Have you never handled a gun or understood how one works beyond which side the bullets come out of? If you're confident with operating a gun in VR you can just skip this entire section.

If you've never handled a gun before, you'll need to be familiar with the basics of how they operate before you head out into the field. Luckily the game has several tutorials available that can help you work your way through how to check your weapon, load, aim, shoot, reload, and diagnose misfires. Because I spend too much time writing these, i'll just explain in my own words here:

You start with a pistol called a Makarov PM. The Makarov is a great starter pistol because it is so incredibly simple to operate and almost every pistol ever produced will pretty much operate the same way.

The Slide and Chamber
First, we're gonna check out how this thing works. Hold the pistol in your dominant hand. Using your other hand and the trigger on the controller, grab the top half of the pistol near the back and pull backwards. This is the slide of the pistol and is used to load and check the chamber. If you hold the slide back, you can check the right side of it and look inside the chamber of the weapon. There shouldn't be anything in there right now, but you can pull the slide back halfway and check if there's a round in the chamber or not, which can be important to make sure you are locked and loaded.

The Safety and Fire Modes
Next, we're gonna talk about the safety. The Makarov is a pistol that has a built-in manual safety. When this is engaged, pulling the trigger while the pistol is in your hand will not fire or produce any click. It is important to note that if you pull the trigger and hear a "click", that means your weapon is jammed or empty, but if you pull the trigger and don't hear anything, you probably left it on safe.
Hold the pistol in your dominant hand and look at the back of the slide on the left side of the weapon.

You should see a lever in the "up" position. Using the "A" button (on the index), this should flick downwards and expose a red dot. As a general rule, "red is dead", which means the safety is off if you see the red dot. Pulling the trigger now should produce a quiet but audible click. It is recommended to keep your firearms on safe when you don't intend to shoot them to avoid accidentally wasting ammo (this would also be a good practice to avoid shooting people you don't want to, but that's not really a concern when everything is trying to kill you).

This can also be used to change the firing mode on weapons with multiple firing modes. A good percentage of weapons do not have safeties. For example, the Tokarev T-33 and the Glock 17 do not have safeties and will always attempt to fire when the trigger is pulled.

Magazines - Loading and Unloading
Most weapons are fed by an external magazine that holds the cartridges until they are ready to be fired. Your Makarov comes with a few 8-round magazines that should start in your vest pouch. The nice thing about some magazines is the amount of ammo remaining in them is clearly visible, while in others you may have to guess or inspect the magazine manually.

For the Makarov, you should clearly be able to see if there are rounds in it. If you want to be sure, you can hold the "B" button with the magazine in your hand to bring up the inspection window. This will tell you how much ammo remains in the magazine and of what type, as well as the caliber of the magazine.

To remove ammo from a magazine, just press and release the trigger while it is in your hand. This removes the top-most round from the magazine. Holding the trigger allows you to grab the top most round or deposit it directly into an ammo box or another magazine in your other hand if you bring them close to one another. To load a magazine with more ammo, just bring a box of the correct-caliber ammo towards the top of it and it will automatically start loading.

To load the magazine into your pistol, first hold the pistol in your dominant hand and the magazine in your non-dominant hand. Bring the magazine close to the bottom of the pistol where your hand grips it. Once the magazine is close enough, it should be automatically inserted into the gun if not already loaded.

To unload a magazine, first hold the "A" button. This "half-ejects" the magazine, which allows you to grab it with your other hand so as long as you hold the "A" button. If you simply want to drop the magazine on the ground, release the "A" button at any time without grabbing it. Most of the time, you will probably want to grab the magazine and put it back in your pouch to load it again later, but in a pinch it is a good idea to just drop it on the ground and pick it up later if possible.

Putting it all together
Now you should know how to use the slide, safety, load magazines with ammo, and load magazines into weapons.

To load and fire your pistol, first get an appropriate magazine that has ammo in it. Load the magazine by bringing it towards the bottom of the pistol. Once the magazine is seated in the gun, grab the slide, pull it all the way back, and release your grip on the slide to let it snap forward. Your gun should now be loaded. If you pull the slide back again after the first time, you will probably throw out a perfectly good cartridge onto the ground which you can pick up and load back into your magazine later. If you pull the slide back just halfway, you should be able to see if there is a round in the chamber or not.

Once you have a round in the chamber, check your safety and make sure it is disengaged. Aim and pull the trigger at your desired target, and the weapon should fire. Blast away as much as you like

oh damn I broke it
Once you fire off everything in the magazine, you might notice the slide is "stuck back". Most weapons have what's called a "bolt hold" that holds the slide or bolt open when the last round is fired from the gun. This is both a great visual indicator that you need to reload and a time-saving measure when reloading in a hurry.

First, eject the empty magazine from the gun. Then, insert a fresh magazine with more ammunition. Once inserted, you can either grab the slide and release it to load the weapon, or tap the "A" button to release the slide for you. This can be very helpful to quickly load weapons without needing to grab the slide with your other hand while it does something else. Some weapons do not have a bolt hold and you must pull the slide back yourself each time you fire the last round in the chamber.

oh damn I REALLY broke it
If you fire your weapon enough and it is in poor enough condition, you might notice the slide becomes "halfway stuck back" with a cartridge stuck in the top. Weapons in poor enough condition can malfunction which prevents you from firing until you clear the malfunction from the weapon. Being able to quickly diagnose and clear malfunctions is important in the field as you don't want your gun to stovepipe when you need it the most.

If your weapon fails to fire, first check the slide. If you can clearly see a round that got caught in it, simply pull the slide all the way back and release it. This should clear the cartridge and make you ready to fire again as long as you still have ammo in the magazine.

If that's not the case, you have several options you need to quickly try and determine which one is the issue:

• Is the safety on? - If you pull the trigger but don't hear a click, your safety is probably on. Check it or simply try flipping it off with "A" and see if it will fire.
  
• Is the chamber loaded? - You have to pull the slide or bolt back and release it when you insert a new magazine with nothing in the chamber. Try pulling back the slide or bolt quickly and see if it fires.
  
• Is a magazine inserted/loaded? - Make sure you actually load the weapon with a fresh magazine.

These pieces of equipment are, strictly speaking, not for combat. But they can help a great deal with navigation within the Radius.

All kinds of light-creating devices to help you see in the dark. Not only do they obviously help you see at night, but having a flashlight handy is paramount when exploring building interiors as you cannot rely on the building being well-lit.

Flashlight
A standard torch. It can be placed on your torso slots and can be used to light most areas up at short to mid range when held in one of your hands. It is very useful when searching dark areas indoors or finding your way around at night, but it presents the significant problem of requiring a hand during combat. Unless you are confident in your ability to fight one-handed with a light or fight two-handed in the dark, you may want to seek a hands-free option. You can sort-of hands-free this by placing it at an angle in your drop pouch.

Lamp
Lamps are alternative, short range versions of flashlights that can be turned on, attached to your chest slot, and still illuminate the area in front of you. They are shorter range and colored red or green instead of projecting white light, but they do not require any hands once in place. This allows you to keep both hands free for other tasks, like shooting and loading firearms.

Parachute Flare
Single-use parachute flares can be launched into the air and provide a decent amount of illumination for a medium-sized area while in the air. The flares last for approximately a minute after being launched.

The advantage of parachute flares is they can be launched a short-to-medium distance from yourself and illuminate areas in front of you that you're not sure about while keeping you relatively concealed (not counting the noise you make launching it). This illuminates any potential threats over the flare's area and you can pick them off with ease.

The disadvantage is they are consumable and last a relatively short time. They also are not very useful indoors (I mean, you can use them, but you're probably not gonna like the results). Don't be afraid to use them outdoors to give you a little more situational awareness as otherwise they're not usually worth lugging all the way back to base.

Headlamp
A flashlight, but it is mounted to your head. Once unlocked at security level 2, drop everything you need to in order to buy it. It is a hands-free version of the flashlight that follows where you look, and it can easily be turned on and off with one hand. Once you have one of these, needing to keep flashlights and lamps on you is no longer as big of a deal.

These pieces of equipment are mostly used to safely interact with or avoid most anomalies.

Probes/Advanced Probes
Sacks of probes are infinite little sacks of empty casings that can be tossed with reckless abandon. Most anomalies will react in some way when struck by a probe, which can help you identify the boundaries or characteristics of them. Advanced probes all come with an orange ribbon attached to them which makes them significantly easier to track through the air as they are thrown. Be aware that some anomalies do not like being struck with probes and will usually let you know by trying to kill you.

You will probably never need another sack of probes beyond your first one or two and they are dirt cheap, so don't pick up more if you find them, but one is always useful to have.

Detectors
A detector can be used to detect the presence of artifacts. Most of the times these exist inside anomaly clusters, but there are specific types of artifacts that are not found in clusters. Therefore, it is wise to keep an ear out for your detector's ticking which indicates an artifact is nearby. Artifacts are a good source of income and are always worth the weight in your bag.

Detectors begin to "tick" when an artifact is nearby. Hold the detector out to view the indicator on the front. The indicator is blue when facing away from the nearest artifact, but turns to a bright green when facing towards it. The frequency of the ticking increases as you get closer to the artifact. It is important to note that the detector works in all three dimensions. If you can't locate an artifact's source around you, try angling the detector above and below you.

Artifacts are generally invisible to the naked eye until "pulsed" with the detector. Once you are almost certain as to where the artifact is, use the trigger on the detector to pulse the area in front of the detector. Once pulsed, the artifact will reveal itself and can be collected. Multiple artifacts can exist within the same anomaly cluster, and revealed artifacts will no longer generate a response from the detector. If your detector keeps ticking after revealing an artifact, odds are there's another close by.

GP-5 Gas Mask
A gas mask can be purchased and equipped to increase your resistance to anomaly damage and nullify the effects of the Haze Anomaly (the poison gas cloud). This makes them wise to equip whenever you plan to foray into an anomaly cluster and they are outright required to get into some anomaly clusters or areas covered by Haze anomalies if you don't want to take damage. It is, however, a little restrictive on your peripheral vision and your character makes an awful breathing racket while wearing it which can make it difficult to hear subtle sound cues. This means you can usually keep it in your bag until it is actually needed.

As your mask takes hits and prevents you from taking damage from Haze anomalies, it takes damage itself and will eventually require repairs. Make sure to keep it in decent condition by occasionally bringing it back in for repairs. As the durability of the mask decreases, the amount of anomaly damage it protects you from also decreases. Haze protection will always be full unless the mask entirely breaks.

Generally speaking, this is medicine and food.

Medicine can be used to recover health without needing to go back to base and purchase your health back (although I play with the 'sleeping restores health' option on because frankly without it getting hit is extremely punishing and requires either 30 medipens or constant trips back to base).

Medipen (0.2 kg ea)
A spring-loaded syringe with medical goodness that nobody elaborates on within. A single syringe restores 60% health over a short amount of time, so it can get you out of a tight spot where needed. The syringe is immediately consumed and discarded upon one use.

'Regen' Artifact (0.5 kg ea)
You will start with a half-used Regen artifact in your bag. Holding this artifact in your hand and using the trigger toggles its restorative properties. While the artifact is active, your health slowly recovers and the artifact's durability slowly degrades. Once the artifact is fully degraded, it is destroyed. The regen's healing properties can be toggled off simply by using it in your hand again, allowing you to carefully measure how much you use it. Regens are rarely found in anomaly clusters further in the Radius (usually within Podeba Factory, Kholok Zarya, and Pechorsk Castle).

Food is a requirement in the Radius to keep you energized. As time passes, you may notice your Stamina bar is yellow at the top instead of blue. This represents your hunger. Hunger progresses right-to-left along your stamina bar. While hungry, your maximum stamina is reduced. Eating removes the hunger portion of your stamina bar and allows your stamina to recover again. Sleeping for a long period of time will also cause you to be hungry depending on the amount of time passed.

Some food can be used more than once while others are consumed instantly. It is a good idea to keep at least one can of food on you should you stay out too long. Canned food stays the same weight no matter how many times it has been eaten out of, so finish them to avoid lugging around heavy half empty cans.

Snack Bar - 0.2 kg, single use, 15% per use
Tourist's Delight - 0.5 kg, five uses, 10% per use, 50% total (orange, half height can)
Canned Pineapple - 0.75 kg, five uses, 15% per use, 75% total (red and yellow can)
Tushonka (Canned Meat) - 1.0 kg, ten uses, 10% per use, 100% total (red and white can)
Energy Drink - 0.5 kg, single use, 10% per use (used to also restore fautige, but this mechanic has since been removed)
Cigarettes - Up to 20 per package. Lighter required to smoke. Restores about 10% hunger over its total duration while smoked. Can offset hunger buildup even on the highest hunger difficulty.

These tools are required to keep your weapons maintained and operating effectively. The only other way of repairing weapons and equipment is via the repair booth in the train car back at base, which costs money. If you want to avoid spending money or avoid malfunctions in the field on long deployments, it is highly suggested to reserve some space for cleaning equipment.

