MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System

The MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System (abbreviated MA37 ICWS or MA37 Assault Rifle), or more formally the Individual Combat Weapon System, Caliber 7.62 mm, MA37, also known as the MA5 by the UNSC Marines and Navy, is a standard issue service rifle of the UNSC. It was first introduced in 2437, and has remained the primary service rifle of all branches of the UNSC ever since.

Design details
The MA37 is a reliable air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, fully-automatic bullpup rifle that fires from 32-round magazines of 7.62x51mm ammunition. It possesses a built-in ammunition indicator and magnetic compass for orientation, similar to that of all other MA5 series rifles. It has a high rate of fire, but due to its inaccuracy, it is highly ineffective at long ranges and inflicts low damage against energy shields.

The MA37 ICWS is an excellent close- to medium-ranged weapon and is most effectively used for fully-automatic sustained fire at close range, or by using short, controlled bursts at medium range for greater accuracy. When fired in three-round bursts, it has roughly the same accuracy as the BR55, and is a balanced starting weapon that can be used effectively in the hands of a skilled player.

Strategy

 * The MA37 is a general-purpose weapon, and can be used for almost any situation. It lacks long-range capabilities, however, and pairs well with weapons like the DMR.
 * At close range, fully-automatic fire is recommended. At longer ranges, fire in bursts to conserve ammunition and improve accuracy.
 * Back up while firing to prevent a Shotgun, Energy Sword or Gravity Hammer from killing you, as they are capable of performing instant kills at close range.
 * Due to its high rate of fire, this weapon is effective against shielded and unshielded enemies, though in the event you are facing numerous shielded enemies, a plasma-based weapon would be a better choice.

Changes from MA5C ICWS in Halo 3

 * Major cosmetic changes, such as a more 'skeletal' and detailed body.
 * More powerful firing sound.
 * Different reload and pick-up animations.
 * The bullet counter on the HUD decreases column by column rather than row by row in all previous games.
 * Shorter overall length.
 * Changes that affect most UNSC weapons in Halo: Reach, such as hitscan and reticule bloom.
 * Slightly slower rate of fire (by about 100 rounds per minute).
 * Larger reticle.
 * Max ammunition is decreased from 352 to 288.
 * Short, controlled bursts are more effective at range than fully-automatic fire.
 * Slightly less damage (19 rounds to kill a fully-shielded SPARTAN player, rather than 16 rounds).
 * The bullets will always hit inside the crosshairs that are inside the reticule, making it just as accurate as the previous assault rifle, if not more.
 * Smoke can be seen coming off of the weapon when fired, and sparks can be seen when shots ricochet off metal and rock.

Trivia

 * Bungie stated that the MA37 "will feel most similar to the Assault Rifle of the original Halo".
 * If the player participated in the Halo: Reach Beta, which could be accessed via an invitation with each copy of Halo 3: ODST, a unique nameplate emblem of an MA37 is obtainable for use on Xbox LIVE in multiplayer.
 * The maximum reserve ammunition for the MA37 varies for certain campaign missions and exceeds the limit of 288 (e.g. 600 max in the level Winter Contingency).
 * Although the MA37 and the M392 DMR fires the same 7.62mm round, the MA37 inflicts less damage. To kill a fully-shielded SPARTAN-III player at full health in multiplayer, it takes eight rounds (five with a headshot) from the DMR and the nineteen from the MA37. This could be explained by the MA37 using a cartridge that contains significantly less powder and/or larger powder granules (reduced ignition speed), and a much lighter bullet grain, thus; the MA37 would be significantly easier to control on full-automatic fire mode.
 * Although the MA37 is the predecessor of the MA5B, on the right side of the rifle, just above the trigger mechanism, it reads "MA5C Mk. 4"
 * Translate the binary code 01000100011000010111011001100101 in the bottom left of the scope and it reads "Dave," as in Dave Candland, UI designer for Bungie, also, if you add all the numbers together it will show 14. 14 divided by 2 = 7, another reference.
 * The shell casings of the MA37 have the word Chief written on them.
 * The computer module on the MA37 appears to be mounted on a rail system similar to that used by many modern military weapons. This suggests that the MA37 can be fitted with other accessories such as optical or reflex sights in place of the standard compass/ammo counter unit.
 * The MA37 may simply be a "stripped down" variant of the MA5C ICWS, and this could also explain the tag of MA5C Mk. 4 found on the rifles. Though this is unlikely being a predecessor to the MA5B and MA5C.
 * The MA37 appears to have an adjustable butt pad, similar to those seen on the MP5.
 * The MA37 is, by far, the weakest in-game assault rifle. The MA5B kills a SPARTAN in 15 rounds, the MA5C kills with 16 rounds, but the MA37 kills with 19 rounds total.
 * The ejection port texture of the MA37 is nearly identical to that of the real world AR-15.
 * The official designation of the weapon could be a possible easter egg. 'MA', of course, stands for Misriah Armory, the producer of the Assault Rifle series, with '3' representing the MA37 as the third iteration of the Assault Rifle (With the MA5B the first version in Halo: CE and the MA5C the second version in Halo 3), and '7' being a reference to Bungie's love of the number 7.
 * At the top of the ammo counter, there seems to be a small compass that changes direction when pointing somewhere else, although it is somewhat useless if your HUD already has one anyway.
 * The east and west orientations on the ammo counter compass are reversed compared to the compass in the players HUD (east on left, west on right).
 * The 32-round magazine is a 7 reference: the two digits added together make 5, and when 5 is added to the number of digits (2), the result is 7.

Appearances

 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Halo: Spartan Assault

Related Pages

 * MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System
 * MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System
 * MA5K Carbine
 * MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System