Weapons Timelines for the Twilight War

[Raellus]

I don't know why I keep coming back to this, but I like to think about the weapons and equipment that would likely be fielded in the Twilight War, especially in the later years, in contrast to what was fielded at that time IRL. A lot of this has been covered in other threads, but I couldn't resist a consolidated discussion of what was, what is, and what could have been.

UK: L85, L85A1/SA80, SLR, and/or Armalite AR-18?

IRL, the early production version of the SA80 (aka the L85) had a dreadful reputation and the improved L85A1 version only entered widespread service right around 2000. In the Twilight world, this may not have occured. Instead, the UK may have reissued the venerable 7.62mm SLR as a stopgap measure to replace the unreliable early-make L85s. Another possibility is that the UK began remanufacture of the Armalite AR-18 which had been liscence-built by Sterling in the UK during the late '70s in order to issue a stopgap weapon using the NATO 5.56mm round.

IMTW*, the UK armed forces use a mix of all three, with the SLR being the most common c. 2000. This would likely mean the Sterling SMG would be more common in the Twilight timeline than it was in the late '90s IRL.

On a related aside, I also like the idea of the reissue of Bren L4s LSWs to UK units (alongside a few L86s and FN Minimi SAWs).

USSR: AKM, AK-74, AK-103, "AKMR", and/or AN-94?

Obviously, the AK-74 is still the standard Russian Federation army assault rifle and would have been during the Twilight War. Deep reserve units would likely still be armed with older, 7.62mm S AKMs. I'm really on the fence regarding the idea of the rechambered (for 5.45mm b) AKMR from canon. It seems like way too much trouble compared to continued manufacture of 7.62mm S ammunition, especially since Kalashnikov began manufactured what amounts to a modernized AKM in the form of the 7.62mm S AK-103, which is apparently standard issue with Russian SF. Manufacture of the AK-103 began, IRL, in the mid-90s so it could appear in the Twilight World in limited numbers.

Then there's the innovative but delicate AN-94, which the Russians have issued in very small numbers IRL. It too could have made it into the Twilight War, albeit in very small numbers.

IMTW, first and second-line Soviet units use the AK-74 series, deep reserve units use mostly AKMs and a few new issue AK-103s, and Soviet special forces use a mix of all three with the odd AN-94 mixed in.

Reunited Germany: G-11, G-36, G-3, G-41, and/or AKM?

This is a tricky one. IRL, the G-11 never went into production but canon says it did in the Twilight timeline. Canon also states that caseless ammo production for it was impeded by the exchange and that it gradually fell out of use.

Then there's the G-36 which began to enter German Army service in the late '90s, IRL. It isn't mentioned at all in canon but it very well could have been introduced in time for the Twilight War. In all likelihood, though, not enough G-36s could have been manufactured before the general exchange to equip the newly reunited German Army.

So, whether it was the G-11 and/or the G-36 issued to the W. German Army in the Twilight timeline's mid-to-late '90s, something else would have needed to equip the balance of the German Army. The G-3 is the obvious choice since a good number were still in service, IRL, in the late '90s and early 2000s. But the 5.56mm G-41 would also be a natural option, given NATO's transition to that standard AR round.

Then there's the matter of the former East German Army units. I think it's most likely that they keep their AKMs and slowly transition to whatever the West German's standard AR would be. Of course, that transition would be interrupted by the exchange so AKMs would continue to remain in German Army service well past 2000.

IMTW, most the W. German army formations use the G-3 or G-41 while former E. German formations use the AKM with G-3s and G-41s in some former GDR units. I also allow for a few G-36s too.

Also, IMTW, the Uzi is still commonplace in German service.

USA: M-240 and/or M-60?

This is probably a non-issue. Both GPMGs would likely be in service in the Twilight War. The proportion of one to the other is probably moot. The M240 would probably be most common in first-line units with the M60 more common in reserve and NG units.

With the M-16 series remaining the standard AR of the US armed forces to this day, there's no question here.

I also like the idea of M-79 "Blooper" GLs being reissued to American units, especially in CONUS.


Other Weapons that could have become mainstays in the Twilight War:

The Brunswick RAW

I've seen this in various late-'80s, early '90s books on US infantry weapons but it never really caught on, IRL. IMHO, it would be an ideal weapon for urban warfare. In densely populated central Europe, its combination of low-recoil, no backblast, HESH warhead, and low cost relative to the standard issue LAWs (M136, M72, and SMAW) would make it a good option for soldiers in urban combat. I can see it rushed into production and widely issued to American troops with quite a few still around by 2000.

