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This time, we're covering the M8A1.

A new addition to the Call of Duty arsenal, this weapon is unusual in that it fires a four-round burst by default - and is unlocked at level 49.

The M8A1 is a fictional derivative of the German XM8 rifle design, first seen in 2002.

The rifle was produced by Heckler and Koch at the behest of the US Army, seeking a potential future replacement for the AR-15 platform currently in service.

The XM8 designation was assigned in the wake of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) contract, a project which sought a futuristic all-in-one infantry rifle.

The project fell through, but the XM8 design was brought about as a result - a modular derivative of the German G36 rifle design, making extensive use of modern composite materials.

Ultimately, the XM8 project was discontinued in 2005 - the performance gains over the existing platforms in service not deemed worth the investment cost for replacement.

Presumably, in Black Ops 2 the project resurfaced: the M8A1 designation indicating a derivative weapon that has entered into service.

In-game, damage is moderate: you do have the ability to kill a close-range enemy with just 3 shots, but this is only within a very short distance.

In most cases, you can expect to kill in four or five shots: and it's worth noting that the M8A1 has no bonus headshot multiplier, so it's best to aim for centre mass.

Penetration ability is on-par with most other assault rifles.

The M8A1's rate of fire is incredibly high within its four-round burst: 1250 rounds per minute. As such you are able to down a mid-ranged target very quickly indeed with a well-placed shot.

There is a mandatory delay between bursts, however - but this is relatively short: your sustainable rate of fire is a still-respectable 789 rounds per minute.

Equipping select fire will turn the M8A1 into a fully-automatic weapon, but this comes at a cost: your rate of fire will be reduced to 940 rounds per minute, and recoil will be significantly increased - but you do retain the 3-shot potential.

Hipfire spread is average, and combined with the rapid burst output can prove quite effective: as you should need only 3 rounds to connect to kill within hipfire ranges, a couple of bursts will quickly and reliably do the job should needs be.

Recoil is low, and so while you'll need at least two bursts to kill at range, it is quite possible to repeatedly drill a distant target with multiple rounds from the same burst.

The M8 isn't the most effective ranged weapon, but it can certainly perform at such ranges when asked.

Aim time is standard for its class, at 250 milliseconds - and other handling traits are as expected, including your mobility - like its peers, you'll move at 95 percent of the base speed.

Magazine capacity is fairly average, with the bonus two rounds factored in for the four-round burst.

Because of the relatively rapid consumption, reloads can be frequent - you'll only get 8 bursts per mag - but resupplies are painless, taking 2.33 seconds to perform.

The M8A1 is a dependable choice, capable of dominating mid-range engagements with an ability to place successive accurate bursts.

Compared to a three-round burst weapon like the SWAT-556, the extra round fired will guarantee more consistent performance: and the faster rate of fire will help land more shots on a moving target.

Paired with low recoil, the M8A1 is perhaps the easiest burst-fire weapon to handle, with more forgiving hipfire than most as well.

However, at longer ranges the weapon starts to lose its edge, with higher damage assault rifles, LMGs and sniper rifles taking the upper hand in terms of time to kill.

At ranges where you might need at least two bursts, a sniper could snuff your streak in just a single shot.

Paired with a short but otherwise mandatory burst delay, it might be wise to stick to mid-ranged engagements when tackling strong ranged opposition.

Still, the M8 remains usable at most ranges, and can be dominant in a relatively wide mid-range band, and as such it is definitely worth considering.

So, if you're desperately seeking a reliable companion...

...you might have found your soul M8.

Thanks for watching, this has been XboxAhoy.

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