Hydra Shotgun
Production information
Manufacturer:	Cerberus Skunkworks
Type:	Shotgun
Cost:	Worth 700,000 credits (manufacturing costs)
Introduced:	10 July 2175 CE
Discontinued:	14 October 2184 CE
Technical information
Size:	Two-Handed
Damage per hit:	Very high
Maximum ammunition:	Unlimited
Fire mode:	Pump-action
Operation:	Gas operated
Rate of fire:	12RPM
Accuracy:	Very high (91)
Range:	200-300 meters
Usage
Era(s):	Asari Cycle Pax Galactica Era
Counterpart:	M-23 Katana M-22 Eviscerator
Affiliation:	Cerberus

The Hydra shotgun was a pump-action heat sink-based block-fed heavy shotgun manufactured by Cerberus Skunkworks. Manufactured and entering service in 2175 CE, the Hydra shotgun was an advanced prototype weapon designed for use by Cerberus Commandos, possessing an advanced targeting computer capable of smart link, higher velocity rounds, lighter materials, better accuracy and more stopping power. The weapon became the standard issue shotgun of all Cerberus commandos, replacing the Alliance-issue Katana and Storm, with a range of modifications being made to the weapon as time went on to further customize its performance for specific situations. As they were manufactured by Cerberus for use with their forces, Gorgon assault rifles were not publicly available, and usually only fell into the hands of outsiders when a commando team's equipment was captured. The weapon was extremely powerful and very precise, although this came at the sacrifice of overheating very quickly, with only four shots capable of being fired rapidly before overheat, restricting the user from a concise rate of fire. The weapon was, in design, succeeded by the M-23 Katana following the introduction of the thermal clip in 2184 CE, which replaced block-fed weapons wholesale across the entire galaxy following the Battle of the Citadel. The M-23 Katana and M-27 Scimitar would replace the Hydra as Cerberus' shotgun arsenal across their forces, although Cerberus Skunkworks would quickly develop the M-22 Eviscerator, a devastating pump-action shotgun, and this would enter service as Cerberus' new homegrown shotgun by the time of the Reaper War.