Masterpiece Arms BA Rifles

     Notes: Though meant to be a competition rifle, the MPA BA is seeing a fair amount of interest from the world special ops community.  MPA’s BA Rifles have the qualities of the best sniper rifles in many ways. Tolerances are extremely tight, and the barrel and most of the working parts are of stainless steel, coated with Cerekote or Black Nitride.  The barrel (and most metal parts) are machined before heat treating, and the barrel is specially-bedded with glass and also heat-treated and hand-fitted.  Barrels are made from 416RQ Stainless Steel. Barrels are medium-profile and most chamberings use a 24-incher, though .300 and .338 models use a 26-inch barrel. .338 versions use a heavy-profile barrel. The stock is adjustable in many ways – including an adjustable cheekpiece, adjustable LOP, adjustable buttplate, (adjustable for height and cant), and with a thick recoil pad.  The stock also has a retractable monopod.  Trigger pull weight is user-adjustable from 1.5-4 pounds, with adjustable overtravel and let-off.

     The barrel is threaded, allowing for a variety of devices to be attached to the muzzle (including none, in which case a target crown is revealed).  Normal muzzle attachment is a compact muzzle brake.  Two recoil bolts further diminish felt recoil.

     The chassis (as it is properly called instead of a stock) is of 4046 aircraft-grade aluminum, and lightened as much as possible. Normally, the top of the receiver has a Picatinny rail, with a short one at the front of the lower handguard to attach a bipod (normally, although other items may be attached), and a slightly longer one atop the end of the handguard.  In the forestock is a bubble level to level the rifle on uneven terrain or hide positions. In front of the lower rail is a hand stop.  The rifle may be of several colors of Cerekote.  Magazines may be the proprietary MPA magazines, or magazines made by Accuracy International.

 McMillan TAC Series

     The TAC series  is designed, depending upon its iteration, for tactical police use to military applications.  The action is based upon the Remington 700 series, but the design diverges from the base 700 action quickly. 

     The action is built of hardened 17-4 stainless steel, with an action face almost perpendicular to the bolt axis.  Tolerances have been made extremely tight, with critical component having only 0.0005 inch of play in them; they are then hand-fitted and modified further if necessary.  The bolt is even tougher, being made of hardened 9310 steel; it also has spiral grooves cut in it to automatically remove most sand, water, and dust when it is cycled.  The extractor of the M-700 is replaced by a Sako-type claw extractor, heavily modified into a design exclusively McMillan’s.  The standard TAC series comes with Parker-Hale bipod (adjustable for height and cant), but the mount allows the substitution of virtually any sort of other bipod.  The stock is a synthetic McMillan stock with an adjustable cheekpiece and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad on the butt.  The semi-pistol grip on the A5 stock is especially deep.  The trigger is not adjustable, but is factory-set at the lightest touch which is generally acceptable by most snipers for a non-adjustable trigger. 

     The TAC-308 Standard is designed primarily for urban tactical engagements and for use by marksmen who are not trained snipers.  The stock used is a McMillan A3 stock, normally gray in color, though other colors are available; it is finished in Robar ROGARD.  The butt has removable spacers to adjust the length of pull.  Barrels are Schneider-built and are heavy in profile and also match-quality, with a length of 20 or 24 inches.  Feed may be from an integral box with a hinged floorplate or from a box magazine (but not both).  Trigger pull weight is set at 2.75 pounds.  A muzzle brake is an option, as is a conventional flash suppressor, a target crown, or even a suppressor.  No iron sights are provided, but the receiver is topped with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.

     The TAC-300 and TAC-338 (both collectively known also as the TAC Magnum) are magnum versions of TAC-308.  The .300 Winchester Magnum uses a 26-inch heavy match barrel, while the .338 Lapua Magnum uses a 27” barrel of the same specifications.  A folding-stock version will be available in late 2007, though the rifle cannot be fired with the stock folded (it is only a storage option).  The TAC Magnum can use a muzzle brake (the muzzle brake is in fact standard on the TAC-338), flash suppressor, or target crown.  Again, no iron sights are provided; the receiver is topped by a MIL-STD-1913 rail.

     The TAC-50, though it appears externally quite different from the TAC-308 and TAC Magnum, is internally essentially same (sized up for the .50 Browning Machinegun round).  Though the TAC-50 is technically an antimateriel rifle, it is included here for completeness.  It is sold primarily to military forces (who remain unnamed) and certain police and government agencies.  The barrel is 29 inches and tipped with a standard muzzle brake, with no other muzzle options being available.  Feed is exclusively by detachable magazine.  A takedown version also exists, which has a quick-release stock and barrel.

     Further development of the TAC-50 has resulted in the advent of the TAC-416 and TAC-50A1R2.  The TAC-416 is basically a single-shot version of the TAC-50, which may have a medium-profile barrel or a light contour barrel, both tipped with a beefy muzzle brake.  The muzzle brake is screwed on, allowing the use of other muzzle devices; however, the TAC-416 was more a popular request by long-range target shooters rather than to fill a police or military requirement.

