M6C magnum

The M6C Magnum Sidearm is one of the United Nations Space Command's primary weapons, 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, and is exclusive to that game. It does much less damage per hit compared to the M6D, and also has noticeably less range, but has a much higher rate of fire which makes up for the lower damage per hit. It is also a very effective weapon when wielding two and can kill very quickly.

Summary
The M6C Magnum is a semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine fed, dual-wieldable, magnum caliber handgun. It fires M228 12.7x40mm SAP-HP (Semi-Armor Piercing-High Penetration) rounds from a 12 round magazine and is weaker than the M6D (mainly because of the lack of explosive-tipped bullets). It fires these rounds with a very high rate of fire and somewhat decent accuracy (though it's noticeably less accurate than the M6D). The effective range of the M6C is much lower than that of the M6D, however, it can still reach long ranges and make a kill. 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.

Physical Description And Appearance
The M6C Magnum is a semi-automatic UNSC handgun designed in an Uzi-style layout. 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 mag is empty (although not illustrated in Halo 2), the slide locks back and the mag is dropped (using the mag drop button located on the handle), just like most real semi-auto dual action pistols. Once a new mag 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 26.8cm 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.

Changes From The M6D

 * Flat, black color
 * No scope
 * Dual-wieldable
 * Very high rate of fire
 * Lower accuracy
 * Does less damage per hit than the M6D, but the higher rate of fire makes up for this.

Against The Covenant
The Magnum can be quite effective against certain members of 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). However, Brutes can absorb a large number of shots to the body before dying. The Magnum is also reasonably effective against lower-ranking Elites when dual-wielded (except on Legendary difficulty). 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 (which takes about 1.2 seconds). On any difficulty, a single headshot will kill an unshielded Elite of any rank. The Magnum has questionable efficacy against Hunters, requiring over a dozen shots to the exposed orange areas to kill one.

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. The Magnum can also kill Infection Forms with one shot, and Carrier Forms with 2 shots. Needless to say, The Magnum is very effective against all Flood forms.

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 HE-SAP 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 ranges (and mid ranges, to a lesser extent), and it takes about 1.2 seconds to kill a fully shielded Spartan or Elite, while pre-update Dual Magnums took just under a second to kill a fully shielded Spartan or Elite. Dual Magnums are extremely effective against most types of Covenant as well as all Flood forms at close to medium ranges (see above).

M6C Magnum v.s. BR55 Battle Rifle
Firepower: The Battle Rifle fires rounds that are nearly identical in power to Magnum rounds, and it fires them in 3 shot bursts. Therefore a 3-round burst is about equal to 3 Magnum shots. The BR takes 12 rounds (four full bursts) to the head to kill an opponent. The Magnum takes 13 headshots to kill an opponent, but it only has a 12-round magazine capacity. However, the Magnum can be dual-wielded, thus doubling the amount of firepower at the player's disposal. Finally, while the Battle Rifle fires in burst, there is a noticeable pause between each burst. The Magnum, on the other hand, has a very high rate of continuous semi-automatic fire.

Range: The Battle Rifle is effective at medium ranges, while the Magnum is effective at close ranges. The Battle Rifle is better at long-end medium ranges than the Magnum because it has a scope and is more accurate. However, the Battle Rifle is not as effective at close ranges, while the Magnum is. (See below for comparison)

Close range: When dual-wielded, the Magnum has the advantage here as the Battle Rifle is not as effective at close ranges, mainly due to the slow rate of fire it has. At close range, dual Magnums deal more damage over time than the BR, and will dominate when used properly. However, the Battle Rifle has a definite advantage over a single Magnum since the latter is too weak by itself, and cannot kill an opponent without having to reload.

Medium ranges: Dual Magnums can contend with the Battle Rifle at the innermost part of medium range, where their overall performance is about the same. However, past this range, the Battle Rifle has the upper hand due to its greater accuracy and range.

Melee: The Magnum and the Battle Rifle do the exact same melee damage, however the Magnums melee is much faster than the battle rifle.

Conclusion: A single Magnum is far less effective than the Battle Rifle in most situations due to its lower power and accuracy, and its inability to kill a fully-shielded opponent without having to reload. However dual Magnums can kill faster than the Battle Rifle. At close ranges, dual Magnums outperform the BR, but at longer ranges the Battle Rifle is more likely to win due to its superior accuracy and range. The BR also has the ability to zoom with its 2x scope.

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

 * This weapon was first introduced in Eric Nylund's Halo: First Strike novel. It was noted the pistols "weren't the standard-issue HE pistols", and had "oversized barrels--easily 30 percent larger and longer", they also had "grips of self-molding plastasteel", and whatever it shot was "high caliber". The book described this weapon as being much more balanced than the M6D, an obvious in-joke.
 * 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.