REPUBLIC TACTICAL SOLUTIONS

## SUMMARY

Steadfast could rightly be the best word with which to describe Republic Tactical Solutions. With centuries in operation, spanning multiple world wars and major conflicts, all while playing host to some of history's most prolific firearms designers, this American company has cemented its name in the history of weaponry as a brand as iconic as they come.

## HISTORY

Republic Tactical Solutions was initially founded as Republic Arms, a small, family-owned armory operated out of Virginia. Their first creation to reach local fame was their drop-breech rifle, patterned for a variety of rimfire cartridges, some of their own design. This single-shot rifle allowed for the rapid ejection and easy loading of cartridges, allowing for a relatively fast rate of fire. Paired with this feature was the groundbreaking barrel, fluted for weight-reduction and rifled with an aggressive twist-rate matched to each cartridge. The Republic Drop-Breech and its successive iteration were instrumental in winning several Confederate victories in the American Civil War, with captured rifles being awarded to Union generals as trophies of war. While the loss of the Civil War by Republic Arms' home-state threatened to put the manufacturer out of business, their services were near-immediately enlisted by multiple Northern states to arm various state guards with the same accurate system that had wreaked terror upon the battlefields.

By the 1920s, Republic Arms' rifles had appeared in limited numbers on the front lines of both the Spanish-American War and World War 1, only limited in their use by their high price compared to other options. Seeing the utility of Republic Arms' creations outshine that of their competitors, despite their high cost of manufacturing, the United States government was desperate to utilize the designs that had gained Republic such fame. In 1938, seeing rising tensions in Europe and anticipating another great war, the United States consulted with Republic Arms to design a new fighting rifle for their troops. The product of this union was a series of three weapons that would appear only two years later in the Pacific theater.

Out of the three, the infantry carbine was produced in the highest numbers. This weapon utilized a thirty caliber cartridge of Republic Arms' own design, made to be easily mass-produced with existing equipment shared by many ammunition manufacturers across the country. This carbine's sixteen-inch barrel allowed for maneuverability in a variety of dense environments without too steep a sacrifice to muzzle velocity or accuracy.

The second most common weapon distributed amongst American troops was an officer's pistol. Its large chambering brought a heavy punch in a small package, and careful design decisions and machining specifications had allowed it to be manufactured so that parts from model to model were completely interchangeable, allowing for easy field service of the weapon.

The third, and rarest, of the firearms was a marksman's rifle, chambered in a heavy thirty-six caliber cartridge. While ammunition was not as readily available as it was for Republic's other two weapons, the scarcity was worth what the rifle brought to the table in effectiveness. Outclassing the effective range of nearly every other bolt-action rifle deployed in the war, the Republic Arms Model 40 was instrumental in the capture of many important cities and towns throughout the war. When enemy combatants could only hope for indirect fire to land a lucky hit, a skilled marksman with a Model 40 could achieve eight-inch groups at distances exceeding 2200 meters.

Republic Arms continued to consult with the United States government throughout the following decades, most notable seeing their LR6 platform become the de-facto rifle for infantry in the late 1960s. As the years passed, Republic's work with the United States Department of Defense was largely in iterating and improving upon the LR6 platform, quickly making it the most widely produced American rifle in history.

As the civilian and private markets became increasingly interested in the work of Republic Arms, the company rebranded in the late 1990s to Republic Tactical Solutions, and began supplying armaments through a variety of contracts. Throughout wars in the Middle East and the later North African Conflicts, the works of RTS were seen on every battlefield across the globe, alongside such prolific names as CFMG, and the newly-emerging Geistwerks.

When it came time in 2038 for the city-state of Alta Turre to select weapons with which to arm their defense and police forces, RTS was the natural choice, granting the company their longest-standing single contract to date. Since their initial provision, RTS has continued to supply and maintain the weaponry used in every ARIA megacity around the globe.

## REFERENCES

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