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Combat rifles fall into two families, differentiated mostly by their magazines: combat rifles proper, sometimes called burst-fire combat rifles, and machine guns (sometimes called support machine guns) capable of fully automatic fire. Operationally, the two families differ strongly. Combat rifles have smaller magazines that reload more quickly, firing a short burst of shots with each fire command, while machine guns have larger magazines that reload more slowly, firing continuously. Other than magazines, the two families share most parts, though certain accessories are specific to one or the other, and there are also certain family-specific bodies, sights, and stocks.

Different parts will influence different attributes of the weapon.

Body Stock Magazine Barrel Sight Accessory
Damage x x x x
Accuracy x x x
Recoil x x x x
Rate of fire x x x
Reload speed x x
Tech x x x x x

Note: Combat rifle parts also include a grip. However, the grip does not affect any of the weapon's attributes. Each grip design is specific to the weapon's manufacturer.

A combat rifle's name derives from the body, stock, and magazine parts present on the weapon.

Parts[]

Assault Rifle Parts

Combat Rifle

Body[]

The body of a combat rifle is usually easy to identify, since the model name declares it straightforwardly.

Burst-fire combat rifles and support machine guns have different baseline bodies. Any combat rifle with body1 is burst-fire, while any with body2 is a machine gun. The other three bodies are common to both models.

Part Model
name
Damage Rate of fire Recoil Tech Image Notes
body1 CR -8% Baseline body for burst-fire combat rifles
body2 HVY +10% -17% +30% Baseline body for full-auto machine guns
body3 TCH -15% +30% -30% +2 Fast-firing but weak, with high tech
body4 HLK +20% -23% +50% Slower-firing but more powerful. The body of the legendary Guardian (Model name: GRD) visually resembles this body, but does even more damage and conveys a tech bonus as well
body5 AR +20% +50% -20% +1 Premium body, superior in almost every attribute

Stock[]

The stock is completely specified within the weapon's model number. For unique weapons without a model number, the stock is easily distinguishable in profile.

Burst-fire combat rifles and support machine guns have different baseline stocks. Any combat rifle with stock1 is burst-fire, while any with stock2 is a machine gun. The other three stocks are common to both models. Burst-fire combat rifles may also be stockless, with stock_none in the stock position, though machine guns must always have a stock.

The stock affects both overall weapon stability (recoil reduction), accuracy and reload speed.

The weapon's model number is a function of both its stock model number (listed here) as well as its magazine model number.

Part Model
number
Best
accuracy
Worst
accuracy
Accuracy
recovery
Recoil Reload
speed
Image Notes
stock_none 10 +50% -20% +100% +40% -30% Unstable, but fastest reload. Burst-fire models only
stock1 0 +20% Baseline for burst-fire models
stock2 20 -10% -10% +20% -40% +30% Baseline for full-auto models
stock3 30 -20% -20% +40% -30% Better balance without any reload penalty
stock4 40 -30% -30% +60% -80% +20% Still better balance with a slight reload penalty
stock5 50 -40% -40% +80% -100% Premium stock: best balance, no penalty to reload

Magazine[]

The magazine is specified within the weapon's model number. For unique weapons without a model number, they're mostly easily distinguished by the weapon's ammo capacity. Burst-fire combat rifles and support machine guns use completely different magazines. Any combat rifle with mag1, mag1_pounder, or mag3 is burst-fire, while all others are machine guns.

Primarily, the magazine specifies the number of rounds of ammunition carried by the combat rifle; beyond that, it influences weapon damage and reload speed, and can affect rate of fire and the weapon's tech level as well.

The weapon's model number is a function of both its magazine model number (listed here) as well as its stock model number.

Burst-fire[]

All burst-fire combat rifles have an ammunition capacity of 6, 12, or 18, determined solely by the magazine part.

