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MA5B assault rifle

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki

Revision as of 22:18, September 10, 2018 by Sith Venator (talk | contribs)
MA5B assault rifle
A render of the MA5B assault rifle cinematic model made for Halo Wars.
Production overview

Manufacturer:

Misriah Armory

Model series:

MA5 Series

Type:

Bullpup assault rifle

Specifications

Length:

34.9 inches (89 cm)

Ammunition type:

M118 7.62×51mm Full Metal Jacket Armor Piercing

Feed system:

60 round box magazine

Operation:

Short-stroke, gas-operated, rotating-bolt

Rate of fire:

900 RPM

Effective range:

Short to medium

Service history

In service:

Insurrection
Human-Covenant War
Post-Covenant War conflicts

 

The MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System, abbreviated MA5B ICWS and commonly known as the MA5B assault rifle, is a standard-issue service rifle for the UNSC Marine Corps and the Navy. It is produced by Misriah Armory as part of its MA5 Series.

Overview

Main article: MA5 Series

The MA5B Assault Rifle is an air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed, select-fire bullpup rifle that fires 60 rounds of 7.62×51mm ammunition. It is capable firing both fully automatic and three round bursts.[1] It possesses a built-in ammunition indicator and magnetic compass for orientation similar to that of all other MA5 series rifles.[2]

Variants

There was a modified variant of the MA5B assault rifle that was adapted for use with a Suppressor.[3]

Gameplay

Advantages

The MA5B in both offensive and suppressive situations remains one of the UNSC's most reliable weapon. When fired in short bursts, or even single shots, there is a significant increase in accuracy, and the rifle's armor penetrating ability makes it key for handling even the toughest of infantry, having the ability to kill an Elite in about 45 rounds in close quarters. The MA5B rifle is effective at killing light armored infantry at close-to-medium range, and the high rate of fire combined with the high ammunition capacity allows its user to spray the whole area with suppressing fire. The MA5B also gives the user an ammo count on its digital readout, as well a compass pointing toward the arbitrary magnetic "north" position. In the hands of someone who can control their trigger finger, the MA5B becomes a deadly weapon in CQB situations.

Disadvantages

The MA5B is not without disadvantages, its main disadvantage being its horrible accuracy when fired at a range of more than forty meters. At that range, enemy infantry may be hit by a few bullets, or not be hit by any bullets at all. The MA5B Assault Rifle performs poorly against energy shields unless firing on full automatic at close range without giving a shielded infantry time to cover. In comparison to modern assault rifles it can be more related to an oversized sub-machine gun, as it is underpowered and lacks the ability to select a fire mode.

Trivia

Main-Legendary.png See our gameplay information related to MA5B assault rifle on its gameplay page.
Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

References

  • The MA5B was heavily inspired by the MA–75B assault rifle from the Marathon series.
  • Robert McLees at Bungie has compared the basic design of the MA5B to that of the Fabrique-Nationale FN F2000. According to The Art of Halo, McLees did not know of the F2000 until after the game was even finished; "I don't know when the images of the FN F2000 appeared, but I didn't see them until three or four months after the game shipped, and I thought 'Oh great. Now everyone's going to think I swiped the design from Fabrique National.' It was surreal to see how close the Halo assault rifle was to its real-life counterpart... and it was all totally by accident."

Miscellaneous

  • There is a second melee animation for the MA5B, in which the user holds the weapon vertically and clubs anyone in front of them with the back end of the weapon. This animation is used in a few Halo Custom Edition maps, but was taken out of the official game. This animation is similar, if not identical, to the melee animation used for the M90 CAWS.
  • In Halo: Combat Evolved and Anniversary, the gas giant Threshold is considered arbitrary north by the MA5B's compass.
  • In the early version of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the MA5B used the MA37 as a placeholder render, before using the MA5C for the final game.
  • The MA5B like many other weapons featured across Halo, has shown that the dimension of the magazine cannot physically contain 60 rounds. Infact, the magazine can’t even contain 32.

Gallery

List of appearances

Sources

  1. ^ Halo: Silent Storm, Chapter 24
  2. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved
  3. ^ Halo: The Fall of Reach, Chapter 20, page 178(2001 paperback); page 205(2010 paperback)

v • d • e
 
List of rifles and carbines used by humanity
MA series MA1 • MA2B • MA3A • MA40 (Longshot)
MA5 series variants MA37 • MA5B • MA5C • MA5D
Other assault rifles HMG-38 Monitor Rifle • VK78 Commando (Impact)
CM 300 • M6J/C • MA5K
BR55 series XBR55 • BR55 • BR55HB
BR75 series BR75 • BR75 Breacher
BR85 series BR85 • BR85HB • BR85N
Other BR series rifles BRXX Lightfire
Other battle rifles "Maestro"
M295 • M392 • M395 (M395B)
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