(Paul M., I couldn't find this one on your site. I'm sure it's there, though.)

There are a couple of other ones I wanted to mentioned but I can't remember which. I'll post an adendum when I do.

*IMTW= In My Twilight World

[Targan]

There is scope for nearly infinite variety of opinion on this topic but realistically can be broken down into two main ways of looking at the issue:
1: Entirely factual, where you simply find the real life information on when a given weapon system was fielded and apply that to the T2K timeline or
2: Assume that the differences between the IRL and T2K timelines resulted in various weapon systems being developed and/or fielded earlier, later or not at all compared to RL.

In nearly all cases IMTW I take the latter view, and more specifically that because the Cold War never really ended in the T2K timeline the development and fielding of many weapon systems was accelerated. I think an acceleration of three to five years is not unreasonable in most cases but there are many exceptions. For instance, the development of some weapon systems may have been directly or indirectly influenced by advances in materials technology and those advances may not have been influenced by whether or not the Cold War continued (such as some developments made in the civilian sector that were not initially military in nature). The time scale for the application of such developments in the area of weapons tech would therefore be similar in both the RL and T2K timelines (although the fielding of the resulting weapons systems could be accelerated or decelerated in T2K once they had been developed).

The above probably isn't very easy to read but I think you all will get an idea of what I'm trying to say.

Relating this to Raellus' opening post with the UK as an example I think that the L85, L85A1/SA80, SLR, and Armalite AR-18 could all be used by British forces during the Twilight War, but the L85A1 might have been seen in only limited numbers because if you apply my suggestion of an acceleration of three to five years to Raellus' statement that "the improved L85A1 version only entered widespread service right around 2000", it would only have entered widespread service in the T2K timeline somewhere between 1995 and 1997.

[Raellus]

Good analysis, Targan.

I tend to combine the two viewpoints, using RL as a frame of reference but assuming significant changes due to the historical divergence necessitated by the Twilight timeline.

To bolster your point, Targan, the accepted explanation for W. Germany's cancellation of the adoption of the G11 was the financial strain brought about by reunification, E. Germany largely being economic dead weight. However, since reunification didn't occur until '96 in the v1.0 Twilight 2000 timeline, West Germany would have had around 5 years or so to manufacture G11s before the complications of reunification by force.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I think the accepted reason for the non-adoption of the G11 was not that it was economic dead weight but that the West German security situation no longer required the weapon (i.e. the end of the Cold War meant that replacing the G3 didn't warrant as high a priority) and the money would/could then be used to help finance the unification of the two Germanys.

Given that the G11 was accepted as the next infantry rifle for West German forces, it is highly likely that the G36 was never even considered for study let alone developed. Everything would have been focused on production of the G11 for frontline troops and the G41 for support/rear-area troops. In those circumstances the G36 is unlikely to even exist in any of the T2k timelines.

Another possible contender in the Soviet Army would be the AEK-971 rifle, another contender for the AK-74 replacement http://world.guns.ru/assault/as34-e.htm

Other Soviet weapons you'd could possible find are
ASM-DT http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASM-DT_..._Assault_Rifle
AS 'Val' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AS_Val
SR-3 'Vikhr' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR-3_Vikhr
9A-91 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9A-91
VSK-94 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSK-94

And some other possibilities, this time from Sweden
FM 1957 and
GRAM 63
both can be seen here http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/ak/ak4_5/ak5_history.htm
and from the USA
TRW Low Maintenance Rifle http://world.guns.ru/assault/as78-e.htm

[Legbreaker]

I tend to agree with almost all the comments above, but the G-11 is definately one of those "what if" items.
In a 1.0 timeline, it's almost certain to have seen widespread issue and the G36, etc is likely to not have made it past prototyping.
2.0/2.2 on the other hand is going to be nearly the opposite - a hundred or so G-11s produced for testing and probably only in the hands of SF types, while the G36 was pumped out by the thousand due to it's more contemporary and "socially acceptable" mechanism and chambering.

An advance of three to five years seems a little excessive though. I'd be inclined to say more like one to three (at most) as it takes time for economies to switch over to wartime production and R&D, and then in 1997 we have what is effectively a brick wall for development.

