M392 DMR

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"The single-shot DMR fits somewhere between the sniper rifle and the battle rifle. It's deadly at range, but a quick trigger finger and careful aim assure that even at medium to short distances it packs a punch."

— Game Informer^[1]

The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle, more formally known as the Designated Marksman Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M392^[2], and commonly abbreviated as the DMR, is a select-fire rifle used by the United Nations Space Command.^[1]

Background

Although it saw more widespread use throughout all branches of the UNSC prior to 2548, it had since been superseded in use by the BR55 Battle Rifle in presumably all military branches of the UNSCDF but the Army.

Design Details

A blueprint of the M392 DMR.

The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle is an air-cooled, magazine-fed, gas-operated select-fire bullpup rifle that fires 7.62x51mm ammunition. It takes a fifteen round detachable box magazine, similar aesthetically to the BR55. The weapon has a mounted optic capable of 3x magnification, and it possesses a fire selector switch located above the grip of the weapon. The M392 also has a magazine release button which is located directly above the magazine well, behind the trigger. The weapon has two ejection ports, one on the left and right hand sides of the weapon respectively, so that a left or right-handed shooter can fire the weapon.

Function and Usage

The M392 DMR's intended battlefield application is similar to that of the BR55 battle rifle, fulfilling a role as the most effective medium-to-long range weapon in the UNSC arsenal on Reach. It is intended for experienced operators with proficient skill in shot placement and "controlled firing" since the recoil from multiple shots must be controlled to effectively deliver maximum damage to the target and to ensure that the target is neutralized at the fastest possible rate. Due to the introduction of an expanding reticule, the DMR requires a considerably higher proficiency in controlled firing and precision than the BR55 to attain successive head shots.

In order to deliver head shots to a target at medium-to-long ranges, a pause after each shot with the DMR is required to allow the reticule to contract to its smallest possible size. Immediately firing upon reaquisition of target maintains the maximum rate of accurate fire. While at close-to-medium range, it is only necessary to allow the reticule to shrink enough that it is roughly equal to the size of the target before firing again. At extremely close ranges, it is unnecessary to allow the reticule to contract at all, and it is most effective to fire the rifle as fast as possible.

It only takes five shots to take down a fully shielded Spartan in MJOLNIR armor, provided the last shot is to the head. A skillful marksman can eliminate a shielded enemy with ease. This makes the DMR possibly one of the most versatile weapons in-game.

Compared to the M6G Magnum, the DMR has a slower firing rate in exchange for higher accuracy and larger magazine capacity, however it shares the same basic amount of damage.

Trivia

Stamped on the receiver of the rifle are the words ARMALITE MG UNSC. This is possibly the manufacturer or a reference to real-world manufacturer ArmaLite Corp.
The designation of this weapon as a "designated marksman rifle" indicates that it was designed for use in squad-based combat, and not as a dedicated sniping tool. In the U.S. military, designated marksmen provide long-range support to their platoon. This contrasts with snipers, who operate in small teams and receive more specialized marksmanship training.
This weapon's semi-automatic functionality is similar to the battle rifle in the 2003 Halo 2 E3 Demo.
The DMR was first featured in The Art of Halo 3 as a concept design for the Halo 3 Battle Rifle.
In the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, as well as the latest seen build of the game, the DMR ejected the casing of the 9.5x40mm round used by the BR55 series, instead of the 7.62x51mm round which it actually fires.
In a recent Bungie podcast, it was confirmed that the DMR now has 15 rounds per magazine, a change from the 12 rounds in the earlier builds. This was mostly based on the ability to acquire 3 kills on fully-shielded Spartan players without the need to reload.
The color and background of the ammo indicator has been changed from green in the Beta to blue in the final game.
In the current build of the game, there is an animation when you first pick up, or first switch to (if you spawned with it as your secondary) the M392 where the player charges the bolt. The same animation has been seen with the MA37 as well.
Subscribing to Bungie Pro will give you the DMR Visual Flair. These are icons displayed next to the user's gamertag in Reach, similar to the septagon in Halo 3.