It is greatly recommended to keep a full set of weapon cleaning equipment in your base and to regularly maintain your weapons after use. If possible, it is a good idea to fully repair any weapons or magazines you intend to sell as to obtain the maximum sell price for them (sell price of objects degrades linearly with condition, so something at 50% condition sells for 50% value).

Blue conditioned weapons and magazines are in good condition and will rarely, if ever, cause a malfunction.
Yellow conditioned weapons and magazines are well-worn and degraded, but still functional and salvageable if repaired. They can cause malfunctions occasionally, especially if both of them are damaged.
Red conditioned weapons and magazines are heavily defective or damaged and cannot be repaired except by paying the repair booth in the train car (which usually costs a good deal). Only repair these if you intend on using them or cannot purchase new ones. These weapons and magazines will frequently cause misfires and malfunctions and are not advisable to use.

Gun Cleaning Rod & Toilet Paper
Both of these will not degrade with use. A gun cleaning rod tipped with a piece of tissue paper can be used to increase the durability of weapons with a blue durability bar (somewhere around 80%+ condition). Multiple pieces of tissue are usually required for weapons that have been used more, but eventually you will reach 100% condition and a unique sound que will play to indicate the weapon is fully repaired.
It is highly recommended to keep a cleaning rod and a roll of paper in your bag as to repair your weapons in the field during longer deployments. This can prevent the need of an oil and brush to repair your weapons and help reduce the chance of malfunctions.

Cleaning Oil & Toothbrush
A toothbrush will not degrade with use, but cleaning oil has a finite amount in each can. Once the can is completely consumed, it will drop from your hand and shortly despawn. The oil and brush is required to restore durability to any weapon with a yellow condition bar (somewhere between 50-80% durability), as well as required to restore magazines that are at least in yellow condition (between 50-100% condition).

Oil is a limited resource, so its a good idea to try and be conservative with it to avoid purchasing more. You will need to to maintain your magazines, though keeping your magazines in top condition is not usually needed if your weapons are in good condition as well. It can also be useful to stop weapons in the field from dropping below a yellow condition into red, where it may only be repaired by the train car's repair booth, though unless you happen to find and use that weapon in the radius already damaged the odds of this happening is unlikely.

There are about five flavors of loot you might come across. Note that the further into the Radius you go, the higher value loot spawns become in general. Grey crates in the Pervomany Route are worth a lot less then grey crates at Pechorsk Castle.

Ambient loot - These are randomly spawned bits and bobs that are regenerated each time the tide comes. They are typically extremely low value you but you may occasionally find something that isn't two pistol cartridges. Most buildings have searchable cabinets and other areas that will spawn food or other low-value items.
Static Loot - This loot is pre-placed throughout various areas, especially inside buildings or other notable structures. This loot is notable for never respawning when the tide cycles. You will eventually be able to tell just from the spawn what is static loot and what is ambient loot. My favorite flavor of this are what I've personally dubbed "Story-telling cigarettes" because the devs always seem to put a packet of cigarettes literally anywhere people would have been.

Stashes - Stashes are pre-placed in the world and never regenerate. They are one-time only and are in specific locations throughout the Radius. Some are extremely high value. Many areas of the Radius have notes which hint at the locations and contents of various stashes.

Orange Crates - Wooden orange crates with a green light on top of them. These contain a small cache of low to medium value loot. Sometimes you can find a weather monitor or some high quality ammunition or magazines inside them, but typically there is not an extreme amount of items or value present. They are worth checking out and randomly appear in pre-defined locations throughout the radius each tide.
Weapons Crate - A long, grey crate with a green light on top. These contain a good sum of medium to high quality loot. Typically they contain at least one firearm, but if not they will spawn anywhere from 6-8 items, usually magazines or ammunition boxes. Always try to check these. These reset similarly to how orange crates spawn when the tide comes through.

The weight of the gear you carry heavily influences your options for moving and dealing with attackers. It is recommended to keep a close eye on your weight and optimize it where possible; avoid carrying gear that is not needed or required and minimize your weight by eliminating gear that you don't need without compromising your mission. Not every mission will require a handgun, nor will every mission need a primary weapon, so don't always take both.

The overall weight of your gear is shown on top of your bag when removed. Anything currently attached to your character (either in your bag, on your rig, in your drop pouch, or in your hands) counts towards your overall weight. In addition, your watch also has a light showing your current level of encumbrance.
There are five "levels" of being encumbered:
White (<0 kg) - Technically only achievable with mods as your base gear weighs 0.4 kg.
Green (0-15 kg) - Light weight. High movement speed, low stamina consumption when sprinting. Easy to move around between cover and travel long distances quickly.
Yellow (15-30 kg) - Medium weight. Slightly slower movement speed, stamina drains more quickly. It is still possible to move quick and travel distance fairly quickly.
Orange (30-50 kg) - Heavy weight. Significantly slower movement speed to the point where it is difficult to quickly reach cover under fire. Stamina drains faster, slower movement speed makes it difficult to cover distance in a timely manner.
Red (50+ kg) - Over-encumbered. Movement speed is restricted to a glacial crawl. Impossible to travel any significant distance and a sitting duck if under fire. Cannot sprint. If you reach this level of encumbrance you should stash heavy gear somewhere and come back for it later.

There are various types of ammunition that can be found or purchased throughout the Radius. Each typically serves a different purpose and they will be outlined here.

Markings: None
Performance: Standard
Strengths: Generally common and affordable, standard performance
Weaknesses: Smaller calibers lack armor penetrating ability

These are standard cartridges for any given caliber that offer standard performance of that caliber. They are typically unremarkable and are effective against unarmored targets. Depending on the caliber, many rounds may be needed to do appreciable damage to armored targets. Some higher calibers (like 7.62 rifle cartridges) have some inherent armor-penetrating ability due to the size of the cartridge.

Markings: Black stripe, black tip
Performance: -15% damage
Strengths: Greatly enhances armor-piercing capability, even for small calibers, making them much more effective against armored targets
Weaknesses: Less overall damage makes them wasteful against unarmored targets, more expensive than FMJ ammunition

AP cartridges offer much superior armor-penetration ability and almost always allow an on-target shot to penetrate a target's armor and deliver damage. Unfortunately, they come at a slightly reduced overall damage and a decently increased price. This makes AP cartridges uneconomical to use against unarmored targets, since it not only wastes the potential of the AP round but does less overall damage.

AP cartridges are virtually required to progress into Podeba Factory and beyond, since most enemies begin to sport armor in the factory. It is advisable to keep one or two magazines of AP cartridges ready to go in case you unexpectedly spot or make contact with an armored target, but otherwise use FMJ for more routine targets to conserve ammo and funds. It is highly recommended to take AP ammunition or a high-caliber rifle with you if going into or past Podeba Factory.

Markings: Red stripe, red tip
Performance: +100% damage, increased muzzle velocity, increased volume
Strengths: Enhanced armor-piercing ability and greatly enhanced damage, overshadows AP against armored targets due to increased damage
Weaknesses: Available for pistol calibers only, most expensive, less reliable at penetrating armor than AP

+P cartridges have a higher muzzle velocity and deal substantially more damage compared to standard FMJ rounds, but may alert enemies at longer distances. They are not quite as effective as penetrating armor as AP cartridges, but they are still very much capable of reliably penetrating armor on top of delivering substantially more damage. +P Cartridges are typically the most expensive and are usually only available for pistol calibers. This can make them a deadly combination when paired with a pistol-caliber submachine gun like the PPSh-41 or MP5K.

Markings: Yellow stripe, yellow tip
Performance: -30% damage, reduced armor-piercing ability
Strengths: Substantially cheaper than equivalent FMJ rounds
Weaknesses: Available for large rifle calibers only, substantial decrease to damage and AP ability means they should generally be only used for low-threat targets that it is wasteful to use normal FMJ rounds on

Low-quality surplus cartridges for some larger-caliber firearms. CHP cartridges have reduced performance compared to FMJ rounds such as reduced damage and armor penetration, but they are a good deal cheaper to purchase in large amounts than other types of ammo, including standard FMJ rounds.

It can be economical to use surplus rounds to clear low-security areas on the way to higher-security areas, saving your more expensive ammunition for tougher enemies (keeping a magazine aside of lower-quality ammunition for use on fodder enemies is a good idea) without needing to take in another weapon. Otherwise, it is typically desirable to purchase "real" ammunition for your weapons.

Markings: Green stripe, green tip
Performance: -15% damage, reduced muzzle velocity and volume
Strengths: Cheaper than FMJ rounds of the equivalent caliber, somewhat quieter than FMJ, especially with a suppressor
Weaknesses: Substantial reduction in damage and has difficulty penetrating armor, making it hard to use against higher threat enemies

Under-loaded cartridges designed to travel below the speed of sound. Subsonic cartridges deal reduced damage and have reduced muzzle velocity, but generate less noise when fired, especially when using a suppressor.

Suppressors are most effective when paired with subsonic ammunition which can help keep you hidden if you really, really don't want to be heard when dealing with nearby enemies; however, the damage reduction and lack of armor penetration makes justifying its use difficult, as typically you would be restricted to using this on low-threat targets as to not alert high-priority targets. On the other hand, if using AP/+P ammunition, you still have a very good fighting chance against hard targets even if they hear you. Suppressors still help with non-subsonic ammunition, but will work the best with it.

Subsonic ammunition is also generally cheaper than FMJ ammunition, giving it a similar niche to CHP ammunition.

Markings: Red stripe, red shell
Performance: Spread of 9 pellets with individually low armor penetration and damage, but strong when all connect
Strengths: Spread can be desirable to hit fast moving targets, unmatched stopping power for price at close range
Weaknesses: Not viable against most armored targets due to low penetration

Standard buckshot shells for shotguns shoot a tight cone of approximately nine pellets. Each pellet individually has low armor penetration and low damage, but all nine pellets connecting at close to medium range provides stopping power against unarmored targets unmatched by most other calibers for its price.

The spread of buckshot can make it a great option to deal with fast-moving or difficult to hit targets, such as Spawns, and the stopping power generally ensures the target stays in the dirt. Buckshot falters heavily against armor, but multiple shells at close range can sometimes simply overwhelm armored enemies. Many shotguns can be upgraded to either increase or decrease the spread of buckshot shells, depending on your preference. A narrower spread can help buckshot deal with enemies more reliably at longer distances, but an increase can be more forgiving of aiming errors at close range or hit multiple targets more reliably.

Markings: Blue stripe, blue shell
Performance: Reduced overall damage compared to buckshot, but much higher armor penetration
Strengths: Greater armor piercing and accuracy at range
Weaknesses: Requires more attention to aim than buckshot, less overall damage against unarmored targets, more expensive

Slugs fire a single, solid projectile instead of the typical spread of multiple small projectiles. This makes the shotgun more like a rifle and gives it a decent bit of range with a steady pair of hands. The weight and speed of slugs usually allow them to simply crush through armor, giving shotguns an option against some armored targets.

Despite the slug's ability to penetrate armor, it still lacks the flexibility, rate of fire, and range that a rifle with AP ammunition offers. Slugs are [an option] against armor, but still rank fairly low compared to a handgun with AP cartridges. It is recommended to take and use them when the opportunity presents itself, but against very dangerous targets (like armored mimics) slugs are not recommended unless they come in bunches from a SPAS.

Every item in the game has a "condition" bar shown on it when examined. This bar is generally used as an item's health and an item is typically destroyed if its condition is entirely depleted. Condition matters on most items, and items with a lower condition sell for proportionally less compared to a full-condition item.

Some weapons, magazines, or items are more durable than others. This means they can be used proportionally more before they begin to fail or risk being destroyed entirely. It can be beneficial to take more durable though less effective equipment to avoid running into maintenance-related problems in the field.

Weapons and magazines both have condition, which affects how reliable the weapon is when used. The condition of both items is collectively used to determine how often the weapon may misfire or jam, so it is advisable to keep both parts of your weapons (the weapon itself and its magazines, if any) in good condition to avoid misfires and jams.

You will notice the condition bar is also colored. This assesses the relative condition of the item. For weapons, it has special meaning:

Blue - Near top-condition (usually above 80%). These will rarely, if ever, fail. For weapons in this condition, they can be repaired by cleaning the barrel with a cleaning rod and paper tissue. Magazines can only be repaired with a brush and cleaning oil.
Yellow - Worn or degraded condition (usually from 50-80%). Weapons and magazines in this condition start to see significant chances of misfiring or jamming. It is recommended to repair weapons and magazines in this condition to avoid permanently damaging them by degrading them past yellow condition. Weapons and magazines in this condition must be repaired with a brush and oil.
Red - Significantly damaged or malfunctioning condition (below 50%). Weapons and magazines in this condition and lower have a very frequent chance of misfiring or jamming and must frequently be cleared to continue operating. Unless you have no other option or the situation is significantly low-risk, it is not recommended to try and use weapons and magazines in this condition. Weapons and magazines in this condition can only be repaired by the repair booth at base.

