Rifle

In the actual sense of the word, a "rifle" is a weapon with a spiral grooved barrel that imparts a spin on a projectile to obtain better levels of accuracy than a smooth-bore weapon, such as a musket or a shotgun. In the Halo sense of the word, a rifle can have several different meanings.

Summary
When regarding human weapons, there are a few forms of the word "rifle" used. An "assault rifle" is a kind of firearm, that may or may not be fully-automatic (and may posses a fire selector), that fires a round between a pistol or battle rifle. A "battle rifle" fires a large full-size rifle round and is usually, but not always, semi-automatic and often has a long full-size barrel. A "sniper rifle" fires a multitude of ammunition, almost exclusively in semi-automatic, in the goal of achieving high levels of accuracy, and typically longer ranges than assault or battle rifles.

Regarding Covenant weapons, a "rifle" is used not to describe the technical of the weapon itself, but in the role it plays on the battlefield. For example, the Plasma Pistol and Plasma Rifle, while similar, are used in two different ways. Basically, a rifle is larger than a pistol, often requiring two hands to use (except while dual-wielding), but is smaller than a heavy weapon like a Brute Shot or Fuel Rod weapon. This applies to the Plasma Rifle, Brute Plasma Rifle and Beam Rifle. The Covenant Carbine is also considered a rifle and the Type-25 Carbine (commonly called a Spiker or a "Spike Rifle") can fit into this list as well.

Currently, there are at least 35 known appearances of a "rifle" in the Halo universe:

Assault rifles
Assault rifles are military service weapons that that fires intermediate rifle cartridge; merging the light machine gun's firepower with the submachine gun's compact design.

MA series

 * MA1 Individual Combat Weapon System - The original MA rifle, precursor to all current MA variants.
 * MA3A Individual Combat Weapon System - The precursor to the MA5B assault rifle. Retired from service, remains popular on the black market and among insurrectionist groups.

MA5 series

 * MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System - Introduced in 2437, known as the MA5 to the UNSC Navy and Marine Corps. In service with the UNSC Army up until the Fall of Reach. Featured in Halo: Reach.
 * MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System - Standard issue assault rifle in service with the Navy and Marine Corps up until late 2552. Featured in Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System - MA5B replacement, with lower magazine capacity and higher accuracy. Featured in Halo 3.
 * MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System - Post-war successor to the MA5C, newest addition to the MA5 series. Featured in Halo 4.

Carbines
Carbines are shortened light-weight versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length.
 * M6J/C Carbine - Carbine variant of the M6 sidearm series that features a detachable stock and an electroless nickel finish. The weapon's barrel is 355mm long.
 * MA2B ICWS/Carbine - Successor to the MA1. Functionally similar to the the MA5B. Occasionally used by Special Forces operators.
 * MA5K ICWS/Carbine - Uncommon carbine variant, wielded by Special Forces units such as the SPARTAN-IIIs.

Battle Rifles
Battle rifles are military service weapons that fires a full-power rifle cartridge; providing greater effective range, penetration, and stopping power than assault rifles.


 * BR85HB SR Battle Rifle- A new variant of the battle rifle used in Halo 4

BR55 series

 * XBR-55 - Halo: Contact Harvest-Prototype Battle Rifle.
 * BR55 Battle Rifle - Two-handed firearm firing in 3-round bursts featured in Halo 2.
 * BR55HB SR Battle Rifle - An updated version of the BR55 for Halo 3.
 * BR85HB SR Battle Rifle - An updated version of the BR55HB-SR for Halo 4.

Designated Marksman Rifles
Marksman rifles are military service weapons that fires a anti-personnel/magnum-caliber rifle cartridge; used to fill the "marksmanship gap" between the battle rifle and the sniper rifle.
 * M392 Designated Marksman Rifle - DMR featured in Halo: Reach
 * M395 Designated Marksman Rifle - The new DMR used in Halo 4

Nonlinear Rifles

 * Anti-Vehicle Model 6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle (W/AV M6 G/GNR) - A shoulder-carried, anti-vehicular, directed laser weapon. Featured in Halo 3, Halo Wars, Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach. It is better known as the Spartan Laser.

Recoilless Rifles

 * M149 Recoilless Rifle - United Nations Space Command weapon used during the Human-Covenant War. Better known as the Magellan.
 * Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920 - Compact-channel linear accelerator carbine, fires high-explosive rounds at extreme velocities. Better known as the railgun. Featured in Halo 4.

Sniper Rifles
Sniper Rifles are used for a more accurate and long range shots than other small arms.


 * M99 Special Application Scoped Rifle - Man-portable miniaturized Magnetic Accelerator Cannon. Used by Avery Johnson in Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE.

SRS99 series

 * SRS99D AM Sniper Rifle - Variant of the SRS99C Sniper Rifle used in Halo: Reach.
 * SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle - Long-range two-handed projectile weapon featured in Halo 2.
 * SRS99C-S2 AMB Sniper Rifle - Variant seen in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.
 * SRS99D-S2 AM Sniper Rifle - A variant of the SRS99C-S2 AM Sniper Rifle used in Halo 3.
 * SRS99-S5 AM Sniper Rifle - A sniper rifle utilized in Halo 4

Projectile

 * Type-33 Carbine - One-handed sidearm, fires homing crystalline ammunition. Better known as the Needler Carbine.
 * Type-31 Rifle - Medium-range cousin of the needler. Analogous to the DMR. Better known as the Needler Rifle. Featured in Halo: Reach.
 * Type-25 Carbine - One-handed spike rifle. Analogous to the SMG. Better known as the Brute Spiker.
 * Type-51 Carbine - Scaled-down, anti-infantry version of the fuel rod cannon. Analogous to the battle rifle. Better known as the Covenant Carbine.

Particle

 * Type-50 Sniper Rifle System - Long-range two-handed weapon, primarily used by Kig-yar Snipers. Analogous to the SRS-99 sniper rifles. Better known as the Beam Rifle. Featured in Halo 2,  Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST.

Plasma

 * Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle - One-handed plasma-operated weapon typically wielded by Sangheili. Better known as the Plasma Rifle.
 * Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle/Jiralhanae variant - Variant of the standard plasma rifle wielded exclusively by Jiralhanae, with superior rate of fire. Better known as the Brute Plasma Rifle. Featured in Halo 2 and Halo 3: ODST.
 * Type-50 Directed Energy Rifle/Heavy - Two-handed plasma-operated weapon-variant that fires explosive bolts of superheated plasma. More commonly known as the Concussion Rifle.
 * Type-51 Directed Energy Rifle/Improved - Two-handed plasma-operated weapon used mostly by Sangheili. Analogous to the MA5 series assault rifles. Better known as the Plasma Repeater. Featured in Halo: Reach.
 * Type-52 Special Applications Rifle - Sniper weapon, fires continuous beam of magnetically contained plasma. Better known as the Focus Rifle. Featured in Halo: Reach.

Deleted material

 * Gravity Rifle - A Halo: Combat Evolved  deleted Covenant long range rifle.