M99 Stanchion

The M99 Special Application Scoped Rifle, referred to as the M99 Stantion Gauss Rifle, or just the Stanchion, is a United Nations Space Command infantry firearm used as a long range anti-materiel and anti-personnel weapon.

History
The Model 99 Special Application Scoped Rifle first entered production in 2491, and ceased production in 2521. It appears to have been a popular rifle, as per its production length, and it was used mainly for anti-material operations. However, the .21 caliber round at a velocity of 15,000 meters per second was very effective against "soft" targets such as humans.

Operational Use
The M99 Stanchion was used by then-Corporal Avery J. Johnson during Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE, using the weapon to assassinate Jerald Mulkey Ander, a member of the Secessionist Union from a significant distance. He used another M99 Stanchion during Operation: TREBUCHET to kill an Insurrectionist terrorist driving a truck rigged as an explosive, and attempted to use it to neutralize a second terrorist inside a nearby diner, the Jim Dandy. His first target was successfully killed and blown into fragments from the force. The second target had killed herself with a bomb, along with three UNSC Marines and thirty two civilians in the diner.

Ammunition/Technology
Similar in its technological concept to the much larger Mass drivers and Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, the Stanchion propells a small but highly dense .21 caliber/5.4mm tungsten round using a series of electromagnetic coils rather than chemical propellants as a source of kinetic energy, and is therefore most similar to the M68 Gauss Cannon vehicle-mounted weapon. These rounds are capable of travelling over great distances without reduced accuracy, delivering enough kinetic force to punch through several Instacrete pylons, blow an Insurrectionist apart, and continue on its course into an abandoned parking lot without any noticable effect on its accuracy or speed. The weapon is used in conjunction with a portable computer which provides the ballistic calculations necessary for engaging long range targets. The M99 Stanchion can also be integrated with other battle-field systems, most notably the ARGUS Drone for trajectory and ballistic data. The high-velocity achieved using electromagnetic coils, coupled with a computerized targeting system, allows the M99 Special Application Scoped Rifle to have an effective range of over 4.5km.

Trivia

 * The Stanchion is an anti-material weapon designed for eliminating explosive ordinance and light armored vehicles at a distance, but also functions incredibly well as an anti-personnel weapon.
 * In reality, there is a firearm designated as the M99 which also fires a .50 caliber round: Barrett M99
 * There is also a Chinese sniper rifle designated as the M99. It fires a 12.7mm (.50 Caliber) bullet as well.

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