Type-52 mauler

The Type-52 Pistol, more commonly known as the "Mauler" is a sidearm used by the Jiralhanae military forces of the Covenant during the Human-Covenant War.

Design Details
The Type-52 Mauler is used by the Jiralhanae as a handgun, although human military experts have classified it as being more of a handheld shotgun than anything else. The magazine holds 5 7.9mm metal bolts, which appear to be constantly kept at superheated temperatures before being fired. These bolts appear to fragment upon being ejected from the weapon, creating a scatter-shot effect reminiscent of human shotguns. Like all Jiralhanae weapons, the Mauler is equipped with a small blade underneath, making it a formidable melee weapon.

The Mauler first saw use during the Battle of Gbraakon on Doisac, shortly after the Jiralhanae's global war. After that, it became the favored weapon of Jiralhanae security forces, and would not be seen by humans until the Battle of Earth.

Advantages
While a single Mauler is not as powerful as the UNSC M90 Shotgun by itself, the Mauler is still a lethal weapon up close. One shot to a light-armored or non-armored target will result in an instant kill, and the blade on the bottom of the weapon makes it an effective melee weapon. When dual-wielded by a Spartan or Sangheili, the Mauler's power is doubled and will kill a heavily armored or shielded target in one or two shots if fired at the same time. Using a single Mauler against a heavily-armored or shielded target, is risky, but still results in a kill if the user fires off a shot and follows up with a bladed melee attack. Also, as well as having a faster reload than a Shotgun, it has a faster fire rate which is particularly useful when dual-wielding. Lastly, the Mauler is the only Close-range weapon that can be dual-wielded, so the user will not have to waste valuable seconds switching to another weapon.

Disadvantages
The Mauler is generally unable to inflict the one-hit kill damage that the M90 Shotgun is capable of, unless dual wielded. The spread of the Mauler's shell severely limits its range, and any weapon that can be used outside of close range can take down a user with a Mauler. Ammunition is often rare to come by, and its five shell magazine can be used up rather quickly.

Influence
The Mauler design and mechanics was modeled after the pre-Xbox Halo weapon, the Excavator, which was a piece of UNSC equipment that was shelved. It does appear that the mechanics behind the Mauler is reminiscent to the WST-M Shotguns from Marathon, as the principle is the same; a single shotgun will pack just enough punch to damage an enemy at range, however when dual wielded they become very powerful.

Tactics
Firing at an enemy with the Mauler while right above them will usually kill them in one shot, or if not, just melee to finish them. Staggering your shots could be effective as well, but this seems to work best if you are outside of melee range.

Campaign

 * Conserve Mauler ammo whenever possible, as it is hard to come by, and only use the Mauler against high priority targets like Jiralhanae and Flood combat forms. In ODST it's more common, but it should still be reserved for important targets.
 * Flood infected Jiralhanae combat forms will often carry Maulers; when engaging one, never get up close to it on higher difficulties. Stay back and use controlled bursts with a Assault Rifle, BR55HB SR Battle Rifle, Covenant Carbine or Plasma Rifle. Taking on a Flood tank form while duel-wielding Maulers is very risky. Try staying out of its reach and circle around the Tank Form whenever possible.

Multiplayer

 * Unless dual-wielded, the Mauler is the weakest of all close-range weapons, such as the M90 Shotgun, Gravity Hammer, or Energy Sword. Thus, you should never attempt to engage in a close-quarters fight against someone who has any of these other weapons. Switching to longer-range weapon is often a better option. The Mauler also has very limited ammo.
 * When you have a Mauler, try to dual wield it with almost anything. A Magnum would be the best choice, as both weapons are semi-automatics and will be easier to control, plus the Magnum's ability to kill an unshielded player with a headshot makes it very useful. This will most likely help on The Pit and its variant, Pit Stop.
 * When facing an enemy armed with a Mauler, the best tactic is to stay back and take your opponent out from a distance. As with the Shotgun, Energy Sword, or Gravity Hammer, the weapon is virtually useless at long distances, since both the Shotgun and Mauler's ammunition scatters at distances.
 * It is inadvisable to get too close, even if you have a devastating close-range weapon of your own, unless you've weakened the enemy's shields. It is best to stay back and switch to another weapon until his shields are down.
 * Since the melee is very fast, if you round a corner closer, you are more likely to be killed faster. If you stick to the outer wall, they may shoot and melee, but the range for the melee is not very far. If they melee and fail, they can be dealt with easily.
 * If you have a Mauler and you get into a sudden close-combat fight (For example; an enemy runs quickly around a corner and bumps into you) the best thing to do is to shoot them with your Mauler and quickly Melee attack them. This will kill them almost instantly if done correctly.
 * Note: It is unwise to attempt this if the enemy is wielding any other form of close-combat weapon, such as a Shotgun or Energy Sword. However, a skilled player can still employ the Mauler-Melee combo and kill the opponent.

Trivia

 * The Mauler is not included in the Halo 3 Manual.
 * The original Covenant Mauler appeared in the pre-Xbox version of Halo: Combat Evolved. It is referred to by the Bungie employees as the 'boring device'.
 * The Mauler was originally thought to be the name of the Brute Chopper in the early stages of Halo 3's development.
 * Due to the loss of dual-wielding capabilities, the Mauler is more powerful in Halo 3: ODST.

List of appearances

 * Halo 3
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Sadie's Story