RAD M-91

     Notes: This is a bolt-action 7.62mm sniper rifle that was built to the requirements of US Navy SEALs.  It is used by that organization alongside the M-40A3 and M-40 sniper rifles, and is generally the preferred weapon.  It is made largely of stainless steel and Kevlar for corrosion resistance.  Based on the Remington 700, the M-91 has a match-grade barrel, adjustable trigger and an adjustable stock.  The rifle has no backup iron sights.  Normal sight delivered with the M-91 is a Leupold 4.5x, though the SEALs use a wide variety of sights.

Remington 40-X (Tactical Version)

     Notes: These two rifles are essentially Remington 40-X competition rifles turned into snipers’ weapons.  The two tactical versions, the Model 40-XB and Model 40-XS, are built in the Remington Law Enforcement Custom Shop to highly exacting standards and tolerances.

     The Model 40-XB is the basic version of these rifles (if the word “basic” can be applied to what is an improved version of an already precision rifle).  The Model 40-XB uses the standard Model 40-X action as a base, but the metalwork is Teflon-coated, including the 27.5-inch heavy match target-crowned stainless steel barrel.  The stainless steel used for the barrel and action is 416R type.  The action is also bedded into the stock by aircraft-quality aluminum bedding blocks.  The stock itself is synthetic, built by H-S Precision, and has a semi-pistol grip.  The parts of the rifle are otherwise adjusted to almost unbelievable tolerances.

     The Model 40-XS is sort of a “tricked-out” version of the Model 40-XB.  The basic McMillan stock used on the Model 40-XB is replaced by a McMillan A3 stock which is adjustable for length of pull by the use of spacers, has an adjustable cheekpiece, and a buttplate with a recoil pad.  While the Model 40-XB uses standard Remington scope mounts, the Model 40-XS has a MIL-STD-1913 rail and is sold with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x scope with a Mil-Dot reticle.  The bipod is a Harris HLMB-S, which is fully adjustable for cant, height, and swivel, and also folds.  The sling is a Turner Saddlery AWS made from a polymer material that has the look and feel of leather, but is impervious to weather, sweat, and stretching.  The barrel is essentially the same as on the Model 40-XB, but has a deeper target crown at the muzzle. 

     An addition to the Remington 40-X Tactical line for 2006 is the Model 40-XS LR-338.  This is a version of the Model 40-XS chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum round.  For the most part, the Model 40-XS LR-338 is of the same construction as the Model 40-XS, but it is equipped with a muzzle brake and the receiver is topped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail as standard. A 26-inch stainless steel barrel is standard.

     Both the Model 40-XB and Model 40-XS have standard barrel lengths, calibers, bolt pull lengths, and trigger pull weights, but the Remington Law Enforcement Custom Shop often makes these two rifles to buyers’ specifications, or even individual shooters.

      Twilight 2000 Notes: These rifles do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Remington M-24 SWS (Sniper Weapon System)

     Notes: Developed for the US Army by Remington, the M-24 was first issued to US Army units in late 1988, with the eventual goal of replacing the M-21 as the primary sniper rifle in the US Army.  Remington based the M-24 on their tried-and-true Model 700, but with a large amount of changes and customizations which make the M-24 pretty much a different weapon than the Model 700.  As the US Army originally told Remington that they wanted the M-24 to use the 7.62mm NATO cartridge (specifically, the M-118 Special Ball version of it), but the rumor mill was already getting loud that the snipers themselves wanted the M-24 to fire the .300 Winchester Magnum cartridge, Remington used a modified long action that unit armorers could adjust to fire either chambering. However, the standard chambering for the M-24 at present is 7.62mm NATO.  The M-24 is so well-designed and constructed that the rifle is theoretically more accurate than even the 7.62mm Mk 316 Mod 0 Special Ball Long range cartridge is capable of delivering.  In addition to US Army use, the M-24 is used by Israel.

