M6D magnum

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The M6D Personal Defense Weapon System^[1] , otherwise known as the M6D Magnum Sidearm, is a United Nations Space Command sidearm and is one of the variants of Misriah Armory's M6 handgun series.

Design Details

File:1220830179 Pistol.png

Side view of the M6D.

The M6D Pistol is a UNSC handgun. The model used by Spartan John-117 is most likely an upscaled version designed to work more effectively for SPARTAN-IIs.^[2] The M6D is a semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine-fed, large-bore handgun. It is controllable enough have little muzzle lift even when firing at the maximum rate. However, fast firing does decrease accuracy. It is most likely striker-fired, due to there being no visible external hammer.

File:MC M6D.jpg

The Master Chief wielding an M6D.

It fires M225 SAP-HE (Semi-Armor Piercing, High Explosive) rounds from a 12-round magazine. Operators can achieve an effective rate of fire of 3.5 rounds/sec or 210 rounds/min. The weapon is very accurate out to its maximum effective range. This accuracy allows incredibly precise target engagement at long range. This, combined with its decent damage against Energy Shields, makes it a viable option when faced with shielded opponents, such as Elites. It is, however, even more effective against unshielded infantry targets, being able to kill most targets in one shot to the head or two to three shots to the body.

The M6D is semi-automatic. This means that gun will cock itself after every shot due to recoil and will continue to do so until the magazine is empty. The M6D also uses the short recoil principle; it uses the force of the recoil to eject the spent casing, chamber another cartridge, and re-cock. Before the first round can be fired, a round must be chambered. This is done by inserting a loaded magazine into the grip of the weapon and then by pulling the slide back completely and letting it slingshot forward, which takes a round from the top of the magazine and carry it into the chamber. There is a small, red rectangular box on the flat back of the slide that protrudes out slightly when the weapon is cocked. There is no visible safety on the in-game model; however, it can be assumed that the M6D comes with a safety as it is a standard UNSC handgun. To reload, the empty magazine must be removed with the magazine release button located on the grip and a fresh magazine inserted. Once the fresh magazine is inserted, the same loading procedure is repeated. If a round is left in the chamber when the new magazine is inserted, it is unnecessary to pull back the slide again.

The M6D is a very basic pistol compared to most 26th century technology. It is a large handgun, having an overall length of 26.7cm and possesses a rifled barrel, improving accuracy by spinning the bullet. It is chrome silver in color and operates like most modern day pistols. It also has rear sights but it does not posses any iron sights due to the scope. It features a KFA-2 2x optical, smart-linked scope. This scope links directly to a Spartan’s HUD or a Marine eye piece. It also has a large grip guard, which helps prevent the user from dropping it and a chrome barrel which helps prevent corrosion. It does not possess any company identification.

Ammunition

The M6G uses 12.7x40mm M225 SAPHE (Semi Armor Piercing High Explosive) magnum loads. These rounds have a jacket of copper or cupro-nickel around the projectile while the projectile itself is hollow and filled with an explosive compound and a delayed-detonation impact fuse. When the round impacts a target, the jacket will initially help the projectile maintain its shape, allowing it to travel into the target before detonating almost immediately after impact, causing massive tissue damage and system shock. Semi-armor piercing rounds are more effective against infantry targets as compared to armor piercing rounds due to the massive KE dump and catastrophic system damage caused by internally-fracturing rounds, and have the added bonus of posing less risk to friendlies and noncombatants in the vicinity of the target. The explosive properties of the rounds also render them decently effective against personal shielding systems and are capable of damaging lightly-armored vehicles.

Advantages

The M6D is a strong all-around weapon. It is very accurate, allowing for successful engagement at any range below 122.7 meters. It also does a considerable amount of damage against both shields and flesh, as it fires 12.7x40mm M225 SAP-HE rounds. Their large bullet and cartridge size yields a large amount of kinetic energy, enough to quickly deplete shields. Its semi-armor-piercing quality combined with the high kinetic energy allows the bullet to penetrate most physical armor, after which its high explosive core detonates.

The M6D is useful against any target that is encountered throughout combat. Enemies such as Grunts and Jackals can be quickly dispatched with one well placed headshot and enemies like the Flood can be dispatched in as little as 1-3 shots to the chest, its generally best use against sniping Flood Carrier Forms where they're in firing range. Unshielded Elites also go down in one shot to the head. However, when Elites have shielding more shots are required to kill them, six shots to the head of a Minor, eight shots to the head of a Major, ten shots to the head of a Spec Ops, and between eighteen and twenty-four shots to the head of an Zealot. Hunters only require one shot to their exposed flesh on their back or midsection to kill them on any difficulty.

