M6C magnum

The M6C Magnum Sidearm is one of the United Nations Space Command's primary, and the possible third variant in the Misriah Armory M6 series. It is exclusive to Halo 2.

Introduction
The M6C Magnum is a dual-wieldable, stripped-down version of the M6D Pistol that made its debut in Halo 2. It does much less damage per hit compared to the M6D, and also has noticeably less range and accuracy. However, it has a much higher rate of fire to compensate for the lower damage per hit. It is also a very effective weapon when wielding two and can kill very quickly. The Magnum is also a very good supressive weapon, capable of unscoping snipers, or killing them (in both Multiplyer and Campaign).

Advantages
The M6C Magnum can kill any unshieled oponent in a single headshot. Although the Magnum is not all that effective alone, Dual Magnums are capible of killing quickly at close range, in multiplayer, Dual magnums can kill a spartan or an elite in 1.8 seconds. In campaign, the Magnum is very effective against some covenant. The M6C Magnum can kill Jackals, Jackal Snipers, Grunts, Drones, and a helmetless Brute in a single headshot. As mentioned above, dual magnums can kill Elites fast,  Zealots, Spec Ops Elites, Minor Elites, Major Elites, and Honor Guard Elites will be down in less than 2 seconds. The Magnum also has a much faster melee attack than any other weapon in the game (equal to the sword and sniper rifle), therefor the player can beat down basiclly any enemy they encounter in both Multiplayer and Campaign. The Magnum can also kill a Stealth Elite in just a couple of headshots which takes less than a seconds. The Magnum can also kill a Flood combat form in a single shot to the tenticles coming out of the floods chest, and it can take down a flood Carrier form in just 2 shots. It will kill an infection form in a single shot also. The M6C Magnum is also effective against Sentenels.

Disadvantages
The M6C Magnum is still capable of killing fast alone, however wielding the Magnum alone is not as effective as wielding 2 Magnums. This weapon also has low damage per hit, although the very high rate of fire makes up for this. The Magnum also partially depends on the players abilitys to pull the triggers fast (although an average player can still kill very fast with this weapon). The Magnum is also not that effective against Hunters, requireing multiple shots to the exposed orange flesh.

Physical Description And Appearance
The M6C Magnum is a semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine fed, dual-wieldable, magnum caliber handgun. It has a very high rate of fire for a semi-automatic weapon and has somewhat high accuracy (though it's noticeably less accurate than the M6D). The effective range of the M6C is much lower than that of the M6D, thus making it a close to medium range weapon. However, the rounds can still reach long ranges and potentially damage or kill an enemy. In addition to its lesser range, the M6C does not feature a scope and lacks the very feature that made the M6D so lethal, besides the explosive-tipped bullets. The M6C Magnum is also a devastating melee weapon due to the fact that it melees much faster than any other weapon in Halo 2.

The M6C Magnum is a semi-automatic UNSC handgun designed in an Uzi-style layout. It is also a light gun, allowing more precise aiming in real life situations. This is because heavier weapons are harder to keep in a steady position compared to lighter weapons. It fires the 12.7x40mm SAP-HP (Semi-Armor Piercing-High Penetration) round from a 12 round magazine that fits flush in the handle. The magazine is housed in the handle of the weapon as with most semi-automatic pistols.

The M6C is made of lightweight polymers and has a chrome barrel. The M6C fires using the short recoil principle and must first be cocked before it can start firing. The slide, located on the top of the weapon, is used to chamber a round. From then on, the gases force the slide to move back and forth until the magazine is empty. Once the magazine is empty (although not illustrated in Halo 2), the slide locks back and the magazine is dropped (using the mag drop button located on the handle), just like most real semi-auto dual action pistols. Once a new magazine is placed in the housing, the slide catch, located above the handle, is pushed down and the slide launches forward chambering a round (also not illustrated in Halo 2). The ejection port is located directly top of the gun.

