MK16A1

The **MK16A1** is a 5.56mm Assault rifle notably used in *Hymenian War*. It is the first generation upgrade of the MK16 rifle, notably having a forward assist placed in the upper receiver reduce jamming.

## History

The MK16 is an Assault Rifle manufactured by Holt's Firearms Incorporated at 1961, After the request of the AFPAR on an assault rifle that will heavily replace the current MN14 rifle. Since it was not the first rifle to use their new 5.56mm Caliber, Problems didn't arose. Holt made the barrel lenghtened to 508mm, which is the minimum barrel length of a LMG or a Marksman rifle. This was routinely augmented with a rifling twist of 8 Grooves and 1:7 Twist, Also due to it's long barrel, it outmatched shorter 5.56mm SDC rifles in terms of Muzzle Velocity, Penetration, Accuracy, Stability and Stopping Power. When the Hyemen War started, Panamoan Soldiers were eager to use the weapon, as they are convinced by it's space age looks and outstanding performance. The bore was chrome plated, and it's chamber.

The results from the extensive testing of the first MK16 Variant (XMK16) was good, it was praised for it's outstanding accuracy for up to 400 or 600 Meters, unrivaled penetration and stopping power compared to other 5.56mm rifles, and was surprisingly lightweight for it's size. Only a few soldiers said that they should need a Carbine configuration, because of it's size.

The MK16 was well praised by Soldiers during the first years of the Hyemen war. However, some soldiers demanded that the weapon should include a forward assist, to lessen the need for fixing their rifle before being caught off guard by the enemy. APMC Marines suggested a curved 30 Round Magazine, as it can lessen reloads and make it look like a true Assault Rifle (Because they have typical curved magazines). Soldiers in combat only complained about Ammunition Shortage, due to how rarely used the 5.56mm SDC Caliber is used in the time. The **MK16A1** fixed the reliability problems via forward assist, and a reinforced barrel. This also made it widely accepted by Soldiers, Especially who were struggling with the MN14 against KR-47 Users.

## Design

The MK16A1 is a lightweight, 5.56mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, direct impingement system, magazine-fed assault rifle, with a rotating bolt. The MK16A1's upper and lower receivers are made of Titanium-Aluminide Alloy, its barrel, bolt, and bolt carrier of 9090 Titanium Alloy, and its pistol grip, and buttstock are made out of fibreglass reinforced Polymer. All MK16s are designed to shoot at a precision of 0.5 minutes of angle, which corresponds to 0.5-inch (13 mm) groups at 600 Meters, however the MK16A1 and it's predecessor can only shoot at a precision of 2 minutes of angle at 600 meters; which is best used in semi automatic mode.

The M16A1 is a modification of the XMK16E1 to address problems found in the testing cycle of the XM16E1. Changes included a closed "birdcage" flash hider to replace the XMK16E1's three-pronged flash hider, which caught on twigs and leaves, a full fence around the magazine release to prevent accidental ejection, and a chrome plated chamber - later fully lined bore - to reduce fouling. The bolt was also changed so the cam pin could not be inserted with the bolt installed backwards, which would cause failures to eject until corrected. The front pivot point is also strenghtened, giving the area in front of the magazine well a slightly different shape.

All MK16s had a typically 20 Inch long rifled barrel that makes it exceptionally precise and deadly; it is able to take headshots without missing a shot at 400 meters, and provide a 50-85% accuracy at 600 Meters. This precision makes it passable to be used as a DMR.

### Specifications

* Length: 997mm
* Caliber: **5.56x45mm SDC**
* Effective Range: 400-600 Meters
* Weight: **5.87** Pounds (Fully Loaded)

## Trivia

### General

* After it's introduction to the battlefields of Hyemen, the marines re-earned the trust on the weapon.
* When introduced into military service, the Panamoans initially mistook it as a Marksman rifle, due to it's by very long barrel giving it high accuracy, large size, and a 20 round magazine; making the APMC request a 30 round magazine.
* The finest sharpshooters of the Panamoan military tend to use it as a marksman rifle.
* The Buttstock is made from reinforced polymer, twice as strong compared to the original.

### Hymenian War

* A lot of rifles have been customized to blend with the environment; While the others are so worn that they look so battered.
* Most rifles used tend to be very dirty, which suggests heavy usage of it in battle.
* Holt made a marksman rifle variant called the MK650; Featuring a flat top receiver with a mounted 6x telescopic sight.