Ever wonder about the weapons you use in Battlefield 3? Or any other shooter for that case? Here's a brief overview of a few of the weapons from Battlefield 3. You will notice that several of the "American" weapons are very similar. The M4 Carbine has generally replaced the M16 as the main service assault rifle in the US Military, they share approximately 80% parts commonality. The HK416 (M416 in BF3) looks nearly identical to the M4 as it was designed mostly from that gun, with huge improvements (watch the HK416 video, this thing is probably the best assault rifle out there). The M27 IAR looks like the M4 and HK416 as well, it is a light machine gun/squad automatic weapon variant of the HK416, watch that video as well, very cool concept there. The Mk11 Mod 0 (AKA SR-25) is based on the AR-10 which became the M-16, the Mk11 has 60% parts commonality with the M16. So if you see 5 guns that look almost the same, it's because these weapons are related, not because the developers couldn't come up with another gun design. I'm not going into detail on every weapon, just the highlights of the primary weapon categories, in some cases I have copied text directly and in others I have summarized key information.
Assault Rifles
M16A3/M16A4 -
From Wikipedia -
M16A3
The M16A3 was a fully automatic variant of the M16A2 adopted in small numbers around the time of the introduction of the M16A2, primarily by the U.S. Navy for use by
SEAL,
Seabee, and Security units. It features the M16A1 trigger group providing "safe", "semi-automatic", and "fully automatic" modes.
The M16A3 is often incorrectly described as the fully automatic version of the M16A4 or an M16A2 with a
Picatinny rail. This misunderstanding likely stems from the use of the "A3" designation by Colt and other manufacturers to describe commercial AR-15 type rifles before the official adoption of the M16A3 or M16A4. Colt used the "A3" designation in the hopes of winning military contracts as they also did with the terms, "M4" and "M5".
M16A4The M16A4, now standard issue for front-line U.S. Marine Corps and some U.S. Army units, replaces the combination fixed carry handle/rear iron sight with a
MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, allowing for the rifle to be equipped with a carry handle and/or most military and consumer scopes or sighting systems.
[49] Military issue rifles are also equipped with a
Knight's Armament Company M5 RAS handguard, allowing vertical grips, lasers, tactical lights, and other accessories to be attached, coining the designation M16A4 MWS (or Modular Weapon System) in U.S. Army field manuals.
[50]
AK-74M -
From Wikipedia -
In 1991 the Izhmash factory in the city of
Izhevsk began full scale production of a modernized variant of the AK-74 – the AK-74M (M –
Russian: Модернизированный; Modernizirovanniy or "modernized") assault rifle that offers more versatility compared to its predecessor. Apart from several minor production improvements the rifle features a new synthetic stock made from a black, glass-filled
polyamide that is shaped like the AK-74 fixed stock, but also side-folds like in the AKS-74. Additionally the AK-74M uses an improved muzzle device and reinforced dust cover. Each AK-74M is fitted with a side-rail bracket for mounting optics. The AK-74M would have been adopted by the
Soviet Union as the standard service rifle, and has been accepted as the new
service rifle of the
Russian Federation.
M416 -
From Wikipedia -
The HK416 uses a proprietary gas system derived from the
HK G36, replacing the
direct impingement gas system used by the standard M16/M4. The HK G36 gas system was on its behalf derived from the
AR-18 assault rifle designed in 1963. The HK system uses a short-stroke piston driving an operating rod to force the bolt carrier to the rear. This design prevents combustion gases from entering the weapon's interior, a shortcoming with direct impingement systems. The reduction in heat and fouling of the bolt carrier group increases the reliability of the weapon and extends the interval between stoppages. It also reduces operator cleaning time and stress on critical components. According to H&K "experience that Heckler & Koch gained during its highly successful 'midlife improvement programme' for the
British ArmySA80 assault rifle, have now borne fruit in the HK416".
More details at
HK94.com
F2000 -
from Wikipedia
The F2000 is a modular weapon system; its principal component is a compact
5.56x45mm NATO-caliber
assault rifle configured in a
bullpup layout. The F2000 is a
selective fire weapon operating from a
closed bolt.
