MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System

"The MA5C is the workhorse for us ground-pounders. Just holding it makes you feel like God’s own anti-son-of-a-bitch-machine."

- Anonymous Marine

The MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System (abbreviated MA5C ICWS), more commonly known as the MA5C Assault Rifle, is a widely-used standard United Nations Space Command firearm. It is the successor of the MA5B Assault Rifle.

Design Details
The MA5C Assault Rifle is the third rifle in the MA5 Series of firearms manufactured by Misriah Armories. It is currently the standard infantry rifle of the UNSC Marine Corps. The MA5C is a much more balanced weapon compared to its predecessor, the MA5B Assault Rifle, and has received slight technical, as well as physical, changes from the MA5B. The MA5C only appears in Halo 3 and in Halo 3: ODST. It is the starting weapon on most levels in the Halo 3 Campaign, and the default weapon for all maps in Halo 3 multiplayer.''

Description
The MA5C Assault Rifle is a fully-automatic UNSC infantry rifle that fires 7.62 x 51mm FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) rounds. It fires from a 32-round magazine that is housed in the receiver built directly into the underside of the butt of the gun and is located behind the handle (making the MA5C fall into the bullpup classification). The magazine fits flush into the housing.



This titanium alloy and polymer assault rifle firing with a gas-operated with a rotating-bolt and therefore must be cocked before the first shot can be fired. The charging handle used to chamber the round is situated on the left side of the rifle and moves during operation. Once the first round is fired, the gases from that round and those to follow impinge upon a gas piston, which pushes back the bolt carrier, rotating the bolt inside and continuing to chamber rounds until the magazine is empty. Once the magazine is empty, the charging handle must both be pulled back and locked or, must be fully cycled after a fresh magazine is inserted to load the next round. The magazine release button is located above the magazine housing and has an arrow pointing down toward the housing (similar to the BR55HB SR). The ejection port is located on the right side of the gun above the magazine housing.

The MA5C has a rifled barrel that is 60.7 cm (24 in.) long and has an overall length of 88 cm (34.6 in.). The MA5C can be fitted with a number of different attachments, such as a flashlight. The power button for the flashlight attachment is located behind the grip near the trigger. The MA5C also has a digital display on top of the rifle, which displays the remaining rounds in the current magazine, as well as a compass that points to the largest land mass near by or key locations such a base of operations. This weapon also has a safety located on the handle of the gun.

Ammunition
The MA5C Assault Rifle uses 7.62x51mm Armor Piercing, Full Metal Jacketed Rounds. These rounds are designed to pierce human-made armor, and unfortunately, perform poorly against Covenant. The rounds are reasonably large, and are surrounded by a molded jacket of either steel or titanium, which enhances its armor-piercing capabilities. The round might also have a carbide or similar hardened tip, and might also be coated in copper or another metal over the steel, titanium, etc. shell. Actual energy from this round is 2472 ft·lb force. This is quite high for a rifle cartridge, and the round has been historically noted for its power and range. "7.62mm" is the diameter of the bullet itself, which equates to .3 tenths of an inch, or .30 caliber. The "51mm" comes from the length of the brass casing containing the powder and primer. Often being associated with a considerable amount of recoil, the MA5C appears to be able to absorb it so the weapon remains steady even during cyclic fire.

Armor-piercing rounds have the obvious advantage of being able to deal with protected targets, but instead of causing larger wound channels by tumbling like lower-caliber ball or non-jacketed munitions, AP rounds have a tendency to over-penetrate the body, causing less overall trauma.

7.62x51mm rounds can also tear through vegetation and debris without critically changing direction or velocity, making it easier to fire through light cover as compared to 5.56x45mm rounds. The 7.62x51mm round was originally introduced as a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) standard cartridge in the 20th century. It appears to have survived for over six more centuries, being used in the MA5C rifle and other UNSC weapons like the M247 GP Machine Gun.

5.56 NATO is probably not used because of the Covenant's advanced armor and shielding, or simply because sometime between 2008 and c. 2525 it fell out of service, likely for the same reason; its stopping power against anything larger than a dog is barely, adequate at best.