To my mind, whatever technology exists around September to Novemeber 1997, is all there is. From there it's virtually all downhill.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I tend to think that 3 to 5 years is a conservative figure for advancing the research, typically the only things that would retard the R&D would be lack of finances and/or lack of national desire.
To illustrate my meaning, I watched a science show some years ago and they were discussing cybernetic implants for eyes that would allow partially blind people to see better and even allow those who were blind to gain some sight. The chief researcher said that under current conditions it would take about 10-15 years to reach that goal but with more funding it could be as little as half that time.

If the leadership of a country wants something badly enough, they'll make the funding available and again the G11 is a good example of that. Originally developed if I remember right, as a contender for the West German version of the 'Salvo' Project that the USA was conducting, the tech of the G11 soon surpassed the then current firearms technology and it's still considered advanced compared to today. The West German government pumped a lot of money into it and Heckler & Koch put some of their own money into the project from what I understand of it.

Personally I can't see the G36 being developed even in the 2.2 timeline because, in the real world, its precursor rifle began development in the early 1990s with the G36 available for service in 1997 whereas in the Twilight 2.2 world, in 1993 there is warfare in the Soviet republics and by 1994 Europe is showing increasing signs of instability. It's at this point that Germany begins building up it's forces and by 1995, to quote the 2.2 book, page 9 ...Germany declares its agreement on size and location of armed forces 'obsolete in relation to the current European situation." They are gearing up for a war that they enter in 1996.

Under those circumstances I could see Germany increasing the production of G41 rifles and/or the less expensive HK33 rifle (and it's HK53 carbine, HK13 & HK23 LMG variants) as well as perhaps issuing the East German AK variants.
But I can't imagine they would start up the research and development of a completely new weapon given that they are in the process of building up for a regional conflict. They couldn't possibly hope to supply enough of them to their forces even if they did get it to the production stage. I don't disagree that there would be relatively small numbers of the G11 available but I really can't see the G36 being produced at all.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Raellus

The Brunswick RAW

It's in US Rifle Grenades, but simply labeled "RAW 140mm."

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

It's in US Rifle Grenades, but simply labeled "RAW 140mm."

I knew you wouldn't have missed it!

[Raellus]

I think 3-5 years is reasonable. The Cold War was a huge incentive/motivator for government funding of the military as well as arms R&D. A lot of programs would have been pushed ahead had it not been for the unanticipated peaceful end of the Cold War.

SSC, I didn't mean that the G-11 was dead weight but that the East German economy was. The financial strain of having to incorporate what was, in effect, a ruined economy meant that less money was available to fund projects like the adoption of the G-11. Only after the German economy stabilized in the mid-90s (IRL) did Germany adopt a new AR (the G-36). The need for a new AR never went away. In fact, the German army had to find a replacement for both the G-3 and the AKM.

Your point about the v1.0 timeline is well taken, though. Due to the adoption of the G-11, it is unlikely that the G-36 would even have been developed, let alone adopted and produced in any numbers.

BTW, thanks for the other weapons links.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by Raellus

UK: L85, L85A1/SA80, SLR, and/or Armalite AR-18?

IRL, the early production version of the SA80 (aka the L85) had a dreadful reputation and the improved L85A1 version only entered widespread service right around 2000. In the Twilight world, this may not have occured. Instead, the UK may have reissued the venerable 7.62mm SLR as a stopgap measure to replace the unreliable early-make L85s. Another possibility is that the UK began remanufacture of the Armalite AR-18 which had been liscence-built by Sterling in the UK during the late '70s in order to issue a stopgap weapon using the NATO 5.56mm round.

IMTW*, the UK armed forces use a mix of all three, with the SLR being the most common c. 2000. This would likely mean the Sterling SMG would be more common in the Twilight timeline than it was in the late '90s IRL.

On a related aside, I also like the idea of the reissue of Bren L4s LSWs to UK units (alongside a few L86s and FN Minimi SAWs).

I can't recall where I read it, but I did see an article a few months ago that suggested that the UK still had a stockpile of SLR's which ran into the tens of thousands, so I think it's highly likely that the SLR would be the most commonly found weapon amongst British forces either though neccessity or choice. I also like the idea of reissuing Brens, and would probably add to that the possibility of very occasionally encountering militia and Home Service Force units in the UK armed with .303 Lee Enfields. There's also likely to be a number of MP5's in circulation as that was the standard issue long arm of most British police forces (at least on the mainland).

