Arsenal Deimos AR3 7.7mm Battle Rifle

[Anemos Major]

Standard configuration AR3R1 rifle


'Carabinyr' pattern AR3R1


The AR3R1 with wooden furniture, as designed for the Weida De Diguo he Chao of Xin Ming


The Xin Ming pattern AR3R1 equipped with a Modelyr 40 telescopic sight


The AR3R1 'Carabinyr' /mod KRL, a modernised but non-polymerised AR3R1 Carbine built for the Republic of Keraliland


The AR3R1 'Carabinyr' /mod KRL with combat attachments

Designer: Arsenal Deimos
Designed: 1965
Manufacturer : Arsenal Deimos, IFAM
Unit cost: 1200 NSD
Produced: 1966-1994
Number built: ~24 million
Common Variants: AR3R1, AR3R1 Carbine.

(statistics are for AR3R1 rifle.)

Weight: 4.2 kg
Length: 1100mm
Barrel length: 545 mm (21.46 in)
Cartridge: 7.7x54mm Arsenal Standard Anemonian
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of Fire: 600 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 875 m/s (2,871 ft/s)
Effective range: 600 m (1,969 ft)
Feed system: 20 round detachable box magazine.
Sights: Rear receiver aperture sight (with flip-convertible small and large diameter sights) and front hooded post.

Background and History
Between the Anemonian Civil War of 1951 and the accession of Ilfir Erenthi III to the throne in 1964, the newly formed Second Holy Empire of Anemos Major fell into devastating economic decline as a result of the loss of major overseas markets with the dissolution of the Empire. With the introduction of low corporation taxes following the coronation and a focus of state-funded industrial recovery, recovery quickly began that year and in 1965, the Armed Forces, still utilising the venerable Model 1917 self-loading rifle, put forward a design competition for a modern battle rifle that would exhibit greater controllability than the Model 1917. Three corporations (IFAM, Arsenal Deimos and Arsenal Karonin) put forward entries into the competition, but the Arsenal Deimos model, with its highly accurate build and reliability, was chosen over the other two direct impingement weapons. Put into production the following year, the AR3 (and the AR3R1 after 1972) was only replaced by the FA-MAS/AR4 in 1994, much loved by frontline troops due to its hardiness and sheer power; battle-proven during the long and arduous Inquisitorian Crisis in the territory of the old Empire of Ragnos, the AR3 was nicknamed the 'Beast of Ragnos' by its enemies there as a result of its terrifying accuracy and power in the hands of a trained and experienced infantryman. Produced as a carbine as well as some other less well known variants, it proved to be a highly prized weapon in the Anemonian arsenal and is still utilised by select National Service formations today.

Design
The AR3R1 rifle, designed to replace the old Model 1917 rifle, was designed to provide the Anemonian Armed Forces with a rifle and round that was more controllable in semi and automatic fire than the high powered 7.7x56mmR round that dated back to the Model 1908 BASR. As such, the Deimos entry was designed around its new cartridge, firing a 7.7x54mm round that was to be less powerful and thus easier to control than its predecessor (the initial design was taken from late 1940s attempts to develop a similar round). However, further development of the round showed that, in fact, despite the significant decrease in recoil seen in prototype AR3 designs compared to the Model 1917, the 7.7x56mm round exhibited power only slightly lower than that of the Model 1917. Hence, the round was quickly adopted by Arsenal Deimos as their manner of negating recoil, as opposed to the rifle-design based attempts of the company's two competitors. It was thought that the cost of procuring the round was a necessary evil; though the Holy Office of War initially attempted to block the Deimos design as a result of its new cartridge, the weapon's high accuracy and power put together with its controllability when compared to the recoil found in the other two designs led to the acceptance of the Deimos entry, alongside its new cartridge.

