In this Battlefield 3 M16A3 Guide, not only we will be discussing about the overview of this Assault Kit starting weapon but we will also compare it with AK-47M rifle and what all attachments you can use along with M16A3 to maximize the efficiency.
Battlefield 3 M16A3 Overview
Magazine: 30 rounds
Rate of Fire: 800 RPM
Faction: USMC
Fire Modes: Automatic (default) and Semi-Automatic. Note: For some reason in the beta test, the tooltip shows that it can be set to burst mode, but the game does not actually let you switch to it. Not sure if the bug is in the tooltip or the bug being not able to switch to burst.
If you compare this weapon with the entire starting lot, this classic M16A3 is the most weak weapon you will ever find. It is weaker in single-shot fights as compared to the AK-74M in long-ranged battles (because M16A3 has a quicker firing rate with less effective shots) and is probably even worse at firing multiple bullets at once than the M416, which has far less recoil.
What we would recommend you is to use M16A3 only at the beginning until you get weapons as you level up and grow stronger.
Battlefield 3 M16A3 vs AK74-M
As we mentioned earlier, the M16A3 surely fires rapidly than the Ak-74M, but its less effective on a bullet-by-bullet comparison. In short-ranged battles, this makes M16A3 stronger than the other counterpart as it makes the gun more effective at firing from the hip.
AK-47M scores more than M16A3 only when you turn off automatic firing, but not much.
BF3 M16A3 Strategy & Attachments Guide
Technically speaking, M16A3 is one of the worst weapon to be used in Battlefield 3. No doubt M416 is far better at firing multiple bullets at once. And then, the kickback is also far much less with that weapon. You can easily shoot 5 times in a row (or maybe more), that too accurately from a fair range. M16A3 has much more kickback effect.
You can get into the semi-automatic mode with M16A3 by pressing down on the directional pad. When firing one bullet at a time, you are bound to reduce the kickback effect greatly. If you want to increase our accuracy, put on a heavy barrel. But don't forget that you won't be able to hunt down your enemies from a long range in 1-2 shots easily. In this case, AK-74M is slightly better for the task. But then, honestly speaking, both the guns are bad as their accuracy level is damn low from a very far distance.
For long-range battles, M16A3 blasts off enough bullets with least kickback effect where you can take down players with enough comfort. However we would suggest you to use a submachine or a shotgun when involved in a short-range battle.
In order to use this gun like a pro, you have to be a pro in deciding when it would be the best time to shoot an enemy from a distance, sneak up on them, or simply mark them and move on to your next enemy. One strange thing about this weapon is that it is not newbie friendly and still added in the starter edition. We feel that the M416 weapon is a much better option as a starter weapon because it is much easier to master one part of the game at once (close range, mid range and long-range battles etc) than trying to take on everything together.
Battlefield 3 M16A3 Guide Conclusion
M16A3 is not an easy weapon to use as a starter. It just fairs well at all the ranges of the game but is strong at none. You will always run into trouble at any time. It is strong against Recon but weak against Engineers at close-combat. It is strong against Engineers and Weak against snipers at long-range battles.
You have to figure out your enemy's class and engage them in the most advantageous way if you really want to win the battles when using M16A3.
For more tips, tricks and strategies on how to shoot your BF3 weapons with accuracy and the right attachments to use, check out the Battlefield 3 Dominator Guide. It will speed up your ability to get going on being an effective shooter, thus helping your team and boosting your rank.
