BR55SA CQC Battle Rifle

The BR55SA CQC Battle Rifle, or the BR55 Shotgun Attachment Close Quarters Combat Battle Rifle, is a modified variant of the standard BR55HB SR Battle Rifle, and is a sort of "test" inspired by comments of troops in the field. It is designed to give the BR55HB SR more close range ability while still retaining the medium to long range aspects of the weapon.

Physical Description
The BR55SA CQC is a bullpup/side fed, UNSC rifle/shotgun that fires the 9.5x40mm X-HP-SAP round and the Soellkraft 8 Gauge Shell. It's battle rifle mode fires from a 36 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). Its shotgun mode fires from a six round magazine and has the shell receiver mounted on the side of the shotgun.

The battle rifle part of 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 shotgun part of the weapon is a titanium alloy pump action weapon which must be cocked before every shot, and fires multiple rounds at once. It was a variant of the standard M90 Mk. II Shotgun, with range that is incredibly limited. It is side fed, so the user feeds the shells into the side of the weapon in order to load the gun. The trigger is located behind the shell feeding area, so it is not a bullpup weapon. It fires the Soellkraft 8 Gauge Shell, which is known for it's devastating power at close range. It is essentially a standard Mk. II shotgun with it's butt pad shorn off. It holds a maximum of six shells, and fires around 15 rounds per shell, all at once. The shotgun is mounted underneath the battle rifle were the grip would normally be, and extended outward.

Development
The BR55SA CQC began development as a test, much like several other BR55 models, such as the BR55-M45 Battle Rifle. Infantry had commented on the BR55's lack of close range combat ability, and the BR55IA FA Battle Rifle had demonstrated that recoil grew hideously high if BR55 style weapons were used fully automatic. This could be countered by sophisticated recoil dampening systems, but these were expensive, and hard to get to troops in the field. Recoil dampeners were only practical for models that would only be fielded to small numbers of troops. The UNSC wanted to preserve the BR55HB SR's medium range firing range while still giving it close range ability.

Oddly, the idea for the BR55SA CQC came from infantry in the field. In comment logs for the MA5C, a single soldier expressed a want for an under slung shotgun for his assault rifle. While shotgun attachments were common, they were not often considered. One of the Section III officers in charge of the new medium and close range BR stumbled upon this comment, and found inspiration in it. Blueprints were drawn up quickly and without haste.

Differences

 * Grip Mounted Shotgun
 * Barrel Brace
 * Harder to hold
 * Better close range ability

Field Usage
The BR55SA CQC was deployed late in the second battle of Earth, during the final hours of the battle. During the events at Voi, several special forces and heavy assault units were given the weapon, but few saw actual combat, as the Master Chief and the Arbiter were pushing a path through the city. It served the UNSC well during the following months, and during the battle of the Ark. Many units preferred the BR55SA CQC to their standard BR55HB SR, but not very many were made, and they mostly ended up in Spec Ops hands.

Flaws
A few flaws have been noticed in the BR55SA CQC. One prominent flaw is that the shotgun is hard to load, making users have to watch their shots very carefully. Another flaw is that the weapon is hard to hold because of it's strange shape. UNSC officials have also noticed that, despite the barrel stabilizer, the battle rifle's barrel will still sometimes break when firing the shotgun. There is a 1:25 chance of this happening.

Remarks
"I remember a friend talking about how he wanted an under slung shotty for his em eh five see(MA5C. Now we have it for the battle rifle.  Too bad that friend is dead."

—unnamed marine

"This weapon is much better than the bee are fifty five eye eh eff eh(BR55IA FA); both have close range ability, but this one can hit at medium, and you can actually aim it."

—unnamed marine specialist

"There is nothing more fun than pumping two bursts of your see kuu see (CQC) into a bravo kilo and following it up with a buckshot round in the face."

—unnamed ODST

"Command is getting creative; I don't think you would a seen weapons like these two or three years ago. Either that or their getting desperate."

—Lieutenant Griffin Dotson

"I can still remember old Johnny grabbing the see kuu see (CQC) out of my hands and running like a crazy Foxtrot Mike into a crowd of Bravo Kilos, firing the shotty all the way. Six dead brutes in a matter of seconds.  I wonder what happened to Johnny..."

—anonymous marine