Disadvantages

Although the M6D has more advantages than it does disadvantages, the weapon does have a few weaknesses. A player using the M6D must be extremely efficient at aiming the M6D, taking into account of how the physics engine in the game works; projectiles have their own physics and are such effected by player movements. The player must take the enemy player's movements into account, as well as the small spread that is present when the pistol fires. In order to pull off a three shot kill, the player must have good reflexes and know where and how to aim, taking into account all of the previous facts. This alone makes the pistol difficult to use, since new players must learn all this in order to use the M6D effectively. Although the pistol can hit a target at long ranges, it cannot hit, let alone kill a player at a distance greater then 122.5 meters.

Possible Influences

The M6D combine the features of several modern-day pistols

The Desert Eagle is a large, semi-automatic pistol using similarly-sized ammunition. It does, however, use a gas-actuated feed system instead of a short recoil system.
The Browning Hi-Power is a slightly smaller pistol that also uses the short recoil principle and is semi-automatic. It uses smaller ammunition, however.
The Ruger Mark II is a pistol designed for both military and civilian marksmanship. It includes a scope and is accurate to long ranges. However, to gain that accuracy, it uses a .22 caliber bullet.

The pistol in Marathon, Bungie's previous FPS, had a visible scope. It is possible this is where Bungie's idea of giving a pistol a scope originated.

Tactics

Campaign

If you are new or rusty to using the M6D in Halo: Combat Evolved, the best tactic to use against Elites is to first hit them with short bursts from the MA5B ICWS Assault Rifle then switch to the pistol for the final blow. Ammo for the M6D can sometimes be rare on certain levels this not only saves ammo but reduces the risk of having to switch out the weapon for another.
Using the Plasma Pistol and M6D against Jackals and Elites is another great way to save ammo, however be advise that you will need to get pretty close to your target in order to pull it off right.
When facing Jackals, fire off a few shots on the Jackal's shield, the Jackal with duck and roll allowing you to get off either a critical headshot or to disorient the Alien for the kill.
On the Level Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved Level) when facing the Banshees, stay inside the Bumblebee Escape Pod and use the M6D when the Banshee is in range, pull back when the vehicle swoops down and fires its Plasma weapon.

Multiplayer

In Multiplayer, players use the M6D as their all around weapon due to its high accuracy, and high power. In the PC version of the game, it is the best all-around weapon, except in situations requiring vehicle killing or CQB power. It is capable of killing a fully shielded player in three shots. The pistol also cuts down the usual strife that surrounds sniper rifles; a player won't necessarily kill their teammates for the AM-2 when they have a mid range weapon with a scope.

When getting into a Pistol battle remember the tried and true strafing tactic; it is harder for an enemy player to hit you.
Remember that In Halo: CE all projectiles are effected by the physics engine; study this well to maximizing your effectiveness with the M6D.
Using the M6D to pull off the Double Melee glitch is very effective when an enemy player is too close to you. Remember though that unlike the BXR glitch in Halo 2 there is a disadvantage, in the form of a possible misplaced grenade.

Trivia

The first weapon you receive in the trilogy is the M6D, on the level Pillar of Autumn (Level) from Captain Keyes.
Common slang terms for the M6 series handguns are: Go-mag, cannon, hand cannon, power drill, HE pistol, heavy pistol
The pistol was the first known human weapon wielded by a Covenant species.
The ammo packs for the M6D have a declaration lettering code: M225 12.7x40mm SAP-HE
The M6D was replaced by the M6C Magnum in Halo 2. Although the M6D is clearly more powerful than the Magnum, it was most likely changed due to balance issues.
The M6D has Japanese Kanji (The Chinese character "Seven") written on it, another 7 reference.
It can take up to a magazine and a half to destroy a Banshee in Campaign.
With the exception of Truth and Reconciliation, it appears in every level of Halo: Combat Evolved.
One shot to the exposed orange flesh of a Hunter will result in a kill, no matter what difficulty setting.
It has been said by many critics that the M6D Pistol was massively overpowered for the game Halo:Combat Evolved since it could destroy a vehicle with two or three magazines. It was mentioned during an episode of the Bungie Podcast that there was an internal debate about how powerful the M6D should have been. It was stated that the weapon was supposed to be weaker, but an employee made a last-minute code change that gave the pistol its power.
In the Halo 2 Multi-player map Tombstone, there is a box with an M6D Pistol that can be seen on a crate that's behind the right side of the fence that is stretched over the water trench in the middle of the map. You must zoom in to see it properly.
Even though your character may perform a more elaborate melee with the pistol in 1st person; from another player's perspective your character is actually flailing around the pistol like it's an axe or Energy Sword.
ScrewAttack noted the M6D as "the most powerful pistol in FPS history" in their Top 10 First Person Shooters of all time.
There is an image of a hippo engraved on the bullet case which can be seen if a bullet is fired when the screen freezes during a loading section. The hippo is similar to the diagram found in the Halo 2 Multi-player map Headlong.