The Royal Armoury of Secunderabad
The Prince in his infinite wisdom has decided to allow his Royal Armoury to begin exporting or arms abroad freely. The Royal Armoury of Secunderabad is home to some of the most expert craftsmen in all of India, who have been designing and producing the finest small arms in the region for centuries. Each firearm is hand-crafted to ensure quality, and the designs are time tested, having served the Prince's armies for decades.
The first modern firearm design approved by the Prince and produced was the Mk. 04, a long rifle first fielded by the Prince's armies in 1907. Designed around the .303 cartridge and with the inspiration of the SMLE Mk III, it was intended to serve the armies of the Prince while in service to the British Crown. After a number of years, when it's length became an issue in combat, particularly in the urban environment of our own nation, it was decided to sacrifice some range for compactness, and the Mk. 15 was designed and put into service to replace most of the Mk. 04s, except those used by sharpshooters. However, in earlier engagements its length, combined with bayonet, created a long pike which served useful against cavalry. Some of the improvements in the Mk. 15 design were used to retrofit the Mk. 04s still in service, extending their effective lifespans. Mk. 04s still used are often used with scope, and, at times, bi-pod.
RAS Mk. 04, priced at 950 NSD
(image not to scale with others)
Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Place of Origin: The Principality of Secunderabad
In Service: 1907-
Used By: The Principality of Secunderabad
Produced: 1905-
Number Built to date: 89,000
Weight: 4 kg
Length: 1200 mm
Barrel Length: 685 mm
Cartridge: .303 Mk VII SAA Ball
Action: Bolt-Action
Muzzle Velocity: 769 m/s
Effective Range: 500 m
Maximum Range: 2,700 m
Feed System: 7 round clip in internal magazine
Sights: iron front fixed sight, sliding ramp rear sight
The shortcomings of the Mk. 04, principally the length which was far too much for an infantry weapon needed more for urban warfare and house-to-house fighting than in the field, pushed the Prince to demand a new version of the rifle. The Mk. 15, a shorter version, was designed in 1914 and began to be issued in 1917. The Mk. 15 was loved by the Prince's soldiers. It improved upon not just the maneuverability and weight, but also the reliability of the Mk. 04. While it has a shorter effective range, its relatively compact size made it easier to use in close quarters and it retained the stopping power, easily dispatching targets within a city block, the normal range of fighting in the Principality of Secunderabad.
RAS Mk. 15, priced at 800 NSD
Type: Bolt-Action Rifle
Place of Origin: The Principality of Secunderabad
In Service: 1917-
Used By: The Principality of Secunderabad
Produced: 1916-
Number Built to date: 301,200
Weight: 3.6 kg
Length: 1060 mm
Barrel Length: 585 mm
Cartridge: .303 Mk VII SAA Ball
Action: Bolt-Action
Muzzle Velocity: 770 m/s
Effective Range: 465 m
Maximum Range: 2,500 m
Feed System: 7 round clip in internal magazine
Sights: iron front fixed sight, sliding ramp rear sight
While the Mk. 15 was seen as an absolute success, some sought an even shorter version, and the Mk. 21 carbine was born. Principally issued to cavalry and other special troops beginning in 1922, the carbine became a favorite for covert operations due to its small size. The very light-weight firearm is still popular among cavalrymen who can easily carry it in one hand while handling their horse with the other. Still using the .303 cartridge, while its range is diminished, and accuracy is often lower in its use, in the close-quarters combat it usually sees it has undeniable power. Often called "babe" or "baby" for its small size, don't mistake that for meaning anything about its power and effectiveness when used. Among cavalrymen and others, it's a term of endearment for this beloved small arm.