As far as I have found, there's only two types of malfunctions right now in the game:

Pull trigger, no bang
This is commonly called a misfire or failure to fire. Even though the weapon is loaded and trigger pulled and hammer comes down, no bullet comes out. On most semi-automatic firearms like pistols and rifles, rack the bolt or slide again to cycle a new round and reset the trigger. This should allow you to fire. If this still doesn't fix it, make sure the safety isn't enabled and make sure you have a loaded magazine inserted.

For double-barrel shotguns, you can press the B button to manually recock the shotgun's triggers without opening the breech. After recocking, pressing the trigger will attempt to fire again. Opening/closing the shotgun's breech also works to recock.

Jams, Double-feeds, Stovepipes
This happens on a semi-automatic weapon when the round in the chamber fires, but the next round fails to cycle into the chamber. This is usually seen by the slide or bolt being half opened and a cartridge jammed in the receiver. To diagnose this, simply rack the slide or bolt again to manually cycle the action and remove the offending cartridge. If there's still ammunition in the weapon, it should be ready to fire again.

Each weapon has a general bar of statistics attached to it when examined which gives you a general idea of where its strengths and weaknesses lie, as well as inherent statistics like its caliber. I'll try to explain them all here.

Generally speaking, this is how much damage is inflicted to the target when a fired projectile from this weapon connects with its target, assuming there is no armor. Damage is generally directly tied to a weapon's caliber, however certain weapons manage to squeeze some extra damage out of a cartridge compared to a different weapon of the same caliber.

Damage is also heavily influenced by enemy armor and what type of ammunition you are using. When a firearm is loaded with a round in the chamber, the weapon's stats will change to reflect how the currently loaded round affects its stats. For example, loading a Surplus CHP round or an AP round will show a damage reduction on the weapon's stat panel, while +P will show an increase.

Keep in mind that enemy armor has a good chance to completely negate damage from a weapon (this is indicated by sparks and a ricochet sound when the round impacts an armored target). Utilizing AP or +P ammunition, or higher caliber firearms, can help your weapon penetrate armor more reliably. A bullet's tendency to pierce armor can be found by examining a bullet of that caliber.

Accuracy determines how far a projectile fired from this weapon deviates from its point of aim. Whenever you point and shoot at weapon at a target, the gun will ever so slightly deviate the bullet fired a slight angle away from what you fired at. This makes less-accurate weapons like pistols and sub machineguns less viable to use at a distance since this deviation causes them to miss smaller targets frequently.

Weapons that are highly accurate (such as sniper rifles) typically deviate very little from where aimed and can reliably hit whatever you are aiming at if your shot is true.

Recoil determines how much your weapon's point of aim is offset immediately after firing. Weapons with high recoil are harder to control and keep on target when firing quickly or in bursts, making them more difficult to accurately keep rounds on target quickly. Vice versa, weapons with low recoil are generally easy to maintain on your target, even with distance and in short bursts.

Many factors play into recoil such as caliber, weight, and upgrades. Lower caliber weapons that weigh more (such as pistol caliber submachine guns like the MP5K) are very controllable and can easily keep many rounds on target, whereas light weapons with heavier cartridges (PPSH-Short) quickly spray rounds off target if fired outside short bursts.

Fire rate dictates how quickly this weapon can fire uninterrupted. This typically is only relevant to automatic weapons. Weapons that fire faster can put more lead downrange in an emergency, but this can be wasteful and can also be hard to manage recoil-wise. It can sometimes be wise to opt for weapons with lower rates of fire which makes them still fast, but more controllable.

Reliability determines how resistant a weapon is to malfunction when worn or damaged, as well as its total durability. A weapon with high reliability can be used for longer without suffering as much wear and malfunctions as a weapon of lower reliability. Typically speaking, many AK-pattern rifles are known for high reliability and tolerance to faults, whereas more specialized weapons like the FN-17 have a lower reliability and quickly become faulty if not maintained.

I've listed a lot of "weapon features" on weapons to describe some built-in features of some types of weapons. This is a list of most of them for easy reference:

Manual Safety - Weapon has a safety that can be engaged or disengaged by switching firemodes. If you pull the trigger but don't hear a click, your safety is probably on. (Note: Every single AK-pattern weapon including the AKM, AK-74/M/u, Tiger Rifle, AS Val, VSS Vintorez, OC-14 Groza, and Sagia, has a safety which physically blocks the chamber from opening fully. If you try to cycle the chamber while the weapon is on safe, you won't cycle a round into the chamber)
Semi-auto fire - For weapons with multiple firing modes, this is the mode of fire that fires one shot per trigger pull.
Burst fire - This is a mode of fire that fires a set number of shots per trigger pull automatically, usually three.
Full-auto fire - This is a mode of fire that continues firing the weapon while the trigger is held.
Side Saddle - This weapon has a saddle on the receiver or buttstock that holds up to 6 extra rounds of ammunition for the weapon. These are present on any weapon that is loaded by individual rounds (shotguns and the Mosin Nagant).
Manual Recocker - For double-barrel shotguns, this weapon can have its trigger reset by pressing the B button to attempt to fire again in case of a misfire.
Progressive Trigger - A special trigger which fires a single round on a half trigger pull, but will fire in full-auto mode when the trigger is fully depressed.
Folding Stock - The stock of this weapon can be folded to the side to reduce the weapon's overall length.
Collapsable Stock - The stock of this weapon can be collapsed to reduce the weapon's overall length.
Built-In GP-25 - This weapon has a built-in grenade launcher suitable for VOG-25 grenades.
Paddle Magazine Release - Most AK-series weapons have a paddle magazine release which allows you to grab magazines out of them directly instead of needing to eject them with a button press first. This feature also allows you to eject a magazine from the weapon by hitting it with another compatible magazine in your other hand. This allows you to quickly select a magazine, remove the current one, and quickly insert the new one in one motion.

The 9x18mm cartridge is a soviet pistol cartridge widely used in the latter half of the 20th century in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc countries. It is similar to the 9x19mm cartridge used in NATO countries, though slightly weaker.

Low cost but low damage. Weapons using it tend to have high magazine capacities and low recoil. It serves well in early game against weak enemies, but even AP/+P ammunition has difficulty against harder targets unless deployed en-masse.

Ammunition variants: FMJ, AP, +P, Subsonic

Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Feed: 8-round magazines
Features: Manual safety
Strengths: Extremely cheap, extremely reliable, low recoil, easy to maintain, ubiquitous, lightweight
Weaknesses: Low damage, small magazine size requires frequent reloading, only useful against the least dangerous fodder enemies

A soviet pistol which replaced the Nagant M1895 Revolver and the Tokarev T-33. Noted for its incredible simplicity, light weight, excellent reliability, and being composed of approximately 27 parts in total (whereas modern pistols usually have twice as many or more), making it dirt cheap to manufacture by the thousands.

Your starter pistol that you will get to know and love well. You will also learn to know its weak points well. It is very serviceable within the starting area and is generally useful to deal with Spawns, Fragments, and the occasional unarmored Mimic Policeman. Its shortcomings quickly become apparent when dealing with multiple enemies in a short timeframe, or with more difficult targets that require more rounds on target to kill.

Despite its shortcomings it is still very lightweight and logistically low-profile which makes it suitable to come back to occasionally for some lower-security area runs until you find a better 9x18 handgun to replace it.

(Scavenger Mod) The Underdog - A special version of the Makarov with slightly increased accuracy and +50% damage. This makes it viable and efficient for its caliber if still lacking in magazine capacity. Found in the first area, Perovmany.

Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Feed: 18-round magazines
Strengths: Low recoil, generally cheap ammunition, high magazine capacity
Weaknesses: Low damage, struggles against harder targets

A more modern approach on the aging Makarov PM handgun which ultimately replaced it in the 1990's (though in reality, it is chambered for 9x19mm). The Gsh-18 comes to the table with a more than doubled magazine capacity compared to the Makarov which addresses at least one major issue with your starter handgun. Still, the caliber of this weapon leaves a lot of damage to be desired against harder targets. The full magazine can be used to nail harder targets into submission, but this could be wasteful depending on how much ammo you have to spare.

This is still a very serviceable upgrade to the PM and can generally replace it as a low-security or low-threat-enemy handgun, with a minimal increase in overall weight. +P or AP ammunition can make it a viable weapon against armor in a pinch.

Type: Select-fire pistol
Feed: 27-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-automatic fire, full-automatic fire
Strengths: Extremely high magazine capacity, extremely high rate of fire, generally cheap ammunition
Weaknesses: Full-auto difficult to control outside close range, can be wasteful, requires semi-frequent maintenance, held back by low damage inherent to its caliber

Developed to replace the Stechkin APS for several special police units within Russia, this pistol sought many goals: namely to make the weapon less complex to manufacture and easier to control than its predecessor.

A machine pistol that can be fired in full-auto mode, boasting a massive magazine capacity. This makes it a monster for dealing with enemies inside buildings and at close range, but tends to falter at longer ranges or in sustained engagements. It can be tempting to let off fat bursts of 9x18, but this can quickly chew into your ammunition reserves or force you to reload at an inopportune moment.

It makes for a good trap card or backup close-quarters weapon that fits in your pistol slot if you decide to bring a long-range weapon for your primary, but it does tend to wear out rather quickly due to its internals and the volume of rounds that tend to be put through it. Despite this, if you can restrain yourself from the full-auto firing mode, it is a dependable backup pistol with very manageable recoil.

Type: Closed-bolt Submachine gun
Feed: 20/30-round magazines
Features: Folding wireframe stock, manual safety, semi-automatic fire, full-automatic fire
Strengths: High magazine capacity, good rate of fire, generally cheap ammunition, stable platform to sling 9x18 from
Weaknesses: Low damage inherent to its caliber, requires a primary weapon slot, can conflict with a pistol of the same caliber, stock/sights are awkward to aim through

This weapon shared many design principals of stamped sheet metal SMGs of its time, namely: be dirt cheap, be easy to produce, have a high magazine capacity, and egronomics below all else. This type of thinking resulted in many "boxes with magazines attached to them", such as the infamous MAC-10/11, Sa vz. 25, MAT-49, and a thousand UZI variations.

A sub-machine gun with decent rate of fire and passable accuracy, as well as good magazine capacity. This is the most stable platform to be slinging large volumes of 9x18 from, however the weak caliber will struggle against most harder targets. This makes the weapon a difficult choice to take into the Radius, as a lightweight pistol of the same caliber can typically get the same results against most targets you'll use 9x18 on as this weapon which is heavier and requires a primary weapon slot.

The Kedr can win out in overall volume of fire where required, but logistically it is a very difficult choice to justify lugging around as your primary weapon and will require a lot of ammunition to keep your targets down compared to most other intermediate calibers. The folding stock also tends to obstruct your view if you do not properly tilt your head to acquire the weapon's sights.

The most popular pistol cartridge in the world, used in a wide variety of firearms and the standard caliber of NATO countries, many non-NATO countries, and of many law enforcement and paramilitary organizations.

A slight upgrade to the 9x18mm round, the 9x19 offers a bit better ballistics but otherwise mostly shares the same characteristics. More modern handguns are available with the use of 9x19 which gives it a much greater edge over the aging soviet handguns employing 9x18.

Ammunition variants: FMJ, AP, +P, Subsonic

Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Feed: 15-round magazines
Features: Manual safety
Strengths: Good magazine capacity and passable damage and accuracy make it a reliable sidearm
Weaknesses: Not the lightest, caliber still leaves some damage and armor penetration to be desired

The Beretta 92FS manufactured in Italy, most well known for being adopted by the US Army as the M9A1 as a standard-issue pistol.

A generally versatile pistol that is pretty easy to maintain and keep on target, though it weights a bit more than some other options. The low recoil, high magazine capacity, and general ease of operation make this a very good choice for most encounters, even into the later parts of the game.

Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Feed: 17-round magazines
Strengths: High damage for a 9x19mm firearm, good magazine capacity, low recoil
Weaknesses: Less accurate than most other pistols

The Austrian Glock 17. These well-designed bricks are used by law enforcement agencies around the world.

It boasts slightly higher damage and magazine capacity compared to the M9, however it has noticeably worse accuracy and overall durability. This makes it much more suitable for close encounters (where pistols tend to shine), however it loses utility when trying to hit targets from medium range and during prolonged engagements without service.

Variation - Glock 18c - This is a Glock 17 but with a fire selector for fully-automatic fire attached to the side of it. This allows the G18c to empty an entire magazine in an instant, but the recoil is uncontrollable to say the least. This can make it useful in an emergency but otherwise, it is virtually the same as the G17.

