T-25 "Claymore" Assault Rifle

"A reliable, fully automatic weapon with a detachable bayonet, bolt-assist, and chromed plated bore. Suitable for both jungle and urban combat scenarios." The T-25 Assault rifle is the standard issue assault rifle for CORE troopers during the End War. When the Extinction War began, the then outdated Mark 1 "Claymore" was still in service, but its bayonet and low ammo capacity proved to be less effective against the CORE's new enemy. As such, it was soon replaced by the Mark II as the CORE's standard issue rifle, and old rifles became a rare sight on the battlefield. However, following the Sinking of St.McCarthy, when supplies started to become scarce, the T-25 started cropping up in the hands of fighting forces once again. They have even been used by the Savage Drones, both as primary weapons and as the platform for their Multi-Turrets.

History

 * "The Mk I Claymore was the standard infantry assault weapon for CORE forces during the later decades of the End War, undergoing very few modifications because of its reliability and its tolerance of a wide range of climatic conditions.

Its broad bayonet -- famed for its intimidating effect on DNA forces -- was replaced by an integral chainsaw in the Mk2 Claymore after operational experience against Scalers. While the blade-type bayonet was effective against human enemies, it had difficulty penetrating the thick hide of SubTerranis and was prone to snapping. The chainsaw modification, designed by Professor Anton Bulat a year after Emergence, was inspired by Sergeant Harlan Trazcyk of 4th ZI successfully using a power saw to kill a drone. While the Mk II T-25 resembles the Mk I externally, an almost complete redesign was necessary to accommodate the cutting chain and drive mechanism.''"
 * — From "Small Arms of the Coalition," page 28

The original Claymore assault rifle was utilized as the standard-issue assault rifle by Coalition of Ordered Republiks forces, introduced in the later years of the End War. Known for its reliability, the rifle was an extremely powerful weapon, able to stop a truck, or even bring down a DNA Loach attack helicopter, but it had a furious recoil caused by the powerful 6.8 caliber ammunition and very short barrel. The Mark 1 Claymore was used by CORE armed forces even past Emergence Day.

However, a year following Emergence Day, CORE soldiers found the Claymore that served them faithfully for so many years was now obsolete against the Scaler Horde. Being very powerful, there was never any question that it could kill a Scaler ballistics wise, but the tough skin of the Scalers often deflected the bayonet, or even caused it to snap off. With great force, a Red can kill a Scaler with a running charge to produce enough momentum to puncture the tough hide, and then lifting the victim up after the charge to get the knife to penetrate deep enough to actually kill the Scaler. Unfortunately, the Scalers' preference for close-quarters combat magnified the problem, and Reds simply couldn't respond quick enough to violent CQC attacks from Scaler troops.

The ineffective knife bayonet, combined with the Claymore's low rate of fire and massive recoil, led to the need to redesign the Claymore assault rifle. Inspired by Red Harlan Trazcyk, who improvised the use of a power saw to kill a Scaler soldier,Trazcyk discussed the idea with Professor Anton Bulat. Soon after, the Mark 2 T-25 Claymore Assault Rifle was developed, incorporating more accurate fire, less recoil, a reticule sight and a chainsaw bayonet but at the cost of lower firepower compared to the Mark 1. The phase out of the old rifle was 90% complete over two kharki's later, and most CORE Battalions were outfitted with the new Claymore.Thirteen years later, after the Sinking of St.McCarthy, the original Claymore re-surfaced. Savage Scalers also began scavenging any resource available, including the Retro Claymore, which became a staple weapon among their more common warriors while others became the Savage Scaler's improvised turrets. Savage Drones were exclusively armed with Retro Claymores. It also went back into the hands of Reds a few times. Now dubbed the "Retro Claymore", it also became a popular weapon among the Stranded gangs as a defensive weapon, and used to make traps.

Attachments
"These blades are fucking useless. We need something that actually cuts these assholes..." -Sergeant Harlan Trazcyk

The most crucial, and perhaps the only needed, attachment to the Retro Claymore was the standard bayonet, an osmium-coated blade. With enough brute force behind a charge, a Retro Claymore user could easily impale and kill an opponent with the bayonet. The bayonet could also be detached and used as an all-purpose survival knife for hunting, clearing path through vegetation like a machete, or just a weapon in its own right. While the blade served its purpose well against DNA soldiers during the End War, it proved less effective against the tougher hides of Scalers, spurring the invention of the Chainsaw Bayonet and the replacement of the Retro Claymore by the Mark 2 Claymore Assault Rifle in the Extinction War.

Another attachment was known as the "Gut-Puncher" grenade launcher, which was used to fire individual grenades at a variable distance. The most notable usage of this attachment was during the Battle of Kurdun Fields.

Various focal length tactical scopes could also be mounted on the sight rails of the weapon, replacing the standard iron sights of the weapon, as used in the Battle of Kurdun Fields by Sofia Botger.

Technical Specifications
Designation: T-25

Caliber: 6.8MM

Magazine Size: 35 Rounds

Maximum Ammunition: 245 Rounds

Firemode: Automatic

Operation: Gas

Rate of Fire: 650 RPM