User:Zensun/XM12 Assault Rifle

The XM12 is an experimental weapon series, designed primarily in 2610 as a replacement for the venerable MA5B, -C, and -D models used in past conflicts.

Appearance
The XM12 uses what was once the standard configuration for most rifles, with the magazine in front of the trigger guard. Usually painted a tan color, the XM12 possesses a rigid stock and a barrel 13.8 inches in length. Four Picatinny rails, one on the upper, lower, left and right sides portions of the receiver, exist, although the side rails can be removed. A pair of backup iron sights have been built into the upper Picatinny rail, and cannot be removed.

Strengths and Weaknesses
The XM12's M634 X-HP-SAP ammunition, the same type used in the BR55 Battle Rifle, is rather powerful, giving the weapon some 'kick' to it. The XM12 is also roughly as accurate as the BR55, meaning with a quick scope swap it can be used as a designated marksman's rifle. Picatinny rails occupy the majority of the upper part of the receiver, on the left and right sides, and on the bottom, allowing for a great deal of customization.

One downside to the XM12 is small magazine size. Thirty rounds doesn't offer much in the way of extended firing, and the weapon chews through ten rounds per second. That's at most three seconds of constant fully automatic fire, possibly enough to put down one larger target such as a Brute. The firepower inherent in the cartridge helps counter this somewhat, since each individual round does a good deal more damage to a target than, say, a 7.62mm round, such as those fired by an MA5B, would.

Background
The concept for the XM12 was first dreamed up in 2603 by Walther Strauss, a UNSC Marine of German descent. After a year in the military, he retired and founded Intracor GmbH (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, German for Limited Company). Four and a half years of entrepreneurship finally yielded a license to create a weapon to replace the venerable MA5 series, and the XM12 was born. First produced in 2610, the XM12 is the first in what will hopefully become a long line of successful weapons created by Intracor. Still in the experimental stage, relatively small numbers of XM12s have been purchased by the UNSC Army and Marine Corps as a means of field-testing the weapon. The XM12's fielding has mostly been limited to firing ranges, though a few squads have been issued the weapon for use in smaller conflicts.