Type: Closed-bolt, delayed roller-blowback submachine gun
Feed: 30-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, Semi-automatic, three-round burst, and fully-automatic firing modes, collapsable stock
Strengths: Versatile in both close and medium-range engagements, high magazine capacity, decent damage and rate of fire where needed, small and manuverable for indoors
Weaknesses: High maintenance, pistol caliber cartridge is still weaker than most rifle calibers, struggles outside medium and close range

A legendary German-manufactured sub-machine gun originally developed in the 1960's and is still one of the most widely used SMGs in the world with over 100 variants and clones. If you were a SWAT or Special Forces team in the 90's, you had MP5's. There was just no question about it.

The MP5-Kurz ("kurz" meaning "short" in German) is a cut-down version of a full MP5, making it even more compact than it normally is. This makes it highly maneuverable in tight spaces, especially since the stock can be collapsed. High magazine capacity and the option of multiple firing modes allow this weapon to pick targets off at a bit of a distance or clear rooms with a high volume of fire. This makes it a great weapon to take alongside a non-9x19 pistol, or by itself if you don't anticipate the need of a pistol.

This weapon still falters due to its inherent caliber; 9x19 is still a pistol caliber and can struggle against armor and may struggle to deal appreciable damage to harder targets without multiple hits; though usually you can overwhelm those targets with a good burst. Loading AP ammunition or +P ammunition can also even the playing field. This weapon is also fairly high maintenance and will likely require some service in the field if used for an extended period of time.

Type: Closed-bolt, straight-blowback machine pistol
Feed: 20-round magazines
Features: Manual Safety, Semi-automatic, Fully-automatic (or burst fire, with upgrade), folding stock
Strengths: Lightweight alternative to the MP5K, smaller, more manuverable, and low firerate makes it somewhat controllable
Weaknesses: Smaller magazine size compared to MP5K, has a harder time outside close range

An unusual oddity of a Russian machine pistol, developed somewhat alongside the ideals of programs that produced the FN P90 and the H&K MP7, citing the need for a portable, lightweight automatic weapon with a small cartridge that could pierce low level body armor. While the former two weapons developed specialized armor-piercing cartridges (FN's 5.7x28mm and H&K's 4.6x30mm), the Russians simply decided to jam as much powder as possible in a 9x19mm cartridge to produce 7N21 +P 9x19mm ammunition and called it armor-piercing.

Everything about this gun is a bit odd. The charging handle is near the barrel and it has a very small profile overall. It is about half a kg lighter than the MP5K which can make it a useful alternative if you'd like to save some weight but still take a 9x19mm SMG. It lacks some full versatility and staying power of the MP5K, but the PP-2000 is still serviceable so as long as you have an extra spare magazine or two.

A soviet pistol cartridge developed prior to the adoption of the 9x18mm cartridge. This round is notable for being "necked" (the casing becomes more narrow towards the front) and having relatively high penetration for a pistol round.

The 7.62x25mm round has decent penetration even without utilizing AP/+P ammunition. This makes it possible to engage armored targets with FMJ rounds without being overly-wasteful for the most part, though heavier ammunition is recommended against more dangerous enemies.

Ammunition variants: FMJ, AP, +P

Type: Semi-automatic pistol
Feed: 8-round magazines
Strengths: Very high muzzle velocity for a pistol, decent damage for its size, logistically low profile
Weaknesses: Small magazine size, outclassed by other specialized pistols for damage

The infamous pistol of the Red Army. The Tokarev is very serviceable when you are running low on 9x18 for your PM and have been saving stacks of 7.62x25. The pistol is decently accurate and requires minimal lead due to very high muzzle velocity which makes it surprisingly good at engaging targets from a medium distance with a steady hand. AP or +P ammunition can also put the pain on armored targets which makes this a versatile sidearm in most areas of the zone.

Unfortunately its major limiting factor is its magazine size. This makes it challenging to use against multiple targets or in tight spaces where followup shots are urgently needed. It is usually best to fill this gap with a primary weapon capable of doing so. Otherwise, the Tokarev makes for a great early game gun to become familiar with, as well as a serviceable firearm if taken care of into the later game.

Scavenger Mod - The Slinger - A variation of the Tokarev with near-pinpoint accuracy, slightly increased recoil, and extremely high muzzle velocity. This makes it essentially a handheld sniper if you can manage to aim it. Found in the second area, Boktoly.


Type: Open-bolt submachine gun
Feed: 35-round magazines, 71-round drum magazines
Features: Semi-auto fire, full-auto fire
Strengths: Spray streams of 7.62x25 at high rate of fire and with extremely high magazine capacity, controllable with short bursts or single shots out to mid range
Weaknesses: Somewhat heavy, caliber can lack stopping power against heavier targets without specialized ammunition, packing a lot of ammo can be hefty

A Russian made open-bolt sub-machine gun which gained reputation during WW II. The full PPSh is a fairly dependable system that uses the relatively cheap and common 7.62x25mm pistol round, however it can be easy to be wasteful and the weapon can be expensive to feed outside of semi-automatic fire. With higher grade ammunition and drum magazines, the PPSh can fare well against more dangerous armored enemies thanks to its fire rate and the general snappiness of 7.62x25.

Combined with the weight of the ammo, weapon, and magazines though, the amount of bulk from this weapon quickly starts to add up when stacked next to your other equipment (fully-loaded drum magazines weigh almost 3 kg alone). It does make for a very nice early and mid-area room-clearer that doesn't have to pause to reload often, but it falters when taken outside the areas it excels in.

Variant - PPsh-41 Short - A heavily cut-down version of the PPSh making the barrel and stock the minimum length required to make the weapon usable. This increases its manuverability indoors and significantly reduces overall weight, but makes the gun practically unusable outside of short range. This is a difficult choice to take very far into the Radius as it leaves a lot of stopping power at range to be desired. Can be passable if taken as a backup weapon for room clearing.

A powerful pistol cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson which was based upon the .38 Special cartridge. .357 Magnum's introduction in 1935 was the herald of the "Magnum Era" of pistol cartridges.

A high-powered pistol cartridge that is most often found used in revolvers due to the relative pressures and energies involved in firing the cartridge. It is extremely powerful for a handgun cartridge and is typically able to put up a fight against armor and tougher enemies simply using FMJ ammunition.

Ammunition variants: FMJ, CHP (Surplus)

Type: Gas-operated semi-automatic pistol
Feed: 9-round magazines
Features: Built-in Rail B (top), built-in Rail S (bottom), manual safety
Strengths: Immense stopping power for a handgun without using +P ammo, great for close and mid range against heavier targets
Weaknesses: Low magazine capacity, extremely high maintenance, somewhat inaccurate at range, and heavy

A massive, impractical pistol which is only widely known for elevating itself into meme and pop-culture status due to chambering the .50 Action Express cartridge, the "largest centerfire cartridge of any magazine-fed self-loading pistol". The .50 AE cartridge is so large that the Desert Eagle uses a recoil system used in rifles to cycle itself. This weapon has and continues to appear in movies, TV shows, and even the video game you are PLAYING RIGHT NOW.

Sadly, this version in game is chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge which defeats the meme status of the pistol. Still, this is a dependable weapon which has no trouble putting enemies into the dirt and is capable of punching through armor on its own for the most part. The weapon itself is rather high maintenance and will need some tending to if you plan on putting a lot of rounds through it, so just be ready for that.

Type: Single-Action/Double-Action (SA/DA) Revolver
Feed: Six-round cylinder
Features: Break-open frame
Strengths: Great stopping power in a relatively small package, pulling the trigger again fixes most malfunctions, easy to keep topped up during low-intensity engagements
Weaknesses: Limited magazine size and clumsy reload make it difficult to use in a protracted engagement

A revolver that was supposedly designed to be exported from Russia to the United States prior to strict weapon import bans sanctioned by both countries, the MP-412 REX is the Revolver for Export. Unlike vast majority of revolvers which feature a swing-out cylinder, the MP-412 REX was notable for having a break-open frame which is an atypical design for most revolvers. This weapon never entered production and as such only prototypes were produced. Much like the Desert Eagle, the weapon was featured in several video games (most notably Battlefield Bad Company 2) which significantly increased its notoriety.

After the developers said they wouldn't add revolvers it looks like they added a revolver. That's pretty cool. The revolver, being an entire different class of weapon, operates a lot differently from the other firearms in the game. Breaking the weapon open will eject any spent cartridges in the cylinder currently, and the weapon must be reloaded round-by-round, either fed from an appropriate ammo box or by individual cartridges.This makes it rather difficult to load quickly, though unlike most other firearms reloading can be interrupted at any point if needed. It also makes it quite simple to pop the cylinder open and add one or two rounds to it whenever you fire them, making it a good "isolated enemy" gun since it is easy to keep loaded without too many steps.

The cylinder will also spin if you brush it with your off-hand just right, and you can advance the cylinder while the weapon is closed and ready to fire. You can also use the "B" button (on the index) to raise/lower the hammer on the weapon, which also advances the cylinder if needed. This could be important if the weapon lands on an empty chamber, for example, as it won't fire when the trigger is pulled in the case until it gets to loaded chambers. Naturally, if you know the weapon has some ammo in it, you can just keep pulling the trigger until it fires, which is very useful in an emergency.

Notably, on the Index, half-pulling the trigger simulates the weapon's double-action where the hammer begins to raise as the trigger is pulled. Putting the weapon in single-action mode doesn't seem to reduce the distance the trigger needs to be pulled (though that would be pretty cool).

Overall, the weapon is a great crutch to fall back on if needed, but only for one or two targets before it needs a lengthy reload. It makes it powerful when it is locked and loaded, but during an extended engagement or when it is your only weapon it can be clumsy and difficult to make ready to fire.

12 Gauge shells are by far the most popular shotgun caliber in the world today. While historic shells utilized brass or paper and black powder, modern shells utilize a highly engineered mix of a plastic casing, the shot, a wad or shot cup to keep the shot uniformly grouped on firing, and the brass and powder to propel the shot. Shotgun shells are notable for being loadable with just about anything you can fit inside a shotgun shell.

Shotguns boast high stopping power at close range and decent utility out to mid range. Nothing can beat a shotgun at close range for pure stopping power compared to its price. These are a great low-security area tool to clear out less dangerous enemies at close range and kill them nearly instantly, however shotguns naturally falter at range or against most armored targets.

Ammunition Variants: Buckshot, Slug (AP)

Type: Double-barrel Shotgun
Feed: Breech-loaded, one shell for each barrel, maximum 2 shells
Features: Manual recocker for misfires, six-shell side saddle for additional shells
Strengths: Accessable early-game, high close-range stopping power, easy to handle, simple to clear misfires
Weaknesses: Small magazine capacity limits usefulness against multiple targets, falters at range, typically heavy for its usefulness

For berevity's sake, I will be covering all of the double barrel shotgun variants here. They are great for blasting low-security and low-threat enemies apart early in the game or in low-security areas due to being able to quickly dispense two shells in the general direction of any threat with a high degree of success. In the unlikely event of a misfire, you can just press the B button to recock the chamber, or open/close the chambers again. It does however prove unsustainable outside close range and is not a great choice against targets that can shoot back from a distance.

Slugs do offer an option against more armored or distant targets, but overall your are still very limited. It is a great tool early game for conserving other types of ammunition and quickly dealing with close-range targets, but its usefulness falters off entering the factory areas.

Variation - Izh-27 Side-by-Side: A double barrel shotgun with a side-by-side barrel configuration instead of the usual over-under configuration. These are only available from loot crates. The SxS configuration is generally inferior for accuracy to the over-under configuration, but I do find it easier to load.
Variation - Izh-27 Side-by-Side Sawn-Off: The side-by-side variation, but with the barrel and stock cut down to the shortest usable length possible. This significantly cuts the weapon's overall weight (by 1 kg) and makes it much more manuverable indoors, enhancing its ability to clear tight rooms but reducing its ability to deal with things at range. Make for a great trap card when clearing rooms early on.
Variation - Izh-27 Sawn-Off: The normal over-under configuration, but sawn down like the above variant. It has all of the benefits of the above variant without placing the barrels at an akward angle for shots outside of point blank range.

Scavenger Mod - The Boomstick - A variation of the Izh-27 Sawn-off with +20% recoil but +100% damage. This makes it both portable and extremely deadly, sometimes even against armor. Found in the third area, the Factory.

Type: Pump-action shotgun
Feed: Tube-fed, 4 shell capacity (+1 chambered, 8+1 if upgraded)
Features: Six-shell side saddle
Strengths: Great and consistent stopping power at short-to-medium range, good magazine capacity, flexible between slugs and buckshot with practice if needed
Weaknesses: Somewhat bulky indoors, manual action is slow, reloading is shell-by-shell

A familiar and mass-produced pump-action shotgun which eventually ceased production and was converted into the MP-133 shotgun.

The Izh-81 is fairly reliable and versatile against most targets in most areas of the game. The manual action makes it difficult to waste ammunition, the weapon is accurate to practical distances (especially upgraded), and with practice an experienced user can quickly drop a slug in the chamber for anti-armor on short notice.

