M-8 Main Battle Rifle

This here, recruits, is your new weapon. She may not look like much, but if you treat her right she'll treat you right.

The M-8 Main Battle Rifle is the primary infantry weapon utilized by the USSF and Marine Corps in the Interspecies War. Designed specifically to overcome the heavy armor and energy shielding used by The Ravens, it fires a unique 9x70 mm armor-piercing round created for the sole purpose of doing damage.

Design

Although Battle Rifles fell out of favor within human militaries by the late 20th century in favor of Assault Rifles, upon first contact it became abundantly clear that Assault Rifles lacked the punch sometimes needed against alien armor. The Ravers in particular proved to be a serious issue with their personal shields protecting most of their infantry units. A heavier round with a more powerful cartridge was needed for the standard infantry rifle. With these specifications, military hardware suppliers competed to create the M-8 Main Battle Rifle.
The Battle Rifle, to punch through Raven Exoarmor, chambers a specialized 9x70mm cartridge designed to be assisted by a basic Electromagnetic Launch System to increase muzzle velocity, loaded into the top of the rifle with a bullpup design inspired by the FN P90. With its ideal combination of weight and speed it is capable of tearing through plating previously only vulnerable to the 12.7x98 NATO. Any infantry it doesn't rip through will certainly be knocked onto the ground by the sheer kinetic force. While it certainly doesn't replace the .50 cal, it does come close. It is capable of firing at up to 600 rounds per minute at ranges of over 400 meters.
However, the weapon's penetrating power comes with serious drawbacks, namely recoil. The Battle Rifle is infamous for having a serious kick; when fired full-auto while standing, its effective range decreases to less than 100 feet. Infantry using the weapon have to fire dozens of rounds to score a couple of hits even at close range. The problem is so serious that the weapon was almost cancelled multiple times during its development. In spite of this glaring weakness, it managed to survive long enough to receive active combat testing and quickly gained a base of support among the Marines. Since its introduction the Battle Rifle has significantly increased enemy casualty rates, even though the volume of hits to rounds fired has decreased, and is most effective when used against masses of infantry. Many soldiers consider it the best standard-issue rifle ever designed (though this is statistically proven to be untrue, the M-8 turns the placebo effect up to 11).

by jmcninja

Side view of an M-8 Battle Rifle with a standard recon scope.

Ammunition

9x70mm

Magazine Size

58 rounds

Firing Modes

Burst, Full Auto, and Semi Auto

Rate of Fire

600 rounds/minute

Effective Range

400 meters

Maximum Range

6000 meters

Item type

Weapon, Ranged

Manufacturer

United States of North America

Owning Organization

United States of North America

Rarity

Common

Weight

11 pounds (Fully Loaded)