M7/Caseless Submachine Gun

"I’ve seen a Spartan use two at once tearing the crap out of the little ones; sending the big ones down in bloody heaps. But I guess that’s what ya gotta be to pull it off: an action-movie hero or a seven-foot-tall walking tank..."

- Anonymous Marine

The M7/Caseless Submachine Gun, more simply known as the SMG, is a United Nations Space Command infantry and special operations weapon. There is also a silenced version, M7S Submachine Gun, which is equipped with an external suppressor to mute gunshots and increase stealth.

Introduction
The M7/Caseless Submachine Gun is a weapon seen in Halo 2 and Halo 3. At medium or long range, the M7 is inaccurate, but at close quarters, it is a flexible and reliable close-quarters weapon, and when dual wielded, SMGs are capable of causing extreme damage in a small amount of time. At close range, it has a faster and deadlier punch than the Assault Rifle. The SMG is considered one of the best dual weapons in Halo 2 and 3. With a high rate of fire, the weapon is extremely deadly up close, and even more so when dual-wielded with a similar weapon. The M7 also has a distinct, walk-up recoil motion if fired without pause. When dual-wielded with the plasma pistol (or any energy weapon), it can create a deadly combination. By charging up the plasma pistol to deplete the enemies' shields, the SMG can deliver the killing blow.

Summary
The M7/Caseless Submachine Gun (also known as the bullet hose or SMG) is a fully automatic, gas-operated, magazine fed, dual-wieldable, close to medium range weapon. The SMG fires 5x23mm Caseless FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) rounds from a 60-round magazine at a velocity of 427 m/sec (1400 ft/sec) with an extremely high rate of fire (15 rounds/sec or 900 rounds/min). This high rate of fire combined with the weapon's relatively low weight leads to considerable recoil and forces the barrel to steadily creep upwards during continuous/ automatic fire. It also sports a telescoping stock and folding fore-grip. The SMG lacks range (only being effective up to 50 meters) as well as accuracy so it is strictly a short range weapon. If you carry this weapon you, ideally, should be good at short range combat (as close as you would be with a Shotgun).

Design Details
The M7/Caseless Submachine Gun is an automatic UNSC submachine gun, that fires 5x23mm Caseless FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) rounds. It fires from a 60-round magazine which is placed horizontally on the left side of the weapon. Due to the odd horizontal placement of the magazine on the weapon, it can be assumed that the magazine utilizes a circular ramp where the magazine meets the breach. This rotates the horizontally stacked rounds in the magazine 90 degrees until they align with the horizontal breech. An example of this can be seen in the present day Fabrique Nationale P90 SMG, as well as the HK G11 experimental assault rifle, which utilized a vertical loading system and caseless rounds like the M7. It also has various points which it resembles the Heckler and Koch MP7, such as the name, foregrip, frame of the weapon, retracting stock, etc.

The SMG has a polymer handle, folding fore-grip, iron sights, and retractable stock, as well as a titanium body, and is gas-operated with a rotating breech. The SMG must be cocked before it can fire the first round. The handle to cock the weapon is located on the right side of the gun and does not move during operation. Once the first round is fired, the gases from previous rounds force the breech to rotate and chamber a new round. Once the magazine is empty, the handle (although not illustrated in-game) can either be pulled back and locked or it can be fully cycled after a fresh magazine has been housed. If it is first pulled back and locked, then it must be pushed forward in order to chamber a new round. The mag release button is located between the red dots on the receiver and needs to be pressed before it can be flicked off. There is no ejection port due to the nature of the rounds fired.

The SMG has a rifled barrel that is 15 cm (5.9 in.) long. This weapon can also be attached with a silencer called the M7S (not in any Halo game), but causes an uproar silenced. The weapon is 47.4 cm (18.66 in.) long with the stock retracted (The stock is always retracted in games, and has a maximum length of 62.7 cm (24.68 in.) when the stock is fully extended. The stock is also fully adjustable. Note in Halo 2 that the SMG can have 2 different appearances. The Halo 3 SMG is basically the same but has a slightly shorter foregrip and has red dots at the receiver end of the magazine. This weapon doesn't possess a safety and is dual-wieldable.

Ammunition
The SMG uses M443 Caseless rounds, a radically different kind of ammunition than the kind found in other UNSC weapons. This ammunition is classified as "caseless," meaning it does not have a metallic casing surround the powder and sealing the bullet, propellant, and primer together. Instead of using this casing, the round uses a combustible adhesive to seal these components together. Because the adhesive and propellent are both vaporized when fired, there is no need to eject spent casings. Though not featured in-game, contemporary caseless ammunition is highly susceptible to cook-off, the accidental firing of rounds due to built-up heat in the receiver.