The weapon features a roller-delayed blowback system developed by Arsenal Deimos in 1948, and can be fired in semi-automatic or automatic (though the latter is, as a result of the size of the cartridge, hard to control). Designed to be utilised as an infantry service weapon with its ironsights, and as a result, the weapon features a two-mode rear aperture sight protected by 'ears'; with a large diameter rear sight for general firing, this could be pushed forward to bring up a small diameter sight for more accurate firing (and vice versa). The sights are windage adjustable.

In terms of materials, the AR3R1 was the first Anemonian weapon to feature a plastic stock and handguards. The receiver is made of stamped metal. Ergonomically, the weapon is easy to handle, with a high stock allowing for greater control of recoil and a charging handle located in front of the magazine well on the handguard to allow for utilisation whilst maintaining an effective firing position. The magazine features a 5 and 10 round indicator (on Anemonian models) in order to encourage higher degrees of ammunition control and awareness in the field for those who desire it. The AR3 was (in Anemonian service) produced with a fixed bipod in order to further increase controllability.

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Standard configuration AR3R3 rifle

The AR3R3 was designed at the request of the Greater Evil Imperial Japanese Dystopia. Rather than drawing directly from the Type 89/AR3R2 design, Arsenal Deimos took the decision to return to the design basics of the original AR3R1. Rather than utilising lightweight polymers, which were viewed as too weak for extended field use, 30% glass composition fibreglass was utilised, with minute texturing achieving the same effects of components such as the polymer grip of the AR3R2. Retaining the polymer magazine introduced in the AR3R2, other changes made with the AR3R3 include the addition of more ergonomically designed selector switches and charging handles, optimised for rapid use and grip in battlefield conditions, and the Deimos Interface System was replaced by a Picatinny standard rail interface system for greater commonality with foreign weapon parts. In light of the AR3 family's role as a weapons system optimised for combat at range, the folding BUIS implemented in the AR3R2 has also been replaced with a rail compatible variant of the long range combat optimised AR5R1 ironsights to give users of the AR3R2 a greater degree of accuracy in the battlefield, even without combat optics. Altogether, the AR3R3 returns to the design basics of the original AR3R1 system, while satisfactorily updating it for use in a 21st century armed force through the utilisation of more efficient materials in its construction, the introduction of a more ergonomic design through changes to various components, and the addition of a globally compatible accessory attachment system.

[Anemos Major]

The original AR3R1/mod sF


The updated AR3R1/mod sF2


The AR3R1/mod sF3


The newly procured AR3R1/mod sF4

Designer: Orvalstinei Accurise IECpl (as a subsidiary of Arsenal Deimos)
Designed: 2001
Manufacturer : Arsenal Deimos
Unit cost: 1700/1760/1850/1840 NSD
Produced: 2004~
Number built: ~350,000
Common Variants: AR3R1/mod sF, AR3R1/mod sF2, AR3R1/mod sF3, AR3R1/mod sF4

Weight: 4.3kg (mod sF), 4.1kg (mod sF2), 4.0kg (mod sF3), 4.1kg (mod sF4)
Length: 1100mm
Barrel length: 545 mm (21.46 in)
Cartridge: 7.7x54mm Arsenal Standard Anemonian (Match Grade)
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Muzzle velocity: 875 m/s (2,871 ft/s)
Effective range: 800 m (1,969 ft)
Feed system: 20 round detachable box magazine.
Sights: Deimos Interface System for optics, flip-up dual-mode accessory diopter sight and front post BUIS.

Background and History
Though the AR3 rifle was replaced by the 5.56mm AR4 (FAMAS) in 1994, field service in areas such as Asakura suggested that the 5.56mm FAMAS was not an adequate sharpshooter rifle due to its smaller cartridge and size. Initial requests from field units for a dedicated sharpshooter rifle were, however, ignored due to the perceived priority of larger procurement projects within the Armed Forces, and the FAMAS was retrofitted to be used in this capacity despite the obvious flaws of doing so.

