Handguns | Weapons Battlefield 4 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Handguns are the second most important weapons for every player. They're supposed to save us in tight corners, kill wounded enemies and even earn respect while in right hands. The most important thing for them is to fit our style of playing and preferences, and complement our main weapon.
Choosing a handgun is simple: it has to be a gun that's most comfortable for the player. When your primary weapon runs out of ammo and there's no time to reload it, a handgun will provide protection. They won't if you're not comfortable with it.
Secondly, a handgun should (but doesn't have to) compensate downsides of your primary weapon. If your primary weapon has a low rate of fire, then a handgun with a high rate of fire will be a perfect choice.
Finally, some experience will help you choose a handgun. If the enemy was close to you in most cases of using a handgun, choose an automatic weapon or a shotgun. But if you use it to kill enemies from a distance, choose a slow, but powerful revolver.
Luckily, the selection of handguns is so wide and diversified that even the most picky players will find something for themselves. However, each weapon has to be tested, and to do it, you have to unlock it - that's a difficulty for many players. Handguns aren't used very often, so unlocking every model might take ages. Servers that allow only this type of weapons are really useful. If you choose a server with Hardcore mode, because health is limited to 60%, so you can kill enemies more quickly there. Playing on such a server, especially with XP bonus, lets you unlock any handgun in a few hours, instead of days or months.
In this list you'll find a description of hidden properties of weapons, their comparison (described in Explanation) and some advice on recommended accessories. Remember that this is mainly common sense advice that is supposed to keep you from harm (for example by exposing negative properties of a gun). You can experiment with them to adjust your weapon to more specialised conditions. The only accessories described are the ones that affect weapon's stats, that means barrel, under-barrel element and laser sight. All the other accessories are optional and using them depends on your preferences and experience.
P226
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | --- |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~55 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | medium |
FULL RELOAD | short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | very low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | high / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | very long |
P226 is a really versatile gun that will be used throughout all the game by many players. It has the lowest vertical recoil in its class which makes it very easy to use on a short distance. Unfortunately, it won't help on longer distance because it has a strong horizontal recoil to the left. Aside from that, P226 is an average gun with a decent clip and short reloading time.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Compensator.
M9
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 4 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~55 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | long |
FULL RELOAD | long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | medium / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | very long |
M9 is even easier to control than its predecessor and has similar downsides. Vertical recoil is easy to control, but horizontal is quite strong on both sides. Such a symmetrical recoil makes it hard to predict where the next round will hit, but it's good on short distance. Long time of reloading is definitely its biggest disadvantage.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Compensator.
QSZ-92
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 8 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~60 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | long |
FULL RELOAD | long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / very low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | medium |
QSZ is a bit better on medium distance. A low, symmetrical vertical recoil makes every bullet hit the target just above the previous one, while horizontal recoil can be easily controlled with a right accessory. It has a high rate of fire, but low damage.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake.
MP-443
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 13 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~55 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | very short |
FULL RELOAD | very short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / very low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | medium |
MP-443 is much slower than guns mentioned earlier, but it does quite a lot of damage and has a bigger clip. In terms of recoil, it's almost the same as QSZ. Lower rate of fire makes it better for medium distance.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake.
SHORTY 12G
Although it's a handgun, technically it's a shotgun, so you'll find more information about it in the chapter about shotguns.
G18
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 23 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~55 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | very short |
FULL RELOAD | medium |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very high |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | high / high |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | very short |
Glock 18 is a fully automatic gun - if you hold the trigger, you'll empty its big clip in no time. One of its downsides is that it has a really high recoil - both vertical and horizontal, which makes it useful only on short distance. G18 won't do a lot of damage with a single bullet, but with this rate of fire it won't be a problem for an experienced player.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake.
FN57
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 28 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~60 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | short |
FULL RELOAD | short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / very low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | medium |
In case of FN57, the first thing that draws your attention is the highest clip capacity in its class. Moreover, it has a high rate of fire (for a semi-auto gun), so vertical recoil is rather high, but horizontal is insignificant. The price you pay for all these things - low damage.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake.
M1911
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 34 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~40 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | very short |
FULL RELOAD | very short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / very low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | medium |
The legendary Colt M1911 should make your enemies tremble in fear. It's one of two strongest guns in the game (except revolvers). Its huge damage comes with a price. It has a small clip, so you need a bit of experience to use it. Luckily, it's not that hard because M1911 has a very low vertical and horizontal recoil. Perfect for medium distance.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake or no attachment.
93R
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 39 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~55 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | medium |
FULL RELOAD | medium |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very high |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | very low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | medium / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | very short |
Beretta 93R is an automatic gun as well, but it shoots three bullet bursts. Because of that, it's easier to control and more accurate than Glock 18 with the same rate of fire. It also does little damage, but its low recoil makes it better for players who prefer more precise automatic guns.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake or no attachment.
CZ-75
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 45 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <12,5~50 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | medium |
FULL RELOAD | medium |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / very low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
This Czech gun is one more option for players who prefer precision. A very "tight" recoil and average rate of fire make it very easy to use. It's perfect on medium distance, but its clip capacity is quite limited.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake or no attachment.
.44 MAGNUM
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 51 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <12,5~50 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | very long |
FULL RELOAD | very long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | very high |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | medium / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | very long |
If you've ever wanted to be Dirty Harry, this revolver can make the dream come true. It has an incredibly low rate of fire and a huge recoil, but deals the most damage in its class (except the Shorty). Accuracy of its first shot is above average, so if you combine it with a scope, you'll get a pocket sniper rifle that kills with a single shot to the head (up to ~25 metres). It's really hard to control and might not be enough while fighting on short distance against faster guns.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Heavy Barrel or Muzzle Brake.
COMPACT 45
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 57 000 |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~40 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | very short |
FULL RELOAD | very short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / very low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | short |
This inconspicuous, small gun is the hardest to unlock for a reason. It deals most damage in its class, shoots fast and accurately, but it has a small clip. Good for any distance, as long as 11 bullets are enough for you to kill an enemy. H&K Compact 45 is a direct upgrade from Colt M1911.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Muzzle Brake or no attachment.
M412 REX
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | complete "Tombstone Actual" |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <15~37 metres |
TACTICAL RELOAD | long |
FULL RELOAD | long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST ROUND | very low |
RECOIL OF FOLLOWING ROUNDS (BURST, AUTO) | very high |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | medium / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
This exotically looking revolver can be unlocked by completing the first mission of single player campaign. Using the Rex is quite similar to .44 Magnum, but it's a bit faster, less accurate and better for shorter distance. These downsides are compensated by a shorter reload time and faster stabilization. Unlike the Magnum, it can't be equipped with a scope.
Recommended accessories: Laser sight, Heavy Barrel or Muzzle Brake.