This feature is very beneficial. In addition to increasing fire rate by removing the extraction and ejection phases of the weapon's cycle, it reduces friction inside the magazine, one of the main causes of jamming in weapons. This is also conducive to dual-wielding, since the user need not concern themselves with hot brass expelled from the weapon held in the left hand. The projectile itself is jacketed in metal (usually a copper alloy in standard military ammunition) to aid in penetration of the target. Caseless rounds are actually embedded into the block of propellant, reducing their length, allowing more ammunition to be stored in a smaller space.

The SMG's 5x23mm (.197 caliber) rounds, while smaller than most other SMGs, could classify it as a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon), which it has already taken several design cues from (read below).

Advantages
The SMG is an excellent suppressive weapon, in Campaign against an unwitting AI or at close range online. It is also works great against swarms of Flood. When firing upon a Battle Rifle user or a Sniper Rifle user, the scope will become unusable once the user is hit, reducing their accuracy and giving you the advantage and the incentive to charge assuming you are positioned close enough to your opponent.

Since it has more ammo than the MA5C Assault Rifle, you will have to reload less often than if you were to use the MA5C. Because of their large magazine, one can easily continue through targets with little pause for reload. Like other UNSC firearms, the SMG is extremely deadly against unshielded targets, and can kill them rather quickly. In addition, the SMG serves as a better close range/secondary weapon when already armed with a Battle Rifle (Halo 2 combo). In combination with the Battle Rifle, (the "BR" being used to target enemies at a medium to far range and the SMG being used as a secondary / close range weapon), the SMG makes a reliable close range support weapon when shotguns and swords are not available. The SMG serves better than the MA5C at close range due to its larger magazine and faster firing-rate, and is an excellent choice of replacement for the Assault Rifle in close combat situations, but not however at medium range. A lot of close-quarter players will wield SMGs in matchmaking to have a rapid, fast firing gun, so keep on the move at all times.

The SMG can also form part of the most effective dual-wield combos in the game. The SMG, when dual-wielded with a Plasma Rifle in Halo 3, can be a deadly combination because the Plasma Rifle depletes the opponents shields and the SMG's armour piercing rounds do the rest. Another favored combo is dual-wielding the SMG with the Plasma Pistol (Often called "the noob combo" by bitter veterans and victorious masters, a title which is shared with the more prominent and common Battle Rifle/Plasma Pistol combo). The firing of a charged shot from the Plasma Pistol to completely deplete the shield of your opponent should be followed with a full burst of SMG fire to tear through now-exposed flesh and armor.

In Halo 3, the SMG has been much improved. By itself, the SMG can be an extremely devastating weapon in close-quarters combat, simply because of its high ammo capacity and lightning fast melee. Many players prefer a SMG to an Assault Rifle in close combat because of these traits. While the AR has better range and damage, the SMG is better in close quarters.

Disadvantages
Some players have nicknamed the SMG, "The Bullet-Hose", due to its high rate of fire, low accuracy, and uncontrollability. The SMG's primary limiting factor is its poor accuracy, which limits its use to close range. At close ranges it is completely overpowered and outperformed by the Shotgun and Energy Sword. Like most other Human weapons, the SMG performs relatively poorly against shields, though this weakness is negated by wielding it in conjunction, with a plasma rifle or plasma pistol. As stated before, the gun has recoil which causes the barrel to climb after continuous fire and will climb faster if you dual-wield it. This forces you to continually move your reticule down to keep the enemy in your sights but is not a big limiting factor. This, as well as the poor accuracy can be slightly countered, using a burst-fire technique, unleashing about five bullets each pull of the trigger. It also has the problem of an extremely long reload time when dual-wielded, making it easy to be killed while changing magazines. This problem however can be solved by volley firing the weapons, so while one is reloading the other is still firing. This tactic reduces the power of having two SMG's but gives the advantage of approximately 40+ seconds of non-stop firing.

Influence
The M7 appears to take its design from three real-world firearms. The first is the Heckler and Koch G11, a caseless prototype assault rifle developed in the 1980's. The second is the Fabrique Nationale de Herstal P90. The last one is the H&K MP7. The M7 takes its caseless ammunition concept and feed mechanism from the G11, and its design from the latter two. As the MP7 and P90 are both personal defense weapons, it can be assumed that the M7 falls under this classification as well. Its slanted front, foregrip, extendable stock, and possibly name come form the MP7, while its ergonomic grip and the horizontal magazine configuration come from the P90.

Changes in Halo 3

 * Red dots at the receiver end of the magazine.
 * Slightly shorter foregrip.
 * Increased accuracy, range, damage and rate of fire.
 * There is now a delay before the barrel actually starts to climb.
 * The sound of the gun firing is slightly different.
 * Much less common to spawn in both campaign and multiplayer.
 * Handle is more curved, less rectangular.
 * Other various minor cosmetic changes.

Character Compatibility

 * Spartans
 * Marines
 * Cortana (has animation but not used)
 * Flood Combat Form (Human)
 * Flood Combat Form (Elite)
 * Elites
 * Drones (has animation but is not used)
 * Jackals
 * Brutes

Observations
Recoil from all but sustained fire is very controllable. Although the M7 submachine-gun is primarily issued to vehicle crews, it is also a favorite of commando teams in its sound suppressed version, the M7S. It could also be a favorite of ODSTs as it takes up little room inside the cramped HEV.