In 2001, the Mirschendellin Crisis and the resultant deployment of Anemonian troops abroad resulted in similar complaints returning to the homeland from the field (alongside those still coming from Asakura). Although the Armed Forces did not immediately move to procure a rifle that would fill this niche, they did put out a Request for Information to various arms corporations within the Anemonian state sector. Corporations like IFAM moved to create new weapons systems from scratch, such as the 6.8mm AR6 and AR7, but Arsenal Deimos, spearheaded by Orvalstinei Accurise (a subsidiary research and development corporation specialising in the production of long range rifles and optics), decided to create a weapon that would draw on the advantages of the 7.7x54mm round (which was still held in stockpile in huge quantities) and the AR3 design and thus provide a highly effective sharpshooter rifle to the Armed Forces at a relatively low cost through the modification rather than production of the AR3 frame (which, again, was being kept in stockpile in huge quantities).

Though the initial move to the 6.8mm cartridge by the Armed Forces in 2003 suggested that the IFAM AR7 would receive the contract, the sudden decision to cancel this conversion and the comparative performance and reliability superiority of the AR3 modification over the AR7 resulted in the contract being awarded to Arsenal Deimos in the same year. Beginning production in 2004 as the AR3R1/mod sF ('silisefusyr', sharpshooter), the weapon quickly saw service in both Asakura and Mirschendellin, where it proved to be more than capable of bringing down any target encountered in the field and establishing its reputation once more as a popular, reliable and powerful rifle in the field. Many AR3R1s were brought out of stockpile and converted to this standard, and it was used in this form until 2008.

In 2008, the introduction of the AR8R5 and the 6.7mm cartridge seemed to spell the end for the AR3, as the highly modular weapon featured a powerful cartridge and could be converted to become a designated marksman's rifle. Certainly, some formations did adopt this new rifle; however, many others found that the greater power and range of the AR3/mod sF was enough of a cause to retain it. The Armed Forces requested a service life extension from Arsenal Deimos for its current and future stock of the rifle, and the result was the AR3/mod sF2 which, built out of polymers like the AR8 and the AR9, shed 200 grams from the original sF2 as well as featuring a new polymer magazine that removed most of the already few jamming issues with the standard issue 20 round magazine. The sF2 was produced from 2009 onwards, and is still in widespread use within the Anemonian Armed Forces.

In early 2011, Arsenal Deimos, as part of a contract issued after the introduction of the sF2 rifle, produced a potential update for the sF3 platform that introduced a number of novel features to the weapon. Taking advantage of the fact that current-production sF rifles were no longer converted AR3R1 rifles but independently produced platforms, they added a few more features to the weapon that significantly improved its usability and accuracy in the field. After initial testing, it was found that the weapon was more consistently accurate than its predecessor, and as the increased costs of the sF3 rifle were offset by the decreased costs resulting from its optics commonality with the SR series of sniper rifles, the Holy Office of War decided in February 2011 to replace their existing orders for sF2 rifles with orders for the sF3. The weapon is currently beginning to enter service in areas like Asakura, where its improved ergonomics and capabilities are in high demand amongst marksmen.

However, very soon after the commencement of sF3 procurement, the adoption of the AR9R1 and the associated Rail Interface System meant that the entirety of the sF series' interface systems had, in the hands of the Anemonian Armed Forces, become redundant. In order to respond to this, the Holy Office of War requested a minor modification to the sF3's manufacturing lines that would modify the DIS into RIS. This was accomplished within a few months, and all existing stocks of the rifle in Anemonian service were updated by the end of May 2011.

Design
The AR3 mod/sF and sF2 are, despite their many differences, simply modifications of the AR3R1 rifle, and as a result, design features including the weapon's ergonomics, the round fired and the 20 round magazine have no changed. However, various features were introduced to make the weapon more suitable for both accurate fire and the modern battlefield.

