Hardline Firearms Guide - Ver. 1.05 - 27 Nov 2016 - by Barticle at hotmail.com
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           | F | I | R | E | A | R | M | S |  | G | U | I | D | E |
           '---'---'---'---'---'---'---'---'  '---'---'---'---'---'

        C O N T E N T S                  06 ENFORCER WEAPONS
        ===============                     06a Shotguns
                                            06b Battle Rifles
     01 INTRODUCTION                        06c Heavy Pistols
     02 STATS & MECHANICS                07 PROFESSIONAL WEAPONS
        02a Bullet-Drop & Zeroing           07a Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles
        02b Speed & Range                   07b Semi-Auto Sniper Rifles
        02c Damage                          07c Machine-Pistols
        02d Ammo & Reloading             08 GENERIC WEAPONS
        02e Recoil                          08a Classics
        02f Accuracy                        08b Miscellaneous
        02g Suppression                  09 BATTLE PICKUPS
     03 WEAPONS OVERVIEW                 10 ATTACHMENTS
     04 OPERATOR WEAPONS                    10a Optics
        04a Carbines                        10b Accessories
        04b Assault Rifles                  10c Muzzles
        04c Pistols                         10d Grips
     05 MECHANIC WEAPONS                    10e Camo
        05a Submachineguns               11 CONTACT
        05b Revolvers                    12 THANKS

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------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 01 | INTRODUCTION                                                s01 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

This is a guide to all the multiplayer guns in Battlefield Hardline.*

Although I've written this document from the perspective of a PS4 player, pretty
much all the info within it should apply equally to the other platforms. However
when I mention controls these will be the default PS4 joypad controls, with the
trigger buttons L2 to ADS (aim down sights) and R2 to fire, etc.

My aims are to explain the firearm mechanics in the game (and how to interpret
the Symthic weapon charts), to discuss/compare all of the guns and attachments,
to keep a record of stat changes from patches and to give a little background on
each gun. Hopefully at least some of this will be informative or interesting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
| All gun stats in this guide are taken from Symthic.com who apply data-mining |
| techniques to extract all the exact stats for each weapon from the code of   |
| the PC version of the game. Previously the same stats were also used by the  |
| console versions but on 1 March 2016 Visceral introduced a new damage model  |
| for PC only (see end of Section 02c). I think/hope most of the stats quoted  |
| throughout this guide still apply to all platforms but the DAMAGE stats are  |
| now for CONSOLES only. For PC stats please refer to the charts on Symthic.   |
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------'

I'm a veteran of Battlefield 4 (hereafter "BF4"), Battlefield 3 ("BF3") and the
superb Battlefield: Bad Company 2 ("BFBC2") and I've written over fifty guides
for GameFAQs. (My trophies and firearms guides for BF3 and BF4 and my trophies
guides for Hardline and BF1 are also available here on GameFAQs.)

If you found this guide useful you can show your support by using the recommend
function. If you have any feedback (especially suggestions for additions or
improvements) then please feel free to contact me via email or GameFAQs message.

This guide is designed to be viewed using a monospaced (non-proportional or
fixed-width) font, preferably Courier New. Some sections of the document will
display incorrectly if you're using a proportional font like Times New Roman.

*The lead developer for Hardline is Visceral. They are best known for making the
Dead Space series but they also previously made the End Game expansion for BF3.


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02 | STATS & MECHANICS                                           s02 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

This first part of the guide explains all the various stats and physical rules
that govern how firearms work in Hardline. The game mechanics are pretty much
identical to those in BF3 and BF4.

Although there are basic weapon stats within the game it's no substitute for
having a full breakdown of all the statistics for each gun. Luckily for us there
is a fantastic online resource that provides just that and it's called Symthic.

                     http://symthic.com/bf-hardline-stats

(Please note that since the 1 March 2016 patch introduced a new PC-only damage
model the Symthic website only shows the data for the PC version of the game.)

In addition to covering Hardline, Symthic also currently carries comprehensive
weapons data for BF4, BF3, CoD: Blops II, CoD: Ghosts, Titanfall and the new
Star Wars Battlefront. (I've written guides for BF4, BF3 and Battlefront too.)

The most important feature for Hardline is the Weapon Charts. These give a full
listing of the stats for each category of gun in the game. This section of my
guide explains each of these stats in turn (in the order they're presented on
Symthic) and therefore also covers all the firearm mechanics of the game.

                 http://symthic.com/bf-hardline-weapon-charts

There's also a useful Weapon Comparison page that lets you compare two different
guns with or without any accessory that affects weapon stats. You can even pick
firearms from two different categories so for example you could compare the G36C
carbine with a flash hider to the SCAR-H battle rifle with a suppressor.

You can also use this page to compare the same gun to itself, with and without
any accessory, for example you could compare the AKS74u with the muzzle brake to
the AKS74u with the heavy barrel.

                    http://symthic.com/bf-hardline-compare

You should also be aware of the other pages available on the site which you can
access from the main Hardline menu. These include plots of accuracy (graphic
displays of spread and recoil) and weapon attachment info.

I could not have written this guide without the sterling efforts of everyone who
has contributed to the Symthic data. Thanks folks! :)

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02a | Bullet-Drop & Zeroing                                     s02a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Although negligible at short ranges, your bullets are affected by gravity.

                                 Bullet-Drop
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The first stat for each firearm is the gravity acceleration that's applied to
that weapon - on Symthic this is shown top-right above the gun image.

In addition to travelling with finite speeds (see Section 02b) every bullet in
the game also acts as a true projectile and, instead of travelling on a flat
path, will gradually fall to earth under gravity. Although this applies to all
guns, this "bullet-drop" will be most noticeable when using sniper rifles at
long range - you'll need to aim above your targets to hit them.

In real life projectiles accelerate vertically downwards at a rate of 9.81 m/s²
(metres per second squared) but for the sake of game balance different gravity
rates are used for different guns. To emphasise the role of the sniper rifles,
most other guns in the game have an artificially high gravity acceleration of
15.0 m/s². The majority of sniper rifles have a realistic gravity of 9.81 m/s²
but a few have the standard 15.0 m/s² value applied (see below).

(Additionally the RO933 .300 BLK carbine and Mammoth Gun both share a gravity
value of 20.0 m/s² and for the Nail Gun pickup weapon it's 80 m/s²!)

Let's look at some theoretical examples of bullet-drop on sniper shots at 200
metres using the four bolt-action rifles that were available at launch.

We only need to use a couple of "VUSAT" equations (the game doesn't apply air
resistance and I'm ignoring the slight curvature of the projectile's path).

    time = distance ÷ speed

           This gives the time taken to travel a given horizontal distance.

distance = 0.5 × acceleration × time squared   (assumes initial speed is zero)

           This then gives the vertical drop after any given length of time.

o Scout Elite                    [muzzle velocity 640 m/s and gravity 15.0 m/s²]

 Your first bolt-action sniper rifle has a very high velocity but it suffers
 from the high gravity value. Considering only the horizontal motion a bullet
 will cover 200 metres in 200 / 640 = 0.31 seconds. Now considering only the
 vertical motion (the downwards acceleration caused by gravity) over 200 metres
 it will drop 0.5 x 15.0 x 0.31 x 0.31 = 0.72 metres.

 (Over 400 metres a bullet will take 0.63 seconds and drop by 2.9 metres. The
 drop distance increases with the square of the flight time so the effect is
 much more noticeable when engaging targets at longer ranges - when the range
 is doubled the drop increases by a factor of four.)

o AWM                            [muzzle velocity 550 m/s and gravity 9.81 m/s²]

 The criminal bolt-action sniper rifle has a significantly slower velocity but
 it also has the lower gravity value applied. A bullet will cover 200 metres in
 0.36 seconds and drop by 0.65 metres - slightly less than the Scout Elite.

o R700 LTR                       [muzzle velocity 480 m/s and gravity 9.81 m/s²]

 The cops' bolt-action has the same gravity value but an even slower velocity.
 A bullet will take 0.42 seconds over 200 metres and drop by 0.85 metres. The
 Remington may have more drop than the AWM but it also has less recoil, better
 accuracy and a higher rate of fire.

o .300 Knockout                  [muzzle velocity 300 m/s and gravity 15.0 m/s²]

 Its speed and gravity help to balance the Knockout's incredibly long one-hit
 kill potential. It has a nominal muzzle velocity of 480 m/s but - since it's
 fitted with a permanent suppressor - a slow subsonic velocity of 300 m/s is
 applied. Like the Scout Elite, it also has the higher gravity value. A bullet
 will travel 200 metres in 0.67 seconds and drop by 3.3 metres!

 (Even at shorter ranges you would need to compensate for bullet drop, e.g.
 firing at 100 metres a bullet will take 0.33 seconds and drop by 0.83 metres
 which is roughly the same as the R700 at 200 metres.)

These examples serve to highlight the effect of bullet-drop in the game but you
don't need to use a calculator while playing!

The simplest method when sniping at a specific range is to fire a test shot at
a plain wall or post (at the same distance), stay scoped-in and watch where the
bullet impacts. Say it lands 1.5cm below your crosshairs (measured on your TV
screen) you know that you'll need to aim 1.5cm higher to score a direct hit.

With practice you'll learn to estimate distances based on how large the enemy
appears in your scope image and measured against the scope reticle - this will
be easier if you stick with using the same scope (same magnification).

BF4's range-finder attachment and PLD (Portable Laser Designator) gadget could
be used to measure distances but these are not available in Hardline. However if
you are engaging a target who's near to an objective you can use the distance on
the objective marker to give an approximate range.

Knowing the distance to your target lets you use zeroing more effectively.

                                   Zeroing
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
When using a sniper rifle you can zero the weapon for different distances. Just
press d-pad down (or V by default on PC) to cycle through the available zeroing
settings - 0m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 500m and 1,000m - shown on the prompt at the
bottom of your screen.

Zeroing negates the effect of bullet-drop at the specified distance - the point
of bullet impact will coincide with your point of aim. At ranges longer than the
zeroing setting you'll experience drop again and at shorter distances you'll see
your round hitting above your crosshairs. Remember that unless your weapon has
perfect aimed accuracy (zero spread) you will experience some deviation too.

If your engagement range falls between the available zeroing settings you will
still need to adjust your aim manually. For example if your target is at 250m
you could either zero for 200m and aim high or zero for 300m and aim low.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02b | Speed & Range                                             s02b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

The next three stats on the Symthic weapon charts are shown immediately under
the image and name of the gun.
                                 Rate of Fire
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The first number is the fire-rate, given in RPM (rounds per minute). This is the
speed at which the weapon can fire successive rounds (but of course this is not
the actual number of bullets you can fire in one minute because every gun (even
a belt-fed LMG) has a limited ammunition capacity and you would spend some of
that theoretical minute reloading your weapon).

Each firearm in the game has up to three different fire modes. These will be
indicated on the in-game display by the bullet (cartridge) icon/s next to your
ammo counters in the bottom-right corner of the screen and on the d-pad prompt
in the centre of your screen at the bottom.

Tap d-pad down to switch between the available fire modes on your weapon. (With
the default key bindings on PC the equivalent is the V key.) The icons show one
bullet for single, two bullets for burst fire or five bullets for full auto.

o auto - fully automatic fire when you hold the trigger

o burst - two or three rounds fired when you tap/hold the trigger

o single - only one round fired when you tap/hold the trigger

When you respawn after dying your gun will still be set to the same fire-mode.

For an automatic weapon the Symthic charts show the fire-rate on full auto. For
a semi-auto, pump-action or bolt-action weapon they show the effective maximum
rate of fire that can be achieved on successive single shots.

Hardline doesn't have any primary weapons with burst mode instead of full auto
but it does have several with a burst option, notably most of the HK weapons
such as the G36C, UMP45, MP5K and HK51. Unlike with real-life weapons, using a
burst fire mode in the game will always give you the gun's standard burst
(either two or three rounds) regardless of whether you tap or hold the trigger.

In automatic mode you can use "tapfire" (tapping R2) to create a burst effect if
your weapon lacks a burst mode - or you're too lazy to change the fire mode. :)
With practice you should be able to reliably get one, two or three rounds per
tap, depending on how long you hold the trigger. Firing consecutive short bursts
is much more accurate than sustained fire because it allows both your spread
(see Section 02f) and recoil (see Section 02e) to reset after each burst.

The fire-rate of your weapon is very significant in close-quarters combat. When
you encounter an enemy it will often be the one that can pump the most rounds
into the other that will prevail. However at medium and longer ranges you will
be more likely to prosper with a slower weapon with less recoil.

                               Muzzle Velocity
                               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is the speed at which bullets leave the barrel, given in metres per second
(m/s). For example at 600 m/s it takes a quarter of a second for your bullets to
travel 150 metres (164 yards) and in order to hit a moving target you would need
to "lead" them - aiming in front of them so they run into your bullet.

In general the rifles and carbines in Hardline have muzzle velocities of around
500 to 700 m/s (compared to typical values of 850 to 950 m/s in real life) and
for PDW's and pistols it's around 400 m/s.

Patched: Where previously they had unique values, the muzzle velocities for most
        of the carbines, assault rifles and battle rifles were standardised in
        the Blackout update on 3 November 2015.

        The standard velocity for 5.56mm (NATO) and 5.45mm (Soviet) carbines
        and assault rifles is now 500 m/s, for 7.62mm (Soviet) assault rifles
        it's 450 m/s and for battle rifles it's 700 m/s.

A gun with a lower muzzle velocity will experience more bullet-drop (see Section
02a) since the longer travel time gives the bullet more time to fall.

When you equip a sound suppressor attachment (see Section 10c) you also switch
to subsonic ammunition with reduced muzzle velocity, typically around 300 m/s
(even the 840 m/s SA-58 battle rifle falls to 300 m/s when suppressed). The .45
ACP calibre guns already have subsonic velocities by default but attaching a
suppressor still cuts the velocity (to only 180 m/s or 160 m/s).

In real life the muzzle velocity is only the speed at which the bullet leaves
the end of the barrel (hence the name!) - the velocity (and kinetic energy) of a
projectile decreases during flight (and with a slower rate of decrease after it
transitions from supersonic to subsonic speed). Bullet velocity remains constant
in Hardline but BF1 in 2016 introduced a new "bullet-drag" mechanic.

                                Maximum Range
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
For most guns the maximum distance that a bullet can reach is calculated as the
distance it travels in 1.5 seconds so this is derived from its muzzle velocity.

For example the M416 assault rifle in Hardline has a velocity of 500 m/s and so
its max range (speed x time = distance) is 500 x 1.5 = 750 metres (820 yards).

The muzzle velocity trends apply here too so the rifles and carbines tend to
have longer ranges (around 800-950m) compared to PDW's and handguns.

There are several exceptions, mainly sniper rifles. The maximum ranges for all
bolt-action snipers, the Saiga .308 and M82 semi-auto snipers, the 7.62mm Soviet
assault rifles (the RPK, AKM and MDC) and the RO933 .300 BLK carbine are based
on a time of 5.0 seconds and for the other semi-auto snipers it's 3.0 seconds.

For example the Scout Elite (bolt-action) has a muzzle velocity of 640 m/s so
its max range is 640 x 5.0 = 3,200 metres (3,500 yards).

This is only the theoretical maximum range of the weapon and not the effective
range - you'll usually want to be operating at significantly shorter distances.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02c | Damage                                                    s02c |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

When playing on a Normal server every player has 100 health - you can think of
this as 100 hit points or just as 100% of full health. It's easier to kill (and
to be killed!) on a Hardcore server - every weapon does the same damage as in
Normal but now everyone has only 60 health.

Patched: At launch players on Hardcore servers had 100 health in error. This was
        corrected to 60 in the Criminal Activity patch on 16 June 2015.

The damage done by any bullet that hits an enemy (or a friendly in Hardcore!) is
determined by a few basic numbers as outlined below.

                                Damage Drop-Off
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
There are four key stats for each weapon which are shown graphically as a plot
of damage (per bullet) against distance travelled. At short ranges a bullet does
its Maximum Damage, then when it reaches the Drop-Off Start distance the damage
starts to decrease (at a constant linear rate) until it reaches the Drop-Off End
distance after which the Minimum Damage applies. (The round then continues until
it reaches its Maximum Range (see above) where it effectively disappears!)

      D|
      A|                                                  Damage Plot
      M|----------._  <---- Maximum Damage                 (General)
      A|            `-._
      G|                `-._
      E|                    `-._
       |                        `-._
       |                            `-------------  <---- Minimum Damage
       Z
       |_____________________________________________________
                 /\                 /\        D I S T A N C E
           Drop-Off Start      Drop-Off End

The various guns in the game have different damage profiles but they always have
this same basic shape. Let's take the SGG53 carbine as an example. The maximum
damage is 25, the minimum damage is 18, the drop-off start distance is 30 metres
and the drop-off end distance is 50 metres.

D|
A|                                                            Damage Plot
M|----------------------------._  <---- 25.0 pts            (SG553 carbine)
A|                              `-._
G|                                  `-._
E|                                      `-._
 |                                          `-._
 |                                              `-------------  <---- 18.0 pts
 Z
 |_______________________________________________________________________
                             /\                 /\        D I S T A N C E
                         30 metres          50 metres

Out to 30 metres each bullet does 25 damage so on a Normal server it takes four
bullets to kill an enemy (4 x 25 = 100). The SG553 then gives a five-hit kill
until the damage drops below 20 at 45 metres and then you get six-hit kills.

(The drop-off zone is essentially a triangle, in this case with side lengths 7
and 20. Damage or distances within this zone can be determined with basic trig
or by equating the aspect ratios of similar triangles. For example if we say the
damage drops off to "D" at a range of 40 metres (i.e. 10 metres into the zone)
then (25 - 18) / (50 - 30) = (25 - D) / (40 - 30) and therefore D = 21.5 pts.)

You can see the effect of damage drop-off on your Kill Assist bonuses (these are
equal to the number of points of damage done). For example with the SG553 at
short ranges (where the max damage applies) you might get kill assists of 50
(25 x 2) or 75* (25 x 3) but at slightly longer ranges (just into the drop-off)
you might get 47 (23.5 x 2) or 66 (22 x 3).

*If you get a kill assist bonus of 75+ then you get an "assist counts as kill"
and you will be credited with a kill in your stats. This will be counted towards
the completion of assignments, coins, etc.

                                 DPS and TTK
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The bullet damage and rate of fire can be combined to give a "damage-rate". This
DPS (damage per second) figure serves as a general indicator of how quickly a
gun can deliver damage (specifically with maximum damage at short ranges).

Here are some quick examples from the Operator class:

 M416 = 850 RPM x 28 damage / 60 seconds per minute = 397 damage per second

        The M416 assault rifle has a high damage rate thanks to its rapid rate
        of rate and fairly high maximum damage.

L85A2 = 675 RPM x 25 damage / 60 seconds per minute = 281 damage per second

        The L85 assault rifle has a slower rate of fire and lower max damage so
        its DPS is considerably less.

  AKM = 600 RPM x 36 damage / 60 seconds per minute = 360 damage per second

        The AKM assault rifle has a very slow fire-rate but it has very high
        bullet damage and therefore has quite a high DPS.

Since the damage decreases over distance it's better to consider the specific
TTK (Time To Kill) for a given gun at any particular distance. This is derived
from the damage profile, rate of fire and velocity. Damage multipliers (see
below) are not considered and the weapon is assumed to be firing continuously.

Here's a worked example with the SG553 carbine at 40 metres in Normal mode. The
rate of fire is 700 RPM, the (unsuppressed) muzzle velocity is 500 m/s and the
damage profile is illustrated above. At 40 metres the SG553 does 21.5 damage and
therefore the required BTK (Bullets To Kill) is 5 (21.5 x 5 > 100). The time
between each shot is 0.0857 seconds (60 seconds per minute / 700 RPM) and each
bullet will take 0.08 seconds to reach the target (40 metres / 500 m/s). After
pulling the trigger we need to wait for four more rounds to fire and then for
the last one to cover 40 metres so the TTK is 0.423 seconds (0.0857 x 4 + 0.08).

Weapons in Hardline do more damage than their counterparts in BF4 so the TTK's
are correspondingly faster. For example the MPX submachinegun at 5 metres has a
TTK of 0.297 seconds in BF4 but only 0.161 seconds in Hardline! (on consoles)

                              Damage Multipliers
                              ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The graph shows the base damage per round but multipliers are applied when you
hit certain parts of your target's body. The damage multipliers for Hardline
haven't been published on Symthic so I'm working on the assumption that Visceral
copied the original pre-patch damage model from BF4 and therefore it should be
noted that the figures in this section are NOT CONFIRMED.

Patched: Previously anyone exposed to the effects of a gas grenade (without a
        gasmask) would take double damage but this feature was removed in the
        1 March 2016 patch. :( Gas grenades still give a suppression effect and
        cause a small amount of damage over time to exposed enemies.

Weapons do standard damage on shots to the chest (upper torso) and arms. This
is used as a baseline when discussing the killing potential of a weapon. For
example many of the assault rifles and carbines deliver a maximum damage of 25
and therefore can give a four-hit kill (specifically on chest/arm shots and at
ranges before the damage drop-off begins).

o Upper torso and arms (x1.00)

 No multiplier is applied on shots to the chest or arms.

o Lower torso and legs (x0.93)

 Shots to the target's abdomen or legs do 7% less damage. If you're using a gun
 that does 25 damage at a given distance then just one leg shot is enough to
 turn your four-hit kill into a five-hit kill (3 x 25 + 1 x 25 x 0.93 < 100).

 (While the Hardline damage multipliers are subject to speculation, I've had
 more than enough kill assists worth 93 pts with the .300 Knockout to know that
 this one is definitely correct!)

o Standard headshots (x2.00)

 In recent Battlefield titles a headshot with most weapons did double damage.

 In BF4's Spring Patch in May 2015 the standard headshot damage multiplier was
 increased from x2.00 to x2.13 in order to reward skilful aiming but I think
 that Hardline probably still uses the original x2 multiplier.

 (This is supported by a gameplay video I saw where the player got a long-range
 headshot with the Nail Gun (which does 45 minimum damage) and then got killed
 by the same person who had 10 health remaining.)

 It's also worth noting here that a casualty cannot be revived if they were
 killed by a headshot (or an explosion, roadkill, melee takedown or gas).

o Non-standard headshots (x2.35 and x1.00)

 Usually headshots from large-calibre weapons (i.e. bolt-action sniper rifles,
 shotguns with slug rounds, revolvers and the Deagle) get a x2.35 multiplier.

 If a bigger multiplier is used with sniper rifles it's unclear whether this
 would apply only to bolt-action snipers (like BF4 which Hardline is based on)
 or to semi-auto snipers as well (like BF3 where both categories of weapons
 were locked to the sniper class as they are in Hardline).

 Usually shotguns with buckshot (or dart) rounds get a x1.00 multiplier. The
 torso provides a larger target for buckshot anyway so it's best to aim for
 "centre mass" to get more pellets to connect.

o Upper torso with Armored Insert (x0.67)

 When a Mechanic player has the Armored Insert (body armour) gadget equipped
 they take one third less damage on shots to the chest.

 Patched: In the Robbery update on 16 September 2015 the damage reduction from
          the Armored Insert was finally nerfed from 50% to 33%.

 This effect can be countered by using the AP Tracer rounds (see Section 10b)
 or the FN57 pistol (see Section 08b) which fires armour-piercing bullets.

                            New PC Damage Profiles
                            ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The faster TTK's (see above) proved to be especially unpopular in the PC gaming
community where the keyboard and mouse interface already makes it easier to
acquire targets more quickly. Visceral developed a whole new set of damage stats
specifically for the PC version of the game and, after testing them on the CTE
in mid February, they released them in the 1 March 2016 update.

The changes involved various reductions to max/min damage and drop-off distances
for every gun in the game. The damage stats quoted throughout this guide now
apply only to the console versions of Hardline. For details of all the changes
made in the version 1.7 patch on PC please refer to the changelog on Symthic:

                  http://preview.tinyurl.com/betrayal-patch

The following abbreviations for damage stats are used in that post:

    SDmg = start damage (maximum damage)   DOStart = damage drop-off start

    EDmg = end damage (minimum damage)       DOEnd = damage drop-off end

The complete stats for each weapon presented on Symthic.com are the result of
data-mining the code in the PC version of the game. It's important to remember
that the damage stats now given there do not apply to the console versions.

The damage tables given below in this guide for each category of firearms now
serve as a record of the console damage stats which are not listed on Symthic.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02d | Ammo & Reloading                                          s02d |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Next to the damage plot on the Symthic weapon charts are the reload times and
details of the weapon's ammunition capacity.

                                Reload Times
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Most guns have two reload times: the short (or "tactical") reload and the long
(or "empty") reload. The short reload applies if you reload while you still have
some rounds in the weapon* and the long reload occurs if you reload when it's
completely dry (and you need a little extra time to chamber a round). Taking the
FAL battle rifle (see Section 06b) as an example, its short reload is just 1.80
seconds (one of the fastest primary reloads in the whole game) and the long
reload when the gun is empty is 2.50 seconds.

1.8s        The two reload times are presented in a diagonal row with a third
   2.5s     figure which is a "threshold" multiplier - once you start reloading
      0.6x  you cannot switch to another weapon until this time has elapsed -
    21      and a fourth number which is the ammo capacity (see below).

(As you will know from every game tutorial ever, it's much quicker to switch to
your sidearm than to reload your primary weapon.)

Hardline has a "tiered" reload system which takes effect when you reload from an
empty magazine but switch to your sidearm or a gadget halfway through the reload
animation - when you switch back to your primary you will only get the second
half instead of the full animation. In other words after firing the last round
in your magazine, you hit the reload button, remove the mag, switch out, switch
back and then load a new magazine. This is more realistic and saves you time.

The Saiga 12 shotgun (see Section 06a) uses detachable magazines which means you
can do a full reload more quickly but the 870, Ithaca, SPAS and KSG have the
advantage that, by loading shells individually, you can interrupt the reloading
process and resume firing at any stage.

For the Operator, Mechanic and Professional classes the perks of the reputation
system include a Fast Reload option which will reduce your reload times.

Several weapons in Hardline have a secret funny reload animation which has a one
in ten thousand chance (0.01% probability) of occurring when you do an empty
reload. These were first seen on the RPG, RO933, AKM and Beagle in the February
2015 open beta and have since been observed in the M16A3, .410 Jury and 93R as
well. (Since revolvers don't have separate short/long reload animations it's
possible to get the .410 Jury easter egg reload even if the weapon isn't empty.)

*In Hardcore mode when you reload with a partially used magazine you will lose
the remaining rounds - so for example if you had a 30-round magazine, fired five
shots and then reloaded you would lose the other twenty-five! There's no ammo
counter in Hardcore mode either so you have to keep track of how many rounds are
in your weapon and your reserve supply.

                                  Ammunition
                                  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The next number shown is the maximum standard ammunition capacity of the weapon.
For the majority of guns this is the magazine capacity plus one round in the
chamber of the weapon. For example the FAL's magazine holds 20 rounds so with a
a full magazine and a round chambered the maximum capacity is 21 or "20+1" (and
you'll always spawn with the maximum 21 rounds loaded in the rifle).

When you do a short reload your weapon still has a round in the chamber so after
removing the magazine and replacing it with a full one your gun will have its
maximum load (e.g. 21 rounds) but when the weapon is completely empty and you do
a long reload you will only have the ammo in the new mag available (e.g. 20) so
you would need to reload a second time to receive the maximum capacity.

Several weapons have the option of equipping extended magazines as an attachment
(see Section 10b). This feature was previously available on some guns in BF3 but
was absent from BF4.

The Operator and Mechanic class reputation perks include Extra Magazines.

Ammo type is no longer included in Symthic's main stats charts but it is shown
on the individual weapon pages and on the in-game loadout screen. The calibre
will be given either in millimetres (e.g. 5.56mm or 9mm) or in fractions of an
inch (for example .357 Magnum = 357/1000 inch). A second figure gives the length
of the shell case, for example with 5.56x45mm NATO rounds it's 4.5cm long.

All the primary shotguns in the game fire standard 12-gauge shells (equivalent
to an approximate diameter of 18.5mm) but the .410 Jury uses .410 bore shells.

In Hardline you can resupply your ammo in the following ways:

o stand near an ammo box* dropped by an Enforcer player

o stand near an Enforcer player and press Square when prompted

o stand near or enter a Syndicate Crew Cab vehicle (when playing as criminals)

o stand near or enter a Mobile Command Post vehicle (when playing as cops)

o stand near an ammo locker (available on some maps) and press Square

o stand near a Scout Helicopter that has Mobile Resupply equipped (unlikely!)

(You also have the option of picking up a dead player's kit.)

*An ammo box remains on the map until it's destroyed or the owner drops another
one elsewhere on the map. The Enforcer class reputation perks include Upgraded
Ammo Box which allows the player to have two bags deployed at the same time.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02e | Recoil                                                    s02e |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Recoil is the tendency of a firearm to "kick" upwards and sideways after each
round is fired. This will be especially noticeable when firing a longer burst
from an automatic weapon but, even on full auto, after releasing the trigger the
gun will always return to your original point of aim.

     0.3      The recoil of each weapon is described by five numbers which are
      ^       presented on Symthic like this (using the UMP45 as an example).
0.2 <-'-> 0.2
              The top number is the vertical recoil (muzzle climb) experienced
   20   1.8x  after each shot, given as an angle measured in degrees.

The next two numbers are the maximum left and right horizontal recoil (muzzle
drift). Sideways recoil is determined at random on each shot so even where the
two stats appear to cancel each other out there will usually be some net effect
although you will only see a distinct "pull" to one side during automatic fire
if the two numbers differ.

The figure at the bottom-left is the "recoil recovery" rate. It's a measure of
how quickly the weapon returns to your original aim given in degrees per second
- a bigger number here will make it easier to fire accurate bursts more quickly.
Even in semi-auto (single) fire sometimes it's necessary to delay each shot for
a fraction of a second to allow the weapon sufficient time to recover.

The final number at the bottom-right is the first-shot recoil multiplier applied
to the vertical recoil after the first shot in automatic fire, on every shot in
single fire or after the final shot of a burst (when using a burst mode). The
battle rifles (see Section 06b) all have low recoil multipliers (mostly x1.1) so
this effect is almost unnoticeable on those weapons.

Sticking with the UMP45 submachinegun as an example, the vertical recoil after
the first shot in automatic fire (or a single shot) will be 0.54° (0.3° x 1.8)
then for every successive shot it will be the standard 0.3° and the recoil will
recover at a rate of 20° per second.
                                      __

Some of the attachments (see Section 10) affect a weapon's recoil.

o Compensator - reduces vertical recoil by 40%
               increases horizontal recoil by 17%

o Muzzle Brake - reduces vertical recoil by 17.5%
                reduces horizontal recoil by 50%

o Heavy Barrel - reduces vertical recoil by 20%
                reduces horizontal recoil (ADS only) by 20%

o Angled Grip - reduces first-shot recoil multiplier by 33%

o .338 Magnum sniper ammo - increases vertical recoil by 400%

With some practice you can compensate for recoil during a burst by adjusting
your aim in the opposite direction, i.e. you can reduce the effect of vertical
(upwards) recoil by holding down a little on your right stick (or up if you have
vertical look inverted in your controller config). This is easier on PC using a
mouse but it works on a joypad too. Since horizontal recoil is random you can't
counter it fully but you can steer against a prominent sideways pull.

You can use vertical recoil to your advantage by aiming quickly at your target's
torso and letting the recoil guide your aim up their body and hopefully into a
headshot. This technique will be less effective on any weapon that has large or
imbalanced horizontal recoil.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02f | Accuracy                                                  s02f |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

The accuracy of each weapon is determined as a randomised "spread" (deviation)
on each shot. With the exception of some sniper rifles (which have 0.0° spread
for stationary aimed fire), your bullet will usually not land exactly where you
are aiming and will instead hit a random point within a circle centred on your
point of aim and defined by the angular spread value - you can visualise this as
a long cone centred around your line of fire. Since spread is calculated as an
angle, the effect is greater at longer ranges.

The amount of spread that applies in any given situation will be based on three
factors in various combinations shown in a grid (example figures for the HCAR).

      ADS  HIP         You'll have much less spread (better accuracy) when you
                       are aiming down sights (ADS) compared to using hipfire.
      0.2  2.0 Stand
Static 0.2  2.0 Crouch  Your aim will be better when you are stationary. You can
      0.2  2.0 Prone   think of this as an "accuracy penalty" for moving.

      1.0  3.5 Stand   Finally your stance also has an effect on accuracy. You
Moving 1.0  3.0 Crouch  will have more hipfire spread when you are standing and
      1.0  2.5 Prone   less when crouching or laying prone.

Most guns have the same value for stationary aimed accuracy in all three stances
(as in B4) - so you can shoot just as accurately while standing - but it should
be noted that a few guns in Hardline do have different values for each stance.

The effect of stance and movement on your hipfire accuracy can be demonstrated
by observing the variations in size of your crosshairs as you transition between
standing/walking/jogging/running and between standing/crouching/prone. You can
also observe the effect on hipfire spread of switching on/off the laser sight
attachment (see Section 10b) and of firing a long burst on automatic.

                                      ¯¯
There are two other weapon stats related to accuracy.

The first is the spread increase per shot or SIPS for short (shown in orange on
Symthic) which is the amount by which the radius of spread increases with each
successive shot; for example the value is around 0.1° for the assault rifles.
This means it's much better to use short bursts, or even single shots, when
shooting at longer ranges. The spread will increase up to the maximum spread
values (not shown on the basic weapon charts).

For example the M16A3 assault rifle has an initial stationary aimed accuracy of
0.2°, a SIPS of 0.11° and a maximum aimed spread of 1.5° - so during a sustained
burst the spread will gradually increase from 0.2° up to the 1.5° limit.

The final accuracy stat is the spread decrease per second or "spread recovery"
(shown in green on Symthic) which defines how quickly your accuracy (spread)
resets to normal after shooting. This stat is set to a standard value of 15 for
the majority of firearms currently in the game.

The combined effects of recoil and spread are displayed vividly in the accuracy
plots on Symthic where the different colours represent successive shots fired in
a five-round burst. With each shot the muzzle rises and the spread increases but
the unique stats for every weapon give each one a characteristic accuracy plot.

                http://symthic.com/bf-hardline-accuracy-plots

Most weapons with a "bullpup" design (where the firing mechanism and magazine
are behind the trigger) typically have better hipfire and moving accuracy but
they also have slightly worse stationary aimed accuracy (and longer reloads).

                                      ¯¯
Some of the attachments (see Section 10) affect a weapon's spread.

o Laser Sight - reduces hipfire spread by 25% (or 33% when standing and moving)

o Compensator - increases SIPS by 30% (except in ADS when standing and moving?)

o Heavy Barrel - reduces ADS spread by 50% (when stationary)
                reduces ADS max spread by 20% (when stationary)
                increases ADS/hipfire spread by 50% (when moving)

o Muzzle Brake - reduces spread recovery rate by 50%

o Vertical Grip - reduces the ADS/hipfire spread penalty by 50% (when moving)
                 reduces the hipfire spread penalty by 25% (when stationary)

o Stubby Grip - reduces the ADS spread increase by 50%
               reduces the hipfire spread increase by 15%
               reduces the ADS max spread by 50%

o .338 Magnum sniper ammo - reduces ADS/hipfire spread by 50% (when stationary)

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 02g | Suppression                                               s02g |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Although it's been changed since BF3 and Symthic doesn't quote weapon stats for
it, the suppression mechanic is still applied in Hardline when you shoot near an
enemy. This causes a visual effect for your target and I think it also increases
the vertical and horizontal recoil of their guns.

If a player you are currently suppressing gets killed by a team-mate then you
score a Suppression Assist. This was worth 50 pts in BF3, just 10 pts in BF4 and
is now worth 25 pts in Hardline.

(The suppression effect should not be confused with the suppressor attachment
which can be added to a weapon to reduce the firing noise - see Section 10c.)


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 03 | WEAPONS OVERVIEW                                            s03 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

Before discussing the weapons in detail, this brief section summarises the types
of guns available in multiplayer and the ways you can equip and acquire them.

                                 Categories
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
As in other recent Battlefield titles, specific categories of primary weapons
are tied to each of the four playable classes.

           Operator class: carbines (see Section 04a)
                           assault rifles (see Section 04b)

           Mechanic class: submachineguns (see Section 05a)

           Enforcer class: shotguns (see Section 06a)
                           battle rifles (see Section 06b)

       Professional class: bolt-action sniper rifles (see Section 07a)
                           semi-auto sniper rifles (see Section 07b)

In BF4 the carbines, shotguns and designated marksman rifles (semi-auto sniper
rifles) could be used by all classes but at launch Hardline had no universal
categories. However since then several individual guns have been added that can
be equipped by any class (see Section 08).

This time even the sidearms are split into categories and tied to the classes.
In a Twitter Q&A in January 2015 lead multiplayer designer Thad Sasser said this
decision was taken "[...] to encourage players to try new things! It's also good
for class balance." The sidearms are allocated as follows.

                Operator class: pistols (see Section 04c)

                Mechanic class: revolvers (see Section 05b)

                Enforcer class: heavy pistols (see Section 06c)

            Professional class: machine-pistols (see Section 07c)

Your secondary slot can also be used to equip the FN57, G17 Race Pistol or Dual
vz.61 machine-pistols (see Section 08b), the T62 CEW taser or the Tracking Dart
gun which are all available to every class.

You know how you can run faster with your knife equipped in Counter-Strike? Well
Hardline has a similar mechanic - your movement speed will be increased when you
have your sidearm selected. You can expect to see lower KPM (kills per minute)
stats for pistols from more experienced players. It's great for beating your
team-mates to the vault at the start of a Heist match. ;)

                             Factions & Licences
                             ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
There are two factions in the game: cops and criminals*. In addition to being
locked to classes, many guns are locked to factions too. For example in the
Operator class both the police and criminal factions can equip the initial RO933
carbine and 92FS pistol but then the SG553, M16A3, G36C and P226 are designated
as cop weapons while the AKS74u, M416, AKM and CZ75 are all criminal weapons.

Faction locking was added to the game in response to player feedback after the
initial public beta testing. This gives more character to the factions as they
start out with guns that suit them - for example AR15's for cops and AK's for
criminals. However for the sake of balance there are several guns that don't
really fit the pattern, e.g. the criminals have access to the modern military</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
full-auto M416, F2000 and P90 while the cops get the ancient M/45 and SG510!

Got a faction-locked weapon that you really like and want to use all the time?
No problem. Simply get 1,250 kills with that gun (!) and buy the "licence" for
it for $50k - this allows you to equip it on the other faction. You'll also
unlock a fancy weapon-specific licence patch featuring a picture of the gun.

Patched: The game update on 1 March 2016 added the chance of getting a weapon
        licence voucher as a rare "Distinguished" item in gold Battlepacks.

        Each voucher allows you to bypass the faction-locking on one gun.

*When you access the loadout screen from the multiplayer menu you'll see that
you can cycle through two cosmetic variations for each faction - Undercover and
SWAT for the cops and Thieves and Bangers for the criminals. You cannot select
these during play - cops always compete against criminals of course and on any
given map/mode the game will specify which variants of each side will be used.

                                   Unlocks
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
By default the following eleven guns are instantly available to equip.

o Operator class: RO933, CAR556 and ACWR (carbines)
                 L85A2 (assault rifle)
                 92FS (pistol)

o Mechanic class: MP5K (submachinegun)
                 .38 Snub (revolver)

o Enforcer class: 870P Magnum (shotgun)
                 45T (heavy pistol)

o Professional class: Scout Elite (bolt-action sniper)
                     G18C (machine-pistol)

Patched: The CAR556, ACWR and L85 were unlocked for all players in the Robbery
        update on 16 September 2015. Previously they were only available 1) as
        pre-order bonuses, 2) by buying the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition
        of the game or 3) by purchasing the Deluxe Upgrade from the PSN store.

        Each weapon arrives separately in a unique Battlepack with a special
        gun camo (see Section 04). These three guns don't need to be bought
        with cash (XP) and they can all be used by either faction.

The remaining weapons are unlocked by one of two methods.

1. The majority of guns in the game can be bought using the in-game money which
  is earned instead of XP in multiplayer. This is a much more flexible system
  than that in recent Battlefield titles because there is no need to level-up
  the class to unlock weapons and you can use money earned with one class to
  buy a gun for another. However most buyable weapons will be faction-locked.

  Even most guns that are added with DLC expansions or by free updates still
  need to be purchased before they can be equipped and used.

2. Each of the four character classes has two class-specific assignments that
  need to be completed in order to unlock a special sidearm for that class. You
  can then progress onto the "Syndicate" assignment to unlock a special primary
  weapon for the class. These guns can be used by either faction.

  For example you need to complete Operator Assignments 1 and 2 to unlock the
  G17 pistol and the Operator Syndicate for the ARM assault rifle.

  The generic RO933 carbine and M110 battle rifle (see Section 08b) added as
  part of the free Blackout DLC are also unlocked by completing assignments.

  The Mammoth Gun and Syndicate Gun (see Section 08a) are both unlocked by
  completing secret assignments on the Chinatown and Cemetery maps.
                                      __

The following six sections describe individually every firearm in the game.

Standard ammo capacities for most guns are given in the format N+1 where the
magazine holds N cartridges and you can have one more ready in the chamber.

The reload times are for the short reload (when the gun isn't completely empty).


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 04 | OPERATOR WEAPONS                                            s04 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Operator is the equivalent of the Assault/Medic class in previous titles.

As usual this class can equip assault rifles as primaries but it also gets the
carbines this time (they could be equipped in any class in BF4).

Additionally you can equip any of the generic weapons (see Section 08).

Initially only the RO933, ACWR, CAR556 and L85A2 primaries and the 92FS sidearm
are available.

The Operator Shortcut pack is available from the PSN store. This should unlock
all guns and gadgets for the class that appear in the base game except for the
one unlocked by completing the Syndicate assignment (ARM).

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 04a | Carbines                                                  s04a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

A carbine has a shorter barrel and overall length than a standard rifle and is
often a modified version of a full-size weapon. The reduced size and weight of
the firearm makes it more convenient in certain environments and when operating
in vehicles but the shorter barrel results in reduced power and range. Carbines
are useful in modern urban battlefields where the shorter length makes them
easier to use indoors and the reduced range isn't an issue.

