M7 Caseless Submachine Gun

The M7/Caseless Sub-Machine Gun, is a widely used United Nations Space Command firearm.

Introduction
The M7/Caseless Sub-Machine Gun is a dual wieldable weapon seen in Halo 2 as well as Halo 3 Beta. It is not a very powerful weapon and has slight design as well as technical changes in Halo 3(possibly hinting at a new variant).

Summary
The M7/Caseless Sub-Machine Gun is a fully automatic, gas-operated, magazine fed, dual wieldable, short range weapon. The SMG fires 5x23mm Caseless FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) rounds from a 60 round mag with an extremely high rate of fire (which actually leads to tremendous recoil and forces the barrel upward after continuous fire). It also sports a retractable stock and foregrip. The SMG lacks range and power as well as accuracy so it is strictly a short range weapon. The Halo 3 SMG is relatively the same with minor design and technical changes.

Physical Description And Appearance
The M7/Caseless Sub-Machine Gun is an automatic UNSC sub-machine gun that fires 5x23mm Caseless FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) rounds. It fires from a 60 round magazine which is actually placed horizontally on the left side of the weapon due to the way it fires. The 5x23mm is similar to the .22 Winchester magnum except the 5x23 is caseless.

The SMG has a polymer handle, foregrip, and 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 bolt to cock the weapon is located on the right side of the gun and does not move during operation. From then on, the gases from previous rounds force the breech to rotate and chamber a new round. Once the mag is empty, the bolt (although not illustrated in Halo 2 or Halo 3) can either be pulled back and locked or it can be fully cycled after a fresh mag has been housed. If it is first pulled back and locked, then it must be pushed forward in order to chamber a new round. There is no ejection port due to the nature of the rounds fired.

The SMG, having a rifled barrel, is 47.5cm long with the stock retracted and has a maximum length 62.8cm when the stock is fully extended. The stock is fully adjustable. The Halo 3 SMG is basically the same but has a slightly shorter foregrip and has red dots at the receiver end of the mag. This weapon does not posses a safety and is dual wieldable.

This weapon appears in Halo 2 as well as the Halo 3 Beta.

Changes In Halo 3

 * Red dots at the reciever end of the mag
 * Slightly shorter foregrip
 * Increased accuracy
 * Increased range
 * Increased rate of fire
 * There is now a few seconds before the barrel actually starts to climb

Close Range
This is where the SMG, in itself, is most effective. It's high rate of fire and high magazine capacity fills enemys full of lead in seconds. Grenades and melee attacks are also helpful and should be used.

Medium Range
The lack of accuracy and power of the SMG makes engaging enemys at medium range an unintelligent strategy. It can, however, be used as a sort of suppressive weapon(especially against snipers).

Long Range
Not a smart move at all. The lack of accuracy and range of the SMG makes it so that the bullets don't even reach the target.

SMG And Battle Rifle
An average combo, the SMG can be dual wielded with another weapon to double the fire power but with the SMG's short range and minimal damage, the Assault rifle would be a better choice.

SMG And Assault Rifle
An average combo, the SMG can be dual wielded with another weapon to double the fire power but with the SMG's short range and minimal damage, another weapon like the Shotgun or Battle Rifle would be better.

SMG And Shotgun
A combo that should only be used in close quarters and isn't the most effective.

SMG And Sniper Rifle
Not as useful as the SR/BR, but still great and flexible. The SMG lacks the range and damage of the BR, but has a higher rate of fire, making it more useful in tight urban combat. The SMG also has the advantage of being able to be paired with other weapons, increasing the arsenals flexibility.

Advantages
The SMG's main advantage is its high rate of fire. While single shots will not do much damage, its full automatic mode of fire has led to it being dubbed the "Bullet Hose" by users in the UNSC. When dual-wielding, it allows the user to engulf the targets in a veritable torrent of 5mm's, shredding through armour and flesh with ease. The weapon's accuracy can also be significantly increased by firing it in short, controlled bursts, much like the Marines fired the MA5B Assault Rifle in Halo: Combat Evolved, but more frequently and with longer bursts. Another useful technique is, over medium range, to quickly pump the trigger, while running towards the enemy (unless, of course, they have a Shotgun or Energy Sword), when the enemy is in a suitable range, jam the trigger down for a searing full-auto. This both increases accuracy, and eliminates the barrel-raising recoil effect. In the hands of an experienced player, the SMG is exceptionally useful for suppressive fire, and knocking snipers out of their scope at medium range (one direct hit will deactivate an enemy's scope) in Halo 2's multiplayer. Ammunition is also very plentiful. Overall, a decent weapon.

Disadvantages


The SMG has a number of shortcomings. Its accuracy when fired continuously is strictly limited unless used at close range (although this can be remedied somewhat through burst fire and the trigger-pump method shown above). Furthermore, full automatic fire leads to enormous recoil, forcing the SMG's muzzle steadily upward.

You will need to compensate for this effect by constantly adjusting your aim. You can actually use this to your advantage. Many experienced players will aim at another's stomach, and open up full-auto. The muzzle will move upwards, getting multiple critical shots, and will then move onto the head.

Its phenomenal capacity for filling the air with lead means that its magazine can be depleted in what will seem like a heartbeat, leaving you very vulnerable to enemy fire. Another disadvantage is, when single-wielding, the low back-up supply of ammunition the player can hold.

Against the Covenant
Employed against the Covenant, the SMG is a very powerful close-to-mid range weapon. When fired in short bursts, it can easily decimate whole squads of Grunts. The SMG is also very useful against Jackals, with the 5mm FMJs curiously "stunning" the Jackal. The SMGs large clip size is also useful for taking out the aerial groups of Drones. Employed against Elites, Dual SMGs are extremely deadly, made even more so by firing them "out of phase". However, SMGs are not effective against Hunters, or Brutes.

Against the Flood
Like the Pistol of Halo:CE, SMGs are surprisingly effective for eliminating Flood Carriers. When Dual Wielded, SMGs are extremely deadly, capable of taking out large groups of Infection and Combat Forms alike. Many a Flood will testify to this.

Dual Wielding
A very popular technique, in both Multiplayer and Campaign, is dual wielding M7's. Using them, the operator can inflict heavy damage when firing both at once, or keep up a stream of bullets indefinitely, using one at a time. Also, it's kinda stylish!

Also when dual wielding a plasma pistol and a SMG, it makes it easier to kill opponents. The plasma pistol, when fully charges first disables their shield, then the SMG quickly guns down the opponent. It is quite a formidable combination, however it deems you a "noob" as it is nicknamed "The Noob Combo"

Appearances


The SMG is a weapon that was introduced in Halo 2 as one of the foundational weapons for the new dual wielding system. It shares it's aiming reticle and ammo count with the MA5B Assault Rifle from Halo 1 (as well as serving the same basic function in the UNSC arsenal). It also seems to do more damage, but without the range of the MA5B.

The weapon will return in Halo 3. The SMG in Halo 3 appears to look the same as the Halo 2 version, with the exception of two small red lights near the barrel of the weapon. How it handles and fires is to be determined. EGM has said it will have a higher rate of fire and "pointier" most likely means more of a punch on the caseless 5mm Ammunition.

Influence
The M7 appears to take its design from four 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 HK MP5, a submachine gun frequently used by SWAT teams for close-combat or urban environments. The third is the Fabrique Nationale de Herstal P90. The M7 takes its concept from the G11, and its design from the latter two. The last one being the H&K MP7. 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, and extendable stock come from the MP7; while its ergonomic grip and the horizontal magazine design come from the P90.

Character Compatibility

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