The AR3R1 mod/sF featured a 21.46 inch match-target barrel that made the most of the 7.7mm round's power by increasing the accuracy of the rifle greatly. In order to facilitate the utilisation of a wide range of combat optics, it featured the prototype Deimos Interface System and an Arsenal Deimos Model 98 3-10x rifle scope with compatible mount as standard issue. The DIS was also featured on the handguard, where the formerly fixed bipod was adapted to become an attachment to either side of the handguard. The old aperture sights were replaced by a flip-up dual-mode accessory diopter sight and front post, and an adjustable cheek rest was provided with the weapon.

The AR3 mod/sF2, currently in service, retains the upgrades of the sF model and introduces a variety of new features to the original model. The most prominent is the widespread use of polymers in the rifle; by replacing many metal parts with polymers as well as replacing old, heavier plastics designs with lighter ones, the sF2 managed to lower the weight of the weapon by 200 grams, thus increasing its portability and battlefield utility. It featured a new polymer 20 round magazine, a ridged selector switch and charging handle for better grip and a similar, polymer replacement for the existing pistol grip. Essentially an ergonomic upgrade for the sF platform, the sF2 entered production in 2009 and is currently in use and production with all branches of the Anemonian Armed Forces.

The AR3 mod/sF3, unlike the sF2 design, addresses a number of issues with its predecessor's internal actions as well as their ergonomics. In terms of ergonomics, the rifle introduces a telescoped stock to the sF3 platform, allowing the shooter to adjust the rifle's length and stock position to his liking. The cheek rest has become a fully modifiable in-built component of the rifle stock rather than a strapped on addition, thus permitting more modification to the weapon to suit the shooter. The bipod has been changed to make it a telescoping model tightened by the ring around the central point of the bipod unit, again allowing for more customisation of components to suit individual shooters and situations. The standard issue optics have been replaced with the ICO-L 4-12x Long Range Scope utilised by most other long ranged rifles in the Crown Army, including the SR series of sniper rifles; this greatly increases the combat capability of the sF series, giving it the optics necessary to make the most of the powerful 7.7mm round it utilises. The internal changes are also significant. Firstly, the muzzle brake has been modified to vent gases diagonally upwards; by doing this, not only does the brake cancel out sideways motion when firing, it also vents gases in a manner that compensates more for muzzle climb than its predecessor, thus compensating for the decreased weight of the stock assembly and the original counterbalance to the AR3's recoil. The chamber assembly has been strengthened to accept cartridges with higher grain content; though this is not often done within the Crown Army, it was viewed as a minor modification that would greatly increase the usability of the sF3 in a variety of field operations by increasing its ability to respond to immediate battlefield needs. Finally, however, taking advantage of the independent production of the sF series as opposed to their production through modification of the AR3R1 platform, Arsenal Deimos modified the weapon to give it a free floating barrel. Though this does not make the weapon more accurate, as is often claimed, the rifle becomes more consistent in its firing trajectory by removing a constantly changing external variable that manifests itself as a result of contact between the barrel and the external assembly, allowing the barrel to vibrate at its natural frequency. Overall, the sF3 update is a significant modification to the original sF2 platform, building upon its predecessors' reputation as reliable and accurate marksman's rifles to create a uniquely ergonomically accomplished, accurate and powerful rifle, undoubtedly exceptional amongst rifles of its kind.

The sF4 is a modification of the sF3 designed to accommodate the Armed Forces' return to the use of the Rail Interface System in 2011, and the primary difference lies in the conversion from DIS to RIS (in practice, the conversion simply required minor changes to the assembly lines). Other changes made include the utilisation of slightly heavier materials than those used in the sF3 (30% glass composition fibreglass in most cases) to create a weapon more resistant to extended field use and low maintenance levels, the introduction of ergonomically superior interfacing for the selector switch and charging handle, and the replacement of the folding BUIS with AR5 pattern ironsights to allow riflemen to continue using the AR3R1/mod sF4 as an accurate marksman's weapon if their optics fail.