In general the carbines in Hardline perform similarly to the assault rifles (see
below), but thanks to their shorter barrels they tend to have slightly less
stationary ADS accuracy and tighter spread for hipfire or while moving. They
also tend to have less recoil (and previously had less muzzle velocity).

Patched: The muzzle velocity for all carbines was standardised at 500 m/s in the
        3 November patch, bringing them in line with the G36 and ACWR. This was
        a nerf for the CAR556 and RO933 and a buff for the AKS74u and SG553.

The carbines in the game have the following damage profiles:

                      |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
           Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
      ================+========+==============+========+================
         5.45x39mm WP |  28.0  |  12m to 32m  |  14.0  | AKS74u
      ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+----------------
                      |        |  30m to 50m  |  18.0  | G36C and SG553
                      |        |--------------+--------|----------------
                      |  25.0  |  25m to 50m  |        | ACWR
       5.56x45mm NATO |        |--------------|  15.0  |----------------
                      |        |   8m to 50m  |        | CAR556
                      |--------|--------------|--------+----------------
                      |  24.0  |  15m to 50m  |  16.0  | RO933

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the minimum damage for both
        the G36C and SG553 was buffed from 15 to 18. Also the damage drop-off
        start for the RO933 was reduced from 30 to 15 metres.

        The RO933 then received buffs to its damage in the Blackout update on
        3 November 2015. Its maximum damage was increased from 20 to 24 and the
        minimum damage was raised from 12 to 16.

In previous Battlefield titles any weapons in the same category that used the
same ammunition usually had the same damage stats but in Hardline there's a lot
more variety - damage is used more to balance individual guns.

In addition to the carbines listed in this section the suppressed RO933 .300 BLK
is also available (see Section 08b) and can be used by any class.

o RO933

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 850 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: The starting weapon for the Operator class has a higher rate of fire
          than the other carbines but it also has a lower max damage (giving a
          five-hit kill instead of four) and an early damage drop-off start.

          Its magazine size, reload times and vertical recoil are all quite
          typical for this category but it has a very high first-shot recoil
          multiplier so you should consider using an angled foregrip if you
          want to use it effectively at longer ranges.

          To help you get started the RO933 comes equipped with the Micro T1
          (red-dot sight), flash hider and stubby grip attachments.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. The majority of these were applied to the RO933
          which saw almost forty stat amendments in total. Its overall recoil
          was buffed - the vertical recoil was cut by around 40%, the right
          recoil was reduced and the recoil recovery rate was increased.

          Also the accuracy of stationary aimed fire was increased to 0.2 (as
          good as the best assault rifles) and the spread increase per shot was
          reduced. However the hipfire and moving accuracy values were nerfed
          and the spread recovery rate was also decreased slightly.

          In the 28 April patch the fire-rate was raised from 800 to 850 RPM.

          In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the damage drop-off start
          distance for the RO933 was reduced from 30 to 15 metres.

          In the Blackout update on 3 November the damage values were raised
          from 20-12 (max-min) to 24-16. It still lacks the four-hit kill of
          the other carbines but this was a good buff and its five-hit kill
          range was extended from 15 to 32 metres.

  Trivia: Hardline's RO933 is modelled on the Colt R0933 (with a zero!) which
          is basically a compact full-auto AR15/M16 with an 11.5" barrel. Colt
          market the Model 933 as the M4 Commando for use in "confined spaces
          where lightweight mobility, speed and violence of action rule".

          The original ultra-short M16 was the Colt Model 607. This had both a
          retractable shoulder stock and a 10" barrel (compare that to the 20"
          barrel of the full-length M16 assault rifle and the 14.5" barrel of
          the modern M4 carbine). This model was adopted by the US military for
          use by special forces during the Vietnam War and given the prototype
          designation XM177 although it was commonly known simply as the "Colt
          Commando". A subsequent variant was the Model 629 (XM177E2) which had
          an 11.5" barrel - the same length now used on the Model 933.

          See a Colt Commando replica on MAC: https://youtu.be/zKMTq71scYI

          Colt still manufacture an extensive range of compact and carbine M16
          models for civilian, law enforcement and military applications. These
          include the US military's M4 carbine with a 14.5" barrel (R0921 auto
          and R0920 burst models), the M4 Commando with an 11.5" barrel (R0933
          auto and R0935 burst) and the R0923CQB with a 10.3" barrel.

          See inside an M4 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/phwDMrau_7Y

          There have also been several compact M16 9mm submachinegun models -
          these can be identified by the narrow straight magazine which loads
          into the full-size magazine well. The current variants are the R0991
          (auto) and R0992 (burst), both with 10.5" barrels.

          The "RO933 .300 BLK" suppressed carbine (see Section 08b) was added
          to Hardline with the free Blackout DLC and the "RO933 M1" semi-auto
          sniper (see Section 07b) was added with the Getaway update.

          A community mission was held in late January 2016 which offered a
          gold Battlepack for getting 93 kills with the RO933.

o CAR556

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 40+1   Fire-rate: 700 RPM   Reload: 2.40 secs

 Unlocks: available by default [both factions]

          The CAR556 and snakeskin camo come in the Suppression Battlepack.

 Summary: Why the Suppression Battlepack? Because the CAR556 has a larger ammo
          capacity so you could use it to lay down suppressive fire for longer
          if you wanted. With its 40-round magazine it holds more rounds than
          another carbine using the extended mags option and without having to
          use the CAR556's accessory slot. It has a painfully slow long reload
          time though so try to keep at least one round in it when you reload.

          It ties with the SG553 for having the slowest rate of fire in this
          group and it has the same four-hit kill at short range but it only
          holds this out to 8 metres.

          It suffers from both high vertical recoil and a large spread increase
          per shot (SIPS).

          The CAR556 is modelled without a stock and you cannot add one.

 Patched: The three pre-order bonus guns all saw changes in the 16 June patch.
          For both the CAR556 and ACWR the vertical recoil and spread increase
          per shot (SIPS) were both nerfed.

          All three pre-order bonus guns were unlocked free for all players in
          the Robbery update on 16 September 2015.

  Trivia: Hardline's CAR556 (CARbine 5.56mm) is the Ace 21 so the design should
          be instantly familiar to anyone who played BF4 as there were a grand
          total of four different Ace variants in the game!

          The Ace series of rifles is a product of the collaboration between
          Indumil of Columbia and Israel Weapon Industries (formerly Israel
          Military Industries or IMI). It takes the IMI Galil assault rifle
          design from the 70's and updates it with modern composite materials,
          accessory rails, collapsible stock, ergonomic pistol-grip, etc.

          See the original 70's Galil on MAC: https://youtu.be/N_pNnlgXSd0

          There are eight basic Ace versions in different calibres and with
          various barrel lengths (indicated by the model number) as follows:

          o (5.56mm NATO) 8.5" Ace 21 / 13" Ace 22 / 16" Ace 23

          o (7.62mm WP) 8.5" Ace 31 / 16" Ace 32

          o (7.62mm NATO) 16" Ace 52 / 18" Ace 52 L / 20" Ace 53

          See the Ace on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/xjaCI3eoVxI
                                                https://youtu.be/joBZ6ikrjJM
                                                https://youtu.be/Nk5L7UnS2AA

          At the time of writing a range of semi-automatic models in all three
          calibres are due for a staggered release on the America civilian
          market between September 2015 and Spring 2016.

          See the Ace 32 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/uys9zd1y-rI

o ACWR

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 800 RPM   Reload: 2.00 secs

 Unlocks: available by default [both factions]

          The ACWR and white zebra camo come in the Versatility Battlepack.

 Summary: Is the ACWR a versatile weapon? Not really. It can work okay at short
          range thanks to its high rate of fire, average damage, insanely fast
          reload times and good aimed accuracy when moving.

          However at longer ranges it will suffer from its poor stationary
          aimed accuracy (bizarrely it has the same spread value for standing
          ADS shots regardless of whether you're standing or moving) and its
          heavy vertical and horizontal recoil.

          The ACWR comes equipped with the muzzle brake - this attachment will
          really help tame its recoil but it'll also reduce the rate at which
          spread recovers. If you want to mainly ADS with the weapon then the
          heavy barrel is a better option as this reduces the stationary aimed
          spread by half and gives some recoil bonuses too.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. The damage values for the ACWR were nerfed - the
          maximum damage was reduced from 28 to 24 and the minimum damage was
          reduced from 18.5 to 15. The max damage has since been rebalanced to
          25 to restore the four-hit kill.

          The three pre-order bonus guns all saw changes in the 16 June patch.
          For both the CAR556 and ACWR the vertical recoil and spread increase
          per shot (SIPS) were both nerfed.

          All three pre-order bonus guns were unlocked free for all players in
          the Robbery update on 16 September 2015.

  Trivia: In real life the "ACWR" is the ACR (Adaptive Combat Rifle) which is
          an updated version of Magpul's original Masada design with licensed
          versions currently being marketed by both Bushmaster (for civilians)
          and Remington (for military and law enforcement users).

          See the Masada on Future Weapons: http://youtu.be/ZJhPMIVgF6c

          The ACR entered production in 2010 and was submitted - along with the
          SCAR (see Section 06b) and HK416 (see below) - to military trials to
          find a replacement for the M4 in US Army service.  The ACWR model in
          Hardline has the fixed hollow triangular stock but a version with an
          adjustable folding stock is also available.

          See the ACR on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/7_1PfqGVSg0

          It can be easily modified for close-quarters or marksman roles by
          swapping out the barrel - Bushmaster offer barrels in 10.5", 14.5"
          and 18.5" lengths in addition to their standard 16.5" barrel.

          See the ACR on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/d-8wy9i7Lt4

          The intention was that the ACR would also be readily converted from
          5.56mm NATO to .300 Blackout (see Section 08b) or 6.8mm SPC calibres
          and Remington also researched 6.5mm Grendel, 7.62x39mm (AK47) and
          5.45x39mm (AK74) however I don't believe that either company ever
          released any ammo conversion kits.

          Regardless of that though a 6.5mm ACR featured in BF3 and a 6.8mm
          ACR was included in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

o SG553

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 700 RPM   Reload: 2.15 secs

 Unlocks: $21,600 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The SG553 has very low recoil, a slow fire-rate and a high minimum
          damage so it's great for controlled fire at medium ranges.

          It might struggle more in close quarters but it does at least have
          good hipfire accuracy and decent reload times.

          The SG553 comes equipped with the SRS02 (green-dot sight).

 Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the minimum damage for
          both the G36C and SG553 was buffed from 15 to 18.

  Trivia: The Swiss SIG SG553 was derived ultimately from the full-sized SG550
          assault rifle of the mid 80's. The SG551 was a carbine version with a
          14" barrel instead of the standard 21" one and the SG552 was an even
          shorter "commando" version with a 9" barrel. The SG553 - as featured
          in BF3, BF4 and Hardline - is an upgrade of the SG552 design with the
          same dimensions but improved reliability.

          See the SG552 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/I5Z-n5S22XE

          The carbine comes with either a conventional polymeric handguard or
          an aluminium one with quad rails, a receiver made of either billet
          aluminium or forged steel and either a folding or folding/telescopic
          stock. There is also a pistol variant without a shoulder-stock.

          The SG553 also appears in Far Cry 3 and 4 where it's labelled as the
          STG90, a variation of the Stgw90 designation (Sturmgewehr 90) used by
          the German military.

o AKS74u

    Ammo: 5.45x39mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 735 RPM   Reload: 2.48 secs

 Unlocks: $21,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The AK carbine has a higher max damage than the others but it also
          has a short drop-off and low minimum damage so it only retains its
          four-hit kill out to 16 metres and this falls to a slow eight-hit
          kill at ranges of 32 metres or more.

          It has minimal horizontal recoil and a low recoil multiplier plus a
          very small spread increase (SIPS) which will make it easier to use
          at longer ranges but it has slower reloads too.

 Patched: In the 28 April patch the left recoil in the prone stance got a tiny
          reduction from 0.042 to 0.041 for some reason, then in the Criminal
          Activity update on 16 June it was changed back to 0.042!

  Trivia: The AK74 entered service in 1974 (hence the name!) and was the third
          main iteration of the Kalashnikov assault rifle design, following the
          original AK47 from 1947 and the AKM from 1959. The AK74 was the first
          to use the 5.45x39mm load instead of 7.62x39mm.

          The AKS74 was a variant of the AK74 rifle for use by paratroopers. It
          comes with a lightweight folding metal stock - the "S" stands for
          skladnoy which means "folding".

          Dating back to 1979, the AKS74u is a carbine based on the AKS74 - the
          "u" stands for ukorochenniy which means "shortened". The barrel is
          8.3" long and the overall length (with the stock folded) is just 19".

          See the AKS74u on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/EJxXul6Sdr0

          See the AKS74u on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/yoPbUPHU5Go

          In 2016 the Kalashnikov Concern unveiled the MA (Micro Assault Rifle)
          at a Russian military trade-fair. Inspired by Dragunov's "MA" carbine
          from the 70's, it's effectively a modern update on the AKSu concept
          with polymer construction, folding adjustable buttstock, ambidextrous
          controls and multiple rails for attachments.

o G36C

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 750 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $42,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The G36C has the same damage profile as the other cop carbine (SG553)
          and enjoys the same high minimum damage.

          Compared to the SG553 it fires a bit faster and has a lower recoil
          multiplier but it also has a lot more horizontal and vertical recoil
          and slightly slower reload times.

          The G36C comes equipped with the Holo sight.

 Patched: Following the February beta the M416 assault rifle was moved to the
          criminals and the G36C carbine was moved to the cops.

          In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the minimum damage for
          both the G36C and SG553 was buffed from 15 to 18.

  Trivia: The G36C is a shortened version of the German G36 assault rifle. The
          G36 was created by renowned German firearms manufacturer Heckler und
          Koch (hereafter "HK"), entered production in 1996 and is currently
          the service rifle of the German, Spanish and Portuguese armed forces.

          See the G36C on Vickers Tac: https://youtu.be/y2Vv9b359Vk?t=1m55s

          The G36C variant ("C" = compact) was actually derived from an earlier
          carbine model called the G36K ("K" = kurz meaning "short"), reducing
          the length even further. The G36C design lacks the big ugly carrying
          handle with integrated optical scope of the original G36 and instead
          has a long elevated Picatinny scope rail along the top.*

          See the G36KE (export model) on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/3Kl-7XkvROU

          Although police officers don't routinely carry guns here in the UK we
          do have specialist firearms units. Various weapons are deployed by
          each county but for several years the G36 carbines have been common,
          supplementing the older and less powerful HK MP5 9mm submachineguns.

          See the G36C on Ultimate Weapons: http://youtu.be/uIgdN6xL_c4

          Following claims in recent years of the G36 becoming inaccurate at
          high temperatures, it was reported in August 2015 that the German
          Defence Ministry had ordered six hundred HK417 battle rifles as a
          temporary replacement for some units and early the following month
          the Defence Minister announced that the G36 model would be replaced
          by a different gun with new units entering service from 2019 onwards.

          *The G36 range can be modernized by the addition of various official
          accessories. The carrying handle of the G36 and G36K can be replaced
          by a low sight rail like the G36C and all three models can be fitted
          with additional rail space at the front and two new buttstock designs
          with cheek-rests. Fully upgraded models are currently illustrated in
          the military/police section of the main international HK website.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 04b | Assault Rifles                                            s04b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Since the original Sturmgewehr 45 and Kalashnikov AK47 in the 40's, the assault
rifle has become ubiquitous across battlefields worldwide. The combination of
weapons design and intermediate calibre ammo gives weapons that deliver accurate
fire with manageable recoil at typical engagement distances of 200-300 metres
along with high fire-rates that allow effective use in close quarters.

The range of weapons in this category includes the ARM, RPK and RPK74 which
would usually be classed as light machineguns in real life (and would therefore
belong to the Support class in a military Battlefield game). However in Hardline
these weapons are treated effectively as "heavy assault rifles" instead.

Patched: In the 3 November 2015 update the muzzle velocities for 5.56mm assault
        rifles were standardised to 500 m/s (like the carbines) and for 7.62mm
        AR's to 450 m/s. This constituted a significant nerf to every weapon
        apart from the ARM (which previously fired at 410 m/s) and the M16A3
        (which was evidently overlooked and still fires at 650 m/s).

The assault rifles in the game have the following damage profiles:

                     |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
          Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
     ================+========+==============+========+==================
        7.62x39mm WP |  36.0  |  30m to 50m  |  24.0  | AKM, RPK and MDC
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+------------------
        5.45x39mm WP |        |  12m to 32m  |  14.0  | RPK74
     ----------------|  28.0  |--------------+--------+------------------
                     |        |  40m to 60m  |  18.0  | everything else
      5.56x45mm NATO |--------+--------------+--------+------------------
                     |  25.0  |  25m to 50m  |  15.0  | L85A2 and FAMAS

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta in
        February 2015. The damage values for all 5.56mm assault rifles were
        nerfed - the max damage was reduced from 28 to 24 and for the ARM and
        L85A2 the min damage was reduced from 18.5 to 15 too. These values were
        subsequently rebalanced to restore the four-hit kill potential, with
        the M16 and M416 also reverting to the higher max damage value.

        In the 28 April patch the minimum damage for the heavier AKM was cut
        from 25 to 24, removing its long-range four-hit kill.

        In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the ARM was given the same
        "long-range" 5.56mm damage profile as the M16 and M416.

A community mission was held in September 2015 as part of the fourth season of
"Battlefest" where you could earn a gold Battlepack if the community achieved a
total of 20 million kills with assault rifles in a six-day period following the
release of the Robbery DLC and the addition of five new assault rifles. It was
achieved with at least two days to spare.

o L85A2

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 675 RPM   Reload: 2.75 secs

 Unlocks: available by default [both factions]

          The L85A2 and circuitry camo come in the Precision Battlepack.

 Summary: The L85 really does not have accuracy stats that justify billing it
          as "one of the most accurate assault rifles" as a pre-order bonus.

          To start with it has a bullpup configuration (the mechanism and the
          magazine are situated behind the trigger group) so it gets the usual
          penalty to its stationary aimed accuracy (it's 0.25 compared to 0.2
          for the other assault rifles available at launch). Even worse it now
          has an ADS spread increase (SIPS) that's 10x larger than it should be
          - this applies a massive penalty to your accuracy in continuous fire.

          It fires pretty slowly too and it doesn't get the benefit of a high
          damage profile like the AKM or ARM (see below), in fact it got stuck
          with the lowest max/min damage values in this category. It's capable
          of a four-hit kill but only out to 25 metres.

          It has a standard 30-round magazine but very slow reloads (that's the
          other penalty applied to bullpup weapons). Its long reload takes over
          four seconds so try to always keep at least one round in it.

          The L85 does at least have a very small first-shot recoil multiplier
          plus low vertical and horizontal recoil - combined with the low rate
          of fire that makes the weapon quite controllable. It also has better
          hipfire spread and moving spread than most of the other AR's (these
          are the bonuses of having a bullpup format) although its low DPS will
          make it less effective in those short-range "run and gun" situations.

          The L85 comes equipped with the ACOG 4x scope.

 Patched: The three pre-order bonus guns all saw changes in the 16 June patch.
          Most significantly for the L85A2 the spread increase per shot (SIPS)
          for stationary ADS in all three stances was nerfed from 0.104 to 0.9
          - presumably this was an error since most guns typically have values
          around 0.1 (so I think it was meant to be 0.09).

          In the same update the recoil recovery was fixed from 4 to 20, this
          mirroring a similar fix that was applied to the L85 in BF4's 2014
          Fall Patch (presumably the stat had been copied from an old build of
          BF4). Additionally the upwards and right recoil were reduced and the
          spread recovery rate was improved.

          All three pre-order bonus guns were unlocked free for all players in
          the Robbery update on 16 September 2015.

          In the 3 November patch the L85's aimed moving spread was halved and
          its aimed moving spread recovery rate was increased by a third, but
          that massive 0.9 SIPS value remains uncorrected.

          In the Getaway patch the moving ADS spread was improved slightly for
          all existing bullpup weapons, but the L85A2 also got a significant
          increase to its ADS moving standing SIPS.

  Trivia: The L85 - commonly known as the SA80 (Small Arms for the 80's) - is
          the current service rifle of the British armed forces.

          The Brits first started experimenting with bullpup designs as far
          back as the late 1940's with the EM2 design using a novel .280 round.

          See the EM2 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/fcYj2SpUHvE
                                            https://youtu.be/m-grTPqgETk

          This was followed in the 70's by prototypes using 4.85mm ammo.

          See the prototypes on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/4WtOOLh_F8I
                                                   https://youtu.be/KhwN099XTKg
                                                   https://youtu.be/eGUDJIOTpz8
                                                   https://youtu.be/uZESkeZpPqo

          These designs ultimately evolved into the SA80 - forced into adopting
          the new NATO standard of 5.56mm - which entered British service as
          the L85A1 in the mid 80's.

          See the L85A1 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/gDCRop6CRwY

          Following the Gulf War, the L85 assault rifle and L86 Light Support
          Weapon variant were reported to suffer from poor performance in a
          desert environment plus various mechanical flaws. HK were contracted
          to redesign and upgrade them in 2000 resulting in the vastly superior
          L85A2 and L86A2 models. They reported that the experience they gained
          during the "mid-life improvement programme" of the SA80 later proved
          very useful in the design of their HK416 (see below).

          See the L85A2 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/6dxm_W3uNYw

          Many L85's were retrofitted with a Daniel Defense quad rail system
          replacing the nylon handguard and in Hardline the gun is now modelled
          with this feature (and a Magpul loop fitted to the base of the mag).

          The L85A2 appears in Payday 2's Clover Pack as the Queen's Wrath! :)
          Its foregrip attachment there resembles the Grip Pod (with integral
          bipod) which is often seen on modern SA80's in British service.

          The latest A3 model was shown at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics expo in
          September 2016 and officially adopted in April 2018. It has a new
          upper receiver with a coloured finish, a remodelled handguard with
          rails and HKey slots for attachments and a full-length scope rail. It
          comes equipped with an ELCAN SpecterOS 4x optic, a Shield CQS Close
          Quarter Battlesight and a Rheinmetall Laser Light Module.

o M16A3

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 800 RPM   Reload: 2.38 secs

 Unlocks: $37,500 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The ubiquitous M16A3 from BF3 made its return in Hardline.

          It has a solid damage output thanks to its 800 RPM fire-rate and its
          higher damage profile which gives a four-hit kill all the way out to
          46 metres and a handy six-hit kill even at the longest ranges. It
          also retains the highest muzzle velocity in this category.

          It only has slightly more vertical and horizontal recoil than the L85
          but its first-shot recoil multiplier will give a much bigger kick and
          it has a significantly slower recoil recovery rate too.

          The M16 comes equipped with the vertical grip.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. For the M16A3 the vertical recoil and horizontal
          right recoil were increased significantly and the spread increase per
          shot specifically for stationary standing hipfire was also increased.

          In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the M16 and M416 both got
          increases to horizontal recoil and spread increase per shot (SIPS).
          Additionally the M16 got a nerf to its spread recovery rate.

  Trivia: The M16 is the US military version of the semi-auto ArmaLite AR15,
          designed by the fantastically named Eugene Stoner, modified for full
          automatic fire. It was adopted as the US service rifle in the 60's,
          replacing the M14 during the Vietnam War.

          The M16A1 was designed to address numerous issues experienced in the
          field, this model and the original M16 both having semi-auto and full
          auto fire modes. The M16A2 model, now with semi-auto and burst modes,
          was introduced to the US services during the 80's. The M16A3 was a
          variant of the 80's era A2 with the full auto option of the 60's A1,
          but (in contrast to its prominence in BF3!) it is not widely used.

          The current model is the M16A4 with semi-auto and burst modes, full
          quad rails on the handguard and a removable carrying handle. It's the
          standard infantry rifle of the US Marine Corps and therefore a more
          authentic choice for inclusion in a modern FPS title like BF4.

          In October 2015 it was confirmed that the USMC will be replacing the
          M16 with the M4 carbine using a new version of the 5.56mm cartridge.

o M416

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 850 RPM   Reload: 2.21 secs

 Unlocks: $43,800 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The M416 is pretty similar to the police's M16A3. It fires 50 RPM
          faster and in return for that it has slightly more vertical recoil
          and a larger spread increase per shot. The recoil multiplier is a bit
          lower though and the reloads are marginally faster.

          The M416 comes equipped with the Comp M4s sight.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. For the M416 the vertical recoil was increased by
          around 60% and the recoil recovery was reduced but the horizontal
          recoil (left and right) was also reduced.

          Following the February beta the M416 assault rifle was moved to the
          criminals and the G36C carbine was moved to the cops. Previously the
          cops faction had both the M416 and the M16A3.

          In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the M16 and M416 both got
          increases to horizontal recoil and spread increase per shot (SIPS).

  Trivia: The M416 is produced by HK and is correctly known as the HK416.

          The HK416 was designed as an improved version of the M4 carbine but
          Colt took issue with the use of their trademarked name so instead it
          was labelled as HK416 (from the "M4" and "M16"). The major design
          difference compared to the M4 is the incorporation of the gas piston
          system from HK's G36 assault rifle (see above).

          The "big brother" of the 5.56mm HK416 is the 7.62mm HK417 battle
          rifle which featured as a semi-auto marksman rifle in both the Close
          Quarters expansion of BF3 and in Rainbow Six: Siege.

          The semi-auto civilian versions of the HK416 and HK417 are the MR223
          and MR308. When they were released on the US market in 2009 they were
          rebranded as the MR556 and MR762 (swapping inches for millimetres).

          See the MR556 on The Firearms Blog TV: https://youtu.be/k6DrAw7y594

          The HK416 was adopted by the Norwegian military in 2008 and then in
          2016 it was confirmed as the replacement for the FAMAS (see below) in
          French service. It's also used by numerous special forces units.

          The latest model is the HK416A5 which has a full-length top rail,
          fully ambidextrous controls including a reversible charging handle
          and remodelled mag well and stock mounting. It is now also available
          with an FDE (flat dark earth) colour finish as well as black.

          See the HK416A5 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/3aJuiakhfxs

          In early 2017 HK unveiled their new HK433 assault rifle which will be
          cheaper than the HK416 and therefore more likely to be adopted as the
          G36's replacement in German service. The HK433 has top and bottom
          rails, keyhole slots on the sides, an adjustable folding buttstock
          and a G3-style charging handle. The standard model will obviously be
          in 5.56mm NATO but others will offer 7.62mm NATO, 7.62mm Soviet and
          .300 Blackout (see Section 08b).

o AKM

    Ammo: 7.62x39mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 2.65 secs

 Unlocks: $12,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The AKM gave a heavier alternative to the M416 in the base game. Its
          7.62mm Soviet load gives a max damage of 36 and a min damage of 24
          for a three-hit kill to 34 metres, a four-hit kill to 48 metres and a
          five-hit kill at any distance beyond that. It also does a powerful
          two-hit kill in Hardcore mode at ranges up to 40 metres.

          The trade-offs for this are the slow rate of fire, heavier vertical
          recoil and the biggest first-shot recoil multiplier in the whole game
          plus it has relatively slow reload times for a non-bullpup.

 Patched: In the 28 April patch the minimum damage was reduced from 25 to 24.

  Trivia: Mikhail Kalashnikov's iconic AK47 design dates back to the 40's but
          is still in widespread use today. It's estimated that over 75 million
          AK47's have been manufactured and that figure more than doubles if
          you count other AK versions. Users praise the AK47 for its rugged
          reliability and ease of use.

          The AKM (in Hardline) was an updated version of the AK47 launched in
          1959; the "m" stands for modernizirovannyj which means "modernized".
          It uses the same Soviet 7.62mm load as the original AK47 but a number
          of mechanical improvements were made to the design, resulting in a
          weapon that was cheaper to manufacture and two pounds lighter. There
          was also a folding model called the AKMS which was a precursor of the
          AKS74 and AKS74u (see Section 04a).

          See a rebuilt full-auto AKM on MAC: https://youtu.be/9-Kcs-F9jhs

          In Soviet use the AK47 and AKM were superseded by the AK74 which was
          designed, by Kalashnikov again, in 1974 (hence the name!) and uses
          the intermediate 5.45mm cartridge which is typical of modern assault
          rifles. The AK74M (in BF3) is a update of that design from the early
          90's with a folding stock and a bracket for mounting a scope. It is
          currently the standard service rifle for Russian forces but is due to
          be replaced by the AK12 (in BF4) when it enters production in 2016.

o ARM

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 50+1   Fire-rate: 630 RPM   Reload: 2.10 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Operator Syndicate' assignment [both factions]

          First complete 'Operator Assignment 1'.

          o requires Operator Bronze Service Star 2 (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 assault rifle kills
          o get 10 heals on team-mates

          Then complete 'Operator Assignment 2'.

          o requires Operator Bronze Service Star 7 (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Operator Assignment 1
          o get 25 assault rifle kills
          o get 5 Revive Coins (get 5 revives in one match for each)

          Finally complete 'Operator Syndicate'.

          o requires Operator Assignment 2
          o requires 10 Operator guns and/or gadgets purchased
          o requires Operator Gold Service Star 1 (275,000 XP with class)
          o get 200 assault rifle kills
          o unlock Operator tier 4 reputation 10 times
          o get 15 First Aid Pack Coins (get 8 heals in one match for each)
          o get 15 Revive Coins (get 5 revives in one match for each)

          It's important to note that you must complete all the pre-requisites
          for an assignment before you can start earning progress towards the
          criteria. For example even if you already had 500 kills with assault
          rifles you would still need to get another ten kills for the first
          assignment after achieving the class Service Star 2.

          Operator Service Stars are obtained by earning money (XP) with that
          class. Buying/earning Battlepacks will give you XP boosts which can
          make a big difference so always keep one equipped and replace it if
          it expires (however I would recommend keeping your best Gearhead and
          Reputation boosts for grinding tier 4 rep - see below). Double XP
          events are very handy so watch out for announcements. Otherwise you
          can maximise your score by objective play, getting kills, making good
          use of your gadgets and giving/following squad orders.

          It's fairly easy to get the assault rifle kills and heals (using the
          first aid pack) but a little harder to get the revives (using the
          defibs or revive pen) because in Hardline a player cannot be revived
          if they were killed by either a headshot, explosion, roadkill, melee
          takedown or gas. I'd just suggest sticking close to your team-mates
          and maybe playing TDM on The Block to farm those Revive Coins.

                                       Reputation
                                       ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
          Reputation is the perks system for Hardline. You activate up to four
          "tiers" of reputation by earning XP within a single match. To check
          or pre-select your perks for each tier use the reputation option at
          the bottom of the loadout screen.

          Your progress during a match is shown at the bottom-right portion of
          the HUD (below your health and ammo). You need to fill the horizontal
          bar in a single life to earn the next rep tier. The four square boxes
          to the right show the perks you've activated. Perks persist after you
          die but the points progress bar resets so you have to start again
          from zero in your next life.

          Although an update reduced the requirements, the easiest way to earn
          XP towards your reputation perks is simply to drive or ride in a
          captured vehicle in Hotwire mode. Use the Server Browser to find a
          Hotwire match with a small number of players (but at least three) and
          hopefully everyone on the other team will also be focused on farming
          points in cars instead of setting cheap C4 traps. Try to maintain an
          equal number of active vehicles on both teams otherwise the tickets
          will bleed and the game will end before the match timer expires.

          If you have some boosts from Battlepacks those will make it a lot
          easier to progress through the tiers. Objective (green) and Gearhead
          (yellow) boosts will both increase your cruising bonus points in
          Hotwire and the Reputation (brown) boosts will obviously help you
          progress through the tiers. It would be wise to save any big boosts
          until you've met all the syndicate requirements. Use any Gearhead
          boosts first because those ones will be less useful in other modes.

          If your team has someone playing as hacker (like the commander role
          in BF4) they can use the Squad Upgrade function to activate rep tiers
          for your squad. Get an old friend to help (or find a new friend on
          the forums) or just try sending your team's current hacker a message.

          When playing Hotwire to grind rep as Operator you can also get some
          extra points by equipping Passenger First Aid (Robbery DLC required)
          so that any passengers get heals while driving.

 Summary: The Galil ARM now has the same damage profile as the M16 and M416. It
          fires much slower than them but it also has very low recoil overall
          and a fast recoil recovery rate so it's pretty easy to control.

          Its other main benefits are the massive 50-round magazines* and the
          rapid short reload time. The long reload (when it's completely empty)
          takes a whole 1.5 seconds longer though so try to avoid it.

          The stationary aimed accuracy is slightly lower than most weapons in
          this group but it also has superior hipfire and moving accuracy and
          an exceptionally low spread increase per shot.

          The ARM comes without any attachments.

          *When you spawn with the ARM you have only enough reserve ammo for
          two full reloads (102 rounds) which sounds unfair but in fact your
          overall ammo count is comparable to other Operator weapons.

 Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June 2015 the ARM was given the
          "long-range" 5.56mm damage profile (like the M16 and M416) - its max
          damage, min damage and drop-off start/end values were all increased.

  Trivia: The ARM is a variant of the classic Galil assault rifle which dates
          back to 1972. It was produced by IMI (Israel Military Industries) who
          also brought us the Uzi submachinegun (see Section 05a), the Desert
          Eagle handgun (see Section 06c) and the Tavor bullpup assault rifle
          and its shorter X95/MTAR21 variant (available in BF3 and BF4).

          The standard Galil models are the AR (assault rifle), the shortened
          SAR, the modern compact Micro Galil and the ARM light machinegun.
          Like the other versions the ARM has a wooden handguard and uses the</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
          standard 35 or 50-round Galil magazines but it's also fitted with a
          longer barrel, a bipod and a carrying handle. The model used in the
          game lacks both the bipod and the handle and has been retrofitted
          with a modern handguard with accessory rails.

          See the Galil ARM on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/riVkaLDmx3Y
                                       https://youtu.be/dnTXTRkw_hM

          Now operating as IWI (Israeli Weapon Industries), the company still
          markets the Galil AR, Galil SAR, Micro Galil and Galil Sniper plus
          the modernized Galil Ace models (see Section 04a) but in the LMG role
          the Galil ARM was superseded by the (primarily belt-fed) Negev.

          See the Galil ARM on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/K2BPlA8bioQ

          An ARM is used in the bank heist shootout in the 1995 movie Heat so
          it's a great choice for a cops/robbers FPS game with a Heist mode!

o FAMAS

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 25+1   Fire-rate: 850 RPM   Reload: 2.90 secs

 Unlocks: $51,000 [both factions]

          The FAMAS was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Robbery DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The FAMAS has been tamed a little since BF4. It now fires at 850 RPM
          (instead of 1,000 RPM) and it has the same lower damage profile as
          the L85 which gives a four-hit kill out to only 25 metres.

          The other thing it has in common with the British rifle is a bullpup
          configuration so it has the same bonuses to hipfire and moving spread
          and similar penalties to stationary aimed accuracy and reload times.

          The main negatives are heavy recoil, the smaller 25-round magazine
          (modelled on the original FAMAS F1 design) and an unusually large
          spread increase that's 5x bigger than most assault rifle values.

          The FAMAS comes without any attachments.

 Patched: In the Getaway patch the moving ADS spread was improved slightly for
          all existing bullpup weapons, but the FAMAS also got a significant
          increase to its ADS moving SIPS.

  Trivia: The FAMAS was designed by MAS (Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne)
          in France - the literal meaning of its name is "MAS assault rifle".
          Designed during the late 60's and early 70's, the gun finally entered
          service with the French armed forces in 1979.

          See the FAMAS on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/dmYUoG9S-y4

          The version that appears in Hardline has the large carrying handle
          replaced by a raised scope rail (like that on the G36C) and therefore
          resembles the model intended for the French military's 21st-century
          FELIN project where the FAMAS is fitted with a large infra-red scope
          topped with an EOTech holo sight and a foregrip with control buttons.
          The system can route the scope image to a helmet-mounted display (so
          the user can fire from behind cover) or broadcast a live video feed.

          See the FAMAS on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/L2SJMqbFzPs

          In September 2016 it was confirmed that the HK416 (see above) had won
          the competition to replace the FAMAS as the French service rifle. The
          other competitors were the SCAR (see Section 06b), SIG SG550, Beretta
          ARX160 and the Croatian VHS2 bullpup.

o F2000

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 2.85 secs

 Unlocks: $51,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

          (Robbery DLC required)

 Summary: The Robbery expansion focused on the Operator class, adding three new
          assault rifles - the F2000 plus the RPK and MDC (see below).

          The F2k beats the FAMAS on both fire-rate and damage - it shoots at
          900 RPM and has the M16's heavier 5.56mm damage profile. It also has
          the same recoil stats as the FAMAS but with less left recoil, faster
          reloads and less spread increase per second.

          It still has more spread increase than most of the assault rifles
          though plus it has poor stationary aimed accuracy (with more spread
          than it would usually get for its bullpup format). These flaws can be
          addressed with the stubby grip and heavy barrel respectively.

          The F2000 comes without any attachments (technically) but the "iron
          sights" are in fact the distinctive 1.6x scope.

 Patched: Previously it was possible to buy the weapon licence for the F2000
          without getting the required 1,250 kills but this error was corrected
          in the Blackout update on 3 November 2015.

          In the Getaway patch the moving ADS spread was improved slightly for
          all existing bullpup weapons including the F2000.

  Trivia: The F2000 was designed by Belgian firm Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal
          (hereafter "FN Herstal") and entered production in 2001. The bullpup
          design is fully ambidextrous and ejects empty cases via a tube above
          the barrel so it can be operated by right or left-handed shooters
          without any modification.

          In BF3 the F2000 was modelled in its "Tactical" configuration with a
          long Picatinny rail on the top but in Hardline we have the standard
          model with its basic optics fitted under a prominent plastic shroud.

          The semi-auto civilian model from 2006 is known as the FS2000.

          See the FS2000 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/Hz5raBkIfjA

          A revision of the Tactical model designated the F2000-S has a raised
          scope rail (similar to that of the G36C carbine) and was adopted as
          the new service rifle of the Slovenian Army in 2006.

o MDC

    Ammo: 7.62x39mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 750 RPM   Reload: 2.80 secs

 Unlocks: $42,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

          (Robbery DLC required)

 Summary: The MDC is another bullpup weapon but unlike the F2000 it received
          the usual small penalty to stationary aimed accuracy. It also got the
          standard bonuses to hipfire/moving spread and slower reload times.

          It uses the same 7.62mm Soviet load as the AKM (see above) and RPK
          (see below) but its rate of fire is 150 RPM faster than both. This
          gives a very high damage output and a TTK that's significantly faster
          than even the F2000 firing at 900 RPM.

          It does have severe recoil though. It has the heaviest vertical and
          horizontal recoil in this group plus the second biggest first-shot
          recoil multiplier after the AKM.

          The MDC comes without any attachments so you'll probably want to use
          any available attachment vouchers to mitigate that recoil.

 Patched: In the Getaway patch the moving ADS spread was improved slightly for
          all existing bullpup weapons including the MDC.

  Trivia: The MDC is based on the MDR which is manufactured by Desert Tech of
          Salt Lake City. The company was previously known as Desert Tactical
          Arms and they make the SRS bullpup sniper rifle which features in BF4
          and Hardline as the 338-Recon and "388-Recon" respectively!

          The MDR (Micro Dynamic Rifle) is a modular bullpup carbine with a 16"
          barrel, a long top rail and additional front rails for accessories.
          There is also an MDR-C (Compact) version with a 10.5" barrel and a
          foregrip built into the front of the trigger guard (like the P90).
          The guns are fully ambidextrous but instead of ejecting empty cases
          at the front (like the similar Kel-Tec RFB) they are ejected above
          the magazine through a unique chute that sends them forwards.

          See the MDR on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/oSZ-jrr4LU4

          Both models debuted in prototype form at the 2014 SHOT Show. There
          are plans to sell them in 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO with conversion kits
          for 7.62mm Soviet, .300 Blackout (see Section 08b) and 6.8x43mm SPC.
          There will also be automatic versions for military and police use.

          See the MDR on MAC again: https://youtu.be/g1fNRqW5Gt4

          At the 2015 SHOT Show the company revealed a new wider fore-end for
          the MDR which allows the addition of a novel OSS suppressor which
          fits over and around the barrel with very little increase in the
          overall length of the weapon.

          See the MDR at SHOT Show 2016 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/okhs9gL79dw

          The MDR is due to launch in 2016 and pre-orders started at the SHOT
          Show in January 2016. Desert Tech are expecting a high demand for
          the new gun and have invested over $8 million in new machinery for
          their manufacturing facility.

o RPK

    Ammo: 7.62x39mm   Capacity: 50+1   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 2.20 secs

 Unlocks: $36,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

          (Robbery DLC required)

 Summary: The last of the three Robbery guns is the RPK. Like the ARM above,
          it's technically a light machinegun (LMG) and that's why it has that
          large 50-round drum magazine.

          It has the same slow fire-rate and heavy damage profile as the AKM
          but it also has faster reload times, more vertical recoil, a smaller
          first-shot recoil multiplier and slightly less aimed accuracy.

          The RPK comes without any attachments. By default the gun is modelled
          without a buttstock but you can unlock one at 50 kills or by using a
          shortcut voucher if you have one.

          With its large magazine and heavy damage the RPK with AP Tracer ammo
          (see Section 10b) can be quite potent in an anti-air role against
          low-flying helis. However you'll need to get 50 kills to unlock the
          armour-piercing rounds (and forego the stock) and then another 1,200
          kills before you can use the weapon with the cop faction!

  Trivia: The original RPK light machinegun and was developed alongside the AKM
          assault rifle (see above) in the late 50's. They were derived from
          the original AK47 design and fired the same Soviet 7.62x39mm round.
          The RPK used 20, 30 or 40-round magazines or a 75-round drum so the
          50-round drum in Hardline is not authentic.

          The RPK also features in BF4. Originally it was the 5.45mm RPK74M
          model but the calibre and name got changed in successive updates.

o SAR21

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 650 RPM   Reload: 2.60 secs

 Unlocks: $50,000 [both factions]

          The SAR21 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The SAR21 had a well-established role in BF4. It fired at a slow 600
          RPM but it had exceptionally low recoil along with excellent velocity
          and spread increase which made it very effective at medium ranges.

