Kalran: Tales of the four nations/UCAAF small arms and equipment

M-1 Garland
First created in the Fomorian empire, back before it was even an empire, to succeed the musket, the M-1 Garland, named for its designers Garfield Colt and Weyland Brown, is widely considered to be one of the best infantry weapons ever issued for it's time. Its innovative breechloading mechanic, allowing for an unprecedented high rates of reload, gave it an edge over their neighbors muzzeloading rifles. About its only disadvantage was that the paper cartridge it uses is known to leave behind some residual powder in the chamber that, if not cleaned daily, could result in the gun exploding back at the user, with maimed hands being a best case scenario. But the company states that backfire accidents only happens if it's user doesn't clean their gun. And in the eighth age has been relegated to a collectors item, though there are a few that has been modified to chamber modern rounds.

M-2 Garland
And after this success, and a few years, both Garfield and Weyland began to make a new rifle.

At first the new one, marked the M-2, had struggled. The plan they wanted was to make the rifle fire more than one round. But the trouble, that also plagued the M-1, was that the paper cartridges always leaving a small residue of powder, at best, which was now exacerbated by the residue now clumping inside the magazine, increasing the explosion and the chance of it happening to an unacceptable degree. And spent week trying to find a solution. Until they looked at the newly made full metal jackets, an idea struck. And thus came the M-2.

A successor to the M-1. The M-2, known as "the gun the forged an empire", was a lever-action rifle that drastically increased the weapons rate of fire, especially when compared to their neighbors new single shot rifles, and capable of holding 12 rounds and reloaded by simply pulling the lever. The rifle had got it's name due it it being the main rifle used by the Fomorian soldiers as they began to change from a community of towns into the infamous empire, and is still fondly remembered despite its dark past.

Of course in the eighth age the rifle has been discarded by the military, though it's still being manufactured as a cheap hunting rifle used by both countryside farmers and the people living at the edge of the frontier.

M-3 Garland
When the day came where the alliance was formed and the Fenrirs can finally settle down. The descendants of the Garland rifle, Joseph Colt and Maria Brown, began working on a new design, realizing how obsolete the M-2 was becoming.

Specifically designed to be "The gun of the alliance" throughout the UCA early years, the M-3 Garland is widely considered to be one of the best infantry weapons ever issued. Its innovative semi-automatic action and external magazine, which allowed for unprecedented high rates of fire while preserving its accuracy and reliability, gave it an edge over the M-2 slow rate of fire and integrated magazine. About its only disadvantage was that it used an 8-round clip, as compared to the 12 round magazine of the M-2, and the fact that reloading the gun makes a signature ping that can notify the enemies.

Many soldiers, generals and historians have gone on record as saying that the M-3 rifle was the single most important component of UCA success in the defense against the Reclaimers by holding the line until assault rifles could be manufactured. Though in service in the UCA when the second great war broke out, the M-1 would be used as a stop-gap measure to try and even the odds against Reclaimer SMG that so outmatched the M-2 rifles before until it could face replacement by the new M-4 garland. However, during the war itself, the M-3 was king, and a squad would do almost anything to have even one M-3 issued among their number rather than be stuck with the M-3.

Because line units got priority, reserve units being moved to replace units on the front lines would frequently be without. Due to these supply problems, soldiers rotating off the front lines would leave their M-3s in the foxholes, to ensure the next unit would be properly armed. It became tradition for the wielder to carve their name and clan into the stock of the M-3 so the next user would know who to thank; a gesture that was probably in great part responsible for the international goodwill that energized the post-war UCA. And in the eighth age it's been relegated to being used by the reservists.

M-4A Garland
The current service rifle of the UCA, used by the rifle brigade and guards alike, the M-4 is a gun of many firsts. It's the first service weapon with three firing modes, having single shot, three round burst, and fully automatic fire available. It is extremely popular for its versatility; thanks to the mounted rails soldiers can customize rifles with variety of attachments, ranging from additional sights to underbarrel weapons; one particular favorite among Riflemen is the MY48 underslung grenade launcher.

It's also the first weapon to have synthetic plastic furniture, as a result of its manufacturer. Light, accurate, and modular, the weapon is extremely popular with almost everyone it is issued to, dubbed as "the gun of the UCA". However, it sees little use in UCAAF; a Riflemen in recoil-absorbing, weight transferring assault frame has little use for a weapon designed to be light and non-intrusive, and so usually the weapon is discarded in favor of the M-4B Garland or Bronson heavy machine gun, with the Servicemen being themain wielder.

