MA7B ICWS Assault Rifle

The MA7B Assault Rifle was a weapon of the MA5 series produced in 2580, and was the first MA series assault rifle to not be used by the UNSC military.

Description
The MA7B is a bullpup, fully automatic, non-UNSC rifle that fires the 9.5x40mm Caseless M225 Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Explosive Energy-Shield Draining round. It fires from a 60 round magazine which doesn't quite fit flush in the receiver. The receiver is built directly into the underside of the butt of the gun and is located behind the grip (known as a bullpup configuration). The magazine release of the weapon is marked in red (though this is often painted over) and is located on the right side of the weapon, on the stock. The weapon has sling mounts located near the front end of the weapon and slightly behind the bolt.

This titanium alloy weapon is gas-operated with a rotating bolt and therefore must be cocked before the first round can be fired. The charging handle used to chamber the round is located on the left side of the weapon and does not move during operation. Once the first round is fired, the gases from that round and those to follow impinge upon a gas piston, which pushes back the bolt carrier, rotating the bolt inside and continuing to chamber rounds until the magazine is empty. Once the magazine is empty, the charging handle can either be pulled back and locked or, it can be fully cycled after a fresh mag has been housed. If it is pulled back and locked, then it must be pushed forward once a fresh magazine is housed to chamber a new round. The magazine release button is located on both sides of the gun with an arrow pointing down towards the housed mag in the stock. The ejection port is located on the right side of the weapon. There is also a fire selector on both sides of the ammo display.

In the butte stock of the weapon a recoil dampening sytem is located, which reduces recoil by as much as 70%. This is vital, as the weapon would have significant recoil otherwise. On the front end of the weapon there is a flashlight, similar to the light found on the older MA5C and MA5B rifles. The front grip is grooved, and is structured to provide maximum stability. It features a carrying handle, giving it a similar look to the BR55 and MA5K, and has iron sights located on the handle which are almost identical to those used on the older M7 SMG. The MA7B's handle is grooved similar to that of the M7, giving the user more grasp on the grip. The MA7B, like most MA weapons, has a ammo display that points to the objective "North" on a planet. However, unlike other MA weapons, a 4x magnification sight is integrated into the ammo display.

The MA7B has a ammunition clip of sixty rounds, much like the old MA5B. It has a maximum firing rate of 15 rounds per second, but unlike the MA5B, has accuaracy akin the to BR55. It uses a new, experimental ammo type known as the 9.5x40mm Caseless M225 Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Explosive Energy-Shield Draining round, which is an evolution of numerous weapons. It's 9.5x40mm round is the same caliber used in the BR55, but unlike the BR55, the round is caseless, like the round of the M7 SMG. The 9.5x40mm features M225 Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Explosive qualities, taken directly from the M6 pistol. It it approximately 1/3 more powerful than the M6D, capable of killing a SPARTAN-II with MJOLNIR Mk. V armor in just two headshots. The round is also highly effective against shields; it uses the principles of the ENDRW, or Energy Sheild Draining Ray Weapon, that was used on the Broadsword fighters of post 2552. The ENDRW drains shields, and the round for the MA7B drains them better than standard rounds; in addition to normal impact, it uses the ENDRW coatings to drain shields. The MA7B is highly accurate, to the point of M6D pistols, and is useful at up to 200 meters. At this range, actual sniper weapons dwarf it.

Development
The MA7B entered development in 2576, after the MA6 series of rifles were found useless. Misriah hoped to use it to gain a new conrtact with the UNSC, ensuring more of it's weapons would be bought. Misriah spent 4 years working on the weapon, trying to improve the flaws of it's earlier weapons, and trying to incorporate designs from numerous weapons into the rifle. They were mostly successfully, but to Misriahs dissapointment, the UNSC had had enough with MA designs and didn't give them a contract. Misriah then began selling the weapon wherever they could.