[Anemos Major]

The AR3R1/mod LA Squad Support Weapon


The AR3R1/mod LA Squad Support Weapon with wooden furniture


The AR3R1/mod LA Squad Support Weapon with an 80 round detachable drum magazine

Designer: Arsenal Deimos
Designed: 1972
Manufacturer : Arsenal Deimos, IFAM
Unit cost: 1400 NSD
Produced: 1972-1994
Number built: ~400,000
Common Variants: AR3R1/mod LA

Weight: 5.3 kg
Length: 1100mm
Barrel length: 545 mm (21.46 in)
Cartridge: 7.7x54mm Arsenal Standard Anemonian
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Muzzle velocity: 875 m/s (2,871 ft/s)
Effective range: 600 m (1,969 ft)
Feed system: 30 round detachable box magazine, 80 round detachable drum magazine.
Sights: Rear receiver aperture sight (with flip-convertible small and large diameter sights) and front hooded post.

Background and Design

Soon after the beginning of the Inquisitorian Crisis, the first field deployment of the AR3R1 problem, a single gaping hole in the Anemonian Crown Army's infantry unit composition became apparent; the lack of portable machine-guns. Though heavy machine guns were issued at the battalion level in support platoons, individual platoons and the squads within them lacked any light automatic weapons that could be used in a suppressive capacity; submachine-guns had been withdrawn from conventional infantry units in the 1956 reforms of the Armed Forces, and the AR3 rifle proved to be impossible to handle as an automatic rifle due to their inability to produce controllable sustained automatic fire. This problem first came to light in combat reports dating back to 1968; however, the strain put on the recovering Anemonian arms industry by the sudden demand for their products meant that productive capacity could not be spared, and the problem went unanswered for four years.

In 1971, together with their request for the AR3's Revision 1 upgrade, the Anemonian Holy Office of War also put forward a request for information concerning the feasibility of creating an AR3 squad support weapon as an interim solution to the problem at hand. In response to this, Arsenal Deimos quickly produced a direct variant of the new AR3R1 rifle with a heavy barrel and stock for increased controllability, shorter 'Carabinyr' pattern handguard for better heat dissipation, a quick-change barrel, a carry handle and a 30 round magazine. The weapon was put into production alongside the AR3R1 in small numbers, and until the introduction of the hastily procured MG73 in 1974, saw service on the frontlines as a squad support weapon. It was retained after that date due to its popularity amongst frontliners; through its ammunition capacity was quite small, a trained rifleman with an assistant could use the weapon to great effect, as rapid magazine changes produced a relatively formidable stream of heavy 7.7mm rounds which enemy infantrymen quickly learned to fear.

The designation 'LA' stands for 'Lensectyonise Augmentyr', or 'Platoon Support'. This is because, though this weapon was utilised as a squad support weapon, it was issued at the platoon level (with distribution left to the platoon commander).

[Anemos Major]

The Type 98 7.7mm Rifle with an ICO-M 4x optical sight, a LS/208R1 laser aiming module and an Arsenal Karonin Ves-8 forward grip


The Type 98 7.7mm Carbine with an ICO-S red dot sight, a LS/208R1 laser aiming module and an Arsenal Karonin Ves-8 forward grip

Designer: Arsenal Deimos
Designed: 1997
Manufacturer : Arsenal Deimos, various manufacturers in the Republic of Asakura
Unit cost: 1600 NSD
Produced: 1998~
Number built: ~ 220,000
Common Variants: Type 98 Rifle, Type 98 Carbine, AR3R2 Rifle, AR3R2 Carbine

(statistics are for Type 98 Rifle.)

Weight: 4.0 kg
Length: 1100mm
Barrel length: 545 mm (21.46 in)
Cartridge: 7.7x54mm Arsenal Standard Anemonian
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of Fire: 600 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 875 m/s (2,871 ft/s)
Effective range: 600 m (1,969 ft)
Feed system: 20 round detachable box magazine.
Sights: Deimos Interface System for optics, flip-up dual-mode accessory diopter sight and front post BUIS.

