Every Pistol & Revolver In RDR2, Ranked Worst To Best
There are 17 different revolvers and pistols in Red Dead Redemption 2, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Here's every handgun, ranked.
The best revolver in Red Dead Redemption 2 can turn Arthur Morgan into one of the deadliest gunslingers in the West, but the worst can make him feel like an amateur at a shooting range. There are a total of 16 pistols and revolvers in RDR2, and while some are extremely common and can be bought in nearly every town and settlement, others are rare and can only be pried from the hands of bandit leaders. Regardless of how they’re obtained, each handgun performs differently than the next, and it’s important that players take their strengths and weaknesses into consideration.
Generally, pistols and revolvers are nowhere near as powerful and effective as shotguns and rifles. However, handguns provide an unmatched combination of accuracy and speed that even many of RDR2‘s best weapons can’t. Plus, Arthur can actually dual-wield guns in RDR2, which allows him to unload a rainstorm of lead in dicey situations (and also feels quite exciting, if not a bit theatrical).
17Double-Action Revolver
The Double-Action Revolver lands on the bottom of the list because of its low damage and middle-of-the-road reload speed, detracting from its snappy rate of fire. Simply put, the Double-Action Revolver in Red Dead Redemption 2 sacrifices too much for speed, and there are plenty of other handguns that do everything it does only much better.
16High Roller Revolver
Being a mere re-skin of the Double-Action Revolver, the High Roller Revolver isn’t much of an improvement. As players suffer through its low damage and accuracy, they can at least do it in more style with the hangun’s unique carvings, which depict various gambler motifs (like dice and a deck of cards).
15Micah’s Revolver
Micah’s Revolver is a customized Double-Action with a red-and-black skull grip, which perfectly fits Red Dead Redemption 2 antagonist Micah Bell’s treacherous personality. While it might be more striking than the average Double-Action visually, it still suffers from the same shortcomings. There are plenty of better handguns to choose from.
14Cattleman Revolver
The Cattleman Revolver might be the first weapon that Arthur wields, but its stats are surprisingly well-rounded for being the starting handgun. The Cattleman’s stats are on-par, if not better than many of RDR2‘s rare unlockable handguns, except the player never needs to go out of their way to look for it.
It’s nowhere near as flashy as some other weapons, but the Cattleman will get the job done. There are, however, plenty of better handguns in Red Dead Redemption 2.
13Granger’s Revolver
If players are looking for a Cattleman-esque weapon with a little more style to match the best Red Dead Redemption 2 outfits, they should look no farther than Granger’s Revolver. The rare handgun has all the same stats as the Revolver but comes with a dark metal finish and custom engravings. It’s still not the best revolver in RDR2, but at least Arthur can look cool during a standoff.
12Flaco’s Revolver
Just like Granger’s Revolver, Flaco’s Revolver is a Cattleman with a bit more pizzazz. The rare weapon comes with skull engravings and an ivory handle, which is carved with a depiction of an eagle eating a snake. It’ll do everything Cattleman is capable of, but look better while it’s doing it. Arthur can only equip this weapon once he’s defeated one of RDR2‘s Gunslinger quests.
11John’s Cattleman Revolver
Finally, John’s Cattleman Revolver is the final (and best) of the unique Cattleman Revolvers in Red Dead Redemption 2. This one comes with more sentimental value than all the rest, since Red Dead Redemption protagonist John Marston owns it. It comes with a blackened steel finish and a bone grip to make it stand out among the rest.
10Algernon’s Revolver
Algernon’s Revolver is best known for its blindingly fast rate of fire, but unfortunately, it’s missing the damage to take it higher up the ranking. The handgun is best saved for situations where enemies are overrunning Arthur, but it doesn’t stand a chance against high-health targets.
9LeMat Revolver
The LeMat might be the weapon with the slowest rate of fire, but it has a unique characteristic that sets it apart from any other RDR2 handgun – being able to fire shotgun shells. This trait gives players a fallback if they ever run out of pistol ammo in a firefight, which can take some amount of pressure off players’ shoulders. Still, the LeMat is best complemented with a quicker sidearm to make up for its sluggishness.
8M1899 Pistol
The M1899 is the more modern weapon in the game, but it’s still not quite the best handgun in RDR2. The pistol is all about speed and less about power, making it best for close-quarters fights with large hordes of enemies. Unfortunately, it can only be found in Saint Denis, making it harder to come by for newer players. However, for those looking for something to do after beating Red Dead Redemption 2, it’s worth picking up the M1899.
7Semi-Automatic Pisto
The Semi-Automatic Pistol proves that the best gifts in life come in small packages. It trades accuracy and power for a blistering rate of fire, and also has a snappy reload speed. Its main weakness is its lack of accuracy, making it most effective in close encounters, but it’s satisfying to mow down such opposition nonetheless with the Semi-Automatic Pistol.
6Mauser Pistol
The Mauser can similarly turn enemies into Swiss cheese with its speedy rate of fire, reload speed, and ammo capacity. It can hold more bullets than any other handgun in the game, making it perfect for suppression fire in a situation where Arthur is facing a swarm of enemies. Sadly, the Mauser falls short in the range and power departments, which means it’s best partnered with a slower but more powerful handgun. It’s still better than the Semi-Automatic Pistol, though.
5Midnight Pistol
The Midnight Pistol is a unique variant of the Mauser and is the best pistol in Red Dead Redemption 2, but it is not the game’s best handgun overall. It has the same stats as its predecessor, but its gold plating will make it glimmer in the sunshine and make Arthur’s outfit more glitzy than a standard Mauser.
4Volcanic Pistol
The Volcanic Pistol does more damage than any other handgun in RDR2 and is simple to get a hold of as players progress through Red Dead Redemption 2‘s story. It suffers in its lackluster rate of fire, but if players are a sharp shot, then they’ll make great acquaintances with the gun regardless.
3Calloway’s Revolver
Calloway’s Revolver is a jack-of-all-trades revolver in RDR2 that can round out any dual-wield build. The unique weapon is a custom-engraved Schofield Revolver with silver plating, making it flashier than standard Schofields, but more difficult to come by.
2Otis Miller’s Revolver
Like Calloway’s Revolver, Otis Miller’s Revolver is a rare Schofield made entirely of gold and ivory, making it almost as flashy as the Midnight Revolver’s solid-gold body. It’s among the coolest-looking handguns in the game, but players will need to successfully solve a treasure hunt in Red Dead Redemption 2 in order to acquire it.
1Schofield Revolver
The Schofield is the best revolver in RDR2, hands-down. It is slightly slower than some of the speed-demons on this list, like the Mauser, but a headshot from this well-rounded weapon will drop anything that stands in Arthur’s way. Dual-wielding Schofields in RDR2 is a deadly combo, and since the revolver is available fairly early in the campaign, it’s always worth picking up. Other pistols and revolvers may have a flashier appearance, but at the end of the day, the Schofield Revolver is the best handgun in Red Dead Redemption 2.