M-4B Garland
More of a LMG then an assault rifle. The M-4B is an assault rifle weapon intended for soldiers wearing an assault frame, combining the firepower of a machine gun with the accuracy of a rifle. Developed a short time after the M-4A, after having the UCAAF complaining at the guns lack of power, the M-4B has proven itself to be a reliable and durable weapon, capable of working where less reliable weapons often jam. In addition, it is noted for its ease of use, as well for being easy to clean and maintain. With the light weight of the weapon and the relatively low recoil meant that only a single soldier is required to operate it, and furthermore it could be fired on the move, though it takes a veteran to do so without hitting anything but the target.

However one key distinguishing figure ensured its popularity was the fact that the rifle could use a wide variety of feeds, ranging from belt feeds to rifle magazines. This meant that in the event an M-4B operator ran out of ammunition, they could simply grab a 30 round magazine from any of his squad mates and keep on firing. A quick change barrel and handle allowed a jammed or overheated barrel to be quickly and easily swapped out for a fresh one, allowing the operator to resume firing as soon as possible. And the eighth age becomes the main weapon of the Riflemen.

M-5 Garland
The newest rifle made by the UCA. The M-5 composed of a automatic shotgun, with a magazine of 12 rounds, mounted underneath a bullpup-feed grenade launcher, and equipped with a sophisticated computerized sight. Using both of HEAB [High Explosive Air Burst] rounds, capable of reaching the aircraft altitude thanks to enchantments, that reduces flesh and light materials into bits and HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) rounds, using magic to enhance the rounds potency, with copious amount of lightening runes so that the weapon itself weights about the same as the M-4. And while results shows that it is a devastating weapon, while also lightening the Riflemen's load, it currently suffers from complex system, meaning that the Riflemen has to spend about an hour to clean it and that a single dirt in the wrong place will cause it to explode, means that only veterans are currently allows to wield it.

Cardin-8 pump-action shotgun
The massive Cardin-8, standing for 8 gauge, shotgun is a potent symbol of the power of the UCA. At first glance, the weapon looks impossibly unwieldy; a four foot long shotgun with a large bore and an oversized mechanism. To a UCAAF soldier in assault frame, however, the weapon is just right; they can barely feel its monstrous kick against their padded shoulder or notice its considerable weight thanks to the weight distributing properties of their assault frame. The Cardin-8 was designed for urban combat and breaking down doors, but the huge weapon proved so useful that it was soon being used in any situation.

Loaded with 8-guage buckshot, it can clear a hallway in a single pull of the trigger or knock down a berserking Sword in a single roaring blast. Loaded with slugs, it will punch holes in light body armor or tear apart unarmored vehicles. There are even sabot slugs which are effective over longer distances. Apart from these, there are also a number of specialized rounds, from tear gas shells and rubber slugs to breaching rounds designed to blow open doors while minimizing collateral damage.

They are mainly wielded by thunder battalion Mechanics, needing a heavier defense weapon as they repair vehicles in the heat of battle.

Cardin-8B semi-automatic shotgun with underslung SMG
Apart from its short range, it could be argued that the only other disadvantage of the Cardin-8 shotgun was its slow rate of fire. The Cardin-8B was developed to fix this flaw. Similar in appearance, the Cardin-8B simply replaced the pump-action of the Cardin-8 with a recoil operated reloading mechanism, enabling the Cardin-8B to fire on semi-automatic, allowing the Mechanics to maintain a staggering rate of fire. The tube size of the Cardin-8B was also expanded to cope with the sheer rate at which the Mechanic burnt through his ammunition, and also an underslung SMG, with a magazine of 50 rounds, which Mechanics are trained to use to suppress the enemy and keep them from fleeing, due to the weapons low caliber not being effective at penetrating combat armor, before blowing them with their shotgun. However, the Cardin-8B has yet to become standard issue in the UCAAF, given to only veterans, due to the sheer expense of the weapons and several production issues. For instance, the gas operated feed mechanism has to be made out of solid titanium to withstand the sheer recoil of the massive shotgun shells, and the complexity of the gas operated pistons meant that they had to be hand crafted, a costly and time consuming process.