The drawback is a general lack of range that most shotguns share outside of medium range and the manual pump action. If unfamiliar with the pump action, it can be easy to fumble this weapon under pressure or short-stroke the action, which stops the gun from chambering. Even if you are familiar and comfortable with its operation, it will always be slower than something semi-automatic or fully-automatic, so the first one or two shells had better kill whatever you're shooting at.

Type: Semi-automatic gas-operated shotgun
Feed: Tube-fed, 8 shell capacity (+1 chambered, 12+1 if upgraded)
Features: Six-shell side saddle
Strengths: Massive up front damage potential and can quickly dispense its entire magazine until whatever its pointed at stops moving, flexible between slugs and buckshot if needed
Weaknesses: Much easier to chew through shells, somewhat bulky, reloading is shell-by-shell

Also known as "that shotgun that was in Jurassic Park". The SPAS-12 is an oddity which was developed in Italy in the late 1970's for military and police as a combat shotgun. Interestingly enough, the SPAS was designed with a pump-action mode of operation which could be used to fire less-lethal and low-pressure shells, but very few games replicate this. Also, the folding stock had a hook on the end of it which was apparently to be used to brace the shotgun under the user's arm to be fired one-handed from a vehicle in true police fashion.

Essentially a direct upgrade to the Izh-81, the SPAS-12 comes with a semi-automatic firing mode by default which allows you to quickly dispense up to 8 shells. This comes with the drawback of making it easy to overzealously empty your magazine and require a lengthy reload, as you still have to load each shell manually. Still, it is a close quarters monster and is nearly unmatched for clearing out narrow spaces.

Type: Semi-automatic gas-operated shotgun
Feed: 5/10-round magazines
Features: Folding stock, manual safety, paddle magazine release
Strengths: Unmatched up-front damage potential, magazine based feed makes reloading quick if spare magazines are on hand
Weaknesses: Magazine capacity is still rather small which can lead to ammo being chewed through quickly, magazines now must be carried unlike with other shotguns that only require the shells, no bolt hold

A semi-automatic shotgun designed upon the AK-platform. Essentially, the Russians decided to upscale the AK series' gas system, magazines, and chamber to accept shotgun shells and this is the result.

The end-all of shotguns. You can dump 11 shells on target, switch the magazine, then dump 10 more. The Sagia cannot be beaten for up front damage potential, but it does come with a few drawbacks:

The Sagia lacks some ability to deal with armor at medium range, even with slugs, as it is not particularly accurate. I have also found the Sagia lacks a bolt-hold when firing its last shell; which means it can be awkward and difficult under fire to load a new magazine and rack the bolt yourself, compared to most other weapons where you can merely insert the magazine and release the bolt with B. The workaround to this is carefully counting how many times you shoot and reloading before you fire the last round before empty.

Keeping track of magazines is also another downside the Sagia brings with it as they can be easy to lose in combat (in addition to 10-shell magazines only being obtainable by chance in the radius, they are practically not replaceable).

The 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge was developed in the 1970's to eventually replace 7.62x51mm NATO's role in the US Military as its frontline infantry cartridge. Soldiers in Veitnam reported that the 7.62 NATO cartridge used in the M14 was too heavy and had too much recoil in full-auto to be controllable. This pushed most nations at the time to develop lighter-weight, intermediate cartridges to allow soldiers to carry more ammunition for the same weight while maintaining most of the lethality of the larger round. This pattern was also observed in Warsaw-Pact countries who replaced the aging 7.62x39mm cartridge with the smaller 5.45x39mm cartridge around the same timeframe.

The standard rifle cartridge of most of the free world. It is a good middle ground between a full sized rifle cartridge and pistol cartridges and performs decently both at close range and at a distance.

Ammunition Variants: FMJ, AP, Subsonic

Type: Gas-operated select-fire bullpup assault rifle
Feed: 30-round magazines (affectionately referred to as "waffle magazines" due to the grip texture)
Features: Manual safety, progressive trigger, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire (or burst fire with upgrade)
Strengths: Good damage, egronomics, durability, and control over recoil, effective at most ranges, bullpup layout reduces overall weapon length without sacrificing accuracy, making it manuverable indoors
Weaknesses: Select fire lacks a dedicated semi-auto firing mode, bullpup layout can be awkward to reload if unfamiliar with it

The Steyr AUG, developed in Austria. It is an effective platform to sling 5.56 NATO from and is generally a strong all-around rifle, however it lacks a dedicated semi-automatic fire mode. The progressive trigger allows a half-trigger pull to fire a single shot while the full pull engages fully-automatic fire, but if unfamiliar with this trigger layout it may lead to accidental sprays of full-auto fire. This can be unwanted if you are familiar with other semi-automatic firearms and want to precisely drop a number of rounds with full trigger pulls, so it tends to make the AUG spray by accident.

This weapon is noted to be quite durable compared to the M4A1 and requires less maintaining to keep running.

Type: Gas-operated select-fire assault carbine
Feed: 30-round STANAG magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire
Strengths: Strong all around, good damage and control over recoil, effective at most ranges
Weaknesses: Almost full-sized rifle so somewhat difficult to move around indoors, not exceptionally accurate at long distance

The standard-issue rifle of various branches of the United States Military. The M4A1 was the first iteration of a cut-down version of the M16A2 assault rifle, citing the need to have a lighter, shorter, and more manuverable version of the rifle with a fully-automatic firing mode. The M4A1 is quite servicable in almost all roles and supports a great number of attachments out of the box to further adapt its use to the mission at hand.

This rifle is noted for having a rather high maintenance profile compared to the AUG and may more frequently require cleaning. This can be a hassle if using the weapon heavily for several magazines. Otherwise, it is a dependable layout, easy to operate, with many attachment points right out of the box. The only issues you may run into with this weapon are finding enough 5.56 to feed it with, as it is really serviceable in just about any role.

A heavy cartridge first developed in the 1950s closely related to the .308 Winchester cartridge. 7.62 NATO has good ballistics and is usually employed in battle rifles, designated marksman's rifles, and medium machineguns due to its ballistics and stopping power. Eventually it was replaced in the 1970s by 5.56x45mm NATO for most infantry weapons, citing 7.62 NATO had extreme recoil when used in full-auto firing modes and weighed too much. Despite this, 7.62 NATO still remains in service today in a wide variety of firearms.

7.62 NATO weapons all share good damage and range. Due to the size of the cartridge, even FMJ rounds are viable to penetrate enemy armor. Overall these weapons make great primary weapons to take into later areas of the Radius, however they all weigh significantly more than most loadouts with smaller cartridges.

Ammunition Variants: FMJ, CHP (Surplus), Subsonic

Type: Gas-operated battle rifle
Feed: 20-round magazines
Features: Manual Safety
Strengths: High stopping power, accuracy, and magazine size make it a good marksman's rifle for most areas, can work at close range in a pinch
Weaknesses: Heavy, ammunition heavier than smaller cartridges, awkward indoors, high recoil if fired quickly

The legendary M14 battle rifle which saw extensive use in Vietnam among other conflicts before the introduction of the M16A1. Powerful and accurate, it can easily reach out and hit most targets at good distances while still remaining flexible at medium and close range due to a high magazine capacity and semi-automatic firing.

The default crown-and-leaf sight can be somewhat difficult to aim through as the aperture is very small, making it difficult to see sometimes, though this can be addressed by replacing the base sight with a Rail B mount and mounting an optic of your choice. A 4x sight or a holographic sight are both good choices for this weapon.

Despite its strengths, the weapon and combined ammo is very heavy. You may have to consider reducing the amount of ammunition you are carrying or adjust other portions of your loadout to maintain a comfortable weight.

Type: Gas-operated battle rifle
Feed: 20-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-automatic firing, fully-automatic firing
Strengths: High stopping power and decent magazine size, full auto can be used in a tight spot at close range
Weaknesses: Heavy, base sight is awkward to aim through, high recoil in full auto, not as accurate as other 7.62 rifles

The FN FAL, produced by FN Hestral in Belgium and known to the British Army as the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, or L1A1 SLR. Designed in the early 1950's it has seen service in a wide number of countries and is still in use today. It shares many similarities of 7.62 NATO battle rifles of having high stopping power, good armor penetration, decent range, and sports a full-auto firing mode if needed.

While quite effective against almost all targets, it is less accurate and hard to keep on target while firing in full-auto compared to other semi-automatic battle rifles in this class. It is also quite heavy compared to most other loadouts due to the weight of the rifle and ammunition. I also find the base sight is too close to the rear of the rifle which makes it very difficult to naturally aim with the weapon's iron sights, making me much prefer the M14 for its accuracy and control. Still, the FAL is much easier to use in close quarters where volume of fire is usually required over accuracy.

Type: Gas-operated battle rifle
Feed: 20-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-automatic firing, fully-automatic firing, folding stock
Strengths: High stopping power and decent magazine size, full auto can be used in a tight spot at close range, pre-equipped with various rails for attachments
Weaknesses: Very expensive and high maintenance, hard to control in full auto, heavy

The SCAR-Heavy (or just SCAR-H) rifle, also manufactured by FN Hestral in Belgium. Designed and produced in 2004 to satisfy various needs of various US Special Forces groups, a SCAR-Light (SCAR-L) variant which was to fire 5.56 NATO was also developed but later scrapped.

The FN-17 shares many similarities with the FN FAL in a more modernized package. The availability of rails for mounting attachments by default increase the weapon's flexibility without needing to invest in upgrades, and a folding stock can help with portability in close quarters. Unfortunately the weapon is quite demanding on maintenance and will need regular cleaning to keep it operating at top condition.

Type: Integrally suppressed bolt-action rifle
Feed: 10-round magaines
Features: Manual safety, folding stock, integrated suppressor
Strengths: Intergral suppressor never degrades, high accuracy and damage at range
Weaknesses: Slow bolt-action makes it hard to use at closer ranges, very heavy

An oddity of a rifle which is Russian-made but chambered in 7.62 NATO. Designed as an integrally suppressed sniper rifle and does exactly that, it does not require you to run suppressors through the train's repair booth each time you bring them in. The caliber affords very high stopping power and range, while the action of the weapon ensures it is extremely accurate.

The biggest downsides of this rifle is that it falters heavily outside its very specialized role; it is extremely heavy compared to other weapons and like most bolt-action weapons is difficult to at close range or in close quarters effectively. A strong pistol or another weapon is recommended alongside this one, however a secondary weapon is even more weight to consider.

The 5.45x39mm cartridge is effectively the Warsaw-Pact equivalent of NATO's 5.56x45mm cartridge. Both were developed in the 1970's as a measure to increase the number of cartridges a soldier could carry for the same weight as current, heavier, and larger caliber cartridges. 5.45x39mm was developed to replace the aging 7.62x39mm cartridge then-used in the AKM assault rifle.

A comparatively lighter weight but also lighter-hitting round compared to 7.62x39mm. While being smaller, it still has good ballistics and control which make it suitable as a somewhat all-purpose cartridge that can perform well at most ranges. Compared to 7.62x39mm, it has less stopping power and armor piercing ability, but weighs less per round as is more controllable in terms of recoil.

Ammunition Variants: FMJ, AP, Subsonic

Type: Gas-operated select-fire assault rifle
Feed: 30-round bakelite magazines (or 30-round plastic AK-74M magazines, which are slightly lighter and more durable)
Features: Manual safety, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire, paddle magazine release, GP-25 mount
Strengths: Effective at most ranges, great magazine capacity, rate of fire, and flexibility with attachments
Weaknesses: Fairly heavy, especially with a lot of ammo, can't as reliably reach out and whack things that 7.62x39mm can, somewhat awkward to manuver indoors

One of the rifles of the Soviet Army which replaced the aging AKM (of which the AKM replaced the AK-47). This rifle is a good all-around weapon if it can be sustained with ammo, and has good options for attachments to adjust it to the mission. It has enough space underneath the barrel to mount a GP-25 grenade launcher, increasing its flexibility against various types of targets. The paddle magazine release allows you to simply grab magazines from the weapon to remove them, instead of needing to use the B button to drop it first.

Its only downside is its rifle-length form makes it somewhat difficult to use indoors and in close quarters, so a strong pistol for room clearing may be desirable. It also weighs a good deal (just over 3 kg unloaded) by itself, not counting magazines, attachments, and a decent load of ammunition, plus your other gear. This rifle can be overkill in most lower security areas before Podeba Factory.

Variant - AK-74M - This variation is the AK-74 'Modernized'. It sports lightweight plastic furniture instead of the usual wooden furniture on the AK-74. This slightly reduces the overall weight of the weapons by a few tenths of a Kg, and improvements to the gas system and muzzle break reduce its recoil. Besides these key differences, it functions identically to the AK-74.

