eastern black rat snaketip

Facebook: http://facebook.com/XboxAhoy
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xboxahoy

In this episode we're covering FMJ.

In Black Ops 2, FMJ acts to improve the penetration ability of your weapon - although this can be considered a major malfunction, as it's some distance removed from the real-life nature of FMJ.

FMJ is an initialism for 'Full Metal Jacket', referring to soft-core bullets encapsulated in a harder metal: usually lead with a cupro-nickel surround.

This is as a contrast to traditional bullets that were of an entirely lead construction, or modern variants such as soft-point or hollow-point, which have an exposed lead tip.

FMJ permits faster muzzle velocity without excessive lead fouling, and will protect against rifling damage with the use of armour-piercing rounds.

Most modern military ammunition is FMJ - so its depiction as a dedicated means of cutting through cover is inaccurate.

Armour-piercing rounds do exist, and this effect is normally achieved through the addition of a hardened penetrator - made of steel, tungsten or similarly tough material.

The majority of rounds fired are basic lead-core FMJ, however - Armour Piercing rounds are more likely to be used in larger calibres.

It's only with rounds such as the .50 BMG where penetration effects begin to prove particularly useful, and moreso with vehicle-mounted automatic cannons and tank main guns.

The A-10 Warthog, for instance, has a mighty 30mm cannon in the GAU-8 Avenger Autocannon.

Capable of firing up to 4,200 rounds per minute, with a depleted uranium penetrating core capable of shredding tank armour - such vehicle-mounted armaments are a far cry from your basic FMJ round.

In-game, FMJ is an attachment available for the assault rifles, SMGs, LMGs, sniper rifles, and the pistols.

It is absent for the special weapons, shotguns, and the launchers.

FMJ's effects are often misunderstood, thanks in part to the in-game statistics which indicate an increase in weapon damage.




FMJ does not, in fact, increase damage inflicted upon your enemy at all - your basic damage will remain the same.

What FMJ will do, however, is increase the effectiveness of your weapon when engaging targets behind cover.

In addition, it will boost your damage versus most scorestreaks - with the exception of turrets, you'll be able to take out enemy streaks with roughly half the number of shots than without the attachment.



Normally, you will see greatly reduced damage when shooting through surfaces: an enemy lurking behind such cover will be protected to some degree.

FMJ reduces this damage penalty, allowing your shots to more effectively cut through surfaces so they'll deal more damage to targets behind.

Given that, on occasion, your shots will strike a surface before your intended mark - FMJ will elevate the average damage you inflict upon your enemy, on a larger statistical scale.

In cases where you shoot your enemy directly, however, FMJ will grant no benefit.

In most gunfights you should aim to target the exposed portion of an enemy, instead of shooting through any cover in front of them - but should they flee into total cover, FMJ will assist in finishing off your injured quarry with penetrating blindfire.

FMJ is an attachment that suits automatic weapons with the capability to liberally spray through walls - high capacity and high rates of fire excel here.

LMGs are truly the paradigm class for the attachment - their output, combined with a high level of damage, will tear through most cover: pick 'em up and set 'em down.

The attachment is similarly useful on assault rifles - their mid-range ability and rifle-grade penetration born to kill through walls.

It's far less useful on lower damage weapons, or those with a slower rate of fire - it would be a waste of an attachment for most of the pistols, for instance.

Still, it is a universally beneficial attachment, and even on those weapons that benefit the least, there's a chance the elevated piercing power might secure a critical kill.

So show the enemy your war face, get some FMJ, and turn your enemy's cover...

...into mere concealment.

Facebook: http://facebook.com/XboxAhoy
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xboxahoy

This time, we're covering the HAMR.

Unlocked at level 37, we round out the LMG selection with this weapon's debut appearance within the Call of Duty series.

The HAMR, or Heat Adaptive Modular Rifle is a Belgian weapon designed by FN Herstal for the US Infantry Automatic Rifle requirement in 2008.

The weapon is based on the existing SCAR design, with some modifications made for the sustained fire requirement of the IAR program.

The 'Heat Adaptive' part of the name refers to the automatic switching from a closed bolt to open bolt operation as the weapon's barrel heats up during firing.

This grants the accuracy benefit of closed-bolt operation during semi-automatic fire, with the superior heat dissipation of an open-bolt design for sustained use.

The HAMR entered into the same trials as its German rival from HK, the M27 - and ultimately it was the M27 that came out on top and was selected as the winner of the IAR competition.

Nevertheless, the SCAR design has seen some success of its own, with the United States Marine Corps and SOCOM amongst the platform's users.

In-game, damage is good: very similar to the LSAT's damage, albeit with a very slight reduction in range.

You'll kill in 3 shots up close, and may need up to 5 shots at a distance.

Effective range is fairly generous however, so you can expect consistent performance - and the HAMR's ability to penetrate walls is good, too.

Output is unusual, but in a good way: the first 7 shots are fired more quickly, with the weapon settling down into a slower sustained rate of fire.

These first 7 rounds are fired at a rate of 940 rounds per minute: comparable to most SMGs, and combined with the high damage this initial flurry makes the HAMR very effective at a close range.

The sustained fire rate is 625 rounds per minute - a little less deadly up close, but much easier to control at a distance: prolonged fire can be used to great effect over longer ranges.

Rapid Fire will make the HAMR fire at 940 rounds per minute continuously, and so is probably best left off the weapon, as burst firing will grant a similar level of output.

Hipfire is on par with the other LMGs: not spectacular in terms of spread, but the initial output will quite happily repel any close-range attackers in relatively short order.

Recoil varies with the fire rate: initially your accuracy will be poor, but once the fire rate settles recoil becomes very mild indeed.

As long as you can wrest your aim onto target after the initial burst, you'll find the HAMR is capable at most ranges.

Aim time is slow, identical to the other LMGs at 450 milliseconds - and movement is similarly slow, at just 90 percent of the base speed.

Magazine capacity is good by any measure, but on the lower end of the LMG scale, at 75 rounds.

Extended clip takes this capacity to 100 rounds instead.

Being magazine-fed rather than belt-fed, reloads are tolerable at least - although you will resupply slightly slower than the QBB, at 4.25 seconds per mag change.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem might as well be a nail.

The HAMR is a well-rounded weapon that handles well and hits hard.

The dual firerate means it is an oddball, but it can work to your advantage - the rapid burst can be a lifesaver in close quarters, and once the weapon settles you can put down accurate suppressive fire to quite some effect.

All in, the HAMR is a great handling weapon that doesn't demand a particular attachment to be effective - a versatile tool with an interesting twist.

Of course, there are some downsides - notably you'll suffer from the usual slow handling traits of an LMG: the reload speed isn't too bad, but can prove inconvenient: the initial rapid burst of shots can quickly chew through your magazine, meaning you will have to endure a resupply relatively often.

In addition, the high recoil of the rapid fire burst can make it difficult to acquire long-range targets rapidly: a more accurate opponent may have the advantage over such sightlines.

Still, as long as you position yourself well you will prove difficult to dislodge, with a resistive perk set and a weapon that's effective at most ranges.

Simply put, you can't touch this weapon's versatility, so if you're too legit to quit, then stop...

...HAMR time.