AR3 Versatile Mission Rifle
| AR3 Versatile Mission Rifle | |
|---|---|
.jpg) AR3IW | |
| Place of origin |  The North American Socialist Commonwealth |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2041-Current |
| Used by | The North American Socialist Commonwealth
|
| Wars | The Northern War
The Phonencian Conflict The Arthuristan Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | American Commonwealth Armory System |
| Designed | 7. July. 2040 |
| Manufacturer | American Commonwealth Armory System |
| Unit cost | $800-$1,500 |
| Produced | 18. October. 2041-Current |
| No. built | Over 9 million |
| Variants | AR3IW, AR3IW Heavy, AR3PDW, AR3DMR, AR3SAW |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.3kg (IW)
3kg (PDW) 3.5kg (IW Heavy, DMR, SAW) |
| Length | 790mm (IW, SAW)
690mm (PDW) 890mm (IW Heavy, DMR) |
| Cartridge | 6.8x43mm |
| Barrels | 508mm (IW, SAW)
408mm (PDW) 608mm (IW Heavy, DMR) |
| Action | Gas Operated Rotating Bolt |
| Rate of fire | 650 rounds/minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 3,025 ft/s |
| Effective firing range | 225m (PDW)-500m (DMR) |
| Maximum firing range | 2,800m |
| Feed system | 30 round detachable box magazine
20 round detachable box magazine 50 round detachable drum magazine 100 round detachable drum magazine |
The A3 Versatile Mission Rifle is a multipurpose line of military rifles in use by The Commonwealth Defense Force, as the primary service rifle in the Air Force and Navy,and as a service rifle in The Proletarian Guard, though it has been largely replaced by the AR4MIW in the hands of the Guard's infantry units. Given the limited nature of the design bureaus in the Commonwealth Armory System at the time, the AR3 largely makes use of Aug ergonomics, particularly in the overall layout of the weapon, though it is chambered for the heavier 6.8x43mm ACAS Standard Cartridge.
Background and Service
Upon ending the period of military neglect, the Commonwealth found its defense force in a sorry state. Equipment was largely in a sad state, and even though military rifles was one area where some progress was made, the War Ministry thought it best to move past the AR2, and AR1 weapons as a means of hopefully helping with esprit de corps. In light of this, the War Ministry looked into the possibility of a multifunction rifle for use in all branches of the Commonwealth. The official request for the XM3 Rifle project was released in late 2039.
Given the fairly limited design bureaus of the Commonwealth Armory system, the progress was incredibly slow initially, and did not pick up until the bureau secured the ability to make use of Aug ergonomics. Given the noticeable increase of armor in the suspected foes of the Commonwealth, a larger round than the previous 5.56x45mm NATO Cartridge was used, based off of the old 6.8mm SPC round, with an altered charge which would later be referred to as 6.8 ACAS Standard. In mid 2040 initial prototypes were printed and after a period of testing, the first production AR3s weapons were being produced for the first the Proletarian Guard.
The A3 saw use in all of the Commonwealth's Wars, having been fully integrated into the armed services by the time of The Northern War. In these wars, it had proven itself a respectable rifle in service of the Commonwealth Defense Force. However, after the Phonencian Conflict, the AR3 began to be replaced as the Infantry Service Rifle in the Proletarian Guard, though the AR3 did continue to see service in the military police, and its variants are still used in the infantry. In other branches of the Commonwealth Defense Force, the AR3 remains the primary service weapon of its various "infantry" branches.
Design
The AR3 is versatile weapon system, based around a service rifle. It is based around the 6.8x43mm ACAS Standard Cartridge. It is composed of a lightweight composite material for most of the weapon with stainless steel being the primary metal of those parts that will be under heavy stress during firing, as well as the barrel to help compensate for the considerable recoil of the weapon under fully automatic fire. The weapon makes use of a gas operated rotating block firing system which is capable of about 650 rounds per minute of firing. Currently most variants only support semi-automatic and three round burst fire. The weapon is ambidextrous when components are swapped to configure for left handed firing. All variants are "officially" only fed by a 30 round detachable box magazine, however 20 round magazines, and 50 & 100 round detachable drum magazines have been made for the AR3 though are not as commonly used as the 30 round box.
In older variants of the AR3 there is no extensive electronics suite. However, with the reforms after the Northern War, a hasty program was begun to bring the AR3 "up to speed" regarding network integration. Most modern examples of the AR3 are now equipped with a similar chip to that of the AR4MIW. The AR3's rail system is capable of supporting an extensive number of additional accessories, the most common being combat optics, under barrel weapons (shotguns, grenade launchers, bayonets, and nonlethal suppression systems), and specialized grips.
Variants
AR3IW
The AR3IW is the standard service rifle variant of the AR3. The AR3IW is currently in service with all branches of the Commonwealth Defense Force, and is currently the standard service rifle in both the Commonwealth Air Force and Commonwealth Navy. The weapon is capable of semiautomatic and three round burst fire. The AR3IW is also the primary template for all weapons of the AR3 Line.
AR3IW Heavy
The AR3IW Heavy is a variant of the original AR3IW that mounts a heavy barrel (similar to that of the AR3DMR). The heavier barrel is typically used to have easier mounting of under-barrel weapons, and is currently used by people who need to make use of such tools. The AR3IW, is also capable of being a "mini-SAW" as most examples of the weapon are not restricted to burst fire.
AR3PDW
The AR3PDW is a lighter variant of of the AR3IW, making use of a cut down barrel. It is commonly used by the crews of vehicles, and indeed most modern combat vehicles are stocked with a few of these weapons in the event that a crew must be forced to fight outside of their vehicle. The PDW variant is also typically used in the tight quarters of a ship and is the favored variant for Navy ship's troops in boarding actions. The weapon is capable of fully automatic fire. There are kits available for the PDW (and the AR3 Line in general) to convert the weapon to fire 11.43×23mm (.45ACP) ammunition, but these are not commonly in use.
AR3DMR
The AR3DMR is a marksman variant of the AR3IW. It mounts the same heavy barrel as the IW Heavy. It however makes use of this barrel primarily for long range optimization. The AR3DMR is in use by designated marksmen in the Proletarian Guard. The AR3DMR is capable of semi-automatic fire and burst fire. It is however uncommon for a marksman to use burst firing in their duties, the feature being retain partially as a result of laziness in the design staff but also to provide the convenience of being able to fire automatically when a marksman is with their squad.
AR3SAW
The AR3SAW is a heavy automatic variant of the AR3SAW. It is commonly used by gunners of Squad Automatic Weapons. It is quite simply a variant of the AR3IW that allows for fully automatic fire. This weapon is therefore not restricted to burst fire. It is on the AR3SAW that one is most likely to encounter the heavier drum magazines.