     The base Model 700 long action is otherwise basically a standard Remington action, except for the special anticorrosion finish (at first matte black, but of late more often OD Green or other colors).  Stocks are built by H-S Precision and made of reinforced fiberglass composites.  The barrel is bedded in the stock by a full-length 7075T6 aluminum bedding block.  The standard M-24 stock is adjustable for length of pull, but US Army snipers have wanted an adjustable cheekpiece for a long time, and it is looking like the Pentagon is going to give it to them.  (Currently, M-24s will often be seen with faux cheekpieces made from foam rubber duct-taped to the stock.)  The buttplate also has a recoil pad.  The actions are mated to the stock and attached to the bedding block by a pair of screws torqued to 65 pounds.  The original sight mounts were designed specifically for US Army and NATO equipment, but MIL-STD-1913 rails are seen more and more often on M-24s.  In both cases, the mounts are fastened so that they are extremely unlikely to be jarred out of alignment by rough handling (even parachute drops).  In addition, the mounts allow optics to be mounted and dismounted quickly, and without losing the shooter’s zero.  The trigger unit is a modified version of that used on the Remington 40X target rifle, and is highly adjustable.  The standard telescopic sight for the M-24 is a 12x scope specifically designed for the M-24 by Leupold (designated the M-3A), and has coatings for the lenses that are antireflective, inhibit laser dazzling, and are also slightly tinted in such a way as to enhance observation.  The scope also has a MIL-DOT reticle.  The barrel is made of 416R stainless steel, and is a heavy match-quality free-floating type 24.1 inches long with a target-crowned muzzle.  The low wear rate of the barrel has astounded armorers (some have had 14,000 rounds fired through them before depot-level maintenance was done).  A mount is provided for a bipod (which is normally used on the M-24).

     As said above, the M-24 was initially conceived to fire 7.62mm NATO ammunition; in addition, Remington designed the prototypes of the M-24 to be able to use the 20-round box magazines of the M-21 as well as 5-round box magazines.  Though the idea of using box magazines was quickly dropped, using the 7.62mm NATO cartridge wasn’t, and therefore most M-24s are in fact chambered for that round.  However, US Army snipers for the most part wanted the M-24 to fire the .300 Winchester Magnum round, and by the time of Desert Shield in 1990, many M-24s were in fact using .300 Winchester Magnum.  (When I was at the 82^nd Airborne, our battalion snipers were in fact using M-24s chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum, though I was told at the time that it was not a “standard caliber” for the weapon or the Army – see below.)  The M-24 is in fact designed for this possibility, as the action can be adjusted by unit armorers to accommodate the longer round, and then all the armorer has to do is change the barrel (as the rifling twist rates are different for the two rounds). In both cases, the M-24 uses a rotary magazine made of plastic, inserted through a hinged floorplate.

     The standard M-24 has been modified a few times, whether by the use of MIL-STD-1913 rails, the trials of different stocks, or different types of triggers.  One experimental variant was the XM-24A1, which was chambered for .300 Winchester Magnum instead of the standard 7.62mm NATO round.  At the time of its inception (early 1990s), the Army was concerned that snipers would run short of ammunition and be unable to replenish their supplies easily; the supply wonks were also concerned about introducing one more type of ammunition into the supply system.  The .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition available at the time also had a problem – undue barrel fouling would be caused due to incompletely-burned propellant, as at that time .300 Winchester Magnum rounds were not meant for “short” 24.1-inch barrels, unless you wanted to buy more expensive ammunition. It is interesting that the Army is once again (as of mid-2009) asking for Remington and other companies to submit kits to convert the M-24 to .300 Winchester Magnum.

     One of the newest service models of the M-24, the M-24A2, came with the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This version is fed by a 10-round box magazine, and has additional MIL-STD-1913 rails on the sides of the fore-end.  The stock is a new H-S Precision PST-25 stock adjustable for length of pull and cheekpiece height.  The barrel is threaded for a silencer.  Existing M-24 actions can be converted for use with the rest of the components of the M-24A2.  Another new version of the M-24, the M-24A3, is similar, but is chambered for the .338 Lapua Magnum round and is relatively rare, even among US Army snipers.  It feeds exclusively from a 5-round rotary magazine, and the barrel is not threaded for a silencer.