Background and History
Where the polymer-built AR3/mod sF2 was only adopted by the Anemonian Armed Forces in 2008, the basis for that design was, in fact, a rifle designed in 1997 for the Second Holy Empire's southern neighbour and protectorate, the Republic of Asakura. In 1996, with their armed forces still utilising the AR3 in its original form with wooden furniture, the Republic's government requested an updated model of the rifle from Arsenal Deimos following an internal decision to continue utilising the AR3 in an attempt to encourage marksmanship within the Asakuran Army. The design brief was simple; ordered to produce a modernised variant of the AR3 rifle for the Asakuran Armed Forces, Arsenal Deimos decided to work off the AR3R1 design base while looking into means of producing a cost effective replacement for the original AR3. Following a one year research and development period, Arsenal Deimos rolled off the first batch of 100 in 1998, which was then tested in the field by Asakuran Army Ranger elements participating in the opening stages of the Asakuran Insurgency. Following positive responses from the field, the Asakuran Ministry of Defence approved the production of the Type 98 design for general issue around the Armed Forces from 1998 onwards in batches of 20,000. Delivery was completed in 2009, but Arsenal Deimos, as is the norm, are scheduled to keep the production lines running at low levels in order to produce spare parts and replacements as requested by the Asakuran government.

In general, the weapon is highly popular throughout the Asakuran Armed Forces due to its fusion of modern design concepts with the controlled fire infantry doctrine utilised by the Asakuran Army which, after a long period of service alongside Anemonian troops, grants the Asakuran infantry similar levels of flexibility with their service rifles. The Type 98 Carbine is utilised by select Armed Forces formations and is issued periodically to other units involved in close quarters combat situations (for example, infantry formations in urban combat). As a weapon, the Type 98 is the sole true modernisation of the AR3R1; unlike the AR3R1/mod sF2, it is simply a recreation of the basic AR3R1 design intended to be used along similar lines, utilising modern materials and design concepts to update rather than replace a fully functional battle rifle.

The Type 98 was also adopted for limited service by the Imperial Fleet of Anemos Major, and designated the AR3R2 in Anemonian service.

Design
The Type 98 is, first and formost, an update of the AR3R1 design. As a result, the Type 98 is not particularly revolutionary in modern terms, choosing rather to build upon the AR3R1 than replace elements of the original design (due to fears within the Asakuran Ministry of Defence that radical changes might erode away at the reasons behind the original AR3R1's popularity in Asakuran service as the Type 95.

The first obvious change was the extensive use of polymers in the Type 98. Ranging from the new polymer grip to the replacement of the wooden furniture with lighter plastics. As most combat in the vast Republic involved long treks across mountains and forests, the slight decrease in the weapon's weight served to greatly increase its combat efficiency, an advantage of the Type 98 that was greatly aided by the distribution of new polymer magazines which made the burden of carrying large quantities of large and heavy 7.7mm rounds slightly more bearable for the average soldier. Overall, the utilisation of polymers not only improved the ergonomic qualities of the weapon through the minor design changes made to aspects of the weapon such as the pistol grip and stock, but served to decrease the Type 98's weight by 400 grams compared to the original, bulky AR3 rifle in Asakuran service and thus increase its usability and popularity in Asakuran service.

Another aspect of the Type 98's design was its adoption of Arsenal Deimos's then prototype Deimos Interface System. As the Asakuran Armed Forces had not adopted any form of interface problem at that point, they were more than happy to act as test subjects for the new design; its simplicity and speed of use endeared it to Asakuran soldiers, and years of observing its performance in the field during the Asakuran insurgency by Anemonian soldiers was one of the key reasons behind its adoption by the Anemonian Armed Forces in 2009. The DIS provided Asakuran infantry with an unprecedented level of freedom and flexibility where their weapons were concerned, a significantly modern advantage in terms of the late 1990s. Still serving in the Asakuran Armed Forces, the Type 98 is a highly effective combat rifle, a modernisation of the controlled aimed fire doctrine in an era of suppression and haphazard firing.

