M45E shotgun
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| M45E Shotgun | |
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Dual tubular, non-detachable magazines[4] |
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Pump-action[3] | |
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None (Smart-link-compatible) |
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The M45E Tactical Shotgun,[2] or Tactical Shotgun, 8 Gauge, Pump Action, M45,[4] is a firearm built by Misriah Armory and used by the armed forces of the United Nations Space Command. It is one of several firearms in the broader M45 family, the other notable variant being the more common M45D shotgun.[3]
Overview
Design details
The M45E was the design template on which many of the UNSC's shotguns would be based on, with Weapon System Technology copying the design for their own DTM series and M90/M90A shotguns.[2] It boasts a dual tubular, non-detachable magazine above the barrel which is capable of storing six M296 8-Gauge Magnum shells[1][3] - though some models are capable of storing twelve, similar to their M90 counterparts.[2] Reloading is done by inserting shells into the top of the weapon. The magazine and barrel are surrounded in a heat shroud with a pump action below and a picatinny rail atop for mounting optical attachments.
The M90 shotguns built by Weapon System Technology are functionally almost identical to the M45, save for their larger magazine size,[1] and it is common for armouries across the UNSC to stock both models.[2]
Service history
The M45E was originally designed for expeditionary forces operating on the colonial frontier. It has since been adopted primarily for use by the UNSC Army, with some notorious private security firms also using it too.[3] It was also used by the UNSC Marine Corps, with most experienced veterans recognising its heritage and reliability.[2]
It was used by UNSC forces to great effect in urban operations during the Insurrection,[2] and Human-Covenant War.[1] It was heavily used by Army garrisons on Reach during the Fall of Reach, and was a particularly favourite weapon of Emile-A239, a SPARTAN-III working under the Special Warfare Group Three as part of NOBLE Team. M45Es were also stocked aboard UNSC Pillar of Autumn in preparation for Operation: RED FLAG; during preparations for the mission, the ship's supply of M90s were largely hoarded by the ship's SPARTAN-II complement - leaving the rest of the infantry garrison aboard to use the M45Es. Despite the two being functionally equivalent, Major Antonio Silva held it as a sticking point for his larger distaste of the Spartan program.[5]
The M45E is still used in the post-war era, though to a lesser degree than the M45D. In Operation: WOLFE, Kelly-087 used one loaded with plastic-saboted strike rounds. She used the weapon to fire into the glass covering the ground on Reach in an attempt to make modest foxholes Blue Team to fight in.[6]
Production notes
The M45E was first introduced in Halo: Reach as a replacement for the M90/M90A shotguns found in the earlier Halo games. The weapon is similar to the M90A of Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, boasting six shells in its internal magazine. At the time of Reach's publication, it was simply referred to as the M45 Tactical Shotgun in official material including Bungie.net,[4] the game manual, the in-game tooltips, and Halo: The Essential Visual Guide.[1] However, the release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary in late 2011 saw the weapon referred to in that game's Library feature as the M45E. At this time, it appeared that the Anniversary M45E designation may have been intended to differentiate that weapon (with its 12-round magazine) from the Reach incarnation. However, the release of the Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition) reaffirmed the two as one and the same, using an image of the Reach shotgun for the M45E infobox - effectively confirming the version seen in Anniversary to simply be an alteration for gameplay purposes.[3]
Gallery
Concept art of the M45E Tactical Shotgun for Halo: Reach.
Profile of the M45E TS.
An angled view of the M45E Tactical Shotgun from the Halo: Reach Beta.
The M45E in Halo: Reach.
A right side view of the M45 Tactical Shotgun from Halo: Reach.
A side-view of a Mark V(B)-clad Spartan-III wielding the M45 Tactical Shotgun in the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta.
A close-up of a Grenadier-clad Spartan-III firing the M45E.
A UNSC Army soldier using the M45E Tactical Shotgun.
The M45E's iron sights.
A first-person view of a player armed with the M45E Tactical Shotgun.
The M45E shotgun in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
A first-person view of the M45E Tactical Shotgun in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
List of appearances
- Halo: Reach (First appearance)
- Halo: Fall of Reach
- Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
- Halo: Collateral Damage[7]
- Halo: The Television Series Season One
- Halo: The Television Series Season Two
- Halo: Shadows of Reach
- Halo: Flashpoint
- War Games Expansion Pack
Sources
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 177
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Library: Shotgun
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 173
- ^ a b c Bungie.net, Halo: Reach Ordnance (Retrieved on Oct 13, 2014) [archive]
- ^ Data Drop 6
- ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach, chapter 2
- ^ Halo: Collateral Damage, issue 2
