A57 Deadblow

== Overview ==
The A57 Deadblow could be mistaken for a large anti-materiel rifle, but it is indeed meant for infantry. The A57 is a 16mm x 70mm semi-automatic long-range sniper rifle, and is in active service in the Iron Horde. The design must fire from an open bolt in order to generate the force needed to activate the Deadblow Rounds that the rifle uses. The rifle also makes use of the same magnetic recoil damping system found in the A15 Hammerhead, a critical addition when operating such a powerful weapon system. the design was originally developed in Y3157 by YaoLiang Ballistics Inc. under the auspices of the Royal Collingian Ministry of Arms. The rifle also makes use of wearable implements such as the Halcyon Technologies Integrated Combat Data Display Module, fully interfacing with an operator's combat helmet to improve accuracy and decision-making capabilities. 
=== History ===
The primary impetus around the design of the A57 was the invention of the (at the time) new and deadly "Deadblow" technology, which was itself a response to the increasing prevalence of high-end armor on the battlefield. The Deadblow Round employed a solid Tungstenite HESH style projectile in front of an extreme pressure Gellar-Sulfite powder mixture. The result was a near hyper-sonic bullet that could (at the time) defeat any infantry armor on the battlefield. A rifle needed to be designed around this new technology, as current options could not handle the immense pressures and forces involved. The Royal Collingian Ministry of Arms ran a competition involving several designs, including rifles from Swartwolf Engineering Group (SWEG), Fujisaka Defense, and YaoLiang Ballistics Inc. On the Third Tetrast of Y3155, Mark 63, the YaoLiang Ballistics Inc. rifle won the competition and was selected to be the supplier of the A57 Semi-Automatic Deadblow Sniper System.
The A57 underwent final operational testing at the end of the year at Fort Derringer on Walcott's Island by a mix of special forces Infiltrator troops and sniper trained soldiers from the Collingian 15th Onslaught Division. In Tetrast 4 of Y3156, Royal Collingian Army soldiers from Task Force Tyrant in the salt flats on the of the Synovian Desert were the first in a combat zone to receive the A57. The troops rated the weapon very highly, noting the quality of the weapon and its superior stopping power when faced with Carbonic-composite armors.
=== Features ===
The A57 was designed as a modular platform, as necessitated by the numerous environments and operating conditions required of it. Scopes and reticles can range up to 60X, with specialty models going even higher. These devices make full use of the A57's immense bullet velocity, which measures at Mach 4.8. To compensate for this, a Sonic Regression Emitter is installed on the weapon. As the weapon is fired, the device analyzes the signature of the pressure wave created by the blast of the round and mirrors an identical wave locally in 180 degrees out of phase with the initial wave. This essentially eliminates the dangerous sonic boom effect in a 30m radius, allowing the rifle to be operated in close quarters and next to allied infantry without risk of damage.
The rifle has gone through a number of iterations, with the most recent one adding the electromagnetic recoil damping system used on the A15 Hammerhead family of rifles. The system however must be significantly scaled up to counter the recoil generated. This unfortunately makes the rifle rather bulky and heavy, which is one reason why operators prefer to run it disassembled when en-route to their objectives rather than shoulder-slung. Soldiers in a more active role may opt to use a Maxim Harness when shouldering or running the rifle for an extended period of time. 
Picture of Master Marksman Adranus Warrick and his iron sighted A57 Deadblow Rifle :