There’s a lot of controversy around the top BR 5 rifles currently available in the tech trees. The goal of this post is to offer powerful options for all nations, and re-balance some of the current weapons with incorrect fire rates. I look forward to seeing your comments and feedback!
USSR
RPS-3
12.7 (15.3) Damage
550 (610) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.7 (2.0) Reload Speed
Bayonet? No
An experimental light machine gun design by Simonov, Trialed in 1943. It has the slowest rate of fire of all of the Soviet BR 5 rifle options, but would have the best recoil and dispersion stats (this will be a theme for all weapon choices for each nations).
Fedorov M1926
12.7 (15.3) Damage
600 (660) Rounds Per Minute
25 Round Magazine Capacity
3.0 (2.4) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
One of the many Fedorov Rifle variants, this one is chambered in 7.62x54mmR and was trialed in 1926. It would have comparable recoil and dispersion to the current T20.
AVS-36
13.2 (15.8) Damage
800 (880) Rounds Per Minute
15 Round Magazine Capacity
2.7 (1.5) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
It’s the AVS-36 as it currently exists in the game, but with a rate of fire buff. It has the lowest magazine capacity of any BR 5 rifle, but one of the highest damages and rates of fire with decent controllability, and a fast modified reload (1 or more bullets left in the magazine). All of these would result in a gun that’s great at mid-range engagements, but is limited in it’s ability to wipe squads.
AVT 40 (25 Patronov)
12.7 (15.3) Damage
750 (830) Rounds Per Minute
25 Round Magazine Capacity
2.5 (1.7) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
This is the AVT-40, but with both a rate of fire and magazine capacity buff. The recoil would be changed to compare with the current FG 42-2, resulting in a great all-rounder with a high skill ceiling.
Allies
M2 Carbine
7.3 (8.8) Damage
750 (830) Rounds Per Minute
30 Round Magazine Capacity
2.8 (2.3) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
M2 Carbine remains unchanged. Essentially an Assaulter weapon that can be used by Riflemen.
T20
12.7 (15.3) Damage
500 (550) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.3 (2.3) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
The T20 in-game currently has a much higher rate of fire than it actually had historically. The rate of fire would be reduced, but the recoil and dispersion would be improved dramatically. In an ideal world, Darkflow would offer a full silver refund for selling this weapon with the changes made, so people can replace it with the T20E2 if desired.
T20E2
12.7 (15.3) Damage
700 (770) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.3 (2.3) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
Essentially the side-grade to the current T20, with a slight rate of fire bonus! It would have all of the other stats of the current T20.
Winchester M1 Experimental
12.7 (15.3) Damage
950 (1050) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.3 (2.3) Reload Speed
Bayonet? No
Winchester’s first foray into fully-automatic Garand conversions. The weapon had a dizzying 950 RPM cyclic rate without a recoil compensator, resulting in uncontrollable recoil. This would be true in-game as well, with 2-3 round bursts being the only real option beyond close range combat.
Axis
G.43-41(W) Selbstlader
12.7 (15.3) Damage
500 (550) Rounds Per Minute
25 Round Magazine Capacity
2.3 (1.9) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
A select-fire G.41 and G.43 hybrid, this weapon would feel very comparable to the G.43 Kurz Gold Order weapon, but with more damage and slightly more recoil.
G.43(W) Selbstlader
12.7 (15.3) Damage
840 (920) Rounds Per Minute
25 Round Magazine Capacity
2.3 (1.9) Reload Speed
Bayonet? No
A weapon that was trialed against the FG-42 before it’s adoption, it boasts a 25 round magazine and a high rate of fire, but no bayonet and above average recoil.
FG.42/I
12.7 (15.3) Damage
840 (920) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.6 (2.2) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
The FG.42/I gets a buff to it’s rate of fire, damage, and the use of a bayonet. It would be very comparable to the AVS-36 in it’s new form, but with slightly worse recoil and a longer reload speed.
FG.42/II
12.7 (15.3) Damage
600 (660) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.6 (2.2) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
The late FG.42 has it’s rate of fire reduced to historical levels, but gets improvements to recoil and dispersion. Performance will be similar to Federov M1926.
Japan
Type 17
11.6 (13.9) Damage
500 (550) Rounds Per Minute
20 Round Magazine Capacity
2.4 (2.0) Reload Speed
Bayonet? No
An experimental variant of the Type 11 MG, modified to feed from box magazines in 1928 (Taishō year 17). It’s the weakest weapon in this suggestion on paper, but would have Gewehr 43 Kurz levels of recoil. Some indirect sources claim the box magazine has capacity for 35 rounds, but I am highly suspicious of this.
Type Hei Automatic
11.6 (13.9) Damage
720 (790) Rounds Per Minute
30 Round Magazine Capacity
3.1 (2.7) Reload Speed
Bayonet? Yes
No changes to this weapon.
** Experimental Type 1 Model I LMG**
12.7 (15.3) Damage
800 (880) Rounds Per Minute
30 Round Magazine Capacity
3.0 (2.6) Reload Speed
Bayonet? No
An experimental variant of the Type 99 LMG, with quicker disassembly for paratrooper use. It was a part of the Type 1 LMG trials. It has high damage, high rate of fire, and high magazine capacity, but has a slow ADS speed, reload, and high recoil and dispersion.
Experimental Type 1 Model 3 LMG
12.7 (15.3) Damage
600 (660) Rounds Per Minute
30 Round Magazine Capacity
2.4 Reload Speed
Bayonet? No
A trials weapon, supposedly combining elements of the other Type 1 LMG trials weapons into one weapon. It is a Hotchkiss-belt type feed (like Hotchkiss M1922 in-game) weapon.
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