The rifle consists of two main assemblies: the barreled
receiver group and the frame, coupled together by means of an axis pin located above the trigger guard. The barrel group has an integral MIL-STD-1913
Picatinny rail used to mount optical sights. The frame or lower receiver contains the trigger group, the bolt and bolt carrier assembly, return mechanism and magazine well. A removable handguard is installed in front of the trigger which completes and encloses the trigger guard.
AN-94 -
from Wikipedia
The AN-94 (sometimes called the "
Abakan") is an advanced
Russian assault rifle. The initials stand for Avtomat Nikonova (after chief designer
Gennadiy Nikonov) Model of 1994.
The Russian Government formally declared the AN-94 to be the successor and replacement to the
Kalashnikov series of rifles following the
Project Abakan advanced assault rifle trials in the USSR throughout the 1980s. Gennadiy Nikonov's system reportedly outperformed its many remarkable rivals significantly, proving better than the
AEK-971 and the AKB-1 (predecessor of the AK-107). The Nikonov AN-94 was commissioned for general issue to the
Soviet (now Russian) armed forces, with mass production scheduled at the traditional home of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the historic
Izhmash state factories.
The stated great advantage of the AN-94 system is its ability to delay the recoil force until the fired round/s have left the barrel, much like the
AO-62. This, it is claimed, enables more 'hits' on target under the most adverse combat conditions.
The AN-94 offers a unique two-shot burst function at a stated 1800 rounds per minute rate of fire. The Nikonov mechanism fires the second shot in the burst fast enough that it escapes before the recoil of the first shot is felt, thus potentially allowing the two shots to hit the same point, for example to aid in piercing
body armour.
G3A3 -
from Wikipedia
The G3 is a
7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the
German armament manufacturer
Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) in collaboration with the
Spanish state-owned design and development agency
CETME (Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales).
The G3A3 (A4) is a
selective-fire automatic weapon that employs a
roller-delayed blowback operating system. The two-piece bolt assembly consists of a breech (bolt head) and bolt carrier. The bolt is held in battery by two sliding cylindrical rollers that engage locking recesses in the barrel extension. The breech is opened when both rollers are compressed inward against camming surfaces driven by the rearward pressure of the expanding gases upon the bolt head. As the rollers move inward, recoil energy is transferred to the locking piece and bolt carrier which begin to withdraw while the bolt head slowly moves rearward in relation to the bolt carrier. As the bolt carrier clears the rollers, pressure in the bore drops to a safe level, the bolt head is caught by the bolt carrier and moves to the rear as one unit, continuing the operating cycle. The bolt also features an anti-bounce mechanism that prevents the bolt from bouncing off the barrel's breech surface. The spring-powered claw extractor is also contained inside the bolt while the lever ejector is located inside the trigger housing (actuated by the recoiling bolt).
AS Val -
from Wikipedia
The AS "Val" (Avtomat Special'nyj Val,
Russian: Автомат Специальный Вал or "special automatic rifle", code name: "shaft") is a Soviet designed
assault rifle featuring an integrated
suppressor.
It was developed during the late 1980s by
TsNIITochMash (Central Institute for Precision Machine Building) and is used by Russian
Spetsnaz special forces and the
MVD,
FSB and select units of the
Russian Army. Since 1987, it was added to the arsenal of the Soviet Army and the KGB.
Its effective range is approximately 300 m, as it uses heavy subsonic
9x39mm SP-6 (high performance armor piercing) ammunition, as well as the SP-5 ball round used by the
VSS Vintorez. It can also use the same 10 or 20-round magazines as the VSS. Controls are similar to all AK-type rifles with cocking handle on the right side, tangent rear sight, magazine release button behind magazine well and safety lever above the trigger guard. The fire selector is however located within the trigger guard, behind the trigger. The "Val" has two modes of fire, single shot and automatic fire at a cyclic rate of 900 RPM. According to its users, the "Val" is reliable, accurate and well liked.
