This article is about the overview of the Malorian Arms 3516. For the specific game versions, see Malorian Arms 3516 (disambiguation).The 3516 are a series of unique handguns manufactured by Malorian Arms in the Cyberpunk universe.
Overview[]
The 3516 are unique heavy pistols made of an excellent quality and a number of them are considered super luxury items.[1] Throughout the years, improved versions of the gun were manufactured, each one more powerful than the last.[R 1]
One of its 14mm iterations had a rare solid titanium frame that was manufactured in space, allowing for an almost zero chance of imperfection in the casing. A custom Dyna-porting and direct integral cyber-interlink meant only someone with a cyberarm and smartgun link could take full advantage of the pistol's features.[2][3][4] Another one of its versions was very unique. Semiautomatic, equipped with a prototype smart link and compatible with various ammunition types. Moreover, you could use it to create a fire "breathing" attack that was produced by the cartridges loaded inside the pistol.[5]
History[]
Eran Malour — founder of Malorian Arms — developed the 3516's radical new design to the personal specifications of famous rockerboy Johnny Silverhand, who wanted something that could end a cyberpsycho'ed fan at 100 paces, no matter how protected the fan was. The price was not a problem for him. By the year 2020, the 3516 were the most famous and powerful personal handguns on the market.[2]
Over the years, Johnny wielded different Malorians, each one more powerful than the previous. His last one was as powerful as an anti-tank gun, and thanks to his special cyberware arm and shoulder, it didn't tear it off from the recoil when he fired it.[R 1]
Johnny wielded the 3516 until his death in 2023 during the AHQ Disaster. Shortly afterwards, a former pararescue firefighter known as Samantha Stevens somehow recovered some of his possessions, including one of Johnny's Malorians. She kept it with her for decades, keeping the weapon in a good state via the use of cosmoline.[6]
During the Time of the Red, the 3516 were extremely rare and sought, making it more expensive than it was in the 2020s, thus it was extremely rare to even find one for sale.[1]
After encountering a group of Night City edgerunners who were trying to find an unreleased song of Samurai, Samantha gave them the task to transport a crate to Los Alamos in New Mexico. Before they left, the woman took aside one of them, a mercenary known as Zara, and gave her, in a wrapped package, the Malorian she had found, telling her that the owner was never going to use it again, adding that she seemed the right person to carry it for him. During their journey east from Night City, Zara unwrapped the gun, realizing what it was, but afraid to confirm it. Despite her fears, she eventually linked to it and used it to protect her friends. She then discovered that the gun's interface boosted her situational awareness to very high levels, giving her a seemingly supernatural accuracy and a palpably cold eagerness. The gun's cyber interface had been modified to create almost cyberpsycho levels of feedback, which damped down the user's normal emotional reaction to combat situations, and gave them a robot-like control. The group eventually succeeded in their quest, and Zara decided to keep the gun.[6]
At some point after Johnny was killed, Adam Smasher recovered one of his Malorians. He eventually gifted it to his right-hand man Jeremiah Grayson, who kept it until 2077, when V and Rogue Amendiares took it back from him.[5]
Game Versions[]
Development[]
Mike Pondsmith commented on the gun's design:
Johnny's first pistol (he's had a string of them, all designed by Malorian, who is the premier gun designer of the 2020 world. Started out as an uprated Desert Eagle (I'm rather fond of them), but with reinforced chambering to handle the .577 round. Normal loadout is only 4 rounds. The front is super bulky with a flash suppressor and extra weight added to keep the gun from rising too much, but it also requires a full-locking cyberarm to keep it level and under control. Derek Quintanar did the research and found some lunatic actually built a .577 round pistol (wheelgun tho), and we were off to the races.
It was designed to stop elephants--or a really angry cyberspychotic fan who really wanted an autograph. By the time CDPR got to it, we all decided the original looked to Desert Eaglely and needed a refresh.[R 2]
Notes[]
- Known wilders of a Malorian Arms 3516 include: Johnny Silverhand, Susan Forrest, Zara, or Jeremiah Grayson.
- Borg Adam Smasher considered the 3516 as a toy gun when compared to his Magnum Opus Hellbringer.[7]
Trivia[]
- The last Malorian Johnny possessed had 4 rounds and fired ammunition equal to a .577 Nitro Express round.[R 1][R 2]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 PONDSMITH, M. Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook. Kenmore, WA, R. Talsorian Games, 2020. (pp.95,347)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 FISK, C. Chromebook Volume 1. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1991. (p.52)
- ↑ QUINTANAR, D. Blackhand's Street Weapons 2020. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1995. (pp.16–17)
- ↑ Countdown to the Dark Future (#81)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077. Video Game, Multi-Platform. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2020.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Black Dog (story)
- ↑ TAYLOR, S. Solo of Fortune 2. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1994. (p.70)
Reddit[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mike Pondsmith on Reddit: "Originally, I worked from relative loadouts (Winchester loading tables circa 1979) with the baseline damage calculated from the standard military .45 colt sidearm (what I grew up shooting). In an early draft of Cyberpunk I used actual names of rounds (like .38, etc) but when I realized the game was going to players all over the world, I had to shift to a version they would also know. So I set all the models to NATO standards which the U.S. Army was also using overseas. Working from that: · A Heavy pistol is 11mm; the .45 colt. The baseline. · A Very Heavy pistol is roughly 12mm; a .44 magnum revolver or desert eagle .50. · There are also Special types, such as the infamous Malorian Johnny Silverhand carries (he's actually had several over the years, each one more powerful than the last.) The Malorian was spec'd to drop a raging cyberpsycho, and was equal to the .577 Nitro Express. So Johnny wasn't exactly stupid to tackle Adam Smasher with a handgun--with his final Malorian, he was effectively firing a hand carried anti-tank revolver. Which is why he had a special arm and shoulder designed not to be torn off when he fired it."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mike Pondsmith on Reddit: "Verily, the Word of God. Heh. Johnny's first pistol (he's had a string of them, all designed by Malorian, who is the premier gun designer of the 2020 world. Started out as an uprated Desert Eagle (I'm rather fond of them), but with reinforced chambering to handle the .577 round. Normal loadout is only 4 rounds. The front is super bulky with a flash suppressor and extra weight added to keep the gun from rising too much, but it also requires a full-locking cyberarm to keep it level and under control. Derek Quintanar did the research and found some lunatic actually built a .577 round pistol (wheelgun tho), and we were off to the races. It was designed to stop elephants--or a really angry cyberspychotic fan who really wanted an autograph. By the time CDPR got to it, we all decided the original looked to Desert Eaglely and needed a refresh."