Editing M6C/SOCOM

{{Era|HCW}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Weapon
|image           =[[File:M6C_SOCOM.png|250px]]
|name            =M6C/SOCOM
|manufacturer    =[[Misriah Armory]] 
|model           =M6S
|type            =Semi-automatic sidearm
|cost            =1615 cR.
|size            =Handheld, single-handed
*Length Standard {{Convert|22.86|cm|in}} 
*Length Up-sized {{Convert|26.7|cm|in}}
*Weight Standard {{Convert|1.8|kg}}
*Weight Up-sized {{Convert|2.7|kg}}
|damage per hit  =Low to medium 
|magazine        =12 rounds
|maxammo         =60 rounds or 5 magazines
|fire            =Semi-automatic
|ammotype        =12.7x40mm [[M228 Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Penetration]]/.50 magnum rounds
|operation       =Short recoil principle
|rate of fire    =Double action only
|accuracy        =Medium       
|range           =*Maximum effective range: Between 30 and 50 meters
*Maximum range: Between 60 and 115 meters
|era             =
|counterpart     =[[Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol|Plasma pistol]]
|counterwep=
|affiliation=[[United Nations Space Command]]
}}
{{Quote|M6S — whisper-quiet with armor-piercing rounds. Brutes might see us coming, but the only thing they'll hear is their asses hitting the ground.|Gunnery Sergeant [[Edward Buck]].<ref>[[Halo 3 ODST ViDoc: Desperate Measures]]</ref>}}

The '''M6C/SOCOM''', also known as the "'''M6S'''" and informally known as the "'''Automag'''" <ref>[http://www.bungie.net/projects/odst/asset_popup_viewer.aspx?at=53&cc=29&item=8 Bungie.net - Halo 3: ODST Render]</ref>, is a semi-automatic pistol used by the [[United Nations Space Command]]. It is a variant of the [[M6C Personal Defense Weapon System|M6C magnum sidearm]].<ref>''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''</ref><ref>''Game Pro: June 2009'', page 4</ref>

==Design Details==
The M6C/SOCOM variant is a special issued handgun to the UNSC's [[UNSC Special Forces|special operations units]]. The M6C/SOCOM variant has an integrated sound [[suppressor]], and [[Muzzle Brake|muzzle brake]]. It is the secondary weapon of special forces [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper]]s and is used in operations that rely on stealth rather than direct engagements. In lieu of the [[KFA-2 x2|KFA-2]] sight used on the [[M6D Personal Defense Weapon System|M6D PDWS]], the M6C/SOCOM utilizes the [[VnSLS/V 6E]] smart linked 4x scope, enabling the user to eliminate targets at long range while incurring limited recoil due to the integral sound suppressor and compensator. It has a double-action-only trigger and fires M228 12.7mmx40mm (.50 caliber) SAP-HP ammunition from a twelve-round magazine. It has a considerably high rate of fire with an long effective range, being able to hit a target accurately at about fifty meters. The M6C/SOCOM is, like its M6C counterpart, weaker than the standard-issue [[M6G Personal Defense Weapon System|M6G PDWS]] due to lower efficiency against [[Energy Shields|shielded]] and heavily [[armor]]ed targets. 

The M6C/SOCOM uses the short recoil principle. This means that the trigger needs to be pulled after every shot for the next round to be fired. Because it is semi-automatic, the gun will cock itself after every shot due to recoil and will continue to do so until the magazine is empty. The recoil comes from the gases of the rounds fired. The gases force the slide, located on the top of the gun, backward. The slide not only absorbs the force of the gases but also uses the force to eject spent casings out of the ejection port and load new rounds into the chamber. It also recocks the gun. Before the first round can be fired, the round must be chambered; this is done by inserting a magazine with ammunition into the grip of the weapon and then pulling the slide back completely and letting it launch forward, chambering the next round in the process. There is a small, red rectangular box on the flat back of the slide that protrudes slightly when the weapon is cocked. Once this is done, the safety, located at the back of the slide on both sides, must be switched off or the weapon will not fire. Once all the rounds have been spent, the slide catch, a rectangular lever located above the trigger, is forced upward and “catches” the slide by a small notch. To reload, the empty magazine must be removed, done by using the magazine release button located on the grip. Once the empty magazine is removed, a "fresh" one can be inserted. Once the fresh magazine is inserted, the slide catch is pressed downward and the slide chambers a round.

===Ammunition===
The M6C/SOCOM uses [[M228 Semi-Armor-Piercing High-Penetration|12.7mm x 40mm (.50 Caliber) Semi-Armor-Piercing, High-Penetration]] rounds. These rounds have a jacket of copper or nickel which encloses a more frangible metal projectile that will deform shortly after penetration. When the round hits a hard object such as body armor, the jacket will temporarily help maintain the shape of the projectile so that it has a better chance of penetration. A second impact against bone or solid muscle mass inside the target's body is usually enough to complete the jacket's rupture, at which point the projectile mushrooms and fragments into smaller pieces, causing a large number of wound channels and maximizing damage. These rounds are typically more effective against infantry as opposed to armor-piercing rounds due to a larger dump of kinetic energy, resulting in better stopping power, and also to the process described above, with an armor-piercing round speeding through the target's body without causing as much trauma, creating a scenario where a wounded enemy can still be an effective combatant until they bleed out. Ammunition packets for the M6C/SOCOM are labeled in the same blue color as all other M6 sidearm ammunition packs. However, each ammunition pack has a different shade and text to denounce the type of ammunition used.

===Advantages=== 
The M6C/SOCOM, being a sound suppressed variant of the M6C, features several key advantages. The first is an increase in accuracy by the addition of a muzzle brake which reduces the recoil of the gun - this allows for better aiming and more controlled fire. The weapon also has an increased effective range,  making it a very formidable weapon when used against lightly armored infantry. Its suppressor allows for more stealthy engagements and excels at eliminating enemy infantry from concealed locations without compromising the user's location. The addition of a optics module, located underneath the suppressor/muzzle brake, gives the user 4x digital zoom for long range targets; the optics module also includes a flashlight to provide lumination in low-light situations.

===Disadvantages===
Like the M6C, the M6C/SOCOM is not a purely offensive weapon among the M6 series. While it is more effective than the standard M6C, the role of the M6C/SOCOM falls between offensive and defensive combat. The M6C/SOCOM, like the M6C, is not effective against energy shield systems, making engagements against shielded enemy infantry very dangerous. In order for the weapon to be effective, a user must rely on a more powerful weapon to take down the shield and then switch to the sidearm, killing the target with a headshot. This requires a great deal of focus, and the time required to switch weapons leaves the user vulnerable to return fire. Rapid fire will cause the gun to climb like the M7.

==Tactics==
===Campaign and Firefight===
*The M6C/SOCOM was designed as a very powerful scoped pistol in tribute to the fan-beloved [[M6D Personal Defense Weapon System|M6D]] from ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. The M6C/SOCOM combines the fire rate of the M6C with the accuracy, range, and scope of the M6D. However, it does not have the stopping power of an M6D or M6G, so it's best used to use headshots against unshielded enemies. Indeed, the weapon's non-headshot damage is so mediocre that even a [[Unggoy|Grunt]] can survive several torso shots from the M6C/SOCOM. This places the weapon as the lowest-damaging of all the M6 series pistols in-game, which is surprising due to it being issued to special forces teams. However, it can still be useful for stealth operations, and skilled marksmen capable of consecutive headshots can dispose of Grunts and Jackals with startling ease, efficiency, and speed, thanks to the low recoil, high accuracy, and high magazine capacity of the pistol.
*The M6C/SOCOM is most effective against Grunts and [[Kig-yar|Jackals]], however it is ineffective against [[Mgalekgolo|Hunters]]. When going up against Jackals, the combat strategy used throughout the previous ''Halo'' titles remains effective.
*The M6C/SOCOM is essentially useless against enemies with energy shields. The most common way to take down shielded infantry is to take down their shield using the [[M7S Caseless Submachine Gun]] or an [[MA5C Individual Combat Weapon System|MA5C assault rifle]] and then follow up with a headshot with the M6S. If another, more powerful weapon like the [[Type-51 Carbine]] is available and has significant ammunition, the latter weapon is preferred. The carbine is good for taking down shields and scoring headshots, but lacks stealth.
*The SOCOM is excellent when used in conjunction with the the Brute plasma rifle against Brutes.

==Trivia==
*In tribute to [[Pistol Kanji|Bungie's usage of Asian characters]] on UNSC weapons, two Korean characters are stamped on the right side of the laser module, which stands for the number [[List of "Seven" References in Halo|seven]].
*The SOCOM variant of the M6C was actually modeled for ''[[Halo 2]]''; however, it is unknown if it was ever planned to be included.<ref>[http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/F/7/0F7FCED8-E5CB-4DB7-9CA1-399AFFEE433E/Bungie_Podcast_060209.mp3 Bungie Podcast 06/02/09]</ref>
*In the [[Desperate Measures|''Halo 3: ODST'' ViDoc, ''Desperate Measures'']], [[Edward Buck|Buck]] refers to the M6C/SOCOM as the ''M6S'', paralleling the [[M7S Caseless Submachine Gun|M7S]] silenced SMG, with the "S" likely meaning "suppressed".
*The M6C/SOCOM fills a role similar to that of the [[wikipedia:Heckler_&_Koch_Mark_23|Mk 23 pistol]] used by the [[wikipedia:United States Navy SEALs|US Navy SEALs]].
*The M6S was nominated for Machinima.com's Inside Gaming best weapon of the year award.{{Citation needed}}
*Despite using different ammunition, the M6G appears on the ammo packets for the M6C/SOCOM in ''Halo 3: ODST''.
*There is a flashlight mounted underneath the frame which cannot be used, similar to the MA5C. 
*The flashlight is only seen used by Veronica Dare when entering the Superintendent's data center.

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150">
File:M6C_SOCOM_r.png|A left side view of an M6C/S.
File:M6 Ammo.jpg|A study of the ammo pack for the M6.
File:M6CSOCOM Slide-back.jpg|The M6C/SOCOM, with its slide back and a spent brass casing being ejected. Note that the trigger finger is at the side of the gun.
File:Laser Aiming Module.jpg|A closeup on the laser module. Note the Korean stamped characters on the side.
File:CptVDare.png|[[Veronica Dare]] wielding an M6C/SOCOM.
File:BuckODST.png|[[Edward Buck]] wielding an M6C/SOCOM.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Halo: Helljumper]]''

==Sources==
<references/>

{{UNSC Infantry Weapons}}
[[Category:Pistols]]