Machine Gun (Rapture)

The Machine Gun is a weapon that appears in BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock 2 Multiplayer. Jack and the characters in multiplayer use a version that resembles a Thompson Submachinegun, but Alpha Series such as Subject Delta and Subject Sigma use a Machine Gun that is actually a form of Gatling gun.

BioShock
The Machine Gun is the second ranged weapon obtained in BioShock, and is located in the Medical Pavilion. It fires a rapid spray of Auto Rounds, each doing a moderate amount of damage. Its main weaknesses are heavy recoil and low accuracy. Its main advantages are large ammo capacity and higher damage-per-second, ignoring headshot bonuses and better specialty ammo enjoyed by the Pistol and Crossbow. The damage can be increased and the recoil reduced with upgrades at a Power to the People station, increasing the Machine Gun's effectiveness. There is no hit location damage bonus when using this weapon; bullets do the same amount of damage no matter where the target is hit.

Power to the People Upgrades

 * Recoil Reduction
 * 25% Damage Increase

Ammunition Types - Machine Gun

 * Standard Auto Round - Standard ammunition for the Machine Gun, deals a moderate amount of (piercing) damage.
 * Antipersonnel Auto Round - Uncommon ammunition for the Machine Gun, deals a high amount of (piercing) damage against Splicers.
 * Armor-Piercing Auto Round - Inventable ammunition for the Machine Gun, deals a high amount of (piercing) damage against Security Devices and Big Daddies.

Strategy

 * This weapon is particularly effective for targeting multiple enemies or if the player is not very accurate, since it has the ammo capacity and rate-of-fire to sweep the area at close to mid-range. However, aiming for targets at long range becomes ineffective, as the bullet scatter radius makes shot placement very inaccurate.
 * It is recommended to take the recoil reduction upgrade before the damage upgrade, unless the player has advanced significantly in the game. This is because the Machine Gun is capable of mowing down any low-level enemy in seconds, even with standard ammo, and its recoil can become quite problematic after firing non-stop. Be aware that recoil reduction will not tighten the Machine Gun's bullet scatter radius.
 * If the player is willing to deal with repetitive motion, the recoil reduction upgrade can be achieved manually. Pumping the trigger rapidly, rather than holding it down, achieves nearly the same rate of fire with arguably less recoil than with the upgrade. This can be easy to forget in combat, though.
 * When the player has acquired enough Antipersonnel Auto Rounds, it is recommended to keep it as the main ammunition for the Machine Gun, except if the player wishes to use it against Security Devices or Big Daddies.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Target Dummy will distract all nearby enemies, ensuring the player doesn't get attacked while dealing damage.
 * Winter Blast will freeze enemies in place and increase their vulnerability to damage. On the other hand, shooting a frozen enemy will shatter them, leaving no loot.
 * Incinerate! will deal damage over time, costing the player less bullets in exchange for some EVE.
 * Insect Swarm will deal damage over time and temporarily distract enemies, giving the player time to move to cover or land the killing blow.
 * Sonic Boom will knock enemies to the ground, allowing the player to rush forward and unload on them at point blank range while the enemy is slowly trying to get back on their feet. This strategy works best on single targets as opposed to groups, but with a distraction like Target Dummy can be just as effective against crowds of foes.

Recommended Tonics

 * Natural Camouflage will help the player stage an ambush against enemies.
 * The Damage Research line of Tonics will significantly increase damage against researched enemies.
 * The Machine Buster line of Tonics will increase damage versus machinery.
 * The Armored Shell line of Tonics will greatly reduce physical damage received by the player.
 * The SportBoost line of Tonics will grant the player more of a chance to dodge enemy shots, as well as maneuver around them.

Trivia

 * The Machine Gun strongly resembles the M1921-M1928 Thompson submachine gun (which was used extensively by American forces in the then recent conflict, World War II) with a drum magazine and pistol grip in real life, although there is no real design of a Thompson with a forty-round drum magazine. There was, however a thirty-round box magazine and a fifty-round drum magazine. The developers appear to have split the difference, and lowered the fire rate from 800 rounds/minute to around 500 rounds/minute. The charging handle has been mixed around as well. Instead of of M1921/M1928's charging handle (which is located on top of the weapon), the developers seem to have given it the M1A1 Thompson's charging handle, which was the model used by US Forces during and some time after WWII.
 * Leadhead Splicers frequently drop a much cruder type of machine gun that has a shorter barrel, lacks the shoulder stock, and has no foregrip. The M1921/M1928 Thompson could have the forward handgrip and shoulder stock stripped in real life and still be used, which may explain the cruder version. It is also possible that the Splicers are creating and using home-made weapons.
 * The M1921/M1928 type Thompsons were infamous for their recoil and several mob hits in the prohibition era failed because of this. A device called the Cutts compensator was often fixed to the barrel to reduce the upward pull of the weapon similar to the upgrade used in game.

