.357 Caliber SMG

Lore & Background

On Halcyon, the Hauser Corporation designed the colony as a self-contained economy, and that meant keeping a steady flow of hardware in circulation. Small arms like the .357 Caliber SMG were standard issue for security detail, cargo handlers, and the various security contractors who patrolled the outer settlements. The .357 caliber round, a relic from Earth's revolver era, was chosen for its availability and the relatively simple feeding mechanism it demanded, making the SMG cheap to produce and easy to maintain with the limited tooling available on a colony ship.

The weapon's compact frame and full-auto capability made it popular among settlers who preferred a quick burst of lead over the deliberate, single-shot rhythm of a revolver or the bulk of a rifle. In the cramped corridors of the Halcyon station and the tight alleyways of settlements like Eris Munsell or the various outpost compounds, an SMG could clear a room before a longer gun could even be brought to bear. Veterans of the colony's early conflicts spoke of the distinctive crack of .357 rounds bouncing off recycled-metal bulkheads, a sound that became almost a signature of the station's less peaceful hours.

By the time the player arrives, the .357 Caliber SMG is already a somewhat dated piece of kit, outclassed by the higher-caliber SMGs and the energy weapons that the Hauser Corporation's later production lines favored. Yet it persists in crates, on the bodies of fallen settlers, and in the hands of those who simply prefer the honest, mechanical thump of a short-stroke piston cycling a .357 through a barrel. In a world of plasma rifles and zero-gravity combat, the .357 SMG is a reminder that Halcyon's roots are still very much in the old, gritty, lead-spitting traditions of Earth's frontier.

In Their Own Story

The air in the cargo bay tasted of recycled coolant and old coffee. You'd been walking for twenty minutes, boots clanking against the grated floor, when you saw it: a Hauser security crate, its latches hanging open, a dead contractor slumped against the bulkhead. Inside the crate, nested in foam that still held the shape of other, larger weapons, sat the .357 Caliber SMG. Its polymer frame was scuffed, the barrel had a faint blueing that had worn to a dull grey at the muzzle. You racked the slide. The spring compressed with a clean, mechanical click. You chambered a round, felt the .357 cartridge seat with a satisfying thunk, and smiled. Outside, the station hummed its endless electric lullaby, and somewhere down the corridor, something was about to find out what a full-auto .357 sounded like in a space that was never designed for noise.

Reader's Guide

.357 Caliber SMG — Submachine Gun — Basic / Early-game tier.

Stat block: The .357 Caliber SMG deals low-to-moderate damage per round, has a relatively light weight for its class, and fires at a fast rate of fire typical of SMGs in the game. Its special effect is minimal or absent, consistent with its entry-level positioning. It uses .357 Caliber ammunition, which is common and inexpensive on Halcyon. Exact numerical values vary by in-game patch and build, so check your local game data for the precise figures.

Acquisition: The .357 Caliber SMG is found as a world-drop in early Halcyon areas, including the starting region and nearby settlements. It is not quest-gated, not faction-locked, and not DLC-exclusive. It can also appear in generic weapon crates or on the bodies of low-level enemies. No specific vendor is required to obtain it, though some armory vendors may stock it as a basic option.

Flavor & easter eggs: The .357 caliber is a real-world cartridge most associated with classic American revolvers (Colt Python, Smith & Wesson Model 27). Repurposing it for a submachine gun is a deliberate anachronism that fits The Outer Worlds' retro-futuristic, space-western aesthetic. The weapon's design language echoes the game's broader visual theme of 1970s-80s industrial hardware reimagined in a zero-gravity colony. No hidden easter egg text is widely documented for this specific item, but its existence alongside plasma rifles and zero-G shotguns is itself a small wink to fans of genre-blending design.

Did You Know?

• The .357 caliber is a real-world cartridge historically associated with American revolvers, making its use in a submachine gun a deliberate retro-futuristic anachronism that fits The Outer Worlds' space-western tone.
• The .357 Caliber SMG is not tied to any faction, quest, or DLC, making it one of the most freely accessible SMGs for new players on Halcyon.
• In The Outer Worlds' weapon taxonomy, SMGs occupy a distinct slot from rifles, shotguns, and pistols, each with different handling, rate of fire, and damage profiles, and the .357 SMG sits at the accessible end of that s
• The game's broader arsenal includes higher-tier SMGs that deal more damage or carry special effects, positioning the .357 Caliber SMG as a stepping stone rather than an endgame choice.