SAR-99

The SAR-99, officially designated the '''Standard Assault Rifle, Mk. 2, Model 1999''' is a selective-fire assault rifle developed in Urcea. It is the second assault rifle to enter full use in the Royal and Imperial Army.

History
The SAR-40 had been the standard assault rifle of Urcea since the Second Great War. Though it remained popular among all branches of the armed services, most experts suggested the rifle was becoming increasingly antiquated and that the rifle should be replaced. With a 1984 design competition, it was widely assumed that Fino Family Arms - the designer of the SAR-40 - would emerge victorious with an updated version of their iconic rifle. The consensus behind this assumption was so strong that many competitors opted not to design a rifle. The other major arms company in Urcea - the Royal Hunting and Munitions Company - had designed the SRM-9 and other Great War era standard weapons, and it decided to offer a true competitor to Fino. The Royal and Imperial Army were not impressed with the PR2FD (Prototype Rifle 2, Fino Design), which felt bulky and jammed often. In contrast, the Royal Hunting and Munitions Company offered a lighter weight, smooth-firing alternative that not only performed well but, according to most involved in testing the weapons from the design competition, "felt truly futuristic" and felt like "the basis for a rifle that will last fifty years". The Royal Hunting and Munitions offering also had features that allowed for greater flexibility, including potential future modularity in terms of caliber and firing action. Several prototype variants of the newly adopted SAR-99 were tried as battle rifles but were not adopted until the adoption of the FCM-10 by Burgundie in the early 2000s. A considerable amount of design time was invested into modularity for the weapon in anticipation of Levantia and Odoneru Treaty Association munitions requirements which were never issued.

The Urcean public and many foreign analysts were stunned when the Fino offering was passed over for the Royal Hunting and Munitions Company offering, which became the SAR-99. Many soldiers in the Royal and Imperial Army were dissatisfied with the weapon given their affinity and comfort level with the Fino-designed SAR-40. The difference of opinion over the different rifles remained an issue until the mid-1990s, when attrition had removed many of the older soldiers from service and replaced them with soldiers who were trained using the SAR-99. Studies in the mid-2000s indicated that the SAR-99-trained soldiers were not only more accurate, but overall were more lethal with the new rifle, ending the public debate over which rifle company should have won the contest. Soldiers using the rifle in The Deluge indicate that it's comfortable and packs a considerable punch.

Design
The SAR-99 fires .223 or 7.62mm, fed from STANAG magazines. The SAR-99 has two receivers: The lower is constructed of polymer, and the upper receiver is one piece and constructed of aluminum. The SAR-99 features an integral, uninterrupted Picatinny rail on the top of the aluminium receiver, two removable side rails and a bottom one that can mount any compliant accessories. The lower receiver is designed with a highly compatible pistol grip, flared magazine well, and raised area around the magazine and bolt release buttons. The front sight flips down for unobstructed use of optics and accessories. The rifle uses a 'tappet' type of closed gas system. The design is highly modular and has been adapted to use other calibers and has, additionally, been developed into various prototype role variants ranging from battle rifle to sniper rifle.

Usage
The SAR-99 is among the most commonly manufactured military grade .223 rifles in the world, though it trails the the SAR-40 in both imitator models and overall use due to the length of manufacture of the SAR-99's predecessor.

Users

 * Urcea
 * Burgundie (as FCM-10)
 * Quetzenkel
 * Unnuaq Mission State
 * Housatonic
 * Pachaug

Conflicts
The SAR-99 has been used considerably since its debut in the 1980s. The weapon has been used extensively in The Deluge as the primary weapon for Urcea and its allies in Crona. Its first primary combat use was in a limited role during the Font Crisis, as small numbers of the weapons were supplied by Urcea to the forces of the Font Republic in order to assist in their defense against Caphiria.

SAR-99
The base model SAR-99 which entered service in the 2000s fired a .223 and served in an assault rifle capacity like its SAR-40 predecessor.

FCM-10
In the early 2000s the SAR-99, up-chambered to 7.62mm, won the XXI Urban Battle Rifle Trials, in Burgundie and was licensed to that country as the FCM-10. Versions of the FCM-10 underwent field trials with the Royal and Imperial Army in 2015 but was ultimately rejected as users found the new caliber recoil "insufficiently balanced".