One minor thing - whilst I agree with most of what you've said here (including the reissue of the Bren gun), IRL Sterling Armaments went bust in the late 80's, so wouldn't be in any position to start remanufacturing the AR18.

(Of course, that doesn't mean that they have to go bust in a T2K World...)

On a side note, finding ways for marauder groups in the UK to be armed is a source of constant headaches for me...there are only so many dodgy French weapons dealers or abandoned HSF caches...I do sometimes envy those whose work is set in the US where it seems (to me at least) that both lawful and unlawful groups have relatively easy access to large amounts of weapons.

Interesting views on the G11 / G36 debate also. I've always been a fan of the G36, but as I use a Version 1 timeline following the logic here I think I may have to dump it in favour of the G11.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

I can't recall where I read it, but I did see an article a few months ago that suggested that the UK still had a stockpile of SLR's which ran into the tens of thousands, so I think it's highly likely that the SLR would be the most commonly found weapon amongst British forces either though neccessity or choice. I also like the idea of reissuing Brens, and would probably add to that the possibility of very occasionally encountering militia and Home Service Force units in the UK armed with .303 Lee Enfields. There's also likely to be a number of MP5's in circulation as that was the standard issue long arm of most British police forces (at least on the mainland).

One minor thing - whilst I agree with most of what you've said here (including the reissue of the Bren gun), IRL Sterling Armaments went bust in the late 80's, so wouldn't be in any position to start remanufacturing the AR18.

(Of course, that doesn't mean that they have to go bust in a T2K World...)

On a side note, finding ways for marauder groups in the UK to be armed is a source of constant headaches for me...there are only so many dodgy French weapons dealers or abandoned HSF caches...I do sometimes envy those whose work is set in the US where it seems (to me at least) that both lawful and unlawful groups have relatively easy access to large amounts of weapons.

Interesting views on the G11 / G36 debate also. I've always been a fan of the G36, but as I use a Version 1 timeline following the logic here I think I may have to dump it in favour of the G11.

The relative shortage of arms and ammo is an appealing trait to running a campaign in terh UK rather than the US -in teh US no one asks twice if marauders have M2HBs, magnum .44s and SMGs.

But I guess you need some armed elements to counter any organized forces .So I guess you have used the obvious choices :

1) marauders are former services personel with all their gear intact-like a unit gone rogue,be it police,army,TA,any other govt. agency you can see armed in a T2K type scenario-events have led them out on the dark paths of reaving and so on

2) typical type marauders with studded leather jackets etc that have plundered caches ,armories,museums,arms dealers,auction houses ,private houses etc

3) slaves for guns programs run by foreigners selling arms to fuel their business.Danes,Norwegians,French,Netherlands have easy access to the UK coasts by ship-and these countries shave alot of guns in the populace

4) the illegal manufacturer - tons of designs are easily made from scraps or with a minimum of machihng and tooling.There have been numerous posts on the topic on the forum .The StenGun is typical .But the British Standard SMG is also interesting .AS is the PPSH-43 for the more well equipped black market dealer.See thebigbookofwar for some examples.

5) battlefield overflow. Squaddies will take home or send home lots of stash if possible -so will the dishonest and greedy in REME and any other organizations that have a pipeline both to and from the battlefields.

6) what about surrendering enemy units ? Couldnt they throw away or lay down arms that end up in the hands of baddies?

7) a destabilizing program like the Jerries did in 1916 with Russian arms in a sub that were supposed to end up in the Irish hands ? Only now its captured US and German weapons on a their way in a Russian sub..Or a Yankee plot if GM is feeling nefarious..

anyways - I am sure you have all these angles covered -but if not these are my two cents

[Rainbow Six]

Cheers HQ. You've got some good ideas there.

The fifth one on your list reminds me of a story that a mate of mine who was in the First Gulf War (with the REME!) told me once. Apparently a shed load of Iraqi weapons and kit was smuggled back to Germany at the end of the War and shortly afterwards the German police noticed an increase in armed robberies at petrol stations...

On a serious note, my mate did say that when units moved back to the UK they had to leave any contraband in Germany as HM Customs checked returning Army units extremely thoroughly so normal practice was generally to sell the gear to someone staying on in Germany.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

I can't recall where I read it, but I did see an article a few months ago that suggested that the UK still had a stockpile of SLR's which ran into the tens of thousands, so I think it's highly likely that the SLR would be the most commonly found weapon amongst British forces either though neccessity or choice.

