M392 DMR

"The single-shot DMR fits somewhere between the sniper rifle and the battle rifle. It's deadly at range, but a quick trigger finger and careful aim assure that even at medium to short distances it packs a punch."

- Game Informer

The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle, commonly abbreviated as the DMR, is a battle rifle used by the United Nations Space Command.

Background
Although it saw more widespread use throughout all branches of the UNSC prior to 2548, it has since been superseded in use by the BR55 in all branches but the UNSC Army.

Design Details
The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle is an air-cooled, magazine-fed, gas-operated select-fire bullpup rifle that fires 7.62x51mm ammunition. It takes a fifteen round detachable box magazine, similar aesthetically to the BR55. The weapon has a mounted optic capable of 3x magnification, and it possesses a fire selector switch located above the grip of the weapon. The M392 also has a magazine release button which is located directly above the magazine well, behind the trigger. The weapon has two ejection ports, one on the left and right hand sides of the weapon respectively, so that a left or right-handed shooter can fire the weapon.

Function and Usage
The M392 DMR's intended battlefield application is similar to that of the BR55 battle rifle, fulfilling a role as the most effective medium-to-long range weapon UNSC arsenal on Reach. It is intended for experienced operators with proficient skill in shot placement and "controlled firing" since multiple shots to the head must be attained in succession to effectively deliver maximum damage to the target and to ensure it is killed at the fastest possible rate. Due to the introduction of an expanding reticule, the DMR requires a considerably higher proficiency in controlled firing and precision than the BR55 to attain successive head shots at the optimal rate.

To deliver head shots to a target at long and medium-to-long ranges, pausing after each shot with the DMR is required to allow the reticule to contract to its smallest possible size, then immediately firing again to maintain maximum rate of fire. While at close-to-medium range, it is only necessary to allow the reticule to shrink enough that it is roughly equal to the size of the target's head/helmet before firing again. At extremely close ranges, it is unnecessary to allow the reticule to contract at all, and it is most effective to fire the rifle as fast as possible, whilst still aiming for the head.

It only takes five shots to take down a fully shielded Spartan in MJOLNIR armor, provided the last shot is to the head, and a skillful marksman can eliminate a shielded enemy with ease. This makes the DMR possibly one of the most versatile weapons in-game.

Compared to the M6G Magnum, the DMR has a slower firing rate in exchange for higher accuracy and larger magazine capacity, and shares the same basic amount of damage and ability to kill a fully-shielded hostile.

Trivia

 * Stamped on the receiver of the rifle are the words ARMALITE MG UNSC. This is possibly the manufacturer or a reference to real-world manufacturer ArmaLite Corp.
 * The designation of this weapon as a "Designated Marksman Rifle" indicate that it was designed for use in squad-based combat, and not as a dedicated sniping tool. In the U.S. military, designated marksmen function provide long-range support to their platoon. This contrasts with snipers, who operate in small teams and receive more specialized marksmanship training.
 * This weapon's semi-automatic functionality is similar to the battle rifle in the 2003 Halo 2 E3 Demo.
 * The DMR was first featured in The Art of Halo 3 as a concept design for the Halo 3 battle rifle.
 * In the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, the DMR ejects the casing of the 9.5x40mm round used by the BR55 series, instead of the 7.62x51mm round which it actually fires.
 * In a recent Bungie podcast, it was confirmed that the DMR now has 15 rounds per magazine, a change from the 12 rounds in the earlier builds. This was mostly based on the ability to acquire 3 kills on fully-shielded Spartan players without the need to reload.
 * The DMR functions in a simallar manner to the M6D pistol from Halo: Combat Evolved, and as such it is possible that the full wrap-around handgaurd is an homage to the CE pistol.