RAS Mk. 21, priced at 750 NSD
Type: Bolt-Action Carbine
Place of Origin: The Principality of Secunderabad
In Service: 1922-
Used By: The Principality of Secunderabad
Produced: 1922-
Number Built to date: 44,000
Weight: 3.3 kg
Length: 840 mm
Barrel Length: 435 mm
Cartridge: .303 Mk VII SAA Ball
Action: Bolt-Action
Muzzle Velocity: 768 m/s
Effective Range: 350 m
Maximum Range: 850 m
Feed System: 7 round clip in internal magazine
Sights: iron front fixed sight, sliding ramp rear sight
At this time we were developing a new semi-automatic pistol to replace our old revolvers. Our design combined a battle-tested action from one pistol, with a battle-tested round of another, with aesthetics which fit our own tastes. For a modern firearm the magazine capacity may seem small, but its an accomplishment that the magazine can fit inside the grip at all, given the small fit, and the large caliber. Designed to look old-fashioned, it is a favorite of people in the region who need a large caliber handgun, but want something elegant as well.
RAS Mk. 22
Type: Semi-Automatic Pistol
Place of Origin: The Principality of Secunderabad
In Service: 1922-
Used By: The Principality of Secunderabad
Produced: 1922-
Number Built to date: 34,100
Weight: 2.6 kg
Length:
Barrel Length:
Cartridge: .45 ACP
Action: Toggle-locked, short recoil
Muzzle Velocity: 250 m/s
Effective Range: 55 m
Feed System: 8 round detachable box
With the increasing popularity of submachine guns, the Prince sought to end our dependence on foreign designs and instead create our own. The Prince wisely saw that for cavalry and urban troops a machine pistol would be ideal in many conditions, and so with the inspiration of a foreign design, the Royal Armourers came to an agreement on what would become the Mk. 34. First issued in 1937, it was quickly adopted by military police and many others who needed "crowd-dispersal" or close-quarters weapons that were easily man-portable, had relatively low recoil, and had a high rate of fire. Specialist troops among the infantry and cavalry also use the Mk. 34. The decision to use a small 7.62mm calibre pistol cartridge was controversial, but in the end made and a new cartridge was developed by the Armoury for the first time.
RAS Mk. 34, priced at 1,100 NSD
Type: Machine Pistol
Place of Origin: The Principality of Secunderabad
In Service: 1937-
Used By: The Principality of Secunderabad
Produced: 1935-
Number Built to date: 46,400
Weight: 3.6 kg
Length: 835 mm
Barrel Length: 215 mm
Cartridge: 7.62x25mm
Action: Blowback
Rate of Fire: 600 rounds per minute
Muzzle Velocity: 485 m/s
Effective Range: 200 m
Feed System: 20 or 30 round detachable box
It became determined that the ideal weapon for crowd control and close quarters battle was carbine or machine pistol. The carbine in service, however, was bolt-action single shot, and the machine pistol was very light in terms of firepower. A short machine gun, man-portable, was desired, but with the stopping power of the .303 cartridge. It would be deployed as the American Browning Automatic Rifle, as a light machine gun or squad automatic weapon, and used to help develop a future service weapon which would be semi- or fully automatic, and be the standard issued weapon for all troops. In fact, the design eventually adopted was in many ways based on the BAR.
The Mk. 38 was developed. An air cooled barrel, diagonally-oriented carrying handle, front and rear sights, mount for a bipod, and 25 round magazine are distinguishing features of this light machine gun, traits developed after much testing. It was short enough to be maneuverable, but not too short to be effective for our purposes, and with optional real and forward pistol grips for certain variants, as well as much sought-after 50 round drum magazines.
RAS Mk. 38, priced at 2,100 NSD
Type: Light Machine Gun
Place of Origin: The Principality of Secunderabad
In Service: 1940-
Used By: The Principality of Secunderabad
Produced: 1938-
Number Built to date: 14,100
Weight: 6.5 kg
Length: 1080 mm
Barrel Length:
Cartridge: .303
Action: Gas operated, tilting breech block
Rate of Fire: 500-600 rounds per minute
Muzzle Velocity: 845 m/s
Effective Range: 225-450 m
Feed System: 25 round detachable box