M392 Designated Marksman Rifle

Were you looking for the DMR in Halo 4?

"The single-shot DMR fits somewhere between the sniper rifle and the battle rifle. It's deadly at range, but a quick trigger finger and careful aim assure that even at medium to short distances it packs a punch."

- Game Informer

The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle, more formally known as the Designated Marksman Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M392, and commonly known as the DMR, is a select-fire rifle used by the United Nations Space Command.

Design details
The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle is an air-cooled, magazine-fed, gas-operated select-fire bullpup rifle that fires 7.62×51mm ammunition from a fifteen round detachable box magazine; the weapon's design aesthetics resembles those of the BR55. The weapon has a fire mode selector switch above its grip and a mounted optic with 3x magnification. The M392 also has a magazine release button located directly above its magazine well, just behind the trigger. Left- and right-handed shooters can fire the M392 without difficulty due to a port that can eject spent cartridges to either the left or right side. In-universe, the 7.62x51mm ammunition is interchangeable with ammunition from both the MA5 series of assault rifles and the majority of the UNSC's light machine guns (such as the M739 SAW or the turret-mounted machine gun used by the Scorpion).

Operation
The M392 DMR's intended battlefield application as a medium- to long-range weapon resembles that of the BR55 battle rifle. It is primarily issued to experienced operators with proficient skill in shot placement and "controlled firing," as the recoil and newly introduced reticle bloom from multiple shots can throw off the user's aim. The best strategy is to pause after each shot, then fire again as soon as the reticle contracts enough to cover roughly half of the target; simply fire as quickly as possible when at using at extremely close range.

Developmental history
Although it saw more widespread use throughout all branches of the UNSC before 2548, the BR55 has superseded it in most military branches of the UNSCDF, with the sole exception being the Army.

Advantages
The DMR is an excellent sniping weapon. Landing headshots from vantage points is easy because its semi-automatic mode minimizes recoil. The DMR has the range of a Sniper Rifle and a higher accuracy and larger ammunition capacity than a Magnum (at the cost of reduced fire rate). The DMR kills a SPARTAN-III with full body armour in four body shots and a headshot. The large size of Elites makes them easy pickings. The DMR is stealthier than the Sniper Rifle because the DMR leaves no trail of smoke.

Disadvantages
The Designated Marksman Rifle is not without its drawbacks. Due to its semiautomatic fire rate, it is a substandard weapon in close quarters combat. Additionally, each magazine holds only 15 rounds, resulting in frequent reloads during which the user is vulnerable to attack. Finally, ammunition for the DMR is scarce, and the maximum carrying capacity is low at only four reserve magazines, making ammunition consumption a constant worry. A player can compensate for these disadvantages by carrying a close-in combat weapon (preferably with common ammunition), but will still need to watch his ammo meter carefully, especially if he or she favors long-range combat.

Tactics

 * Combine this weapon with a Plasma Pistol and you have a versatile weapons package. The DMR can slay all non-shielded enemies with a headshot (2 for Grunt Ultras and 3, 4, and 7 to Brute Minors, Captains, and Chieftains respectively; this is due to their thick helmets) and the Plasma Pistol will neutralize the shields of Elites allowing you to down them with a headshot from a DMR. The only problem from these weapons is the inability to combat Hunters effectively, and the lack of an effective close range weapon. Another effective combo is the Grenade Launcher, as this as the same effect as a plasma pistol if it detonates in close-range. However, if you use the grenade launcher, you can let it bounce of a wall and surprise and finish off upcoming enemies.
 * The DMR has exceptional accuracy at ranges where a Sniper Rifle would be most effective. So if you run out of Sniper ammo but still have your DMR, stay in your spot.

Trivia

 * This weapon's semi-automatic functionality is similar to the battle rifle as seen in the 2003 Halo 2 E3 Demo.
 * The DMR was first featured in The Art of Halo 3 as a concept design for the Halo 3 Battle Rifle.
 * The designation of this weapon as a "Designated Marksman Rifle" indicates that it was designed for use in squad-based combat, and not as a dedicated sniping tool. In the U.S. military, designated marksmen provide long-range support to their platoon. This contrasts with snipers, who operate in small teams and receive more specialized training.
 * It only takes five shots to take down a fully shielded Spartan in MJOLNIR armor, provided the last shot is to the head. A skillful marksman can eliminate a shielded enemy with ease. Compared to the M6G Magnum, the DMR has a slower firing rate in exchange for higher accuracy and larger magazine capacity, however it shares the same basic amount of damage.
 * The five shot kill ability of the DMR in multiplayer is a 6-shot kill on Elite characters, provided the last shot is to the head, due to their stronger shielding. However, as irritating as the stronger shields may be at close range, the Elite character models are significantly larger than the Spartan-III character models making this actually more effective against Elites at longer range than against Spartan III's.
 * The DMR has higher accuracy than the Battle Rifle.
 * Originally, the DMR had only 12 rounds per magazine. However, sometime after the Halo Reach beta, this was increased to 15 rounds per magazine. Likely so that it is possible to get 3 kills without the need to reload. Or possibly to further distinguish it from the Magnum.
 * Subscribing to Bungie Pro will give the subscriber a DMR nameplate.
 * Closer inspection of the weapon's fire-select switch shows that it is capable of automatic fire.
 * The DMR's optic sight reticle is similar to that of the real-world Russian PSO-1 teloscopic sight used on the Dragunov sniper rifle.
 * In the game, the DMR incorrectly ejects the casing of the 9.5x40mm round used by the BR55 series, instead of the 7.62x51mm round which it actually fires.
 * Although the DMR and the MA37 fire the same 7.62mm round, the MA37 Assault Rifle is significantly weaker. This is probably because the DMR fires rounds at a much higher velocity than the MA37, therefore increasing the amount of damage per hit.
 * In the Halo Reach Multiplayer Beta, the background color and numbers of the ammo indicator was green instead of being blue in the final version.
 * When the player activates the DMR's scope, a small pointer rotates toward the top of the screen that indicates the zoom factor, the pointer stops at 3x, but there are also marks for 2x and 1x. However, the player cannot use the lower zoom settings in-game.
 * The DMR is most likely compatible with the MA37's magazine, and might be used when it is switched to full auto so the magazine wouldn't run out so quickly, as a 15 round magazine would. This may also be in cases where the DMR's fifteen-round magazines cannot be found or brought in.
 * It's possible that the DMR merely uses a 15-round magazine in-game for balancing reasons, as it would greatly simplify logistics to have only one type of magazine instead of two.
 * In the November 14, 2011 version of the ZB Slayer gametype in Halo: Reach, the bloom effect was neutralized. Also, it made the DMR a 4-shot kill weapon, similar to the Battle Rifle in Halo 2.
 * The number '392' is another 7 reference. 3+9+2=14 14=7+7.
 * The DMR makes it's return in Halo 4.

Appearances

 * Halo: Reach
 * Remember Reach

Related pages

 * XBR55 Battle Rifle
 * BR55 Battle Rifle
 * BR55HB SR Battle Rifle
 * BR85HB SR Battle Rifle
 * Type-31 Rifle
 * Type-51 Carbine
 * M395 Designated Marksman Rifle