Nokota D5 Copperhead

The Nokota D5 Copperhead is a power assault rifle in Cyberpunk 2077.

Overview
Once upon a time, in the second half of the 20th century, the world's most popular assault rifle was the AK-47 - also commonly known as the Kalashnikov, in honor of its inventor. Today, these rifles can only be found in museums as their market niche was replaced by the Nokota Copperhead. This mass produced assault rifle sticks to the basics of functionability and reliability. There's no finesse or ingenuity to fall in love with, but many people find its dependable stopping power an endearing trait.

The D5 Copperhead is one of the most common weapons in Night City and most often seen in the hands of short-term private security, mercenaries and average street punks. It's cheap, light, easy to use and maintain, has decent range and average power.

History
During the period of rising tension between the various megacorps in the late 2010s, Nokota Manufacturing recognized the need among corporate security forces for a simple weapon that was durable, easy to handle and could be fitted with nearly any aftermarket modification available. Though many similar weapons already existed on the market, most of them were limited to modifications produced by the parent manufacturer. Thus the D5 Copperhead was born.

After the Corporate War left the world economy decimated, most businesses could only afford second-rate security from less-than-reputable back alley firms with mostly substandard equipment, and soon even the largest and most successful of these businesses were forced to sell their holdings to one of the megacorporations to remain afloat. But even the biggest megacorps weren't capable of outfitting and maintaining an armed force, so they turned to the then dozens of arms manufacturers that were springing up in the wake of the conflict. And Nokota was one of those startups.

Independent arms suppliers and private security contractors saw a massive revenue influx as rival megacorps hired them to protect themselves and their assets from each other. Nokota saw its highest profits with the smaller subsidiaries that handled the actual transportation of goods and people between locations, supplying hired guns with their latest lethal creation. It's extremely popular for its mobility, versatility and ease of use and maintenance, but still outperformed by weapons from higher-tier manufacturers.