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The M90 Close Assault Weapon System (M90 CAWS) is the UNSC's primary shotgun and is one of the most effective close range infantry weapons used by front-line forces.
Design[]
The M90 Shotgun is a pump-action, magazine-fed, dual tubular non-detachable type weapon designed from the M45E Tactical Shotgun. The Weapon System Technologies DTM series shotgun is the most common shotgun employed by UNSC Special Forces, law enforcement agencies, and sportsmen. The M90 has been in service for over 27 years and its design has changed very little.
The M90’s immense power, ease of use, and reduced capacity for puncturing the hulls of spacecraft over many other UNSC weapon systems with standard 0000 (.38 cal pellets) ammunition are greatly appreciated. The M90 is often employed in urban conditions where the tight spaces are conducive to the shotgun's wide spray for defensive purposes and CQC.
The military issued DTM series comes standard with an adjustable stock and pistol grip, although there are different models like the WST DTM/LE model which has a solid stock and no pistol grip. The DTM series of shotguns are available in 20-gauge and 10-gauge for the civilian market. The 8-gauge is only sold to law enforcement and military agencies.
Ammo[]
The M90 Shotgun uses the large Soellkraft 8 Gauge Shell. Recoil is relatively low. It can hold incendiary rounds, rifle slugs, TTR rounds, flechettes, and a variety of other forms of ammunition, but these special shells do not appear in any of the games.
Pros[]
The combined force of each of the fifteen spreading pellets per shot does a significant amount of damage against almost any type of infantry, and the shell's wide spread in certain situations can inflict shrapnel damage to multiple infantry. A near miss can still inflict grevious damage; the M90 Shotgun's powerful 8 gauge shell can punch through armor andEnergy Shields easily, making the M90 a great weapon for taking on heavily armored infantry and lightly armored vehicles. The M90's top loading system allows a user to reload the shotgun with speed and ease for quick firing.
Cons[]
While extremely devastating at close quarters combat, the M90 is rendered virtually useless at extreme ranges, and should therefore be used in conjunction with a medium or long range weapon. The shotgun's pattern is extremely loose, and fans out quickly, thus at farther ranges, only a few pellets out of the 15 might hit.
The M90, being a pump action shotgun, must be reloaded after every shot before it can be fired again, so a user missing enemies may as well be a death sentence; the M90 must also be reloaded shell by shell and does not use any type of external magazine. This can make reloading time-consuming when in combat situations, but it is useful to be able to interrupt the reloading and shoot after you load a shell. In close-quarter situations, the wide spread of the shell can potentially harm friendly infantry if the shotgun is fired indiscriminately.