MA37 assault rifle

The MA37 Individual Combat Weapon System, (abbreviated MA37 ICWS or MA37 assault rifle), formally known as the Individual Combat Weapon System, Caliber 7.62 mm, MA37, is the standard-issue service rifle of the UNSC Army. It is produced by Misriah Armory and is known as the MA5 by the Naval services.

Overview
The MA37 Assault Rifle is an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, fully automatic bullpup rifle that fires 7.62x51mm ammunition. It possesses a built-in ammunition indicator and magnetic compass for orientation like all other MA5 series rifles.

The MA37 features a grip with a notch for the finger, similar to A2 pistol grip on a 20th/21st century AR-15. The barrel features a flash hider on the end which appears to be designed to direct gas (which produces flash and noise) forward, rather than upward, which would help to reduce felt recoil and muzzle climb. The rifle features a cheek riser on the receiver. The MA37 also features an ambidextrous magazine release and an ambidextrous selector switch. The MA37 also features vents on the rifle's chassis near the barrel assembly, which facilitate air cooling of the barrel as the weapon fires.

Differences from MA5C ICWS in Halo 3

 * Major cosmetic differences such as a more skeletal and detailed body, shorter overall length, ammunition counter appearing as an attachment rather than an integrated part of the weapon.
 * Maximum ammunition capacity decreased from 352 to 288 rounds.
 * Slower rate of fire and decreased damage per round.
 * Larger reticule. Short, controlled bursts are much more accurate than sustained fire.
 * Shots have hitscan properties; shots fired would hit instantly.
 * Reload, melee animations, and firing sound have been changed to make it feel more like the MA5B from Halo: Combat Evolved.

General
Like most weapons in Halo: Reach 's sandbox, the MA37 comes with a reticule bloom. A sustained fire will decrease the accuracy of the weapon; this is indicated by the expanding reticule. To compensate this, it is recommended to fire in short, controlled bursts. Burst-fire is best used in Firefight or Campaign, as you very rarely get the chance to use it in matchmaking.

Campaign

 * Like the MA5B in Halo: Combat Evolved and the MA5C in Halo 3/ODST, the MA37 is efficient in taking down large squads of Grunts.
 * A combination of the assault rifle and a fully-charged plasma pistol is a good all-round weapon combo; shielded Covenant soldiers can be easily neutralized with the charged plasma pistol followed by several burst from the assault rifle.

Multiplayer

 * The MA37 is the typical starting weapon for most online matchmaking games. It is best used at close range, so one tactic is to charge an opponent and unleash fire as soon as they're squarely within your reticule. Keep shooting until their shields go down and finish them off with a quick melee or more fire.
 * Roughly half a clip on a fully shielded enemy is all you need to kill them. While previous assault rifles have killed a fully shielded opponent in standard matches with exactly 16 shots, the MA37 seems to fluctuate in how many rounds are needed, sometimes needing more, sometimes less.
 * The MA37's versatile nature makes it an excellent back-up weapon to make up for the faults of the player's main weapon.
 * The MA37 is inferior to the M392, Type-31 Rifle, and M6G when compared to their accuracy and range. However, it is easier to use at short range combat compared to aforementioned weapons due to easy shot placement.

Trivia

 * If the player participated in the Halo: Reach Beta, which was obtainable with a copy of Halo 3: ODST, a unique nameplate emblem of an MA37 is obtainable for use on Xbox LIVE in multiplayer.
 * In the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary announcement trailer, the MA5B assault rifle uses the MA37's model as a placeholder model. In the final game the weapon uses the MA5C's model from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST.
 * The binary code 01000100011000010111011001100101 is displayed at the bottom left of the MA37's ammunition counter. This represents "Dave," in reference to Dave Candland, UI designer for Halo: Reach.
 * Although only the MA37's fully automatic setting is used in-game, the fire mode selector is modeled in the semi-automatic position.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach