The MA5C is a fully automatic, air-cooled, gas-operated, short-to-mid range weapon. The weapon houses an onboard electronics suite, including a screen indicating rounds left in the magazine. The weapon's power is described as falling somewhere between the MA5B Assault Rifle, and the BR55 Battle Rifle.

NOTE: With the form factor liberally cribbed from Aliens, the Assault Rifle is back in Halo 3. The dual-wieldable SMG was supposed to take this gun's place in Halo 2, while the BR provided more punch in situations that required it. However, neither was a suitable spawn weapon: the SMG was too weak, the BR too strong. The new AR should strike a middle ground between the two, as this text indicates. Look for it to be a default spawn weapon for many multiplayer game types, as it fits Bungie's requirement for that weapon: it isn't dual wieldable, and it doesn't do head shots. Hopefully it'll be less spray-and-pray, like the SMG, but also not as weak as the original AR.