Mk5 Fragmentation Grenade
Colloquially known as the pineapple, due to its shape, the mk5 is a grenade is filled with deadly ball bearings that shot out at supersonic speeds after detonation, tearing apart any meaty objects within 15 m of the blast. It was commonly used by Riflemen and infantry alike since the third age to clear trenches, pillboxes and even entire bunkers. A single Mk5 in the right place is usually more than enough to empty a machine gun nest, and a barrage of them can stop even the most determined of Navaheim charges. With it's design having a rather sparse update due to its simplicity. But the recent upgrade to the grenade however, was the replacement of the old timed fuse mechanism. Instead, pulling the pin powered up a radio receiver inside the grenade. The pin of the grenade contained a button, which when pressed, detonated the grenade. This removed the need for the highly risky action of "cooking a grenade", which could very well blow up the soldier's own squad, and prevented any casualties from grenades thrown back by enemy troops. Safety measures were also included that prevented accidental detonation, including a hardwired 3 second powerup sequence for the receiver and the button is in a small hole and can only be pressed by inserting the pin into the hole.

As a result of implementing the new upgrade, friendly fire incidents as a result of misdirected grenades and redirected grenades have fallen to zero, however, complaints about the complicated detonation process and difficulty in inserting the pin have been raised.

C82 "Thumper" Grenade Launcher
Grenade launchers were a relatively new concept to the UCA, with their first grenade launchers only coming into service after the formation of the UCA. However, they have since caught on, and have become pretty commonplace among the UCA. The c82, called the thumper due to the noise it makes when firing, Grenade Launcher was the first grenade launcher made by the UCA. Using breechloading system, holding a single grenade, the thumper can fire a variety of grenades, but due to its old design the only grenades now used are the C8 "gaia" grenade, which is actually a specially made glass that disperses a healing spell upon detonation, and the O8 "thunder" grenades, which lets out a loud shriek that stuns enemies. And in the eighth age has been relegated to the UCA Combat medics, as a support weapon.

Assault frame
Upon the UCA being formed, and where the Fenrirs don't need to keep one eye open when they sleep, the Fenrirs, now having time to focus on research, began finding ways to increase the soldiers protection.

And after months of research had realized that the Templars powered armor, while strong, was simply too expensive to be fielded to a whole army. And so made a commission to find a way to give an average riflemen an armor about as strong as the templars but still cheap enough to mass produce.

But improving on the old armor system, a full plate armor with a doublet, became an issue. Creating armor without having it weigh too much, even with enchantments lightening the weight, or without making it expensive was a seemingly impossible task.

Fortunately a breakthrough was soon made. As engineers created a specialized, unpowered weight bearing frame that would go under the armor components of a suit of body armor, keeping the suit rigid and transferring the weight of the armor straight to the ground through the legs, or if necessary the arms or even the top or bottom of the torso, thanks to a gyroscopic mechanism. This allows the Riflemen to stand, sit, or lie down without ever noticing the weight of his rigid armor suit or the equipment hanging off of it. The hardened joints even have spring-assisted mechanisms that allow the Riflemen to run or jump with only a marginal impact to their mobility.

With this sorted, the Riflemen can wear a 23 kg armor suit, carry a LMG larger than some anti-tank weapons, and even keep an RPG on hand, all while barely noticing it. Of course, this is not to say the Riflemen are completely unaffected; the sheer mass still slows them up somewhat. However, it does mean the Riflemen can wear a suit of full plate for days that most people couldn't hope to use for more than a few hours at a time (in theory: not even a Riflemen can sleep in full armor even if they want to).

Riflemen armor does have a few more features to recommend it. Their helmet contains a built-in starlight night vision system and can be easily sealed against gas attack; this seal will also harden the soldier against overpressure from nearby explosives. Finally, the suit has a self-contained air conditioning system for warm days and an optional cold weather runes to warm the user in cold climates.

Recently engineers had also found a way to power these suits, enhancing the user strength and allowing them to carry more armor, with a small generator and wire. But recent production meant that only veterans are allowed to use it.

Plugsuit
Despite the assault frame fitting the criteria it had one major flaw, discovered in a field test, in that its users actually get fatigued in it. And after some research found the answer.

