M6C Personal Defense Weapon System

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, and is exclusive to that game. It does much less damage per hit compared to the M6D, and also has noticeably less range and accuracy, but 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 decent supressive weapon, capable of unscoping snipers.

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), taking no less than 13 shots to kill a fully-shielded enemy in multiplayer. Prior to the 1.1 update for Halo 2, the Magnum was slightly stronger, and could kill in 9 shots. 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 primarily close-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.

Advantages
The M6C Magnum can kill any unshielded opponent in a single headshot. Dual Magnums (see below) are one of the most effective dual-wield combos in the game. The Magnum also works well in conjunction with an Plasma Pistol (due to its shield-breaking abilities) or an SMG. The Magnum is very effective against most Covenant in Campaign, as well as the Flood (see below). It is also a devastating melee weapon due to the fact that it melees faster than almost any other weapon in Halo 2.

Disadvantages
The M6C Magnum's primary limiting factors are its relatively poor accuracy, which restricts its usage to primarily close range, and its low damage per hit. Furthermore, it is not an effective weapon when wielded alone. It also has a relatively low magazine capacity. The M6C Magnum is also not that effective against Hunters or Sentinels.

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 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 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 from the Magnum before dying, rendering it relatively ineffective (this applies to most other weapons as well). The Magnum is also rather effective against 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 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. Therefore, it is advisable to dual-wield a Plasma Pistol with a Magnum when fighting Elites, particularly higher-ranking ones and/or on higher difficulties. The Magnum has questionable efficacy against Hunters, requiring over 13 shots to the exposed orange areas to kill one on Normal difficulty.

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.

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.