Advantages
The weapon is a solid, reliable, and fairly powerful in close to medium range, and can also be semi-effective at longer ranges by firing in bursts. It is a good all around weapon, well balanced in all stats, and can be effective in almost all situations if used correctly. Ammo should not be a concern, since the weapon is very common and ammo can be easily found. The MA5C Assault Rifle is effective against Brutes, requiring only a little more than a magazine to take one down (less ammo for lower ranking Brutes such as minors) and the gap for reloading can be replaced by a quick melee. The Assault Rifle can easily wipe out an entire squad of Grunts in less than a magazine. It is also very effective against Flood Infection and Carrier forms. At medium ranges, the MA5C is less effective, as the spread of the bullets is increased. This can be compensated for by firing in short bursts to prevent erratic bullet spray. It's accurate if used in short, well aimed bursts and otherwise ferociously powerful at close range. The digital compass above the ammo counter can help you find your way through labyrinthine areas.

At close range, this weapon is arguably even more deadly than the dual-wielded SMG, as the firepower is approximately equal, and the ability to employ grenades and melee gives it the upper hand. A single melee will take down most opponent's shields, leaving the enemy to easy pickings from the MA5C. Generally, one would shoot the opponent on approach, then melee to finish them off. Six rounds and then a melee is the minimum amount of firepower required to kill a Spartan or Elite multiplayer enemy.

Disadvantages
Close range weapons such as the Shotgun, Energy Sword, and Gravity Hammer can overpower the MA5C. It is inaccurate at longer ranges as it does not have a scope, which makes the player using the MA5C an easy target for a player with a Battle Rifle, Carbine, Sniper Rifle, or Beam Rifle, which limits the MA5C to close to mid-range combat. The MA5C is not very effective against Jackal shields. However, Plasma weapons, such as the Plasma Rifle or Plasma Pistol, are quite effective and are preferable for shielded enemies.

The biggest disadvantage is the high rate of fire combined with a small magazine size and low stopping power. While the MA5B had a 60-round magazine, the MA5C only holds 32 rounds per magazine. This results in the weapon using 75% to 90% of the magazine to kill an enemy, meaning that if a player is engaging multiple enemies, he or she must focus on one at a time, then reload. To make up for this shortcoming, it is advisable to carry a secondary weapon, such as a Plasma Rifle, or a few grenades (preferably Frags).

Changes from the MA5B (Halo: CE)

 * Heavier barrel with a one in seven twist.
 * Greater accuracy.
 * Smaller reticule (slightly larger than the BR55HB SR Battle Rifle's).
 * Redesigned electronics suite cowling to reduce weight and increase point ability.
 * Redesigned hand guard to provide more positive grip.
 * Decreased magazine capacity (32 rounds, down from 60).
 * Increased maximum magazines.
 * Increased range.
 * Increased damage per round.
 * Cocking the weapon
 * Decreased rate of fire.
 * Reload is faster.
 * Less sharp edges, less bulky.
 * Quieter.
 * Much shinier than the MA5B, though this could simply be due to graphic enhancements.

Tactics
In many multiplayer matches, you will begin with the MA5C. Due to its high rate of fire, it is very capable of whittling down shielding in about two seconds. If the opponent does not have an Energy Sword, Shotgun, Mauler, or other short-ranged weapons, then a good strategy is to get into close range and charge them, while firing all the way. When you get close enough to them, melee. This usually kills the other player; however, this may leave your shields down and your gun low or out of ammo. So it's best not to try this tactic when surrounded by enemies or when in an open area. Also, if the other player has Sword, Shotgun or Mauler, then this tactic is useless because close range weapons are the Achilles heel of this tactic. Another tactic is to use the rifle for suppression fire. This means that you can spray the area of a target in order to get the enemy to keep their heads down. This is especially helpful if you are being fired upon by a sniper because even if one round hits the sniper, they are knocked out of the scope and become disoriented. This gives you a chance to find cover or move in for the kill. The Fragmentation Grenade used in combination with the Assault Rifle is also extremely effective. For example, if you are being pursued, jump around a corner and quickly throw the Fragmentation Grenade to bring down the target's shield. Once your gun is back in hand, open fire on the enemy you threw a grenade at. This should most likely bring your target down, unless the target has an overshield or you missed with your grenade.

One of the best tactics, other than the shoot and melee tactic, is to use short, controlled bursts. The gun is much more accurate when you do this, and it will usually drop the enemy before the magazine runs out. This tactic only works at medium range. At long range, it is best not to engage a target at all.

