[Technology] Enter Abroholos - CAM Unveils Candidate for Hierarchy SAW

Enter Abroholos - CAM Unveils Candidate for Hierarchy SAW

Hiral Calgomis, Safety Off Weekly

The Extranet has been rife with rumors these past few days, ever since the confidential meeting between representatives of Confederate Arms Manufacture (CAM) and the Turian Hierarchy. Many have speculated that it was where CAM introduced their entry into the Hierarchy’s squad assault weapon tender. As the details have finally been released, we can definitely state the rumors are true.

At a presentation at the famed Camp Petrefax, CAM - represented by senior board member Rahab Had’desh and a small armed entourage - demonstrated prototypes of the XAR/2H to a selection of delegates for the Hierarchy’s military and logistic services. All sorts of rumors and speculation surrounded the weapon, both prior to and after the meeting, but much of it has been proven incorrect.

First, popular theories that the weapon would be named Kamalar, Brakkor, Goronak or Granak were all unfounded (if well-researched) speculation. Instead, the XAR/2H has officially been christened the Abroholos - a name that commentators are quick to point out is a reference to either a Khar’shan mountain range, a minor turian wrathful spirit class, or an Earth wind.

Similarly false were “leaks” that the XAR/2H would utilize a heat disposal system based around micro-clips (like the N7 Typhoon), or a proprietary cooling slug (such as the Revenant). Instead, the weapon makes use of a large amount of standardized rifle heat clips. This revelation elicited expressions of doubt, but this turned to interest as demonstrators showed the weapon accepting several heat clip types designed for the Phaeston. Although the exact specifics are confidential, the weapon is believed to use a revolving setup that holds several clips simultaneously, loading fresh ones from the weapon’s high-capacity magazine as spent ones are ejected, all while maintaining a constant rate of fire.

The Abroholos, described by one of those present as having the bulk, weight and design aesthetic of “two Kishocks in an over-under configuration,” has a distinct silhouette, and some critics have expressed doubt about the front grip being placed on the underside of the barrel shroud, with the user’s front hand between it and the underbarrel magazine. The weapon appears primarily designed to be fired either from the hip, or using the built-in folding bipod. Firing from the shoulder has been described as “possible, but somewhat uncomfortable”.

The weapon uses a proprietary recoil compensation using a secondary, reverse “kick” after every shot; in addition, the bulk of the weight has been placed underneath. Due to this, participating Hierarchy soldiers described the XAR/2H as “Very unintuitive at first” but quickly went on to praise the weapon’s high capacity and firepower, as well as unmatched stability while firing. Although it’s not the final version, a number of questions required CAM representative Rahab Had’desh to note that whether the Abroholos will be released on the open market “had yet to be decided.” However, commentators agree that, should it be selected, CAM’s facilities will be hard-pressed to meet the Hierarchy’s manufacturing demand.

On a darkly humorous note, one of the models suffered a jam during the presentation. This fact was not noticed at first, as the user calmly kept firing for several seconds more, leading to the viral sentiment of “I couldn’t think of a better tribute to the Bruja.”

Okay, before I wade in to this arguement, I take it everyone also read that it's also meant to be fired with the bipod folded out and braced on something?(The ground, crates and etc.)

I take it you haven't read the rest of the argument. Setting up a bipod takes time and proper positioning. If a bipod is necessary to brace a weapon, it is not a well designed weapon.

Fuckin' Widows. Useless pieces of shit.

I would really like to see someone make a standard gravity shot at over two kilometers without one.

I'm fairly certain a Widow is a weapon that you can fire without a bipod, thanks.

I would really like to see how this relates to my argument. If a weapon needs a bipod to brace it to be effective at any range, I cannot imagine how it could be deemed an effective weapon that can adapt to changing circumstances. Because it would not be one.

Sure, if you've got some expensive genetics or cybermods, or you're a krogan, or you're a really strong batarian, or you're a really strong turian.

Otherwise? Not so much.