     Twilight 2000 Notes:  Many Regular Army units were still awaiting their M-24s when the war broke out, and virtually none of them had entered Reserve or National Guard units. Most M-24s are in 7.62mm NATO caliber instead of .300 Winchester Magnum in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Remington M-40

     Notes: This highly-modified Remington 700 began to equip the USMC in the early 1970s.  They are hand-modified from stock Remington 700s, using a glass fiber stock, a heavy match-grade barrel, no iron sights, and scope mount for a Unertl 10x telescopic sight; when the USMC armorers at Quantico are done, the M-40A1 only looks like a Remington 700.  The former users of this weapon are legendary, including Carlos Hathcock.

     The Marines actually only buy the receiver assemblies from Remington, since the armorers at the RTE (Rifle Team Equipment) Shop intend to modify pretty much everything else or fit the rifles with custom components bought from other manufacturers (and the receiver assemblies are heavily reworked as well).  Barrels for the M-40A1 are heavy, match-grade 24.1-inch barrels made by Hart, Atkinson, or H-S Precision; they are intensely-inspected and tested for quality.  These barrels and the receiver are placed into a McMillan fiberglass composite stock, with the action being glass-bedded and the barrel free-floating.  The trigger unit used is a modified Winchester 70 trigger group.  The scope mounts are essentially proprietary to the Marines; they are specifically designed to use a special version of a 10x Unertl telescopic sight, or night vision scopes used by the US Marines.  There are no iron sights, nor any provision for mounting any.

     The M-40A1 PIP was originally going to be called the M-40A2, but because the M-40A3 was to follow close afterward, and because the M-40A1 PIP was a heavily reworked M-40A1 instead of being a brand new weapon, the M-40A2 designation was not used.  The M-40A1 PIP uses a new McMillan stock with a deep pistol grip wrist, adjustable cheekpiece, and installable spacers for adjusting the length of pull.  The new stock is much lighter than that of the original M-40A1.  The entire rifle was worked over to improve it and refurbish it.  Though a great improvement over the M-40A1, the M-40A1 PIP was basically meant to only be a stopgap weapon until the M-40A3 was produced in large enough numbers, and it did not appear in large numbers.

     The new standard sniper rifle of the US Marines is the M-40A3.  As earlier M-40s rotate in for repairs, they are being replaced by this version of the M-40.  As with the M-40A1 PIP, the M-40A3 was to have been designated the M-40A2, but the improvements and modifications made were so great that it essentially as a different rifle, and it was designated the M-40A3 instead.  Changes include the use of a new McMillan-built stock, with a padded buttplate adjustable for length of pull, a stock with an adjustable cheekpiece, a MIL-STD-1913 rail for optics mounting (though the standard scope is the same, except for being built by US Optics instead of the now-defunct Unertl company), the incorporation of a Harris lightweight bipod adjustable for height and cant, and a trigger unit adjustable for pull weight and pull length.  The action is also, to a limited extent, adjustable for bolt pull length (and begins with a shorter bolt pull than the M-40A1).  The barrels are still 24.1 inches long, but built of better steel, and the muzzles are threaded to accept a suppressor or muzzle brake.  The MIL-STD-1913 rail is mounted so that it tilts 30 degrees upward in the direction of the muzzle, to facilitate long-range shooting.  The stocks are normally OD Green; metalwork is also finished in OD Green, using Robar Teflon or Birdsong Black T anticorrosion finishes.

     Twilight 2000 and Merc 2000 stories: The M-40A1 weapons are still in large-scale issue in the Twilight 2000 timeline (as well as the M-40A1 PIP, to a lesser extent).  The M-40A3 appeared late and was always in short supply during the Twilight War.

