M392 Designated Marksman Rifle

"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 abbreviated 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 7.62x51mm ammunition. It takes a fifteen round detachable box magazine, similar aesthetically to the BR55. The weapon has a mounted optic capable of 3x magnification, and it possesses a fire selector switch located above the grip of the weapon. The M392 also has a magazine release button which is located directly above the magazine well, behind the trigger. The weapon has two ejection ports, one on the left and right hand sides of the weapon respectively, so that a left or right-handed shooter can fire the weapon. In-Universe the 7.62x51mm ammunition is interchangeable with ammunition from the MA5 series Assault Rifles and the majority of the UNSC's machine guns.

Operation
The M392 DMR's intended battlefield application is similar to that of the BR55 battle rifle, fulfilling a role as the most effective medium-to-long range weapon in the UNSC arsenal. It is intended for experienced operators with proficient skill in shot placement and "controlled firing" since the recoil from multiple shots must be controlled to effectively deliver maximum damage to the target and to ensure that the target is neutralized at the fastest possible rate. Due to the introduction of an expanding reticle, the DMR requires a considerably higher proficiency in controlled firing and precision than the BR55 to attain successive hits (in-game).

In order to deliver hits to a target at medium-to-long ranges, a pause after each shot with the DMR is required to allow the reticle to contract to its smallest possible size. Immediately firing upon reacquisition of target maintains the maximum rate of accurate fire. While at close-to-medium range, it is only necessary to allow the reticle to shrink enough that it is roughly equal to the size of the target before firing again. At extremely close ranges, it is unnecessary to allow the reticle to contract at all, and it is most effective to fire the rifle as fast as possible.

Developmental History
Although it saw more widespread use throughout all branches of the UNSC prior to 2548, it had since been superseded in use by the BR55 Battle Rifle in all military branches of the UNSCDF but the Army.

Combat Usage
The DMR is the newest and most coveted weapon in the UNSC arsenal. The 3x zoom, moderate magazine size, and rate of fire combine to fill the gap in the UNSC's armory between the Assault Rifle and Sniper Rifle. The DMR gives users of all skill levels the power and accuracy needed to target enemies where the damage could be most severe - in the head. The DMR is most effective against delicate material and less so against heavily armored or shielded foes. Though the DMR's 15 round magazine capacity is sufficient for individual encounters, the user must remember to reload after every encounter. The other drawback to use the DMR is the limited amount of ammunition found on the battlefield. The majority of UNSC Troopers currently rely on the Assault Rifle, thus scavenging ammo for the DMR is less reliable. UNSC weapon racks are the most reliable source of ammo. A good tactic when you want to conserve some ammo for the DMR, is to melee an elite to bring is shields down and shoot him in the head. Just shoot the head for a grunt but if you're after a grunt with a helmet, it will take two shots.

Advantages
The DMR is an excellent sniping weapon; when taken to vantage points a headshot will slay almost any opponent, and because of its single shot feature the recoil is somewhat cut to a minimum, causing aiming to be incredibly simple with this gun. As discussed in Tactics, coupling the DMR with a Plasma Pistol will cause your player to be very complete in terms of weaponry. The DMR is also known to have the range of a Sniper Rifle, allowing for the player to switch to this weapon in cases where both the Sniper Rifle and the DMR are equipped (although it is quite unusual for a player to have two sniping weapons). In contrast with the magnum pistol, the DMR has a higher accuracy rate and larger ammunition capacity at the cost of reduced fire rate. The DMR only requires five shots to down a Spartan III with full body armour, but the last bullet must be a headshot. Compare this to an Elite, who due to their large body mass are substantially an easier target for the DMR wielders than a Spartan III, so Elites are sitting ducks for the DMR at long range.

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; 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 fieldcraft 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. This makes the DMR one of the most versatile weapons in-game; it is much more powerful than its successor, the Battle Rifle. 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 character models making this actually more effective against Elites at longer range than against Spartan III's
 * The DMR actually has higher accuracy than the BR55.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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 is significantly weaker.
 * 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, the player cannot use the lower zoom settings in-game.
 * The DMR's firing sound is nearly identical to the Halo 3 Machine Gun Turret.
 * 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.
 * A recently made gametype from 343 industries neutralized the bloom effect and gave it the 4-shot kill, similiar to the battle rifle.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach

Related Pages

 * BR55 Battle Rifle (Halo 2)
 * Prototype BR-55 (Halo: Contact Harvest)
 * BR55HB SR Battle Rifle (Halo 3)