     The TAC-50A1R2 is an evolutionary development of the TAC-50; it’s primary difference is in its Recoil Mitigation System.  In addition to felt recoil reductions done with the muzzle brake and the recoil pad, the operation involves a proprietary hydraulic piston in stock that according to McMillan, reduced felt recoil by 90% between the recoil, the hydraulic buffer, and the muzzle brake, and the recoil pad.  This means that the stock is a special stock containing the end of a long recoil piston and a guide rod and recoil mass.  The 29-inch barrel has a heavy profile

Nemesis Arms Vanquish

     Notes: The Vanquish is designed to be a modular sniper rifle, able to use a wide variety of chamberings by simply changing the barrel and in some cases, the bolt. The receiver is almost identical to the AR-15A2, with the exception of the bolt and bolt-action feed.  The front of the receiver has a Versapod on an extension that is adjustable for height and cant.  The butt is made to be long, so the toe can be used as a monopod.  The standard stock is on two rails; an optional part allows an AR-15-type stock to be substituted.  The stock also has an adjustable cheekpiece. The barrel is of heavy profile, of 4140 chrome moly steel, with a 16-inch or 20-inch fluted heavy barrel tipped with a 3-slot muzzle brake.  MIL-STD-1913 rails are above and below the barrel (this is actually an option, but I have included them) on steel rails; above the receiver is a rail which is a part of the receiver (is monolithic). The barrel itself is free-floating. An Ashbury stock is another option; this has a full, adjustable, padded cheekpiece, a padded butt adjustable for height and cant; recoil buffers, and is fixed. There is literally a hoard of optional parts and features.

NEMO Omen/Match

     Notes: The Omen/Match takes the Tango-8 battle rifle receiver and tightens it to hand-laid tolerances.  Then, a sniper-quality barrel is added in a more powerful caliber, and the Mako stock, adjustable for length of pull and cheek height and angle, and with a recoil pad.  The grip remains the Hogue overmolded grip, oversized side-charging handle, low profile gas block, a stainless steel bolt carrier with a nickel-boron finish, and a Geiselle 2-stage match trigger with KNS antirotational trigger pins.  BUIS is optional, but not present on the rifle as statted here.  A 26-inch heavy match barrel is also optional, and statted below.  The normal barrel is a 22-inch sniper quality barrel; both are tipped with a NEMO Tornado muzzle brake. Unlike other NEMO rifles, the MIL-STD-1913 rails are completely removable.

Nighthawk Tactical Rifle

     The Tactical Rifle is designed for more short-range sniping work, but work that is beyond the range of a designated marksman.  However, it is capable of some pretty long shots.  The Tactical Rifle is based around a Surgeon Rifles action which has been further hardened, and adds a 22-inch Broughton precision barrel made from 416 steel which is hand-lapped for eight hours, ensuring that the bore diameter matches the breech diameter.  The barrel uses 5c rifling, which maximizes bullet stabilization as well as lowers the pressure on the barrel.  Bolt lugs are lapped to the receiver. The stock is a Manners TCA-T4A synthetic stock with an adjustable cheekpiece and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.  The top of the butt is parallel with the bore.  Unusual for such a rifle, the magazine protrudes from the bottom of the receiver; this allows extra room for the action and aids in quick magazine changes. Screws used on the Tactical Rifle are hardened to prevent stripping.  The Tactical Rifle is centered around the unusual chambering of 6.5-284 Norma (which was considered a wildcat cartridge until recently), though it is also available in the chamberings that the Surgeon action allows. A bipod is not normally included with the Tactical Rifle, though of course one may be added. Trigger pull weight is light at 1.4 pounds.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Tactical Rifle is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Patriot Arms Genesis Tactical Rifle

     Notes: Based on their Genesis Hunting Rifle, the Genesis Tactical Rifle is based on the tried-and-true Remington 700 action.  The stock has been replaced with a McMillan synthetic stock, usually with camouflage patterning or coloring to the order of the customer.  The barrel is a glass-bedded floating heavy match barrel, normally 20 or 24 inches, though other barrel lengths can be had if desired; the barrel is also target crowned.  The trigger is reworked to fire with a light touch.  Instead of a MIL-STD-1913 rail, the scope rings are set in with dovetails, a much more solid mount.  The recoil lug of the Genesis is oversized and precision-ground, and the bolt is squared and trued.  Metalwork is finished in Lauer Custom Weaponry Duracoat (black or OD Green).  The view of many snipers is that while the GTR is incredibly accurate, it is too light in weight and the trigger pull too light.  The standard chamberings for the Genesis are listed below, but Patriot Arms will build a Genesis to order in virtually any caliber.

     The Revelation is basically a Genesis “taken to the next level,” with far tighter tolerances, more expensive and better-quality components, and generally manufactured to a higher standard than the Genesis.  (In real-world prices, you would also pay far more for a Revelation than you would for a Genesis.)  The barrel is similar to that of the Genesis, but of better quality, and is also pillar-bedded using stainless steel pillars.  The parts of the action are hard-chromed and operate very smoothly.  Stocks are of McMillan make, but Patriot Arms will build the Revelation with any sort of McMillan stock the buyer desires.  The bolt knob is enlarged, and claw-type extractor is added to the action.  The metalwork’s finish is in two chemically different layers to increase corrosion resistance.  The trigger unit is a fully adjustable one made by Shilen.  As with the Genesis, Patriot Arms will make the Revelation is virtually any barrel length or caliber desired, but the standard ones are listed below.

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

     Merc 2000 Notes: The Genesis is not available in large numbers until 2005; the Revelation is not available until nearly 2007.