Part Model
number
Size Damage Rate
of fire
Reload
speed
Notes
mag1 0 Baseline
mag1a_pounder 0 -6 +52% -67% -40% Fires single shots instead of 3-round bursts. Weapons with this magazine are eligible for the Pounder title
mag3 2 +6 +30% Extended magazine. Visually similar to the magazine of the legendary Raven

Full-auto[]

Support machine guns will have different ammunition capacities depending on the manufacturer, the material grade, and the magazine part. Vladof and Torgue weapons start at 24, Atlas at 27, and S&S start at 33, with Atlas and S&S offering further increases with increases in material grade.

Part Model
number
Size Damage Reload
speed
Tech Notes
mag2 0 -15% Lowest capacity, fastest loading, with a bonus to weapon equip time
mag4 4 +12 +15% +25% Increased capacity and damage
mag5 9 +24 +18% +35% +1 Highest capacity and damage. Visually similar to the magazine of the legendary Revolution

Barrel[]

While combat rifle barrels do not affect the weapon's model number, they are easy to distinguish visually from their overall length and the profile of the flash suppressor or shroud at the end of the barrel.

Burst-fire combat rifles and full-auto machine guns have different baseline barrels. Any combat rifle with barrel1 is burst-fire, while any with barrel2 is a machine gun. The other three barrels are common to both models.

Barrels strongly affect the weapon's damage and accuracy, and can influence recoil reduction and weapon tech level as well.

Part Damage Acc.
spread
Best
acc.
Worst
acc.
Recoil Tech Image Notes
barrel1 -4% Baseline for burst-fire models
barrel2 +15% +28% -20% +20% +20% Baseline for full-auto models
barrel3 +10% -50% -30% -30% +1 Good accuracy and recoil handling with a slight tech bonus
barrel4 +30% -30% -10% -40% +35% Highest damage barrel. The barrel of the legendary Bastard is visually identical with this barrel
barrel5 +15% -130% -40% -150% -50% Highest accuracy barrel. The barrel of the legendary Destroyer is visually identical with this barrel

Grip[]

As with all weapons in Borderlands, the grip does not affect any of the combat rifle's attributes. Each grip design is specific to the weapon's manufacturer, therefore each combat rifle or machine gun of the same manufacturer will have the same grip.

Part Atlas Dahl Hyperion S&S Munitions Tediore Torgue Vladof
grip1 CR
grip2 MG
grip3 CR MG
grip4 CR MG
grip5 MG

CR = Combat Rifle; MG = Machine Gun

Sight[]

Combat rifle sights are easily distinguished by the zoom statistic published on the weapon's gun card. They have little further effect on the weapon's attributes.

Burst-fire combat rifles and support machine guns use completely different sets of sights, though the visuals resemble one another in some cases.

Burst-fire[]

All burst-fire combat rifles have some form of sight.

Part Zoom Tech Notes
sight1 1.4x Low-power lensed sight
sight2 2.0x Open (dot) sight
sight3 2.4x +1 Compound lensed sight
sight4 3.2x Higher-power scope
sight5 3.6x Highest-power scope

Full-auto[]

A full-auto machine gun frequently appears without a sight at all, sight_none.

Part Zoom Notes
sight1 2.1x Lensed sight
sight2 1.4x Open (dot) sight
sight_none none No sights on weapon other than whatever the top of the barrel and body provides

Accessory[]

Unlike other parts, the accessory part does not have a consistent effect on a weapon's attributes: some accessories boost tech, some alter recoil, some increase damage. Some accessories grant a special property to the weapon, Elemental Damage, beyond mere attribute modification; furthermore, almost all accessories make their weapon eligible for a special name prefix or title describing the weapon's altered behavior, such as "Frantic" or "Intense."

Most accessories are easy to differentiate visually. They always appear under the barrel, immediately in front of the foremost weapon grip.

Part Image
acc1_Frantic
acc1_Shattering
acc2_Intense
acc3_Corrosive
acc3_Shock
acc4_Deathly
acc5_Explosive
acc5_Incendiary

An accessory may or may not be present on any given combat rifle, and no more than a single accessory may be present, which is why the game will never spawn, for example, a legendary Frantic Ogre.

While the elemental and Deathly accessories are common to both families of combat rifles, the rest are specific to one or the other.