Remington M-700P

     Notes: The Remington M-700P (“P” for Patrol Rifle) is intended for use by police officers as sort of an “on the fly” marksman’s weapon – for use in situations where reasonably precision shooting is necessary, but an actual sniper and sniper rifle is not available or called for.  It is essentially an improved version of the standard Remington 700, with a composite stock made of fiberglass reinforced with Kevlar, with an aircraft-quality aluminum bedding block for the receiver.  The barrel is a 26-inch bull barrel with steel composition and configuration designed for stiffness and heat dissipation.  The sight mounts are standard Remington mounts designed for scope rings; no particular telescopic sight is standard for the M-700P.  A variant of the M-700P, the M-700P TWS (Tactical Weapon System), adds a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5-10x scope as standard, a Harris lightweight bipod adjustable for height and cant, a quick-adjustable sling made by Michaels of Oregon, and a carrying case.  The M-700P TWS is other wise built in the same manner as the M-700P.  While the M-700P comes in several calibers, the M-700P TWS is chambered only in 7.62mm NATO.

     Further development of the M-700P led to the M-700P LTR (Light Tactical Rifle).  This is essentially a shorter and lighter version of the M-700P TWS, designed to have accuracy superior to standard police rifles, but without being a large or cumbersome weapon.  As such, it appears to be very like the M-700P TWS, but with a much shorter 20-inch bull barrel and chambered only for short-action cartridges.  The stock is made from the latest lightweight carbon fiber composites, reinforced with Kevlar, as well as an extension of the aircraft-grade aluminum receiver bedding block.  The finish is designed to be non-reflective, and the sling swivels may be removed to allow the mounting of a bipod (normally a Harris lightweight adjustable bipod, as used on the M-700P TWS).  The sight mount is still a Remington-designed proprietary mount, but this mount is designed to allow far greater choice in optics than the mounts of the M-700P and M-700P TWS.  The scope sold with the M-700P LTR is one of the best available to police marksmen and snipers; it is Leupold 4.5-14x scope coupled with a removable Generation III night vision optic that can be used to make the telescopic sight the equivalent of an image intensifier for night vision purposes, but with superior range.  This makes the scope of an M-700P LTR a bit expensive, but well worth the cost.

     Twilight 2000 Notes:  This weapon is not available in the Twilight 2000 World.

Remington SR-8 

     Notes: The SR-8 is a prototype sniper rifle, and there are no plans to mass-produce it.  It was designed when the Italian Army made it known that they were looking for a new sniper rifle in .338 Lapua Magnum.  Remington came up with a rifle based on their Remington 700 Long Action and the adjustable trigger from the M-24 sniper rifle, with a Sako-style extractor to cope with the wide rim of the .338 Lapua round.  The sight Remington used was a 16x Leupold Mk 4.  The SR-8 has an adjustable stock.  As of 2002, the SR-8 is listed as being in “advanced development.”

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Scores of these rifles were taken into NATO service during the Twilight War; the Italians actually got very few of them.

Ruger M-77 MkII VLE

     Notes: This is basically an upgraded version of the M-77 sporting rifle, produced primarily for US law-enforcement interests.  VLE literally stands for Varmint/Law Enforcement, and reflects the small calibers used (5.56N or 7.62N), as well as its roots as a hunting rifle for light game.  The stock is in dark wood, and the metal is finished in a dark color.  The stock is reshaped for better shooter comfort.  They have a two stage trigger.  The accuracy of this rifle is a bit spotty; it was known that when you bought one, you either had a very accurate weapon or one with decent, but unspectacular accuracy; there were generally no in-betweens.  The stats given below are for the accurate one. 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Not available.

Savage Model 10 LE Series

     Notes:  The Savage 10 LE series is based on Savage’s Model 10/110 series of hunting rifles, but redesigned for use police (and to some extent military) snipers.  The Model 10FP versions presented here are “tactical sniper rifles,” meant to be lightweight, portable, and easily disassembled and reassembled, so that it can be put in the trunk of a car.  Each is redesigned to be more accurate and stable, with greater tolerances and accuracy than the Savage 10/110 series sold to civilians.  All use a heavy steel match-quality barrel which is free-floating and button rifled, as well as target-crowned.  All have a bedding system for the action called Dual Pillar Bedding, where the aluminum pillars are molded in pairs directly into the stock for extra stability and durability.  None have open sights, but sight mounts vary by the model of the rifle.  They are all equipped with Savage’s AccuTrigger system, which may be adjusted for pull weight to as little as 1.5 pounds of pressure and incorporates safety mechanisms which make the trigger unit and rifle extraordinarily safe. 

