Pistols
Pistol Strengths
- Superb handling and fast switching
- Good movement speed
Pistol Weaknesses
- Ineffective outside very short range
- Forced choice between ammo capacity and lethality
Reliable Backup
Pistols are the only ‘normal’ weapon in the secondary class (sharing space with launchers and the combat knife), and they occupy a very specific role in combat.
With extremely fast swap times, handling, and high movement speed second only to SMGs, they are ideal backup weapons for LMGs, Snipers, and long range Assault Rifles.
Pistols are generally most effective in CQC, and though you are unlikely to come out on top against a Shotgun or SMG that gets the drop on you, they give you a fighting chance, and are often flatly superior to some Assault Rifles, LMGs, or Snipers up close.
Pistols can also be used as a finishing weapon on an SMG or an Assault Rifle. If you run dry mid-fight, it’s much faster to switch and bring up your Pistol than it is to reload. If you intend on using a Pistol in this manner, take a Pistol on every one of your SMG/Assault Rifle builds and practice it routinely—if you die to a reload without switching, you’re not taking advantage of this ability.
Pistol Notes
- Pistols share the High Caliber attachment with Assault Rifles, the only two weapon classes that can use it.
- Without High Caliber headshots, you need at least three shots (or one full burst) to kill with a Pistol, so they work best if you are firing at an already damaged target, or get the drop on your opponent.
- The RK5 has the best time to kill potential of all three Pistols, but trades magazine capacity for this ability.
- The L-CAR 9’s rapid fire makes it a viable alternative to the RK5, and is slightly better at fending off a two-man rush.
- The MR6 has the slowest kill time without high caliber headshots, but it also the best balance of damage, magazine capacity, and range, making it a reasonable option at longer distances than the other two.
L-CAR 9
Full-auto machine Pistol. Medium fire rate with modest damage.
A pocket SMG, the L-CAR 9 is a good choice for fending off multiple assailants in close quarters. If you prefer the ease of an automatic weapon, this is your best Pistol choice.
MR6
Semi-auto Pistol. Strongest damage in class.
With good magazine size and a better range profile than the other Pistols, the MR6 can finish off a wounded target at a decent range if your primary runs dry.
Up close, it is a less impressive choice, unless you’re willing to take High Caliber and have supreme accuracy against fast moving targets at short range.
RK5
Three-Round burst Pistol. Fast burst cycle rate.
A quick killing, quick firing burst Pistol, the RK5 can one-burst kill at very short range, or finish off a damaged target in one burst.
However, it has the worst magazine capacity of the Pistols, so it can get you in trouble against more than one target!
Pistol Charts
Pistol Shots to Kill
Pistol Rate of Fire
Pistol Reload Times
Pistol Ammo
PISTOL Recoil Plots
First Shot
Launchers
Launchers are specialized equipment, primarily useful for eliminating enemy scorestreak equipment.
There are two models, the BlackCell carries four rounds, giving you more destruction in a single package, but it lacks the freefire capability of the XM-53.
The XM-53 can also be used to siege rooms or blow up players near objectives. Like all explosions, the incidental damage can also detonate nearby basic enemy equipment.
It’s a good idea to keep at least one class around with a BlackCell alongside the perks Blind Eye and Cold Blooded—pair this with Black Hats and the Engineer perk and you can easily and safely shut down a huge chunk of enemy scorestreak capability.
In an emergency (say, a Mothership inbound), quickly switching to such a build can save your team a lot of pain.
On a build making heavy use of Scavenger and lethal equipment, the XM-53 is a good supplement, giving you even more ranged explosive firepower.
Launcher Notes
- Both the BlackCell and the XM-53 can lock onto enemy scorestreaks, in the air or on the ground.