Type: Gas-operated select-fire assault carbine
Feed: 30-round bakelite magazines (or 30-round plastic AK-74M magazines, which are slightly lighter and more durable)
Features: Manual safety, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire, paddle magazine release, folding stock
Strengths: Significantly lighter weight than the full-size AK-74, folding stock can improve manuverability in tight quarters, good rate of fire, magazine size, and effective out to mid range
Weaknesses: Recoil stronger compared to full sized rifle, less able to deal with threats at a distance due to decreased accuracy

A cut-down carbine version of the AK-74 with a folding stock and shortened barrel. This rifle was designed to be issued to personnel not on the front lines such as vehicle crews, pilots, engineers, and other non-combat personnel. It sacrifices accuracy and recoil management for greatly reduced weight and portability (it is approximately 0.5 kg lighter than the AK-74).

The barrel is unfortunately too short to support a GP-25 grenade launcher, but most other attachments will fit similar to the AK-74. Overall this is the 'close quarters' version of the AK-74 if you plan to be fighting in tight spaces.

Scavenger Mod - The Raker - A special version of the AKS-74u with increased fire rate and damage, but massively reduced accuracy which makes it realistically only usable for room clearing. Hilariously, its fire selector is also stuck in "full auto" and can't even be put on safe. Found in the third area, the Factory.

A cartridge developed and deployed in the 1940's alongside the development and deployment of the SKS, AK-47, and AKM rifles. This cartridge remained the standard cartridge for most infantry weapons of Russia and Eastern Bloc countries until the 1970's where it was mostly phased out in favor of the smaller and more agile 5.45x39mm cartridge. Essentially, this cartridge is the Warsaw-Pact analogue to 7.62x51mm NATO.

7.62x39mm is dependable against most targets without going completely overboard with 7.62 NATO. It has good ballistics and armor-piercing capability which makes it attractive to take into tougher areas of the Radius.

Ammunition Variants: FMJ, AP, Subsonic

Type: Gas-operated select-fire assault rifle
Feed: 10/30-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire, paddle magazine release, GP-25 mount
Strengths: Higher than average caliber offers good armor penetration, very adaptable with attachments, good magazine capacity, fairly strong all around
Weaknesses: Ammunition and weapon rather heavy, may leave accuracy at distance to be desired

The "Avtomat Kalasnikova Modernizirovannyj", or just "Automatic rifle, Kalashnikov, Modernized" if you don't speak Russian runes, designed in 1959 and replaced the commonly-mistaken-for AK-47. Majority of the changes to the AKM optimized it for mass production, which it did a good job of since it is the most prevalent variation of the AK series of firearms and is still used today by various armies.

This is a dependable weapon system with few downsides besides weight. It still has very good range and decent accuracy, so with a stable shot it can be used to pick targets off from a distance and be ready to rock in full-auto when a Slider hears you and teleports behind you. Its 30-round magazines also make it fairly capable of sustained combat provided you have enough of them on hand, while 10-round magazines can be used to load less frequently used ammunition (like FMJ for low threat enemies).

A great portion of adaptability to the AKM is its ability to host various attachments to further specialize it to the mission. Suppressors, laser sights, optics, and a GP-25 grenade launcher are good assets that can easily be grafted to the AKM to fit it to your needs. The caliber also offerrs significant penetration even with just FMJ ammunition.

Type: Gas-operated carbine
Feed: Modified to take 10/30-round AKM magazines (normally has an internal 10 round magazine)
Features: Manual safety, paddle magazine release
Strengths: Good accuracy and stopping power, fairly capable of followup shots with semi-automatic fire, great magazine capacity
Weaknesses: Compared to AKM, no full-auto reduces capability at close range, longer and more difficult to maneuver indoors, no GP-25 attachment point

The "Samozaryadny Karabin Sistemy Simonova", or just "Siminov's Carbine, Self-Loading" (or various translations thereof), or just "SKS" if you don't have time or patience. A fine rifle introduced in 1945 and then promptly copied by nearly every nearby country, and then doomed to be replaced and overshadowed by the AK-47 and AKM in the 1950's almost immediately.

The SKS is a reliable and longer-range option compared to the AKM in this same category. Logistically speaking, since they use the same ammunition and magazines, they are virtually identical save for the SKS's inherent accuracy and range advantage versus the AKM's inherent fire rate and flexibility advantage.

Depending on the mission at hand, an SKS can be a valuable asset to more reliably wax enemies from a distance where the AKM may struggle, though the AKM is more useful (especially with a GP-25 launcher attached) in close quarters. This choice will mostly come down to mission and user preference as both weapons are very serviceable even against armored enemies with FMJ ammunition due to the caliber of the weapons.

7.62x54mmR was developed for the original Mosin Nagant rifle in 1891, and continues to be used today, boasting the longest service lives of any military-issued cartridge. It still remains in service today in various heavier weapons like General-purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) and in various sniper weapon systems like the Dragunov and SV-98.

A hard-hitting cartridge capable against armor even without AP ammunition. This makes it a viable round to take on armored enemies in most areas, though the Mosin Nagant it is used in may struggle due to the bolt action nature.

Ammunition Variants: FMJ, AP, CHP (Surplus)

Type: Bolt-action rifle
Feed: 5-round internal magazine
Features: Manual safety, six round buttstock saddle for additional ammunition
Strengths: Unmatched stopping power and accuracy at range, high armor penetration even without AP ammunition, fairly low maintenance, PU scope mount still allows use of iron sights
Weaknesses: Slow bolt-action makes followup shots difficult without skill, liability to use in close quarters, low magazine capacity and round-by-round reload

One of the most notable and mass-produced Russian infantry rifles in history, originally designed in 1891 and still fighting wars against itself and winning today. The Nagant finds its niche as a long-range rifle capable of dealing with virtually any target you can hit at range before it can hit back, making it a great sniper's rifle and a decent option for dealing with threats at medium range as well. It has extremely high stopping power per shot, and even non-AP rounds generally do not have trouble penetrating armored enemies. The side-saddle of the Nagant is notable for making it easy to store up to six armor-piercing rounds for quick access in case the need arises to reliably penetrate armor.

This rifle does have plenty of drawbacks when used outside of its primary role as a long range weapon; the manual bolt action must be worked each shot which makes timely followup shots (especially on targets shooting you) very difficult. The magazine must be reloaded round-by-round. The weapon is very long and difficult to use in close-quarters. The small magazine size makes engagements with multiple targets problematic.

This makes it a good idea to carry a very reliable pistol or secondary weapon with you in case you need to clear enemies out at close range or clear a building. Otherwise, for general outdoor exploration, the Nagant is a good rifle that can deal with most things from a distance before they become problematic.

Scavenger Mod - Explorer #12's Mosin - A variation of the Mosin with greatly increased damage, slightly increased recoil, slightly decreased reliability, and an 8-round capacity instead of 5. It is an overall improvement.


Type: Gas-operated marksman's rifle
Feed: 10-round magazines
Features: Manual safety
Strengths: Great stopping power and good accuracy at long range, high armor penetration even without AP ammunition, quick followup shots, easier to reload than the Nagant
Weaknesses: Difficult to use in close quarters due to length and magazine size, high maintenance

A marksman's rifle based upon the Russian SVD-63 rifle. Similar to the Nagant, it is a powerful long range weapon with good armor penetration. This rifle covers many of the Nagant's weak points such as having much faster followup shots and a much easier way to reload, but comes with the issue of being much higher maintenance. Still, it can put just about anything down into the dirt with only a few rounds, with magazine swaps taking substantially less time than the manual loading of the Nagant.

A Soviet rifle cartridge developed in the 1980's as a variation of the 7.62x39mm round which was subsonic, but had better range and armor penetration then a comparable subsonic round of 7.62x39mm. The solution was to fit a heavier projectile (almost twice the weight) into the existing casing of a 7.62x39mm round, which resulted in the 9x39mm round.

9x39mm is noted for having reliable armor penetration at short range, even with FMJ projectiles, as well as decent damage. Two weapons chambered in this cartridge also feature integrated suppressors which further expands the usefulness of the cartridge and removes the need to acquire and maintain removable suppressors. Unfortunately the weapons using this round typically suffer from high maintenance, reduced capability at range, and lower than average magazine capacities. The ammunition is also expensive.

Ammunition Variants: FMJ, AP, CHP (Surplus)

Type: Select-fire bullpup assault rifle
Feed: 20-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire, paddle magazine release, integrated GP-25 grenade launcher
Strengths: Bullpup layout easy to manuver indoors, GP-25 offers flexibility against grouped or entrenched targets if you have grenades, decent rate of fire and damage
Weaknesses: Heavy, awkward to load due to magazine position, sights and mounted sights are in an awkward position due to mounting, low magazine capacity for an assault rifle

The OC-14 "Groza", with the 4A model sporting an integrated grenade launcher. Based heavily upon the AKS-74u, it was quickly developed, adopted, and dropped from service between 1994-1999.

The Groza is a hard hitting close range rifle. Maneuverable indoors and with a beefy 9x39 round, it is a good asset for close up and medium range work, but quickly falls out of favor when trying to engage things at longer distances. The GP-25 built in comes in handy if you have VOG-25 grenades on hand and can be a potent force multiplier.

Unfortunately the weapon is fairly heavy, magazine size somewhat limited, and the mounting for optics is pretty far off the bore of the weapon, which can make aiming and acquiring targets somewhat difficult if not familiar and practiced with the weapon. Otherwise, if played to its strengths of an indoor or close quarters weapon, there's not many that can compete with it.

Type: Select-fire assault rifle
Feed: 10/20-round magazines
Features: Manual safety, semi-auto fire, full-auto fire, paddle magazine release, integrated suppressor, folding stock
Strengths: Integral suppressor and caliber aids in keeping you hidden while firing, short and agile indoors, good damage and controllable up close
Weaknesses: Limited magazine capacity, limited attachment options

Developed in the 1980's as a replacement for heavily-modified standard issue weapons for special forces units of the Soviet Union, the AS 'Val' phased out weapons such as the AKS-74UB which were complex to maintain and modify to acceptable levels for special forces units.

The Val is hard hitting up close and maintains a much lighter profile compared to the Groza, removing a lot of unneeded bulk from the weapon while keeping around the same magazine size. The profile of attachments for the weapon is also much closer to the barrel, making it easier to acquire targets.

It does, however, struggle outside of close range and has difficulty picking off targets outside close range with high accuracy. It is recommended to utilize this weapon as a room-clearer and street-sweeper, not as a designated marksman's rifle.

Type: Gas-operated Sniper Rifle
Feed: 10/20-round magazines
Features: Manual Safety, paddle magazine release
Strengths Integral suppressor and caliber aids in keeping you hidden while firing, good damage, decent accuracy out to medium range
Weaknesses: Not as accurate, long range, or damaging as most conventional sniper rifles, sacrifices these characteristics in exchange for being suppressed

Also developed in the 1980's, and what the AS Val was ultimately based upon, in Russian "Vintorez" can be translated as "thread cutter". Principally the Vintorez was designed as a suppressed sniper/marksman's rifle for special operations.

A larger, more reliable, and more accurate version of the Val, designed for taking things out at a longer range instead of clearing rooms. The Vintorez moves away from a lot of the Val's strong points to address its weak points instead, making it a good rifle for scouting open areas without attracting a lot of attention.

As predicted it does not perform as well indoors or in close quarters as the Val, and the up-to-20 round magazines leave some room to be desired. The Val and Vintorez magazines (20 and 10 rounds each respectively) are interchangeable between these weapons, thankfully allowing the Vintorez the option of a 20 round magazine if needed.

Overall, compared to the DVL-10 which is your only other option of an integrally suppressed long range rifle, this Vintorez is much more adaptable for followup shots and close range engagements then the bolt-action nature of the DVL-10.

Since I cannot be arsed to check every single gun for its upgrade tree (and since mods frequently change these and since vast majority of upgrades are shared by similar weapon systems) I will simply outline what upgrades tend to be available here.

These upgrades can be applied to vast majority of weapons that meet certain criteria.

• Recoil Reduction (20-30%) - Simply reduces the recoil when firing. This is generally more important for faster-firing weapons then it is for things like shotguns and bolt actions, but it can still help on the latter sometimes.
  
• Reliability Increase (+15%) - Reduces the chance of malfunction and reduces the amount of wear the weapon experiences each time it is fired or otherwise gets its durability reduced.
  
• Accuracy Increase (+10-15%) - Reduces the weapon's deviation from point of aim which can help less accurate weapons keep shots on target at further distances.
  
• Weight Reduction (-1.0 kg) - Reduces the weapon's overall weight. Simple as is useful.

These upgrades generally only apply to most handguns.

• Add/Remove Pistol Sight Mount - Adds an attachment point somewhere on the slide for the Viper S pistol red dot sight. This tends to obscure the iron sights somewhat, so don't take it if you don't plan to mount a red dot on your handgun.
  
• Add Rail S - Adds a small rail for a laser or flashlight, generally underneath the barrel on pistols that lack it. SMGs will also have an upgrade for this, except the Rail S usually goes on the left or right of the weapon instead.
  
