M7A3

The M7A3 carbine is a select-fire intermediate assault rifle in usage by the Sol Defence Corps and Peacekeeper Corps. It is the latest in the line of M7 rifles produced by Royal Arms Manufacturing. It fires in either semiauto or in 3-round bursts.

The first rifle to be chambered in the new cartridge, the M7A3 notably saw its first usage in the Martian Revolution in the 2080s, where it was fielded as the standard-issue weapon for SDC and UNPK troops on the battlefield of Mars. While the design was relatively primitive, its reliability and performance even in extremely dusty and hostile climates was unparalleled, leading to it being hailed as one of the primary contributors to the UN's victory in the war.

While the design is nearly 30 years old, the M7A3 remains in service to present day. As of 2114 the UN is currently seeking a replacement for it in UNPK usage, while the SDC had already adopted the R405 for space combat.

Design
The M7A3 is the first service rifle to make usage of both the cartridge and the pulse-action electronic action mechanism. As a result, everything about the gun is digitalised and can be dynamically adjusted and controlled to the user's desire.

The trigger is a two-stage pull with variable tension that can be adjusted via a knob on the weapon, ranging from 1.5 kg all the way up to 5.3 kg.

Controls for the weapon are not ambidextrous, with the charging handle on the right side of the weapon and fire control selector on the left. Efforts to create a new M7A4 variant of the rifle which addresses these issues are currently underway by RAM.

M7AS
The M7AS is the special operations variant of the M7A3, firing the custom-built 10.5x47mm cartridge designed for close-quarters stopping power. Similar to its spiritual predecessors, .458 SOCOM and 9x39mm, the cartridge is subsonic and is designed to drop an opponent in a single shot to the head or torso regardless of body armour or stimulants.

The M7AS is specially modified with a shorter stock, suppressor, and underbarrel shotgun in addition to rechambering the barrel and upper receiver to fit the round.