          In Hardline however it has relatively high vertical recoil, very high
          horizontal recoil and a spread increase per shot (SIPS) that's over
          ten times larger than some of the other assault rifles! That's enough
          to make even short bursts at medium range very inaccurate.

          There's little reason to use the SAR over the ARM. The ARM has the
          same intermediate damage model, significantly less horizontal and
          vertical recoil, over 90% less SIPS, better hipfire accuracy (despite
          the SAR's bullpup design) and twenty more rounds in the magazine with
          only slightly worse fire-rate, velocity and initial aimed accuracy.

          The SAR21 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The SAR21 (or "Singapore Assault Rifle* - 21st Century") entered
          production in the late 90's and is made by ST Kinetics of Singapore
          where it is the current service rifle of the armed forces.

          Like so many bullpup weapons, the design bears some resemblance to
          the original AUG, in this case even including the narrow 1.5x scope
          built into the sloping carrying handle, but with a full handguard at
          the front instead of a foregrip. It also includes an integral laser
          sight with a thumb-switch on the handguard although I'm afraid you'll
          need to unlock this attachment before you can use it in Hardline!

          The current model, as featured in BF4 and Hardline, has a scope rail
          and a full set of attachment rails on the handguard.

          *Now in Hardline it stands for "Substandard Accuracy and Recoil"! ;)

o AUG A3

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 700 RPM   Reload: 2.50 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [both factions]

          The AUG assault rifle was added to the game in the update that came
          with the Betrayal DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: It's hard to confirm the damage stats for console since the 1 March
          2016 patch introduced a separate damage model for PC. In the updated
          PC stats the AUG has the same ammo type as the L85 and FAMAS and the
          basic in-game stats on PS4 show the AUG with the same damage as the
          FAMAS but less than the L85. (Maybe the L85 got an overdue buff?)

          The AUG A3 inherited its usual 700 RPM fire-rate and high 670 m/s
          muzzle velocity from the last two Battlefield games and it even has
          exactly the same reload times that it had in BF4.

          For one of the slower assault rifles it has pretty heavy recoil. The
          vertical, horizontal and first-shot multiplier stats wouldn't look
          out of place on an assault rifle with a 800-900 RPM rate of fire.

          It has the reduced stationary aimed accuracy and superior hipfire and
          moving accuracy you would expect given its bullpup configuration (its
          ADS spread while moving is especially good) but it doesn't get the
          usual penalty to reload times - its long reload time (when completely
          empty) is a whole second shorter than the L85 and FAMAS.

          The AUG A3 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: Despite its futuristic appearance, the Steyr AUG weapon system was
          designed back in the 70's. It has a modular design which allows the
          operator to switch quickly between several configurations - assault
          rifle, carbine, light machinegun and even 9mm SMG (see Section 05a) -
          hence the German name which translates as "army universal rifle".

          See the AUG on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/y2Vv9b359Vk

          The AUG was adopted by the Austrian army in 1977; the StG77 name used
          in BFBC2 is their designation for the weapon (Sturmgewehr 77).

          See the AUG on FPSRussia: https://youtu.be/zEEVK9el4vA

          The original version had a narrow 1.5x scope built into the carrying
          handle but the A2 variant had a raised scope rail instead and the A3
          (featured in the game) has a longer rail on top of the receiver and
          additional front rails for attachments.

          See the AUG A3 on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/Txzz1OmmBzQ

          The new model is the semi-auto AUG A3 M1 for civilian markets which
          has a choice of a short scope rail on the receiver, a longer raised
          rail or a fixed scope (either 1.5x or 3x) with side and top rails.
          The M1 is available with black, green, white or "mud" furniture.

          See the AUG on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/45zckVtuhNo

          The Australian Defence Force uses the F88 which is a copy of the AUG
          made under licence. An updated version previously known as the EF88
          (Enhanced F88) has now been designated as the F90 for military use,
          with the semi-auto F90-LE for police operators and the semi-auto
          "Atrax" export model for civilian markets.

          See the F90 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/v65amiUyTHQ

o RPK74

    Ammo: 5.45x39mm   Capacity: 50+1   Fire-rate: 650 RPM   Reload: 2.20 secs

 Unlocks: $36,000 [both factions]

          The RPK74 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Betrayal DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The RPK74 is pretty different to the original RPK (see above). They
          do have the same reload times and large 50-round ammo capacity but
          the RPK74 has a long box magazine while the RPK has that drum mag.
          It fires 50 RPM faster (although still relatively slow overall), has
          a fixed buttstock (while the RPK comes without a stock by default)
          and it can be used by both factions without unlocking the licence.

          In the PC game stats the RPK74 gets the same "short-range" 5.45mm
          damage profile as the AKS74u carbine (see Section 04a) which would
          give it a decent 28 max damage on consoles but a short drop-off and
          low minimum damage. (I've had CQB kill assists worth 28 and 56 pts
          with it on PS4 so that seems to be correct!)

          In addition to its controllable recoil the RPK74 also has some nice
          accuracy figures. It has the best stationary ADS spread in this group
          and the moving and hipfire accuracy is very good too. It does have a
          large SIPS (spread increase per shot) though - so it will lose that
          accuracy sooner during automatic fire - but this can be reduced by
          equipping a stubby foregrip.

          The RPK74 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The next major updates to Kalashnikov's classic AK47 design after the
          1950's AKM assault rifle (see above) and RPK light machinegun (ditto)
          were the AK74 and RPK74 which were adopted in 1974.

          The most significant change here was the introduction of the smaller
          and lighter 5.45x39mm cartridge which replaced the original 7.62x39mm
          ammunition used by previous generations. The standard RPK74 mag would
          hold 45 rounds so the 50-round magazine in Hardline is not authentic.

          The current models in service are the AK74M (in BF3) and the RPK74M
          which both have a folding polymer stock and a side-rail for fitting a
          scope mount. These will be superseded by the new AK12 assault rifle
          (in BF4) and its RPK12 light machinegun variant (ditto).

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 04c | Pistols                                                   s04c |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Operator class gets a range of standard semi-automatic pistols as sidearms.
These generally have larger magazine capacities and fire faster but deal less
damage than the Enforcer's heavy pistols and the Mechanic's revolvers.

The pistols in the game have the following damage profiles:

                    |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
         Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
        ============+========+==============+========+=================
            .40 S&W |        |  15m to 30m  |        | P226
        ------------|  34.0  |--------------|  25.0  |-----------------
             9x19mm |        |  10m to 20m  |        | everything else

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: In the June 2015 update both .40 sidearms (the P226 and the Enforcer's
        .40 Pro) had their minimum damage reduced from 15 to 10 and the damage
        drop-off range shortened from 15-30 metres (start-end) to 8-25 metres.

        However in the November 2015 update the minimum damage for both pistols
        was increased from 10 to 25 and the 15-30 drop-off was restored. The
        minimum damage for the 92FS was also raised to 25 (from 12).

Additionally you can equip the FN57, G17 Race Pistol or Dual vz.61 (see Section
08b), the non-lethal T62 CEW taser or the tracking dart pistol.

o 92FS

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 15+1   Fire-rate: 400 RPM   Reload: 1.82 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: With the higher damage in Hardline your starter pistol (heh) gives a
          three-hit kill out to 11 metres - in contrast to the long four-hit
          kill for the 9mm pistols in BF4.

          Compared to the other Operator sidearms it has the highest horizontal
          recoil and the slowest short reload plus average vertical recoil and
          magazine capacity.

          The 92FS comes equipped with the "improved" iron sights. :P

 Patched: In the 3 November patch the minimum damage was increased to 25 which
          brought the 92FS in line with the other Operator pistols.

  Trivia: The Beretta 92 design should be instantly familiar from dozens of
          appearances in movies. After extensive trials in the mid 80's the 92F
          model was adopted for US military service as the M9, replacing the
          .45 M1911 (see Section 06c) which had been in service since 1911.

          See the M9, M9A1 and new M9A3 on MAC: https://youtu.be/jincc8cQtDo

          In autumn of 2012 the US Army procured a further 100,000 M9 pistols
          from Beretta USA indicating their commitment to continuing to use the
          M9 for at least another five years. However, as older M9's in service
          were reaching the end of their life-cycles, the XM17 'Modular Handgun
          System' competition was held to find a replacement. In January 2017
          it was announced that SIG had won the $580-million contract and their
          modular P320 design would become the US Army's M17. By May 2017 the
          US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force also confirmed their adoption.

          See the P320 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/SXwgQmqp1hc

          The 92's stylish Italian design with the distinctive open slide is
          copied from much earlier Beretta handguns, with the 92 bearing a
          striking resemblance to their M1951 from 1951 and even sharing some
          design features with pistols such as the M1923 from the 1920's and
          the original 1915 model (which now appears in BF1).

          See the 1915 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/yVvPOiHGh7o

          An updated version of the 92 called the "90two" was released in 2006
          with an ergonomic grip, front accessory rail, increased sight radius
          and 17-round magazine.

o P226

    Ammo: .40 S&W   Capacity: 12+1   Fire-rate: 400 RPM   Reload: 1.50 secs

 Unlocks: $17,400 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: In BF4 the CZ75 fired .40 S&W calibre while the P226 shot 9mm but in
          Hardline they've switched rounds. The P226 fires at the same rate as
          the 92FS and it has the same max/min damage but its damage drop-off
          is longer (giving a three-hit kill out to 15 metres instead of 11).

          The recoil is quite low and the short reload is pretty fast but it
          has the smallest magazine capacity in this category.

 Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June 2015 the minimum damage
          was reduced from 15 to 10 and the damage drop-off range shortened
          from 15-30 metres (start-end) to 8-25 metres.

          In the November update the minimum damage was raised from 10 to 25
          and the drop-off was reverted to 15-30 metres.

  Trivia: The P226 is made by SIG-Sauer of Switzerland. It was designed as a
          derivative of their P220 model for submission to the US trials in the
          mid 80's to find a new service pistol. The SIG P226 was beaten by the
          Beretta 92F (which was adopted as the M9 - see above) but it is still
          widely used by other military and police operators worldwide.

          See the P226 on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/LuPOqDlaX6U

          The P226 is available in various models/calibres/sizes. The version
          in Hardline uses .40 S&W and has a 12-round magazine whereas in BF4
          it fired 9mm from a 15-round magazine.

          See the P226 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/dwa-0MVN5N4

          The compact P228 model is used by the US military designated the M11.

o CZ75

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 16+1   Fire-rate: 360 RPM   Reload: 1.40 secs

 Unlocks: $6,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The CZ75 fires a little slower than the previous pistols and it has
          high recoil but it also has a large mag size and the fastest reload
          times in this group

  Trivia: The CZ75 is made by the state-owned Ceska Zbrojovka company of the
          Czech Republic who also make the CZ3A1 Scorpion SMG (see Section 05a)
          and the CZ805 assault rifle (from BF4).

          The gun's design dates back to '75 (hence the name!) and incorporated
          a double-column magazine to greatly increase the ammunition capacity
          (the original model held fifteen 9mm rounds).

          See an early CZ75 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/ZK27RPu8Gtc

          The most interesting variant of the CZ75 was probably the Automatic
          model from the early 90's which is a machine-pistol quite similar in
          concept to the Beretta 93R (see Section 07c). It had an extended
          magazine and could spit 9mm rounds at a rate of approximately 1,000
          RPM. To help control the beast a spare magazine could be fitted in
          front of the trigger guard as a crude foregrip. The CZ75 Auto model
          is playable in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

          See the full-auto CZ75 on Vickers Tac: https://youtu.be/6eXEXTWDh8o

          CZ also offers several deluxe models of the CZ75 with engravings.

o G17

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 17+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 1.50 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Operator Assignment 2' [both factions]

          First complete 'Operator Assignment 1'.

          o requires Operator Bronze Service Star 2 (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 assault rifle kills
          o get 10 heals on team-mates

          Then complete 'Operator Assignment 2'.

          o requires Operator Bronze Service Star 7 (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Operator Assignment 1
          o get 25 assault rifle kills
          o get 5 Revive Coins (get 5 revives in one match for each)

          (see ARM notes in Section 04b)

 Summary: The Glock is certainly worth the grind to unlock.* It has the largest
          magazine capacity in this category and it's theoretically capable of
          firing over twice as fast as the other Operator pistols - at the same
          900-RPM fire-rate as the full-auto G18! (or at least as fast as you
          can tap the trigger**)

          Additionally it has significantly greater aimed accuracy and less
          horizontal recoil but it also has a first-shot recoil multiplier of
          x2 (where the others have x1) so you get double recoil on every shot.

          The G17 comes equipped with the "improved" iron sights. :P

          *Since the Getaway DLC update you also now have the option of using
          the similar G17 Race Pistol (see Section 08b) with any class.

          **MarbleDuck on Youtube recommends that PC gamers use three fingers
          drummed on the left mouse button to maximize the rate of fire.

  Trivia: There are now numerous variants in different calibres and sizes, but
          the G17 is the original model of the Glock company of Austria which
          launched in 1982. The body of the pistol, with the distinctive plain
          rectangular slide, uses advanced polymer materials.

          See the Glock 17 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/XkVfQQeX5c8

          Although the same scheme doesn't apply to other models, the G17 name
          comes from the original standard magazine capacity.

          See the G17 on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/MYUz5jahjFs

          In January 2013 it was announced that the 2010 Glock 17 Gen 4 model
          would be adopted as the service pistol of the British armed forces,
          replacing the historic Browning Hi-Power (L9A1) and SIG Sauer P226.
          Glock reported that the G17 was selected for its magazine capacity,
          accuracy and ease of use/maintenance.

          See dual-wielded G17's on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/1H5KsnoUBzs


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 05 | MECHANIC WEAPONS                                            s05 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Mechanic is the equivalent of the Engineer class in previous titles.

Once again this class gets automatic weapons intended primarily for short-range
encounters - in BF4 these were mainly PDW's (see below) and in Hardline they
are mostly submachineguns (SMG's) and classified as such. While the Mechanic is
now more of a "vehicles and gadgetry class" than a pure "vehicles class" there
is still logic to vehicle crews favouring the convenience of shorter guns.

Additionally you can equip any of the generic weapons (see Section 08).

Initially only the MP5K primary and the .38 Snub sidearm are available.

The Mechanic Shortcut pack is available from the PSN store. This should unlock
all guns and gadgets for the class that appear in the base game except for the
one unlocked by completing the Syndicate assignment (FMG9).

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 05a | Submachineguns                                            s05a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

A submachinegun (SMG) is an automatic weapon firing a pistol-calibre round. The
shorter length, high rate of fire and reduced weight make them ideal for use in
close-quarters engagements. The term submachinegun was invented by John Thompson
who also invented one of the most famous early examples in the late 1910's - the
iconic Thompson submachinegun (see Section 08a).

In many roles the classic SMG has now been superseded by the personal defence
weapon (PDW). These were designed to provide a compact automatic weapon that can
defeat modern body armour; most PDW's achieve this aim by combining a high rate
of fire with new custom-designed cartridges which are effectively miniature
rifle rounds that give superior ballistic performance compared to the standard
pistol ammo used by submachineguns. In BF4 several true SMG's were grouped into
the Engineer's PDW category for convenience but here they are properly labelled,
although now it's the P90 (PDW) that seems out of place!

The submachineguns in the game have the following damage profiles:

                |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
     Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
    ============+========+==============+========+=======================
                |  33.0  |   5m to 25m  |   8.0  | K10
        .45 ACP |--------+--------------+--------+-----------------------
                |        |  15m to 30m  |  20.0  | UMP45
    ------------|        |--------------+--------+-----------------------
        .40 S&W |        |   8m to 25m  |  10.0  | MPX
    ------------|  34.0  |--------------+--------|-----------------------
                |        |  20m to 35m  |  16.0  | everything else
                |        |--------------|--------|-----------------------
                |        |   8m to 20m  |        | MP5K and AUG Para
         9x19mm |--------+--------------|        |-----------------------
                |  25.0  |  25m to 35m  |        | FMG9, M5 Navy and Mx4
                |--------+--------------|  12.0  |-----------------------
                |  24.0  |   8m to 24m  |        | Scorpion
    ------------|--------|--------------|        |-----------------------
       5.7x28mm |  25.0  |  20m to 40m  |        | P90

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta in
        February 2015. The max damage for the standard 9mm SMG's (the Uzi, M/45
        and MP5K) was reduced from 34 to 33. These values were subsequently
        reverted to restore the three-hit kill potential.

        In the 28 April patch the damage profile for the overpowered K10 was
        nerfed - the maximum damage was reduced from 34 to 33, the drop-off end
        distance was reduced from 30 to 25 metres and the minimum damage was
        cut from 12 to 8. The damage drop-off start was then reduced from 10 to
        only 5 metres in the 16 June patch.

        The maximum damage for the FMG was buffed in the 28 April patch from 21
        to 25 giving it the same four-hit kill as the P90.

        In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the Uzi and M/45 were both
        changed to a "9mm Heavy" damage profile - the minimum damage was raised
        from 12 to 18 and the damage drop-off range was extended from 8-20 to
        20-35 metres. Also the drop-off range and min damage for the MPX were
        reduced (see details below).

        The minimum damage for the 9mm Heavy damage profile was nerfed from 18
        to 16 in the Betrayal patch on 1 March 2016. This affected the Uzi and
        M/45 again plus the M12S and UMP9 from the previous expansion.

Only the Uzi, M5 Navy, AUG, Mx4 and both UMP's can be equipped with foregrips.
The MPX and Scorpion can't use them despite having underbarrel rails and the
others all have a grip (or equivalent) already built into their design.

In addition to the SMG's listed in this section the suppressed M5SD (see Section
08b) and the classic M1A1 Thompson (see Section 08a) are also available.

o MP5K

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 850 RPM   Reload: 2.3 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: The Mechanic's default weapon packs quite a punch, if only at short
          ranges. It has a high rate of fire and its 9mm load does the same 34
          max damage as some of the heavier calibres - these give a three-hit
          kill, very high DPS and a close-quarters TTK of around 0.15 seconds.

          However the damage drops sharply to a minimum of 12 (nine-hit kill)
          after only 20 metres. It's also impaired by a small default magazine
          capacity and the highest first-shot recoil multiplier in this group.

          To help get you started the MP5K comes equipped with the SRS02 sight,
          extended magazines and suppressor options.

  Trivia: The MP5K is a shortened version of the famous HK MP5 submachinegun
          (see below). The "K" stands for kurz - the German word for "short".

          Launched back in 1976, the MP5K was built for use by special forces.
          The ultra-compact length (12.8") was achieved by shortening the
          barrel (from the standard 9" to just 4.5"), removing the butt-stock
          and shortening the main body at both ends; additionally a foregrip
          was added to make up for the loss of the handguard.

          See a semi-auto MP5K clone on IV8888: https://youtu.be/vkOI8kmpWBE

          Famously the compact MP5K can be mounted inside a special briefcase
          accessory and fired with a trigger built into the case's handle.

          Read a full review of the MP5K briefcase on TFB: http://goo.gl/IuwVz8

          HK announced the civilian semi-auto SP5K pistol in August 2013 and in
          May 2016 it was confirmed that US sales would commence in July.

          See the SP5K on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/0loimubI9vk

o UMP45

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 25+1   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 2.25 secs

 Unlocks: $10,200 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The UMP is about controllable power. It has a slow rate of fire, a
          max damage of 34 (three-hit kill), a min damage of 20 (five-hit kill)
          - the best in this category - and quite manageable recoil.

          It has the same low DPS as the M/45 and Uzi submachineguns though and
          its .45 ACP load has a slow subsonic muzzle velocity (which plummets
          to less than 200 m/s with a suppressor).

 Patched: Following the February beta the UMP45 was moved to the criminals and
          the M/45 was moved to the cops. This change was made in an effort to
          balance the two factions although it defeated the purpose of adding
          faction-locking (to add some degree of authenticity) - you'd expect
          to see police using a modern SMG rather than one from the 1940's!

  Trivia: The UMP (Universal Machinepistol in either German or English) is the
          successor to HK's renowned MP5 submachinegun. First manufactured in
          1999, it's also available in 9mm (UMP9) and .40 S&W (UMP40) versions.
          To make it easier to handle in automatic fire with the heavy .45 load
          it was necessary to reduce the rate of fire on the UMP45 to 600 RPM.

          See the UMP45 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/3hSimmdwED4

          There is a civilian version called the USC (Universal Self-loading
          Carbine) which has a significantly longer barrel, smaller magazine,
          remodelled shoulder-stock and no automatic fire mode.

          See the USC on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/wFwFAQxtz50

          See an upgraded USC on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/rZA6jBVwzH4

o MPX

    Ammo: .40 S&W   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 800 RPM   Reload: 2.10 secs

 Unlocks: $19,800 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The MPX continues to use .40 S&W rounds as it did in BF4. These give
          a three-hit kill but post-patch the gun has a fairly short damage
          drop-off and a minimum damage of only 10 (ten-hit kill). Additionally
          it has quite poor aimed accuracy and significant horizontal recoil
          which will further limit its usefulness at longer ranges.

          On the plus side it has a decent magazine size, good reload times and
          a good velocity matched only by the P90 and Scorpion.

          The MPX comes equipped with the Micro T1 (red-dot sight).

 Patched: Previously the MPX shared both its max damage and drop-off range with
          the UMP45 but in the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the drop-off
          range was reduced from 15-30 metres to 8-25 metres. Also the minimum
          damage was reduced from 15 to 10 and its vertical recoil, left recoil
          and spread increase per shot (SIPS) were all increased (nerfed).

          After rebalancing the ADS stationary SIPS in the June update, the ADS
          moving SIPS was subsequently increased slightly in the Getaway patch.

  Trivia: First announced in 2013, the SIG MPX submachinegun was designed as a
          modern alternative to the classic HK MP5. The overall configuration
          is quite similar to the MP5 but the MPX also copies elements from the
          AR15 platform (controls, rear charging handle and an unnecessarily
          large magazine well) so it will be familiar to M16/M4 users.

          See the full-auto MPX on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/d6tRUYfq6KQ

          SIG themselves describe it as "the next generation of submachinegun".
          The modular design allows the user to switch the barrel, calibre and
          shoulder-stock configuration in the field. The weapon can be easily
          converted between 9mm, .357 SIG or .40 S&W and it can be equipped
          with telescopic or folding stocks or used without a stock. It can
          even be fitted with SIG's SB15 stabilizing brace which allows the MPX
          to be used one-handed.

          See the MPX on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/2tzKIg_dnh0

          The current variants are the standard MPX with an 8" barrel, the
          compact MPX-K with a 4.5" barrel, the MPX-P pistol with a 6.5" barrel
          and no stock, the suppressed MPX-SD and the MPX-C carbine which is
          semi-auto and has a permanent 9.5" muzzle brake (baffle stack) added
          to give an overall 16" barrel length to comply with US gun laws.

          The MPX was previously unlockable in BF4's Dragon's Teeth DLC.

          See the MPX on IV8888: https://youtu.be/u6plq_T8phI

          In 2015 SIG launched the modular MCX carbine. It's similar in looks
          to the MPX but it fires 5.56mm by default and can be converted to use
          .300 Blackout (see Section 08b) or 7.62x39mm. It has a long Picatinny
          scope rail and a choice of 9" or 16" barrels and various buttstocks.
          It can be fitted with either a long or short handguard with KeyMod
          attachment slots or a wider version to fit an integral suppressor.

          See the MCX on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/zmyluo3aT0Y
                                                https://youtu.be/dOoQrckAYF0

          SIG announced the MCX "Rattler" in August 2017. With a 5.5" barrel
          and a folding buttstock, it's only 16" long when folded.

          See the Rattler in 300 BLK on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/Mk6_KO6eF3U

          A community mission was held in late October 2015 which offered $200k
          of in-game currency for getting 99 kills with the MPX.

o K10

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 25+1   Fire-rate: 1,200 RPM   Reload: 1.50 secs

 Unlocks: $33,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: After numerous appearances in other franchises, the KRISS Vector
          made its controversial Battlefield debut in Hardline.

          The K10 has the highest rate of fire in the base game and even after
          an early nerf removed its three-hit kill it still has an insanely
          high DPS, although it's worth noting that its short-range TTK is now
          actually slightly longer than the MP5K (with its three-hit kill).

          Its potency is limited to very short ranges though. The damage now
          starts to drop-off after only 5 metres and its post-patch minimum
          damage gives it a terrible thirteen-hit kill at 25 metres and beyond.
          Also, although its recoil compensation system gives it low vertical
          recoil, it still has very heavy sideways recoil and quite a large
          first-shot recoil multiplier along with low muzzle velocity.

          The K10's mag size is fairly small for this category but for some
          reason it has a ridiculously fast short reload time of just one and a
          half seconds - the fastest of any primary weapon in the game.

          The K10 comes equipped with the laser sight.

 Patched: In real life the K10 fires heavy .45" rounds at very high fire-rates
          and with a sophisticated recoil-reduction mechanism so it was clear
          that any attempt to model it realistically in the game would result
          in an overpowered weapon and unfortunately that's what happened. The
          K10 was clearly the most OP gun in the game at launch.

          This was addressed in an early patch (28 April 2015) where the max
          damage was reduced from 34 to 33 (removing its short-range three-hit
          kill), the drop-off end distance was reduced from 30 to 25 metres and
          the minimum damage was cut from 12 to 8 (taking it from a nine-hit
          kill at longer ranges to a painful thirteen-hit kill).

          In the Criminal Activity patch on 16 June the damage drop-off start
          distance was also reduced from 10 to 5 metres which had the effect of
          slightly reducing the four-hit range.

  Trivia: The KRISS Vector is a revolutionary submachinegun design that entered
          production in 2009. The key feature is the patented Super V Recoil
          Mitigation System, a unique mechanism which vectors recoil diagonally
          downwards (hence the gun's name) and reduces recoil by 60% and muzzle
          rise by 95%. Additionally its barrel is level with the trigger and
          the shooter's hand which further improves controllability.

          See the KRISS Vector on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/yHT8IVCXE7I

          The Vector is available as semi-automatic carbine, SBR (short-barrel
          rifle) and pistol models or the full-auto SMG for military and police
          users and is now offered in olive drab, flat dark earth (FDE) and
          alpine white as well as the original black finish. They use standard
          Glock 21 (.45 ACP) pistol mags or KRISS's own 25 or 30-round mags.

          See dual-wielded Vectors on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/Vs0vyDJmjk0

          The K10 was planned as a second-generation model of the Vector with a
          25-round magazine and a sliding stock instead of the usual folding
          design. It was first shown at the SHOT Show in 2011 but did not enter
          production. A new version - known simply as the Vector Gen II - was
          finally released in July 2015 with a more ergonomic design, superior
          trigger and the option of converting to 9mm. The "Enhanced" variants
          include a non-folding stock adaptor fitted with a Magpul UBR stock.

          See the 9mm FDE Vector on IV8888: https://youtu.be/g-esF-vx_90

          Gen II pistol, SBR, carbine and submachinegun models chambered in
          10mm followed in September 2016.

          See the 10mm Vector on MAC: https://youtu.be/VbbIpsD40rk

          See the 10mm Vector on IV8888: https://youtu.be/wbKQdNcBemE

          KRISS also market a range of Swiss-made 9mm Sphinx pistols which are
          derived from the design of the Czech CZ75 (see Section 04c).

o M/45

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 36   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 2.10 secs

 Unlocks: $9,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: From one extreme to the other, the M/45 fires at exactly half the
          rate of the K10. It gives you a three-hit kill though and since the
          introduction of the "9mm Heavy" ammunition it has a longer drop-off.

          The reload times and recoil stats are all pretty good although it
          does have a prominent pull to the right during sustained fire.

          While it's modelled authentically with that 600 RPM fire-rate and its
          36-round magazine, it also has a semi-automatic fire mode which the
          real weapon lacks (although - like the real gun - it fires slowly
          enough on full-auto to get single shots from tapfiring anyway).

 Patched: Following the February beta the UMP45 was moved to the criminals and
          the M/45 was moved to the cops.

          The M/45 and Uzi were both underpowered at launch but they received a
          major buff in the 16 June patch. The min damage was raised from 12 to
          18 and the drop-off range was extended from 8-20 to 20-35 metres.

          In the 1 March 2016 update the minimum damage for the M/45, Uzi, M12S
          and UMP9 was reduced from 18 to 16 so they now kill in seven hits at
          longer ranges where previously they gave a six-hit kill.

  Trivia: The Kpist m/45 (small M!) was manufactured by the Carl Gustafs Stads
          Gevarsfaktori company from Sweden (the same company that makes the
          Carl Gustav 84mm anti-tank launcher from BFBC1 and BFBC2). "Kpist" is
          short for kulsprutepistol which is Swedish for "submachinegun".

          As you might've guessed from its design, it's quite an old weapon. It
          entered service with the Swedish military in 1945 (hence the name!).
          It remained in service for around fifty years until it was finally
          replaced by the Ak4 and Ak5 rifles. (cf. the Ak5C in BF4)

          It was also widely used by US special forces and the CIA during the
          Vietnam War where it gained the nickname "Swedish K".

          The m/45 appears in Payday 2 as the "Swedish K".

o Uzi

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 32   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 1.90 secs

 Unlocks: $18,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The Uzi can be thought of as the counterpart of the cops' M/45 - it
          has the same rate of fire and damage profile. The Uzi has much less
          recoil though - it has exceptionally low vertical recoil and almost
          no horizontal recoil! The Uzi has tighter hipfire and slightly faster
          reloads too but it has a smaller capacity for ammo - it's modelled
          authentically with a 32-round magazine (and an open-bolt design so -
          like the M12S below - it holds 32 rounds in total instead of 32+1).

          It has high spread increase (SIPS) stats which are around three times</pre><pre id="faqspan-4">
          bigger than the other SMG's so I would recommend adding a stubby grip
          attachment as soon as possible, using an unlock voucher if available.

          Unlike the real-life weapon, Hardline's Uzi can only fire on full
          auto - there is no semi-auto option. This makes me wonder if the Uzi
          and M/45 had their stats switched at some point.

          Also the Uzi can't use the PSO1 4x scope for some reason.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. In addition to the temporary max damage nerf (see
          above) the Uzi received some substantial buffs. Its vertical recoil
          was approximately halved, the horizontal recoil was cut by 60%, the
          stationary aimed standing spread was halved to 0.2 and the stationary
          hipfire accuracy was improved for all stances.

          However its spread increase per shot specifically for stationary
          standing aimed shooting was also approximately tripled.

          The M/45 and Uzi were both underpowered at launch but they received a
          major buff in the 16 June patch. The min damage was raised from 12 to
          18 and the drop-off range was extended from 8-20 to 20-35 metres.

          In the 1 March 2016 update the minimum damage for the M/45, Uzi, M12S
          and UMP9 was reduced from 18 to 16 so they now kill in seven hits at
          longer ranges where previously they gave a six-hit kill.

          The Uzi's accuracy stats were nerfed in the same patch. Previously it
          had exceptionally good stationary standing aimed accuracy (equalling
          the assault rifles) but this was reduced to a more typical value for
          an SMG. Several other spread values were also increased significantly
          and various SIPS stats were doubled or even tripled.

  Trivia: The classic Uzi submachinegun is familiar from numerous appearances
          in 80's movies and TV shows but the design actually dates back to the
          late 1940's! It was developed by (and named after) Uziel Gal who was
          an officer in the Israeli Defence Force. It was adopted by the IDF in
          1951 and later spread worldwide to become one of the most famous SMG
          designs ever produced.

          See the Uzi on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/iY-9Rq22aYE

          Original IDF models came with a solid wooden buttstock while others
          have a folding metal stock (which folds downwards, behind the pistol
          grip). The grip contains the magazine well (giving intuitive reloads
          like a pistol) and also has a rear grip safety to prevent accidental
          discharge. The front and rear sights are protected by the distinctive
          semi-circular ears. The modernized model used in Hardline has a top
          mount for optics and an underbarrel rail for attachments.

          See the Uzi on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/mkP3SHO8s5Y

          The full-size version was supplemented in 1980 by the shortened Mini
          Uzi and then in 1983 by the Micro Uzi which is only 11" long with the
          stock folded. Although well known as the "Uzi 9mm" from the first
          Terminator movie, versions in .45 ACP were also available. The Micro
          Uzi evolved into the Uzi Pro Pistol which is currently marketed by
          IWI US alongside the Tavor bullpup rifle, the Tavor X95 (the updated
          version of the original X95/MTAR21 CQB variant in BF3 and BF4), the
          Galil Ace (Hardline's CAR556) and the Jericho pistol.

          See the Uzi on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/mOdV9kyKUE4
                                                https://youtu.be/nx3xr4btBK8

          The Uzi previously appeared in BFBC1, BFBC2, BFBC2: Vietnam and BF
          Play4Free. Additionally the Micro Uzi was playable as the "Micro SMG"
          in Battlefield Heroes after being added to the game together with the
          TEC9 (see Section 07c) in the "Punk Weapons" set!

          See the Uzi on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/MTL8-cVoP64
                                            https://youtu.be/APFDd7fJGPE

o P90

    Ammo: 5.7x28mm   Capacity: 50+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 2.50 secs

 Unlocks: $30,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The PDW has a high rate of high and fairly low damage but at least it
          holds its four-hit kill out to 20 metres with its long drop-off. It's
          key strength is obviously that long 50-round magazine so you won't
          get hit by that slow reload time so often.

          The P90 has very poor stationary standing ADS accuracy - with more
          than three times the typical spread for this category - so don't be
          expecting to pick off enemies at longer ranges with it.

          Vertical recoil is quite low but the horizontal recoil and first-shot
          recoil multiplier are fairly average.

          The P90 comes equipped with the heavy barrel.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. For the P90 the spread increase per shot value -
          specifically for stationary standing hipfire only - was increased by
          a factor of four. For all other situations the value was unchanged.

          In the Getaway patch the moving ADS spread was improved slightly for
          all existing bullpup weapons including the P90.

  Trivia: The P90 is made by FN Herstal and was launched in 1990, making it an
          early example of a true PDW (personal defence weapon) with a compact
          design and high rate of fire and also using new custom ammunition
          instead of conventional pistol rounds like an SMG.

          See the P90 on Ultimate Weapons: http://youtu.be/ohGsu4bhb04

          The 5.7x28mm cartridge was designed by FN in conjunction with the P90
          PDW and the FN57 pistol (see Section 08b) to give superior range,
          accuracy, damage and armour penetration compared to traditional 9mm
          pistol/SMG loads. The 5.7mm round is also lighter and narrower which
          - combined with the novel top-mounted horizontal mag design - made it
          possible for the P90 to have such a large ammo capacity.

          See the P90 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/8xDJtZ2VK6k

          When the P90 in Hardline is fitted with the heavy barrel attachment
          (see Section 10c) it resembles the civilian semi-auto PS90 model.

          See the PS90 on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/SNYhC2p_RdI

          The Weevil SMG in CoD: Blops III is clearly based on the P90 design.
          It has the same bullpup layout with a thumb-hole stock, a foregrip
          built into the trigger guard and a long top-mounted magazine.

o FMG9

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 32+1   Fire-rate: 950 RPM   Reload: 2.55 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Mechanic Syndicate' assignment [both factions]

          First complete 'Mechanic Assignment 1'.

          o requires Mechanic Bronze Service Star 2* (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 SMG kills
          o get 5 repairs on friendly vehicles

          Then complete 'Mechanic Assignment 2'.

          o requires Mechanic Bronze Service Star 7* (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Mechanic Assignment 1
          o get 25 SMG kills
          o destroy 10 vehicles using sabotage

          Finally complete 'Mechanic Syndicate'.

          o requires Mechanic Assignment 2
          o requires 10 Mechanic guns and/or gadgets purchased
          o requires Mechanic Gold Service Star 1* (275,000 XP with class)
          o get 200 SMG kills
          o unlock Mechanic tier 4 reputation 10 times*
          o get 15 Repair Tool Coins (get 8 repairs in one match for each)
          o get 15 Anti-Vehicle Coins (get 2 destroys in one match for each)

          The repair tool can be purchased for just $5,400 and equipped into
          one of your gadget slots. The easiest and safest way to get repairs
          is to ride in one of the big transport helicopters and then switch to
          the fourth or fifth seat to repair the chopper from inside whenever
          it takes damage. As in previous titles you'll need to keep aiming the
          repair tool until you find the "sweet spot" with a visual effect.

          When you reach the Syndicate stage you can also switch back to the
          heli's gunner seats to work towards those Anti-Vehicle Coins.

          Sabotage costs $30,000, equips as a gadget and can be planted on
          vehicles, Battle Pickup weapons (see Section 09), ammo/health/defibs
          pickups, vaults in Heist mode and any other interactive objects like
          open/close doors. However you need to use it on vehicles when you're
          trying to complete Mechanic Assignment 2.

          After selecting sabotage adjust your aim until you see the dynamite
          icon and then hold your default trigger button until it's armed. If
          an enemy player then tries to drive the vehicle it will explode. I'd
          suggest using the objective vehicles in Hotwire mode (if anyone still
          plays that) since you know that someone will start driving one before
          too long. If you stay mostly on the other team's side of the map then
          it's more likely that the vehicle will be taken by an enemy instead
          of one of your team-mates.

          For those Anti-Vehicle Coins you can also use the Mechanic's M320/M79
          grenade launcher, frag and incendiary grenades, small arms fire (on
          unarmoured vehicles), the RPG/SMAW/Stinger pickups and vehicle guns.

          *See my notes on unlocking the ARM (see Section 04b) for basic tips
          on grinding classes and farming tier 4 rep.

          When playing Hotwire to grind rep as Mechanic you can also get some
          extra points by repairing your ride if it gets damaged. You can do
          this from inside the vehicle or when hanging out of the window.

 Summary: The FMG performs similarly to the P90 but with a slightly faster rate
          of fire (950 RPM) and a longer drop-off (it holds its four-hit kill
          out to 25 metres) giving it an excellent DPS that allows it to kill
          in under a quarter of a second out to 24 metres. It has a smaller mag
          capacity though and especially slow reload times - even though it's
          basically just a pistol in a box!

          Previously the FMG was quite handy out to medium ranges but after the
          September patch it's now considerably less accurate.

          The FMG9 comes equipped with the Micro T1 sight and a green laser.

 Patched: The FMG received a major nerf to its accuracy in the Robbery update
          on 16 September 2015. Its ADS and hipfire spread were both doubled,
          the maximum ADS spread was increased by a third and its crouch/prone
          spread increase per shot (SIPS) values were increased. Also its
          horizontal right recoil when standing was raised by 25%.

          The only buffs it got were reductions to its maximum hipfire spread
          and its horizontal right recoil specifically when prone.

  Trivia: The FMG9 (Folding Machine-Gun 9mm) was developed by Magpul who also
          designed the ACR carbine (see Section 04a). It was presented as a
          prototype at the SHOT Show in 2008 but it never entered production.

          Built around a full-auto Glock G18 machine-pistol (see Section 07c),
          the FMG borrows from earlier designs for the ARES FMG and the UC-M21
          to give an automatic weapon that folds down into a compact shape to
          disguise its true nature. The UC-M21 design even included a removable
          telescopic aerial to make it resemble a portable transistor radio.

          See the FMG9 on Ultimate Weapons: https://youtu.be/pY2EqFzPzn8

          The FMG has a long top rail but is sometimes seen with a standard
          tactical light and carrying handle mounted so in its folded state it
          looks like a large flashlight with a big battery pack. The airsoft
          replica is known as the FPG (Folding Pocket-Gun) - the name sounds a
          little optimistic but with the light and handle removed the FMG9
          really is small enough to fit into the back pocket of your jeans!

          The stock and short foregrip make the FMG more manageable during use,
          just like the similar features on the Beretta 93R (see Section 07c).

          The FMG9 previously featured as a sidearm in Call of Duty: Modern
          Warfare 3 and in the 2012 movie Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. I
          also spotted it in preview footage for Rainbow Six: Siege.

o Scorpion

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 1,150 RPM   Reload: 2.20 secs

 Unlocks: $36,000 [both factions]

          The Scorpion was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Robbery DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The Scorpion previously appeared in BF4 as the CZ3A1 where it fired
          at 1,000 RPM and tied with the FAMAS for having the highest fire-rate
          in the game. Its rate of fire has now been increased to 1,150 RPM in
          Hardline, although that's still not enough to steal the K10's crown.

          That fire-rate comes with the same reduced damage profile as the G18C
          and 93R machine-pistols (see Section 07c). The max damage is only 24
          and that gives a five-hit kill which it holds out to 13 metres before
          finally dropping to a nine-hit kill at just 24 metres.

          Its vertical recoil is much greater than any other SMG's in the game
          but it can still be countered quite readily by steering against it.

          The Scorpion comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1 is a modern SMG made by Ceska Zbrojovka of
          the Czech Republic, the same firm that makes the CZ75 pistol (see
          Section 04c) and the CZ805 assault rifle (in BF4). It launched around
          2009, followed in 2011 by the CZ3S1 semi-automatic civilian model.

          See the CZ3A1 on full-auto on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/Uj4UzOiD7Eg

          I think it looks like a baby G36C which is kinda cute! :) It also has
          a slimline modern shoulder-stock and a full set of accessory rails so
          you can easily fit optics, foregrip, taclight, etc. Like the CZ805
          assault rifle it uses translucent mags to allow a rapid ammo check.

          See the CZ3S1 (and the MPX) on MAC: https://youtu.be/sS0rEazh1kI

          The Scorpion Evo is intended as a successor to the compact vz.61
          Skorpion machine-pistol (see Section 08b).

          See the CZ3S1 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/oUmXxp0Z_bM

          A new carbine version of the semi-auto CZ3S1 was shown at the 2016
          SHOT Show. It still shoots 9mm but it has a 16.2" barrel (instead of
          the standard 7.7" barrel) and an extended handguard with a long top
          rail, M-Lok slots instead of side and underbarrel rails and a wider
          front end designed to fit around a suppressor.

o UMP9

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 650 RPM   Reload: 2.25 secs

 Unlocks: $30,200 [both factions]

          The UMP9 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The UMP9 uses the same basic design as the UMP45 (see above) but it
          uses the smaller 9mm cartridge instead of .45 ACP, however it still
          manages the same max damage of 34! (for a three-hit kill in CQB)

          The two guns also share the same slow muzzle velocity (which seems a
          little unfair on the 9mm) and identical reload times. The UMP9 does
          have slightly less minimum damage but otherwise it has a higher rate
          of fire, five more rounds per magazine, less recoil and exceptional
          accuracy in stationary aimed fire.