UNSC Remarks

 * “The recoil isn’t bad but the M7 itself is relatively light. Not unpleasant to shoot, but a little tricky to control—it’s all about controlling the impulse.”
 * “It’s actually comparable in weight to the M6 — favorably, in fact. That and not having to worry about the hot casing dropping down your boot makes it a pretty clear choice which one I think is the better system.”
 * “Yes; I have fired it one-handed with the stock collapsed and the foregrip folded. No; I was not driving at the time, I was shotgun. Did I hit anything? Don’t know—probably never will—no more bogeys afterward, though.”
 * “It’s not a death ray but nobody likes getting shot. Not even Bravo Kilos. And you can fill the air with a lot of lead with an M7."
 * “The M7 is the wave of the future. Hopefully the Romeo Echo Mike Foxtrots will finally realize the benefits of caseless ammunition.”

Trivia

 * A silenced SMG seems to be the default weapon for Halo 3: ODST's new protagonist, an ODST Lance Corporal.
 * The SMG is, in many ways, the same as an MA5B Assault Rifle, as it has relatively similar range, power and capabilities. This may explain why it is a very common weapon in Halo 2, as the Assault Rifle was in Halo: Combat Evolved. It might also be more popular with Marines than the MA5B, as it is more compact, allowing for closer action, and dual-wieldable, doubling its already awesome power.
 * In Halo 2 when wielding one SMG, the stock is extended, and while dual-wielding the stocks are collapsed. In Halo 3, the stock is always in one position, but is still adjustable canonically.
 * Spare ammunition packs for the M7 SMG in Halo 2 are marked in red- the same as the MA5B Assault Rifle.
 * The M7 in Halo 3 seems to be the only weapon which makes a soft clicking sound when picking up spare ammunition (excluding grenades), as most human weapons did in Halo 2. This may be a very subtle throw-back to the previous game, as the SMG was the most common starting weapon in many Halo 2 gametypes.
 * Although the M7 Submachine Gun is primarily issued to vehicle crews, it is also a favorite of commando teams in its sound suppressed version, the M7S. The issuing of the M7 to vehicle crews is similar to how real world vehicle crews are issued carbines and SMGs because of the fact that these weapons would take up less space in a vehicle.
 * While encountered throughout the campaign mode in Halo 2, M7's are only usable in the levels Crow's Nest, Floodgate, Cortana, and Halo in Halo 3.
 * They were first put into the games in Halo 2, but were seen before in the Halo Universe, like in Halo: Contact Harvest and Halo: First Strike and around the year 2535 in use by Kurt in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.
 * In Halo: Contact Harvest, Staff Sergeant's Avery Johnson and Nolan Byrne's squads use M7 submachine guns when they raid the insurrectionist bomb shop and again when they attack the Covenant on the Tiara. It was also used by the constables that guarded Governor Thune's office in Utgard.
 * This weapon is used by many characters on Red vs Blue mostly on the Red Team. When Donut was once asked to fire (in Caboose's mind), he said he couldn't because it was a purse. Also, in a deleted scene in Season 4, it shows Grif actively trying to plug up his SMG to avoid combat by saying, "Oh Sarge, my weapon is jammed. Looks like I won't be able to fight."
 * The SMG was originally going to be in Halo: Combat Evolved  but was cut, possibly because the Assault Rifle made it obsolete without dual-wielding.
 * The SMG originally was meant to have a transparent plastic magazine, where the user could see the ammunition feed into the weapon. It was found to not be practical, and was given a stamped steel magazine.
 * In Halo 3, the SMG will not fire immediately after meleeing. Instead, the firing sound will be heard for one second without the SMG firing anything at all.
 * The Doppler Effect makes for very interesting frequencies heard when shooting two SMGs at the same time; It can sound like a helicopter, a radio tuner, and a motorcycle engine when fired at different times.
 * The SMG is in most ways inferior to some of today's SMGs. The one in the Halo games fires caseless ammunition, and has a large magazine capacity for its size, but most contemporary ones have lighter recoil and easier impulse control, higher caliber rounds with more stopping power, and are FAR more accurate at range.
 * It is likely the SMG is used by police forces and rebels due to its compact size.
 * Dual (or single) SMGs can actually be pulse-fired without having to account for recoil. Instead of simply holding the trigger, rapidly press it. This will fire the weapon(s) quickly, but the game will not consider it rapid fire and so will not implement the increasing recoil algorithm.
 * When the Halo 3 Official Guide was published by the Piggyback Team, they said 'If the Magnum or Battle Rifle could be said to possess the precision and accuracy of a surgeons scalpel in the right hands, the SMG is more akin to a rusty chainsaw.'

Related Pages

 * M7S Submachine Gun
 * Type-25 Carbine
 * Plasma Rifle
 * Brute Plasma Rifle