Battle rifle

A battle rifle is a military service weapon that fires a full power rifle cartridge. While the designation of battle rifle is usually given to post-World War II select fire infantry rifles such as the H&K G3, M-16, the FN FAL or the M14, this term can also apply to older military bolt-action or semi-automatic rifles such as the Mosin Nagant or the M1 Garand.

There are numerous references of the following Battle Rifle in the Halo Universe:

History
Battle Rifles date back since before the Second World War. Both the Axis and Allied researchers observed that the majority of small-arms combat occurred at distances of about 300 metres or less, with few engagements occurring beyond that range. Thus, at these short ranges, the battle rifle's advantages are mostly wasted, resulting in modern armies favoring the employment of more compact, lighter, and more maneuverable rifles and carbines. This dimensional disadvantage provoked the development of the world's first true assault rifle that would become the German StG 44.

By the start of the 21st century, however, there had been a general backlash against carbines and light rifles in most armies around the world due to their having less range, penetration and power than battle rifles. Recent conflicts in desert environments have underscored the need for greater range while developments in advanced body armor have created a need for more powerful munitions. A consequence of this was the creation of the Squad Designated Marksman program in the U.S. Army and the Squad Advanced Marksman in the U.S. Marine Corps. The role of the Designated Marksman is to fill the "marksmanship gap" between the Rifleman (<300 metres) and the Sniper (>600 metres). Instead of relying on the use of smaller, lighter assualt weapons with a higher rate of fire to hit a target, these programs place greater emphasis on marksmanship training, allowing the DM to take advantage of the greater range and power of heavier weapons. Though these rugged semi-auto front-line rifles typically do not have a sniper rifle's precision scope, veteran marksmens favor its increased power over that of assault rifles to bring down hardened targets. This had marked the return of battle rifles such as the U.S. Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle and the Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle, which had been phased out previously due to their limited effectiveness in the hands of beginner marksmen compared to lighter rifles and carbines like the M16, CAR-15, and M4.

The term Battle Rifle is not defined or frequently used in military field manuals and government documents, being unofficially used by automatic Riflemens in the field when in reference to a DM's rifle. There are some government requisition documents that do make mention of a specific rifle as a battle rifle, but those documents may simply be using the manufacturer's marketing name (similar to how Springfield Armory's M14 clone is trademarked as the M1A) when referring to a semi-automatic and/or controlled-fire hybrid weapon with an assault rifle's low heat production and a sniper rifle's stopping power; the lack of a full-auto setting are advertised as a feature rather than a shortcoming since it curbs a soldier's tendency to spray inaccurate fire under stress. Because of these issues, deciding what exact characteristics of a rifle should make it a battle rifle are a matter of contention.

Disambiguation
Battle Rifle may refer to the following:

Human

 * BR55 series
 * XBR55 Battle Rifle - Halo: Contact Harvest-era Prototype Battle Rifle.
 * BR55 Battle Rifle - Halo 2-era Battle Rifle.
 * BR55HB SR Battle Rifle - Halo 3-era Battle Rifle.

Covenant

 * Type-31 Rifle
 * Type-51 Carbine