[Anemos Major]

The AR3/mod LF1

The AR3/mod LF2

Designer: Special Operations Group Seven/Arsenal Deimos
Designed: 1972/73
Manufacturer : Arsenal Deimos, IFAM
Unit cost: 1200 NSD
Produced: 1972-1975
Number built: ~7,000
Common Variants: LF1, LF2

Weight: 3.3kg (LF1), 3.7kg (LF2)
Length: 710mm (LF1), 883mm (LF2)
Barrel length: 350mm (13.78 inches)
Cartridge: 7.7x54mm Arsenal Standard Anemonian
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of Fire: 600 rpm
Muzzle velocity: 770m/s (2,526 ft/s)
Effective range: 250 m (820 ft)
Feed system: 60 round detachable drum magazine.
Sights: Rear receiver aperture sight and front hooded post.

Background and History
In the early 1970s, the Anemonian Armed Forces were fighting a long and bitter war against an unseen foe in a nation once known as Ragnos. Scouring swamps and deep forests, troops bearing the insignias of the Crown Army were forced through nameless horrors, witnessing the very depths of human depravity on both sides as they fought their war against a ragged insurgency of fanatically loyal communist troops, crossing swords time and time again as the civilian population between them, deprived and devastated as they were, slowly melted away under the crossfire.

Military speaking, the Inquisitorian Crisis was what can only be labelled as a wake-up call for the Anemonian Armed Forces. Entering the war with a rifle squad composition that could only really be called modern in the 1900s, they were quickly forced to adopt new doctrinal concepts and technologies ranging from squad integrated machine guns to heliborne doctrines within the space of a few, frenzied years, as their enemy proved increasingly elusive within the thick forests and swamps of Ragnos. One niche area explored by the Armed Forces during this time of military restructuring, and uniquely one led from the bottom, was the creation of a sub-machine gun of sorts for use in enclosed and close quarters combat.

At a basic level, the Anemonian AR3R1 service rifle was a very long and unwieldy close quarters weapon. Though the correct training allowed it to become a highly potent close quarters weapon harbouring a lot of stopping power, this was only provided it could be put into the correct position; between the dense foliage of Ragnos and the very enclosed nature of its rural housing, most close quarters situations Anemonian troops found themselves were so enclosed that it was impossible to use the AR3R1 as anything other than a fixed-bayonet polearm, putting many troops at a loss against supposedly badly equipped insurgents in the field.

The official response to this matter is a well documented one; a year before the end of the Inquisitorian Crisis, the Crown and Government authorised the emergency production of a cut-down 'carbine' variant of the AR3R1. This weapon, the AR3R1 'Carabinyr', was originally intended to equip troops at the divisional level, distributed upon request for use in combat, but the truth was that not enough of the weapons were produced to satisfy even that. The Carabinyr's entrance into the war was ill timed, and though it would subsequently prove to be an adequate close quarters weapon, its small numbers and late entry meant that its contribution to an already won war was beyond minimal.

However, there were pioneers of the concept of a shortened AR3R1 model weapon who existed long before those who were put to work on the creation of the 'Carabinyr'. And unlike many weapons designers, these pioneers not only knew the battlefield, but fought on it; they were, after all, operators within the Crown Army's Special Operations Forces, later to become known as 'Special Forces'. Thrown into close quarters combat far more often than the average infantryman, the lack of a dedicated weapon for such purposes was something that affected them greatly, taking a noticeable toll on their overall numbers in the early stages of the war. DIsplaying immense resourcefulness, they adapted their combat patterns to accommodate the offensive utilisation of .45 handguns, which they were authorised to carry, and managed to obtain 1940s vintage 9mm submachine guns, but these were clearly nothing but stopgap measures. The former lacked the necessary weight of fire in combat, and the latter could only be found in small numbers, mostly old and thus unreliable. Many, many groups searched for solutions to the problem over the years; in 1972, directly following the field introduction of the IFAM AR3R1 7.7mm Battle Rifle, the solution was found.

