Ukala Workshop Mauler

The Type-52 Pistol commonly known as the "Mauler" is a Jiralhanae "sidearm" used by the Infantry and Security forces of the Covenant Loyalists during the Human-Covenant War.

Design Details
The Type-52 Mauler is an unusual weapon exclusively used by the Jiralhanae as a handgun, although human military experts have classified it as more of a handheld shotgun then anything else. The Mauler is based on the Jiralhanae's Pre-Covenant technology, meaning it has been in use since they first learned how to create a firearm. It is an unusual design more comparable to a revolver than a shotgun with regards to it's loading style; it's hand grip is somewhat reminiscent of the Sangheili Energy Sword. The magazine holds 5 shells of an unknown type of ammunition. The magazine appears to constantly keep the shell at a consistent superheated temperature. The mauler is mainly employed by Jiralhanae security forces, and is not seen by Humans until the Battle of Earth. The weapon also appears to be gas operated as a type of gas can be seen exiting the weapon when fired. Like all Jiralhanae weapons the Mauler is equipped with a small blade underneath, making it a formidable melee weapon.

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, the Mauler's power is doubled and will kill a heavily armored and shielded target in one or two shots if fired at the same time. A single Mauler going up against a heavily armored and shielded target can still win fairly quickly if the user fires off a shot and follows it up with a powerful melee attack.

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 modelled after the pre-Halo weapon, the Excavator which was a piece of UNSC equipment but was shelved. It does appear that the mechanics behind the mauler is reminiscent to the WST-M Shotguns from the Marathon (Video Game Series), 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 Brutes and Flood Combat Forms. In ODST it's more common, but it should still be reserved for important targets.
 * It is tactically unwise to engage any Brute Chieftain with the Mauler, a Chieftain wielding a Hammer is certain death, and a Chieftain with a Fuel Rod Cannon will be able to down you pretty quick.
 * Flood infected Brute combat forms will often carry Maulers; when engaging one, never get up close to one on higher difficulties. Stay back and use controlled bursts with a MA5C Assault Rifle or a BR55HB SR Battle 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 M90A 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 easer to control, plus the Magnum's ability to kill a 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.
 * 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 was originally thought to be the name of the Brute Chopper in the early stages of Halo 3's development.
 * The original Covenant Mauler appeared in the pre-Xbox version of Halo as a Human weapon, it can be seen here beginning at the 2:49 mark. It is referred to by the Bungie employees doing the commentary as the 'boring device'.
 * The Mauler was first seen during the Vidoc "Et Tu, Brute?".
 * Due to the loss of dual-wielding capabilities, the Mauler is much more powerful in Halo 3: ODST. It has plentiful ammunition in the levels it appears in, and is a fair bit more powerful than the shotgun at point blank, though this is balanced out by its very short effective range.
 * Interestingly, the grip of the Mauler appears to be intended for Elites, as it looks similar to the energy sword handle, though the bump may act as a trigger, as no trigger is present otherwise.