Observations
Soldiers are very satisfied with this weapon. It performed well in a variety of environments especially given the perceived delicacy of the attached electronics suite. The general consensus is that every soldier wants an MA5C. As one Marine noted, it was the "bread and butter" of the UNSC, just as the Covenant counterpart, the Plasma Pistol, was the standard.

Influences
The MA5C is based on a few different weapons. One inspiration for the MA5C Assault Rifle was the MA–75B Assault Rifle (with integral 40mm Grenade Launcher) from the Marathon series. In fact, before Bungie re-engineered the game for the Xbox, it was fitted with a grenade launcher. Another inspiration was the M-590 7.62mm assault rifle of the USMC from 1995-1996 TV series Space: Above and Beyond. Another inspiration is the French FAMAS assault rifle, hence the bullpup magazine type. The MA5 series of Assault Rifles have a very similar outline as the real world FN 2000 assault rifle. The weapons designer at Bungie, Robert McLees, claims he wasn't inspired by the FN 2000 and similarities are purely coincidental.

UNSC Remarks

 * “The MA5C is the workhorse for us ground-pounders. Just holding it makes you feel like God’s own anti-son-of-a-bitch-machine.” (This is a reference to the  Legendary opening speech of Avery J. Johnson in  Halo Combat Evolved.)
 * “I have slogged through snow and mud and sand with my MA5C; even got dumped into an open sewer with it and it has never given me a bit of complaint. I trust it like I trust my own arms.”
 * “The MA5C is built like a brick outhouse with Venetian blinds. You can pound on a mike foxtrot with it like it was a sledgehammer.”
 * “For every time I’ve felt out-gunned by those alien bastards shooting blobs of energy at me I have felt like Death himself watching their bodies come apart under a hail of lead from my MA5C.”
 * “The Romeo Echo Mike Foxtrot’s decision to mechanically reduce the MA5C’s magazine capacity by nearly half is pretty frustrating; even if their data was showing that jamming because of loss of spring strength was becoming an issue.”
 * “The only thing I can think of that would make the MA5C any sweeter would be an under-slung shotty or a forty mike mike.”

Trivia

 * All pre-release public pictures of the MA5C in first person showed Battle Rifle animations as placeholders before the final animations were in place in the final game.
 * The new MA5C has a compass that points towards the objective in each mission. The old one on the MA5B points toward the gas planet, Threshold.
 * On the butt of the MA5C, a small Marathon Symbol can be found. It is also found on the left side of the weapon just below the charging handle.
 * When tested, each individual round of the MA5C actually does slightly more damage than the BR55HB SR. However, this is offset by the MA5C's lower accuracy at mid-long range, and the fact that it has no headshot bonus.
 * The Assault Rifle is the Master Chief's trademark and specialized weapon in combat as he is seen wielding it in all Halo cut scenes, apart from those in Halo 2, which had no Assault Rifles, instead he generally used dual SMGs in promotional art. In some cutscenes, he sometimes has weapons you used to get to that point in the level. On the levels which start you with the weapon you're suppose to start with, he will wield that weapon(hence the starting cutscene of the last level you play as him in Halo 2 where he has a Carbine).
 * It has been dubbed the "pop gun" by Marines.
 * In most Matchmaking games in Halo 3, you begin with this weapon as a default primary weapon. In the recent "Title Update 2", you now start with a secondary Magnum.
 * In the Halo 3 Beta, the charging handle of the MA5C had an animation. This is, however, not present in Halo 3.
 * When Bungie was making this weapon, they stated they wanted "the ultimate spawning weapon", being very balanced but not overly powerful.
 * The MA5C; like its predecessor the MA5B; lacks any type of physical aiming system (iron sight, red dot, scope, etc.); instead, every Marine's neural interface provides a reticule similar to the one found in the MJOLNIR armor
 * In Fable 2, the MA5C can be obtained in the Knothole Island Expansion pack. It is called "Hal's Rifle".
 * The crosshair for the MA5C is almost identical to the one used for the M6D Magnum.
 * Interestingly enough, as the standard service rifle for the UNSC forces, this series of firearms do not sport any form of sights or optics. This may have been replaced with the targeting reticule in a Spartan's HUD or a Marines Neural Interface.

Internal Links

 * MA2B Assault Rifle
 * MA3 Assault Rifle
 * MA5B Assault Rifle
 * MA5K Carbine