M45 shotgun: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:43, March 13, 2012

Template:Weapon Infobox The M45 Tactical Shotgun, formally known as the Tactical Shotgun, 8 Gauge, Pump Action, M45, is a shotgun used by the UNSC Defense Force.^[1] It is manufactured by Misriah Armory.^[2]

Overview

A blueprint of the M45 Tactical Shotgun.

The M45 is the most widely used shotgun in service with the UNSC Defense Force, being more common than the M90 Close Assault Weapon System. It was used throughout the Insurrection and later the Human-Covenant War.^[2] The M45 is used during most close-combat scenarios, particularly in urban areas with heavy enemy occupation.^[2]

Design details

The M45 Tactical Shotgun is a special-purpose weapon used in any situation where the range of engagement is limited and when over-penetration is not desirable, but maximum stopping power is required.^[1] Like the functionally identical^[2] M90A Close Assault Weapon System, the M45 is a pump-action, magazine-fed (dual tubular, non-detachable type) weapon that uses 8 gauge magnum (3.75”) ammunition.^[1]^[2] The standard M45 features a six-round magazine, though the M45E features a twelve-round magazine akin to that of the M90 CAWS.^[3]^[4] The M45's factory-default sights are colored red.^[5]

Variant

M45E Tactical Shotgun

The M45E.

The M45E is a variant of the standard M45 Tactical Shotgun. The E variant performs identically to the M90 Close Assault Weapon System,^[3] featuring greater stopping power and longer range than the standard M45, despite having a shorter barrel than the M90. Also like the M90, the M45E features blue sights rather than the red sights featured on the standard M45.^[4]

Gameplay

Halo: Reach

In gameplay, the M45 Tactical Shotgun is more powerful than the M90A Close Assault Weapon System from Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. The pellets have a tighter grouping and the range is superior as well, which also makes it harder to hit multiple enemies at close range. Although this change is hardly noticeable, impact force can be noticed as damage is higher.

The shotgun is very powerful in small confined maps. It should be used as a "corridor sweeper" because of its extreme damage at close range. When you are carrying this weapon people will mark you out as an important target due to the fact that you control a power weapon. In Halo:Reach it has more recoil than in Halo 3 where it has less recoil.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

In Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the M45E is used in lieu of the M90 CAWS featured in the original game.^[4] As the changes between the original weapon and its replacement are superficial, the weapon performs identically to the M90 in Halo: Combat Evolved.

Trivia

It is possible that Bungie named this shotgun the M45 because it is the in-game counterpart to the M90 from the other games: 45 is half of 90.
In the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, the shotgun had cyan lights similar to those on the M90. The sights are red in the final game.
In Halo: Reach, the M45 is pumped at the end of every reload animation; similarly, when a Sangheili character draws this weapon, they cycle the action. In reality, doing this when the weapon is not empty would eject an unused shell.
In the Halo: Reach strategy guide, the silhouette used to mark shotgun spawns points on multiplayer maps appears to be missing their stocks. However, the M45 does not feature a collapsible stock and does not appear in the final version of the game.
In the second issue of Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp, the captain of the Template:UNSCship retrieves several shotguns from a cryo chamber. In the first two panels, the shotguns appear to be M45s, though they resemble M90s in subsequent panels.

Gallery

A left side view of the M45 Tactical Shotgun from Halo: Reach.
HReach-M45TacticalShotgunSide-transparent.png

A right side view of the M45 Tactical Shotgun from Halo: Reach.
Profile of the M45 TS.
A close-up of a Spartan firing the M45.
A UNSC Army soldier using the M45 Tactical Shotgun.
The M45's iron sights.
A first-person view of a player armed with the M45 Tactical Shotgun.
A side-view of a SPARTAN-III wielding the M45 Tactical Shotgun in the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta.
Ih shotgun01b.jpg

Concept art of the M45 Tactical Shotgun.

List of appearances

Sources

^ ^a ^b ^c Bungie.net: Halo: Reach Career Stats - Weapons
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EVG
^ ^a ^b Data Drop 6
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
^ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Reach

Template:UNSC Infantry Weapons

[stats-1] Bungie.net: Halo: Reach Career Stats - Weapons

[EVG-2] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EVG

[DD6-3] Data Drop 6

[Anniversary-4] Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

[Reach-5] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Reach

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 In gameplay, the M45 Tactical Shotgun is more powerful than the M90A Close Assault Weapon System from ''[[Halo 3]]'' and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''. The pellets have a tighter grouping and the range is superior as well, which also makes it harder to hit multiple enemies at close range. Although this change is hardly noticeable, impact force can be noticed as damage is higher.
-The shotgun is very powerful in small confined maps. It should be used as a "corridor sweeper" because of its extreme damage at close range. When you are carrying this weapon people will mark you out as an important target due to the fact that you control a power weapon. In ''Halo:Reach'' it has more recoil than in ''Halo 3'' where it has less reciol.
+The shotgun is very powerful in small confined maps. It should be used as a "corridor sweeper" because of its extreme damage at close range. When you are carrying this weapon people will mark you out as an important target due to the fact that you control a power weapon. In ''Halo:Reach'' it has more recoil than in ''Halo 3'' where it has less recoil.
 ===''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''===