Shotgun

SUMMARY

Capable of using a variety of specialized projectiles, many of which were suitable for use in the early, fragile, orbital habitats and space vessels, it was not until the early 25^th century that the UNSC Marine Corps abandoned the Shotgun as the weapon that defined its image as the UEG’s spaceborne force-in-readiness. Though relegated to less-important (or simply less-visible, depending on who you ask) duties with boarding parties and police forces, the Shotgun has never gone out of style or been replaced as the king of close-quarters warfare.

The most commonly encountered Shotgun in UNSC service is Misriah Armory’s M45D Tactical Shotgun, which – despite the power of its 8 gauge cartridge and light weight – is surprisingly comfortable to fire and easy to control due to its woefully under-appreciated magnetorheological recoil dampening system. Though some variants of the M45 have a smart-link controllable choke, the M45D lacks this feature.