If you ever find that source, please post it here. I'd love more justification for bringing back the SLR hard.

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

One minor thing - whilst I agree with most of what you've said here (including the reissue of the Bren gun), IRL Sterling Armaments went bust in the late 80's, so wouldn't be in any position to start remanufacturing the AR18.

Yeah, that's a bit of a problem I conveniently overlooked. One possible way to justify it is to say that part of the company was bought out by another that would be in a position to legally begin manufacturing the AR18 in the UK. I don't know if such liscencing agreements are transferable but it might work.

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

Interesting views on the G11 / G36 debate also. I've always been a fan of the G36, but as I use a Version 1 timeline following the logic here I think I may have to dump it in favour of the G11.

The G36 is a sexy gun and, until recently, I included significant numbers IMTW. As a result of our discussion here, I think I will be dumping it too.

Here's a question. Would the G11's caseless ammo be easier, more difficult, or no different to manufacture after the exchange took out most industry?

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Raellus

If you ever find that source, please post it here. I'd love more justification for bringing back the SLR hard.?

Can't say much for the UK but I know that up until the early 90s, thousands of SMLE's were kept in storage by the Australian Army for potential issue to the population in the event of invasion. The SLR probably replaced the SMLE in this role as the Steyr come into service.
I also know that brand new SLRs were still being issued from storage up until 1991-2 (absolutely jam packed with grease to prevent rust - barrels completely blocked with the stuff). These weapons had been produced up to several decades earlier and not seen the light of day since.

Originally Posted by Raellus

Here's a question. Would the G11's caseless ammo be easier, more difficult, or no different to manufacture after the exchange took out most industry?

Gut feeling is more difficult. With no brass to reload, back yard reloaders couldn't manage without the hi tech moulds and special chemical mix to hold it all together. At least with conventional cased rounds, you have a little flexibility with type of propellant. With caseless, you get the formula wrong and you're likely to end up with little more than a crumbling mess.

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by Raellus

If you ever find that source, please post it here. I'd love more justification for bringing back the SLR hard.?

I'll have a good hunt and see if I can track it down...wont be for a while though as I'm on holiday as off Thursday night so wont be around a PC for two and a half weeks

Originally Posted by Raellus

Yeah, that's a bit of a problem I conveniently overlooked. One possible way to justify it is to say that part of the company was bought out by another that would be in a position to legally begin manufacturing the AR18 in the UK. I don't know if such liscencing agreements are transferable but it might work.

Sounds reasonable enough...Royal Ordnance is probably a good bet for that...having a working weapons production facility in Dagenham could open up some very interesting adventure possibilities, even if it was only producing small amounts of weapons.

Originally Posted by Raellus

The G36 is a sexy gun and, until recently, I included significant numbers IMTW. As a result of our discussion here, I think I will be dumping it too.

Here's a question. Would the G11's caseless ammo be easier, more difficult, or no different to manufacture after the exchange took out most industry?

Not speaking with any sort of knowledge, but like Legbreaker, gut feeling would be more difficult. My main reason for stating that is that the various versions of canon always suggested that whilst G11's themselves were not uncommon, the ammunition was rare as the round was entirely consumed.

[headquarters]

Is something like a presicion high pressure molded high explosive..not what you would be able to make in a village shop..

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

I'll have a good hunt and see if I can track it down...wont be for a while though as I'm on holiday as off Thursday night so wont be around a PC for two and a half weeks



Sounds reasonable enough...Royal Ordnance is probably a good bet for that...having a working weapons production facility in Dagenham could open up some very interesting adventure possibilities, even if it was only producing small amounts of weapons.



Not speaking with any sort of knowledge, but like Legbreaker, gut feeling would be more difficult. My main reason for stating that is that the various versions of canon always suggested that whilst G11's themselves were not uncommon, the ammunition was rare as the round was entirely consumed.

[Legbreaker]

It would have to be a low explosive. High explosives have a burn rate so fast they shatter rather than push.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

On a side note, finding ways for marauder groups in the UK to be armed is a source of constant headaches for me...there are only so many dodgy French weapons dealers or abandoned HSF caches...I do sometimes envy those whose work is set in the US where it seems (to me at least) that both lawful and unlawful groups have relatively easy access to large amounts of weapons.