Carbines
M4A1 -
from Wikipedia
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier
carbine versions of the
M16, all based on the original
AR-15 designed by
Eugene Stoner and made by
ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the
M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.
[4]
It is a
gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed, selective fire, shoulder-fired weapon with a telescoping stock. A shortened variant of the M16A2 rifle, the M4 has a 14.5 in (370 mm) barrel, allowing its user to better operate in close quarters combat. The M4 has
selective fire options including
semi-automatic and
three-round burst (like the M16A2), while the M4A1has the capability to fire
fully automatic instead of three-round burst. The carbine is also capable of mounting an
M203 grenade launcher, the M203A1 with a 9-inch barrel as opposed to the standard 12-inch barrel of the M203 used on the M16 series.
AKS-74u -
from Wikipedia
In 1979, a shortened
carbine variant of the AKS-74 was adopted into service with the
Soviet Army: the AKS-74U (U—Ukorochenniy, lit. Shortened), which in terms of tactical deployment, bridges the gap between a submachine gun and an assault rifle. It was intended for use mainly with
special forces, airborne infantry, rear-echelon support units and armored vehicle crews. It is still used in these roles, but has been augmented by various submachine guns, and the
AK-105. It is also commonly used by law enforcement; for example, each urban police foot patrol is issued at least one.
SCAR-H -
from Wikipedia
The Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Assault Rifle, or SCAR, is a modular
rifle made by
FN Herstal (FNH) for the
United States Special Operations Command(SOCOM) to satisfy the requirements of the SCAR competition. This family of rifles consist of two main types. The SCAR-L, for light, is chambered in the
5.56×45mm NATO cartridge and the SCAR-H, for heavy, fires
7.62×51mm NATO. Both are available in Long Barrel and Close Quarters Combat variants.
This turned out to be quite a good weapon in Modern Warfare 2 and according to the video featured below is also making a great showing in Battlefield 3.
A-91 -
from Wikipedia
The A-91 is a Russian
bullpup configuration assault rifle developed by KBP. The rifle features an integrated 40 mm grenade launcher, which is mounted under the barrel (though older models had an above barrel grenade launcher). It is similar to the
OC-14 Groza assault rifle, another Russian rifle.
The A-91 also features a forward case ejection system like in the
FN F2000.
G36C -
from Wikipedia
G36C (C — Compact, commonly mistaken for as Commando, which was trademarked by Colt Firearms for the CAR-15): This subcarbine model is a further development of the G36K. It has a shorter barrel than the G36K, and a four-prong open-type flash hider. The extremely short barrel forced designers to move the gas block closer to the muzzle end and reduce the length of the gas piston operating rod. The handguard and stock were also shortened and the fixed carry handle (with optics) was replaced with a carrying handle with an integrated MIL-STD-1913
Picatinny rail. The dual optical sight found on the standard G36 and G36K models was replaced with a set of rail-mounted detachable
iron sights that consist of a semi-shrouded front post and a flip-up rear sight with two apertures of different diameter. The short handguard has four accessory attachment points, one of which could be used for a vertical grip.
Light Machine Guns
M27 IAR -
from Wikipedia
The
M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle (
IAR) is the name given to a lightweight,
magazine-fed
5.56mm weapon sought by the
United States Marine Corps, which is intended to enhance the
automatic rifleman's maneuverability and displacement speed. The Marine Corps is planning to purchase 4,476 IARs to replace 2,000
M249 light machine guns currently employed by automatic riflemen within
Infantry and
Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions. Approximately 8,000–10,000 M249s will remain in service at the company level to be used at the discretion of company commanders. The
United States Army does not plan to purchase the IAR.
The M27 is based on the
Heckler & Koch HK416, which in turn derives from the
M4 carbine and
Heckler & Koch G36. It features a
gas-operated short-stroke piston action (instead of the traditional
direct impingement) with a
rotating bolt. It is modified with a heavier barrel and includes a
bayonet lug. The
free-floating barrel is surrounded by
MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rails for use with accessories and optics. It draws ammunition from any standard
STANAG magazine, though higher-capacity magazines are being tested.
