M55C Enhanced Battle Rifle

The M55C Enhanced Battle Rifle is, along with the MA6A Individual Combat Weapon System one of the two main small arms issued to UNSC ground troops. The weapon has undergone several major and minor changes from the BR85, its ancestor, but remains outwardly similar. The weapon is made from dense polymer shell with optional Titanium allow optics rail and receiver, and a milled steel/chrome, cold hammer forged barrel. The computer suite has now been heavily expanded, now capable of interlinking with attachments to the gun along with its older tasks of ammo counting and objective pointing. The weapon is also lighter than previous models, increasing its usefulness in the field, particularly among weight-pinched ODSTs and special operations forces. The M55C is fitted with a receiver mounted Misriah rail and a rail either side of the rifle. 
==Uses==
The M55C EBR is the complementary firearm to the MA6A, making it a go-between a sniper rifle and an assault rifle. Lighter and easier to handle than a Designated Marksman Rifle, and harder hitting and more accurate than an assault rifle. Their portability and range allowed fireteams to significantly increase their range of engagement, without reducing their mobility. The M55C is preferred by the UNSC Marine Corp and Navy due to its more compact overall size. 
==Operation==
The M55C EBR is a selective fire, air-cooled magazine-fed rifle with a gas-actuated piston operating system and a rotary bolt locking mechanism. The EBR fires from a closed bolt, which when fired, the bolt travels down the receiver rather than backwards to absorb recoil and direct it away from the shooter and has a hammer-type firing mechanism. A fire mode selector is provided which also serves as a manual safety catch. It shares the majority of its internal components with the MA6A, making it relatively simple and rugged. The can take a variety of specially built furniture to provide a choice of fore-grips or a rail interface to provide a Misriah rail underneath the rifle for grenade launchers or vertical fore-grip. By standard, Marine units are issued with Misriah produced furniture and Army units with Armalite produced furniture, while both branches have facility for issuing rail interface systems. The EBR features a heavy barrel, with a 1:7 twist. This barrel is manufactured from composite materials, with chrome lining, reducing spoiling and increasing its service life. The Barrel is entirely free floating, allowing it to reduce potential penalties to accuracy. 
==Variants==
The M55C EBR, marketed by Misriah's Armalite brand as the Battle Rifle 09, being sold as in both fully automatic, non-modified military spec weapons (with extensive security and background checks, making it exceedingly rare) and the more plentiful M55CV, which includes a fixed stock, semi-automatic only capability and fixed barrel length, with only 15 round magazines sold with it. 
The M113 Special Purpose Rifle is an accurized variant produced for the UNSCDF as a light sniper rifle. The M113 SPR carries 74% commonality with the EBR.
==Advantages==
*More accurate and longer ranged than an assault rifle or a submachine gun.
*More compact and lighter than the heavier M396.
*Offers a higher rate of fire, lighter weight, and larger ammunition capacity than a sniper rifle. 
*Ability to mount most UNSC weapons attachments.
*Modernized ammunition types give it increased accuracy.
==Disadvantages==
*Difficult to clean in the field.
*Less accurate than a sniper rifle or the M396 Designated Marksman Rifle.
*Full automatic fire is difficult to control due to the weapon's layout.
==UNSC Comments==
"The rifle is a bastard to clean, that's my only gripe. At least you can field strip the thing without lugging around this massive factory-issue field kit."
"Its been completely screwed over by increased capabilities of the MA6A and the HBR11. Its just good as a assault rifle now..."
"Those Misriah Rails help alot. Means you can modify it for any mission with stuff like night scopes, laser targetters, flash lights, anythin'."
"I'd carry the M396, but those things are just to big to fit inside a drop pod and still carry ammo, not to mention the fact that the M55C's weight allows you to actually use it."
File:M55C DMR.png|Army issued M55C EBR
File:M55C BR.png|Marine and Navy issued M55C EBR
File:M55C RIS.png|M55C with Rail Interface System
Category:UNSC Weapons