M39 Submachine Gun (Aliens: Colonial Marines)

"Standard issue USCM submachine gun; typically used during operations in civilian areas."

―Overview of the M39 Submachine Gun (from Aliens: Colonial Marines)

The M39 Submachine Gun, also known as the M39, was a submachine gun manufactured by Armat Battlefield Systems and used by the United States Colonial Marine Corps and Weyland-Yutani PMCs.

Overview[]

The M39 was a fully automatic submachine gun primarily used during urban operations; to this end, its rounds were designed with minimal penetration power to avoid injuring or killing civilians. Resultantly, however, the ammunition was also ineffective against armored targets. Furthermore, despite its low caliber, the gun's recoil was even more extreme than that of the M41A Pulse Rifle.

The standard M39 was packaged with an M39 Stock Iron Sight, which provided minimal occlusion to the shooter's view, though it could be replaced by an S6 Reflex Sight, or even a Laser Targeting System for further accuracy. Its capacity could be augmented with a 48–round magazine or a 72–round High-Capacity Magazine, though the latter came at the expense of an increased reloading speed. Other attachments included a collapsible stock which could also be completely removed or replaced by an A4 Stabilizing Stock. The M39 could also be equipped with a Magazine Accelerator that drastically increased the rate of fire, though this increased the weapon's recoil.^[1]

Notable users[]

The M39 Submachine Gun was the standard weapon carried by United States Colonial Marine Corps pilots aboard the USS Sephora during an incident on the moon of LV-426 in 2179. Weyland-Yutani PMCs active at the site were also equipped with the M39.^[1]

In 2179, during her captivity aboard the Weyland-Yutani Corporation vessel USS Legato, kidnapped colonist Lisbeth Hutchins armed herself with an M39 along with an M37A2 Pump Shotgun and a M240 Incinerator Unit after subduing two PMCs with Xenomorph Facehuggers. During a subsequent incident aboard the USS Sulaco, USCM corporal Dwayne Hicks, along with colonists Samwell Stone and Turk, encountered PMCs aboard the carrying M39s; fire from one of those guns struck a Facehugger that was attached to Ellen Ripley inside her hypersleep chamber, causing an electrical fire that resulted in the ejection of the tube. Later, Rick Levy made use of an M39 while freeing Hicks from detention aboard the Resolute.^[2]

Later, USCM lieutenant Lisa Reid used an M39 as her main weapon after her dropship crashed to the surface of LV–426.^[1]

Behind the scenes[]

The M39 Submachine Gun appears in Aliens: Colonial Marines and is unlocked at Marine Level 7, after the MK221 Tactical Shotgun. There is no legendary weapon equivalent for the M39, as it is not a weapon used by the crew of the USS Sulaco in Aliens, nor does the weapon make an appearance in the film during that time. The M39 can be used earlier should the Stasis Interrupted DLC be played before the main campaign.

In concept art for Aliens: Colonial Marines, the M39 was originally designated as the M3A Submachine Gun. Moreover, the inscription "ARMAT M3A 9mm" can be seen above the ammo counter display of the in–game weapon.^[3]