HE .44 Magnum

The High Explosive (HE) .44 Magnum is a handgun that first appears in Resistance 2. The Magnum appears as an ordinary pistol, but it fires remote-detonated grenade bullets with the weapon's alternate fire. As a result, this weapon has commonly been described as "overpowered".

Resistance 2
"The High Explosive .44 Magnum fires armor-piercing rounds useful for close-quarter combat scenarios. It is the only weapon in the SRPA arsenal certified for use with glycerin rounds. Each slug carries a small, explosive charge that can be remote-detonated from a switch near the trigger guard."

- Intel document on the HE .44

The HE .44 Magnum is the first weapon obtained in Resistance 2, and is given by Major Blake in SRPA Station Igloo. This army-issue weapon features a polished wooden stock, a uniform metallic body, and even a SRPA-branded electronic detonator.

Single Player

 * The HE .44 Magnum is a invaluable weapon in taking out large groups of Chimera by making explosive traps. And it can also be used as an alternate weapon when fighting stronger strains of Chimera, such as a Titan, if lacking a Wraith, or a L210 LAARK.

Co-op

 * The Magnum can be unlocked by only the Medic class in cooperative play, and it can be used as a sidearm. It does have advantages over the other Medic sidearms, namely the damage the weapon can do. It's great for dealing damage quickly, which means quick kills can be achieved without spending too much time away from the XR-42 Phoenix.

Multiplayer

 * Every competitor in the competitive side of Resistance 2 has a Magnum by their side at all times as it's the mandatory second weapon.
 * The Magnum does high damage, with possibly only 3 shots being needed for a kill. An effective, but an uncommon tactic is to fire all six rounds in one, concealed spot, then bait an enemy to walk near the bullets. The explosion caused by detonation is as powerful as a grenade.
 * Usually the Magnum is only used as a last resort due to ammo depletion, or an empty clip, but even if these situations it's still a formidable weapon against a single foe.

Trivia

 * The Magnum's bullets won't detonate under underwater.


 * The Magnum is the only default secondary weapon in Competitive Mode despite it's power.

Resistance: Retribution
The HE .44 Magnum is unlockable on Resistance: Retribution by either "infecting" the player's PSP with Resistance 2 or obtaining all intel besides Infected Intels in Retribution.

Strategy

 * The Magnum can hold a maximum of 18 rounds, with a 6 round cylinder. Besides this, ammunition for the Magnum is somewhat common, with ammunition being found in most of the hiding places of the intel. The player should therefore use this weapon to kill clusters of enemies, such as Hybrids, or use it to obtain certain timed skill points in Resistance: Retribution.
 * The Magnum can also be combined with other weapons to kill more omnipotent enemies such as Titans and Brutes. Simply fire three to six rounds at the intended target to soften it up, then finish with the Advanced Auger-FS, Razor or IWAO-R Chaingun.

Resistance 3
The HE .44 Magnum is second weapon in Resistance 3. It is acquired from Dale on the firing range in Haven. The Magnum resembles to a standard magnum, however, still sports the same features that made it a standard SRPA side arm. However, it can be upgraded to a point where it can release multiple explosive charges and can be exploded manually.

Upgrades

 * Supercharged Rounds


 * Overkill