M6D magnum

The M6D Pistol is a United Nations Space Command sidearm and is one of the variants of Misriah Armory's M6 sidearm series.

Overview
The M6D pistol is a recoil-operated, magazine-fed handgun. It is a jack-of-all-trades, capable of being used in any situation. It fires highly explosive bullets with a fast rate of fire and good accuracy and is very effective at all ranges. The M6D, fitted with a KFA-2 x2 scope, is very accurate over long distance. Combined with its very high power, this makes it a great sniping weapon. This weapon is a member of the UNSC M6 pistol family, along with the M6C Magnum featured in Halo 2 and the M6G Magnum introduced in Halo 3.

Ammunition
The M6D uses 12.7x40mm M225 SAPHE (Semi Armor Piercing High Explosive) .50 Caliber Ammunition Magnum loads. The rounds are capable of being propelled from the gun at decent projectile velocity and penetrating metalloid armor. The bullets, which contain an explosive compound, detonate inside an enemy's body and leave horrible internal wounds. The rounds, cutting through armor and damaging the unprotected cranium, are effective against all enemies. One headshot will kill any unshielded enemy, and a single shot to the exposed flesh kills a Hunter. Several rounds will kill any Flood Combat Form, while it takes two rounds to destroy a Carrier Form, and, like any other weapon, will kill an Infection Form in one shot. The rounds are also effective against armored vehicles, causing damage to the driver and metallic plating.

Advantages
The M6D Pistol's 2x zoom ability makes it a passable sniping weapon. It is second only to the sniper rifle in accuracy and range. It can kill an unshielded opponent with a headshot. Although the pistol is automatic, holding down the fire button diminishes the accuracy of the pistol's shots. This weapon does well against lightly-armored vehicles at medium range. It has maximum effect and is extremely deadly when the target has no shields, though it is still very effective even if your enemy is shielded. The M6D is very effective against all types of Covenant and Flood (see "Strategies" section below).

The M6D pistol is very accurate and versatile and is effective at all ranges up to its 123 meter limit. The M6D only takes three headshots to kill in multiplayer, which, combined with its rate of fire, makes it one of the strongest weapons in the game. Many players consider the pistol and the Sniper Rifle the best overall weapons in Halo: Combat Evolved. The M6D is one of the best weapons for dealing with hunters as one shot in the weak spot from behind is lethal.

Disadvantages
Some claim the pistol to be "overpowered", citing its three-hit-kill possibility with consistent headshots. However, while the M6D is extremely powerful and versatile, it is not the strongest weapon in the game. For close to mid range, the pistol is superseded by the Rocket Launcher, although the wielder of the rocket launcher is likely to kill himself along with his target at close range. The shotgun also overpowers the pistol at very close range (<5 meters) due to its ability to kill in one shot within that range. Finally, the pistol does have a limited, albeit long, range, which is about 123 meters (auto-aim cuts off on the pistol past about 90-95 meters). The pistol is useless past this range, allowing the sniper rifle to dominate. However, this is usually only a factor on large stages like Blood Gulch or Sidewinder.

Influences
One possible influence is the Desert Eagle. Though their outward appearances are different, both weapons are almost the exact same size and are the same caliber. Another possible influence on the design of this weapon was the FP-45 Liberator, a weapon designed in the United States during World War II. The long handle, but short barrel as well as the covered hand-grip are obvious features.

Also, the pistol weapon in Marathon, Bungie's previous FPS, had a visible scope. It is possible this is were Bungie's idea of giving a pistol a scope originated.

Campaign


The pistol's accuracy, range, ability to zoom, and high damage per hit make it an ideal weapon against all Covenant and Flood. Its accuracy easily achieves a shot centered on the alien's head, guaranteeing "immediate and total incapacitation." Due to the pistol's large reserve ammo capacity and ability to kill unshielded enemies with a single headshot, it's possible to kill 132 Grunts, Jackals, or Stealth Elites. It can also kill over a dozen shielded Elites on a full load.

The M6D is also rather effective against Elites. On Normal difficulty, six headshots will kill a fully-shielded Minor Elite, while eight will kill a Major Elite and ten will kill a SpecOps Elite. It is not as effective against Zealots, as their shields are twice as strong as those of a Major Elite. The user can kill an Elite even easier by bringing down its shields with the Plasma Pistol and then shooting it in the head with the Pistol. This technique is reminiscent of the Noob Combo in Halo 2 (Plasma Pistol/Magnum, or Plasma Pistol/Battle Rifle). The M6D Pistol is extremely effective against Hunters, killing them with one shot to their exposed orange flesh. This works possibly because the explosive rounds ignite their inner worm-like organisms, causing severe trauma to the whole creature.

Employed against the Flood, the pistol is useful for eliminating any Form. It can kill a Combat Form in several shots, Carrier Forms in two shots, and Infection Forms in one shot. Despite this, some players may consider using the M6D Pistol against the Flood to be relatively ineffective. Although it kills individual Flood quickly, its small magazine and modest rate of fire makes it less effective at killing large group of Flood.

Multiplayer
In long range, zoom in and shoot at an easy, still target. If the opponent notices you, shoot rapidly, but do not hold the trigger down (this reduces accuracy). For close range, unload a lot of rounds into your enemy, aiming for the head. If someone is moving sideways though, you will have to lead your target. In other words, the bullet will not hit unless you shoot where the target is going to be, not where they are at the exact moment you pull the trigger. The best way to take someone down when they are moving sideways is to go for two body shots and then a headshot. The first two shots to the body will deplete the shields — damage to shields is the same regardless of where the shots hit — while the following headshot will be lethal. Move closer and closer towards the enemy unless they have a Shotgun or a Flamethrower. The M6D Pistol is also good against a Banshee. If you keep your ground, an opponent in a Banshee can be killed easily. Just take their shields down with the pistol, and finish them off with an AR or Shotgun, preferably the Shotgun, though, because Shotguns can blow them out of the Banshee in one close hit once their shields are down. Even though the pistol is a great weapon, if not the best weapon overall, it can be even more effective when used in conjunction with other weapons.

Appearances
The M6D Pistol has only appeared in Halo: Combat Evolved. It's predecessor, the M6C Pistol, essentially a stripped down variant, was used in Halo 2, though the M6D was seen as an Easter Egg in Tombstone. A variant of this weapon, the M6G Magnum, appears in Halo 3. It has the same design but lacks scope. The core gameplay changed remarkably in the sequels due to the omission of the M6D pistol. In the original game, the pistol was effective in all situations (close confrontation, long range sniping, mid-range combat) in the hands of a veteran. However, this was claimed by many to have constrained variety. The Battle Rifle and Carbine taking on the role of mid-range weapons, as well as various other additions and changes, made for more variety in Halo 2 and Halo 3.