Elemental accessories[]

There are four different elemental accessories, acc3_corrosive, acc3_shock, acc5_explosive, and acc5_incendiary, corresponding to the four different varieties of Elemental Damage. Each glow in the color corresponding to their element, making them easily identifiable. Elemental accessories grant shots fired from the combat rifle elemental properties, imposing a -40% damage penalty in exchange, and grant an increase to the weapon's overall tech level.

The accessory of the legendary Draco visually resembles a non-elemental Deathly accessory, while that of Ogre resembles an ordinary explosive elemental accessory. Both appear only on support machine guns.

A combat rifle with an elemental accessory is eligible for various elemental prefixes, depending on the weapon's element and net tech level. Stomper-titled combat rifles and Mauler-titled machine guns can never spawn with any elemental accessories.

Deathly accessory[]

The Deathly accessory acc4_Deathly grants a combat rifle a 20% damage bonus and -25% recoil reduction, but exacts a -25% accuracy regeneration penalty in exchange.

A weapon with the Deathly accessory is eligible for the Deathly prefix. If it is a machine gun, it may be eligible for the Mauler title.

Burst-fire[]

Intense accessory[]

The Intense accessory acc2_Intense grants a burst-fire combat rifle a 50% bonus to critical hit damage, along with a +2 tech bonus, -15% spread bonus, and -40% bonuses to minimum and maximum accuracy, making the weapon more able to place critical hits reliably.

A weapon with the Intense accessory is eligible for the Intense prefix.

Full-auto[]

Frantic accessory[]

The Frantic accessory acc1_Frantic grants a machine gun a 30% increase in its rate of fire, along with a -60% bonus to reload speed.

A weapon with the Frantic accessory is eligible for the Frantic prefix, and may be eligible for the Havoc title as well.

Shattering accessory[]

The Shattering accessory acc1_Shattering grants a machine gun a 30% damage bonus, along with a -60% bonus to reload speed.

A weapon with the Shattering accessory is eligible for the Shattering prefix, and may be eligible for the Mauler title as well.

No accessory[]

The part acc_none serves as a placeholder for a weapon with conventional behavior, nothing more. A combat rifle with this non-part will have no accessory visible beneath the barrel.

Naming[]

Other than unique drops, a combat rifle name consists of the name of its body, a model number comprising stock and magazine, a possible manufacturer-specific material code, a prefix derived from its attributes or accessory, and a title.

Body name[]

The first element of the combat rifle name is a simple function of its body part. To recap:

Name Body denoted
CR body1
HVY body2
TCH body3
HLK body4
GRD Tediore legendary
AR body5

Model number[]

The model number consists of the sum of the number codes for the weapon's stock and magazine. Weapons with both stock3 or higher and any of the enhanced magazines--mag1_pounder, mag3, mag4, or mag5--

Burst-fire[]

mag1 mag1_pounder mag3
stock_none 10 10 12
stock1 none none 2
stock3 30 300 320
stock4 40 400 420
stock5 50 500 520

The two magazines mag1 and mag1_pounder share the same numeric part code, 0, but will yield different model numbers on weapons of sufficient stock quality.

The magazine of the legendary Raven has its own number code, 28. Ravens will have a model number of 28, 38, 580, 680, or 780, depending on the stock of the weapon.

Full-auto[]

mag2 mag4 mag5
stock2 20 24 29
stock3 30 340 390
stock4 40 440 490
stock5 50 540 590

The magazine of the legendary Revolution has its own number code, 60, giving Revolutions model numbers of 80, 900, 1000, or 1100.

Material code[]

Material codes are common to all weapons. See Material Grade for more info.

Prefix[]

The prefix is determined either by the weapon's overall attributes, its accessory, or possibly its material grade. Attribute prefixes may further bias the weapon's attributes.

Title[]

The title is determined either from the weapon's overall attributes, its accessory, or a legendary part. If the weapon does not qualify for any of these, its title defaults to "Rifle" or "Machine Gun."

Other resources[]

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