It was Special Operations Group Seven, based near Utenhesyr Forward Operations Base, who first created a submachine-gun variant of the new service rifle for special operations purposes, establishing a trend for such weapons that would last until the end of the war. A number of key modifications transformed the long and unwieldy AR3R1 into an uncomparably potent weapons of close quarters devastation, and its immediately impressive combat performance made it a highly popular weapon throughout special forces. The weapon came in two main configurations; a battlefield designed and produced variant (created by those Special Operations armourers with access to higher end equipment), notably devoid of a stock, and a less 'rough-shod' variant produced in limited numbers by Arsenal Deimos from 1973 onwards to satisfy the requests of the SOF. Both were immensely popular in Anemonian service, and by the end of the war, a number of the weapons had slipped into the hands of regular infantrymen, who also rated the weapon highly.

Ultimately, the weapon that would eventually become officially known as the AR3R1/mod LF was an oddity, but a successful one. Establishing itself as the lasting image of Special Operations during the Inquisitorian Crisis, it went out of production as quickly as it had entered it with the coming of the end of the war, as silent, unknown and yet celebrated as those it had once, so long ago, been built to serve.

Design

At a very basic level, the AR3R1/mod LF is a simple concept backed by a simple design. Retaining the vast majority of the AR3R1's features, including and not restricted to its 7.7mm round and roller delayed blowback action, its main differences to its base weapon are all features implemented to maximise its usability as a shortened automatic weapon.

Please note that the designation 'AR3/mod LF' (Lenterise Fusilyr) is a retrospective one unofficially used by military inventory personnel; the weapon, despite being produced by a State Arsenal for a period of time, has never been officially designated.

The two key features shared by the field produced LF1 and officially produced LF2 are the utilisation of a 60 round drum magazine, and a forward grip to increase the controllability of the immensely powerful 7.7mm ASA round in automatic. The drum magazine is made of steel, and designed to be highly reliable; the original model was privately sourced from the Fierei Arsenals in 1972, who used family connections to requisition the aid of the Research and Development authority of the Army's small arms arsenal. Utilising a simple rounded frame, it feeds the rounds around a central 'circle' utilising spring tension like a normal magazine. The forward grip is a simple polymer attachment built around a central steel structure for rigidity, and is fixed (though it can be removed by an armourer); on the LF1, it is attached to the receiver 'ring' found just after the ejection port, and is vital due to the lack of a handguard on a weapon that retains and gains heat very quickly in operation, while on the LF2, it is fixed to the handguard.

However, the weapons also feature notable differences. Notably, and very visibly, the unofficially produced LF1 lacks a stock, with a metal 'bar' in its place; this is due to the fact that Special Operations personnel had prioritised rapid usability over accuracy with their new weapon and had therefore opted to make it a point-fired (rather than aimed) weapon; when produced by Arsenal Deimos, the weapon featured a full AR3R1 pattern stock; the decision was made to use this, rather than than the folding stocks being explored at the time, due to the increased stability of a fixed platform. Another major difference between the two is the muzzle brake used; the models of porting used are highly different. That utilised by the LF1 is a perforated jacket model based off the few squad level M1919s in service with the Anemonians at the time (having been captured from their opponents); it it a simplistic form of heat and gas dispersal, and though rudimentary proved satisfactory in field use. The LF2 features a dedicated muzzle brake utilising directed porting, which goes further in controlling the LF's recoil. Finally, the handguard arrangement of two weapons differ; while the LF1 removes the handguard altogether to accommodate an internally procured foregrip, the LF2 simply attaches it on top of a modified handguard.

Overall, the AR3R1/mod LF1 and 2 are remarkable weapons; despite being created in what was essentially a hurried, impromptu form at first, it was nonetheless able to create a devastating combat record and a lasting legacy that still exists today.