     The Model 10FP is the “base” rifle of this series; it has a 20-inch barrel and an overall length of only 40 inches.  The stock is of black synthetic, and includes molded-in mounts for both a sling and a bipod (normally not included with the rifle, however).  The scope mounts are basically designed for US and Canadian-built telescopic sights that are normally used by police snipers and for civilian-type scopes; the mounts are also designed to be rock-solid.  The Model 10FP is a simple and lightweight, yet fairly-accurate rifle for its short barrel length, but is primarily designed for situations where sharpshooting is required, but the situation does not call for a professional sniper or time does not permit one to arrive on the scene in time.  The Model 10 Precision Carbine is slightly longer at 40.5 inches, but it is lighter in weight; it also uses a Savage AccuStock in a Digital Green Camo pattern.  The Model 10FCPM (McMillan) is the same, but uses a lightweight McMillan A-5 fiberglass stock overlaid with synthetic material that is stippled on the grip areas, and a rubber recoil pad.  The barrel is also longer at 24 inches.  The Model 10FCP HSP (HS Precision) is identical for game terms, but uses a black synthetic HS Precision tactical stock.  The Model 10FCM Scout Rifle is kitted out with a forward-mounted scope, a short 20.5-inch barrel, an Accustock, and Ghost-Ring iron sights.  It also has sling swivels and a bipod, but not a recoil pad.  It is light in weight and quick into action.

     The Model 10FCP-K is similar to the Model 10FCPM, but is equipped with a lightweight black synthetic AccuStock with a recoil pad; it has a barrel 24 inches long and tipped with a muzzle brake. The Model 10FCP-K comes in two calibers.  The Model FLCP-K is a left-handed version of the FCP-K. The Model 110FCP-K is also similar to the Model 10FCP-K, but has a long action in order to chamber Magnum rounds.

     The Model 10FPFC (Folding Choate) is the same action and barrel on a Choate folding stock of black synthetic material with a pistol grip instead of a simple wrist.  The stock has a rail underneath that can mount a bipod or other type of accessory (though it is not a MIL-STD-1913 rail).  Like the Model 10FP, is also has molded-in mounts for a scope or scope rail and for sling swivels.  The stock includes ventilated rubber recoil pad and an adjustable cheekpiece, and a mount for a support monopod.  The barrel is blued and has a target crown, and the bolt handle is oversized for ease of use. 

     The Model 10FPXP (also known as the Model 10FPLE2A) is the next step up, still meant to be a tactical sniper rifle which is readily portable, but providing more accuracy and more bells and whistles.  The M-10FPXP uses a McMillan A3 stock, adjustable for length of pull, has an adjustable cheekpiece, a padded buttplate adjustable for length of pull and height (each in very small increments) a bipod adjustable for height, and an adjustable version of the Model 10FP’s scope mount; Savage will also build the Model 10FPXP can to almost any stock measurements and tastes.  The AccuTrigger unit is even more adjustable than the standard AccuTrigger, with additional adjustments available to length of travel and the angle of the trigger.  The sheer number of adjustments that can be done have made the M-10FPXP very popular with the growing number of female law enforcement snipers.  The barrel is basically the same as that of the Model 10FP, but lengthened to 24 inches.  The Model 10FCPXP-HS is similar, but uses an HS Precision black synthetic tactical stock and a MIL-STD-1913 rail atop the receiver.  Though chambered for only one caliber, it is much lighter than the equivalent Model 10FPXP.

