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The Armat M41A/2 Pulse Rifle is an American-made pulse-action assault rifle used primarily by the United States Colonial Marine Corps. Part of the M41 series of Pulse Rifles, it was designed as a replacement for the aging M41A Pulse Rifle series, incorporating several improvements over the earlier designs.

The M41A/2 notably saw widespread use during the Freya's Prospect Xenomorph infestation on BG-386.

Overview[]

The M41A/2 uses an electronic pulse action to fire, controlled directly from the trigger. A manual cocking handle on the left-hand side of the receiver allows the user to check for rounds in the chamber or clear the breech in the event of a stoppage. The standard M41A/2 ammunition magazine stores 99 rounds in a 'U' bend conveyor. Rounds are fed mechanically into the weapon's rotating breech. The weapon's continual fire capabilities make it great for cancelling an armed enemy's counter-attack.[1]

The M41A/2 features several improvements over the ageing M41A such as new front and rear iron sights to make aiming easier without the use of an auto aiming assist. The cocking handle has also been moved to the left-hand side of the weapon, making it easier for right handed users to reach. The M41A's jamming issues regarding fully-loaded magazines have also been corrected, allowing magazines to be loaded with a full 99 rounds.[2] The weapon is capable of emptying its entire magazine in a matter of seconds, although this is not the advised use as muzzle creep can be an issue in fully-automatic mode.[1] Instead, short, controlled bursts are recommended for superior efficiency. Problems concerning the M41A's grenade launcher have also been finalized. The M41A/2's grenades, while doing significant damage to targets on impact, often killing them in a single hit, now have a "shockwave" effect that stuns nearby targets close to its blast radius rather than doing standard fragmentation damage. While injury at very close range is still high, the survivability of a grenade fired in close quarters is significantly better than what could be expected with earlier models.[2]

Unlike the M41A, the M41A/2 is capable of penetrating the armor of a Praetorian with its 10×24mm Caseless ammunition, though a large number of rounds are still needed to kill such a creature thanks to their high endurance.[2]

Appearances[]

In Aliens vs. Predator, the M41A/2 is the standard issue weapon for the majority of Marines, although the player character, Rookie, does not acquire one until around halfway through the first level. It is also the starting weapon (along with the VP78 Pistol) for the Marine faction in multiplayer.

Trivia[]

  • The USCM emblem is embossed on either side of the rifle's carrying handle, near the front, best seen during the game's various blocking animations.
  • When firing the M41A/2, the barrel will actually heat up and begin to glow red during sustained fire.
  • Despite the presence of a sight, as with all other Marine weapons (minus the M42C Scoped Rifle) the player cannot use the sight to aim in-game.

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Tim Bogenn. Aliens vs. Predator: Bradygames Official Strategy Guide, p. 7 (2010), DK/BradyGames.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Aliens vs. Predator, Microsoft Windows version, Rebellion, 2010.

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