M-300 Claymore

The M-300 Claymore was a heavy shotgun of human design that, in practice, was wielded almost exclusively by the krogan. It dealt punishing damage at short range and was effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers alike, but the kickback from a single shot carried enough force to break a human's arm, so only the far hardier krogan could safely fire it. Rare and costly, it was protected against reproduction and counted among the most coveted close-range weapons in the galaxy. (Mass Effect 2; Mass Effect 3)

A weapon for the krogan#

The M-300 Claymore was a heavy shotgun that delivered very high damage at short range, falling off sharply at longer distances, and proved effective against armor, shields, and biotic barriers alike. Though it was of human design, it was used almost exclusively by the krogan. The reason lay in its recoil: the kickback from a single shot carried enough force to break a human's arm, and only the krogan, far more physically resilient, could fire it without injury. The weapon was protected by Fabrication Rights Management technology, which made it nearly impossible to reproduce, and it was prohibitively expensive, so that genuine examples were scarce. One such weapon could be recovered aboard a Collector vessel. (Mass Effect 2)

Redesign and revival#

The Claymore had a troubled commercial history. It was originally a hard-hitting but poor-selling shotgun, undone by the very kickback problems that limited it to krogan users, since the recoil tended to snap the arms of anyone else who tried to fire it. After a thorough overhaul of its kinetic dampening system, the weapon was rolled out again. To lure back customers, its manufacturer lowered the price without skimping on the stopping power that had always been its chief virtue, restoring the Claymore to service as one of the most formidable close-range weapons available. (Mass Effect 3)