Combat Rifle

"Ah hell. Gonna set some things right with this shit."

- Coach "Taking the rifle."

- Nick

The Combat Rifle (also referred to as the Desert Rifle) is a Tier 2 Assault Rifle variant that has a capacity of 60 rounds per magazine. Unlike the other assault rifles, it fires a three-round burst. Holding down the trigger button will continually fire three-round bursts, unlike burst rifles in most games, where the trigger must be pulled every time a burst is fired. Sustained bursts make for a more accurate spread of fire than the Assault Rifle.

Official Description
Similar in firepower to the M16, the Desert Rifle boasts a three-round burst from a single pull of the trigger. Sustained bursts make for a more accurate spread of fire than the M16, with improved ammo conservation.

Tactics

 * The Combat Rifle is a little more accurate than the Assault Rifle, and fires set three-round bursts. It works very well for picking off Special Infected at a distance.
 * The Combat Rifle's ability to continually fire bursts as long as the trigger is held down makes it an effective weapon for taking down Hordes, but melee weapons are recommended, as ammo can quickly become scarce this way.
 * A total of 420 ammo translates to 140 shots, so be sure to watch your ammunition count and use your secondary weapon when appropriate.
 * The reload speed on the Combat Rifle is slower than the other assault rifles, so be sure to reload only when you find a suitable interlude.
 * Very effective on the run due to high accuracy when moving.
 * The Combat Rifle is incredibly useful for taking down groups of Infected. A single shot will result in three bullets, so make sure you add a bit of spread to your shooting.
 * The Combat Rifle has the highest ammo capacity compared to the other assault rifles, allowing you to shoot for a while before having to reload. Because of the high ammo capacity, you will get a lot of ammo to use for Explosive Ammunition and Incendiary Ammunition. However you cannot shoot one bullet like other Assault Rifles, so if you are inaccurate, you can have problems.

Pros

 * Best accuracy out of all assault rifle weapons, particularly on the run and when being attacked.
 * Three-round burst helps experienced players conserve ammo and regain accuracy (the crosshair will tighten back between bursts).
 * Highest Damage Per Magazine when compared to other Assault Rifles.
 * Good at taking down Hordes when continually firing.
 * Fairly high accuracy when running.
 * Works well with a Laser Sight.
 * Quite powerful at taking down Special Infected and very effective when it comes to dealing with the Tank.
 * Works well with Explosive Ammunition and Incendiary Ammunition.
 * Can help save teammates with ease.
 * Has an AoE effect on Commons, even if you miss shooting them in the head, body, arms, or legs.

Cons

 * Longest reloading time for an assault rifle-type weapon.
 * If you continually fire, you will find yourself running low on ammo quite often.
 * Slightly lower DPS than the Assault Rifle.
 * When surrounded, the burst shot makes it more difficult to clear away enemies as opposed to the full-automatic rifles.
 * Can deplete ammo faster than the other assault rifles when facing small numbers of Infected. While they can be used to pick off Infected at a distance with one shot (and careful timing of the fire button), the Combat Rifle will always fire three shots, regardless of how quickly the button is pressed. This can be bypassed with a carefully timed melee shove during a burst, which will stop said burst in between shots. It may be advised to switch to the secondary weapon for removing single Common Infected.

Differences
The Combat Rifle fires in three-round bursts as opposed to full-automatic, which translates the 60-round magazine to 20 shots. The individual bursts are highly accurate, and the weapon is still greatly accurate when running or being hit by Infected. DPS is higher than the Assault Rifle, but lower than the AK-47, and the reload time is the longest of the assault rifles; it takes a little over three seconds to reload.