RPK-74M -
from Wikipedia
The RPK is the light machine gun that replaced the
RPD. The RPK was designed in parallel with the AKM/AK-47 family and uses the same ammunition, it has some improvements for it's particular role as a machine gun rather than assault rifle.
Oddly enough, the RPD has seen action in the previous 2 versions of Modern Warfare and is set to appear in MW3, where the RPK makes it's appearance in the Black Ops version.
M240B -
from Wikipedia
The M240, officially Machine Gun, 7.62mm, M240, is the US military designation for the
FN MAG (Mitrailleuse d`Appui Général, "General Purpose Machine Gun"), a family of
belt-fed,
gas-operated medium machine guns firing the
7.62x51mm NATO cartridge.
The M240 has been used by the
United States Armed Forces since the mid-1980s. It is used extensively by
infantry, as well as ground vehicles, watercraft, and aircraft. Despite not being the lightest medium machine gun in service, it is highly regarded for reliability, and its standardization among NATO members is also seen as a major advantage.
All variants are fed from disintegrating
belts, and are capable of firing most types of 7.62 mm NATO ammunition. M240 variants can use non-disintegrating belts (following replacement of a few easily swappable parts). There are significant differences in weight and some features among some versions which restrict interchangeability of parts. The M240s used by the US military are currently manufactured by FN Manufacturing, a US-based branch of
FN Herstal.
The M240B and M240G (see
Variants section) are usually fired from an integrated
bipod, the
M192 tripod, or a vehicular mount.
This is the gun that has widely replaced the M60 in military use. If you played it at all in MW2 (the last LMG unlocked) you know how heavy it is, but that it can lay down a lot of bullets.
M60E4 - from Wikipedia
The M60 was the workhorse squad automatic weapon for US infantry from the late 1950's through the 1980's, it is still in use in some specialized roles but has largely been replaced. It was developed as a replacement for the
Browning machine gun and
Browning automatic rifle. Much of its technology was adopted from the German
FG 42 and to a lesser extent the
MG 42 (both of the German guns make excellent appearances in Call of Duty: World at War).
My thoughts on the M60, it was my favorite light machine gun from Call of Duty 4 and the favorite light machine gun I have used so far in Black Ops. I could mount an
ACOG scope on my M60 and just go to town in Modern Warfare. In Black Ops it works equally well and has a very distinct heavy sound, you know when someone is using it. Let's hope that DICE has done the M60 justice, you'll want to use it if they did it up right.
Sniper Rifles
SVD -
from Wikipedia
The Dragunov sniper rifle (formally
Russian: Снайперская винтовка Драгунова, Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova (SVD), literally "Dragunov's sniper rifle") is a
semi-automatic sniper rifle/
designated marksman rifle chambered in
7.62x54mmR and developed in the
Soviet Union.
It's semi-automatic which means no bolt and quick second shots. This is the sniper rifle I missed most when they made Modern Warfare 2, it had almost no kick in CoD 4, and you could put more shots on the same target faster than anything else.
Mk11 Mod 0 (AKA SR-25 (Stoner Rifle 25)) -
from Wikipedia
The SR-25 enhanced match rifle utilizes the newer URX II
Picatinny-
Weaver rail system, rather than the older Mk 11 free-floating RAS, on the top of the receiver to accept different scope mounts or a carrying handle with iron sights (front sight mounted on the rail located on the forward end of the non-modular handguard).
[2] The match version is designed to shoot at a precision of 0.5
minute of arc, which corresponds to 0.5-inch (13 mm) groups at 100 yards (91 m).
The Mk 11 Mod 0 system comes in 7.62 mm NATO caliber, and is designed for match-grade 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition. The Mk 11 system includes the rifle, 20 round box magazines, QD (Quick Detachable) scope rings,
Leupold Mark 4
Mil-dot riflescope, Harris swivel-base bipod on a Knight's mount, and QD
sound suppressor, which is also manufactured by Knight's Armament Co.
[1] Flip-up BUIS (Back up iron sights) are attached to the modified gas block and upper receiver.