• Add Pistol Suppressor Mount - Adds a threaded barrel extension to the weapon which allows it to mount a pistol suppressor.

These upgrades generally apply to all primary/long weapons.

• Add/Remove Rail B Sight Mount - Adds or removes an attachment point for a Rail B on top of the weapon. This can be used for a compatible optic or a Laser Pointer B or flashlight, if you really wanted to. Some Russian weapons can only mount dovetail-style optics (like the PSO-1 or Kobra red dot) until a Rail B mount is added. The SKS and Mosin can only use the PU-type mount for the PU-scope.
  
• Add Rail B Mount - Adds a Rail B attachment point somewhere on the front right of the weapon. Some weapons will get a Rail B point on either side of the weapon. These are suitable for flashlights or laser pointers.
  
• Barrel Adapter - Adds an appropriate adapter to the barrel for mounting a suppressor. The type of suppressor needed varies depending on the weapon. The PBS-1 is for AK style-weapons, NATO is for the NATO rifles, and the DTK is for the longer-range Russian rifles.

Shotguns are somewhat unique and have a few unique upgrades exclusively for them.

• Increase/Decrease Shot Spread - Widens or narrows the shot cone when firing buckshot shells from the weapon. The cone can either be set to increased (less accurate), normal, or decreased (better at a distance and more consistent). Generally it is best to decrease the spread to make it easier to use buckshot outside of close range.
  
• Increase Magazine Size (+4) - For the tube-fed Izh-81 and SPAS-12, simply extends the internal magazine. Always useful.

Most automatic weapons support these upgrades, depending on the presence of existing functionality.

• Increase/Decrease Fire Rate (+/- 10-20%) - Increases or decreases how fast the weapon fires when firing in bursts or automatic firing modes. Most SMGs can either increase, decrease, or revert the fire rate back to normal. Most rifles can only have a small increase.
  
• Switch Automatic/Burst Firing Modes - Some automatic rifles can be swapped to use a burst firing mode instead of fully automatic, which fires a set amount of shots per trigger pull instead of until the trigger is released. This is generally more accurate and less wasteful then full-auto, but it is mostly up to user preference.

The Scavenger Mod (with the shop turned off) has some specialty upgrades that are not obtainable via the computer in the train.

• High Quality - Weapons with the high-quality mod built in can be found via chance in the Radius. The high-quality mod slightly increases accuracy and slightly reduces recoil, on top of normal benefits the weapon can be upgraded with.
  
• Rare - The Rare mod is built-in to special versions of weapons that can only be obtained in certain areas of the Radius. Rare weapons have significantly different stats or operation from standard variations.

Attachments can be affixed to firearms that have the proper mounting specifications for them. Each attachment serves a particular function and can enhance your capabilities with particular weapons, generally making them easier or more convenient to use.

To add attachments to a weapon, bring the attachment close to the area it is to be mounted and it should automatically attach. To remove one, you need to enter dressing mode (hold B), then grab the attachment off the weapon (targeting is finnicky, might take a few tries).

Attachments that mount to a "Rail S" are generally for smaller weapons such as Pistols and sub-machine guns. Attachments that mount to a "Rail B" are usually for long guns and full-sized rifles. Most modern firearms come with rails pre-equipped (almost all pistols except the Makarov and Tokarev have an under-barrel rail S for a laser). Be sure to visit the train car's upgrade function with new weapons to view what types of upgrades are available for your firearms. If a weapon is lacking a rail you need, odds are there is an upgrade that can make one available.

Important to note, any attachment can be fitted to one of your rails regardless of orientation as long as the mounting is correct. You can put a laser on your top rail, or an optic on your bottom. How useful this is will be entirely up to you.

Mounting Rail S (Red), Rail B (Green, long weapons)
Strengths: Allows much more accurate aiming from the hip without needing weapon sights at close and medium range, visible confirmation of point of aim
Weaknesses: Makes you slightly more visible in the darkness

A laser pointer can be affixed to your firearm on a Rail B or Rail S (depending on size of the weapon). You can toggle the laser pointer on and off by using the B button on your off-hand while the weapon is gripped in both hands.

Laser pointers make aiming without using sights (especially in the darkness) many times easier and generally allows you to shoot enemies from the hip at close and medium range. They also make a valuable addition for clearing rooms as you do not need to restrict your vision while navigating tight rooms by keeping your weapon's sights within your view; you can simply use the laser pointer to confirm where you are shooting as you track and clear the building.

Lasers are a strong option to affix to your weapon with little downside. A small thing to note, laser pointers naturally point to a spot adjacent to where the round should impact. you may need to slightly adjust for this while aiming.

Mounting: Rail S, Rail B
Strengths: Allows hands-free illumination when aiming with your weapon, doubles as a flashlight removing the need to carry one
Weaknesses: Overshadowed in usefulness by laser pointers when you get a headlamp

Mounting a flashlight to your weapon can make acquiring targets in low-light areas such as buildings or at night much easier to do, without needing to hold a flashlight. Unfortunately a lot of this utility is lost when you get a head lamp and the mounted versions of lights fall out of favor.

Mounting: Pistol Suppressor (handguns and pistol caliber weapons), NATO suppressor (NATO rifles), PBS-1 Silencer (AK-series rifles), DTK Suppressor (Mosin-Nagant, SKS, Tiger Rifle)
Strengths: Greatly reduces the noise of your shots, especially with subsonic ammunition, won't be destroyed at 0 durability
Weaknesses: Limited durability, can only be repaired in the repair box

Suppressors are very useful tools to help prevent you from getting swarmed by enemies as soon as you fire off a few shots. The sound of gunshots travel a great distance and can usually attract enemies a great distance away. Even without subsonic ammunition, a suppressor can be helpful to hide you from most enemies in the area except those in close proximity of you.

Unfortunately they are a money sink as they must frequently be repaired since they degrade as the weapon is fired. Weapons with integral suppressors (like the DVL-10, AS Val, and VSS Vintorez) bypass this issue by having the suppressor as part of the firearm itself and thus never needing individual repair, beyond repairs normally required to maintain weapons.

Mounting: Pistol Sight Mount (Viper P only), Rail B (most NATO optics), PU Mount (PU Scope), Dovetail Mount (PSO-1 Scope, Cobra D)
Strengths: Various optics of your preference can adapt your weapon to different situations and make it easier to acquire targets at various distances
Weaknesses: Weight, some restrict your field of view or weapon movement (sniper scopes)

Many optics can be used in place of your weapon's standard iron sights to allow you to more easily acquire targets in different scenarios. Pick one that you prefer and fits the role you intend to fill with your weapon.

Rail B Mounts
Viper P/B (1x) - Simple low-profile red dot reflex sight. The "P" variant can mount to pistols, while the "B" variant is for the Rail B on rifles.
EOPS Scope B (1x) - Holographic sight for US rifles, sporting a crosshair with a red dot center for its sight picture.
PK06 Scope B (1x) - Holographic and Russian-made sight, sporting three lines and a red dot center for its sight picture.
OKP7 Scope B (1x) - Reflex and Russian-made sight with a unique mounting designed not to obscure the user's view of the top rail, it sports a vertical line and chevron for its sight picture.
Spectr 4x B (1x-4x) - A combination 1x/4x NATO sight with back-up iron sights mounted on the top of the optic. A lever on the left side of this scope can be used to toggle between 1x and 4x magnification.
Scope 7-35x56mm B - A high-quality sniper's optic with magnification gradients between 1x to 3.5x, adjustable using the dial mounted near the front of the optic. Mounting this optic to a weapon uniquely reduces the rate that you can rotate and move the weapon around which makes long-range shooting steadier and easier to do, but reduces your ability to quickly acquire targets at close range.

Dovetail Mounts
Cobra D - A simple Russian-made 1x red dot reflex sight.
PSO-1 D - A common Russian-made sniper's optic with 4x magnification.

PU Mount
PU Scope - A Russian-made optic designed specifically for PU scope mounts present on the SKS and Mosin-Nagant.

Mounting: GP-25 Launcher Mount (AK-74/M, AKM)
Strengths: Dispenses explosive VOG-25 grenades with reckless abandon which can quickly clear out difficult to kill or clustered targets
Weaknesses: Have to carry grenades too, heavy

A force multiplier for assault rifles that allows you to dump a grenade in the direction you're aiming which explodes on impact. It is extremely useful to deleting enemy formations but weighs a good bit, in addition to needing to carry additional grenades.

The only problems with rifle grenades is they need a surface nearby the enemy to explode on and need to be a good distance away from you to not injure you and severely damage your equipment (i've damaged a shiny new Groza to near 0% durability with a poor VOG-25). This makes them nearly impossible to use most places indoors and difficult to use on targets that are already close to you. Without a nearby wall or cover to shoot the grenade at, it can be difficult to accurately place the grenade close enough to the enemy to deal appreciable damage.

Launchers cannot be unloaded once a round has been placed into them. Be careful and check the attachment by examining it to see if a grenade is loaded. Also know that a launcher cannot be used as a stand-alone device; it must be mounted on a weapon to be operable.

Weight: 0.25 kg

A basic cutting/stabbing instrument. Most of its utility comes from being able to eat from cans with it, though in certain situations it can be beneficial to have quick access to a knife. It is recommended to keep them somewhere on your person where they can quickly be reached with your off hand (if you are right handed for firearms, I would recommend keeping it on your right forearm so you can grab it with your left hand without letting go of your gun).

Blades are most useful against low-threat enemies to quietly kill them or dispatch them without making too much noise. Spawns can be dodged and promptly stabbed or cut to death quickly, and fragments can be finished off by cutting their central orb once destabilized. Knives can be thrown a good distance, though it takes some practice to throw them accurately. Fragments can be killed by repeatedly throwing and grabbing the same knife most of the time.

Against more dangerous targets like Seekers, Sliders and various Mimics, knives should only be used when the moment presents itself and as a last resort. Knives when swung penetrate armor, so it is an option to cut a seeker's head open with a quick swipe if they ambush you. Otherwise your firearm is probably a better option.

Knives degrade quickly as they deal damage, though they are pretty cheap and plentiful so its not a big deal if you lose one. They can also only be repaired by the repair booth in the train car. As a note, cutting (with a swipe) seems to deal significantly more damage then stabbing (with a thrust). I also literally just learned this by accident, you can hold a knife in a stabbing grip by pressing the B button.

Variation - Spetznaz Combat Machete - A larger and heavier (about 0.7 kg) knife with increased durability and length. This makes it easier to swing around and still hit things and allows it to be used more before being destroyed, however it is quite a bit heavier.

Type: Offensive Hand Grenade
Fuse: 3 seconds
Weight: 0.25 kg

A cheap, lightweight, mass produced hand grenade. "Offensive" hand grenades have a blast radius that is "lower than the average distance they can be thrown", making them less dangerous to chuck in the open without cover. Because of how unreliable grenade tossing physics are in the game, I strongly recommend against throwing any grenades that you cannot run away from or hide behind a strong wall from as the number of times I've blown myself up when not doing that is worryingly high.

These are lightweight, fairly strong when chucked or dropped in an enclosed area, and sell for practically nothing, so they are useful tools when the need arises. They are good to chuck inside rooms or drop nearby clusters of enemies on the off-chance it clears some out for you. The kill radius is somewhat small, but they are still a better option to chuck in ahead of yourself then to go in without one if you happen to have one. They are also fairly light for their utility, making them attractive to carry in a decent number.

Type: Defensive Hand Grenade
Fuse: 5 seconds
Weight: 0.6 kg

A similar cheap, mass produced hand grenade, with striking similarities to the United States Mk2 "Pineapple" grenade (fun fact: both this grenade and the Mk2 pineapple were based upon the French's F1 grenade in WW I, which explains why they look so similar). The F1 Grenade is designated as "defensive" as it has a much larger blast radius that makes it dangerous to use without cover. It is highly recommended to only chuck these when you have good cover nearby as the blast radius is rather large and the shrapnel generated flies long distances. The explosive radius also tends to go through walls and other cover, so moving back is highly recommended.

Heavier than an RDG-5 but with good destructive capability. Chucked on the inside of a room they can typically liquidate any assets within. A good tool to have on hand in case it is too dangerous to peek inside a room or down a hallway. The blast radius and damage is excellent enough to kill most targets that it lands within a close distance of, however these grenades are over twice as heavy as their lesser counterparts.

Type: 40mm Caseless Rifle Grenade
Fuse: Kinetic, explodes on impact

Rifle grenade rounds suitable for use with the GP-25 grenade launcher for AK-pattern rifles and the integrated grenade launcher of the OC-14 "Groza" rifle. Since the rifle grenade itself is caseless (the entire grenade is fired), VOG-25 grenades are loaded right into the front of the launcher and are ready to fire.