So actually the Abroholos is better than a Widow, when it comes to shoulder-firing. Imagine that.

Wooooooow...

And I thought people got snippy over the religion thing. This is great. ;]

There is a fundamental difference between the Widow and a light machine gun. The Widow is an anti-materiel rifle. Whether or not it needs to be braced with a bipod has absolutely no effect on how stupid making shoulder-firing uncomfortable is.

Lemme spell this out for you. A Widow is meant for long distances-you're supposed to be far away from the person you're shooting. It's also operated in pairs so someone will fire the Widow from a braced, prone position while his/her supporter provides ssecurity. If you are close enough to the enemy to need to shoulder-fire a Widow, you are doing something wrong.

A light machine gun on the other hand is designed to provide a squad with flexible firepower. It's a completely different role and it requires a completely different gun. You do need to fire such a weapon with some accuracy.

(Yeah I said that an LMG doesn't need to be accurate. But there's, you know, a difference between that and the extreme of a gun that rewards hip firing)

You're not always going to be able to use the bipod. There's a reason that it's one of the top mods I'm asked to perform but you know, you need an alternative. As a QM I've got sympathy for any quartermasters who'll be forced to mod this thing to make it more comfortable. Grunts don't like uncomfortable, you know? Any difficulties shoulder-firing will cause issues

Simmer down, Red. I wasn't saying the Widow and the Abroholos are the same thing, and I know what a SAW is used for - bit essential in my line of work, y'know? I was just pointing out that the bipod isn't in and of itself the sign of a shit weapon.

Nice try though.

Anyways, you guys ever see a Typhoon in action? Seems like that's what they were going for with this design.

whomever made this design should be flayed alive and then peed on


daily

Sandy, sometimes I wonder how you can lead a multi-million corporation and yet be so inable to grasp simple things. Makes me really think you just hire people to do it for you.

That may be, but as the article quotes, it is "uncomfortable" to shoot from the shoulder, i.e. not impossible, not undesireble, not undoable. And as I said before I agree that is a major issue to that gun, yet I am not ready to nay-saying it before there are comparative trials done just on this factoid alone.
And the articly says it is impossible to so where?

Yes, I was an N7 Irregular, while you were in your cushy panthouse. I think that gives me as much ability to have an opinion on this matter as you.
So I am not allowed to basically agree that a SAW should be able to be fire from should effectively and as such have to damn the gun before I even know more about it than just a couple of lines on an extranet article? I didn't know having opinions is a binary thing now and to be done with as little hard information as possible.
Jack-ass. See I can insult too.

You mean an article that basically an announcement and one or two quoted users who got thier hands on a prototype does not equal a proper source to me. Where are the test articles in gun magazines, official trial documents of the hierarchy? That is the stuff sources are made of.
That stands in constrast to the fact that Primarch Victus was like... twenty-something in the line of leadership when Fedorian died.
Well I regard you the same, so it equals out I guess.

Face it man, you entire line of reasoning builds on the exaggeration of the line about the it is uncomfortable to fire the shoulder while ignoring the part where the quoted soldiers praise other aspects of the gun.
And yes I think it is an issue that needs to be adressed, but I think you are jumping to conclusions prematurely. We haven't seen other entries nor comparative and competitive trails. Also, that gun is a prototype and since it is just uncomfortable I am sure future iterations will iron out that flaw. Well, if possible, since I haven't seen any good picture or schematics yet.

On a completly unrelated issue, I am looking to expand my avialble selection of stuff to sell in my shop, how much are your rates for vendor licenses (non-associate, non-franchise, independent)? Your extranet site is somewhat unclear about that.

I know ass-all when it comes to actual gun debate, but if you can't note that he was Fedorian's immediate successor, I have to question all other points you make.

God I'm good.

He was only on a very technical level, (in the sense that if he was not he would not have been appointed,) but he it is not a secret that before the war started he was just another general and one that was not well liked by his superiors (he was unorthodox in his strategies.) He ended up Primarch because other, more senior members of the Hierarchy, were either MIA or KIA.