          Overall it's a good choice if you want a "slow and heavy" SMG. It has
          a great combination of fire-rate, recoil, aimed spread and SIPS plus
          it's not faction-locked so you can use it with both cops and robbers
          without having to get a zillion kills with it. :9

          The UMP9 comes without any attachments.

 Patched: In the 1 March 2016 update the minimum damage for the M/45, Uzi, M12S
          and UMP9 was reduced from 18 to 16 so they now kill in seven hits at
          longer ranges where previously they gave a six-hit kill.

  Trivia: It's easy to distinguish the UMP9 since as it has a curved magazine -
          like the MP5 - while the UMP45 and UMP40 models have straight ones.

          See the UMP40 in IV8888: https://youtu.be/Va9Jioond4c

          Picatinny rails can be fitted to the top and bottom to take a sight
          and foregrip. The UMP also has a special muzzle for easy attachment
          of a sound suppressor.

          The UMP9 is depicted incorrectly with a straight magazine in the icon
          and 2D image on the game's loadout menu and on Battlelog.

o M5 Navy

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 800 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $60,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

          (Getaway DLC required)

 Summary: The Getaway expansion focused on the Mechanic class, adding three new
          SMG's - the M5 Navy plus the M12S and AUG Para (see below).

          The "M5" has the same 25/12 max/min damage as the FMG9 and P90 but
          it's somewhat outgunned since all the other fast SMG's have either
          better fire-rates or higher damage (or both in the case of the M5's
          little brother, the MP5K).

          None of its other stats are particularly remarkable and, despite the
          real gun's reputation, it has worse accuracy than several SMG's too.

          Sadly in Hardline the gun lacks the ridiculous 180-round magazine of
          the MP5 in cult-classic 2010 video-game Deadly Premonition. :) We get
          a standard 30-round capacity although the game model shows a shorter
          magazine (and the 2D image on the loadout menu and on Battlelog has
          the mag protruding at a bizarre angle - how did that happen?).

          The M5 Navy comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: Based on the design of their own G3 battle rifle, HK's MP5 SMG was
          developed in the mid 1960's. Recognising its exceptional performance
          it was adopted by numerous militaries and police forces and is still
          highly regarded today.

          See the MP5 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/FqvEXiD1zyo

          Although it's been nominally superseded by the UMP series (see above)
          HK continue to market several variants of the MP5 SMG including the
          shorter MP5K (see above) and the suppressed MP5SD (see Section 08b).

          The standard MP5 has always used 9mm but HK did temporarily offer it
          in .40 S&W (like Hardline's MPX) and 10mm with straight magazines.

          See the .40" MP5 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/m0XRHZtu7Rw

          See the 10mm MP5 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/QNZwJ6sMQaU

          The MP5-N (Navy) was a version designed for the US Navy in 1986 with
          a threaded barrel for a suppressor and a retractable stock. Original
          models featured the three-round burst fire-mode that was previously
          introduced on the MP5A4 and A5 variants in 1974.

          See the MP5 Navy on IV8888: https://youtu.be/AZ-Ure4W8sE

          Original MP5A1, A2 and A3 models had the "SEF" trigger group with
          three settings - Sicher (safe), Einzelfeuer (single) and Feuerstoss
          (automatic) - indicated by the letters S, E and F but modern models
          have distinctive pictograms for the fire-modes instead. Several
          versions are available with various combinations of automatic mode
          and a two or three-round burst mode. The one specifically with full
          auto and no burst option (and pictograms instead of the S-E-F labels)
          is the only one correctly known now as the "Navy trigger group".

          See the MP5 Navy on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/6qJk3fTidrA

          In Hardline the MP5 is modelled with the standard "Tropical" angled
          handguard until you attach an optic and a light/laser when a scope
          rail and side/underbarrel rails are added, similar in concept to the
          "MLI" (Mid-Life Improvement) model which was announced in 2013.

          This is the third appearance of the full-size MP5 in the Battlefield
          series following BF2 and Battlefield Play4Free, but why did they need
          to name it "M5" when we already have the "MP5K" model in Hardline?!

o AUG Para

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 32+1   Fire-rate: 750 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $50,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

          (Getaway DLC required)

 Summary: The AUG SMG shares its damage model with the MP5K but the AUG has the
          inferior fire-rate, recoil and accuracy, although it does at least
          have a larger magazine size.

          The reload times for the AUG are not particularly bad for a bullpup
          but the hipfire accuracy is not particularly good for a bullpup!

          You can take advantage of the short TTK from the three-hit kill but
          only out to 8 metres, otherwise the average fire-rate and hipfire
          will hinder your short-range performance. The relatively high recoil,
          low minimum damage and poor accuracy mean it's not particularly good
          at longer distances either.

          The AUG Para comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The AUG Para (or "AUG SMG") is a 9mm SMG variant of the AUG assault
          rifle (see Section 04b) which released in 1988. The magazine well is
          modified to accept the magazines from Steyr's earlier MPi69 SMG which
          was replaced in their product range two years later by the TMP which
          eventually became the Brügger & Thomet MP9 (see Section 07c).

          Given the AUG's modularity, it's possible to convert earlier 5.56mm
          AUG models into the SMG format by using a conversion kit.

          The model featured in Hardline with the accessory rails is the later
          AUG A3 Para XS, derived from the current AUG A3 assault rifle.

          The AUG Para submachinegun was previously featured in Rainbow Six:
          Vegas 2 and Hitman: Contracts.

o M12S

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 32   Fire-rate: 550 RPM   Reload: 2.80 secs*

 Unlocks: $60,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

          (Getaway DLC required)

 Summary: The Italian stallion has the same high 34/16 damage profile as the
          Uzi, M/45 and UMP9 but it also has the lowest rate of fire and the
          slowest reload in the SMG category.*

          It has incredibly low recoil though (the same as the Uzi but with a
          smaller first-shot multiplier) plus excellent moving/hipfire spread.

          The M12S comes without any attachments but the iron sights are nice.

          *Symthic lists the short reload as 1.5 seconds (the same as the K10)
          but it's definitely not that quick!

 Patched: In the 1 March 2016 update the minimum damage for the M/45, Uzi, M12S
          and UMP9 was reduced from 18 to 16 so they now kill in seven hits at
          longer ranges where previously they gave a six-hit kill.

  Trivia: The Model 12, or M12 for short, was manufactured by Beretta who also
          make the 92FS (see Section 04c) and 93R (see Section 07c). It entered
          production in 1959 and was followed later by the improved M12S model.

          See the M12S on Forgottten Weapons: https://youtu.be/X0649LgdUJo

          It was used by the Carabinieri (the Italian military police) and by
          several other European police agencies. It was also used by Marines
          in defence of the US embassy during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam and
          it was favoured by King Faisal of Saudi Arabia who bought thousands
          for his military and police in addition to ordering a couple of dozen
          special gold-plated models for his family and close friends!

          The distinctive design is built around a tubular receiver made from
          stamped steel with a fixed foregrip and a folding wire buttstock. It
          has a grip safety under the trigger-guard (which looks like a second
          trigger) and it would use a 32-round magazine as standard.

          Hardline's M12 is modelled with unusual grey colouring on the pistol
          grip and foregrip (instead of the usual brown or black) and a very
          short magazine. You can also see the stock folded to the right side
          but this can be deployed by equipping the stock attachment.

          The Beretta Model 12 design formed the basis of the Agram 2000. You
          might remember this compact Croatian SMG with its unusual thumbhole
          foregrip as the "A2000" in Far Cry 3 and 4.

          Beretta's current submachinegun model is the Mx4 Storm (see below)
          but they announced the new PMX in November 2017. The PMX is inspired
          by the B&T P26 with a similar configuration to the classic M12.

o Mx4

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 750 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $60,000 [both factions]

          The Mx4 SMG was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Betrayal DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: This weapon should be instantly familiar to anyone who played BF4
          because it was the starting weapon for the Engineer class.

          The Mx4 has the same standard 9mm damage profile as the FMG9 and the
          M5 Navy giving a four-hit kill out to 25 metres. In fact its stats
          are virtually identical to the M5 (see above) - it has the same rate
          of fire, muzzle velocity and mag size plus very similar reload times
          and recoil. The Mx4 has better moving aimed accuracy (it's actually
          more accurate when moving than standing still!) but it also has
          considerably more SIPS so it's less accurate in long bursts.

          The Mx4 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The Beretta Mx4 Storm is a full-auto military version of their Cx4
          Storm carbine which launched in 2003. Both weapons are designed to
          use pistol calibres - most commonly 9x19mm but also 9x21mm IMI, .40
          S&W and .45 ACP - and can use magazines from various Beretta pistol
          models in addition to the Mx4's longer 30-round magazine.

          See the Cx4 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/yvjX1ZYJQk0
                                 https://youtu.be/jNxrh3whnFw

          The Cx4 has a short Picatinny rail stowed under the barrel which can
          be fitted on the side under the front sight. A long scope rail and
          set of three front accessory rails can also be added as required and
          these are permanently fitted to the Mx4 in Hardline.

          The full Storm "family" includes the original semi-auto civilian Cx4
          Storm carbine, the .223 Rx4 Storm rifle, the Px4 Storm pistol (as
          featured in The Division) and the Tx4 tactical semi-auto shotgun.

          See the Px4 Storm on IV8888: https://youtu.be/zfBWwEN7Ki8

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 05b | Revolvers                                                 s05b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Mechanic gets various types of revolvers. They generally give high damage
but have slow fire-rates and hold a limited number of cartridges. (You might be
tempted to refer to these guns as six-shooters but in fact of the four revolvers
available at launch only one of them actually holds six rounds!)

The revolvers in the game have the following damage profiles:

                    |   Max.   |    Damage    |   Min.   |
         Ammunition |  Damage  |   Drop-Off   |  Damage  | Weapons
       =============+==========+==============+==========+============
         .44 Magnum |   55.0   | 12.5m to 50m |   37.5   | .44 Magnum
       -------------+----------+--------------+----------+------------
        .357 Magnum |   60.0   |  25m to 37m  |   30.0   | .357 RS
       -------------+----------+--------------+----------+------------
        .38 Special |   34.0   |  20m to 30m  |   25.0   | .38 Snub
       -------------+----------+--------------+----------+------------
          .410 bore | 5 x 25.0 |  12m to 25m  | 5 x 8.0  | .410 Jury

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: The damage values and drop-off distances for the Jury were buffed in
        both the 28 April 2015 and 1 March 2016 patches.

Additionally you can equip the FN57, G17 Race Pistol or Dual vz.61 (see Section
08b), the non-lethal T62 CEW taser or the tracking dart pistol.

o .38 Snub

    Ammo: .38 Special   Capacity: 5   Fire-rate: 400 RPM   Reload: 2.80 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: This small revolver packs quite a punch - it fires at the same rate
          as the 92FS and P226 and it gives the same max and min damage as the
          CZ75 and G17 but with a longer drop-off giving it a three-hit kill
          out to 20 metres.

          However it only holds five rounds and the reload is slower than the
          Operator's pistols although it's quicker than the other revolvers.

          The .38 comes equipped with the laser sight and that is the only
          attachment available for it.

  Trivia: The .38 Snub is based on the Smith & Wesson Model 642, typical of the
          sort of lightweight, compact, snub-nosed revolver with a concealed
          hammer that a cop might carry as a back-up in an ankle holster.

          The Model 640 is manufactured from stainless steel and available in
          either .38 Special or .357 Magnum calibres. It was followed by the
          .38 Model 642 (with an aluminium frame and steel cylinder) in 1995.
          Its barrel is less than 2" and the overall length of the gun is 6.3".

          Its integrated laser sight mounted above the grip on the right side
          appears to be modelled on LaserLyte's Side Mount Laser.

o .357 RS

    Ammo: .357 Magnum   Capacity: 8   Fire-rate: 150 RPM   Reload: 4.00 secs

 Unlocks: $16,800 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: With its powerful Magnum load the .357 RS gives a maximum damage of
          60 for a two-hit kill that extends all the way out to 29 metres (or
          an impressive one-hit kill out to 25 metres in Hardcore mode).

          It has a slow rate of fire but you can pump out a total of eight
          shots before you're stuck with that slow reload animation.

          Like the .44 Magnum it has excellent stationary aimed accuracy and
          obviously high vertical recoil and slow recoil recovery, although its
          horizontal recoil is relatively light.

  Trivia: The .357 RS is based on the Smith & Wesson M&P R8 which is a version
          of their Model 327 and part of the same wider Military & Police range
          as the M&P 40 Pro (see Section 06c).

          The standard Model 327 is a snub-nosed revolver with a 2" barrel,
          wooden grips and no rear sight. The M&P R8 has a 5" barrel, a short
          underbarrel rail for a laser/taclight, a removable scope rail and
          synthetic grips. The similar Model 327 TRR8 (Tactical Rail) model
          has the same 5" barrel but it has a large cut-out on the right side
          of the ejector shroud (absent on the Hardline model) and both rails
          are removable I believe.

          All versions are available in either .357 Magnum or .38 S&W Special
          and can hold eight rounds.

          A community mission was held in mid February 2016 which offered a
          gold Battlepack for getting 25 kills with this sidearm.

          The R8 revolver was added to CS:GO in the 2015 winter update.

o .44 Magnum

    Ammo: .44 Magnum   Capacity: 6   Fire-rate: 150 RPM   Reload: 4.00 secs

 Unlocks: $16,800 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The .44 Magnum gives similar performance to the .357 RS except for
          its damage profile which is quite different. It has a maximum damage
          of 55 which gives a two-hit kill with chest shots out to 23 metres*
          but it has a higher minimum damage of 37.5 which makes it possible to
          get a three-hit kill at long ranges.

          Most of the other stats are the same as the .357 RS except it can
          only hold six of the larger .44 Magnum rounds.

          *Remember the second rule of Zombieland. :)

  Trivia: The ".44 Magnum" is the Model 44 from Taurus, the same company that
          makes the Public Defender which is the basis for the .410 Jury (see
          below). Specifically it's the 44SS6 model denoting the .44 calibre,
          stainless steel finish and 6" barrel.

          Also available are the Model 608 version which holds eight rounds of
          .357 Magnum (like the .357 RS above) and the 44SS8 with an 8" barrel
          for that Dirty Harry look. :) There was previously a 12" version too
          but that is no longer offered.

          A community mission was held in mid-August 2015 which offered $100k
          of in-game currency for getting five kills with the .44 Magnum but
          the completion reward given was actually one gold Battlepack. This
          was fixed on the second day of the mission but it was necessary to
          get the five kills again in order to receive the cash.

          Another community mission was held in late April 2016 which offered a
          gold Battlepack for getting five kills with the .44 Magnum again.

o .410 Jury

    Ammo: .410 bore   Capacity: 5   Fire-rate: 180 RPM   Reload: 4.10 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Mechanic Assignment 2' [both factions]

          First complete 'Mechanic Assignment 1'.

          o requires Mechanic Bronze Service Star 2 (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 SMG kills
          o get 5 repairs on friendly vehicles

          Then complete 'Mechanic Assignment 2'.

          o requires Mechanic Bronze Service Star 7 (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Mechanic Assignment 1
          o get 25 SMG kills
          o destroy 10 vehicles using sabotage

          (see FMG9 notes in Section 05a)

 Summary: The Jury revolver holds five .410 shotgun shells.

          Since it functions so differently to the other sidearms it's not been
          added to the weapon charts on Symthic but it does have its own stats
          page which I've used for this basic analysis. However, as with the
          Enforcer's primary shotguns, the weapon stats are not 100% confirmed.

          Each shell contains five balls and each of those does a max damage of
          25 out to 12 metres so it should be possible in theory to get a kill
          with one round but in practice it'll probably take at least two and
          then you'll need to spend four seconds reloading. The Jury has a
          tight scatter cone though, exactly half that of the 870 shotgun.

          Speaking of reloads, while speedloaders for .410 shotgun shells do
          exist, your character instead dextrously picks up all five in his
          left hand and loads them very deftly into the cylinder. Pretty cool.

          The Jury can be fitted with a range of sidearm optics and laser/light
          accessories but no muzzle attachments (chokes) are available for it.

 Patched: In the 28 April 2015 patch the max damage per pellet was increased
          from 15 to 20. Additionally the damage drop-off range was extended
          from 8-15 (start-end) to 10-20 metres.

          Then ten months later in the 1 March 2016 patch the damage was buffed
          again from 20/6 (max/min) to 25/8 per pellet and the drop-off range
          was increased from 10-20 to 12-25 metres.

  Trivia: The .410 Jury is modelled on the Taurus Public Defender.

          The Taurus Judge revolver has a 3" barrel and a long cylinder which
          was designed to hold the slender .410 bore shotgun shells (2.5" long)
          although it can also take .45 Long Colt cartridges (and you could
          potentially load it with a mixture of both). It was named Judge after
          it was adopted by several Miami judges for courtroom self-defence!

          See the Taurus Judge on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/tY3YYDgDUXs

          The Public Defender launched in 2009. It's a snub-nosed variant of
          the Judge designed for concealed carry with a 2" barrel, low-profile
          hammer and shorter grip. Other versions include the new lightweight
          Public Defender with a polymer frame, the Judge Magnum which has an
          even bigger cylinder to accept the longer 3" shotshells, the Raging
          Judge (in the Raging Bull range) which can also use the powerful .454
          Casull load and the Circuit Judge which is a carbine model with an
          18" barrel, wooden handguard and wooden shoulder-stock.

          Those game developers obviously enjoy their wordplay. In Hardline the
          Public Defender (Judge variant) is the .410 Jury and in CoD Blops II
          the Raging Judge is the Executioner - "judge, jury and executioner"!

          Smith & Wesson's Governor is a similar weapon - it's a six-shooter
          that can fire .410 shells in addition to .45 Colt and .45 ACP.

          See the S&W Governor on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/pE65-hrwC-I

          In the ballistic gel tests in that video Jerry fires a couple of .410
          loads made for personal defence handguns. The first is the "Triple
          Defense" round from Hornady which packs a .41" hollowpoint slug and
          two big .35" lead balls into each shell. The second is a self-defence
          load from Federal which was specifically designed to be used in the
          Taurus Judge and has four triple-aught balls in each shell.


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 06 | ENFORCER WEAPONS                                            s06 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Enforcer is the equivalent of the Support class in previous titles.

While the assault rifles and carbines of the Operator class give you versatile
performance across various ranges, with the Enforcer class you need to choose
either a shotgun for short-range devastation or a battle-rifle which will be
most effective at medium ranges.

In BF3 and BF4 the Support class used light machineguns (LMG's). Initially it
was planned for the Enforcer class in Hardline to use them too (the MG36 was
available as a loadout weapon in pre-release builds of the game) but then it was
decided that this would not be authentic to the game's setting.* The LMG's were
not removed entirely however and they are available both as Battle Pickups (see
Section 09) and as "junk in the trunk" (car upgrades). However in general terms
it's still true that the Enforcer class has access to the "heavy" weapons.

Additionally you can equip any of the generic weapons (see Section 08).

Initially only the 870P Magnum primary and the 45T sidearm are available.

The Enforcer Shortcut pack is available from the PSN store. This should unlock
all guns and gadgets for the class that appear in the base game except for the
one unlocked by completing the Syndicate assignment (Double-Barrel Shotgun).

*Evidence of the Enforcer kit's original weapons can still be found in the game
- the weapon licence patches for all four battle rifles in the base game plus
the Enforcer Premium patch and the Battle Rifle Bounty patch all still depict
various LMG's - someone forgot to change them to battle rifles. Oops!

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 06a | Shotguns                                                  s06a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

A shotgun is a gun that fires shot. :) The standard ammo load for a shotgun is
buckshot where each shotshell contains a number of individual lead pellets* but
the number of pellets (and the angle of their scatter cone) will vary from one
gun to another in order to balance their rates of fire and other stats.

The usual range of ammo types - buckshot (pellets), dart (flechettes), slug and
frag - is not available in Hardline. However you can still unlock slugs (as an
accessory) and Breaching Rounds are available in the Criminal Activity DLC.

With most of the shotguns you load shells into the weapon individually so you
have the advantage that you can interrupt the loading sequence to resume firing
at any time. The Saiga uses detachable magazines which instead gives the benefit
of being able to fully reload the weapon more quickly.

The loading times given below are approximations based on my own testing. These
will either be for loading individual shells (e.g. "0.75 secs x N" where it will
take 0.75 seconds to load one shell, 1.50 seconds to load two, etc), the short
reload time for the Saiga's magazine change or the standard reload on the DBS.

The shotgun stats have not been published formally on Symthic (I understand that
shotgun data files are uniquely tricky to decipher) so I'm unable to give a full
comparison of the shotties here. However I'm particularly grateful to Zormau and
Miffyli on Symthic and MrTimeItself on Youtube for posting some shotgun data.

In addition to the shotguns listed in this section the classic lever-action 1887
is also available (see Section 08a) and can be used by any class.

*With the multiple pellets per shell and scattering effect it's possible to hit
multiple targets with a single round and it's theoretically possible - and not
uncommon - to have a hit accuracy stat of greater than 100% with a shotgun if
you often hit two or more people with each round.

o 870P Magnum

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 6+1   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 0.75 secs x N

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: The 870 has a low rate of fire (around 80 RPM) and it only holds 7
          shells with 12 pellets in each but it has a higher damage profile -
          each pellet does a max damage of 25 so you only need four of those to
          connect at short range to give you a basic one-hit kill. However the
          damage per pellet drops to a minimum of 6 after only 20 metres.

          The 870 comes equipped with the tactical light.

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. The damage distances for the SPAS-12 and 870P were
          nerfed - the drop-off start was reduced from 12 to 10 metres and the
          drop-off end was reduced from 25 to 20 metres.

          In the 16 June patch the damage drop-off start distance for the 870P,
          SPAS-12 and Stakeout were increased from 12 to 20 metres. (slugs?)

  Trivia: The Model 870 is the fourth pump-action shotgun model from Remington,
          following the Model 10 from 1908, the Model 17 from 1915 (which was
          also the basis for the Ithaca 37 - see below) and the Model 31 from
          1931. The Remington 870 has been in production since 1951 and over
          ten million units have been manufactured, making it the most popular
          shotgun design of all time.

          See the Remington 870 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/HPco--jmmlY

          See the Remington 870 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/DhD01ijzyf8

          The P in the name indicates a model that's intended for police use.
          Remington declare the 870P to be "the pump shotgun of choice for
          government agencies". The "Magnum" designation indicates a weapon
          designed to use more powerful loads (with more powder and more shot).
          Typically this will require a 3" shell (Magnum) or even a 3.5" shell
          (Super Magnum) which cannot be used by all shotguns.

          In early builds of Hardline this gun was labelled as the 870P Marine
          Magnum. The "Marine" designation denotes a weapon with a nickel plate
          finish and synthetic stocks to provide resistance to the corrosive
          effects of salty sea air. Such models might be used by officers who
          are assigned to harbours and other seaside duties.

          See the 870 Marine Magnum on IV8888: https://youtu.be/n2fb1VIiRYg

          The character Dutch uses an 870 Marine Magnum on board a ship during
          episode 6 of the 2006 anime Black Lagoon.

          The 870MCS (Modular Combat System) previously featured in BFBC1,
          BFBC2, BF3 and BF4. This is a modern version with a short Picatinny
          rail for optics and the ability to conveniently change components to
          configure it for various roles. The full 870MCS package comes with
          interchangeable 18", 14" and 10" barrels and the option of fitting
          either a combined stock and pistol grip or a grip with no stock.

          See a tactical 870 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/Zj3tYO9co44

o 37 Stakeout

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 0.80 secs x N

 Unlocks: $6,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: Compared to the 870, the Stakeout fires much faster (around 110 RPM),
          each shell has more pellets (14) and the damage drop-off distances
          are longer. However it holds one less shell (6) and each pellet does
          a max damage of only 20. The Stakeout also scatters its pellets over
          a wider "cone" than most of the other shotguns.

 Patched: In the 16 June patch the damage drop-off start distance for the 870P,
          SPAS-12 and Stakeout were buffed from 12 to 20 metres. (slug rounds?)

          Additionally for the Stakeout the max damage per pellet was increased
          from 15.4 to 20 and the min damage increased from 5.2 to 6.

  Trivia: Derived from John Browning's 1915 design for the Remington Model 17
          shotgun, the Ithaca Model 37 entered production in 1937 (hence the
          name!) and therefore can claim the title for the longest production
          history of any pump-action shotgun design.

          In February 2016 it was announced that the "Trench Gun" model which
          was used by some US troops during the Vietnam War would be produced
          again by Ithaca in conjunction with Inland Manufacturing with the
          authentic specification of the original military version including
          the large underbarrel lug that was originally used to mount the 16"
          M1917 bayonet! Inland also assemble replicas of the M1 Carbine and
          the M1A1 Paratrooper model (see Section 08a).

          The Ithaca 37 Stakeout was an official factory model made for police
          use (hence the name!) featuring a shortened 13" barrel, pistol grip
          and no buttstock. The model in Hardline includes a folding foregrip.

          The Ithaca 37 has appeared in the franchised video-games Aliens:
          Infestation and Aliens: Colonial Marines as the M37 Combat Shotgun.

o SPAS-12

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 8+1   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 0.75 secs x N

 Unlocks: $7,800 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: In BF4 it fired at 92 RPM in pump-action mode but in Hardline the
          SPAS fires semi-auto and over twice as fast (around 200 RPM).

          Its underbarrel tube mag gives a total ammo capacity of 9 shells but
          each shell holds 11 pellets and each pellet does 20 max damage like
          the Stakeout except the SPAS-12's drop-offs are a few metres shorter
          and it has a much tighter pellet scatter cone.

          (The SPAS reloads individual shells about as fast as the 870P Magnum
          but there seems to be an odd glitch where you get one additional
          animation whenever you load six or more shells! Although it looks
          like you're getting an extra shell, after the reloading process is
          complete you will always have the standard nine rounds available.)

 Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta
          in February 2015. The damage distances for the SPAS-12 and 870P were
          nerfed - the drop-off start was reduced from 12 to 10 metres and the
          drop-off end was reduced from 25 to 20 metres, although these changes</pre><pre id="faqspan-5">
          might've been reverted later.

          In the 16 June patch the damage drop-off start distance for the 870P,
          SPAS-12 and Stakeout were buffed from 12 to 20 metres. (slug rounds?)

          Additionally for the SPAS the max damage was increased from 15 to 20.

  Trivia: The SPAS-12 is made by Franchi of Italy and entered production in the
          early 80's. As fans of the first Terminator movie will know, "you can
          go pump or [semi-]auto". The SPAS was a pump-action in BF4 but this
          time it comes as a semi-automatic so it fires a lot faster.

          See the SPAS-12 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/YcuOUBG0Fz0

          The "Special-Purpose Automatic Shotgun" (12-gauge) was modified and
          rebranded as the "Sporting-Purpose Automatic Shotgun" in an effort
          to bypass American import restrictions.

          See the SPAS-12 on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/gfM1H3qW9WE

          A community mission was held in July 2015 where you could earn $100k
          of in-game currency simply by getting twelve kills with the SPAS-12 -
          except it wasn't that simple because the Battlelog claim page was
          broken so they had to fix it and extend the deadline by two days. A
          further mission was run later the same month where you needed to get
          99 kills with the same gun for $250k - this had the same problem and
          was extended by three days to allow people to claim.

o Double-Barrel Shotgun

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 2   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 3.50 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Enforcer Syndicate' assignment [both factions]

          First complete 'Enforcer Assignment 1'.

          o requires Enforcer Bronze Service Star 2* (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 shotgun and/or battle rifle kills
          o get 10 ammo resupplies on team-mates

          Then complete 'Enforcer Assignment 2'.

          o requires Enforcer Bronze Service Star 7* (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Enforcer Assignment 1
          o get 25 shotgun and/or battle rifle kills
          o deflect 250 pts of damage with the ballistic shield

          Finally complete 'Enforcer Syndicate'.

          o requires Enforcer Assignment 2
          o requires 10 Enforcer guns and/or gadgets purchased
          o requires Enforcer Gold Service Star 1* (275,000 XP with class)
          o get 200 shotgun and/or battle rifle kills
          o unlock Enforcer tier 4 reputation 10 times*
          o get 15 Ammo Resupply Coins (get 8 resupplies in one match for each)
          o get 15 Ballistic Shield Coins (deflect 100 pts of damage for each)

          The ammo resupplies and kills should be fairly easy to get although
          the 200 kills will be a bit of a grind if you don't like using either
          the shotguns or the battle rifles.

          The ballistic shield can be purchased for $18,000 and equips into a
          gadget slot. When deployed it can block incoming small-arms fire to
          protect you and any team-mates that are using you as mobile cover.
          When using the shield it's best to crouch to cover your feet and use
          walls/corners to cover your side/s.

          Patched: The requirements involving the ballistic shield are now much
                   easier to complete since the 16 June 2015 patch. The amount
                   of "Draw Fire" points for using the shield to block enemy
                   fire was greatly increased and you might even be able to get
                   all fifteen Ballistic Shield Coins in a single match where
                   previously it was a major struggle to earn even one! :6

          Some players have had problems unlocking the Enforcer Syndicate even
          though they've completed all the pre-requisites (if all the pre-reqs
          are not shown as complete then you cannot start earning any progress
          towards the requirements). If you have issues with this bug then try
          buying all Enforcer weapons and gadgets (not just ten) and then log
          in and out of your online Battlelog account.

          *See my notes on unlocking the ARM (see Section 04b) for basic tips
          on grinding classes and farming tier 4 rep.

          When playing Hotwire to grind rep as Enforcer you can also get some
          extra points by putting an ammo bag on the hood of your car so any
          passengers can resupply ammo while driving.
                                           __

          The Double-Barrel Shotgun can also now be found as unmarked pickups
          on Pacific Highway (Getaway DLC) and Alcatraz (Betrayal DLC).

          On Pacific Highway it's next to the fireplace upstairs in the hunting
          lodge north-west of the central rocky peak. That's the cops base in
          Capture the Bag mode or Log Cabins ("A" flag) in Conquest Large.

          On Alcatraz it's in one of the museum display cases on "Sunset Strip"
          in Cell Block A next to the north-east exterior wall.

 Summary: The DBS (as I like to call it) is very different to all the other
          shotguns in Hardline. To start with it can only hold two shells at a
          time and these can be fired either in very quick succession or both
          simultaneously by changing the fire-mode (by pressing d-pad down). It
          also has a very slow reload animation that takes around three and a
          half seconds and will frequently leave you very vulnerable.

          It does very high damage though... Each shell holds 12 pellets and
          each pellet does a massive maximum damage of 60 (triple that of the
          37 Stakeout). Technically just one shell can do enough damage to kill
          someone seven times over!?

          The damage profile has a very short 6-12 metres drop-off but it still
          manages a minimum damage of 20 per pellet (the same as the Stakeout's
          max damage). In its default configuration the DBS is a sawn-off with
          a very short barrel and this shortening (together with the removal of
          the theoretical standard choke) gives it a wide pellet cone which is
          twice the width of the 870's (which I've been using as a baseline).
          It has very good aimed accuracy but exceptionally poor hipfire spread
          so it's best to ADS (if only for a split-second) before you fire.

          There are only two attachments available for the DBS - the stock and
          barrel that restore it to a full-sized shotgun. Although labelled as
          a "heavy barrel" it actually functions as a full choke - it tightens
          the cone by 40% but also increases that hipfire spread by another 50%
          so it becomes even more important to aim down sights.

          No optics are available and the Double-Barrel Shotgun cannot use the
          alternate shotgun loads (i.e. slugs and breaching rounds).

  Trivia: The Double-Barrel Shotgun has a traditional shotgun design with wood
          furniture and a "side-by-side" format (as opposed to "over-under") -
          it has two barrels (hence the name!) which are next to each other and
          shells are loaded directly into them by "breaking" the gun open.

          Since it lacks a pump-action or underbarrel tube magazine and the
          buttstock is made from wood, such a weapon can very easily be made
          into a shortened "sawn-off" or "sawed-off" format with a very short
          barrel and no stock as seen in the standard game model. Here in the
          UK the relative availability of shotguns (in the farming community)
          and the ease with which a sawn-off can be concealed made it a popular
          choice for bank-robbers and other criminals in movies and real life.

          Getting twenty-five kills each with the Double-Barrel Shotgun and the
          MAC10 (Professional sidearm) earns you the 'Menz in the Hood' trophy.

o KSG12

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 14   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 1.00 secs x N

 Unlocks: $25,500 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

          (Criminal Activity DLC required)

 Summary: The Criminal Activity expansion focused on the Enforcer class, adding
          two new battle rifles (see below) and this shotgun.

          Although it seems to be missing its extra round in the chamber, the
          KSG still has a large ammo capacity. It holds 14 shells (twice that
          of the 870) and each pellet does the same 25 max damage as the 870
          however each shell only has 10 pellets rather than 12. While it is
          nice to have all those shells available there will be few situations
          where you need that many so I'd stick with the higher pellet count in
          the 870 which gives a much greater potential for one-hit kills.

          The KSG has a tighter pellet cone than the 870 and it has a bullpup
          configuration so I'd assume it has better hipfire accuracy but maybe
          a slightly wider ADS spread (like the UTS15 in BF4).

  Trivia: The Kel-Tec KSG is a modern bullpup pump-action shotgun with an 18.5"
          barrel and two parallel underbarrel tube magazines giving it a total
          capacity of 7+7+1 with 2.75" shells (or 6+6+1 with 3" shells). The
          KSG is similar in concept to the Turkish UTS15 except that has both
          mags above the barrel instead of below.

          Other models have shorter barrels and magazines. The KSG Patrol has a
          16.1" barrel and 6+6+1 capacity while the KSG Tactical has a 13.7"
          barrel and holds 5+5+1.

          See the KSG on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/BVVii2K1j5k

          The Florida-based company also makes various other interesting guns
          including the bullpup 7.62mm RFB battle-rifle (which featured in BF4
          as a semi-auto marksman rifle), the bullpup 5.56mm RDB assault rifle
          which is currently due to launch in late 2015, the pistol-calibre
          SUB2000 carbine which literally folds in half for easy storage and
          the SU16 rifle where the handguard splits and pivots to form a bipod.

          SMT Tactical offer a wide range of custom accessories for the KSG
          including a long spike that's fitted to the magazine end-caps under
          the barrel like a bayonet. It even has grooves for blood flow!

          A Kel-Tec KSG has previously appeared in several video-games such as
          CoD: Modern Warfare 3, CoD: Blops II, GTA V and Payday 2. It was also
          used by Kyle Reese in the movie Terminator: Genisys.

o Saiga 12

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 8+1   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 2.50 secs

 Unlocks: $25,500 [both factions]

          The Saiga 12 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Robbery DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The Saiga is another semi-automatic shotgun but it fires much slower
          than the SPAS (around 130 RPM).

          It has the same ammo capacity (9 shells) but it combines the lowest
          pellet count in this category (10 per shell) with the lower damage
          profile (20 max damage). It also has a pretty wide pellet cone.

          The Saiga is the only shotgun in Hardline to have a detachable mag so
          you can complete a full reload quite quickly (around 2.5 seconds) but
          you can't load shells individually and resume firing whenever.

          The Saiga 12 comes without any attachments.

 Patched: The November 2015 update fixed an issue where it was possible for a
          player to fire the Saiga during a reload.

  Trivia: Noted for its reliability, the Saiga 12 is another Russian weapon
          derived from the classic Kalashnikov AK47 design. As usual the gun is
          modelled on the short-barrel Saiga 12k version - the "k" stands for
          korotkaya which means "short". It also has a lightweight buttstock.

          See a custom Saiga 12 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/rgeqo_698fA

          Versions are also available in the smaller 20-gauge (including the
          20k model that featured in BFBC2) and in the lightweight .410 bore
          (the same ammo used by Hardline's .410 Jury revolver).

          A full-length Saiga with a skeletonized folding stock is available in
          the 2013 game Metro: Last Light. It's incorrectly modelled there with
          a fully automatic fire-mode and a short curved magazine.

o M4

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 8+1   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 0.75 secs x N

 Unlocks: $25,500 [both factions]

          The M4 shotgun was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Betrayal DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The M4 previously appeared in BF3 and BF4 as the military M1014.

          I haven't seen any stats for it so I'm unable to give a detailed
          analysis. It's a semi-automatic shotgun and it has the same magazine
          size as the SPAS-12 but it fires considerably slower (around 130 RPM)
          so I'd assume it has more pellets per shell or heavier damage.

          The M4 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The M4 Super 90 was designed by Benelli of Italy for entry into the
          US military trials in 1995 to find a new 12-gauge semi-automatic
          combat shotgun primarily for use by the US Marine Corps. It won the
          competition and was adopted as the M1014 in 1999.

          The M4 is also used by British forces with the designation L128A1.

          See a custom M4 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/tV5AVhu2r58

          The military and law enforcement version features a full-length tube
          magazine (giving a 7+1 capacity), a pistol-grip and a minimal stock
          consisting of a telescopic tube, cheek rest and butt pad (seen on the
          BF2 and BF3 weapon models). It's also available with either a solid
          buttstock and the tactical pistol-grip (as seen in BF4 and Hardline)
          or a solid semi-grip rifle buttstock.

          On the civilian model the underbarrel tube mag is pinched near the
          muzzle (limiting its capacity to 5+1) and is available in the US with
          either of the fixed buttstock options but not the telescoping one.

          See the M4 on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/xE7IVMUvkFQ

          In that video Jerry hits a target with slug rounds at 100 yards.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 06b | Battle Rifles                                             s06b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

A battle rifle is defined as a military rifle that uses a full rifle calibre
such as 7.62mm NATO (in contrast to an assault rifle which uses an intermediate
load like 5.56mm NATO). Classic examples are the FAL (see below) and the G3. In
previous Battlefield titles the battle rifles have usually been grouped in with
the assault rifles or carbines so it's nice to see them labelled properly here.

Compared to the assault rifles in the game, the battle rifles typically give
around 70% more damage, have smaller magazines and fire slightly slower. They
also experience around twice as much vertical recoil (so you may want to equip
the muzzle brake or heavy barrel, using an unlock voucher if available) although
they do at least have very low first-shot recoil multipliers so you don't get
that initial jump when you fire a burst.

The starting primary for the Enforcer class is the 870P Magnum shotgun. All
battle rifles must be bought using money (XP) and most are faction-locked.

Patched: The muzzle velocity for most battle rifles was standardised at 700 m/s
        in the 3 November 2015 patch. This was a major buff to the SCAR-H and
        SG510 (which previously fired at only 410 m/s) and a small buff to the
        HK51 and FAL (which had 650 m/s before). The SA58 retained its oddly
        high velocity of 840 m/s and the HCAR was stuck at 600 m/s - although
        that's still faster than the post-patch carbines and assault rifles.

The battle rifles in the game have the following damage profiles:

                       |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
            Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
   ====================+========+==============+========+=================
        7.5x55mm Swiss |        |              |        | SG510
   --------------------|        |  20m to 50m  |        |-----------------
                       |        |              |        | everything else
        7.62x51mm NATO |  43.0  |--------------|  25.0  |-----------------
                       |        |              |        | FAL
   --------------------|        |  30m to 60m  |        |-----------------
    .30-06 Springfield |        |              |        | HCAR

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

The battle rifles all have the same max and min damage values. In fact they all
have the same damage profile (giving a three-hit kill out to 36 metres) apart
from the FAL and HCAR which have a slightly later drop-off.

Patched: In the 28 April patch the minimum damage for all battle rifles was
        buffed from 24 to 25. (This is the opposite of the nerf applied to the
        7.62mm SCAR and Bulldog in BF4's Fall Patch.)

        The HCAR was given the same "long-range" drop-off distances as the FAL
        in the 3 November update.

That high minimum damage gives a four-hit kill (body shots), a three-hit kill
(one headshot) or even a two-hit kill (two headshots) at long ranges. You can
take advantage of this potential by using your battle rifle like a mid-range
marksman rifle to pick off distant targets: either tapfire or switch to semi-
auto. (press d-pad down - and remember to switch back to full auto afterwards!)

In addition to the battle rifles listed in this section the M110K5 is also
available (see Section 08b) and can be used by any class.

o SCAR-H

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 625 RPM   Reload: 1.90 secs

 Unlocks: $26,400 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: Compared to the other police battle rifles - the HCAR and SG510 -
          the SCAR has the highest rate of fire but it also has the heaviest
          recoil. It retains its rapid reload times from BF4 and also has the
          lowest spread increase per shot (SIPS) in this category.

          The SCAR is one of several guns in Hardline that has the option of
          adding/removing the shoulder stock as an accessory (see Section 10b).
          When the stock is not used the SCAR-H is modelled authentically with
          the folding stock stowed on the side of the rifle.

 Patched: The SCAR-H and SG510 both previously suffered from very low muzzle
          velocity but this penalty was removed in the 3 November 2015 update.

  Trivia: The Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Assault Rifle or SCAR for
          short was designed by FN Herstal to meet the requirements of American
          special forces. The first models entered service in April 2009.

          See the SCAR-H (semi-auto) on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/jOvJUdJlkNk

          There are two standard models - the SCAR-L (designated Mk 16 Mod 0)
          is the "Light" 5.56mm assault rifle with a 10", 14" or 18" barrel and
          the SCAR-H (designated Mk 17 Mod 0) is the "Heavy" 7.62mm battle
          rifle with 13", 16" and 20" barrel options. You can recognize the
          SCAR-H by its wider, shorter and straight magazine.

          See the SCAR-H (full auto) on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/atntd0XlQxg

          At the annual meeting of the AUSA in October 2015 FNH USA showcased a
          new version of the SCAR-H using Soviet 7.62x39mm (AK47) ammunition.

          FN list two marksman variants of the SCAR-H. The PR and TPR both have
          a longer barrel and an extended upper receiver with extra rail space
          but the PR has the standard folding buttstock while the TPR has a
          specialist non-folding adjustable stock. The latter seems to be the
          version approved in 2010 as the Mk 20 Mod 0 or Sniper Support Rifle
          and which appears in CS:GO as the "SCAR-20".

          See the SCAR marksman model on IV8888: https://youtu.be/lcsbTP2p7Dw

          There are also two semi-auto models available for civilian and police
          use - these are the SCAR 16S (5.56mm) and SCAR 17S (7.62mm).

          See the SCAR 16S on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/_ZetJ9W4KFE

          See the "ultimate" SCAR 17S on MAC: https://youtu.be/qyeobqnKPHA

          The SCAR-H licence patch shows the M249 LMG in error. Also for some
          players this was unlocked by default before you even started playing.

o HCAR

    Ammo: .30-06   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 450 RPM   Reload: 2.05 secs

 Unlocks: $37,200 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: Chugging along at only 450 RPM the HCAR has the lowest auto fire-rate
          in the base game, firing even slower than the theoretical maximum
          rate of the semi-auto FN57 pistol (see Section 08b)! It also has
          relatively slow reload times, although it's still better than the
          majority of Operator primaries.

          It makes up for that with its larger magazine capacity (holding 50%
          more rounds than most of the battle rifles), its low horizontal and
          vertical recoil (which are also the best in this group) and the same
          longer damage drop-off as the FN FAL (see below) which gives a basic
          three-hit kill out to 46 metres.

          Although the HCAR has a 30-round magazine, you spawn with only enough
          spare ammo for three full reloads (3 x 31 = 93) instead of the usual
          four. This shouldn't be an issue however as you will be playing as
          the Enforcer class and you should usually have the ammo bag equipped.

 Patched: In addition to the generic minimum damage buff (see above) in the 28
          April patch, the vertical ADS recoil was greatly reduced for both the
          HCAR and the HK51 to make them more competitive compared to the SCAR
          and the SA58. For the HCAR the recoil was approximately halved.

          The drop-off range was extended by 10 metres in the 3 November patch.

  Trivia: The HCAR (pronounced "H-car") is the Ohio Ordnance Works (OOW) Heavy
          Counter-Assault Rifle. It's essentially a lightweight and modernized
          version of the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) which dates back
          to World War I but was also used by US forces in WWII and Korea. The
          HCAR debuted at the SHOT Show in January 2013.

          See the HCAR & BAR on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/HD31v5Rziag

          The HCAR is built around OOW's own BAR replica receiver so it fires
          the same .30-06 Springfield cartridge (which was also used by the M1
          Garand rifle) and it can accept either original 20-round BAR mags or
          OOW's new 30-round mags as seen in the game. It has a 16" barrel -
          much shorter than the original 24" barrel of the BAR - and this has
          an unusual "dimpled" outer surface which serves to increase the
          surface area (for improved heat dissipation) and reduce the weapon's
          weight (overall the HCAR weighs seven pounds less than the BAR).

          See the HCAR on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/JGsFfkw1BdQ

          Other modern features of the gun include a scope rail, an adjustable
          Magpul buttstock, an ergonomic pistol grip, a SureFire muzzle brake
          and additional short front rails for attachments.

          The HCAR licence patch shows the M240B LMG in error.

o SA58 OSW

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 650 RPM   Reload: 1.80 secs

 Unlocks: $25,200 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The SA58 has a higher fire-rate and a faster short reload than the
          other battle rifles in the base game. It also has a remarkably high
          muzzle velocity of 840 m/s for some reason (usually in a Battlefield
          title the highest muzzle velocities will be around 650-700 m/s).

          It has the common 20-round magazine size and fairly average recoil.

  Trivia: The DSA FAL SA58 OSW (Operational Special Weapon) is a modern version
          of the FN FAL (see below) manufactured by DS Arms based in Illinois.

          DSA also make full replica FAL rifles and parts but the SA58 is an
          update on the classic design including a modern handguard with quad
          rails, a lightweight lower receiver, a DuraCoat external finish and a
          shorter barrel (although this is not ideal for the 7.62mm load).

          See the SA58 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/BvlsrgL_Plg

          The SA58 appeared in Call of Duty: Blops II, Splinter Cell: Blacklist
          and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. It also featured in Payday 2 as the
          "Falcon". (FAL-con, geddit?)

          The SA58 licence patch shows the MG36 LMG in error.

o HK51

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 500 RPM   Reload: 1.85 secs

 Unlocks: $34,800 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: I'd previously requested the MC51 as a wildcard DLC addition for BF4
          so I was very pleased to see it finally make an appearance in the
          franchise, even if it's statistically inferior to its rival the SA58!

          The HK51 has a very slow auto fire-rate and half the aimed accuracy
          of the other battle rifles. It does have quick short and long reloads
          at least and the post-patch vertical recoil is relatively low.

          Following the November buff you might find it more effective to use
          this gun in its two-round burst mode.

 Patched: In addition to the generic minimum damage buff (see above) in the 28
          April patch, the vertical ADS recoil was greatly reduced for both the
          HCAR and the HK51 to make them more competitive compared to the SCAR
          and the SA58. For the HK51 it was reduced by around one third.

          In the 3 November 2015 update the rate of fire for the HK51 in burst
          mode got a big increase from 500 RPM to 800 RPM.

  Trivia: The MC51 Machine Carbine was a radical modification of the classic
          HK G3 battle rifle design made by FR Ordnance International for UK
          special forces (SAS and SBS). Basically it packs the heavy 7.62mm G3
          into the compact body of the HK MP5 submachinegun - with a barrel
          length of only 9". Naturally such a weapon is very loud in operation
          and generates a magnificent muzzle flash!

          Having such a powerful load in an SMG-sized weapon proved to be hard
          to handle but HK themselves later produced the HK53 (which appeared
          in BF3 as the G53) which is a compromise - effectively a 5.56mm MP5.

          A 7.62mm MP5 was also made by Fleming Firearms and named the HK51.*
          Similar recent versions include the Vector V51 and the shorter PDW
          and SBR variants of the PTR91 (see Section 07b).

          HK have used a consistent two-digit numbering scheme for many of
          their firearm models. The first digit denotes the category of weapon
          with a "5" indicating a submachinegun (or a weapon of similar form)
          while the second digit represents the calibre and a "1" is 7.62x51mm
          and a "3" is 5.56x45mm - hence HK51 and HK53.

          The HK51 licence patch shows the MG4 LMG in error.

          *Writing this section just a few months ahead of the new Star Wars
          Battlefront game from regular Battlefield developers DICE, I feel
          that I should also mention that HK51 is the model number of a range
          of assassin droids that featured in the Star Wars: KOTOR video-game.

o FAL

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 700 RPM   Reload: 1.80 secs

 Unlocks: $72,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

          (Criminal Activity DLC required)

 Summary: Remarkably this is the first appearance of the legendary FAL in a
          Battlefield game - unless you count the SA58 above of course.

          The FAL is a case of extremes - in this category it has the highest
          rate of fire, longer damage drop-offs and superior aimed accuracy but
          it also comes with the biggest recoil.

          It has the option of adding/removing the shoulder stock but the gun
          will be modelled with a stock deployed in either case. By default the
          FAL is rendered with wooden furniture including a folding stock (not
          actually in the folded position). When you equip the stock in the
          accessory slot the weapon is modelled with black furniture instead!

          The FAL comes equipped with the compensator. That will reduce the
          vertical recoil by 40% but it will also add slightly to the FAL's
          high horizontal recoil.

  Trivia: The FAL was designed and made by FN Herstal and entered production in
          1953, utilising the new 7.62x51mm cartridge that was adopted as a
          NATO standard calibre the following year. Its name stands for Fusil
          Automatique Léger which is French for "Light Automatic Rifle".

          See the FAL on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/Dt3qEbwYoRI

          The design proved to be massively successful and it was used by over
          ninety different countries, several of which manufactured their own
          versions under licence, and over two million have been built. Its
          widespread use by NATO nations during the Cold War era gave rise to
          its famous nickname "The Right Arm of the Free World".

          See the FAL on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/iWoWnp8RgQo

          FN later went on to design the CAL (Light Automatic Carbine) which
          was their first rifle using the lighter 5.56mm calibre. It entered
          production in 1966 but - in stark contrast to the FAL - the CAL was
          unpopular and relatively few units were manufactured.

          See the FAL on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/wX6oJV28Q7w

          A semi-automatic model of the FAL, designated the L1A1 Self-Loading
          Rifle (SLR), was the main service rifle of the British Army from 1954
          until the introduction of the L85 (see Section 04b) in the mid-80's.
          Back in 1982 the FAL was in service with both British and Argentine
          forces so it was used by both sides during the Falklands War.

          The Canadian C1A1 version of the SLR appears in Rainbow Six: Siege as
          the "CAMRS" (Canadian Army Marksman Rifle System) available to the
          Canadian operator "Buck".

o SG510

    Ammo: 7.5x55mm   Capacity: 24+1   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 1.90 secs

 Unlocks: $78,600 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

          (Criminal Activity DLC required)

 Summary: The SG510 has the same rapid reload times as the SCAR-H. However the
          SG510 fires at a slightly slower rate of fire, has less recoil and
          uses larger magazines. (see below!)

 Patched: The SCAR-H and SG510 both previously suffered from very low muzzle
          velocity but this penalty was removed in the 3 November 2015 update.

  Trivia: The SG510 was manufactured from 1957 to 1983 by Swiss company SIG who
          also make the SG553 carbine, P226 pistol and MPX submachinegun which
          are all currently available in Hardline.

          In 1957 the SG510-1 was adopted as the service rifle of the Swiss
          army, replacing their bolt-action K31 rifle which fired the same
          7.5x55mm Swiss cartridge and had a similar keg-shaped bolt handle. It
          was finally superseded in 1990 by SIG's SG550 assault rifle.

          See the K31 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/jjAn_HUFNws

          The SG510-1 was the standard model for the Swiss military but there
          were several other variants - the lightweight SG510-2, the SG510-3 in
          7.62mm Soviet and the SG510-4 in 7.62mm NATO plus the SG510 Carbine
          and Commando versions which could be seen as direct precursors of the
          SG553 carbine (see Section 04a). There was also the AMT (American
          Match Target) version which was a semi-auto .308 export model with a
          classy walnut buttstock and handguard.

          See the SIG AMT on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/9OnCdgjpk3M

          The SG510-1 used a long magazine that held 24 rounds of the unique
          7.5mm ammo and the SG510 in Hardline shares this capacity, although
          weirdly the gun is modelled with a much shorter magazine! However if
          you equip the extended mags option then you'll see a longer magazine
          which resembles the real-life 24-round mag (but now holds 29 rounds).

          See the SIG AMT on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/m3S8YvIVK2g

o M39 EMR

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 650 RPM   Reload: 2.40 secs

 Unlocks: $80,000 [both factions]

          The M39 EMR was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: This modernized M14 does little to distinguish itself among the other
          battle rifles - it has very slow reload times and its other stats are
          all fairly average.

          The M39 EMR comes without any attachments but its iron sights - with
          a large unobtrusive rear aperture - are actually quite usable.

 Patched: In the 1 March 2016 update the muzzle velocity was corrected from
          550 m/s to 700 m/s (the standard value for battle rifles).

  Trivia: The original M14 with a wooden stock was the service rifle of the US
          military from 1959, when it replaced the M1 Garand, to 1970, when it
          was replaced by the 5.56mm M16. It was used during the Vietnam War
          and is remembered in one of the USMC cadence calls in the movie Full
          Metal Jacket: "I don't want no teenage queen. I just want my M14."

          See the M14 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/9OnCdgjpk3M?t=1m39s

          An American company called Sage International offers a wide range of
          chassis stock systems that can be used to convert your original M14,
          M1 Garand, M1 Carbine (see Section 08a) or Ruger Mini-14 rifle into a
          modern "Enhanced Battle Rifle" (EBR).

          The M39 in Hardline is fitted with Sage's standard M14ALCS (Aluminium
          Chassis Stock) and in fact during pre-release testing on the CTE the
          M39 was actually labelled as the "M14 Sage". The chassis consists of
          an anodized aluminium body with multiple Picatinny rails for scopes
          and other attachments, a pistol grip and a lightweight sliding stock
          with an adjustable cheek rest.

          Retrofitted M14 rifles with Sage's chassis and other accessories form
          the basis of several military marksman rifles, for example the Mk 14
          Mod 0 EBR used by US SOCOM operators (including US Navy SEAL's and
          Delta Force) and also the US Marine Corps' M39 EMR (Enhanced Marksman
          Rifle), although the USMC is replacing its M39's with the M110 Semi-
          Automatic Sniper System (see Section 08b).

          The M14 has previously made several appearances in the Battlefield
          series in various forms. The original M14 and the M21 marksman model
          featured in Battlefield Vietnam and the M14 was also available in
          BFBC2's Vietnam expansion. The Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR was in BFBC2 and the
          (semi-auto) M39 EMR was in both BF3 and BF4.

          See the M14 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/rJYSv9nMLY0

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 06c | Heavy Pistols                                             s06c |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Enforcer gets heavy pistols to match (rather than complement) his heavy
primaries. These look similar to the Operator's pistols but they use larger
cartridges which give more damage and correspondingly smaller magazine sizes.
They also generally have more recoil and slightly slower fire-rates.

The heavy pistols in the game have the following damage profiles:

                      |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
           Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
          ============+========+==============+========+============
               .50 AE |  68.0  |  10m to 50m  |  34.0  | Bald Eagle
          ------------+--------+--------------+--------+------------
                      |  55.0  |  10m to 30m  |        | M1911A1
              .45 ACP |--------+--------------|  28.0  |------------
                      |  45.0  |  15m to 40m  |        | 45T
          ------------+--------+--------------+--------+------------
              .40 S&W |  34.0  |  15m to 30m  |  25.0  | .40 Pro

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: The .45 pistols were rebalanced in the Criminal Activity update on 16
        June - both got increases to maximum damage but the M1911 had its drop-
        off start distance reduced while the 45T had its drop-off end distance
        extended. In the same patch the .40 Pro received nerfs to its drop-off
        distance and minimum damage.

        The M1911 and 45T received another damage buff in the November 2015
        patch with their minimum damage being increased from 15 to 28; also the
        M1911's drop-off start was extended to 10 metres. In the same update
        the .40 Pro's minimum damage was buffed from 10 to 25 and its drop-off
        distances were reverted to the previous values.

        Visceral's obsession with the .45 pistols continued in the Getaway DLC
        where the drop-off for the 45T was extended from 10-25 metres to 15-40
        and the drop-off end for the M1911 was increased from 20 to 30 metres.

Additionally you can equip the FN57, G17 Race Pistol or Dual vz.61 (see Section
08b), the non-lethal T62 CEW taser or the tracking dart pistol.

o 45T

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 10+1   Fire-rate: 320 RPM   Reload: 1.28 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: Rather appropriately the post-patch 45T gives a maximum damage of 45.
          Its damage profile delivers a three-hit kill out to 32 metres.

          Compared to the other Enforcer sidearms it has low vertical recoil,
          high horizontal recoil and a decent mag size.

          The 45T comes equipped with the Mini red-dot sight.

 Patched: In the 16 June patch the max damage for the 45T was increased to 45
          (the pre-patch max for the M1911) and the damage drop-off end was
          extended by 10 metres to 25 metres. This served to differentiate it
          from the M1911 which does more damage but has a shorter drop-off.

          In the 3 November update the minimum damage for the 45T and M1911
          were increased from 15 to 28. This extended the three-hit kill range
          of the 45T by 5 metres.

          The Getaway DLC patch in January 2016 increased the damage drop-off
          ranges from 10-25 to 15-40 metres and the 45T now gives a three-hit
          kill out to 32 metres - at least until they change it again!

  Trivia: When the 9mm Beretta 92F was adopted as the M9 service pistol of the
          US military in 1990 it replaced the Colt M1911 which uses the larger
          .45 ACP calibre. Further trials were conducted between 2005-2006 to
          find a modern .45 handgun to replace the M9 and the HK45 pistol was
          designed by HK, taking various features from their previous USP and
          P30 models, as their entry to this Joint Service Pistol competition.
          The trials were ultimately cancelled but the HK45 is available now
          for police and civilian use.

          The HK45 is an ergonomic design with distinctive finger grooves on
          the front of the pistol-grip and interchangeable backstraps on the
          rear to adjust to fit the user's hand. It also has a Picatinny rail
          (a requirement of the JSP programme) making it easy to fit a taclight
          or laser attachment under the barrel. It takes a 10-round magazine
          and is sometimes seen bicoloured with a tan frame and grey slide.

          See the HK45 (and M1911) on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/XkVfQQeX5c8

          The HK45 Compact (or HK45C) is smaller, lighter and takes either an
          8-round magazine or a 10-round magazine with an extended floorplate
          (as seen on the BF4 and Hardline models). It retains the underbarrel
          accessory rail but lacks the grooves cross the grip. The "45T" name
          used in Hardline suggests the HK45 Compact Tactical model.

o M1911A1

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 8+1   Fire-rate: 310 RPM   Reload: 1.75 secs

 Unlocks: $13,200 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The M1911 now does 55 max damage so you can actually get a two-hit
          kill out to 13 metres (and then a three-hit kill out to 26 metres).
          It also benefits from minimal horizontal recoil.

          However compared to the 45T it holds two fewer rounds, fires slightly
          slower and has higher vertical recoil.

 Patched: In the 16 June patch the max damage was increased to 55 giving the
          M1911 the potential for a two-hit kill at short ranges. However its
          damage drop-off start was also trimmed from 8 to 4 metres.

          The minimum damage for both the 45T and M1911 was increased from 15
          to 28 in the Blackout patch in November. Additionally the drop-off
          start distance for the M1911 was increased from 4 to 10 metres (now
          the same as the 45T and Beagle). This extended its two-hit kill range
          from 6 to 11 metres and the three-hit kill from 12 to 18 metres.

          In the Getaway patch in January 2016 the drop-off end was increased
          from 20 to 30 metres so it now gives a two-hit kill at 13 metres.

  Trivia: John Browning's iconic and revolutionary design remains popular today
          despite now being over a hundred years old!

          Chambered for the .45" Automatic Colt Pistol round, the handgun was
          tested against other designs in the early 1900's and adopted by the
          US Army in 1911 with the designation M1911. An updated version then
          followed in the 1920's - this was the M1911A1 model.

          See the 1911 on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/xgs3nse8rW0

          It remained in service until 1985 and the adoption of the M9 (see
          Section 04c), although it's still in use with the Navy, Marine Corps
          and some special forces units. It is estimated that over 2.5 million
          Colt 45's have been purchased during its long US military history.

          See the M1911 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/YVovu46Olpw

          The M1911 has now featured in nine titles in the Battlefield series.
          In BF1 it's the default sidearm and it also appears as the unlockable
          "M1911 Extended" - a pistol carbine for the tanker and pilot classes
          with a lightweight buttstock, wooden foregrip and extended mags.

          A community mission was held in August 2015 where you could earn a
          gold Battlepack simply by getting nineteen kills with the M1911A1.

          Another mission ran in October 2016 where you could unlock the weapon
          skin "The Incarcerator" for the M1911 and the "Road to Battlefield 1"
          dogtag (both for BF1) and a gold Battlepack by getting 100 kills with
          the M1911A1 in either Hardline or BF4.

o .40 Pro

    Ammo: .40 S&W   Capacity: 15+1   Fire-rate: 320 RPM   Reload: 1.40 secs

 Unlocks: $7,200 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The main reason to "upgrade" from the 45T to the .40 Pro is that its
          magazine holds an extra five rounds.

          Otherwise it has the same rate of fire but lower max/min damage, more
          vertical recoil, slightly less aimed accuracy and a very high spread
          increase per shot (SIPS). I'd stick with the 45T - its 10+1 capacity
          should be sufficient for most scenarios.

 Patched: The .40 Pro was nerfed in the Criminal Activity update on 16 June -
          its damage drop-off range was reduced from 15-30 to 8-25 metres and
          the minimum damage was reduced from 15 (a value it shared with the
          two .45 calibre pistols) to 10.

          In the Blackout update on 3 November the minimum damage was raised to
          25 and its drop-off range was restored to 15-30 metres.

  Trivia: The ".40 Pro" is based on the Smith & Wesson M&P 40 Pro Series. It's
          modelled authentically with the green fibre-optic front sight, the
          15-round magazine, the underbarrel accessory rail and the longer 5"
          barrel (and without the optional thumb safety switch).

          The full M&P (Military and Police) range includes .380 compacts, .357
          and .38 revolvers and various 9mm, .40 and .45 pistol models which
          have been in production since 2005.

          The Pro Series is intended to provide a middle ground between S&W's
          standard models and their high-end Performance Center range.

o Bald Eagle

    Ammo: .50 AE   Capacity: 7+1   Fire-rate: 220 RPM   Reload: 2.20 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Enforcer Assignment 2' [both factions]

          First complete 'Enforcer Assignment 1'.

          o requires Enforcer Bronze Service Star 2 (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 shotgun and/or battle rifle kills
          o get 10 ammo resupplies on team-mates

          Then complete 'Enforcer Assignment 2'.

          o requires Enforcer Bronze Service Star 7 (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Enforcer Assignment 1
          o get 25 shotgun and/or battle rifle kills
          o deflect 250 pts of damage with the ballistic shield

          (see Double-Barrel Shotgun notes in Section 06a)

 Summary: As you might imagine, the Bald Eagle is the heaviest of the "heavy
          pistols". The Deagle in BF4 fired .44 Magnum rounds and did a maximum
          damage of 56 but the "Beagle" in Hardline uses .50 Action Express and
          does a massive 68 maximum damage which gives a two-hit kill out to 31
          metres (and a three-hit kill at any range beyond). It's also capable
          of a one-hit kill to the chest/arm in Hardcore mode out to 19 metres.

          The high damage is balanced by its other stats - it fires around one
          third slower than the other pistols in this category, each magazine
          holds only seven rounds, the reloads are very slow for a pistol and
          the recoil is very heavy (it has the highest per-shot vertical recoil
          of any gun in the base game, matched only by the M82 sniper rifle).

          The Beagle comes equipped with the tactical light and compensator. In
          addition to the standard three sidearm optics options it can also use
          the much larger Comp M4s (red-dot sight) which is otherwise only
          available for primary weapons.

          The player designated as the "VIP" in Hardline's Crosshair mode is
          always equipped with a golden Bald Eagle.

  Trivia: The Deagle - or Desert Eagle if you're not into the whole brevity
          thing - is certainly a "heavy pistol". Models weigh between 3.9 and
          4.5 pounds which is double the weight of a typical modern military
          sidearm like those available to the Operator class.

          The gun was designed by Magnum Research Inc of America in conjunction
          with Israeli Military Industries (of Uzi and Galil fame) and entered
          production in 1982. It is unusual among handguns in that it uses a
          rifle-style gas-operated mechanism.

          Originally only made in .357" Magnum calibre, the Deagle has since
          become available in .44" Magnum, .41" Magnum and of course the hefty
          .50" AE (Action Express). The current version is the Mark XIX which
          has a standard frame size for all calibres which means you can
          convert the pistol very easily by switching the barrel and magazine.

          Watch FPSRussia demonstrate that here: http://youtu.be/O1_ERm1446I

          The Mark XIX also comes with a top rail for fitting a scope and on
          newer models this is a standard Picatinny rail.
</pre><pre id="faqspan-6">
          Naturally the Deagle comes in a number of various exterior finishes.
          The current range from Magnum Research includes black, burnt bronze,
          matte chrome, brushed chrome, polished chrome, bright nickel, satin
          nickel, titanium gold, titanium gold with Bengal tiger stripes and of
          course 24K gold! Several animal-print finishes including snakeskin,
          zebra and cheetah were announced as limited editions in 2015 and the
          "Apocalyptic" model with distressed Cerakote finish followed in 2016.


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 07 | PROFESSIONAL WEAPONS                                        s07 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

The Professional is the equivalent of the Recon class in previous titles.

In BF3 the Recon kit had access to a full range of both bolt-action and semi-
automatic sniper rifles but in BF4 only bolt-action snipers were locked to the
Recon class and the semi-auto DMR's (designated marksman rifles) could be used
with any class. Hardline sees a reversion to the BF3 model so the Professional
kit can choose from bolt-action snipers and semi-auto snipers.

Additionally you can equip any of the generic weapons (see Section 08).

Initially only the Scout Elite primary and the G18C sidearm are available.

The Professional Shortcut pack is available from the PSN store. This should
unlock all guns and gadgets for the class that appear in the base game except
for the one unlocked by completing the Syndicate assignment (.300 Knockout).

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 07a | Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles                                 s07a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

A bolt-action sniper rifle gives slow but very accurate fire over long ranges
and usually uses large calibre rounds that deliver high damage.

In BF4 all the bolt-action snipers had zero spread for stationary aimed fire
giving them perfect accuracy (although still subject to bullet-drop). However in
Hardline only some rifles (Scout Elite and R700) have zero spread but the rest
still have very good accuracy, for example the AWM has 0.005 ADS spread. They
all have zero spread increase (SIPS) in Hardline though so there is no loss of
accuracy on rapid follow-up shots.

The bolt-action snipers in the game have the following damage profiles:

                  |  Max.  |     Damage     |  Min.  |
       Ammunition | Damage |    Drop-Off    | Damage | Weapons
==================+========+================+========+========================
  .308 Winchester |        |                |        | R700 LTR and 388-Recon
------------------|        |   30m to 100m  |  59.0  |------------------------
 .300 Win. Magnum |        |                |        | AWM
------------------| 100.0  |----------------+--------+------------------------
    .300 Blackout |        |   50m to 80m   |  50.0  | .300 Knockout
------------------|        |----------------+--------+------------------------
.338 Lapua Magnum |        |   50m to 125m  |        | M98B
------------------+--------+----------------|  51.0  |------------------------
   5.56x45mm NATO |  75.0  |   45m to 90m   |        | Scout Elite

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

I've had to make some assumptions here about the calibres used by each weapon
based upon the labels in the game code and the cartridges used by these rifles
in real life. It's not a big deal - the actual stats are the important bit!

Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the damage drop-off start
        distance for the R700 and AWM was increased from 12.5 to 30 metres,
        more than doubling their one-hit kill range.

Here are a few notes about the sniper damage stats:

o Thanks to the headshot damage multiplier, all of the bolt-action sniper rifles
 can get a one-shot headshot kill at any range.

o Most bolt-actions have a max damage of 100 which gives a one-hit kill on the
 upper torso* or arms at distances before the damage drop-off begins.

o At other distances the guns will give a two-hit kill on body shots, although
 the ones with higher damage and longer drop-offs will have a better chance of
 killing with one shot when "finishing off" a target who's already wounded.

o In Hardcore mode (where players have 60 health) the bolt-actions can get body
 shot kills at quite long ranges. Even the Scout Elite with its lower maximum
 damage can kill with one shot out to 73 metres.

*Remember that the Mechanic kit's Armored Insert reduces damage to the chest.
                                      __

When you're using a bolt-action rifle you'll need to chamber your next round
after each shot - either tap R2 (fire) again or temporarily release L2 (ADS). In
either case you will briefly come out of your aimed scope view. (This can be
avoided by equipping the straight-pull bolt attachment.)

Any scope with 6x magnification or higher will suffer from "sway" and "glint"
when you ADS - the weapon will wobble somewhat and the glint of sunlight on the
lens will be visible to any enemies in front of you. Consequently you may prefer
to use the medium-range scopes on sniper rifles or even one of the 1x sights if
you're operating at shorter ranges.

You can negate sway by tapping or holding L3 ("steady scope" setting in options)
to hold your breath for around 3.5 seconds. The Professional class reputation
perks include Hold Breath which extends this duration.

You might think that a suppressor would be a useful attachment for a stealthy
long-range sniping role but it will actually be a major hindrance. The subsonic
ammo will have a significantly slower muzzle velocity which will increase the
travel time for your shots making it harder to hit moving targets and increasing
the effect of bullet-drop under gravity. The reduction in sound will stop you
automatically appearing on enemy minimaps but at long ranges you would probably
be outside their map anyway. The only real benefit would be concealing your
muzzle flash but you can use the flash hider attachment for that instead.

In addition to the bolt-action rifles listed below the suppressed AWS and the
classic M1903 are also available (see Section 08) and can be used by any class.

o Scout Elite

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 10+1   Fire-rate: 53 RPM   Reload: 2.85 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: All the bolt-action snipers are capable of giving a one-hit headshot
          kill at any range but the Scout Elite also has the highest rate of
          fire, the fastest muzzle velocity, twice the magazine capacity and
          the quickest reloads plus less recoil than the R700 LTR and AWM!

          To help you get started the Scout comes equipped with the 6x scope,
          straight-pull bolt and flash hider.

          That combination of features gives you few reasons (see below) to
          replace the Scout if you want a weapon purely for long-range sniping.
          You'd need to buy both the R700 and AWM (whereas the Scout can be
          used by both factions) and then grind 50 kills separately with each
          to unlock the straight-pull bolt. If you want to use vouchers to
          unlock other attachments then it's easier with one rifle than two.

          As seen in Section 02a, the Scout Elite experiences less bullet-drop
          than the R700 but more than the AWM.

 Patched: The Scout Elite's rate of fire was reduced by almost 30% in the patch
          on 3 November 2015. Even after that big nerf it still shoots faster
          than the other bolt-action rifles.

  Trivia: The Scout rifle is manufactured by Steyr of Austria who are probably
          best known for the AUG bullpup assault rifle (see Section 05a). The
          Scout has a lightweight polymer/aluminium construction with a bipod
          integrated neatly into the forestock.

          See the Scout on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/qucXL7GzoVg

          The Elite variant has a heavier longer barrel, extended scope rail,
          larger bolt handle and adjustable cheek piece on the butt stock.

          Although it is commonly seen in 7.62mm, the version in Hardline uses
          the same intermediate 5.56mm round as many of the assault rifles.

          Steyr also have an Elite 08 model with a more radical contemporary
          design compared to the classical rifle layout of the original. It has
          a pistol-grip, lightweight folding stock, multiple Picatinny rails
          and an external detachable bipod.

          At the IWA 2016 trade fair in March 2016 Steyr announced the new
          Scout RFR (rimfire rifle) in .22 LR, .17 HMR and .22 WMR calibres.

o R700 LTR

    Ammo: .308 Win   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: 51 RPM   Reload: 3.38 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The main benefit of the R700 and AWM over the Scout Elite is that
          they both have a max damage of 100 that gives a one-hit chest-shot
          kill out to 30 metres. They also have the lower 9.81 m/s² gravity
          stat (which reduces drop) and the option of equipping the powerful
          .338 Magnum rounds (see Section 10b).

          In comparison to the criminals' AWM, the R700 has faster reloads and
          less recoil. Symthic lists its fire-rate as 51 RPM but it feels like
          it's around 40 RPM (and therefore about the same as the AWM).

          The R700 comes equipped with the 8x rifle scope.

 Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the damage drop-off start
          distance for the R700 and AWM was increased from 12.5 to 30 metres.

  Trivia: Remington have been manufacturing the Model 700 for over fifty years
          and it has seen considerable use in the US military. In 1966 it was
          adopted by the US Marine Corps as the M40 (seen in BFBC2 Vietnam, BF3
          and BF4) and in 1988 it entered service with the US Army as the M24
          (seen in BF2, BFBC1 and BFBC2). More recently those M24 actions have
          formed the basis of the Army's M2010 ESR (see below).

          See the Remington 700 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/cYTb2elcpJo

          The Remington 700 LTR (Light Tactical Rifle) is a variant of the 700P
          police model. It has a 20" barrel instead of the standard 26" and is
          available in .223 Remington, .308 Winchester or 300 RSAUM.

          Remington also market the R700 USR (Urban Sniper Rifle) which is an
          LTR with extra tactical features such as a detachable box magazine,
          adjustable buttstock, optional suppressor and Remington's Modular
          Accessory Rail System (MARS) which includes a secondary front scope
          rail that allows the user to add/remove a night-vision device.

          Remington is the oldest firearms manufacturer in America. The company
          was founded in 1816 and is now celebrating its 200th anniversary!

o AWM

    Ammo: .300 Win Mag   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: 39 RPM   Reload: 3.50 secs

 Unlocks: $51,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The AWM has a slow rate of fire, more recoil than the other snipers
          and slow reloads (its long reload is one second longer than that of
          the R700). The combination of average velocity and low gravity give
          it minimal bullet-drop and the 100 max damage makes it possible to
          get one-hit kills on chest shots within 30 metres but otherwise you
          should consider sticking with the Scout Elite.

          The AWM comes equipped with the 14x hunter scope.

 Patched: In the Criminal Activity update on 16 June the damage drop-off start
          distance for the R700 and AWM was increased from 12.5 to 30 metres.

  Trivia: The AWM is one of a family of sniper rifles designed and manufactured
          by the British company Accuracy International. The original model was
          the PM (Precision Marksman) rifle in 7.62mm NATO. This was adopted by
          the British army in the mid 80's (to replace the Lee-Enfield L42A1)
          and designated the L96A1 but nicknamed the "Green Meanie"!

          An updated version called the AW (Arctic Warfare) was designed for
          the Swedish military - incorporating features to improve performance
          in cold climates (hence the name!) - and this model was also adopted
          by the British Army as the L118A1.

          The AWM* (Arctic Warfare Magnum) uses either .338 Lapua Magnum (like
          the M98B, GOL Magnum and 338-Recon in BF4) or .300 Winchester Magnum.
          British forces use two versions of the so-called "Super Magnum" in
          .338 Lapua - the L115A1 and the enhanced L115A3.

          The L115A3 was used by British sniper Craig Harrison to achieve the
          longest recorded sniper kill of 2,707 yards (~1.5 miles) in Helmand
          Province in 2009. This record was eventually broken in May 2017 by a
          Canadian sniper in Iraq using a McMillan TAC-50 anti-materiel rifle
          at a range of 3,871 yards (~2.2 miles).

          See the AWM on Future Weapons: http://youtu.be/glCddKt8sX0

          A suppressed version of the AW was added to Hardline in the Getaway
          update (see Section 08b).

          The AWM has now been superseded by the AX308 in .308 Winchester and
          the AXMC which fires .338 Lapua Magnum but can be readily converted
          to use either .300 Win Mag or .308 Win. Accuracy International also
          currently market the AT308 (in .308 Win), the AX50 (in .50 BMG) and
          the new AXAICS and ATAICS chassis (both made to take R700 actions).

          See the AT308 and AX50 on Vickers Tac: https://youtu.be/zDzM-kWdPVw

          *The AWM also appears in BF4 as the L115. Previously it was called
          the L96A1 but after the ammo was changed from 7.62mm to .338 Magnum
          late in the game's life-cycle the weapon's name was updated to keep
          it authentic to the real range of rifles.

o .300 Knockout

    Ammo: .300 Blackout   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: 36 RPM   Reload: 3.20 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Professional Syndicate' assignment [both factions]

          First complete 'Professional Assignment 1'.

          o requires Professional Bronze Service Star 2* (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 sniper rifle kills
          o get 5 kills with laser tripmines

          Then complete 'Professional Assignment 2'.

          o requires Professional Bronze Service Star 7* (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Professional Assignment 1
          o get 25 sniper rifle kills
          o get 5 Camera Coins (get 2 camera assists in one match for each)

          Finally complete 'Professional Syndicate'.

          o requires Professional Assignment 2
          o requires 10 Professional guns and/or gadgets purchased
          o requires Professional Gold Service Star 1* (275,000 XP with class)
          o get 200 sniper rifle kills
          o unlock Professional tier 4 reputation 10 times*
          o get 15 Camera Coins (get 2 camera assists in one match for each)
          o get 15 Marksman Coins (get cumulative 250m headshot/s for each)

          You can use the semi-auto snipers to get the kills if you want.

          The laser tripmines can be planted on floors, walls, ceilings, etc,
          and are best hidden around corners so that enemies don't see them.
          They can also be planted flat on the road to damage passing vehicles.

          The Camera Coins are much easier to get since the patch that made the
          camera gadget more effective and reduced the coin requirements. You
          should plant your cameras high on walls, trees, etc, in positions
          that will overlook routes used by enemies. You get a camera assist
          each time a friendly kills someone spotted by one of your cams.

          When you get a headshot kill at 50+ metres you'll receive a marksman
          bonus equal to the range in metres. You earn one Marksman Coin when
          you get a marksman bonus of 250+ or several marksman bonuses in the
          same match that total 250+ (e.g. 63 + 84 + 106 = 253). You can choose
          whether to use a bolt-action sniper to score those long-range shots
          or a semi-auto sniper to farm multiple shorter ones.

          If you aim at targets who are near objectives (e.g. capture points in
          Conquest mode) then the objective marker will show their distance.
          Remember you need to get shots totalling at least 250 metres so avoid
          distances like 83 or 123 metres! (3 x 83 < 250 and 2 x 123 < 250) In
          Conquest Large mode on Dust Bowl the hills on the east and west sides
          are around 300 metres from the middle "A", "B" and "C" flags. If you
          know the distance you can set your zeroing (see Section 02a) but
          remember to set it again each time you respawn.

          When long-range sniping look out for stationary enemies that will
          make easier targets, e.g. snipers, crew in static vehicles, people
          capping flags and those lying prone including the recently revived!

          Don't go prone otherwise the easy target will be you! Use cover and
          keep strafing - but always stop to take your shot to take advantage
          of the stationary bonus to accuracy.

          I would suggest using the default Scout Elite with the 14x scope (if
          you have the scope or an unlock voucher). You can equip the grapple
          and use this to access rooftop sniping spots.

          Speaking of spots, don't forget to keep pressing R1 (PS4 default) to
          mark enemy soldiers. Spotting will help out your team-mates too.

          *See my notes on unlocking the ARM (see Section 04b) for basic tips
          on grinding classes and farming tier 4 rep.

 Summary: The .300 Knockout has very prominent strengths and weaknesses. It
          holds its 100 maximum damage out to 50 metres which means you can get
          one-hit kills on chest shots at impressive distances. However its
          fixed sound suppressor gives a velocity of only 300 m/s (less than
          half that of the Scout Elite) and combined with the standard 15 m/s²
          gravity value that causes very severe drop at longer ranges.

          (If you're sniping with the Knockout at medium ranges try setting the
          zeroing to 200 or 300 metres - that should counter most of the drop.)

          Its post-patch fire-rate is slightly slower than the AWM's making it
          the slowest bolt-action sniper in the game.

          The Knockout comes equipped with the FLIR 2x scope and laser sight.

          Given its limitations there is little reason to equip a long-range
          scope and you might as well run with a medium-range scope that will
          prevent the "glint" effect that can give away your position. The
          rifle cannot accept any muzzle attachments because that slot is used
          by the permanent suppressor.

 Patched: In the Robbery update on 16 September 2015 the rate of fire was cut
          by 30% from 51 RPM to 36 RPM.

  Trivia: In 2010 Remington won the contract to upgrade a large volume of M24
          sniper rifles (see above) for the US Army. Their design for the M24E1
          "Enhanced Sniper Rifle" was later designated the XM2010 ESR and then
          officially adopted as the M2010 ESR. The rifles were converted from
          7.62x51mm to .300 Winchester Magnum which increased their effective
          engagement range by around 50% while maintaining 1 MOA accuracy.

          The action is mounted inside the Remington Accessory Chassis System
          (RACS) which gives the .300 Knockout its exotic appearance. This
          modern lightweight chassis features a fully adjustable folding stock,
          a long monolithic scope rail and an octagonal handguard with extra
          rails for other attachments. The M2010 design also has detachable
          magazines, a 6.5-20x optical scope and a removable sound suppressor.

          The standard 24" barrel extends a few inches beyond the end of the
          handguard and fitting the suppressor significantly increases the
          weapon's overall length (to 52" in total). However on the game model
          the protruding barrel is not visible, creating the appearance of an
          empty chassis. So it seems that Hardline's .300 Knockout is actually
          based on a concept for an "AAC integrally-suppressed Remington 700"
          using .300 Blackout ammunition (see Section 08b) which was proposed
          around 2011 but didn't enter production as far as I know.

          The implication is that the weapon has a shorter barrel and the
          suppressor is cunningly built into the length of the handguard. (A
          similar design can be seen in the integrally-suppressed variant of
          Barrett's .308 MRAD sniper rifle which was revealed in early 2015.)

o 388-Recon

    Ammo: .308 Win   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: 39 RPM   Reload: 3.20 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [both factions]

          The 388-Recon was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: Although its bullpup configuration makes the 388-Recon cosmetically
          quite different to the other bolt-action sniper rifles, it delivers
          fairly similar performance to the R700 LTR and AWM.

          Usually a bullpup weapon would have better hipfire/moving accuracy
          and worse aimed accuracy and reload times but the 388 actually has
          perfect aimed accuracy, the same hipfire/moving accuracy and slightly
          faster reloads than most of the other bolt-action snipers.

          The 388-Recon comes equipped with the 8x rifle scope.

  Trivia: The 388-Recon in Hardline is actually the SRS (Stealth Recon Scout)
          which is manufactured by the US company Desert Tech (formerly Desert
          Tactical Arms), the same firm that makes the MDR which appears in
          Hardline as the "MDC" assault rifle.

          See the SRS on Ultimate Weapons: http://youtu.be/7xY7nH5hWrI

          It's available in .308 Winchester and .338 Lapua Magnum calibres and
          there's no such ammunition as .388 so the "388-Recon" name is weird.
          There would be no issue with trademarks since the 338-Recon name -
          previously used for the .338 version in BF4 - is already fictitious
          so it could've been called the 308-Recon in Hardline instead.

          (The ammo type in the game code is "762x51mmNATO_Bolt" and 7.62mm
          NATO is practically equivalent to .308 Winchester and that's why I
          chose to list that as the ammo type.)

          See the SRS on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/lAolFvexg30

          The novel bullpup design makes it much shorter than conventional
          weapons. It has a barrel length of 26" and yet even the longer .338
          Lapua Magnum model has an overall length of only 38" which is shorter
          than an M16 assault rifle (with its 20" barrel). The compact Covert
          model has an overall length of 26" which is similar to an SMG - an
          image on the company's website illustrates that the SRS Covert is the
          same length as an MP5 with the sliding stock extended.

          See the SRS Covert on MAC again: https://youtu.be/gbCgjAsuq9k

          The modular design of the SRS allows you to switch between calibres
          easily, e.g. the more powerful .338 load can be used where longer
          range is required or for an anti-materiel (anti-vehicle/equipment)
          role but the gun could be converted to .308 which would be cheaper
          for training and give less overpenetration in an anti-personnel role.

          See the SRS Covert on IV8888: https://youtu.be/LQQtFYGOzS4

          It can also be converted to .260 Remington, .300 Winchester Magnum,
          7mm WSM, 6.5mm Creedmoor and 6.5x47mm Lapua. The manufacturer claims
          that it is the most versatile sniper system in the world.

o M98B

    Ammo: .338 Magnum   Capacity: 10+1   Fire-rate: 27 RPM   Reload: 3.20 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [both factions]

          The M98B sniper rifle was added to the game in the update that came
          with the Betrayal DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The M98B has the same long damage drop-off start distance as the .300
          Knockout so you can get the same one-hit kills to the chest/arms out
          to 50 metres but without the heavy bullet-drop. It also has the same
          large 10-round magazine capacity as the Scout Elite.

          It has heavy vertical recoil, a massive x4.5 first-shot multiplier
          and very slow recoil recovery although that doesn't really matter as
          it also has a delayed animation on cycling the bolt which gives it an
          incredibly slow rate of fire (taking over two seconds per shot).

          The M98B comes without any attachments and it doesn't have the option
          of adding a straight-pull bolt or any muzzle attachments except for
          the suppressor which would reduce the velocity and increase the drop.

  Trivia: The M98B is made by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing of Tennessee, the
          same company that gave us the M82 (see Section 07b).

          The Barrett M98 was an entirely new design for a precision rifle in
          the .338 calibre. The original model never entered production but
          this bolt-action M98B version was subsequently launched in 2009.

          A modified version of the M98B called the Barrett MRAD (Multi-Role
          Adaptive Design) was produced to meet the requirements of the USSOCOM
          (US Special Operations Command) Precision Sniper Rifle programme.

          At the SHOT Show in 2015 Barrett displayed an integrally-suppressed
          version of the MRAD with a titanium suppressor built into the length
          of the handguard - this is essentially the same concept as the ".300
          Knockout" in Hardline (see above).

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 07b | Semi-Auto Sniper Rifles                                   s07b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Previously labelled as designated marksman rifles (DMR's) in BF4, the semi-auto
sniper rifles would normally be used in a support role at squad level engaging
targets at medium ranges in contrast to the long ranges where you would use a
bolt-action sniper rifle.

In contrast to the bolt-action snipers, the semi-autos have higher rates of fire
and larger magazines but reduced bullet damage and slightly less aimed accuracy.

The starting primary for the Professional class is the Scout Elite above. All
semi-auto snipers must be bought using money (XP) and most are faction-locked.

The semi-auto snipers in the game have the following damage profiles:

                     |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
          Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
     ================+========+==============+========+=================
        .416 Barrett |  90.0  |  70m to 130m |  55.0  | M82 .416
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
      7.62x51mm NATO |  43.0  |  60m to 120m |  34.0  | everything else
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
        7.62x39mm WP |  45.0  |   8m to 60m  |  35.0  | Saiga .308
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
      5.56x45mm NATO |  30.0  |  10m to 20m  |  24.0  | RO933 M1

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

The SOCOM16, SR25, PTR91, Saiga .308 and SP-AR all give a basic three-hit kill
at all ranges and cannot give a one-shot headshot kill. The M82 has a two-hit
kill at all ranges and gives one-hit headshots like the bolt-action rifles.

They have access to a full selection of optics including the long-range scopes
but you might prefer to use a medium-range scope to avoid the glint effect. Each
shot with a semi-auto weapon counts as a first shot so the angled foregrip is an
obvious choice for the grip attachment as this reduces the first-shot recoil.

o SOCOM16

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 360 RPM   Reload: 2.40 secs

 Unlocks: $24,000 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The four semi-auto snipers that were available at launch have fairly
          similar stats - they all share the same rate of fire and magazine
          capacity and their reload times and recoil are comparable too.

          The most significant stat for the SOCOM16 is its spread increase per
          shot (SIPS) which is double that of the other three guns for some
          reason. This means that successive shots will be much less accurate.

          The SOCOM comes equipped with the M145 3.4x scope.

  Trivia: The Springfield Armory SOCOM16 is a modern, shortened, lightweight
          variant of their own M1A from 1974 which is a civilian version of the
          M14 that was used by the US military throughout the 1960's until it
          was replaced by the M16 during the Vietnam War. The standard SOCOM16
          only has a short scope rail on top but the SOCOM II model comes with
          a full quad rail system for attachments.

          See the original M1A on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/dTvAI-zJmUU

          SOCOM stands for "Special Operations COMmand" and 16 is the length of
          the barrel in inches - the shortest barrel length permitted without
          registration under US law.

          See a suppressed M1A on IV8888: https://youtu.be/fEVWb7O21LI

          In January 2016 Springfield Armory unveiled the SOCOM16 CQB (Close
          Quarter Battle) model which features a remodelled stock with three
          short accessory rails, an adjustable tactical AR buttstock, a pistol
          grip and an optional red-dot sight.

          The Springfield M1A is the basis for the bullpup SRSS Bulldog 762
          which was added to BF4 in the Dragon's Teeth DLC.

o SR25 ECC

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 360 RPM   Reload: 2.50 secs

 Unlocks: $40,200 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: The SR25 has quite average stats for this category but it's the
          obvious choice for the police faction simply due to that excessive
          spread increase on the SOCOM16.

          The recoil pattern includes a distinct pull to the right (typical of
          M16-type weapons in Battlefield titles) but this should reset between
          each shot of a burst.

  Trivia: The Knight's Armament Company (KAC) SR25 is a modern 7.62mm marksman
          rifle developed by Eugene Stoner drawing on his previous designs for
          the seminal AR10 and the classic AR15/M16. SR stands for Stoner Rifle
          and 25 is simply the sum of 10 and 15.

          See the SR25 on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/VoMhKrAMksg

          The SR25 ECC (Enhanced Combat Carbine) was part of KAC's Commercial &
          Law Enforcement range alongside several other SR25 models (7.62mm)
          and the SR15 (5.56mm) and SR30 (.300 Blackout). The "Enhanced" series
          has now been superseded by the "Advanced" models, namely the SR25E2
          ACC (Advanced Combat Carbine), the SR25E2 APC (Advanced Precision
          Carbine) and the longer SR25E2 APR (Advanced Precision Rifle).

          The Enhanced range had standard Picatinny accessory rails along the
          handguard but the Advanced series has KeyMod slots instead (which are
          lighter and more comfortable) and at SHOT Show 2016 KAC showcased new
          models of the SR25 Advanced with Magpul's rival M-Lok slot system.

          See the SR25 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/u8b5ondZv5o

          The SR25 previously featured in BF3 and BF4 as the Mk 11 Mod 0 - the
          designation used by the US Navy and USMC. The most recent version or
          - in the Navy's numbering scheme - "modification" is the Mk 11 Mod 2
          which is a very similar design also made by KAC. This has already
          been adopted by the US Army as the M110 SASS (Semi-Automatic Sniper
          System) with the intention of replacing their bolt-action M24's.

          The SR25 was shown and mentioned by name in a season 2 episode of
          Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul.

          The M110K5 battle rifle (see Section 08b) was added to Hardline with
          the free Blackout DLC.

o PTR91

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 360 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $39,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The PTR has half the aimed accuracy of the other three semi-auto
          snipers in the base game but that shouldn't be too much of an issue
          at most ranges. It has balanced horizontal recoil so you'll see no
          significant pull to either side.

          It has the highest muzzle velocity of the four (although the SOCOM
          and SR25 aren't far behind) and it's got a fast long reload time.

          I chose the PTR over the Saiga because it has a longer damage drop-
          off, higher velocity and because it's basically a modern G3. :)

 Patched: In the 28 April patch the vertical ADS recoil was reduced by around
          one third for both the Saiga and the PTR to give them figures closer
          to those of the SOCOM and the SR25.

  Trivia: The PTR91 (Precision Target Rifle) re-uses the design of the HK91
          which is the later semi-auto civilian version of the Heckler & Koch
          G3. It's manufactured by PTR Industries in South Carolina using the
          same machine tools that were originally used to produce the M/961 and
          M/963 - the Portuguese military versions of the G3.

          See the HK91 in slo-mo on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/Ds3zqUCduTM

          The company's full range now spans forty different models including
          modernized variants with scope rails, accessory rails and adjustable
          buttstocks, the sniper models resembling the original PSG1 marksman
          rifle and the old skool G3 replicas which are available in authentic
          olive drab or with retro wooden furniture.

          See the PTR91 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/g9OCmbf2cHE

          They also offer an SBR variant which has a short barrel and an MP5-
          style collapsible stock but still shoots the same 7.62mm calibre.
          This is essentially the same concept as the HK51 (see Section 06b).

          See the PTR91 with a drum mag on IV8888: https://youtu.be/EU2HxW3eMXc

          The long reload animation for Hardline's PTR includes the infamous
          "HK Slap" of the G3, MP5, etc - the charging handle is pulled back
          and locked into a notch to hold the bolt to the rear, the magazine is
          changed and then the charging handle is slapped to release it. In
          addition to making the user look cool on the rifle range this ensures
          that the bolt returns with sufficient force to lock it closed plus
          it's easier to load the new mag when the bolt is open.

o Saiga .308

    Ammo: 7.62x39mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 360 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $22,800 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The Saiga has a few stats that make it stand out from the previous
          three guns. Firstly it has a different damage profile with slightly
          higher damage at all ranges but a much shorter drop-off (if you look
          closely on the Symthic weapon charts you'll see that the Saiga's
          damage graph covers half the distance of the others).

          It also has a slower muzzle velocity (over 100 m/s slower than the
          others) and it experiences the higher 15 m/s² gravity value (while
          the others have 9.81 m/s²). However it does at least have slightly
          less vertical recoil so that's something!

 Patched: In the 28 April patch the vertical ADS recoil was reduced by around
          one third for both the Saiga and the PTR to give them figures closer
          to those of the SOCOM and the SR25.

  Trivia: Although it's hard to spot at first because it has a shorter magazine
          and a conventional semi-grip rifle stock instead of a separate pistol
          grip, the Saiga is based on Kalashnikov's AK47 assault rifle pattern.

          See a custom Saiga .308 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/yIVKfYCM14k

          A range of Saiga semi-automatic sporting rifles are available to the
          civilian market in various calibres including 7.62x39mm (like the
          original AK47), 5.45x39mm (like the AK74), .308 Winchester (7.62mm),
          .223 Remington (5.56mm) and even .30-06 Springfield. The game's data
          files specify that the Saiga .308 in Hardline uses Soviet 7.62mm.

o M82 .416

    Ammo: .416 Barrett   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: 60 RPM   Reload: 3.80 secs

 Unlocks: $100,000 [both factions]

          The M82 .416 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Robbery DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The M82 is radically different to the other semi-auto snipers. It
          delivers a maximum damage of 90 which, although insufficient for a
          one-hit kill, is likely to finish off any injured target. It has a
          minimum damage of 55 so it gives a two-hit kill (body-shots) or a
          one-hit kill (headshot) at any range. In Hardcore mode it can kill
          with a single shot to the chest/arms out to over 120 metres.

          It has perfect accuracy (zero spread) for stationary aimed fire, no
          spread increase per shot (SIPS) for follow-up shots and a very high
          muzzle velocity that's significantly faster than any of the semi-auto
          or bolt-action snipers.

          The M82 suffers from major recoil though. It has five times more
          vertical recoil than the SOCOM, SR25, etc, and - although it has a
          lower first-shot multiplier - it still gets almost four times more
          muzzle-rise and it also has a significantly slower recoil recovery.

          Its magazine holds only five rounds and the reload times are very
          slow - the short reload is slower than the long reloads of the DMR's
          above. Additionally the length and weight of the weapon give it very
          poor accuracy in unaimed hipfire.

          The rifle is modelled authentically with an 18" monolithic scope
          rail and a bipod mount with no option to fit a 6 o'clock rail for a
          grip; it also has a typically large Barrett muzzle brake (although
          this is specifically the two-port version from the .50-cal model).
          Consequently there are no muzzle attachments or foregrips available
          for it so these cannot be used to improve its stats.

          The M82 comes without any attachments. You need to get 20 kills with
          it to unlock optics (or use an unlock voucher from a Battlepack) and
          another 30 kills (50 total) to access the accessory slot.

 Patched: Originally the M82 had the same 360 RPM fire-rate as the other semi-
          auto snipers although you needed to limit yourself to around 100 RPM
          to allow time for that heavy recoil to reset after each shot. In the
          Betrayal update on 1 March 2016 it got a serious nerf to its rate of
          fire - it seems to be around 60 RPM so it's no longer possible to
          spam it (and the recoil always resets before your next shot).

  Trivia: Barrett Firearms Manufacturing was established specifically to design
          and manufacture semi-automatic rifles in the mighty .50" BMG calibre.
          The Barrett M82 was their first such design, entering production in
          1982 (hence the name!). It was followed by the M90 (.50 bolt-action),
          M95 (ditto), M99 (.50 single-shot), M98 (.338 semi-auto), M98B (.338
          bolt-action) and the new MRAD (Multi-Role Adaptive Design) which is
          derived from the M98B. They also offer the Barrett Optical Ranging
          System (BORS) - a ballistics computer that mounts over your scope.

          Successive improvements to the M82 gave rise to the M82A1, M82A1M
          and the M82A3 which appeared in BF4. (The M82A2 was a bullpup model
          with the mechanism and chunky .50-cal magazine located at the rear -
          it previously featured in Metal Gear Solid 4.)

          See the M82A1 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/iEDFn3UtVIc

          With several modifications the M82 was adopted by the US Army in 2002
          and designated the M107; in addition to the anti-materiel role it can
          also be used for remote bomb disposal. In early 2011 Barrett launched
          the revised M107A1 as a new model available to the public.

          See the M107 on Ultimate Weapons: http://youtu.be/7uNKflwUTH0

          See the M107 on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/5J9hCDr21mo

          See the M107 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/Xu6BOAHhJbE

          (The second video illustrates the effect of a .50 BMG round against
          ballistics gelatin which is designed to replicate human tissue.)

                                 .416 Barrett Ammunition
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
          The .50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun) cartridge has been in service now
          for almost a century. While it provides a very powerful round for
          modern anti-materiel rifles, several manufacturers have now designed
          new calibres that are more effective for long-range sniping. Barrett
          invented their own .416 Barrett round in 2005 to give higher muzzle
          velocity and superior long-range energy compared to the .50 BMG load.
          Currently the M99 and M82 rifles are both offered in .416 calibre and
          a kit is also available to convert .50 M82 models.

          See the M99 .416 on Future Weapons: https://youtu.be/KZFqUiSRC18

          Desert Tactical Arms - the company that makes the MDR (Hardline's
          MDC) and the SRS (Hardline's 388-Recon) - also offer the HTI sniper
          rifle for military use. This is available in .416 Barrett calibre in
          addition to .50 BMG, .408 CheyTac and .375 CheyTac.

o RO933 M1

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 800 RPM   Reload: 2.38 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [both factions]

          The RO933 M1 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The M1 is another novel addition to the semi-auto sniper category.

          It has a theoretical maximum fire-rate that's more than double that
          of the previous marksman rifles and it also has the larger 30-round
          magazine of the standard RO933/M16/M4/etc, superior spread increase
          and slightly better recoil.

          The trade-off for all this is that its 5.56mm ammo does less damage
          and has a very short drop-off. In contrast to the basic three-hit
          kill at all ranges for the standard DMR's, the M1 requires four hits
          out to 18 metres and five hits beyond that.

          The RO933 M1 comes without any attachments. The only attachment for
          the muzzle slot is the suppressor so you cannot equip a heavy barrel,
          muzzle brake or compensator for stat bonuses.

  Trivia: The "M1" is based on the Mk 12 Mod 1 and in fact during pre-release
          testing on the Hardline CTE it was labelled as the "M12 Mod 1".

          The Mk 12 is essentially a semi-automatic marksman variant of the M4
          carbine. There was a requirement for a compact lightweight marksman
          rifle and this was initially met by upgrading M4 carbines with an
          upper receiver branded as the Special Purpose Receiver (SPR) but then
          subsequently this evolved into a full weapon system and it received
          the designation Mk 12 (and SPR now stands for Special Purpose Rifle).

          The Mk 12 uses a free-floating match-grade 18" heavy barrel which is
          slightly shorter than the 20" barrel of the standard M16. The Mod 0
          variant can be recognised by its smooth cylindrical PRI Gen III
          handguard and by the continuous scope rail running along the length
          of the rifle. By contrast the Mod 1 has a KAC handguard with flat
          railed sides (and usually rail covers) and two separate top rails.

          See the Mk 12 SPR on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/Tc3iOVO_Vqc

          It would normally be used with the Mk 262 5.56mm cartridge (with a
          heavier 77-grain bullet) that was designed especially for the Mk 12.

          The Mk 12 entered US service in 2002 and has been used by various
          branches of the special forces but is being replaced by the Mk 20 -
          the marksman variant of the Mk 17 SCAR-H (see Section 06b).

          Civilian versions of the gun are made by Bravo Company Manufacturing
          of Hartland, Wisconsin. They currently offer a black model with an
          M16A2 buttstock and a flat dark earth (FDE) model with an adjustable
          stock. Both have the tubular PRI handguard of the military Mod 0.

          See the BCM Mk 12 on MAC: https://youtu.be/J9Kw4cT1zbM
                                    https://youtu.be/QrpA4TicX_M

o SP-AR

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 360 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

 Summary: The Betrayal expansion focused on the Professional class, adding
          two new machine-pistols (see below) and this semi-auto sniper.

          Its performance is quite similar to the original four rifles in this
          category. It has the same damage profile, rate of fire and magazine
          capacity and its velocity, reload and accuracy stats are typical.

          It has slightly more vertical recoil but slightly less horizontal
          recoil and more than twice the average recoil recovery rate which
          allows you to fire accurate follow-up shots more rapidly.

          The SP-AR comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: Hardline's "SP-AR" is based on the FN FNAR* which is a semi-automatic
          7.62mm NATO tactical marksman rifle that was announced in early 2008.

          The FNAR was based on the design of the BAR** semi-auto hunting rifle
          which was introduced by the Browning company during the 1960's and
          remains in production today. The FNAR adds a matt black tactical
          stock with a pistol grip, a 16" chrome-lined barrel, a 20-round mag,
          a scope rail and accessory rails plus it lacks the iron sights.

          FNH USA currently market three versions of the FNAR - in addition to
          the Standard model there's also the Heavy model with a 20" heavy
          barrel and the Competition model with a blue anodized receiver, a
          conventional rifle stock (made from striped blue/grey laminate) and
          a short front rail on the muzzle of its 20" barrel.

          In late 2009 Winchester launched the SX-AR which is a hunting rifle
          like the original BAR. It uses the same basic design as the FNAR -
          retaining the pistol grip and underbarrel rail - but it has a Mossy
          Oak camouflage finish, a heavy barrel, two very short scope rails, no
          side rails and it comes with a 10-round magazine by default.

          Like several other guns in Hardline with the option of extended mags,
          the default model for the SP-AR includes an incorrect short magazine.

          *This must be Finbarr Saunders' favourite rifle. ;)

          **This BAR is unrelated to the military M1918 BAR .30-06 machinegun
          designed by John Browning, except that Browning's grandson helped to
          develop the BAR hunting rifle.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 07c | Machine-Pistols                                           s07c |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Complementing the slow sniper rifle primaries, the Professional gets a range of
machine-pistols (derived from semi-automatic pistol designs) and compact SMG's
as its sidearms. This was a logical choice as weapons like the G18 and 93R have
been popular choices for Recon players in previous Battlefield titles.
</pre><pre id="faqspan-7">
The Professional sidearms are all capable of either full auto or burst fire and
are therefore ideal for short-range encounters. Unless you're an expert MLG pro
quick-scoper you'll want to switch to your secondary whenever you're indoors or
in other confined spaces.

The machine-pistols in the game have the following damage profiles:

                   |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
        Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
       ============+========+==============+========+=================
                   |  30.0  |  20m to 40m  |  18.0  | TEC9
                   |--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
            9x19mm |   TBC  |      TBC     |   TBC  | Improvised Gun
                   |--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
                   |        |   8m to 24m  |        | everything else
       ------------|  24.0  |--------------|  12.0  |-----------------
           .45 ACP |        |   6m to 30m  |        | MAC10

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: In the Robbery update on 16 September 2015 the MAC10's max damage was
        increased from 23 to 24 and its min damage decreased from 14.5 to 12.

Additionally you can equip the FN57, G17 Race Pistol or Dual vz.61 (see Section
08b), the non-lethal T62 CEW taser or the tracking dart pistol.

o G18C

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 16+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 1.50 secs

 Unlocks: available at start [both factions]

 Summary: The G18 fires on full auto at a rate of 900 RPM, giving it a close-
          quarters TTK (Time to Kill) of just over a quarter of a second.

          Its other stats are defined to make it ineffective in anything other
          than very short-range encounters - it has heavy recoil (vertical and
          horizontal), poor aimed accuracy and high spread increase per shot.

          You might only get one kill per magazine but at least it has the same
          rapid reload times as the semi-auto G17.

          The G18 comes equipped with the laser sight.

  Trivia: The G18 is an automatic variant of the basic G17 design (see Section
          04c), designed to meet the requirements of an Austrian special forces
          unit. Since it chews through ammunition so quickly it would normally
          be used with a 33-round magazine but it can also accept any of the
          standard Glock pistol magazines.

          See the Glock 18C on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/cc4ZTlsusTQ

          Like the previous G17C model, the G18C has slots in the barrel and a
          cut-out in the slide to reduce vertical recoil.

          See the Glock 18C on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/jp1JoDkofyA

          The other 9mm Glock models are all semi-automatics - the G19 compact,
          G26 subcompact and extended G34 variant for competition. Other models
          are available in .45 ACP, .380 ACP, 10mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG and the
          .45 GAP (Glock Automatic Pistol) load which was designed especially
          to give the power of the classic .45 ACP in a smaller modern pistol.

          See a converted automatic G17 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/ub4OswUhLwo

o 93R

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 1.35 secs

 Unlocks: $10,800 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

 Summary: It may have the same damage profile and nominal rate of fire as the
          G18 but the 93R is more controllable. It fires three-round bursts and
          it has much lower recoil (vertical and horizontal) and half the SIPS.

          It also has larger magazines (with the full 20+1 capacity sufficient
          for seven bursts) and even faster reload times - the 93R has the
          quickest short reload time in the whole game.

  Trivia: The Beretta 93R is based on the Beretta 92 design and launched in
          1979. The R stands for raffica which means "burst" in Italian.

          (As noted above, the 92F is designated as the M9 in US military use,
          however the Raffica is not the "M9-3R" - it's just 93R.)

          Various features were incorporated to make it usable with the burst
          fire mode including an extended magazine, folding foregrip, recoil
          compensator, optional folding buttstock and an extended trigger-guard
          which allows you to hook your left thumb through it.

          See the 93R in slo-mo on Vickers Tac: https://youtu.be/JALH0gQa8gY

          The 92 was not the first Beretta model to be adapted into a machine-
          pistol - the M951R was based on the M1951 design in the 60's and had
          a fully automatic fire mode, supported by a longer barrel, extended
          magazine and chunky wooden foregrip.

          Like the TEC9 and MAC10 below, the 93R is officially a Cool Gun:

             http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/CoolGuns/MachinePistols

o TEC9

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 2.19 secs

 Unlocks: $19,200 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

 Summary: The criminals' machine-pistol fires at two thirds the rate of the G18
          but it also has higher damage at all ranges and a long four-hit kill
          (out to 28 metres).

          It has the same 20-round magazine capacity as the 93R and high recoil
          but not as much as the G18.

  Trivia: Interestingly the TEC9 design was derived ultimately from the m/45
          submachinegun (see Section 05a). A Swedish firm called Interdynamic
          used the m/45 design as the basis for their own MP9 SMG in the early
          80's. It proved to be unsuccessful so the company then set up a US
          offshoot to market a semi-automatic pistol version called the KG9.
          It took 20 and 32-round magazines that fed into the magazine well
          in front of the trigger guard.

          See the KG9 on MAC: https://youtu.be/apTn7SjDXGc?t=16m18s

          The KG9 had a low price, an aggressive appearance and an open-bolt
          design which could very easily be converted to fire on full auto and
          it was these features that made it very popular with gang members.
          The company was forced to make a revised closed-bolt version and this
          launched in 1982 as the KG99. The company became Intratec in 1985 and
          the weapon was rebranded as the TEC9.

          See the TEC9 on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/JoI2O2UPzUI

          The TEC9 was specifically named in a firearms ban in the state of
          California and as a result it was renamed the TEC-DC9 ("Designed for
          California") in 1990. Then the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban named
          several features of so-called "semi-automatic assault weapons" and
          again the TEC9 was listed (along with the MAC10 - see below). This
          gave rise to a new modified model called the AB10 ("After Ban") and
          saw the removal of the threaded barrel and the gun's distinctive
          perforated barrel-shroud along with the replacement of the larger
          magazines with smaller 10-round mags.

          Following that complicated and somewhat chequered history, the firm
          closed in 2001 and production of the weapon ceased.

          Since the "TEC9" in Hardline fires on full auto it would probably
          actually be a converted KG9 or possibly an original MP9.

          A community mission was held in mid-October 2015 which offered a gold
          Battlepack for getting twenty kills with the TEC9.

o MAC10

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 15+1   Fire-rate: 1,145 RPM   Reload: 2.50 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Professional Assignment 2' [both factions]

          First complete 'Professional Assignment 1'.

          o requires Professional Bronze Service Star 2 (20,000 XP with class)
          o get 10 sniper rifle kills
          o get 5 kills with laser tripmines

          Then complete 'Professional Assignment 2'.

          o requires Professional Bronze Service Star 7 (70,000 XP with class)
          o requires Professional Assignment 1
          o get 25 sniper rifle kills
          o get 5 Camera Coins (get 2 camera assists in one match for each)

          (see .300 Knockout notes in Section 07a)

 Summary: All the machine-pistols are devastating at short range but the MAC10
          is in a league of its own. It has the fourth fastest rate of fire in
          the game (just below the Scorpion SMG) and a theoretical minimum TTK
          of just over a fifth of a second. It fires the same .45 ACP load as
          the UMP45 and K10 but - as with the 9mm machine-pistols - the damage
          profile has been reduced in order to limit its DPS.

          Now let's go through the negatives... The default magazine capacity
          is only 15 rounds (and you'll chew through those in no time). The
          reload times are very slow for a gun where the magazine loads into
          the pistol grip. It has the same high vertical and horizontal recoil
          as the G18 but with a higher first-shot recoil multiplier. Finally
          it has the worst aimed accuracy of all the sidearms and it has the
          same poor spread increase per shot (SIPS) as the G18.

          The MAC10 comes equipped with the suppressor and stock.

 Patched: In the Robbery update on 16 September 2015 the MAC10's maximum damage
          was increased from 23 to 24 and its minimum damage reduced from 14.5
          to 12.0 - this matches the G18 and 93R, although the MAC10's drop-off
          still starts earlier and ends later.

  Trivia: The compact MAC10 (Military Armament Corporation M10) was designed by
          Gordon B. Ingram for use in covert operations and indeed it did see
          some service with Navy SEAL's in the Vietnam War.

          See the MAC10 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/6x9qHkgdTpc

          It was in production from 1970 to 1973 and there were three main
          versions: the MAC10 available in both .45 ACP and 9mm and the MAC11
          in .380 ACP. All three models fired at over 1,000 RPM.

          See the MAC10 on MAC: https://youtu.be/apTn7SjDXGc?t=7m43s

          It's modelled authentically in the game with a long chunky suppressor
          and folding wire stock. With both removed the weapon is only 11" in
          length and with the magazine loading into the pistol grip it's quite
          similar in size and shape to the Micro Uzi (see Section 05a).

          See dual-wielded MAC10's on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/QQyUk1gVVGs

          The MAC10 previously appeared in the Battlefield franchise as a
          primary weapon in BFBC2's superb Vietnam expansion while the MAC11
          features in Rainbow Six: Siege as the "SMG-11".

o MP9

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $10,800 [cops] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [criminals]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

 Summary: The MP9 seems to have a compilation of stats collected from other
          machine-pistols. In addition to having the same damage profile as the
          G18 and 93R, it has the G18's auto fire-rate, the 93R's magazine
          capacity and the TEC9's recoil stats.

          Beyond that it has relatively slow reload times and - despite the
          integral foregrip - it has wider hipfire spread than all of the
          previous guns in this category.

          The MP9 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The MP9 (Machine-Pistol 9mm) has a permanent foregrip and is equipped
          by default with an Aimpoint Micro TL sight. It's only 11" in length
          and weighs 1.7 kg (including the sight and a full 30-round mag).

          The design originated in the early 90's as the TMP (Tactical Machine
          Pistol) manufactured by Steyr, the same company that makes the AUG
          assault rifle and Scout Elite sniper rifle. It was bought by the
          Swiss firm Brügger & Thomet in 2001 and they updated the design by
          adding an optics rail, a short side rail and a folding buttstock.

          They also renamed it the MP9 even though there were already two SMG's
          with the same name! It's unrelated to either the Ruger MP9 (designed
          by Uziel Gal of Uzi fame) or the Interdynamic MP9 which was the first
          version of the TEC9 (see above), although in 2015 B&T did announce
          the P26 which was inspired by the original Interdynamic design.

          See the P26 on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/XXmEEigbRSs

          The semi-automatic version of the MP9 for civilian markets is the TP9
          (Tactical Pistol 9mm). It lacks the buttstock of the MP9 and the US
          version is also missing the foregrip but it has a stock mount and an
          optional short underbarrel rail so it can be upgraded to the original
          configuration if registered as an SBR (short-barrelled rifle).

          See the TP9 on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/AHhvbQZfjD4
                                                https://youtu.be/RZLXnhvE_oQ

          Visceral seem to be attempting to emulate the success of CS:GO with
          the Betrayal expansion. Not only did they add the MP9 from that game
          but we also got the Karambit knife, an Asiimov copycat camo and a
          a stat-tracker for counting your kills with each gun!

o Improvised Gun

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 950 RPM   Reload: 1.80 secs

 Unlocks: $48,000 [criminals] / get 1,250 kills with it and buy licence [cops]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

 Summary: The second new machine-pistol from the Betrayal expansion seems to
          have a slightly lower maximum damage* and its hipfire spread is twice
          as wide as most of the others.

          However it has a high rate of fire, large magazine capacity and less
          recoil than everything else in this group apart from the 93R.

          The Improvised Gun comes without any attachments and the only one
          available is a home-made suppressor built from an oil filter which
          unlocks after 70 kills (or using a voucher). This crude device blocks
          the weapon's (equally basic) iron sights but helpfully someone has
          painted a yellow line on it to indicate your point of aim!

          *It has a unique damage profile so I can't copy its damage stats from
          another gun and since the Betrayal update the damage figures shown on
          Symthic only apply to the PC version of the game.

  Trivia: The Improvised Gun is a crude home-made firearm (constructed from a
          metal pipe, welded sheet metal and a wooden grip) which might also be
          described as a "zip gun". A traditional zip gun would commonly have
          one or more barrels each holding a single round (like a derringer)
          but in this case it takes the form of a compact magazine-fed SMG with
          the same general configuration as the TEC9 (see above).

          The weapon in Hardline is modelled accurately on a real home-made SMG
          that was seized by police in South America. https://goo.gl/p10QSR

          A community mission was held in mid March 2016 which offered a gold
          Battlepack for getting 50 kills with the Improvised Gun.


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 08 | GENERIC WEAPONS                                             s08 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

At launch all equippable primary and secondary weapons were locked to classes
but Visceral later decided to be less restrictive and added several new guns
which can be used in your loadouts for any of the four classes.

If you happen to find one you really like you could even equip it on all four
classes. If you use the same attachments for every kit then you'll never need to
adjust to using a new gun when you switch classes during a match.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 08a | Classics                                                  s08a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Following the example of DICE who added the M1 Garand rifle as a veteran reward
in BFBC2 available to all classes, Visceral have added classics to Hardline too.

Similarly they can be used by any class or faction but they are not limited to
veteran players this time - you just need to buy them using in-game money (XP).

Some of the classics are harder to use thanks to their inferior stats and the
limited range of optics and other attachments available for them. You'd probably
only want to use the M1A1 and M1 if you enjoy a challenge, you're interested in
historical military arms or you're trying to get their trophies/achievements!

The classics in the game have the following damage profiles:

                      |   Max.    |    Damage    |   Min.   |
           Ammunition |  Damage   |   Drop-Off   |  Damage  | Weapons
  ====================+===========+==============+==========+===============
   .500 Nitro Express |   100.0   |  35m to 80m  |   45.0   | Mammoth Gun
  --------------------+-----------+--------------+----------+---------------
   .30-06 Springfield |    75.0   |  45m to 90m  |   51.0   | M1903
  --------------------+-----------+--------------+----------+---------------
         .303 British |    43.0   |  30m to 60m  |   25.0   | Syndicate Gun
  --------------------+-----------+--------------+----------+---------------
          .30 Carbine |    34.0   |  40m to 65m  |          | M1
  --------------------+-----------+--------------|   15.0   |---------------
              .45 ACP |    25.0   |  15m to 35m  |          | M1A1
  --------------------+-----------+--------------+----------+---------------
             12-gauge | 16 x 25.0 |  10m to 20m  | 16 x 6.0 | 1887

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: The damage drop-off for the M1 Carbine was buffed in the first March
        2016 update - it was extended from 30-60 metres to 40-65 metres.

I've listed these together for consistency with the rest of the guide but it's
unfair to compare their damage profiles as these are different types of guns.

All the classic guns are marked with a curious gold circular badge which forms
part of an elaborate easter egg to unlock the Syndicate Gun (see below).

o M1A1

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 30   Fire-rate: 725 RPM   Reload: 2.25 secs

 Unlocks: $45,000 [both factions]

          The M1A1 was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Criminal Activity DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The M1A1 Thompson SMG was the first gun added to Hardline that could
          be used by any class/faction and it seems that the developers were
          careful not to upset the class balance by making it too effective!

          Compared to the Mechanic's submachineguns (see Section 05a) it uses
          the same .45 ACP ammo as the UMP45 but it does substantially less
          damage at all ranges and it also has a relatively slow rate of fire.
          Those two facts combine to give it a very poor DPS, lower than any of
          the other SMG's. It has a minimum TTK of 0.255 seconds compared to
          0.146 seconds for the Mechanic's starting weapon, the MP5K.

          It has high vertical recoil too but at least the horizontal recoil
          and first-shot recoil multiplier are both fairly low. Its accuracy
          is quite typical for an SMG although it does have very good hipfire
          as you might hope with the Tommy Gun!

          By default it uses a stick magazine that gives a 30-round capacity
          (not 30+1). This can be upgraded to a 50-round drum mag which is one
          of the Thompson's main strengths, although it won't help you in close
          quarters where you can get shredded by modern weapons with high DPS.

          The only other attachment available is a stubby grip which reduces
          your spread increase per shot (SIPS). There are no optics, no muzzle
          attachments and no other accessories or grips.

  Trivia: The M1A1* was a military version of the Thompson submachinegun. The
          "Tommy Gun" was an obvious choice for inclusion in Hardline - not
          only is it an iconic criminal weapon but it also previously appeared
          in BF1942, BF Vietnam, BF1943 and most recently in BFBC2.

          The Thompson SMG was designed by John Thompson (hence the name!) in
          the late 1910's - he envisioned a "hand-held machine gun" that could
          be used in the trench warfare that was prominent during World War I.

          See Thompson's prototype on Miculek.com: https://youtu.be/mxU_De14wMs

          It entered production in 1921. It saw some early use by military and
          police forces but the Tommy Gun is most famous for its popularity
          among the gangsters of the Prohibition era of 1920's America.

          See the M1A1 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/D53opaeollQ

          The Thompson submachinegun was later adopted by US armed forces and
          the M1928A1, M1 and M1A1 models were all used during WWII. Late M1
          models and all units of the M1A1 version have the triangular guards
          around the rear sight which can be seen on the Hardline gun model.
          You can recreate the look of the gangsters' weapon of choice in the
          game by adding the wooden foregrip and drum magazine - although in
          reality the M1 and M1A1 models couldn't accept the drum mag.

          See the M1A1 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/T5ACAv_Y1-8

          In February 2016 Auto-Ordnance announced an expansion to their wide
          range of Thompson, M1911 and M1/M1A1 Carbine replicas with polished
          chrome and titanium gold versions of their Model 1927 (the semi-auto
          version of Model 1921 Thompson). These come with 20 and 50-round mags
          with matching finishes and optional authentic mobster's violin case!

          See the Auto-Ordnance M1A1 on MAC: https://youtu.be/OAm4lsJMeYQ

          Getting 275 kills with it earns you the "Tommy's Favorite" trophy.

          The Thompson with a 50-round drum magazine appears in Payday 2 as the
          "Chicago Typewriter" - this was a common nickname for the real weapon
          because it was used by Chicago gangsters and it goes rat-a-tat-tat!
          Similarly the Tommy Gun (DLC weapon) for Rockstar's L.A. Noire was
          called "The Chicago Piano".

          *Although it had a similar designation in military service, the M1A1
          is unrelated to the M1/M1A1 Carbine (see below) and the M1 Garand!

o M1

    Ammo: .30 Carbine   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 850 RPM   Reload: 1.90 secs

 Unlocks: $66,000 [both factions]

          The M1 was added to the game in the update that came with the Robbery
          DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The M1 Carbine is a semi-auto weapon with no option for automatic
          fire. It has a theoretical maximum fire-rate of 850 RPM (the same as
          the FAMAS!) but in practice you can probably only achieve a maximum
          rate of around 400 RPM or a controlled rate of 200 RPM.

          It has a unique damage profile with high max damage that gives you a
          three-hit kill out to 40 metres. Instead of the standard M1 15-round
          magazine it's modelled with the larger 30-round magazine (which was
          used primarily with the automatic M2 model) and it also has excellent
          reload times, with the short reload taking less than two seconds.

          Accuracy, vertical recoil and velocity are all typical of the other
          carbines in the game (see Section 04a) but it has practically no
          horizontal recoil. Since it's outclassed by most weapons in close
          quarters and the low minimum damage makes it ineffective at long
          range I think this carbine is best used with controlled tapfire at
          medium ranges, although you're stuck with using the iron sights.

          The M1 Carbine comes without any attachments. You unlock (unfold!)
          the stock at 50 kills, the flash hider at 70 kills and the stubby
          grip at 90 kills. There are no other attachments available.

 Patched: The damage drop-off range was buffed in the Betrayal DLC update on
          1 March 2016 - it was extended from 30-60 metres to 40-65 metres.

  Trivia: Hardline's M1 is the M1A1 paratrooper variant of the M1 Carbine.

          The M1 - generally known as the M1 Carbine - was designed along with
          its .30 Carbine ammunition to give US officers and support units like
          drivers, radiomen and artillery crews an effective weapon that was
          significantly lighter than the M1 Garand rifle or the Thompson SMG
          (see above). It weighs only five pounds when empty (about half the
          weight of those other weapons) and it was also cheaper to produce.

          See the M1 Carbine on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/yHYd1tsH2jQ
                                        https://youtu.be/Fvgzk-vhnjQ

          The M1 Carbine saw extensive use by US forces during WWII with over
          six million manufactured. In the later stages of the war other models
          were introduced - the M1A1 paratrooper version with a lightweight
          folding metal buttstock, the M2 with a full-auto mode and a larger
          30-round magazine and the M3 with an infra-red scope for night ops.

          See the M1A1 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/Dx-8QgkbIiU

          See the M1A1 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/10oX4QVpfBw

          These were used in the Korean War too and the M1 and M2 also saw some
          action in Vietnam although (like the M14) these were phased out with
          the introduction of the M16 assault rifle (see Section 04b).

          See the M2 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/ateT144BgPk

          Although modern military carbines are often shortened versions of an
          existing weapon (for example the M16/M4 and G36/G36C), the M1 is not
          a carbine variant of the M1 Garand rifle. The designs are essentially
          unrelated and the Garand even used a different calibre - the same
          .30-06 Springfield as the M1903 rifle (see below).

          See the M1 Carbine on IV8888: https://youtu.be/simGcJm2Pm4

          Getting 275 kills with it earns you the "Grandpa's Automatic" trophy.

o 1887

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 5+2   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 1.10 x N secs

 Unlocks: $50,000 [both factions]

          The 1887 shotgun was added to the game in the update that came with
          the Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: As usual full stats for shotguns are not presented on Symthic and the
          reload time above is an approximation based on my own basic timings.

          This vintage lever-action shotgun functions much like the pump-action
          shotguns. It has a very slow rate of rate (taking more than a second
          between successive shots) and it does high damage with 16 pellets per
          shell - more than any other shotgun in the game - and each doing a
          maximum damage of 25.

          However it has a wider pellet scatter cone than any shotgun apart
          from the DBS and it has a slow reload cycle. Each shell is loaded
          individually so you're free to resume firing at any stage if needed.

          The 1887 comes without any attachments and only two are available.
          Equipping both the sawed-off stock and the short barrel options
          produces a far more compact weapon* which resembles the shortened
          "Mare's Leg" lever-action rifle that was added to BF4 as a sidearm.

          The stock attachment functions statistically like a vertical foregrip
          so it gives reduced spread (increased accuracy) when moving and/or
          using hipfire. Adding the short barrel increases the angle of the
          pellet cone by 25% which makes it very wide.

          *The 1887 is the opposite of the Double-Barrel Shotgun - the default
          version is the full-length gun and you add attachments to shorten it.

  Trivia: The Winchester Model 1887 was designed by the legendary John Browning
          and entered production in 1887 (hence the name!). It is regarded as
          the first truly successful lever-action shotgun. It only remained in
          production until 1901 - when it was superseded by the similar but
          improved Model 1901 design - and fewer than 65,000 1887's were made.

          The weapon is correctly modelled in Hardline with a capacity of seven
          shells. Technically it holds "5+2" - five in the underbarrel tube
          magazine, one in the chamber and one in the shell carrier.

          Winchester was founded 1866 so 2016 is their 150th anniversary.

          See a Chinese 1887 clone on IV8888: https://youtu.be/UisjxqqfIbo

          The Italian company Chiappa who make the exotic Rhino revolver which
          featured in BF4 (as the "SW40") also manufacture authentic replicas
          of historic firearms. Their extensive range includes several 1887
          shotguns - including a shortened "Mare's Leg" model - plus 9mm and
          .22 LR versions of the M1 Carbine (see above).

          See a Chiappa 1887 on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/mo7QsrLF7zU

          The Model 1887 has previously appeared in several video-games such as
          Call of Duty (Black Ops 1 and Modern Warfare 2 and 3) and Far Cry 3
          and 4. It was also famously used by Arnie in Terminator 2.

          If you have both attachments equipped and you fire the shotgun in
          hipfire (or release your ADS button immediately after firing) then
          your character will use a cool one-handed flip-cocking technique to
          operate the action, just like Arnie in the movie. :)

          See Jerry Miculek spin-cocking an 1887! https://youtu.be/gwe1ToZTSEE

          Getting 275 kills with the 1887 earns you the "I'll be Back" trophy.

o M1903

    Ammo: .30-06   Capacity: 4+1   Fire-rate: 58 RPM   Reload: 2.85 secs

 Unlocks: $25,500 [both factions]

          The M1903 rifle was added to the game in the update that came with
          the Betrayal DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: Although it has some limitations, the M1903 is a more effective
          choice for long-range sniping than the AWS (see Section 08b).

          Most of its stats are copied from the Scout Elite (see Section 07a).
          It has the same muzzle velocity, reload times, accuracy and damage
          profile (giving a one-hit headshot kill at any range but no one-hit
          body-shots in close-quarters) and similar recoil and rate of fire.

          However it only holds five rounds compared to the Scout Elite's 10+1
          and it takes over four seconds to reload the rifle when empty.

          The M1903 comes without any attachments but you can unlock a 6x scope
          with a simple crosshair reticle at 20 kills and a suppressor at 50
          kills (which will trash your muzzle velocity). There are no other
          attachments available although the M1903 does permanently have the
          benefit of a straight-pull bolt (so you can always chamber the next
          round without needing to exit your ADS/scope view).

  Trivia: The bolt-action Springfield M1903 rifle entered US military service
          in 1903 (hence the name!) and was the standard service rifle of US
          forces until 1936 when it was replaced by the semi-auto M1 Garand.

          The original 1903 model used the .30-03 cartridge with a round-nosed
          bullet which was designed specifically for this new rifle. However
          this was superseded in 1906 by the .30-06 Springfield cartridge with
          a pointed bullet which gave superior aerodynamic performance and was
          later adopted as the standard calibre for rifles and machineguns
          including the M1 Garand and M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR).

          See the M1903A3 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/7tS-sJONe04

          In 1917 Remington designer John Pedersen invented a contraption that
          could replace the bolt in a bolt-action .30-06 Springfield to convert
          it into a semi-auto rifle firing a .30" pistol calibre from a canted
          detachable top-loading 40-round magazine. Over sixty-five thousand
          "Pedersen devices" (and over a million magazines) were manufactured
          but the Great War ended before they could enter service in Europe and
          the concept was rendered redundant by the adoption of the M1 Garand.

          See the Pedersen on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/znvzXr3cLD4

          After the widespread issue of the M1 Garand during World War II the
          M1903 remained in use by the US Army as a sniper rifle. The M1903A4
          model was introduced for this role with a new stock, 2.5x scope and
          no iron sights. The US Marine Corps had previously used the M1903
          with a 5x scope as a sniper rifle in World War I and later during
          WWII they adopted the M1903A1 with a long narrow Unertl 8x target
          scope which was the basis for Hardline's 6x M1903 scope design.

          See an M1903A4 replica on MAC: https://youtu.be/kcc99z8PPQw

          The M1903 was the primary weapon for the US Scout class in BF1943 and
          it's available to the Scout class in BF1 including the "Experimental"
          semi-auto variant which is fitted with the Pedersen device.

          See the M1903A3 on MAC: https://youtu.be/Nk5L7UnS2AA

          Getting 275 kills with it earns you the "Bolt From the Blue" trophy.

o Mammoth Gun

    Ammo: .500 NE   Capacity: 3   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 3.60 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Big Game Hunter' assignment [both factions]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

          This isn't a normal assignment where you need to get N kills with X
          weapon, instead you need to find six hidden collectibles on the new
          Chinatown map (Grand Bazaar remake) to unlock the cabinet containing
          the Mammoth Gun and then open a secret room to access it.

          You'll need to be playing on a game mode that uses the full map, for
          example Conquest or Heist. Since several video guides describe the
          collectible locations relative to Conquest flags I would recommend
          learning the locations and doing this in Heist mode where you'll have
          less competition from other players. You'll also need to do this in a
          live server (with at least three other players).

          The six collectibles are small metal mammoth head ornaments with very
          long tusks. These are distributed quite symmetrically around the map
          with one in each corner and two at either end of the central alley.

          You can pick up a collectible by pressing Square (or Cross on Xbox)
          and you'll hear an elephant "trumpeting" sound. Each collectible can
          only be collected once and it doesn't matter if other players find
          some of them - the cabinet will still open but the Mammoth Gun can
          only be acquired by ONE player per match!

          1. Starting in the north-east* corner of the map the collectible can
             be found inside the bus on the east road. It will be sitting on
             the dashboard next to the instrument panel.

          2. In the north-west corner the collectible is hidden under a tray of
             vegetables on one of the many similar market stalls there.

             If you start at the small pagoda and walk east you'll pass a toy
             stall and then come to two vegetable stalls facing you. You can
             find the collectible under a tray of cabbages on the left side of
             the stall on the left. You'll need to shoot the tray.

          3. The next collectible is inside the butchers cornershop at the road
             junction in the south-west corner of the map. You'll find it in
             the second fridge in the row of four on the left.

          4. In the south-east corner it's hidden among the yellow flowers in
             a planter under the pedestrian overpass bridge to the east of the
             market. Specifically it's the planter under the south steps at the
             west end of the footbridge.

             This one's very difficult to see so sweep your aim over all the
             plants and keep spamming Square. If you don't hear the sound
             effect then another player has probably taken it already.

          5. Moving into the main straight alley that bisects the map you can
             find the next collectible on a shelf at the right side of the
             small butchers shop towards the north end of the alley on the west
             side (next to the firecracker shop).

          6. The sixth collectible is on a shelf in the back right corner of
             the vase shop on the east side near the south end of the alley.

          The secret room** can be accessed via the shop opposite the vase shop
          - it's on the west side at the south end of the alley and you'll see
          Buddha and Great Wave paintings inside. Pass through the shop and
          across the courtyard cafe to the back room with a cash register on a
          counter. Shoot the yellow sign and the pot behind the counter and
          activate the switch to open the hidden door behind the fridges.

          Directly in front of the door you'll see a display showing all of the
          collectibles that have been found so far. If all six are present you
          can interact with the display to unlock the cabinet and then collect
          the Mammoth Gun... unless another player has taken it already!

          Watch JackFrags' video guide showing all the collectible locations:

                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9tMyD2oTpk

          *Anyone who played Grand Bazaar a lot in BF3 will probably notice
          that Visceral have rotated the map so north is now south! For example
          the curved "banana" corridor is near the top-left corner now.

          **The hidden room is based on a location from the first Gremlins
          movie (which was a visual reference for the remade map). There's even
          a box on the floor where you can hear a Mogwai inside. :)

 Summary: Although the break-action configuration resembles the Double-Barrel
          Shotgun (see Section 06a), Hardline's Mammoth Gun is actually a
          triple-barrel .500 hunting rifle so it performs very differently.

          It does a max damage of 100 out to around 35 metres so you can get a
          one-hit kill on shots to the upper torso or arms and it'll give a
          kill with a single headshot out to about 75 metres. The rifle also
          has perfect stationary ADS accuracy but its potential for sniping is
          limited by the basic iron sights (with no optics available), heavy
          gravity (double that of the bolt-action sniper rifles) and limited
          ammo capacity (it only holds three rounds).

          You can empty all three barrels very quickly either by using the
          three-round burst mode or by simply pulling the trigger quickly - you
          can fire three shots in about half a second but the weapon has very
          high vertical recoil (roughly eight times more than the FAMAS and
          F2000!) so your second and third shots will go high. If you wait for
          the recoil to reset before each shot you can fire your two follow-up
          shots in around 1.5 seconds. Once the weapon is empty you're stuck
          with a very slow reload animation that takes 3.6 seconds.

          The Mammoth Gun has no attachments.

  Trivia: The "Mammoth Gun" is an example of a "drilling" - from the historic
          European tradition of making hunting weapons as "combination guns"
          with three barrels. A drilling will commonly have two smoothbore
          barrels (to fire shotgun shells) and one rifled barrel (to fire rifle
          rounds) but it's also possible to have drillings with one shotgun
          barrel and two rifle barrels (which could be in the same or different
          calibres), three shotgun barrels or three rifle barrels.

          The Mammoth Gun is quite similar to appearance to the triple-barrel
          custom hunting rifle built by the Johann Fanzoj company of Austria
          which has three rifle barrels and is available in the powerful 8x57mm
          IRS, 8x75mm RS, 9.3x74Rmm and .375 H&H Magnum calibres.

          The Mammoth Gun could also be considered an example of an "elephant
          gun" (hence the name!). This concept originated in the 19th century
          where European big-game hunters on safari in Africa needed massive
          stopping power when hunting - or defending themselves against - large
          animals such as rhinos and elephants.

          Early examples were shotguns that used black powder and fired giant
          slugs from a large barrel - a common calibre was 4 bore (equivalent
          to 1 inch / 25mm) and some even used 2 bore (1.3 inches / 33.7mm)!
          After the advent of smokeless powder several gun-makers designed
          rifle cartridges especially for big-game hunting with large-calibre
          bullets and long cases packed with propellant. Prominent examples of
          these were .375 H&H Magnum, .416 Rigby, .404 Jeffery, .505 Gibbs and
          the .450, .470 and .577 Nitro Express rounds.

          According to the game's data files the Mammoth Gun uses .500 Nitro
          Express rounds. This traditional big-game load dates back to 1890 and
          features a 3" or 3.25" case with a .510" 570-grain bullet which can
          achieve a muzzle energy of almost 8,000 Joules. Compare that to the
          standard modern NATO military cartridge which has a 62-grain 5.56mm
          (nominally .223" calibre) bullet in a 45mm (1.8") case and will give
          less than 2,000 Joules!

          On the loadout screen your character kneels on one knee and holds the
          Mammoth Gun aloft in veneration! Seeing this always reminds me of the
          Engineer character in the Battlefield Friends cartoon who is always
          getting obsessed with using overpowered weapons. :)

o Syndicate Gun

    Ammo: .303 British   Capacity: 47   Fire-rate: 550 RPM   Reload: 3.00 secs

 Unlocks: complete 'Big Eddie's Wiseguys' assignment [both factions]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

          The unlock for the Syndicate Gun needs five players with the Betrayal
          DLC, all working together, using party chat and each equipped with a
          different classic gun, namely the M1A1 Thompson SMG, M1 Carbine, 1887
          shotgun, M1903 sniper rifle and Mammoth Gun (all listed above).

          The group needs to join a server running the Cemetery map and meet up
          at the large circular catacombs area just north-east of the middle of
          the map (it's the "D" flag in Conquest Large).

          There are several mausoleums at ground level around the circle and
          four of them have doors bearing the Syndicate emblems that were
          hidden around the DLC maps - each symbol has a circular maze motif
          around a different Greek letter in the middle.

          The first four players need to stand in front of the doors which have
          the specific symbol that could be found in the maps of the expansion
          that introduced their gun to the game as shown in the table below.

                Position | south-east | south-west | north-west | north-east
           --------------+------------+------------+------------+------------
            Greek Letter |    Phi     |     Xi*    |     Pi     |   Sigma
           --------------+------------+------------+------------+------------
                  Weapon |    M1A1    |     M1     |    1887    |   M1903

          The fifth player - with the Mammoth Gun - needs to stand underground
          in front of the golden doors (marked with two Sigma symbols) on the
          west side of the circular room. They need to position themselves on
          the octagonal plate on the floor marked with a mammoth's head.

          Now the four players need to face their doors and follow the button
          prompt to interact with all four doors at exactly the same time. If
          this is done correctly a lightning bolt will strike the large tree in
          the centre of the area causing it to catch fire. Additionally the
          golden doors downstairs will open revealing a spiral staircase down
          to a crypt where the Syndicate Gun can be found on a sarcophagus.

          Only ONE player can collect the gun per round so you'll need to
          restart the match and repeat the process for each member of your
          group that needs the gun. Also shortly after the gun has been taken
          the golden doors will close so you need to exit promptly otherwise
          you'll be trapped inside the tomb!

          The whole process is illustrated in JackFrags' video guide here:

                       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9tMyD2oTpk

          *This is the serifed (mathematical) version of the letter Xi rotated
          through 90° so it looks like this: [I]

 Summary: The Syndicate Gun performs like a battle rifle with lower recoil and
          a larger magazine. It has the same "long-range" damage profile as
          the FAL and HCAR so it gives a three-hit kill out to 46 metres and a
          four-hit kill at any range beyond that.

          It fires at only 550 RPM which is slower than most of the battle
          rifles but it has a big 47-round magazine and less vertical recoil.

          It has good stationary aimed accuracy but it has a high SIPS value so
          it quickly becomes inaccurate in sustained fire. The gun's stationary
          hipfire accuracy is very poor but somehow it is considerably more
          accurate in hipfire when moving!

          The Syndicate Gun is permanently fitted with armour-piercing tracer
          rounds and a side-mounted green triple-dot laser which turns off when
          you ADS. It also has very basic optics which are modelled on the 3.5x
          PO scope but with less magnification and a thin black reticle that's
          really hard to see (and can't be edited at the Gun Bench). No other
          attachments are available for it.

  Trivia: The Syndicate Gun is based on the vintage Lewis Gun. When it first
          appeared on the CTE (less than two weeks after the release of the
          previous DLC) it was modelled authentically with the full-length
          barrel, butt stock and bipod but for release the stock was removed
          and the barrel was reduced to less than half its normal length.

          The Lewis Gun was invented by a US Army officer named Isaac Newton
          Lewis in 1911 but it was initially rejected by the US military so he
          moved to Belgium and established a company in Liege to produce the
          weapon in the British .303 calibre. It was adopted by the Belgians in
          1913 and it was nicknamed "The Belgian Rattlesnake" by German forces
          but it didn't see major use until the design was licensed for mass
          production by BSA in the UK the following year.

          During World War I the weapon was issued widely to British soldiers
          where it replaced the heavier water-cooled Vickers Gun. In addition
          to its infantry role it was also used as a portable anti-aircraft gun
          or mounted to vehicles such as aeroplanes, armoured cars, tanks and
          motorcycles. The Lewis Gun was only eventually adopted by the US Navy
          and US Marine Corps in 1917. The American model used the standard
          .30-06 Springfield round and remained in service until World War II.

          See the Lewis Gun on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/l73mR4D9pYw

          The design features two very distinctive aspects - the large barrel
          shroud and the top-mounted pan magazine. The wide aluminium shroud
          around the barrel and gas cylinder was presented as an air-cooling
          system, although the weapon actually functioned well without it and
          was sometimes used minus the shroud, e.g. if mounted on an aircraft.

          The Lewis used a flat circular pan-type magazine which was mounted
          horizontally on top and had the cartridges stored radially inside.</pre><pre id="faqspan-8">
          The standard magazine held 47 rounds but in late 1916 a new design
          holding 97 rounds was introduced primarily for anti-aircraft guns.

          The Lewis Gun's design was the basis for the Royal Army's standard
          machineguns in the 2009 free-to-play title Battlefield Heroes. It
          also features in BF1 as both an infantry and vehicle weapon.

          Most of the guns in the original Star Wars trilogy were based on real
          historic weapons.* You might recognize the Lewis Gun's design (with
          the pan magazine removed) because it was used as the basis for the
          T-21 Imperial heavy blaster which also appears in DICE's Battlefront
          game. I love the look of the heavy blasters used by Stormtroopers on
          Tatooine in Episode IV - they look gritty and realistic and yet the
          Lewis Gun's barrel shroud (on the T-21) and the long barrel of the
          German MG34 (on the DLT-19) give them an exotic appearance too.

          *See Section 07a of my Battlefront guide for more examples.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 08b | Miscellaneous                                             s08b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

This section covers any other guns that have been added to the game since launch
and can be equipped onto any of the four classes.

These weapons have the following damage profiles:

                     |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
          Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
     ================+========+==============+========+=================
              arrows | 100.0  |      TBC     |   TBC  | A8S
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
                     |  90.0  |  30m to 100m |  59.0  | AWS
      7.62x51mm NATO |--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
                     |  43.0  |  20m to 50m  |  24.0  | M110K5
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
                     |  34.0  |  10m to 20m  |  25.0  | G17 Race Pistol
              9x19mm |--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
                     |  25.0  |  25m to 35m  |  12.0  | M5SD
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
       .300 Blackout |  30.0  |  30m to 60m  |  18.0  | RO933 .300 BLK
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
            5.7x28mm |  25.0  |  10m to 60m  |  15.0  | FN57
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
            4.6x30mm |  20.0  |  20m to 40m  |  10.0  | MP7
     ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+-----------------
             .32 ACP |   TBC  |      TBC     |   TBC  | Dual vz.61

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

I've listed these together for consistency with the rest of the guide but it's
unfair to compare their damage profiles as these are different types of guns.

o MP7

    Ammo: 4.6x30mm   Capacity: 40+1   Fire-rate: 950 RPM   Reload: 2.60 secs

 Unlocks: $36,000 [both factions]

          The MP7 PDW was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Robbery DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The MP7 has the same high fire-rate it had in BF4 but it also has a
          similar low damage profile so it compares less favourably to the SMG
          category in Hardline where most weapons do more damage, fire faster
          or both! Its 20 max damage gives it a five-hit kill at short range,
          a lower DPS than any of the Mechanic kit's SMG's and only slightly
          more damage per second than the classic Tommy Gun.

          However its high fire-rate, large mag size and tight hipfire spread
          make it quite capable in close quarters plus - unlike the classics -
          it has access to a full range of optics, accessories and muzzles so
          the MP7 is a usable substitute if you don't like the Professional and
          Enforcer primaries, provided you can limit yourself to short ranges.

          The MP7 comes without any attachments.

  Trivia: The MP7 was developed by HK of Germany to meet the requirements of
          NATO's demands for a PDW and it entered production in 2001.

          See the MP7 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/h3jek2PML1g

          Just as with the P90 (which was also developed to meet NATO's brief)
          a new type of high-velocity armour-piercing ammunition was designed
          especially for the MP7. It takes a 20, 30 or 40-round magazine which
          is loaded into the grip, like the Uzi or a pistol. The compact design
          gives an overall length of just 41cm with the stock retracted.

          See the MP7 on Future Weapons: http://youtu.be/rMj73QKr7oI

          The MP7 appears in Payday 2 as the "SpecOps" although unusually it's
          fitted with a foregrip attachment instead of using the integral one.

          See the MP7 on IV8888: https://youtu.be/HY_lPyHyqLU

o FN57

    Ammo: 5.7x28mm   Capacity: 20+1   Fire-rate: 455 RPM   Reload: 1.25 secs

 Unlocks: $6,000 [both factions]

          The FN57 pistol was added to the game in the update that came with
          the Robbery DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The FN57 gives you an alternative if you want a sidearm that can be
          used at longer ranges than the machine-pistols or that fires faster
          than the heavy pistols and revolvers.

          It retains its 455 RPM fire-rate and 20-round magazine from BF4 so
          you can put a lot of lead down-range in a short period of time and
          it has very fast reload times and minimal horizontal recoil too.

          Compared to the Operator's pistols it fires slightly faster than most
          of them although you might not be able to achieve its theoretical
          maximum fire-rate. It also does less damage, giving a kill with four
          hits instead of the usual three although the implication is that it
          uses armour-piercing rounds which can negate the effect of Mechanic
          body armour (however the Armored Insert damage modifier got nerfed
          in the same update that added this pistol anyway).

          If you don't like the slower fire-rates and smaller ammo capacities
          of the Enforcer and Mechanic kits' sidearms then you might prefer to
          use the FN57 although it obviously does much less damage per shot.

          It has similar vertical recoil to the Professional's machine-pistols
          but it has a x1 first-shot recoil multiplier instead of x2 so you
          have a little more control at slightly longer ranges.

          The FN57 comes without any attachments.

 Patched: Previously the bronze, silver and gold metallic camos were available
          by default but this issue was fixed in the November 2015 update.

  Trivia: As noted previously the FN "Five-seveN" was developed in parallel
          with the P90 PDW and the novel 5.7mm cartridge they share, although
          it didn't enter production until 1998, eight years after the P90.

          The high-velocity 5.7mm bullets are designed to penetrate modern body
          armour but they have a tendency to tumble within the target which
          causes more damage and reduces the risk of over-penetration making
          them suitable for law enforcement applications. FN boast that the gun
          is used by 300+ agencies worldwide including the US Secret Service.

          See the FN Five-seveN on TFB TV: https://youtu.be/FC2jWYIxRqU

          Although originally sold only to military/police operators, the gun
          has been available to civilian users since 2004. The current models
          are the USG (United States Government), the brown FDE (Flat Dark
          Earth) and the Five-seveN Mk 2 which launched in 2013.

          This is the second appearance of the Five-seveN in the Battlefield
          series but the weapon has previously featured in over thirty games,
          including the Counter-Strike, Splinter Cell and SOCOM series. Also
          Kirito uses one as his secondary in the anime Sword Art Online II.

          The USG model appears in Rainbow Six: Siege as the "5.7 USG".

o RO933 .300 BLK

    Ammo: .300 BLK   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 700 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: complete RO933 .300 BLK Assignment [both factions]

          o Get 10 kills with the standard RO933 carbine on Night Job map
          o Get 10 kills with the standard RO933 carbine on Night Woods map

          The RO933 .300 BLK carbine was added to the game in the update that
          came with the free Blackout expansion.

          Both free night maps were added to the standard map rotation on all
          non-DLC official servers so you'll come to them naturally if you play
          the full sequence. However you can use the Server Browser to jump
          directly onto them or if you're lucky you might find a custom server
          running both maps back-to-back in your preferred mode.

 Summary: Our third version of the RO933 carbine (see Section 04a) is fitted
          with an integral suppressor and uses different ammunition so it has
          several stats that differ from the standard model.

          It has a unique damage profile with 30 max damage that gives a four-
          hit kill which it holds all the way out to 42 metres. However it also
          fires 150 RPM slower than the original RO933 and of course that sound
          suppressor reduces the velocity considerably. It has a higher gravity
          value too which will also cause more drop at range.

          It has the same magazine size and reload times but more horizontal
          recoil and over twice as much vertical recoil. It does have better
          hipfire and moving accuracy, however a higher SIPS is applied.

          The RO933 .300 BLK comes without any attachments. You can unlock the
          same selection as the standard RO933 except there are no other muzzle
          devices (because of the fixed suppressor) and it can't equip either
          extended magazines or AP Tracer ammo.

  Trivia: This is a modified version of the Colt R0933 (see Section 04a). It's
          been converted to use subsonic .300 Blackout ammunition (see below)
          and it has an integral suppressor that barely extends beyond the end
          of the handguard, so it has the advantages of quieter operation with
          little or no increase in the overall length of the weapon.

          The AR15/M16/M4 platform can be readily modified by swapping out the
          upper receiver. Spike's Tactical offer compressor uppers which have
          an 8.1" barrel fitted with their own MRS suppressor which adds only
          another 3" to the overall weapon length. These are available in both
          5.56mm and 300 BLK versions.

          The modified R0933 is also similar in concept to the Daniel Defense
          M4 Carbine ISR (Integrally Suppressed Rifle) which is a .300 Blackout
          carbine with a 10.3" barrel and a permanent (welded) suppressor and
          also to the SIG MCX (see Section 05a) which can be converted easily
          to use 300 BLK optionally with a suppressor built into the handguard.

                                .300 Blackout Ammunition
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
          The .300 AAC Blackout cartridge - also known as 7.62x35mm or simply
          300 BLK - was designed by Advanced Armament Corporation working in
          conjunction with Remington and is essentially a .30-calibre bullet
          (comparable to 7.62mm) mounted in a cutdown and renecked 5.56mm case.
          This makes it possible to convert a 5.56mm weapon to use 300 BLK by
          simply changing the gun's barrel - both the existing bolt and the
          original magazines can be retained.

          The cartridge was designed to give improved power in the M4 carbine.
          The standard 5.56mm NATO ammo was made to be used with the longer 20"
          barrel of the M16 and yields significantly less power from the M4's
          14.5" barrel. The .300 Blackout is said to give similar performance
          to the Soviet 7.62x39mm (from the original AK47) even when fired from
          a short barrel. It's also available with several heavy subsonic loads
          which are effective in suppressed weapons (such as this version of
          the RO933 carbine) - although only effective at relatively shorter
          ranges, it gives good power and is very quiet in operation.

          In June 2015 it was reported that the Dutch MARSOF special forces
          unit had issued a tender to purchase a large volume of .300 Blackout
          carbines and ammo. This was the first known instance of a military
          force proposing the adoption of the 300 BLK cartridge. In late 2016
          it was confirmed that MARSOF had selected the SIG MCX which is the
          carbine version of the MPX submachinegun (see Section 05a).

o M110K5

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 25+1   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 2.50 secs

 Unlocks: complete M110K5 Assignment [both factions]

          o Get 25 kills with battle rifles on Night Job map
          o Get 25 kills with battle rifles on Night Woods map

          The M110K5 battle rifle was added to the game in the update that came
          with the free Blackout expansion.

 Summary: Evidently the M110 semi-auto sniper rifle has been converted to offer
          fully automatic fire in Hardline - it has a fire-rate of 600 RPM.

          Although it's technically classed as a battle rifle because of its
          calibre, it has very different stats to the Enforcer's primaries (see
          Section 06b). It has almost the same damage profile but the minimum
          damage is 24 instead of 25 so it's not capable of the usual four-hit
          kill at long ranges. It has a decent 25-round magazine but it lacks
          their lightning-fast reload times.

          It has similar heavy vertical recoil but that's combined with a very
          large first-shot recoil multiplier so you'll want to use an angled
          grip on it to reduce the initial jump. Perhaps thanks to its marksman
          heritage, its accuracy is very good - the aimed, hipfire and moving
          spread stats are the best in the Enforcer and Operator categories.

          Like the new RO933 which was added in the same update, the M110K5 is
          fitted with a permanent suppressor. While this stops you appearing on
          enemy minimaps when you fire, it also limits your muzzle velocity to
          a subsonic 330 m/s and it prevents you from using any other muzzle
          attachments (for example to reduce that recoil).

          The M110K5 comes without any attachments.

 Patched: The recoil was reduced in the first March 2016 update. The vertical
          recoil was decreased from 1.0 to 0.7 (which matches the best of the
          other battle rifles) and the first-shot multiplier was reduced from
          2.5 to 2.2 (still twice the average for battle rifles). Additionally
          the recoil recovery rate was increased by 25%.

  Trivia: The Knight's Armament Company SR25 semi-auto sniper (see Section 07b)
          was adopted by the US Army as the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System.

          See the M110 on Future Weapons: http://youtu.be/SwZQiGik41w

          Several versions of the M110 are available in KAC's military range
          including the long-range M110A2 with a 20" barrel and the lightweight
          M110K2 and M110K3 carbines with 16" barrels.

          The M110K5 variant was revealed at the SOFIC (Special Operations
          Forces Industry Conference) in 2014. The gun design is optimised for
          suppressed operation - it has a 14.5" barrel and a semi-permanent
          suppressor shrouded inside the standard long KeyMod handguard giving
          it the same overall length as an SR25 without a suppressor.

          In spring 2016 it was announced that HK had won the US Army's CSASS
          (Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System) competition with their G28E
          model and a mock-up of this was shown at the SHOT Show in early 2017.
          This has been designated as the M110A1 by the US military and will
          start replacing KAC's original M110 in service around 2019.

          See the HK CSASS mock-up on Vickers Tac: https://youtu.be/zQNyJfOqlaM

          A community mission was held in mid-January 2016 which offered $200k
          of in-game currency for getting 50 kills with the M110K5.

o AWS

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 5+1   Fire-rate: 45 RPM   Reload: 3.50 secs

 Unlocks: $81,000 [both factions]

          The AWS sniper rifle was added to the game in the update that came
          with the Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The AWS is a bolt-action sniper rifle with a fixed suppressor.

          This gives a limited sniper capability to any class but compared to
          the other bolt-action rifles it has very slow muzzle velocity (more
          drop and longer travel times) and it lacks the 100 maximum damage
          (for one-hit kills in close-quarters). Overall you'd be better off
          using the classic M1903 Springfield (see Section 08a) or running the
          Professional class with an unsuppressed sniper rifle.

          The AWS comes without any attachments. You'll need to either get 20
          kills to unlock the optics slot or use a voucher.

  Trivia: The AWS (Arctic Warfare Suppressed) is another model of the Accuracy
          International AW bolt-action sniper rifle now fitted with a long
          narrow suppressor instead of a standard barrel. However the gun model
          in Hardline has a folding buttstock which I think makes it the AWC
          (Arctic Warfare Covert) variant which has been used by special forces
          operators including Delta Force, the SAS and the German KSK. It can
          be packed into a carrying case that resembles a large briefcase.

          The AWS and AWC both use the same 7.62mm calibre as the AW and the
          original PM (L96A1) rather than the powerful .300 Winchester Magnum
          or .338 Lapua Magnum of the AWM (see Section 07a). However they would
          normally be used with subsonic loads for quieter operation.

          The AW variants are all similar in appearance as they are mounted in
          the same body - the manufacturer's own AICS (Accuracy International
          Chassis System) which consists of an aluminium frame with external
          polymer panels. The 1.0 version is the original, the 1.5 added an
          adjustable cheek rest and the 2.0 also has the folding shoulder stock
          which reduces the overall length by eight inches. The AICS can also
          by used to mount the action from an R700 rifle in the same way as
          Remington's own RACS (as used by Hardline's ".300 Knockout").

          The AWS sniper rifle shares its short name with the ARES Shrike AWS
          (Advanced Weapon System) which is an LMG that was available in BF4.

o M5SD

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 30+1   Fire-rate: 700 RPM   Reload: 2.30 secs

 Unlocks: $60,000 [both factions]

          The M5SD SMG was added to the game in the update that came with the
          Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: The SD variant has similar stats to the Mechanic's M5 Navy, with the
          same velocity, damage profile (giving a four-hit kill to 25 metres),
          reload times and hipfire spread.

          The main differences are that the M5SD has superior aimed accuracy
          and slightly less recoil but it also fires 100 RPM slower.

          The M5SD comes without any attachments but has a fixed suppressor.

          Compared to RO933 .300 BLK it has the same fire-rate and magazine
          size. The M5SD has better recoil and moving accuracy while the RO933
          does more damage at all ranges and has a faster long reload.

  Trivia: This is the third version of the MP5 (see Section 05a) in the game.

          The integrally-suppressed MP5SD dates back to the mid 70's - the "SD"
          stands for Schalldämpfer which is German for "sound suppressor".

          There were three buttstock options (fixed stock, collapsible stock or
          no stock) and two different trigger groups (with or without a burst
          mode) and all six permutations were available as distinct variants
          numbered SD1, SD2, etc.

          The model in the game has the fixed stock and burst option like the
          original MP5 SD5 but it also has a narrower suppressor, a remodelled
          handguard with rails and the same incorrect short magazine as the M5
          Navy. An additional top rail is added when an optic is equipped.

o G17 Race Pistol

    Ammo: 9x19mm   Capacity: 17+1   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 1.50 secs

 Unlocks: $60,000 [both factions]

          The G17 Race Pistol was added to the game in the update that came
          with the Getaway DLC but the expansion is not required to access it.

 Summary: This is a customised version of the Glock G17 semi-automatic pistol.
          It has almost identical stats to the Operator's unmodified G17 (see
          Section 04c) including the theoretical maximum fire-rate of 900 RPM
          and the three-hit kill out to 10 metres.

          The match-grade components give it an aimed accuracy of 0.1 (the same
          as the .357 and .44 revolvers and the PTR91 sniper rifle) and the
          lowest horizontal recoil of the sidearms category (tied with the FN57
          and M1911). It's also fitted with the Coyote red-dot sight from BF4.

          However for the sake of balance it also gets a couple of negatives.
          It has almost 60% more vertical recoil than the standard G17 and the
          spread increase per shot (SIPS) is 40% larger.

          At short ranges it should give quite similar performance to the G17
          but you can also get accurate single shots at long range (with 25 min
          damage) and it's much easier to unlock! Overall it's an excellent
          choice of secondary for any of the four classes unless you want the
          higher damage profiles of the Enforcer's Beagle/M1911 or Mechanic's
          .44/.357 or the auto/burst options of the Professional's sidearms.

          Since it is already extensively customised, the G17 Race Pistol has
          no attachments available.

  Trivia: A "racegun" is any type of rifle, shotgun or pistol that has been
          modified to facilitate faster and more accurate use in competition.

          The game model can be seen to have several external modifications
          resembling those available from Carver Custom of Florida, namely an
          optics mount which wraps around the slide, an enlarged magazine well
          for quicker reloads and a custom compensator to reduce recoil.

          A racegun pistol would also usually have some internal modifications
          too, with the gun's standard barrel, trigger, connector and rod all
          replaced by custom parts.

o A8S

    Ammo: arrows   Capacity: 1   Fire-rate: 15 RPM   Reload: 3.20 secs

 Unlocks: $85,000 [both factions]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

 Summary: This is one of the less traditional choices for a loadout weapon in a
          Battlefield game - it's an air-rifle that fires arrows!

          Although the full console damage stats aren't confirmed, it gives a
          maximum damage of 100 (and one-hit kills on body-shots) out to quite
          a respectable distance, but it has a very slow muzzle velocity of
          only 200 m/s so there's a heavy drop effect - in theory an arrow
          should fall by almost half a metre over a distance of 50 metres.

          You carry only ten arrows but since it's a generic weapon you can use
          it with the Enforcer class and then drop ammo to resupply yourself.

          The A8S has a nominal fire-rate of 100 RPM but since each arrow needs
          to be loaded individually and it takes about 36 seconds to fire all
          nine follow-up shots that's equivalent to an effective maximum rate
          of fire of approximately 15 RPM.

          It's very quiet in operation so it functions as a suppressed weapon.

          The A8S comes equipped with a Comp M4s sight by default but no other
          attachments are available for it.

  Trivia: The Airrow Stealth A8S was a pneumatic rifle from a company called
          Swivel Machine dating back to the late 80's. It used a long cylinder
          of compressed air or carbon dioxide (mounted horizontally under the
          barrel) to fire arrows at twice the velocity of a conventional bow.
          The A8S airgun could also be modified to launch lines, underwater
          harpoons or tranquilizer syringes for animals.

          The model in Hardline is the original design with a 16-inch barrel,
          long trigger and trigger guard (presumably designed to be used while
          wearing diving gloves), basic scope mount and the same telescoping
          buttstock as commando variants of the M16. The current version is the
          A8S1P which - like so many modern weapons - copies its styling from
          the AR15/M16 pattern with a similar grip, trigger guard and handle.

          The Airrow Stealth airgun was used in a couple of scenes in the 1993
          John Woo movie Hard Target.

          The Betrayal DLC also features the A8S Explosive as a Battle Pickup
          - this uses explosive-tipped arrows (like the ones in Rambo III).

o Dual vz.61

    Ammo: .32 ACP   Capacity: 31+1   Fire-rate: 1,300 RPM   Reload: 1.50 secs

 Unlocks: $100,000 [both factions]

          (Betrayal DLC required)

 Summary: I haven't seen any damage stats for the console version of Hardline's
          akimbo machine-pistols but on PC they do considerably less damage
          than the Professional kit's sidearms (which already have lower damage
          than pistols using the same ammunition). If I had to guess I'd say
          the dual Skorpions probably give a six-hit kill at short range.

          Together they fire at an insane 1,300 rounds per minute which is now
          the highest rate of fire in the game, beating even the K10 SMG. They
          have very bad hipfire accuracy but if you press L2 to zoom (you can't
          actually ADS of course) you can improve the spread by almost a factor
          of ten, giving them similar (i.e. poor) aimed accuracy to most of the
          other machine-pistols. They also have similarly heavy recoil, with
          identical stats to the TEC9 and MP9.

          Each gun has a 15-round magazine - so you have a total ammo capacity
          of 32 when you have a round in each chamber - although these are
          actually modelled as a single 31-round magazine so if you reload when
          empty you get 31 rounds and if you then reload again you get 32. The
          reload times are impressively fast for someone holding two guns!

          No attachments are available for the Dual vz.61's.

  Trivia: The vz.61 Skorpion machine-pistol was designed in the late 50's and
          entered production with the Czech company Ceska Zbrojovka in 1961. It
          remains in use today and CZ continue to market a semi-auto version
          alongside their Scorpion CZ3A1 submachinegun (see Section 05a), CZ75
          pistol (see Section 04c) and CZ805 assault rifle (in BF4).

          Thanks to its telescopic bolt it has a very compact design that's
          only 10 inches in length or 20 inches with the wire stock unfolded.
          The original design also features a wooden grip and short magazines
          holding either ten or twenty rounds. The original vz.61 model used
          .32 ACP (significantly smaller than the .45 ACP used by the M1911)
          but this was followed in the 90's by the vz.82 using 9x18mm Makarov
          and the vz.83 using .380 ACP.

          In real life the Skorpion has a 850 RPM fire-rate so if you happened
          to use two together they'd have a combined fire-rate of 1,700 RPM!

          Like the Mammoth Gun (see Section 08a), the Dual vz.61's give your
          character a unique pose on the loadout screen - he stands with his
          arms crossed over his chest like a badass.

          The 60's Skorpion has previously appeared in numerous video-games
          series such as Rainbow Six, GTA, Far Cry, Splinter Cell, Metal Gear
          Solid and Hotline Miami but the dual-wielded vz.61's in Hardline are
          clearly inspired by the Skorpions with akimbo option in the Call of
          Duty titles Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops (1).


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 09 | BATTLE PICKUPS                                              s09 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

Battle Pickups were previously introduced in BF4 as a way to include several
"power-up" weapons that would be too powerful to be freely available. Instead of
unlocking and equipping them, they can only be collected on the battlefield.

They can usually be found on the maps on weapon cases marked with a map icon
(with the same weapon always spawning at the same map location in any given game
mode). Each pickup weapon comes with a limited amount of ammo and cannot be
resupplied. If you switch to another gun or a gadget then the pickup will be
dropped but it is possible to pick up the pickup again!

This section covers the MG36 and the M240B - the two light machineguns* (LMG's)
that are available during online play as Battle Pickups. I've also added notes
for any other guns (and "guns") that are available as pickup weapons, however
since this is specifically a firearms guide I haven't covered the RPG and SMAW
rocket-launchers, the Stinger anti-air missile-launcher or the A8S Explosive
arrow-airgun in the Betrayal expansion.

The M240 and MG36 use the standard NATO rifle and intermediate loads.

                         |  Max.  |    Damage    |  Min.  |
              Ammunition | Damage |   Drop-Off   | Damage | Weapons
         ================+========+==============+========+==========
          7.62x51mm NATO |  43.0  |  30m to 60m  |  25.0  | M240B
         ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+----------
          5.56x45mm NATO |  33.0  |  30m to 40m  |  20.0  | MG36
         ----------------+--------+--------------+--------+----------
                   nails |  55.0  |  10m to 20m  |  45.0  | Nail Gun

(these are the console damage stats - for PC stats please refer to Symthic.com)

Patched: The M240's minimum damage was increased from 24 to 25 in the 28 April
        2015 patch and its damage drop-off range was extended from 20-50 metres
        to 30-60 metres in the Robbery update on 16 September 2015.

Kills obtained with the LMG's or the Nail Gun are not tracked on your Battlelog
profile (or on the unofficial bfhstats.com website). This can be particularly
frustrating if you're working on the trophy for getting 100 Nail Gun kills.

The data files for Hardline (presented on Symthic) include stats for the M249
and MG4 light machineguns too but these weapons are not playable in the game.

*Technically the ARM, RPK and RPK74 are also LMG's but these have smaller ammo
capacities and are included in Hardline effectively as "heavy assault rifles" in
the Operator class loadouts instead.

o MG36

    Ammo: 5.56x45mm   Capacity: 100+1   Fire-rate: 750 RPM   Reload: 3.10 secs

 Unlocks: N/A (Battle Pickup) or $75,600 (car upgrade)

          The "LMG Armory" option can be bought and equipped onto both the
          sedan and coupe cars - it puts an MG36 pickup in your car's trunk.

 Summary: The MG36 uses the same 5.56mm NATO rounds as many of the carbines and
          assault rifles but it has a unique damage profile which gives it a
          four-hit kill out to 36 metres and a five-hit kill beyond that (just
          as long as all five shots hit the chest/arms).

          Its main advantage is the 100-round drum magazine, although it takes
          longer to reload than lighter magazine-fed weapons and the MG36's
          long reload takes a whole second and a half longer so try to keep at
          least one round in the weapon. With that 750 RPM fire-rate you can
          fire it continuously for eight seconds - if you really want!

          It experiences heavy recoil and its left recoil of 0.7 (the highest
          in the whole game) usually gives it a pull to the left but it has a
          first-shot recoil multiplier of one (no additional recoil) so it can
          deliver controlled fire in short bursts.

          The MG36 pickup comes equipped with a Comp M4s sight and a laser
          sight which will tighten your hipfire when you want to go full Rambo
          with it. :) However the LMG Armory version lacks the laser.

          The bipod attachment was completely removed for Hardline so you can't
          use that to negate the recoil as you would in BF4 for example.

  Trivia: The MG36 was intended as a light machinegun (LMG) variant of the HK
          G36 assault rifle (see Section 04a) fitted with a heavier barrel and
          a bipod. The concept was never mass-produced but - while prototype
          weapons have appeared in previous Battlefield titles* - in the games
          it's basically just a G36 with a bigger drum mag. However it's also
          depicted here as having the low-profile scope rail from the G36C
          (used on the MG36 LMG model in BF2) rather than the much taller carry
          handle with integrated scope of the original G36 assault rifle design
          (seen on the MG36 models in BFBC1 and BFBC2).

          The magazine is modelled on the Beta C-Mag which has two separate
          drums that feed into a central portion that can be loaded into the
          magazine well on the underside of the weapon like a normal magazine.
          In BF3 the MG36 had a capacity of 50 rounds (unless you added the
          extended mags option) but in Hardline it gets the authentic 100.

          *Some examples of prototypical Battlefield guns are the XM8 series in
          BFBC1 and BFBC2, the MK3A1 and PDW-R in BF3, the LSAT and PDW-R in
          BF4 and the FMG9, K10 and suppressed .300 Knockout in Hardline.

o M240B

    Ammo: 7.62x51mm   Capacity: 100   Fire-rate: 600 RPM   Reload: 6.75 secs

 Unlocks: N/A (Battle Pickup)

 Summary: Using the heavier 7.62mm NATO load, the M240B does appreciably more
          damage than the MG36. It gives a three-hit kill out to 46 metres in
          Normal mode and a two-hit kill to 51 metres in Hardcore. However it
          does also have a slower rate of fire.

          It holds 100 rounds (and comes with a further 100) but it's belt-fed
          so it has a very slow reload time. You'll want to avoid unnecessary
          reloads and find a safe spot when it finally runs dry.

          Recoil is heavy again but its horizontal recoil is balanced (so there
          is no obvious pull to either side) and it has a recoil multiplier of
          only 0.5 so it actually experiences less recoil on the first shot and
          this makes it very controllable when tapfired.

          The M240B comes equipped with a Holo sight and a flash hider.

 Patched: In the 28 April patch the minimum damage was buffed from 24 to 25
          giving it the standard 7.62mm battle-rifle damage profile. This small
          change added the potential for a four-hit kill at range.

          In the 16 September update the damage profile was changed to match
          the FAL battle rifle - the damage drop-off start and end distances
          were both extended by 10 metres.

  Trivia: M240 is the US designation for the MAG which was developed by FN
          Herstal. The name stands for Mitrailleuse d'Appui Général which is
          French for "general-purpose machinegun".

          See the M240B on IV8888: https://youtu.be/nv1a-RuxU0c

          The FN MAG entered production in 1958 but wasn't adopted by the US
          until the late 70's. FN report that the MAG is used in over ninety
          countries and that over 200,000 units have been manufactured. In US
          service the M240 was originally mounted on vehicles but the M240B
          ("M2-40 Bravo") version was subsequently developed for infantry use.

          See the M240B on FPSRussia: http://youtu.be/UcN7w_gh7uY

          The latest model to enter US service is the M240L which is up to 18%
          lighter than the Bravo model thanks to its titanium components and
          the optional lightweight buttstock and shorter barrel.

          See the M240L on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/uw4GmrwdD70

          The FN MAG is also in service in the UK where it's known as the L7
          GPMG (General-Purpose Machinegun) but nicknamed the "Gimpy"! British
          forces additionally use the 5.56mm FN Minimi (a.k.a. the M249 SAW)
          including a new version using 7.62mm.

          The M240 is also produced by OOW who make the HCAR (see Section 06b).

          See the OOW M240 on Vickers Tactical: https://youtu.be/SLdYA9YPKi0

          Barrett revealed their own M240LW model at the 2015 SHOT Show. It's
          six pounds lighter and five inches shorter than the standard version.

o Nail Gun

    Ammo: nails   Capacity: 10   Fire-rate: 900 RPM   Reload: 3.10 secs

 Unlocks: N/A (Battle Pickup)

          The Nail Gun is available on all four maps in the Criminal Activity
          DLC. It can also be found on the Night Woods bonus map and on Break
          Pointe and Precinct 7 in the Robbery expansion.

 Summary: Although it has a nominal fire-rate of 900 RPM, the Nail Gun fires on
          semi-automatic so the practical limit is the rate at which you can
          pull the trigger. It does heavy damage, sufficient for a kill with
          two body-shots (or a single headshot) out to 15 metres.

          It has good accuracy both in hipfire and "ADS" (it doesn't actually
          have any sights) but its effective range is severely limited by its
          other stats. Its projectiles have a velocity of 150 m/s (one third
          that of the RPK/AKM) and experience a gravity acceleration of 80 m/s²
          (more than five times higher than most guns in the game)! This causes
          a significant "bullet-drop" effect - projectiles would fall by 40cm
          (16") at 15 metres or by around 70cm (28") at 20 metres!

          With the crazy drop you should limit yourself to very short-range
          encounters. The hipfire spread and recoil recovery make it quite
          viable to spam hipfire shots rapidly at targets out to around 10-15
          metres. At longer ranges you'd need to start aiming high in order to
          compensate for the drop.

  Trivia: Hardline's Nail Gun is modelled on the Hilti DX460 "powder-actuated
          fastening tool" but with a yellow and black finish instead of the
          company's standard red and black. It's a construction tool used to
          attach timber or sheet metal to concrete, masonry or steel.

          Unlike a traditional pneumatic nail gun - which requires a large
          external gas compressor attached via a hose - the DX460 is entirely
          self-contained. It's powered by 6.8mm (.27") explosive cartridges
          which come on numbered plastic strips of ten charges (colour-coded
          for different powers) which are loaded into the bottom of the grip.

          You can either load individual nails into a fastener guide at the
          front or you can attach a magazine (as seen in the game) which takes
          strips of nails. When the trigger is pulled one cartridge is fired
          and this drives a heavy piston that strikes the nail. The power can
          be altered by using different cartridges and by adjusting the rotary
          dial on the side of the tool.

          The DX460 has several safety features including a contact pressure
          safety device so the gun can only be fired when it's pressed firmly
          against a hard surface. It would therefore not be possible to use it
          as a projectile weapon unless that safety mechanism was bypassed.

          Getting 100 kills with it earns you the "Nailed It!" trophy.

          See Jerry Miculek's tactical staple-gun! https://youtu.be/GrJRSf55zsE

o Double-Barrel Shotgun

    Ammo: 12-gauge   Capacity: 2   Fire-rate: ??? RPM   Reload: 3.50 secs

 Unlocks: The Double-Barrel Shotgun from the Enforcer class is also available
          as unmarked Battle Pickups on the Pacific Highway map in the Getaway
          DLC and the Alcatraz map in the Betrayal DLC.

          On Pacific Highway you can find it hanging on the wall next to the
          fireplace upstairs in the big hunting lodge north-west of the central
          rocky peak. That's the cops base in Capture the Bag mode or the
          largest building at Log Cabins ("A" flag) in Conquest Large.

          On the Alcatraz map the DBS is in one of the museum display cases on
          "Sunset Strip"* in Cell Block A by the north-east exterior wall.

          *Cell corridors at Alcatraz were named after famous US streets such
          as Broadway, Times Square and Park Avenue in New York.

 Summary: (see previous entry in Section 06a)

  Trivia: Kills with the pickup version are counted towards your total DBS
          stats so you can use it for the "Menz in the Hood" trophy.

o M1A1

    Ammo: .45 ACP   Capacity: 50   Fire-rate: 725 RPM   Reload: 2.25 secs

 Unlocks: The generic M1A1 Thompson SMG (with 50-round drum mag and foregrip)
          is also available as an unmarked Battle Pickup on the Alcatraz map in
          the Betrayal DLC. It can be found in one of the museum display cases
          in Cell Block C on "Michigan Avenue" by the south-west exterior wall.

 Summary: (see previous entry in Section 08a)

  Trivia: Preserved documents from Alcatraz include a 1948 inventory of guns
          and ammunition held at the prison. These included eight Thompson
          submachineguns (1928 model) with a selection of box and drum mags,
          thirty M1911A1 pistols (see Section 06c) and thirty M1 Carbines (see
          Section 08a) with ball and tracer ammo.


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 10 | ATTACHMENTS                                                 s10 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

Every primary firearm or sidearm has a series of accessories, sights/scopes and
sometimes ammunition types which can be added to change how they perform. You
can choose your attachments to customise your weapon to suit different roles or
to either enhance its strengths or reduce its weaknesses.

In previous games you unlocked specific attachments by getting a certain number
of kills with that weapon, for example you might get the Kobra sight with ten
kills, laser sight with 20 kills, etc. In Hardline however you need to get a
certain number of kills to unlock each category of attachments and then you can
choose which ones to buy using cash (XP).

- If a gun has four attachment slots (e.g. carbines and battle rifles) then you
 need 20 kills to unlock optics, 50 kills to unlock accessories, 70 kills to
 unlock muzzle attachments and finally 90 kills to unlock grips.

- If a gun has three attachment slots (e.g. most SMG's and shotguns) then you
 need 30 kills for optics, 60 kills for accessories and 90 kills for muzzles.

Following the example of the F2000's scope and the CS5's suppressor in BF4, many
of the weapon attachments in Hardline are modelled differently for certain guns
and some have unique designs.

Several attachments from BF4 are unavailable in Hardline - i.e. the bipod, the
frag and dart ammo for shotguns, the three-dot laser, the laser/light combo, the
2x magnifier, the duckbill choke and the underbarrel grenade-launcher rail plus
the variable zoom and range finder options for sniper rifles. There have also
been several changes to optics (see Section 10a).

                              Battlepack Vouchers
                              ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Battlepacks can be earned by achieving Service Stars with each weapon, vehicle
category, class and game mode; you can also buy them using in-game cash (XP) and
you can even purchase them with real money if you really want to. A Battlepack
will give you a random mix of XP/rep boosts, melee weapons and various cosmetic
features like patches, Battlelog avatars, emblem shapes, gun camos and vouchers
to unlock outfits and vehicle paints. They can also give you attachment vouchers
which can each be used as a shortcut to unlock one specific item for the gun of
your choice, for example you might get a Suppressor Voucher, Angled Grip Voucher
or Rifle Scope Voucher. Attachment vouchers count as an "Advanced" item which
affects your chance of getting them in each type of Battlepack.

Patched: In the 28 April patch the Battlepack system was adjusted to increase
        the chances of receiving collectibles and vouchers instead of boosts.

You can view/open the Battlepacks you've earned under Multiplayer \ Battlepacks
off the main menu, during a match from the "pause" menu accessed by pressing the
Options button or on your online Battlelog account.

If you have an attachment voucher but you have already scored sufficient kills
to unlock that attachment category (for example if you have a Suppressor Voucher
but you've unlocked the muzzles category) then you can choose whether to buy the
attachment (press Triangle) or redeem the voucher (press Cross). It's usually
best to buy it with XP (which is limitless) and save the voucher to give you a
headstart when you start using a new gun.

                                   Loadouts
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
To access your guns/attachments/gadget/vehicles loadout menus press Square on
the respawn screen during a match. You can also adjust your set-up outside a
match from the game menus under Multiplayer \ Customize.

Although not without its problems, Hardline brought several good innovations to
the modern Battlefield series and one of the greatest was the introduction of
multiple loadout slots per class. You can now have up to five separate loadouts
in each class and you can cycle through them on the respawn screen simply by
pressing Triangle. By default only one slot is available. The second and third
unlock by earning 30,000 and 80,000 XP respectively with that class, the fourth
comes from Battlepacks and the fifth is a benefit of Premium subscription.

                                 Kill-Counter
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Owners of the Betrayal DLC (including Premium subscribers) have the benefit of a
kill-counter for each weapon which can be viewed during play.

This feature was initially advertised as being part of the gun models (like the
"StatTrak" guns in CS:GO) but in actuality it's integrated into the HUD (above
the ammo counter). Although this feature was added with the Gun Bench in the
Betrayal expansion, the counter is shown for all loadout weapons and not just
the ones that've been customised at the Gun Bench.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 10a | Optics                                                    s10a |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

As usual the various sights and scopes are grouped into three categories:

          Close-Range              Medium-Range            Long-Range
     anything up to 2x zoom      3.4x to 4x zooms      6x and higher zooms

The close-range sights and medium-range scopes can be used with any primary gun
category but the long-range ones can only be used with the sniper rifles.

Several sights and scopes will be familiar from previous Battlefield titles but
there have been several changes. Despite being seen in Hardline as recently as
the December 2014 preview build, the Chinese optics from BF4 (the Coyote, HD33,
Prisma and JGM4) have been removed. Additionally the Comp M4s, SRS02 and Micro
T1 red-dot sights have been added, the 3.4x PK-A scope was replaced by the 3.5x
PO, the 20x Hunter scope was changed to 14x and the 40x Ballistic was removed.

In addition to BF4's canted iron-sights accessory you can now supplement your
optics with the new canted RDS (red-dot sight) instead.

The Betrayal DLC added the Gun Bench feature which allows you to completely
customize the scope reticles of up to five primary weapons.

                                 Iron Sights</pre><pre id="faqspan-9">
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These are the gun's built-in sights used when no other sight/scope is attached.

An exception is the F2000 where the "iron sights" are actually a low-mag scope.

     Red-Dot Sights (RDS) - Reflex / Kobra / Comp M4s / Micro T1 / SRS02
     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The iron sights (and the weapon itself) are often very obtrusive and give a poor
view of your target and the surrounding area. The red-dot sights overcome this
by mounting a large unobstructed circular aperture on top of the gun with a red
dot (or other simple bright marker) to indicate the centre. The red-dot sights
offer no magnification and only give the effective zoom which is equivalent to
aiming down the gun's iron sights normally.

The Reflex sight now has a solid yellow triangular reticle instead of its usual
red dot but it still has a thick border which blocks some of your view. It's
modelled on the RX06 sight (with that yellow triangle) which is manufactured in
the USA by Trijicon who are best known for their ACOG range.

The Russian Kobra sight has long been a favourite of mine. It has a red T-shaped
reticle (which makes it easy to see) and a slim border. In real life the Kobra
sight allows the user to switch between four different reticles, the other three
options being a dot (used for the Red Dot Sight in BFBC2), a chevron or both.

See the Kobra sight on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/EnubG8nQvNo

The remaining three sights are all new additions to the Battlefield series.

The Comp M4s is a true red-dot sight with the point of aim marked with a small
red point of light. There are a few parts which protrude and obscure your view
most notably the battery compartment at the lower-right side. The Comp M4 sight
is manufactured by Aimpoint of Sweden. Their Comp M2 optic was adopted by the US
military in 2000 as the M68 CCO (Close Combat Optic).

The Micro T1 also has a red dot. It has a thick border and a combined battery
compartment and rotary switch which sticks out somewhat on the right side. The
Micro T1 is also made by Aimpoint. The real sight is small enough to be mounted
conveniently on top of a large high-mag optical scope or night-vision sight. The
Micro T1 appears in Payday 2 as "The Professional's Choice Sight"!

The SRS02 has a green dot and a chunky housing. The real SRS (or Sealed Reflex
Sight) is made by Trijicon like the Reflex sight above; it has a red dot and a
top-mounted solar panel as a secondary power source.

See the SRS sight on Military Arms Channel: https://youtu.be/CIBMZ6HSJSY

                          1x Sights - Holo / PK-AS
                          ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The 1x sights operate on a similar principal to the red-dot sights but now the
dot is surrounded by a small circle which greatly improves the visibility of
your point of aim.

The Holo option has a red reticle and a rectangular sight image. On a real-life
EOTech Holo sight the two square buttons at the rear are used to adjust the
brightness of the reticle up/down to suit your environment and the circular NV
button allows you to temporarily dim the marker when you want to use the sight
in conjunction with night-vision equipment.

The PK-AS has a circular image and a reticle consisting of a red dot and a black
circle which should make it visible against light and dark backgrounds. Labelled
incorrectly as the "PKA-S" in previous Battlefield titles, this Russian 1x sight
is now correctly shown as the PK-AS.

                     Night Sights - IRNV (1x) / FLIR (2x)
                     ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Both of these give a thermal image which can be used to detect enemies through
smoke* or when camouflaged against foliage or darker backgrounds. They also both
have rudimentary range-finders incorporated in their scope views.

The IRNV (Infra-Red Night-Vision) scope gives a basic 1x zoom and a green view
with heat sources highlighted yellow.

The FLIR (Forward-Looking Infra-Red) scope has a 2x zoom and a greyscale sight
image with heat sources marked white.

Patched: Previously you couldn't see through smoke using the FLIR scope if you
        were inside the smoke cloud but this was fixed in the 3 November patch.

The IR sights are severely blinded by taclights and other bright light sources.

Both units are fairly large and occupy a big chunk of your screen.

The FLIR scope is modelled on one of the ThOR scopes made by ATN Corp of San
Francisco. The digital scopes of the ThOR series each offer a different range of
magnification, with the best offering up to 40x zoom - for only US$8,700!

*Your options as infantry are more limited compared to BF4, but if you want to
use smoke you can buy and equip the M18 Smoke grenade.

    Medium-Range Scopes - M145 (3.4x) / PO (3.5x) / ACOG (4x) / PSO1 (4x)
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These scopes give a level of zoom that will be useful at medium ranges but with-
out most of the penalties applied to larger scopes. They use a combination of
black and red markings designed to work against both light and dark backgrounds.

The M145 has a very thick eyecup which limits your peripheral vision outside the
scope view. The reticle consists of a central red T (not unlike the Kobra RDS)
and back crosshairs. The M145 is the US Army's variant of the ELCAN C79 and is
used primarily on the M240 and M249 machineguns.

The PO scope is a new addition to the series.* It has a thinner border and the
reticle has a red ring and a black horizontal line with small black crosshairs.
This Russian scope would come with a side bracket for mounting on Kalashnikov
pattern weapons such as the AK74, AN94, etc.

The ACOG now has a small red ring instead of a red chevron. The ACOG name is a
registered trademark of American company Trijicon and stands for Advanced Combat
Optical Gunsight. Although the game's version gives 4x magnification, Trijicon
manufacture a range of ACOG models with various magnifications from 1.5x up to
6x (and with different lens sizes and reticle shapes/colours).

See various Trijicon ACOG's on IV8888: https://youtu.be/B3nyql99Qas

The Russian PSO1 has a red chevron plus several black markings including the
distinctive curved "graph" in the reticle image which can be used to determine
ranges based on a human target with a height of 1.7 metres (5 feet 7 inches),
e.g. if the target fits neatly between the curve and the horizontal line below
the "6" mark then the range is 600m. It is a large unit which occupies a lot of
your screen both in and out of ADS. The 4x PSO1 scope was designed specifically
for use with the SVD Dragunov as a designated marksman rifle.

See the SVD and PSO1 on Forgotten Weapons: https://youtu.be/8gcE45knbNA

*The PO replaces the Russian 3.4x PK-A sight from previous BF titles. This was
an imposter in this group as the real device is actually a 1x red-dot sight.

Long-Range Scopes - TA648 (6x) / PKS07 (7x) / Rifle Scope (8x) / Hunter (14x)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These scopes give enhanced magnification for long-range sniping - unlike the
previous categories, each scope provides a different level of magnification. All
four options here give no peripheral vision when you ADS.

Any weapon using a scope with 6x mag or higher will suffer penalties. The scope
will "sway" when aiming so you will often want to tap L3 to hold your breath (to
steady your aim for about five seconds). Additionally the glint of sunlight
reflecting off the lens will be visible to enemies when aiming at them - yes,
even when playing on the night maps!

Previously labelled as the Chinese "CL6X" in BF4, the TA648 is an American 6x
scope with the point of aim indicated with a red dot and outer black ring. The
TA648 range of 6x ACOG scopes is manufactured by Trijicon. The real design has a
top rail which allows the user to mount a back-up holo sight.

The PKS07 has a central red chevron and some black linear markings. In Russian
military use the 7x PKS07 is the standard scope for the SV98 marksman rifle.

The Rifle Scope and Hunter both have simple black crosshairs that fill the large
sight image. The mil dots can be used to help factor bullet-drop. Since BF4 the
Hunter has been reduced to 14x magnification (from 20x) and the 40x Ballistic
Scope option has been removed.

For sniping it's recommended to find a magnification that you're comfortable
with then always use the same one so you get used to it. This is easier to do in
Hardline where optics unlock early and you can choose which ones to purchase.

You can use long-range scopes in conjunction with the canted iron-sights or new
canted RDS (see Section 10b) to give you an option for short-range use.

The Rifle Scope for the M1903 has 6x magnification instead of the usual 8x.

               Improved Iron-Sights / Mini (RDS) / Delta (RDS)
               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The sidearms get their own range of optics to replace the basic iron sights.

The new option of improved iron-sights replaces the ghost ring of BF4. It has
luminous green markings (resembling an inverted exclamation mark) which should
be more visible against a dark background. However the raised sections at the
rear will impair your view around your point of aim.

The Mini and Delta are both miniature red-dot sights. The Delta sight has a thin
border and a more prominent triangular reticule.

The 3x scope that was available to a few sidearms in BF4 is not featured here.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 10b | Accessories                                               s10b |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

This rather broad category includes secondary sights, lights, lasers, extended
magazines and alternate ammo types. Although in reality you could use several of
these simultaneously, in the game you can only use one accessory at a time.

Where an accessory has two modes (e.g. on and off!) you can toggle between them
by pressing d-pad up on consoles or by tapping T (for "Toggle") on PC.

                        Canted Ironsights / Canted RDS
                        ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Canted irons add a set of back-up iron sights onto the side of the weapon at a
45° angle to the top. When using a sight/scope attachment this allows you to
switch between using the optics and the canted irons (by pressing d-pad up).

Hardline has added an alternative to canted irons in the form of canted RDS
where a small red-dot sight can be mounted and used in exactly the same way.

These accessories would be particularly useful when running a high magnification
scope that would otherwise be inconvenient in close-quarters engagements.

The canted irons option cannot be used in conjunction with iron sights or the
Comp M4s or SRS02 sights. Similarly the canted RDS cannot be used with iron
sights or any of the red-dot sights or 1x sights (see above).

Canted irons were a standard feature on the real-life SR25 ECC marksman rifle.

                               Extended Magazine
                               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Absent from BF4, the extended mags option returned in Hardline and can now be
used on a wide range of weapons. When this accessory is equipped your magazine
size will increase by five rounds but you will suffer a 50% penalty to your
"manoeuvrability" - your ADS and hipfire accuracy while moving.

In a Twitter Q&A in January 2015 lead multiplayer designer Thad Sasser said that
equipping extended mags would give you less ammunition overall but I tested a
few Operator primaries and in all cases I had enough spare ammo for either four
or even five full reloads with the larger magazine size (where usually you spawn
with sufficient rounds for four full reloads with the standard magazine). For
example the M416 assault rifle has a 30+1 capacity and you usually get 124 extra
rounds (31 x 4) but with extended mags you get 35+1 and 144 spare (36 x 4).

                         Flash Light / Tactical Light
                         ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The flash light has no statistical effects but it can be used to illuminate a
small area and to blind/disorient hostiles when you aim at them. The game notes
that lights are especially effective at dazzling IRNV/FLIR scope users. You can
toggle it on/off by pressing d-pad up.

The taclight works much like the flash light except it turns on automatically
when you ADS (press L2 to aim). Although it's not shown on the d-pad prompt you
can enable/disable the taclight's function by pressing d-pad up.

At longer ranges the lights will usually only serve to highlight your position
to enemies and give them something to aim at!

                                 Laser Sight
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
When you use hipfire (i.e. when shooting without pressing L2 to ADS) you will
experience greatly reduced accuracy (increased spread) compared to normal aimed
fire (for example the M416 assault rifle has a stationary aimed spread of 0.2
and a standing hipfire spread of 3.0). The laser sight improves your hipfire
accuracy by providing a 25% reduction to your hipfire spread.

As usual you can turn the device on/off by pressing d-pad up. When you switch
the laser attachment on you'll notice that your hipfire crosshairs in the centre
of the screen will tighten slightly indicating the accuracy bonus applied.

If you play in Hardcore mode the hipfire crosshairs are disabled and therefore
you can use the laser's dot for aiming as you would in real life.

The beam of the laser is visible to the enemy (even from the side) so remember
to turn it off if you are hiding behind a crate/corner or want to make your
position harder to determine in dark areas or at longer ranges. Also don't
forget that the laser is turned on by default every time you respawn.

BF4 had separate options for red or green lasers. In Hardline there is only one
option but for some guns it'll be red and for others it'll be green.

                                    Stock
                                    ¯¯¯¯¯
This option can be purchased and selected to add a shoulder stock to a weapon
that does not come with one by default. Some guns (e.g. the SCAR-H) are modelled
with a folded stock and you need to buy/equip this option in order to unfold it!

According to the in-game description the stock "increases weapon control during
rapid fire" - and in fact it has exactly the same statistical effects as the
stubby grip, i.e. it reduces ADS spread increase by 50%, reduces hipfire spread
increase by 15% and reduces the maximum ADS spread by 50%.

When the stock and stubby grip are used together the effects stack so you get a
massive buff to your weapon's overall accuracy in aimed automatic fire.

                                Straight Pull
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
When the straight-pull bolt is equipped on a bolt-action sniper rifle you will
chamber the next round automatically after firing a shot and without coming out
of your ADS (scope) view. This makes it much easier to track the position of the
enemy when taking follow-up shots or engaging a group.

                              .338 Magnum Rounds
                              ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is an alternate ammo type for the R700 LTR and AWM sniper rifles only. It
costs $100,000 to unlock so it has a higher price than most of the guns!

It extends the damage drop-off range from 30-100 metres to 50-125 metres (to
give the same long one-hit kill range as the .300 Knockout) and adds a 50% bonus
to stationary spread (although the R700 already has perfect aimed accuracy).

However it also applies a x5 penalty to vertical recoil, reduces the min damage
from 59 to 50 (also the same as the Knockout) and reduces the rate of fire - it
takes about 50% longer to chamber each round. Also since it equips into the
accessory slot it's necessary to give up the straight-pull bolt to use it.

Patched: Several stat changes were applied on PC on the final day of the beta in
        February 2015. The effective range for .338 Magnum rounds was reduced.

        In the 16 June patch the damage against the Mechanic's Armoured Insert
        was increased and the one-hit kill range was extended.

Shortcut unlock vouchers are available from Battlepacks for most attachments but
since the .338 Magnum Rounds option is available for only two weapons in the
base game it seems it was decided not to include vouchers for it.

The .338 Lapua Magnum load was developed specifically for long-range sniping,
with Finnish ammo firm Lapua working in conjunction with Accuracy International
(who make the AWM) and Finnish rifle manufacturer Sako. It was designed to give
high performance and excellent body-armour penetration at long ranges.

                                   12G Slug
                                   ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The 12-gauge slugs are an alternate ammo type for shotguns. Instead of the usual
buckshot pellets, each shell contains a single solid projectile (and therefore
they cannot be equipped in conjunction with the muzzle chokes).

With the full shotgun stats for Hardline not published I can only speculate on
their performance. The damage profile and headshot multiplier for slugs in BF4
have both seen changes and it's unclear how these influenced Hardline.

I think slugs do 100 damage out to 20 metres so they would give a one-hit kill
out to that range - and maybe a one-hit headshot kill out to around 50 metres?

Slug rounds are not available to the Double-Barrel Shotgun or 1887.

                               Breaching Rounds
                               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                    [Criminal Activity expansion required]

The breaching rounds are an alternate ammo type for shotguns. They contain an
explosive load which can be used to take out laser tripmines or sabotage traps
and to remove any building door that has an open/close interaction.

When breaching rounds are equipped your shotgun will still use the standard
buckshot shells by default but when you press d-pad down the next shot you fire
will be a breaching round (the d-pad prompt shows a shotgun shell) and then the
gun switches back to buck again. You can continue to select the explosive shells
as many times as you like - you have a single pool of ammo and all rounds are
magically subtracted from the same total.

This combination of ammo types is fairly realistic. In military and police roles
an operator might load one or two breaching rounds to fire first or if they have
a shotgun with two separate magazines (like the KSG) these can be used to switch
between two different ammo types.

The breaching rounds have a very short time-to-live and detonate after only nine
metres. If you fire into empty space you'll see a pretty fireworks effect right
in front of you and even a weak fence ten metres away will survive.

In BF4 the damage from shotgun frag rounds includes a splash component of up to
25 so it was possible to kill yourself for example by firing at your feet four
times. The breaching rounds in Hardline work differently though - it's possible
to kill yourself with a single shot if you hit an object less than a metre away!

Breaching rounds are not available to the Double-Barrel Shotgun or 1887.

                               AP Tracer Rounds
                               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
                    [Criminal Activity expansion required]

The AP Tracer (armour-piercing tracer) ammunition can be equipped onto assault
rifles, carbines, battle rifles and semi-auto snipers.

The armour-piercing effect counters the Mechanic's Armored Insert (body armour)
damage modifier and the bullets also do increased damage to armoured vehicles.

However as a penalty the bright bullet trails of the tracer effect will reveal
your position to the enemy, especially on the darker night maps.

Additionally with certain weapons the max damage will be reduced. This seems to
mainly affect the majority of assault rifles and carbines, with a loss of the
four-hit kill for the AKS74u, G36C and SG553 carbines and the M416, M16A3, ARM,
L85A2, FAMAS, F2000, SAR21 and AUG A3 assault rifles. This is a major negative.

(Thanks to MarbleDuck of Symthic for posting the AP Tracer damage stats. Be sure
to check him out on Youtube for very informative technical Battlefield content.)

In real life you can get armour-piercing or tracer rounds in intermediate and
rifle calibres but it'd be quite unusual to have both in the same cartridge. You
would normally only see both together on specialist heavy machinegun ammunition.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 10c | Muzzles                                                   s10c |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

You can replace the standard barrel or fit a range of attachments to the end.

                               Standard Barrel
                               ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
This is just the default configuration when you have no other option selected.

                          Muzzle Brake / Compensator
                          ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
These attachments both serve to redirect propellant gases at the end of the
barrel and thereby reduce the recoil experienced by the user.

The muzzle brake reduces horizontal recoil by 50% and vertical recoil by 17.5%
but it also applies a 50% penalty to the spread recovery rate.

The compensator reduces vertical recoil by 40% but increases horizontal recoil
by 17% and increases your spread increase per shot (SIPS) by 30%.

Since it's much easier to manually counteract the effect of vertical recoil,
the muzzle brake will often be more useful. You should be cautious of adding the
compensator to a weapon that already has high horizontal recoil.

                                 Heavy Barrel
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
When a rifle is fired the barrel is subjected to very high pressures that cause
vibrations (at a harmonic frequency) which can reduce accuracy. A normal barrel
tapers significantly along its length (so it's thinner at the muzzle end) but a
heavy barrel has far less taper and the increased thickness makes it stiffer and
therefore less prone to the negative effects of these harmonics.

In Hardline the HBAR gives a 50% reduction to stationary ADS spread (increased
accuracy) and a 20% reduction to the stationary ADS spread maximum. Additionally
the added weight gives a 20% reduction to ADS/hipfire vertical recoil and a 20%
reduction to ADS horizontal recoil.

However that weight also causes a 50% penalty to ADS/hipfire spread when moving
(reduced accuracy), but if you always stop before you shoot then you will suffer
no negatives from using the heavy barrel.

                                 Flash Hider
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The flash hider conceals the prominent bright "muzzle flash" when firing your
weapon which could otherwise reveal your position to the enemy. This would be
more beneficial in darker environments where your muzzle flash is more obvious.

It has no statistical bonuses/penalties (on recoil, accuracy, etc) so if you
don't use any of the other barrel attachments you might as well equip this one!

(In BF4 the 2015 Spring Patch added a penalty to spread recovery when using the
flash hider but this change has not yet been applied in Hardline.)

                                  Suppressor
                                  ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Commonly (but incorrectly) known as a "silencer", a suppressor can be fitted to
the end of the barrel reducing the sound made when the weapon is fired; it also
functions as a flash hider (see above).

Normally in Hardline firing a gun causes the player to be temporarily marked on
the enemy team's minimaps but with the suppressor equipped this doesn't happen
and therefore you can sometimes gain a significant tactical advantage.

There are a few disadvantages to using a suppressor:

o Reduced muzzle velocity* - this will make it harder to hit moving targets and
 increase the effect of bullet-drop (see Section 02a).

o Exclusion of other muzzle attachments - if you pick the suppressor you'll lose
 the ability to use other attachments like the muzzle brake or heavy barrel.

o Increased weapon length - it'll be harder to hide behind a corner!

In BF3 the suppressor attachment reduced the damage drop-off distances for your
gun and in BF4 it reduced your stationary hipfire accuracy but neither penalty
is currently applied in Hardline.

BF4 had four cosmetic variations of the suppressor for primary weapons and a
further three for the sidearms. These were unlocked separately and you could
select which one to equip. In Hardline however there is only one suppressor
option for each weapon, but this will have a different appearance depending on
which gun you're using.

If your primary weapon is unsuppressed you might like to run with a suppressor
on your sidearm to give you a stealthy option when you need it. However, due to
the open nature of their cylinders, the revolvers cannot use suppressors.

*Fitting a suppressor to any firearm in Hardline reduces its muzzle velocity to
340 m/s or less (representing a switch to subsonic ammo). Even if the standard
velocity of the weapon is already subsonic it will still be reduced. Even some
primary weapons like the K10, UMP45 and M1A1 can end up with muzzle velocities
of less than 200 m/s - a third that of a typical assault rifle in the game.

Most real ammunition is supersonic which means its muzzle velocity is greater
than the speed of sound (at sea level this is around 340 m/s) and you get the
usual "crack" sound which is actually a small sonic-boom. A suppressor can still
reduce the sound of supersonic loads (its main function is to slow and cool the
propellant gases to reduce the loud muzzle blast) but to be properly quiet you
need to use either subsonic ammo or a suppressor that's specifically designed to
bleed the velocity to below the speed of sound.

                         Full Choke / Modified Choke
                         ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
A choke can be fitted to the muzzle of a shotgun to tighten the width of the
cone of pellets (with buckshot ammo) as they leave the barrel. This makes the
weapon more effective on ADS shots at range but there are also negatives.

The modified choke makes the cone 20% tighter but also increases hipfire spread
by 20%. The full choke tightens the cone by 40% but gives a 50% increase to
hipfire spread. I believe both attachments give a penalty to recoil too.

The choke options are not available to the Double-Barrel Shotgun but its barrel
attachment functions statistically as a full choke. Additionally they cannot be
used with slug rounds in the other shotguns.

The (mostly useless) duckbill choke from BF4 is not available in Hardline.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 10d | Grips                                                     s10d |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

There are three types of underbarrel foregrips in Hardline which can be fitted
to give you bonuses to accuracy or recoil.

There were six designs of foregrip in BF4 but only three different types - the
ergo and vertical grips gave the same statistical effects, as did the angled and
folding grips and the stubby and potato grips.

In Hardline you no longer get to choose between cosmetic variations although, as
with the suppressors, each of the three types is rendered as a different design
depending on which gun you're using them on.

The foregrips have no statistical penalties and BF4's other underbarrel options
(the bipod and grenade-launcher rail) are unavailable so there's no reason not
to use a grip on any gun that will accept one. You can choose the one that best
fits your play style.

(In BF4 the 2015 Spring Patch added a penalty to spread recovery when using a
foregrip but this change has not yet been applied in Hardline.)

                                Vertical Grip
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
You will suffer increased spread (reduced accuracy) if you fire while moving -
this can be thought of as either a "movement penalty" or a "stationary bonus"
(depending on your perspective). Your weapon will also have more spread if you
use hipfire instead of ADS (aiming down sights).

For example the M416 has a stationary ADS spread of 0.2, a moving ADS spread of
1.0, a stationary hipfire spread of 3.0 and a moving hipfire spread of 3.5.

The vertical grip gives a 50% reduction to moving ADS/hipfire spread and a 25%
reduction to stationary hipfire spread. This makes it most useful if you prefer
a close-quarters "run-and-gun" play style.

                                Angled Grip
                                ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
The first-shot recoil multiplier of a weapon increases the vertical recoil on a
single shot or the first shot in automatic fire.

The angled grip reduces the recoil multiplier by 33% so it's most useful when
you fire short controlled bursts or you're using a semi-automatic weapon.

The triangular angled grip is modelled on the original AFG (Angled Foregrip)
manufactured by Magpul which is now available in five different colour options.
In BF4 it was always rendered in Flat Dark Earth (dark tan) which looked okay on
the SCAR-H in its default paint scheme but rubbish on anything else! In Hardline
it will usually be black although it still comes in FDE when used on the SCAR.

                                 Stubby Grip
                                 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
During automatic fire the spread (random angular deviation) of each successive
shot increases by a fixed amount - the spread increase per shot (SIPS) - until
it reaches the maximum limit. This is a decrease in your weapon's accuracy.

The stubby grip reduces ADS SIPS by 50% and hipfire SIPS by 15% plus it reduces
the maximum ADS spread by 50%. This allows you to be more accurate when firing
longer bursts at range.

-------------.----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 10e | Camo                                                      s10e |
'-------------'----------------------------------------------------------------'

Just like BF4, Hardline has an extensive range of camo/colour combinations that
can be applied to any gun in its final slot.

The seven standard solid (unpatterned) options (black, FDE (Flat Dark Earth),
green, etc) can be purchased at any time for $5,000 each. Once you have bought
one it can be used with any gun.

There are also several camo patterns (splinter, digital, ERDL, hexagon, etc)
which can be obtained with various colour schemes (jungle, forest, desert, etc).
These are unlocked as specific combinations, e.g. Tiger Jungle, ERDL Snow, etc,
when they appear randomly in Battlepacks.

If you're into that kind of thing you can also drop large sums of money to buy
the fluoro zebra patterns and you can unlock bronze, silver and gold metallic
options for a specific weapon by getting ten Bronze Service Stars (100 kills),
ten Silver Service Stars (250 kills total) and ten Gold Service Stars (500 kills
total) with that gun.

The "adaptive" option of BF4 - which automatically changed the colour scheme of
your weapon to match the terrain of the current map - is not available.

The Betrayal DLC added the Gun Bench feature which allows you to completely
customize the camo colours of up to five primary weapons.
                                      __

You can also create your own custom emblem which will be displayed on your gun
and ballistic shield and on the killcard info shown to your victims after you
kill them. After logging into your online Battlelog account click on Agent (top
left), then Customize Emblem (top right) to access the emblem design tool.* Each
emblem can consist of up to twenty separate layers - or forty with Premium.

Additional shapes for your emblem designs can be unlocked via Battlepacks.

*Direct link: http://battlelog.battlefield.com/bfh/emblem/edit/personal/


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 11 | CONTACT                                                     s11 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

I welcome feedback, corrections and contributions on this guide. Contributions
will usually be reworded but will always be fully credited to the submitter so
be sure to tell me the name you want me to use.

You can email me at barticle at hotmail.com - obviously changing the "at" to an
@ and removing the spaces. It would be helpful if you include "Battlefield" or
"Hardline" somewhere in the subject line to get my attention.

I prefer contact by email but if you have trouble with your emails (inbox full,
webmail blocked, overzealous spam filter, etc) and/or you don't hear back from
me within a few days then feel free to message me via GameFAQs.


------------.-----------------------------------------------------------------.
| Section 12 | THANKS                                                      s12 |
'------------'-----------------------------------------------------------------'

I would like to thank the following:-

o Sym and Miffyli at Symthic.com for the weapon stats

o Zormau, TimeItself, Zombierus and Miffyli for the shotgun stats

o MarbleDuck for the AP Tracer ammo damage stats

o NoctyrneSAGA for the .338 Magnum ammo stats

o xFactor, LevelCap, TheRussianBadger and JackFrags for gameplay previews

o DANNYonPC for the DLC gun previews

o Modern Firearms (guns.ru) for info on some of the guns

o Internet Movie Firearms Database (imfdb.org) for info on some of the guns

o The Firearm Blog (thefirearmblog.com) for recent news stories

o Defense Review (defensereview.com) for info on the MDR

o Kuuten, Raven_Djinn, Zormau, gto364cid and youngsplud420 for helpful forum
 posts

o Mayhem for the DerpSwag :)

o my favourite gaming channels for Battlefield content:

 - http://www.youtube.com/user/darthveda
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/MarbleDuck
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/DANNYonPCin720p

 - http://www.youtube.com/user/rivaLxfactor
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/LevelCapGaming
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/Matimi0

 - http://www.youtube.com/user/bigMooney06
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/jackfrags
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/izzygonecrazygaming

 - http://www.youtube.com/user/xFPxAUTh0r1ty (Battle(non)sense)
 - http://www.youtube.com/c/flakfiregaming
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/StoneMountain64

 - http://www.youtube.com/user/th3chineseguy
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/MrTimeItself
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/I2usskhofTV (Russkhof)

 - http://www.youtube.com/user/dontrevivemebro
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/Kulprit008
 - http://www.youtube.com/user/NeebsGaming

o my favourite channels for firearms features:

 - https://www.youtube.com/user/Iraqveteran8888 (IV8888)
 - https://www.youtube.com/user/Sturmgewehre (Military Arms Channel / MAC)
 - https://www.youtube.com/c/thefirearmblogtv/ (TFB TV)

 - https://www.youtube.com/user/VickersTacticalInc
 - https://www.youtube.com/user/MiculekDotCom
 - https://www.youtube.com/user/FPSRussia

o MP1st for Battlefield news

 - http://mp1st.com/category/battlefield/

o Battlefield Friends :D

 - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5EFADE5F1A6F7492

o Jazzdefector, Michael Meara, Planet Boelex and Pobedia for super sounds

I will be happy to give credit and thanks to anyone who makes a contribution.
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-------o   /  __   / \___   //  ___/\_   ___//  //  ___//  /  /  __   /
| ANOTHER  /  / /  /_____/  //  /     /  /   /  //  /   /  /  /   \/  /
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        /  / /  //  / /  //  /     /  /   /  //  /   /  /  /  /         GUIDE |
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--
Battlefield Hardline Firearms Guide
Copyright 2015-2016 James R. Barton
Initial version 1.00 completed 23 September 2015
Current version 1.05 completed 27 November 2016

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.

This guide may be downloaded and printed for personal, private, non-commercial
use only. This work is subject to copyright. It may not be hosted online or
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without the advance written consent of the author. Any violation would
constitute an infringement of copyright and is strictly prohibited.

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(gamefaqs.com) and its affiliates, i.e. Gamespot (gamespot.com).

If you find this file hosted on any other site I would be grateful if you would
inform me at the email address given at the top. Thanks!