The MA8 Series

The MA8 Assault rifle, is a weapon series created by the Misriah Armories in 2561 CE. The MA8 is a variant of the old MA5, which it replaced after highly succesful field tests on the UNSC testing ground on Earth. The MA5 was then put into the use of Paramilitary law enforcement groups and security forces after the MA8 entered active field duty as the UNSC's standard armanent. It was offically put into use in Febuary 14th, 2561, although it was already being used by Special Warfare groups in January 2nd, 2561. HISTORY
 * Type: Assault rifle
 * Created by: Misriah Armories
 * Used by: UNSC
 * Made in: 2560-2561 CE
 * Rate of fire: Fully automatic
 * Fires: 8.6mm armor piercing rounds
 * Used in: The battle against rebel insurgents after the Human-Covenant war.
 * Variants: 12
 * Ammunition types: 7
 * Other names: The thunder, boomstick, hammer, deck cleaner, sweeper, best friend...

After the events of the Human-Covenant war, and the First and Second battles of Earth, humanity was seriously crippled, and its military power had been greatly reduced. The Unified Earth Government, decided to focus on creating a more stable, and advanced military in year 2557 CE, and began listing up weaponry that was to be replaced with more powerful variants. One of these weapons was the MA5 assault rifle, which the UNSC had used for several decades even before the Human-Covenant war had started. Although the weapon was reliable, powerful, and a good all around fighting weapon, the UEG decided it was time to take the next step towards being a more greater and advanced military power, and thereby listed the MA5 to be replaced. After three years of development, the Misriah Armories began to construct the MA8 assault rifle, the next step of human assault weaponry. It held hardly any similarities with the MA5, except that it was fully automatic, and it was gas-operated. In July 17th, 2560, the Misriah Armories anounced that the newly developed and constructed MA8 would be released in 2561 into the use of the UNSCDF Marines and Special Warfare groups. Misriah also promised, that a dozen variants of the MA8 would be released beside its standard varinat, followed by newly created ammunition types such as Inferno rounds and Anti-Vehicular Armor Piercing rounds, which the Misriah Armories had been working on for five years already.

In January 2nd, 2561, the MA8 was put into field testing on Earth, all the way from its basic variant, to the newest weapon variant. The MA8 was highly effective against organic targets, capable of shredding it with less then a dozen well placed shots, and based on the type of ammuntion used for the weapon, could even light a section of a building on fire. Special Warfare groups were given the MA8 and all of its variants for active field usage on that exact same day. Although only around 1,000 samples of the MA8 were put into use, hundreds more would follow up later, and in January 22nd, the MA7 was the Special Warfare groups and NavSpecWep's standard weapon on the field.

In Febuary 14th, 2561, the UNSC Marines were equiped with the MA8, who learned to love the raw firepower of the newly designed weapon. The first active deployment of human Special Forces with MA8s was on March 4th, 2561, when a company of ODST operators were sent to battle against United Rebel Front insurgents on the newly colonized Mars. After a swift four hour battle, the ODSTs had over five hundred confirmed kills, a majority of which had been killed by the MA8. The Marines first used this weapon on March 30th, 2561, once again versus rebels, and proved highly effective in the battle that followed.

VARIANTS

The MA8 assault rifle has, at the moment, twelve different variants and seven different types of ammunition. It has gathered a great amount of fame during it's short year of service, and is a very reliable weapon on the battlefield.
 * 1) MA8A - A hardened variant with a 36 round magazine.
 * 2) MA8B - A variant which has a 62 round clip replacing the normal 36 round clip.
 * 3) MA8C - An accurized version with an extended barel and 2.5x KFA uplink scope.
 * 4) MA8K - A carbine variant which is a stripped down version of the original variant. It has a 32 round clip instead of a 36 round clip and is extremely light weight.
 * 5) MA8HB - A heavy barel variant which fires AVAP rounds from a 28 round magazine.
 * 6) MA8D - An officers variant, which is hardened, armed with a 36 round clip and a 2.5x KFA uplink scope.
 * 7) MA8G - A grenadier variant armed with an underslung M203 40mm Grenade launcher.
 * 8) MA8S - A scout variant with urban camo, silenced barel and 2.5x KFA uplink scope.
 * 9) MA8R - A recon variant which is the same of the scout variant except that its scope is replaced with newly developed V2 Shredder rounds.
 * 10) MA8M - A magnum variant which fires on semi automatic from a 360mm barel, and a 16 round magazine.
 * 11) MA8J - A rifled variant with detachable shoulder stock, select fire and 2.5x KFA uplink scope.
 * 12) MA8T - A security variant with hardened plating and detachable shoulder stock.

AMMUNITION

The MA8 features seven different types of ammo, all of which are listed below.
 * 1) Armor piercing rounds - Standard ammunition which has been enhanced from the original 7.62mm rounds to the 8.6mm armor piercing rounds.
 * 2) AVAP - Anti-Vehicular Armor Piercing rounds which are fired from a smaller magazine, but are designed to punch through light and medium vehicles.
 * 3) Inferno rounds - A variant of the standard armor piercing rounds which is equipped with gel that ignites itself once touching something organic.
 * 4) V2 Shredder rounds - Accurized rounds equipped with steel encased uranium shrappnel that spreads into the targets body upon detonation.
 * 5) SAPHER - Semi Armor Piercing High Explosive Rounds, used also in UNSC sidearms. The MA8 variant of SAPHER is much more powerful, and packs a larger punch.
 * 6) Acid rounds - A more rare type of ammunition that spreads highly lethal venom into the blood veins of the targets body upon detonation.
 * 7) SSAPR - Small Sized Armor Piercing Rounds. Instead of 8.6mm they are 4.8mm, thereby packing a smaller punch, but enabling almost a seventy round magazine.