Maybe in its darkest days the British government decides to raise and arm some sort of home guard or civil defense corps or something along those lines, perhaps with newly produced AR-18s or old mothballed Lee Enfields or Sterlings (or whatever). It would only take one crooked soldier to tip off a particularly motivated and well armed criminal gang to hijack a shipment of a few hundred or even thousand weapons. This could either arm some wannabe warlords budding private army or be sold of piecemeal on the local black market (or a combination of both).

There's also the odd "lost" Spetznaz cache* that some kid finds hidden in the countryside. It's probably only a few AKs, grenades, etc., but it would allow whoever decides to use them to outgun the local police and maybe pull off a raid on its armory, netting a few more MP-5s, shotguns, sidearms, etc.

And, of course, some British soldiers would undoubtedly go rogue as soon as things started to really go south.

Add these all up and you've got a couple thousand illicit military grade arms out there across the UK.

*The original owners could have been wiped out by an SAS or army team equipped with good but incomplete counterintelligence.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

A few ideas here.
1. The IRA had stockpiles of weapons largely obtained from Communist and US sources (AKs, AMD rifles, RPG-7s, M60s, M1 carbines) and they most certainly did have AR-18 in rifle and carbine form. I believe the British troops in Northern Ireland referred to it as the Widow Maker. The police in Northern Ireland had Mini-14 rifles and also I think M1 carbines. Weapons captured or bought from the Irish para-militaries could provide all sorts of exotic weapons (compared to the normal UK gear).
Also, the Irish Army changed from the L1A1 to the AUG in 1988 I think, so that too could be available for UK campaigns.

2. Heckler & Koch were bought out by Royal Ordnance in 1991 so while the AR-18 may not be available for manufacture, perhaps the HK33 was. It was certainly used by various police agencies in the UK.

3. Most nations keep some sort of war-store typically of equipment that has passed from service when newer versions have been introduced. It is highly likely that that many L1A1 rifles and L4 Bren Guns were placed into the war-stores so they would be available for emergency expansion of the military if necessary.
They may even have kept SMLE rifles, Sten Guns and Vickers Guns because some nations keep hold of these stores for several decades - look at Yugoslavia, they still had large numbers of M10 tank destroyers and T-34 tanks into the 1980s-1990s when the civil war broke out.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

3. Most nations keep some sort of war-store typically of equipment that has passed from service when newer versions have been introduced. It is highly likely that that many L1A1 rifles and L4 Bren Guns were placed into the war-stores so they would be available for emergency expansion of the military if necessary.

Example: The large numbers of M-14s and M-21s that the US has pulled out of storage for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Example: The large numbers of M-14s and M-21s that the US has pulled out of storage for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I would be surprised indeed ifthey didnt have stockpiles of everything from Korea and up until today .SMLE,Sten;Bren ( which the TA used until not that long ago ),SLRs,AR-18s .Any govt with respect fo rit self keeps a stockpile .One involved in as many places as the British..probably keeps a stockpile for Bloc and one for Nato scenarios .You never know when supply dries up and those pesky third world dictators that keep oil flowing freely need a refill somewhere.

Just 10 years ago I bought a Kar98 Mauserfrom OUR TA armouries in a big clearance they did .I recall they had something like 60 000 of these still ,from the 250 000 taken from the Germans when they were sent home in 45, rechambered for 30-06 and used until we got the Garands.

I am hoping for the Garand clearance to happen

I saw a documentary on British arms dealers once ,where 2 city type pin stripe guys were fa-fa ing about their experiences -one was retiring from a long life in the biz -the other up and coming .Together they inspected a load of Turkish Mausers ( or were they German on Turkish contract ) 12 000 pieces iirc , all in a customs clearing house or some such -in a major UK port . Maybe it was London .


Britain is no # 3 arms dealer in the world I have been told.I suppose that should lead to the conclusion that there are stockpiles .

Also - consider the amount of firearms constantly being shipped .What would be in any given major port at any given time irl ? A few containers of armaments here and there for sure-also in a major shipping country like Britain .

Given the underlying mercenary bone in the Scandinavian - how many strapping British lasses would you say a trawler load of northern flank battlefield pick up AKs,RPGs,PKs,frags and ammo would be worth ?

Not as the same number as if it ws the other way around -but still

Throw in a couple of the Monty Python cast to keep us smiling through the dark winters with no telly ,and you should be able to get your self a few 23 mm AA guns too.

