SRS99-AM sniper rifle

The Sniper Rifle System 99 Anti-Matériel, (formally known as the Special Applications Rifle, Caliber 14.5 mm, SRS99), is a sniper rifle produced by Misriah Armory and used by the UNSC Defense Force. The SRS99 entered service with the Army in 2460. Because of its modularity and ongoing manufacturer support, the SRS99 was adopted by all branches in 2521.

Design details
The SRS99 is a semi-automatic, gas-operated rifle that fires 14.5x114mm ammunition from a four-round detachable box magazine. The ejection port is on the right side of the weapon and the charging handle is on the left side. Unlike all other known models of the SRS99 series, this variant features a thumbhole stock instead of a pistol grip, and its body sports a black and navy blue finish in addition to the gray of its successors. The SRS99 is equipped with the Oracle N-variant scope, which can display green outlines of objects when not in active use.

Ammunition
The SRS99 fires 14.5x114mm HVAP (high velocity, armor-piercing) rounds semi-automatically from a standard four-round magazine. These rounds are substantially different to the APFSDS (armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding sabot) fired by the rest of the series: APFSDS rounds are sub-calibre, dart-like projectiles with a breakaway sabot surrounding the arrow-like bullet. HVAP rounds are full-bore rounds consisting of a core of a high-density, hard material surrounded by a full-bore shell of a lighter material such as an aluminium alloy.

The HVAP round is an anti-matériel munition, meaning that it is specifically designed for use against military equipment rather than against other combatants. It performs rather well in this role and can take down any vehicle with enough rounds, though it is still nowhere near as effective as heavy weapons such as the M41 rocket launcher and M6 Spartan Laser. That said, the rounds are best used on other combatants depending on their use of body armor and energy shields. The HVAP rounds fired by the SRS99 leave behind a noticeable white vapor trail that can reveal the position of the sniper. However, it can be used as an aiming aid for the sniper himself.

Changes from the SRS99D-S2 AM in Halo 3

 * Increased damage against vehicles, destroying them with four to six rounds.
 * Has a thumbhole stock rather than a pistol grip.
 * Updated colors.
 * Scope is smaller.
 * Can neutralize a Scorpion tank in two shots, one to destroy the canopy, and a headshot to kill the now-exposed driver.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
In Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary the original SRS99C-S2 AM is replaced with the SRS99's model. However, as the change is merely aesthetic it performs identically to its Halo: Combat Evolved counterpart.

Trivia

 * In the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, the scope shows the identity of the weapon's user as "ID-NOBLE6", regardless of who wields it. This is not present in the final build.
 * At the beginning of the campaign level Nightfall, the player receives fifty rounds instead of the default maximum of twenty. This is a tribute to the level The Truth and Reconciliation from Halo: Combat Evolved, in which the player begins with a larger-than-normal number of sniper rifle rounds.
 * The weapon's reticule bloom has almost no effect on gameplay. However, its accuracy is not 100% perfect due to bloom. This can be proven by enabling the Bottomless Clip option in gametype settings, then firing the rifle as fast as possible. Eventually, the reticle will be fully expanded, proving that each shot is very slightly skewed, and is only noticeable if bottomless clip is enabled.

List of appearances

 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary