M231-Series

"The standard assault rifle of pretty much every branch of every human army in existence. You'd be hard-pressed to find an arms dealer that doesn't stock them."

-Arms Master Davenport regarding the widespread use of the M231 Assault Rifle

Overview
The M231, introduced in 2231, is- and has been- the human rifle of choice for over four centuries, going through numerous changes throughout its long service life. It is unkown as to where the first designs came from, as its design is very unlike other rifles in use- being much more angular in design. However, this design aspect makes it very customisable compared to some more complicated designs. It carries a magazine size of 31 rounds (32 with one in the chamber.) and can empty this in roughly five seconds of fire. However, this may be changed depending on various models. It chambers a 7.62x51mm IMPS round, though some variants may be modified for a 5.56x45mm IMPS.

Known Variants
The M231 has gone through many changes in its lifetime, culminating in several unique design models.

M231-A Variant
The 'A' variant of M231 was the first rifle to be issued on the battlefield. It was designed for being able to be easily modified on the battlefield to account for planetary warfare, something that traditional rifles in service of the UNCE did poorly. The angular design was- in part- a design choice soon echoed in the rest of the weaponry produced by Irisi Armouries.

M231-B Variant
The 'B' variant of M231 was introduced shortly after the First Contact War.This variant was more compact and had increased custom options, while incorporating more features such as an integrated ammunition feed and a smart link to a soldier's HUD. This was the first rifle of the series to have an ammunition clip inserted into the top of the weapon, rather than the bottom, and remains in service as of 2702.

M231-C Variant
The 'C' in this variation of rifle was named for its intended use by CENTURION soldiers. As part of this, it was given a polished-blue colouring. These rifles are custom-made for the soldier who uses it, so are much rarer, and were first to incorporate the ability to change how ammunition is fired from the chamber, making them much more advanced than their 'B' counterparts.

M231-E Variant
The 'E' variant stands for 'Exo'- highlighting it's intended use in zero-gravity environments, like space. It doesn't have much difference to its counterparts, apart from a matte-black paint and several nonstandard modifications such as less powerful firing action, decreasing risk of kickback to the user. All silencing features were removed from the weapon as well as several features for use in atmospheres, to make the weapon lighter in space. The bullets fired- 8.00x69mm CIL round, designed for space warfare. However, it is compatible with standard 7.62x51mm IMPS used by the other weapons.

Successor- M241/6-Q
The M231 has only one known successor, which is the M241/6-Q. This version was tested at the Queenshead testing facility on Secundus, intended for use by Dragonfire units and Colonial Police/ Urban Combat units. It was equipped with silencing technology and optionally adaptive paint- allowing it to change colour to match its' environment. The Queenshead facility would also create a dedicated law-enforcement rifle- the PKM4, part of the Peacekeeper line , but highly based off the M421/6-Q.