But I find part of the allure of a UK campaign the LACK of arms ,and the impro needed.Melee weapons,museum pieces,civillian guns .Lends a few got suspense points to a campaign . Bursting away the problem isnt enough in a way .

[TiggerCCW UK]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

1. The IRA had stockpiles of weapons largely obtained from Communist and US sources (AKs, AMD rifles, RPG-7s, M60s, M1 carbines) and they most certainly did have AR-18 in rifle and carbine form. I believe the British troops in Northern Ireland referred to it as the Widow Maker. The police in Northern Ireland had Mini-14 rifles and also I think M1 carbines. Weapons captured or bought from the Irish para-militaries could provide all sorts of exotic weapons (compared to the normal UK gear).
Also, the Irish Army changed from the L1A1 to the AUG in 1988 I think, so that too could be available for UK campaigns.

Terrorist stock piles are a great potential source of weapons for Twilight. Over the years here no end of exotic weaponry has turned up which could be handy enough to throw a curveball to your players For example the Loughgall attack in May 1987 involved the use of three G3's, an FN FAL, two FNC's a ruger revolver (taken from a murdered police officer) and a SPAS 12 shotgun. Weapons that I've seen in phots range from AK's to Garands to G3's, FNC's, M16's, AR18's - pretty much anything you fancy. SMG's have included Stens, Thompsons, MP5's, Uzi's and Scorpions. Heavier weapons are also available, ranging from M60's through DShka's to RPG's, SAM-7's and even flamethrowers. Also, don't discount the home made weapons. The IRA in particular were very adept at improvising weapons ranging from zip gun type pistols up to huge 'barrack buster' mortars. I'll try and dig out some photos of weapon finds and scan them in here. In the mean time here are a couple of links about what the IRA decommisioned that might give you an idea of the scale of armaments they had plus a few other articles;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisi...ms_importation

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4284048.stm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...e/weapons.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisi...and_operations

http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/violen...amilitary2.htm

http://amodestpublication.wordpress....-machine-guns/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrack_buster

Hope that gives you some scope

[TiggerCCW UK]

Should also have added in the last post that the standard army weapons were in use over here - initially SLR's, Sterlings, Brens and GPMG's as well as a small number of Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles, mostly used in an EOD role, although I think some were used on patrol boats on Carlingford Lough, then SA-80/L85's and LSW/L86's. Standard police weapons were Ruger Service 6 revolvers, Walther PP and PPK for off duty carry, Sterlings and M1 carbines up until the early '80s when the M1's were replaced with Ruger Mini-14/AC556 - not entirely sure which model, iirc they could burst fire but not full auto. In the mid '90s the police swapped to MP-5's and HK 33's and in the early 00's the ruger was replaced with the Glock 17. Irish Army were equipped with FN FAL and Sterlings (again iirc) until they were replaced with the AUG. Army Ranger Wing used MP-5's and M16s and the Garda special branch used a variety of revolvers, shotguns and Uzi's (again iirc). I'll try and dig out some more info on that for you as well.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

I can't recall where I read it, but I did see an article a few months ago that suggested that the UK still had a stockpile of SLR's which ran into the tens of thousands, so I think it's highly likely that the SLR would be the most commonly found weapon amongst British forces either though neccessity or choice. I also like the idea of reissuing Brens, and would probably add to that the possibility of very occasionally encountering militia and Home Service Force units in the UK armed with .303 Lee Enfields. There's also likely to be a number of MP5's in circulation as that was the standard issue long arm of most British police forces (at least on the mainland).

One minor thing - whilst I agree with most of what you've said here (including the reissue of the Bren gun), IRL Sterling Armaments went bust in the late 80's, so wouldn't be in any position to start remanufacturing the AR18.

(Of course, that doesn't mean that they have to go bust in a T2K World...)

On a side note, finding ways for marauder groups in the UK to be armed is a source of constant headaches for me...there are only so many dodgy French weapons dealers or abandoned HSF caches...I do sometimes envy those whose work is set in the US where it seems (to me at least) that both lawful and unlawful groups have relatively easy access to large amounts of weapons.

Interesting views on the G11 / G36 debate also. I've always been a fan of the G36, but as I use a Version 1 timeline following the logic here I think I may have to dump it in favour of the G11.

You could always use a Chinese freighter and the Irish insurgents to supply weapons, one accidently, the other to keep its enemy busy.