M8 Caseless Sub Machine Gun

The M8 Caseless SMG was a UNSC firearm first produced in 2565, and was the successor to the aging M7 SMG. However, with recent weapons advancements, the M8 itself is now aging.

Physical Description
The M8 Caseless Sub machine Gun is an automatic UNSC sub machine gun that fires 5.7x28mm Caseless M225 Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Explosive Rounds rounds, the same caliber used in the 21st century FN P90, but with the high explosive qualities of the ammunition of the M6D and M6G pistols. It fires from a 70-round magazine which is placed horizontally on the left side of the weapon. Due to the odd horizontal placement of the magazine on the weapon, the magazine utilizes a circular ramp where the magazine meets the breech. This rotates the vertically stacked rounds in the magazine 90 degrees until they align with the horizontal breech. The same loading system was used on the earlier M7 Caseless SMG

The M8 Caseless SMG has a polymer handle, fore grip, and retractable stock, as well as a titanium body, and is gas-operated with a rotating breech. The SMG must be cocked before it can fire the first round. The handle to cock the weapon is located on the right side of the gun and does not move during operation. Once the first round is fired, the gases from previous rounds force the breech to rotate and chamber a new round. Once the magazine is empty, the handle can either be pulled back and locked or it can be fully cycled after a fresh magazine has been housed. If it is first pulled back and locked, then it must be pushed forward in order to chamber a new round. The mag release button is located between the red dots on the receiver and needs to be pressed before it can be flicked off. There is no ejection port due to the nature of the rounds fired.

The M8 has a much larger telescoping butte stock than it's predecessor, the M7, and is more stable for it. The butte stock of the M8 features recoil dampening systems to reduce recoil and improve accuracy. The butte stock is roughly the size of the stock on the BR55HB SR Battle Rifle, or the far back end of it, behind the bolt. The M8 also had a larger fore grip than it's predecessor to help the shooter stabilize his aim. In addition, the barrel is larger. The weapon is colored a dark grey, and unlike it's predecessor, does not suffer from recoil issues when firing on fully automatic.

Development
In the 2560s, the UNSC gave Misriah a contract to produce a new and improved version of the aging M7 SMG. The M7 had been around for the better part of fifty years, and was aging rapidly. Misriah accepted the contract and immediately placed a team of weapons engineers in charge of creating the M8. The engineers incorporated several new concepts, and strived to make the weapon more effective than the earlier M7. They identified some of the M7's flaws, such as recoil and accuracy, and attempted to improve on them. The M8 took 5 years to complete, but when it was released in 2565, it was a top notch firearm, unlike the MA6 ICWS Assault Rifle.

Field Usage
The M8 was supplied to field troops first in September of 2565. Field troops noted that it was a significant improvement over their older M7s. Later, in 2566, the UNSC fielded the weapon to as many combat personnel as possible. Passive fielding and replacing of the M7 continued for another 3 years, and by 2570, it was estimated that it had replaced 90% of M7 SMGs. However, the M8s life span was short. Newer weapons were produced that caught the UNSCs eye, and the MA6C flop disenchanted the UNSC to most Misriah weapons. The M8, once it was fazed out of UNSC armories, did not completely disappear however. The M8 grew popular with civilian law enforcement, and became a standard issue police weapon on several worlds. In addition, mercenary, pirates, and rebels began to use the M8.

Flaws
The M8 was an improvement from the M7, but it was still a flawed firearm. The M8, while longer ranged than the M7 and more accurate, couldn't hold its own against weapons like the MA5C and weapons of the MA6 series, disregarding the MA6C. The M8 was also notorious for burning through ammo, and with only a maximum of six extra clips, plus current clip, often troops who used it as a bullet hose found themselves without anything to shoot with.

Remarks
"The em eight (M8), like the em seven (M7) beforehand, is great for clearing rooms. The small size, compactness, and high rate of fire is ideal for close quarter combat."

--unnamed UNSC army soldier

"The em eight (M8) is lighter than the em seven (M7), and is better at dampening recoil. The result is that you no longer have to be a Sierra-II to dual wield."

--unnamed UNSC marine

"Accuracy is way better than the em seven (M7), and range has improved too. The em eight (M8) is no longer a peashooter at more than fifty meters, but it can only exchange fire at around eighty meters effectively."

--unnamed UNSC vehicle specialist

"The larger fore grip is a nice step up from the em-seven, (M7) and the improved stock is also handy."

--UNSC SpecOps trooper

"Does anyone else think that HighComm should have reduced rate of fire? I mean, its nice in close quarters, but the em eight (M8) burns you ammo on full ammo.  Or at least made a burst setting."

--UNSC marine

"The old SMG used to get uncomfortably hot around the grip when under continuous fire, but I haven't yet seen that happen with the em eight (M8."

--unnamed UNSC marine

"I was a member of Sigma Octane's Law Enforcement at about 2583, and was issued a em eight (M8) first day on the squad. Now I served in the Great War, so I had combat experience, so it was no surprise that when the local capital building got taken over, my squad got sent in to secure the building and rescue the hostages.  I had worked with the em seven (M7) during the war, but the em eight (M8) was much better.  Without it, the terrorists probably would have detonated their black market Fury tac-nuke and killed everyone."

--retired UNSC marine, current law enforcement officer