10mm Pistol (Fallout)

The Colt 6520 10mm autoloading pistol is a highly durable and efficient weapon.

The 6520 was developed by Colt Firearms prior to the Great War and chambered for the common 10mm round. It proved to be resistant to the desert-like conditions of the post-nuclear wasteland and is a fine example of workmanship and quality construction (at least for the pre-War models, which became more scarce over time). The simple design of the gun allows it to be easily manufactured with relatively basic equipment, making it possible to be replicated in workshops in the post-nuclear world. The Colt 6520 is capable of chambering the 10mm hollow point round or the 10mm armor piercing round.

The Colt 6520's durability, reliability, and simple design makes it very popular among wasteland denizens, for whom sophisticated high maintenance weapons would be a liability to survival.

Appearances
The Colt 6520 10mm Pistol (mostly called just "10mm Pistol" in game) is a Fallout and Fallout 2 weapon. In Fallout 3, it is replaced by the N99 10mm Pistol.

The Colt 6520 is used by countless enemies early in the game, and is probably one of the first ranged weapons the player will have access to. In Fallout, the player starts the game with one. Fallout 2 has them for sale in Klamath, or an explorer can find one on a corpse in the mines under the town. Pretty much anyone who is armed in the Den is likely using the Colt 6520.

Behind the scenes
The 10mm pistol's visual appearance is a reference to the Hard Boiled comic books.

The FBI also actually tested this caliber for their sidearms. Its plausibility as a real weapon is disputable, however there are real 10mm pistols available to civilians today. The 10mm Auto round is used for hunting. It is interesting to note that in the Fallout universe, 10mm is generally the pistol round, while in real life, the number of 9mm weapons and its widespread adoption make 9mm a much more likely caliber to encounter in survival situations.

The Secret Service use the 10mm Auto round in the German MP5/10.