.38 Caliber SMG

Lore & Background

On Halcyon, the .38 Caliber SMG is the kind of weapon you'd find in a security guard's thigh holster or tucked behind a barkeep's apron. It isn't the flashy, story-telling piece of hardware that a Corporate Enforcer might brandish, but it is the weapon that actually gets used. The Monarch Corporation's supply chain on the colony prioritizes practicality over prestige for most civilian and low-level military personnel, and the .38 SMG fits that philosophy perfectly: reliable, cheap to feed, and effective at the ranges where most bar brawls and warehouse ambushes actually happen.

The .38 caliber round itself is a mid-weight cartridge—lighter than the .45 or 12-gauge shells favored by heavier weapons, but with enough mass to punch through a standard Halcyon security vest at close range. In the colony's economy, .38 ammunition is widely available at most general stores and military surplus stalls, which keeps the SMG in steady rotation even as players upgrade to rarer platforms. It's the default answer to the question 'what do I grab when I need something faster than a pistol but I'm not ready to commit to a full rifle?'

Among the Halcyon crew, the .38 SMG carries a quiet reputation. It's not the weapon that makes headlines in the colony's gossip channels, but it's the one that keeps showing up in the aftermath of scuffles on the ship's lower decks or in the back alleys of the colony's industrial district. Practical. Unassuming. And, for the first several hours of a new player's journey, often the best gun in the room.

In Their Own Story

The fluorescent lights in the Halcyon's cargo bay flickered with that particular dying-buzz that meant the power coupling was failing again. You crouched behind a crate of unshipped synth-grain, the .38 SMG warm in your hands, and counted the boots approaching. Three. Maybe four. The muffled thud of a security lock being picked echoed off the metal walls. You checked the magazine—plenty of rounds left, .38 casings already pitting the floor where you'd taken cover. The first guard rounded the corner, and you didn't think. You just squeezed. The SMG barked, short and sharp, and the smell of cordite filled the narrow space. The second one went down before he could raise his baton. The third froze, then ran. You racked the slide, ejected nothing, and listened to the distant groan of the ship's hull settling in the void. Another quiet night on Halcyon. Another .38 doing exactly what it was built to do.

Reader's Guide

Item: .38 Caliber SMG Type: Submachine Gun (SMG) Tier: Common

Stat Block: The .38 Caliber SMG is a Common-tier rapid-fire weapon. It uses .38 Caliber ammunition, which is widely available across Halcyon's general stores and military surplus vendors. As a Common SMG, it offers a solid rate of fire with moderate per-round damage, making it a reliable early-game choice before players acquire Uncommon, Rare, or Epic SMGs. It has no special modifier or unique effect beyond its base SMG profile.

Availability: The .38 Caliber SMG can be found in early-game locations aboard the Halcyon starship and in the colony's initial exploration zones. It may also appear as a random vendor stock item at general stores. It is not quest-gated and is not exclusive to any DLC; it is part of the base game's standard weapon pool.

Notable Notes: As a Common-tier weapon, it does not carry a unique name or flavor text beyond its standard designation. It serves primarily as a transitional SMG—useful for the first stretch of the game before players unlock higher-caliber or energy-based submachine guns. Its .38 ammunition is the most accessible SMG round in the game, making it the lowest-friction rapid-fire option for new players. Keep it in your loadout until a better SMG drops, then it becomes a solid backup or a trade-in for credits.

Did You Know?

• The .38 Caliber SMG uses the same .38 ammunition type as several other weapons in The Outer Worlds, making it one of the most logistically convenient SMGs in the game since the rounds are found at nearly every general st
• As a Common-tier weapon, the .38 Caliber SMG has no unique name, special modifier, or lore text—its identity is purely functional, reflecting Halcyon's no-nonsense supply culture.
• In The Outer Worlds, SMGs like the .38 Caliber benefit from the game's cover system: taking cover while firing an SMG reduces accuracy penalties, making it effective in the tight corridors of the Halcyon ship.
• The .38 Caliber SMG is part of the base game's weapon roster and is not locked behind any DLC expansion or specific quest line, making it available to all players from the early hours of the campaign.