The M6C has a rifled barrel, is 26.8 cm long, and has a rather large trigger guard that encompasses the entire handle. Its safety is located on the rear of the slide and is on both sides, allowing ambidextrous usage. This weapon is also dual-wieldable.

Against The Covenant
The Magnum can be very effective against the Covenant, particularly Grunts and Jackals, requiring only one headshot to eliminate them. It can kill Drones in just a few shots (four on Normal difficulty). It can also take down a helmetless Brute in a single headshot, though against Brutes with helmets, it takes about 3 shots to the head (2 to remove the helmet, and then the third for the kill). The fact that it only takes a single headshot to kill most Covenant makes the Magnum effective on legendary dificultys.The Magnum is also very effective against Elites when dual-wielded. On Normal difficulty, it requires 9 headshots to kill a Minor Elite (which takes about 0.8 seconds) and 14 shots to kill a Major Elite, Spec Ops Elite, Zealot, or Honor Guard Elite (which takes about 1.2 seconds). Magnums are less effective on an Ultra, as their shields are twice as powerful as those of a Major Elite. The best way to deal with an Ultra Elite would be to stick it with a plasma grenade, then finish it off with a headshot from the Magnum. However, on any difficulty, a single headshot will kill an unshielded Elite of any rank. The Magnum can also kill a Stealth Elite in just a couple of headshots, which takes less than a second. The Magnum has questionable efficacy against Hunters, requiring over a dozen shots to the exposed orange areas to kill one. Due to the fact that the Magnum melees much faster than any other weapon (exept for the sword or sniper), the player can easily beat down almost any enemy with the Magnum.

Against The Flood
The Magnum is very effective against the Flood. It can bring down Combat Forms with several shots to the chest. It can also blow their arms off with a single shot; shooting both arms off of a Combat Form will render it harmless and cause it to self-destruct after a few seconds. This is very useful especially when fighting multiple Combat Forms at once, and on legendary difficultys. The Magnum can also kill Infection Forms with one shot, and Carrier Forms with 2 shots.

Ammunition
The M6C Magnum is obviously the predecessor of the M6D Pistol, and it therefore has the cons that were resolved in the M6D. One of the cons was ammo types. The M6C uses .50 Semi-Armor Piercing, High Power rounds. These rounds, although lacking the stopping power of the SAP-HE M6D rounds, are still quite deadly. They are somewhat effective against shielded opponents, and can kill unshielded opponents in a single headshot.

Dual Magnums
Dual Magnums are one of the most effective dual-wield combos in the game, and can kill an opponent very quickly. They are effective at close range (and the innermost part of mid range, to a lesser extent), and can kill a fully shielded Spartan or Elite in multiplayer in about 1.2 seconds (prior to the 1.1 update, dual Magnums could kill in under a second). Dual Magnums are extremely effective against most types of Covenant as well as all Flood forms at close to medium ranges (see above).

Character Compatibility

 * Elites
 * Spartans
 * Marines
 * Grunts
 * Jackals
 * Drones (have animation, but never used)
 * Flood Combat Form (Human)
 * Flood Combat Form (Elite)

Note: You can give Magnums to Grunts and Jackals when you encounter the Flood on The Sacred Icon.

Trivia

 * Spare ammo packets for the M6C are marked in blue, unlike the M7's spare ammo packets which are marked in red.
 * Similar to the M6D, on the bottom of the magazine is a triangular piece that blends into the handle when the magazine is in place, this allows for the user to get a better grip on the gun, and if you look closely when wielding it in Halo 2 you will notice two fingers are wrapped around it. (Easiest to see in multiplayer)
 * The fact that this is a different pistol than the M6D seen in Halo: Combat Evolved may not be that the Marine Corps replaced it, but rather that Navy personnel are issued the M6D while Marines, being a separate branch of the military with separate administrative authority, are issued the M6C. Or perhaps the M6D was a limited issue specialist weapon.