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"Mid-ranged 10mm assault rifle with an electronic pulse action; the MK2 has a lower ammo capacity than previous models, but offers significantly increased stopping power."
M41A Pulse Rifle MK2 description (from Aliens: Colonial Marines)

The Armat Battlefield Systems M41A Pulse Rifle MK2 is an American-made pulse-action assault rifle chambered for 10×24mm Caseless ammunition. It is the successor to the venerable M41A Pulse Rifle and was employed by the United States Colonial Marine Corps of the USS Sephora.

Developement[]

The M41A MK2 was developed as a successor to the M41A Pulse Rifle.[1]

Overview[]

The M41A MK2 sacrifice its magazine size for a smaller frame, an increased stopping power[1] and a retractable stock which can also be completely removed.[2]

Compared to its predecessor, the M41A MK2 features increased modular customization options, like the original M41A it come by default with the U1 Grenade Launcher but it can replace it with a U7 Tac-Shotgun or a U4 Firebomb Launcher. It can compensate its reduced 40-round magazine size with a 60-round M5 Extended Magazine or use a Magazine Accelerator to increase the rate of fire beyond the weapon's manufactured limit but at the price of a higher recoil and better ammo management. The MK2 can also fit an A9 Sound Suppressor to suppress the gun's sound and flash for a better accuracy but it reduced the gun's stopping power. A better accuracy can be achieved by using a S6 Reflex Sight or an Armat Laser Targeting System as a better alternative of the standard iron sight.[1]

Notable Users[]

The M41A MK2 is the standard weapons of USS Sephora Colonial Marines during the second conflict on LV-426. Some Weyland-Yutani PMC were also equipped with some of them.[1]

In 2179, Samwell Stone armed himself along with Hicks with the M41A MK2s (both of which, under the default modifications) inside the Sulaco's armory (despite the original M41A models should be stocked in the ship) to take on the PMC and xenomorph threats head-on as his M39 Submachine Gun would not be enough firepower against the threats. Rick Levy made use of a nearby M41A MK2 to hold up W-Y personnel, forcing him to free Hicks from captivity. All the said characters kept their rifles on hand or off hand until they are captured.[3]

Later on, during the conflict between the United States Colonial Marine Corps and Weyland-Yutani PMCs, aboard the USS Sulaco and the Origin Facility on Acheron, it was used by almost all Marines of the USS Sephora.

Ammunition[]

M41A MK2 ammo

Corporal Christopher Winter checking the magazine of his M41 MK2, note the rounds inside the magazine.

M309 round: Like its predecessor, the M41A MK2 shares and chambers the 10x24mm caseless round in a smaller, compact 40 round magazine by default. However, during the beginning sequence of the game's first mission shows that the rounds are erroneously cased rounds compared to the M41A magazine pickups in game or what is described in the Colonial Marines Technical Manual, which shows rectangular, caseless rounds instead.[1]

Trivia[]

  • The M41A MK2 is unlocked by default, as with the M4A3 Service Pistol, M37A2 Pump Shotgun and M40 HEDP Grenade, this is barring DLC unlocked weapons. There is no Legendary Weapon equivalent to this weapon 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. Instead, the original M41A takes the pulse rifle role of the game's two legendary weapons.
  • The classic, unmodfied M41A pulse rifle would appear in the game as seen in the E3 demos, though with different appearances and statistics (E3 2011 uses 50 rounds, E3 2012 uses 95). It was later replaced by the M41A MK2 in the final product, without any reason mentioned (presumably for balance).
  • Early multiplayer versions of the game would feature the same reloading animations as the NSG 23 Assault Rifle, this is noticeable when the player pulls the charging handle of the M41A MK2.
  • It is noticeable that there are two versions of the M41A MK2 seen in the game, one that represents the in game model that can be modified with attachments and another M41A MK2 which is seen in real-time rendered sequences (in which the player loses control), without any modifications or skins. One example of which is in the beginning of the game (as seen above), where a standard, default M41A MK2 is suddenly switched into the player's modified version of the pulse rifle once the player gains control.
M41A without underbarrel

The MK2 without an underbarrel attachment in co-op.

  • There is a glitch in Aliens: Colonial Marines where sometimes the M41A MK2's under-barrel attachment will disappear and the player will hold the rifle as if the under-barrel attachment is still present.
  • The third-person model of the MK2 actually has a working ammo counter and the cocking handle reciprocates when the weapon is fired.
  • When equipped with the Red Reaper camo, the M41A MK2's sights will change from the standard green to red.
Semi Reaper

A broken texture on the MK2 Red Reaper camo.

  • Sometimes the Red Reaper camo will only partially replace the old texture on the third-person model of the MK2.
  • Despite having two separate fire selectors (one for safety and fire mode and another one for full-auto and semi-auto), the player will not utilize this feature. But they are both correctly set to the fire mode and on full-auto.[4]
  • All non-playable characters who use this weapon will not use their alternative fire or sport modifications to the weapon. The latter, extending to the protagonists of the Stasis Interrupted campaign. An exception to this would be the one cutscene that features Hicks boarding the EEV in the Stasis Interrupted campaign, where his pulse rifle is modified with the U7 Tac-Shotgun alternative fire attachment instead of the U grenade launcher series. Although this is an error that happens during the cutscene itself, as the pulse rifle now has a grenade launcher when the cutscene finishes.
  • Weyland-Yutani PMCs of the Stasis Interrupted campaign are seen holding the weapon during the recreation of Alien3 ending under the default, factory finish. They take place the of the Weyland-Yutani Commandos and their original M41A pulse rifles (which are finished in black) seen in the original film respectively, likely due to the fact that they cannot make new models for just this scene alone.

Appearances[]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Aliens: Colonial Marines, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 version, Gearbox Software, 2013.
  2. A Marine can be seen without the stock on his M41A MK2 in the Aliens: Colonial Marines main menu. This also appears in certain Stasis Interrupted cutscenes, though it is likely an error.
  3. Stasis Interrupted, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 version, Gearbox Software, 2013.
  4. Weapon model seen in a model viewer

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