In order for the frame to properly work it must have direct contact to the user, due to the enchantments in it requiring the users nervous system, and that the old uniform had, with it's thickness, severely dampened the connection, leading to the user now having to lug half of the frames weight, instead of none, alongside the armor and pack they are to carry. And had scrambled for a solution until the best was found.

The plugsuit, by it's nickname, is either a sleeveless unitard, with a pair of forearm length gloves, for men or a long sleeved and gloved leotard, with a pair of thigh-highs, for women, made of skintight materials, with the soles also specially hardened to be similar to a shoe. And along the suits are runes in designated position to give peak optimization the user power armor and nervous system, but to make it the best they also recommend that those wearing the plugsuit must also go commando must to the embarrassment of many. And it proved a success.

Emboldened by this the engineers began to improve, weaving in kevlar and a forcefield generator so that the suit acts as light/emergency combat armor, a health monitoring system that pumps adrenaline, painkillers, and other medications/combat drugs in battle, and temperature regulating runes to keep the user temperature stable even when in a winter or desert environment. And a side effect of the suit being comfortable enough that many UCAAF soldier began to wear the plugsuits when off duty, with maybe a jacket or some other choice of clothing, so that they can quickly wear their assault frame in the event of an attack.

The only complaint about it is that some of the soldiers are embarrassed to wear it due to it feeling like they're wearing underwear, especially since they must also go commando.

Advanced full plate armor
Despite their success in making the assault frame work properly it had came at the cost of having to discard the original full plate under armor, a doublet and boots, and while their plugsuit had a degree of protection test had shown that while the suit can take a lot of punishment, its wearer can't, with particularly harsh impacts crushing the test dummy bodies and killing them, even if the suit itself was undamaged. But the solution was simple. Through some modifications the engineers had layered the plate armor in composites, similar to their tanks, in four layers.

The first layer consist of an inch of steel, the second layer consist of plates of ceramics, the third is made of shock dispersing metal foam, and the final layer is a soft gell padding covered in cloth. When the armor takes a hit, the steel an ceramic blunts a good chunk of the force while the foam and gel contracts and expands, redirecting impact force away from the wearer. While this drastically increased the armors weight it was considered a good tradeoff, especially since it was meant to be worn with an assault frame that removes almost all of the weight, as survivability drastically increased, and increased the likelihood of survival if the wearer takes fatal damage. With the standard Riflemen now wearing it as standard, while lighter infantry like the Combat medics only wear the helmet and chestplate.

Uniforms
Generally speaking, the UCA employ three basic uniforms with a great many variants; the field uniform, the dress uniform, and the officer-only day uniform.

Field Uniform
Worn by officers within a war zone, and enlisted personnel at all times while on duty, the field uniform consists of a reversible black/white sleeveless shirt, light blue kilt, and light blue trenchcoat worn over a plugsuit, with the coat non-dominant arm sleeve being dyed silver for commanding officers. While Harpies wear ones without sleeves. The clothes are also quick to tear off, so that in the event of a sudden attack the soldier can quickly remove their outerwear and get into their powered armor.

The undershirt is silkscreened with a the UCA eagle, the soldier's name on the left hand side, and a small rank indicator under the collar

Dress uniform
Worn on parades or off duty. The dress uniform consists of a buttoned trenchcoat with a grey collar, kilt, and a blue branch-specific military cap, white gloves, a white dress shirt, a pair of thigh-highs with garters for women and a pair of socks for men, and black boots, though both genders can optionally choose to wear trousers under their kilt while females can choose to wear black wedge heel shoes instead.

The coat contains two breast pockets, two lower pockets, a right-side internal flat pocket for documentation, and a drawstring loop on the right hand side where gloves can be easily stowed. The left side breast pocket is augmented with three "emergency loops" that can be used to externally stow small items such as shotgun shells, rifle rounds, code cylinders or medication, while the right hand pocket has an internal loop for a pen or pencil. A pair of reinforced epaulettes are designed to be used as handles should it be necessary to drag a wounded soldier out of danger. The kilt have pockets with zippers and two cargo pockets, the right hand side pockets internally segmented into two. Left handed soldiers are issued uniforms with reversed pockets. With commanders having the sleeve on their non-dominant arm dyed silver, or even painted silver in cases where the arm is a prosthetic.