     The Model 110PXP (also known as the Model 110FPXP-LEA or Model 110PXP-LEA) is sort of the “deluxe” version of this series; though still said by Savage to be a tactical sniper rifle, it is more akin to a “real” sniper’s weapon, and is more for use by trained marksmen and snipers.  The most striking feature of the M-10FPXP-LEA is its Choate Ultimate Sniper stock, a skeletonized Rynite stock designed by Choate and retired Special Forces Major John Plaster.  The stock is virtually unaffected by weather conditions, and has a stippled surface that allows a good grip.  The stock can take almost any color imaginable, even to the point of taking spray paint if necessary.  (The base colors available are black, OD Green, and woodland camouflage.)  The stock has an adjustable cheekpiece, can take spacers, and has a buttplate with an adjustable elevation screw on the toe of the butt to make height changes.  The buttplate is also padded.  The rifle comes with a MIL-STD-1913 rail to allow it to operate with the maximum range of optics and accessories.  (The standard scope sold with this rifle is Leupold’s Vari-X III 4.5-10x, a scope very popular with the police departments in the US.)  The Model 110PXP is also sold with a Harris-built bipod, adjustable to minute degrees for height and cant.  The barrel is a full 26 inches, and has a deeper target crown.  The Model 110PXP comes in long or short-action versions, and in several calibers.

     The two newest versions of this rifle are the Model 10BAS-K and the Model 10BAT/S-K.  Though they are in fact Model 10s at their core, they look quite different than other rifles of the Model 10 line.  They are designed to be tactical sniper rifles or for use by designated marksmen.  The Model 10BAS-K has an upper and lover receiver of high-strength aluminum; though this keeps the weight down, other components still combine to make the Model 10BAS-K a rather heavy rifle.  The squared handguards are of polymer, and underneath is a recessed MIL-STD-1913 rail meant primarily for the attachment of bipods or aiming accessories.  (The standard bipod is a Harris light bipod, adjustable for height and cant.) The sides of the handguards also have MIL-STD-1913 rails.  The upper receiver is equipped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail that expends from the rear of the receiver to the end of the handguards; no iron sights are provided.  The 24-inch barrel is of heavy profile and fluted; it is also tipped with a compact muzzle brake.  The stock is based on an M-4-type sliding stock, but has an adjustable cheekpiece, a compartment on the right side for batteries for optics, and the butt has a recoil pad. (If the buyer desires, this stock can be replaced by any HS Precision, Choate, or McMillan stock, but the stock mentioned above is standard.)  The Model 10BAS-K has a true pistol grip; it is also borrowed from the M-4, but also has a hand stop at the bottom which is adjustable for angle.  The entire rifle is of black polymer or dark, matte-blued metal.

     The Model 10BAT/S-K is for the most part the same as the Model 10BAS-K, but the stock is replaced with a more complex sliding stock that is skeletonized and is adjustable for length of pull, angle of the butt, drop, and has an adjustable cheekpiece that is adjustable for height and angle.  Both are identical in Twilight 2000 v2.2 game terms, except for the cost.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: These rifles do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Surgeon Rifles XL

     Notes: The US Marines have known since Vietnam that they have needed a rifle with more punch than the 7.62mm NATO.  Later, they got .50 BMG-firing rifles like the Barrett M-82, but it was still known that the Marines needed something to bridge the gap between the 7.62mm NATO and .50 BMG.  Currently, the Marines are looking for that rifle, and one of the candidates is the Surgeon Rifles XL Remedy.

     The XL begins with a custom action by Surgeon Rifles.  The action is designed for extreme strength and great simplicity.  The receiver is made from hardened 4340 steel, and has an integral recoil lug and MIL-STD-1913 rail.  The bolt is of even more hardened 4140 steel, with the bolt handle root being a part of the bolt itself.  The bolt’s extractor and ejector eject spent cartridges low so that they do not bounce off of the scope or MIL-STD-1913 rail, and flutes on the bolt help make it self-cleaning of dirt and dust.  The trigger may be any of the trigger modules made by Remington, Shilen, of Jewell.  Surgeon Rifles use barrels of extreme quality made by Krieger, and are tipped by a SureFire muzzle brake.  This brake may be quickly removed and replaced by a silencer if necessary.  The barrel is pillar-bedded and free-floating. The stock is a McMillan A5, with an adjustable cheekpiece, spacers to adjust length of pull. And quick-detachable sling swivels.  The stock (and the metal) may be finished with virtually any color or pattern desired.