SRS99 series

The SRS99 AM, the initial version of the SRS99 rifle.

The SRS99 Series, (collectively Sniper Rifle System 99), is a series of semi-automatic, anti-materiel sniper rifles produced by Misriah Armory and used by the UNSC Armed Forces. The rifle is standard for snipers and is configurable according to mission requirements.

Specifications

Design details

SRS99 series sniper rifles are known to fire a variety of cartridges, but are most commonly chambered in 14.5×114mm rounds. Unlike most UNSC rifles, the SRS99 series is not in the "bullpup" configuration wherein the magazine is inserted behind the pistol grip, instead being inserted in front of it in a more conventional fashion. Nearly all components of the weapon can be changed to fit the mission requirements, including the barrel assembly, (which includes the chamber), and the stock.^[1] Due to their role as sniper rifles, SRS99s are virtually always deployed with mounted optics such as the Oracle N-variant scope.

Performance

An SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle being fired.

The SRS99 is considered a powerful, reliable and accurate family of weapons. They can be effectively utilized in a wide variety of environments, including when exposed to the vacuum of space or submerged underwater. Their standard APFSDS (armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot) ammunition allows them to eliminate Covenant most infantry targets in a single shot, and even damage and disable lightly-protected vehicles. Their substantial dimensions may make them challenging for unaugmented UNSC troops to carry, but Spartans are often able to get the best out of these weapons, the VISR link capability between their MJOLNIR armor and the optics used with SRS99 rifles combining with their formidable strength to allow them to hit difficult targets from great distances while staying highly mobile.^[2]

Ammunition

Main article: 14.5×114mm

The SRS99 series sniper rifle, by default configuration, is chambered the 14.5×114mm APFSDS rounds semi-automatically from a standard four round magazine. These rounds are large in both length and width and are equipped with four symmetrical fins spaced equidistantly around the base of the projectile, stabilizing its trajectory to improve accuracy in flight with the result of a hit ratio of 97.3%. The terminal ballistics profile of the 14.5×114mm round is impressive; at 600 yards a round from the SRS99 series sniper rifle would go through about thirteen feet of flesh and bone.^[3]

The weapon can also be quickly and easily chambered to utilize other ammunition types, such as the 14.5×114mm HVAP rounds and the .450 rounds.^[4] The weapon can also fire specialized "grappling rounds" which are slid into the barrel, providing a means of securing ropes over long distances.^[5]

Development history

The SRS99 entered service with the UNSC Army in 2460. Due to its modularity and ongoing manufacturer support, the SRS99 was adopted by the other Armed Forces branches in 2521.^[6] By 2557 at least three production series were (or had been) in service: the original, the Series 2, and the Series 5.

Though introduced during the Insurrection, the SRS99's best known use was against Covenant forces during their war with humanity; it proved invaluable in eliminating most personnel types, (from Grunts to Hunters), from long-to-extreme range. It was later found to be generally effective against Promethean constructs during the first and second conflicts on Requiem in 2557 and 2558.

Known models

Trivia

The earlier depictions of variants from the SRS99 series, specifically those from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST and Halo Wars, bear significant resemblance to the real-world Denel NTW-20, an anti-material rifle developed in the 1990s by Denel Mechem. The real-world rifle has versions chambered in different cartridges, one of which is 14.5x114mm, a round with the same stated dimensions as the round fired by the SRS99.