TPR. This includes mounting the 26-inch barrel so that it free-floats and has a re-crowned muzzle, a trigger re-tuned to a more sensitive weight of 3.75 pounds, virtually complete smoothing of the action, the addition of a Harris Bench Rest bipod as well as sling swivels (and a Turner Saddlery leather sling), and a two-piece scope mount of Iron Brigade’s own design which can mount most Western-type telescopic sights. (The standard scope sold with the TPR is a Leupold Tactical Mk 4 4.5-14x scope.) Tolerances on the entire rifle are greatly tightened. The stock is synthetic and may be finished in virtually any color or pattern desired, as may be the exterior metalwork; even the telescopic sight may be finished in such a manner at the buyer’s option.

The high end version of Iron Brigade’s rifles is the Chandler M-40. They are patterned after the US Marines’ M-40A1 and M-40A3 sniper rifles, but are so well-built that they exceed even the excellent quality of the Marines’ own M-40s. Like the TPR, they start with Remington 700 actions, and are wedded to a McMillan synthetic stock adjustable for length of pull and with an adjustable cheekpiece. The Chandler M-40 uses a tapered free-floating Hart barrel made of 416R stainless steel; this allows most of the benefits of a heavy match barrel while reducing the weight of such a barrel. The standard barrels made by Iron Brigade are wither 20 or 26 inches, but Iron Brigade often supplies them in lengths of 22 and 24 inches, and will make the barrel in virtually any length that the buyer desires. The trigger unit is rebuilt and re-tuned in the same manner as that of the TPR, with a 3.75-pound pull weight, but the trigger of the Chandler M-40 is also adjustable for pull weight. The tolerances are reduced, parts are refinished and hand-fitted to each other, and the bolt is squared and aligned to the barrel. The McMillan stock is made of an epoxy resin composite, available in almost any color or pattern imaginable, and can be had in the same style as a US Marines’ M-40A1 or M-40A3. The internal box magazine is retained, but it is welded to the action to increase durability, and the follower is improved and backed by a Wolff mainspring. The Chandler M-40 uses Iron Brigade’s special telescopic sight mounts, but the standard scope is a Leupold Mk 4 3.5-10x scope with a Mil-Dot reticle, virtually identical to that used by the Marines. A bipod and bipod mount are optional, but not normally fitted except at the request of the customer.

Falling in between the TPR and the Chandler M-40 is the Standard/Super grade. It is for the most part like a blending of those two rifles; it has the same action and furniture as the TPR, but uses a 20 or 26-inch Hart varmint-spec 416R stainless steel barrel, with optional threading at the muzzle. The stock is an H-S Precision PSS synthetic stock. Tolerances are tightened, and the bolt faces and action are squared. The magazine is enlarged from that of the TPR, and is also has an improved follower. The trigger is similar to that of the TPR, but is also adjustable for pull weight. The Standard/Super uses Iron Brigade’s proprietary scope mount. The standard telescopic sight for the Standard/Super is a Leupold Mk 4 4.5-15x40.

Twilight 2000 Notes: These rifles are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Notes: Known as the Mk 11 Mod 0 to the US Navy and Marines, and the M-110 to the US Army, this rifle is a heavily-modified SR-25 battle rifle (q.v.). After extensive use in Afghanistan and Iraq by US Navy SEALs, the SR-25 was modified by Knight Armament Corporation (who had inherited the design of the SR-25), and it became the Mark 11 Mod 0 Rifle; it was later adopted by the US Army.

The Mk 11/M-110 is an enhanced version of the SR-25, and is designed for the spotter of a sniper team. Modifications include a new firing pin, ejector, extractor, and extractor spring, all to enhance reliability. The feed ramp is also improved, the gas ring is one-piece, and the bolt and barrel extension are redesigned. The magazines have been improved to allow a full 20 rounds of ammunition; previous AR-10-type magazines would sometimes fail to feed when more than 18 rounds were loaded into them. Both are equipped with a custom version of the Leupold Tactical Long Range T3.5-10x scope. In addition to the MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the weapon, there are three others on the handguards. A Harris S-type bipod is mounted under the front handguard. The flash suppressor was removed, replaced by a target crown. An adapter allows the Mk 11/M-110 to accept a special KAC silencer that is rated for 10,000 rounds of standard ammunition. The 20-inch barrel is free-floating, heavy, and match-quality, and the handguards have been modified to allow much easier removal and attachment.

That said, the Mk 11 Mod 0 and the M-110 differ in some details. The top MIL-STD-1913 rail of the M-110 is one continuous piece which is removable, while that of the MK 11 Mod 0 is two pieces, part of which is integral with the top handguard. The Mk 11 Mod 0 has a non-adjustable match-quality trigger unit, while the M-110 uses a two-stage match trigger unit. The Mk 11 Mod 0 uses standard fire selector controls, while those of the M-110 are ambidextrous. The Mk 11 Mod 0 does not have an adjustable stock of any sort (it uses an M-16A2 stock), while the M-110 uses an adjustable buttplate on a modified M-16A1 stock. (The Army also wanted an adjustable cheekpiece at first, but later deemed it unnecessary.) Both versions are brownish-tan in color, but the M-110 is darker than the Mk 11 Mod 0.

Twilight 2000 Notes: The Mk 11 Mod 0 and the M-110 do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline, though the US military does use several versions of "specially-modified" SR-25s for essentially the same purpose.