BioShock 2


The Machine Gun is the fourth weapon acquired by Subject Delta, and is first picked up in Ryan Amusements. However, the Machine Gun in BioShock 2 is a Gatling Gun instead of a Tommy Gun like the ones used in the first game.

Basic Upgrades
Reinforced barrels allow for increased muzzle pressure and a higher damage output.
 * Increased Damage
 * This upgrade adds tempered, heavy-gauge steel barrels and a re-enforcing pin to the Machine Gun, which increases the damage of the ammunition fired.

A stabilization cylinder reduces the kickback of the Machine Gun, resulting in more accurate fire.
 * Recoil Reduction
 * A flash suppression vent is added to the end of the Machine Gun, directing propellant gas upwards which counteracts the gun's kickback.

Final Upgrade
A high density electrical field prevents shots from breaking up on first impact, causing them to ricochet.
 * Ricochet Enhancement
 * This upgrade adds a magnetic coil assembly to the Machine Gun, causing the bullets fired to ricochet once off of any solid surface they hit. Note that enemies do not cause bullets to ricochet.

Ammunition Types - Machine Gun

 * .50 Caliber Rounds - Base ammunition for the Machine Gun. Deal a moderate amount of piercing damage.


 * Anti-Personnel Rounds - Alternate ammunition for the Machine Gun. Deal a high amount of piercing damage against Splicers.


 * Armor-Piercing Rounds - Alternate ammunition for the Machine Gun. Deal a high amount of piercing damage against Security Devices, Big Daddies, and Big Sisters. Will pierce through multiple Splicers.

Strategy

 * Continuous, sustained firing will cause Machine Gun to have increased recoil and decreased accuracy until paused manually or for reloading. When facing lone Splicers, burst-firing the Machine Gun results in more efficient kills and saves ammo. Continuous, automatic firing is better suited for larger opponents such as Big Daddies and Brute Splicers, or for groups of enemies.
 * Even if the player favors the Gatling Gun, it is advised to avoid the Ricochet Upgrade. Its usefulness extends to very few situations, and would likely be a regrettable use of the limited number of Power to the People stations.
 * In the event that the player has purchased the Ricochet Upgrade, it can be used to ambush enemies from around corners and will help if the player isn't accurate.
 * Intentionally calling in and destroying Security Bots will allow the player to stock up on Machine Gun ammunition without having to buy any.

Why Specialize?
''Unlike the original game, it is impossible to fully upgrade every weapon through the course of the campaign. Each upgrade choice will affect the player's experience, and may or may not be suited to their combat style. The following is a brief guide to the strategic advantages and disadvantages associated with this weapon:''

Advantages

 * The Machine Gun is the best anti-group weapon, capable of killing individual Splicers rapidly and firing for a prolonged span of time without having to reload.
 * .50 Cal Rounds are somewhat common throughout the game, and can be looted off of Leadhead Splicers and Security Bots.
 * Upgrading this weapon allows the player to tackle groups with even greater ease, as well as save up on ammunition.
 * Alternate ammo types are specifically geared towards a particular type of enemy, allowing the player to take them down more easily.
 * The Machine Gun is the easiest weapon to use, with a wide spray and enough range to cover most of the rooms in the game.
 * High damage output allows the player to dispose of tougher enemies relatively quickly.

Disadvantages

 * Very high ammo consumption.
 * Alternate ammunition is both scarce in the environment and expensive.
 * Ineffective at long ranges due to its inaccuracy.
 * The Ricochet Enhancement upgrade is the most useless in the game, as the bullets' bounce angle means almost none of them will hit a target after ricocheting.
 * It's impossible to directly enhance the weapon's power through Plasmids or Gene Tonics.
 * Its low skill ceiling means that, unlike most other weapons, advanced tactics won't greatly enhance the Machine Gun's effectiveness.

Summary
The Machine Gun is a powerful and easy-to-use weapon, effective both against small groups and single tough enemies. On the other hand, the player has to be careful not to run out of ammunition, and the weapon's final upgrade is next to useless. Although recommended for less experienced players and those willing to have a strong anti-group tool, it is strongly advised to not pick the Ricochet Enhancement upgrade, and instead use the Power to the People station to craft a more useful enhancement.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Decoy will distract enemies, allowing the player to concentrate fire on them with impunity.
 * Winter Blast will freeze the target in place, allowing the player to kill them in seconds. When upgraded, it can be used against entire groups at a time.
 * Incinerate! will deal damage over time, saving ammo. If upgraded, it'll allow the player to finish off multiple Splicers simultaneously.
 * Insect Swarm will stun enemies as well as deal damage over time. At higher levels, it can also target several enemies at once.

Recommended Gene Tonics

 * Damage Research increases the effect of damage bonuses earned through research.
 * Arms Race will help the player recover more ammunition after a fight.
 * The Armored Shell line of Tonics will reduce physical damage taken by the player when in combat.

Trivia

 * The Machine Gun uses the same caliber as the GAU-19 Gatling gun, which is too big for any human to carry and has an enormous recoil force of 500 lbs. It might be based on the GAU-19, but the GAU-19 did not exist until the 1980s. However, the original Gatling gun was invented in the 1860s. It is entirely plausible that Rapture developed the technology further, due to the needs of the Rapture Civil War. Dr. Gatling produced a version of his gun with an electric motor in 1893, and the US Army was testing rechambered prototypes in 1945, so it is entirely plausible some prototypes were taken to and manufactured in Rapture.
 * Judging from a broken piece of what looks like a cylinder on the top of each weapon, it would appear that the Machine Guns used by Big Daddies were broken off of some kind of mounted turret and turned into a makeshift hand-held weapons.
 * Delta can loot .50 BMG rounds from Splicer Machine Guns, which is unrealistic considering that Tommy Guns fired .45 ACP rounds (each around an inch in length) while .50 caliber rounds are about the size of a bank note. This is likely due to gameplay reasons, as it makes searching for ammo much less daunting.
 * When it is reloaded, the empty magazine can still be seen on the corner of the screen and it is put back into the gun. This was likely a design oversight, as the player would not be focusing much on the reloading animation but rather in front of them.
 * The scale of the Machine Guns used by the Alpha Series will be noteably smaller than the ones the player will find around areas in the game, which the latter appears to be scaled much larger, as seen near a Rosie's corpse in Pauper's Drop.
 * Although the spring mechanism on the Machine Gun's barrels do appear for the gun used for both the player and the Alpha Series, the other Machine Guns found laying around the levels do not have this part on their barrels.

BioShock 2 Multiplayer
The original Machine Gun returns as a usable weapon in multiplayer, now referred to as the Tommy Gun. It is unlocked at Rank 2.

Multiplayer Upgrades

 * Fire Rate Increase: unlocked at Rank 2 with Sinclair Solutions Tester Pack. Increases fire rate, but creates bigger spread.


 * 33% Clip Increase: unlocked at Rank 13. Increases the Tommy Gun's clip from thirty to forty rounds before having to reload.


 * Recoil Decrease: unlocked at Rank 31. Decreases the Tommy Gun's recoil when firing, but slows its rate of fire.

Strategy

 * To counter the weapon's high amount of recoil, simply aim downwards when firing, while trying to maintain one's aim on the target's torso.
 * Although not as potent as the Nail Gun, the Tommy Gun is capable of dealing large amounts of damage versus Big Daddies. Their large size also makes the weapon's kickback irrelevant.
 * If the player is good enough with this weapon, it can also be used against groups. To do so, try to align the targets so that the gun will immediately start shooting the second target after killing the first.
 * When aiming at long-range targets, the best way to attack them is to fire the weapon in bursts of four or five.
 * The Tommy Gun's Clip Increase upgrade is recommended for players who spray most of their shots, as well as those able to master the weapon's recoil. In addition, it allows the player to deal more damage versus Big Daddies in one clip.
 * The Tommy Gun's Recoil Decrease upgrade is only recommended for those who have a hard time controlling the weapon's kickback. For anyone else, this weapon will only decrease combat effectiveness overall. Its only application would be towards long-range combat, where the player would be able to lay down sustained fire without too much trouble.
 * The Tommy Gun's Fire Rate Increase upgrade will drastically increase combat effectiveness at close ranges. On the other hand, the weapon's decreased accuracy and increased recoil due to the higher rate of fire make it impractical even at mid-range combat.

Complementary Weapons

 * The Grenade Launcher's ability to lay down bursts of damage will offer an alternative to the Tommy Gun's continuous stream of bullets. In addition, the versatility of both weapons make this a safe combination for pretty much any map.
 * The Crossbow is effective both at long-range and at short-range combat, while the Machine Gun patches up its ineffectiveness at medium ranges.
 * The Elephant Gun is extremely effective at mid- to long-range combat, thus complementing the Machine Gun's potency in medium to close ranges.

Recommended Plasmids

 * Winter Blast will decrease the amount of bullets needed to kill the target from ten to six, saving both time and ammunition.
 * Incinerate! will decrease the amount of bullets needed to kill the target in a similar fashion. A fully charged blast of this Plasmid will allow the player to kill the victim in four shots.
 * Houdini will give the player the chance to escape from difficult situations as well as reappear behind enemies.

Recommended Tonics

 * Big Game Hunter will increase this weapon's effectiveness versus Big Daddies. If the player has the Clip Increase upgrade, one will be able to kill a Big Daddy while only having to reload once.
 * Headhunter might come in handy, as the Tommy Gun's recoil means that some shots will invariably hit the target's head.
 * Speedy Recovery is heartily recommended, as most fights involving the Tommy Gun will come at a cost to the player's health.