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
 * Slightly less damage

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
Good for close range and long range, this can be a useful tactic.

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.

SMG and SMG
This combo is quite a powerful combo and fill opponents with lead in seconds. The best way to utilize this combo is to pulse the triggers instead of holding them down. The only real down sides are the extra recoil and prolonged reload. Against large tides of weaker enemies, however, it may be useful to only shoot one SMG, and when that clip is almost empty, shoot the other while the first reloads. Alternate between one SMG and the other to maintain a prolonged string of many clips of fire.

SMG and Magnum
A pretty decent combo, the SMG can drain the opponents shields and then the Magnum can perform lethal head shots. The only down side is the recoil which could throw off the magnums aim.

SMG and Plasma Pistol
One of the more effective combos, the Plasma Pistol overcharge shot will take down the opponents shields and the SMG will finish him/her off with a torrent of projectiles.

SMG and Plasma Rifle
Probably the best of any SMG dual wield, the combined rate of fire and higher damage delt with the Plasma Rifle kills opponents in what seems like miliseconds.

SMG and Brute Plasma Rifle
The same as the SMG/Plasma Rifle combo except with twice the amount of plasma being delt.

SMG and Needler
Probably the worst of the SMG combos. This combo is not very effective and with the Needlers decreased power and homing ability, it almost like its not there at all.

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 magazine 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 forms and Combat Forms alike. Many a Flood will testify to this.

Influence
The M7 appears to take its design from three 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 Fabrique Nationale de Herstal P90. The last one being the H&K MP7. The M7 takes its concept from the G11, and its design from the latter two. 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 in a bullpup configuration 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)

Trivia

 * It seems to be the Master Chief's weapon of choice in Halo 2, when dual-wielded, and he is frequently seen dual-wielding SMGs.