M6D magnum

The M6D Personal Defense Weapon System, 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
The M6D Pistol is a common UNSC handgun and is considered an 'up-sized', 'Officer's model'. The M6D is a semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine-fed, large-bore handgun. It is most likely striker-fired, due to the fact that there is no external hammer. 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 with a maximum effective range of 90-95 meters and a maximum range of 122.5 meters. The weapon’s accuracy allows incredibly precise target engagement and has minute-of-angle accuracy out to its maximum effective range. This, combined with its decent damage against shield systems, makes it a viable option when faced with shielded opponents. It is, however, even more effective against infantry targets wearing hard/soft armor, being able to kill most targets in 1 shot to the head or a couple of shots to the body.

The M6D fires using 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 gas, but it also uses the force to eject spent casings out of the ejection port and load new rounds into the chamber. It also re-cocks the gun. Of course, 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 (where most pistol mags are inserted today) and then by pulling the slide back completely and letting it slingshot forward, which will strip 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. Once this is done, the safety (which is not visible on the in-game model) must be switched up or off, or the weapon will not fire. Once all the rounds have been spent, the slide catch, a rectangular lever located above the trigger on the receiver, is forced upward and locks the slide by catching a little notch. To reload, the empty magazine must be removed 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, releasing it forward to strip a round. If there is still a round in the chamber when reloading, than a simple ejection of one magazine and an insertion of another, omitting the slide catch portion of a normal reload, is all that needs to be done. The M6D is a very basic pistol when it comes to technology. It is a large handgun, having an overall length of 26.7cm and possesses a barrel for traditional rifles, improving accuracy by spinning the bullet. It has a chrome silver 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. The control lever serves as a safety and most likely a decocking lever. If it is also a decocking lever this would most likely be done by pushing down on the lever past the safety point. This weapon 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 company writing like modern day pistols do.

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 Pistol is a close-long range weapon and is suitable as a primary weapon. With its high effective range and accuracy as well as high damage, it's useful for engaging almost any target at any range, which makes it an all-purpose weapon. 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, it's 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. 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.

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.

Influences
A possible influence on the design of this pistol is the Desert Eagle, a large, semi-automatic pistol manufactured by Magnum Research which uses a gas-operated mechanism usually found in rifles.

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.

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

 * 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.

Related Pages

 * M6C Magnum
 * M6G
 * Pistol Kanji
 * Misriah Armory