BR55HG SAW/IC Battle Rifle

The BR55HG SW Battle Rifle, or the BR55 Heavy Gunner Squad Weapon Battle Rifle, is a light machine gun variant of the standard BR55HB SR battle rifle, designed to be capable of laying down withering amounts of fully automatic fire.

Physical Appearance
The BR55 is a bullpup, fully automatic, UNSC light machine gun/rifle that fires the 9.5x40mm X-HP-SAP round. It fires from a 200 round magazine which fits 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).

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.

The BR55HG SW is notable for being much bulkier and heavier than the standard BR55HB SR or BR55 Battle Rifle. It weighs more, and is harder to hold due to an odd shaping. The BR55HG SW has a much larger magazine, and thus has a bigger butte of the gun. The BR55HG SW is able to use a belt fed magazine and can be attatched with a tripod, which is typically done when the gun is being crewed by at least two people. However, when crewed by a single soldier or in mobile field operations, soldiers often forgo the tripod and belt magazine for greater mobility.

Development
The BR55HG SW was developed in late 2552 as part of a UNSC effort to create numerous new variations of the BR55 Battle Rifle. Different weapons were created for different troops or needs, such as the BR55AT WW Battle Rifle for cold weather, or the BR55CW SA Battle Rifle for commando missions. The BR55HG SW was created to fill the niche of a man portable LMG with a high rate of fire and easy set up. The BR55HG SW was meant to be able to be used by either a single soldier, or a squad of them. It was always intended to be a weapon that can be modified for the situation at hand.

Changes from Standard BR55HB SR

 * Heavier Weight
 * Larger magazine (200 rds as opposed to 36)
 * Optional Tripod or belt magazine
 * Bulkier
 * Higher rate of fire
 * Lower Accuracy

Field Usage
The BR55HG SW, unlike some of the other BR55 variants, saw widespread usage across many different parts of the military. It was a weapon designed to be a mainstream firearm, and it became one. One out of every five UNSC squads was issued a BR55HG SW, and it came into frequent usage of shock troopers and army personnel. The BR55HG SW gathered positive remarks from troops in the field, and it saw action on dozens of different planets during several different battles.