The new SR-25 Enhanced Match (E.M.) Carbine is very similar to the KAC
M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System,
[2] though the M110 utilizes the newer URX Rail system, a length-adjustable fixed buttstock, and an integrated flash suppressor. Starting late 2011, USMC snipers will replace Mk11 Mod 0 rifles with the
M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System on a one-for-one basis.
The M110 is featured in the video from future weapons seen below.
M40A5 -
from Wikipedia
The M40 is a
bolt-action sniper rifle used by the
United States Marine Corps. It has had four variants—the M40, M40A1, M40A3, and M40A5. The M40 was introduced in 1966. The changeover to the A1 model was completed in the 1970s, the A3 in the 2000s, and the A5 in 2009.
Each M40 is built from a
Remington 700 bolt-action rifle, and is modified by USMC armorers at
Marine Corps Base Quantico, using components from a number of suppliers. New M40A5s are being built, and A1s are upgraded to A3s and A5s as they rotate into the armory for service and repair. The rifles have had many sub-variations in
telescopic sights, and smaller user modifications. The M40A5 incorporates a detachable magazine and a threaded barrel to allow for the use of a
sound suppressor or other muzzle device.
This was a lot of peoples favorite sniper rifle in CoD 4. Bolt action rifles are generally a lot more accurate and if you could get past the reload time, this really did it's job well.
M98B -
from Wikipedia
The Barrett Model 98B (also known as the 98 Bravo) is a
bolt-action sniper rifle chambered in
.338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70mm or 8.58×70mm) manufactured by
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. The M98B was officially announced in October of 2008, and became available for sale in early 2009, with an
MSRP of
$4,495.00.
This is not to be confused with the semi-automatic Barrett .50 Cal.
M82A3 -
from Wikipedia
The M82 is a
recoil-operated,
semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle developed by the American
Barrett Firearms Manufacturing company. A heavy SASR (Special Application Scoped Rifle), it is used by many units and armies around the world. It is also called the "Light Fifty" for its
.50 caliber BMG (12.7 mm) chambering. The weapon is found in two variants—the original M82A1 (and A3) and the
bullpup M82A2. The M82A2 is no longer manufactured, though the
XM500 can be seen as its successor.
This is the big boy of sniper rifles, the .50 Cal (12.7mm) Barrett! In real life it will also rip through armored vehicles, the bullet it uses is normally used by machine guns.
IGN has a wonderful
guide to Battlefield 3 weapons, listing unlocks, starting ammo, ammo capacity
The Complete list courtesy of the
Battlefield 3 Wiki page:
Assault rifles
M16A3 / M16A4 ·
AK-74M ·
M416 ·
AEK-971 ·
F2000 ·
AN-94 ·
G3A3 ·
KH2002 ·
AS Val
Carbines
M4A1 ·
AKS-74u ·
SCAR-H ·
A-91 ·
G36C ·
SG553LB
Personal Defense Weapons
PP2000 ·
UMP-45 ·
PDW-R ·
P90 ·
MP7
Light machine guns
M27 IAR ·
RPK-74M ·
M249 ·
PKP Pecheneg ·
M240B ·
M60E4 ·
Type 88 LMG
Shotguns
870MCS ·
M1014 ·
Saiga 12K ·
DAO-12 ·
USAS-12
Sniper rifles
SVD ·
Mk11 Mod 0 ·
SV-98 ·
M40A5 ·
M98B ·
M82A3
Battle rifles
SKS ·
M39 EMR
Handguns
M9 ·
MP443 ·
G17 ·
M1911 ·
.44 Magnum ·
MP412 ·
G18 ·
M93R
Launchers
M136 AT4 ·
RPG-7V2 ·
SMAW ·
FGM-148 Javelin ·
FIM-92 Stinger ·
SA-18 IGLA ·
M224 Mortar
Back to Karkand Weapons
MP5 ·
PP-19 ·
L85 ·
FAMAS ·
L96A1 ·
Type 88 ·
Jackhammer ·
MG36 ·
Type 95 ·
Type 97
