KC-M5 Heavy Machinegun

## Production Information

* **Manufacturer:** Karavin Concern
* **Model:** KC-M5 Heavy Machinegun
* **Affiliation:** **Closed-Market**| Eternal Empire
* **Modularity:** Yes - Can be mounted onto a tripod or on vehicles, uses ammunition belts of variable capacity
* **Production**: **Mass-Produced**

## Technical Specifications

* **Material:**Durasteel

* **Classification:**Heavy Machinegun
* **Size: Large**
* **Weight: Very Heavy**
* **Ammunition Type:**Belt-fed Slugs
* **Ammunition Capacity:** 100 to 400-round belts
* **Reload Speed: Slow**
* **Effective Range: Long Range**
* **Rate of Fire:** **Very High**
* **Stopping Power: High**
* **Recoil: Average**

## Advanced Features

* Belt-fed Receiver: The KC-M5 is designed to be fed by a belt, which allows for a variable ammunition capacity
* Standardized Mounting System: The KC-M5 utilizes a universal mounting system which allows it to be swivel-mounted onto any vehicle or emplacement with the appropriate mount

## Strengths

* Suppressive Fire: The KC-M5's features a bolt assembly which allows it to maintain a high rate of fire, making it ideal for suppressing enemy formations
* Belt-fed Ammunition: The KC-M5 is designed to be fed by a belt, which gives it a lot of flexibility in terms of ammunition capacity, supporting a maximum of 400 rounds before having to cool down
* Quick-change Barrel: The KC-M5 is designed to enable its operators to quickly and easily change its barrel for a new one

## Weaknesses

* Crew-Served: The KC-M5 is a heavy weapon which requires a crew of two to operate effectively and transport, a gunner and a loader
* Must Be Stationary: Unless mounted on a vehicle, the KC-M5 is too heavy to be fired on the move, requiring it to be deployed onto a tripod before being able to fire
* Periodic Barrel Change: The KC-M5's high rate of fire causes barrel errosion, requiring the barrel to be swapped out every 1600 shots

## Description

As the Eternal Empire's military lacks the manpower of other galactic governments, its doctrine has evolved to take a combined arms approach to warfare, heavily relying upon force multiplication such as heavy artillery barrages and prepared fighting positions. This required the development of heavy weapons capable of a high rate of fire, which can provide the adequate support that its battlefield doctrine relies upon for success.

The KC-M5 is one such weapon. Developed and manufactured by Karavin Concern, a large military-industrial conglomerate based on Kalidan, which supplies the majority of the Eternal Army's military equipment, the M5 is a belt-fed heavy machinegun designed to be mounted on a tripod or on a vehicle and provide heavy, extended-duration suppressive fire.

Forgoing the more conventional blaster design, Karavin opted for a slugthrower, simplifying the weapon by eliminating the need to carry both Tibana gas and a power cell. Its receiver can be fed from belts of varying capacity, ranging from one to four hundred rounds of ammunition, requiring a cooldown after four hundred shots in order to prevent the barrel from overheating.

In infantry service, the weapon requires a crew of two to transport and operate effectively, a gunner and a loader, as it is too heavy to allow both the weapon and its ammunition to be transported and handled by a single person. Additionally, because of the weight the weapon can not be fired on the move and it must first be deployed by mounting it upon a tripod. Despite all of these drawbacks, it is an excellent weapon for laying down sustained suppressive fire upon enemy formations of varying sizes.