These lightweight grenades make a potent force multiplier if you are taking along a rifle which can support it, giving you a very quick and effective option to deal with clustered targets quickly and at a distance, without needing to free up a hand to sling a grenade. Reloading can also be done one-handed and in one step so as long as extra grenades are available. The grenade itself has fairly slow projectile speed, but it is easy to land it nearby enemy targets so as long as they have a hard surface to detonate it on nearby or the floor is an easy target.

Type: Underbarrel 40mm caseless grenade launcher attachment
Feed: Muzzle-loaded, single VOG-25 grenade
Features: Adjustable rangefinder
Strengths: Can be used to quickly suppress or remove heavy or clustered targets nearby cover without moving your aim off-target
Weaknesses: Needs grenades, difficult to land grenades at distance

This grenade launcher attaches to the underbarrel of most full length AK-rifles, such as the AK-74, AK-74M, and the AKM. Loading of grenades is done by simply placing them in the front of the launcher. Firing the grenade is done by holding the weapon in both hands and using the trigger on your off-hand.

The right side of the launcher has an adjustable range finder which increments in 100m intervals. It can be used to determine how sharply to angle the weapon to land a grenade at the specified distance over flat terrain. If you know the approximate distance to your target, you can use the rangefinder to land the grenade right at the target's feet.

Type: Smoke Screening Device
Fuse: 3 seconds
Weight: 0.15 kg

A cheap Soviet smoke grenade used for screening movement or signalling. It is quite lightweight on its own, however I do not typically find them very useful. In theory they can be used to screen your movement and allow you to push to a different point of cover or make an escape by blocking your attacker's view, but given the AI in this game I sincerely doubt they have enough effect to not get you blasted, and/or the AI will simply advance through the smoke.

They also do not sell for virtually anything, so unless you plan to test your luck, avoid them.

I'll be brief, there are better guides that cover enemies.

A quick note, many enemy types can spawn armored unless explicitly mentioned they cannot be armored. Armored enemies have visible yellow/orange plating covering them, and bullets which do not penetrate the armor will spark and ricochet off their point of impact. It is recommended to use high-caliber weapons or AP ammunition to deal with armored variants.

Threat: Very low, only threatening when close
Distinct Characteristics: All black humanoid, shambles stiffly when moving, which can make them easier to distinguish from a distance from more threatening enemies. Wails when it detects you at close range, its footsteps make a distinct sort of 'shloshing' noise like 'a boot filled with water'
Strengths: Must be finished off by destroying its central core once destabilized, otherwise it reforms. This makes it difficult to take out at long-range. Its meandering nature can also force you to make noise to take it out, attracting other more dangerous entities.
Weaknesses: The center of the chest is actually the weak point for maximum damage. Fragments are also extremely slow, so throwing knives at them or outrunning them are other options for dealing with them.

Very weak and probably the first enemy you will encounter. They are very slow and only a threat in close quarters or at very close range. Fragments can spawn armored, which can complicate quickly taking them out, especially if pressured by other enemies at range or locked in a confined area. Can easily be killed at short range by repeatedly throwing a knife into it if you must conserve ammunition and avoid making noise.

Threat: Very low, only threatening when close or when not aware of
Distinct Characteristics: Semi-translucent as to be nearly invisible unless observed at close range or observed directly. Otherwise it shambles and makes the same noise as fragments.
Strengths: Can be hard to spot, especially without good lighting, which can allow it to ambush you if you're not paying attention.
Weaknesses: Easily dispatched with a solid shot to the chest and does not leave behind a 'core' like fragments that must also be destroyed. Their bodies are still solid and will stop laser pointers, making them easy to spot. Can be more easily detected with a flashlight.

A variation of fragments that are easier to kill by virtue of not also having to hit the core. They might trip you up once or twice, but once you know what to look and listen for they are easily handled. If needing to conserve ammunition or keep a low profile, they can also easily be killed by throwing a knife at them.

Threat: Low, threatening when close or closing
Distinct Characteristics: Will generally be heard before seen as the buzzing they emit is audible at long range. Small writhing mass of tentacles along the ground about the size of a soccer ball. Generally easy to spot in the open but more difficult in urban areas.
Strengths: Fast and difficult to hit, accurate when leaping, often distracts you from more dangerous enemies or requires you to make noise to take it out, attracting more dangerous enemies
Weaknesses: Incredibly low HP and damage, almost anything can take it out. Will be momentarily immobilized and stunned if it misses a leap, you can force them to miss a leap by side stepping when they jump. Easy to shoot as they approach from a distance if spotted beforehand, or shoot after dodging a leap.

The equivalent of cats if cats were radius entities and constantly acting out. They move fast, can notice you from a long range, and can sufficiently occupy your attention long enough to cause you problems if not taken out quickly. Multiple spawns can be problematic, but just keep moving and taking them out quickly as they miss. Side-stepping them and stabbing with a knife is also a viable (silent) strategy. Cannot be armored.

Threat: Medium-low
Distinct Characteristics: Very visible red particles above the head makes it easy to spot at range and in the dark, as well as distinguish it from other hostiles. Hangs its head while idle and walks slowly, but doesn't shamble, distinguishing it from fragments. When alerted, picks its head up and begins running towards you. Screams extremely loudly when very close, but otherwise makes no noise but footsteps on approach.
Strengths: Silent until close, sprints at you when it spots you, can be difficult to hit in close quarters with a long weapon or when ambushed and fumbling for a weapon
Weaknesses: Head, Easy to spot at range due to the red around the head, tends to run in a straight line, so they are easy to shoot in the head when seen at a distance and approaching

The first jumpscare enemy you will encounter. These guys have a nasty habit of noticing you from a mile away and not letting you know about it until they are right up behind you while you are doing something else. They attack by shooting light from their faces which can be disorienting to say the least. Shoot them in the face to put them out of commission, however body shots will also work in enough number if the head is not a viable target.

If you do manage to get ambushed, back up, draw a short weapon (pistol), and blast it in the face or chest if unarmored. If you don't have time to draw a shorter weapon, you can make do by holding your long gun as far backwards as your grip allows, usually with your dominant hand under your armpit, non-dominant grip braced against your stomach, and rotating your body away from the attacker as to afford the shortest distance from your body to the barrel. This might allow you enough space to cleanly shoot an enemy right on top of you. They go down relatively easy despite their speed and ferocity. If you're quick with a blade, you can find success lashing horizontally at the head with a knife right before it gets in range to attack for an instant kill most of the time.

Threat: High
Distinct Characteristics: Very tall (8'), halo around the head, at close range makes a distinct ringing noise, can sometimes be seen teleporting randomly while idle, but otherwise may stand in one location idle staring into the distance. Makes a distinct "whooshing" sound while teleporting which will quickly alert you of its presence.
Strengths: Teleports at regular intervals making them hard to hit, high damage, easy to be taken by surprise
Weaknesses: Head, Once aware of one, easy to wait and watch for it, then shoot it when it tries to teleport next to you

You will almost never get the drop on a slider before the slider gets the drop on you. Listen for what sounds like the air popping at regular intervals -- this is the sound the slider makes when teleporting. If a slider is teleporting around, odds are it is looking for you. Making too much noise can zero it in on you and provoke it into an attack. Shoot the head as many times as needed to put it back into the dirt. Its melee attacks are high damage, so avoid getting hit.

If you hear a slider teleporting, immediately back up and look around to see where it may be approaching from and don't get taken by surprise. Despite their speed of closing to you and frequent teleporting, once they get within a bolt throw of you, 3-4 headshots from just about any firearm (even a pistol) will bring it down, so just make sure you have a loaded weapon on hand. Cannot be armored.

Threat: Medium-Extreme
Distinct Characteristics: Moves and stands more human than other enemies, firearms may be visible, has distinct footsteps when nearby compared to other enemies. When alert, crouches and walks, but will sprint for cover occasionally when reloading.
Strengths: Ranged attack from firearms, jittery and sudden movement when deciding to break for cover, virtually impossible to spot at night if unarmored without a light source
Weaknesses: Head, grenades, gives themselves away by constantly chattering, does have a need to reload

Various mimics will be encountered throughout the radius. For berevity's sake I will cover most of them here that I can remember and in short detail. For reference, you can take advantage of breaks in a mimic's attack cycle as they need to reload like everyone else. If you count the number of rounds a mimic fires, you can guess when they need to reload and rush them down. Most mimics can be armored.

Police (PM Pistol) - Medium threat. Fairly accurate but lower overall DPS and health. Wait for a break in its attack cycle (8 rounds usually) or try hitting it from a distance or around cover to minimize damage.
Hunter (Shotgun) - Medium threat, high up close. Hunting shotgun. Will attempt to close as much distance as it can before shooting, generally running in an erratic pattern while doing so. Depending on distance, tickles you with a smattering of buckshot or kills you nearly instantly at close range. Take advantage of it only having two shells per reload, they will frequently drop both shells then sprint for cover to reload. If you are feeling bold, you can sprint after it when it runs for cover to reload and easily shoot it in the head. Just make sure you actually kill it before it is ready to fire again.
Commando (MP5) - High threat. Fires in three round bursts, but fires faster the closer you are. In close quarters it is recommended to bait it into shooting at you where it is likely to expend its entire magazine, then shoot it while it reloads. Since he has 30 round magazines and fires three-round bursts, you can try to count out how many bursts he's fired. Once he's at 10; he's gotta reload.
Gunner (AKS-74U/AKM) - High threat. High magazine capacity and three round burst makes him difficult to shoot without waiting for a gap in reload. Same strategy as Commandos but they do more damage.
SWAT (AS 'Val') - Very high threat. Never spawns with the usual glowly armor but has very high health and some damage resistance which makes them both difficult to spot and take down quickly. Try to spot and deal with them before you move in, or otherwise try to bait them into suppressing you like you would a Commando or Gunner.
Sniper (Tiger Rifle) - Extreme threat. Heavy hitting, long range, very accurate. Take them out first before they notice you. Can usually be found in distinct places that are high up with good visibility. If you are spotted, try to avoid trading shots with it as it will eventually hit you and the hits are very difficult to shrug off. Cannot be armored.

BTR-90 APC Mimic (a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ tank) - Obscene threat. This is only found in the fourth area, Kohlok Zaraya. The BTR will roam the area at random and is given away by its insanely loud engine noise. It will scan for you with its spotlight turret. If you are spotted, it will continually fire at you suppressively with a PKT machine gun. Breaking contact with it is very difficult without smoke grenades or enough cover to escape from it, and if it suppresses you it can give other enemies a good chance at taking you down. If the BTR comes to investigate your area, lay low for a bit and let it drive off. This thing is indestructible so don't even bother shooting at it.

Enemy armor is tedious and boring. All you need to know is that depending on the caliber and type of ammunition you use, your bullet only has a chance of getting through the armor on a successful hit. If you see sparks or hear a ricochet effect, your shot had no effect. This is entirely left up to random chance. AP ammo itself still only has a chance, not a guarantee, of getting through armor, on top of doing less damage once it does. Contrary to the goals of some prior iterations of armor, there are no gaps in armor. Shooting at weakpoints will only do damage if the shot penetrates the armor.

Essentially, armored enemies, and especially armored Mimics, will continually soak a large volume of your on-target shots unless you're using AP 7.62 NATO or AP 7.62x54. This generally leads to damage that cannot be evaded since you need so many more on-target shots on a mimic to do appreciable damage then they do to you, especially mimics with automatic weapons at close range. Armored melee enemies are tolerable since you have time to engage them before they close.

It would be a lot more preferable if armor mitigated damage instead of completely negated it, but that's not the reality the developers put forth. If you are going into Podeba Factory and beyond, the answer of "should I bring more ammo" will be "yes" and you should have majority of your magazines loaded with AP/+P ammunition while keeping a small weapon or magazine to the side for the occasional trash enemy.

This has a few other tidbits and extras I figured I would mention about specific firearms:

Some weapons are fed by an internal magazine that is part of the gun itself. These are loaded by single rounds. Weapons that have these internal magazines (the Mosin Nagant and all shotguns but the Saiga-12) will have a side-saddle for storing up to six individual shells that you can use for easy access to extra rounds, in addition to your left-hand drop pouch.

For double-barrels, open the breech by pressing the eject magazine button. Any spent shells will automatically be ejected. Simply place a new shell in each barrel, then close the breech either by flicking the weapon closed or pressing the eject magazine button again.

For the Mosin-Nagant, grab the bolt located on the right side of the weapon. Rotate the bolt up, then all the way back to open the receiver. Leave the bolt open, then insert additional rounds one at a time into the top of the gun. Once you're done, rotate the bolt back to its closed position. For each shot, you will have to "work the bolt" by opening and closing it each time. This tends to make the Mosin rather clumsy in close quarters.

The double-barrels all have a manual recocking mechanism you can use by pressing the select fire button ("B" on the index) if you have a misfire. If you know the barrels are loaded, but the gun doesn't fire when you pull the trigger, you can engage the recocker to try and fire again. Given that double barrels are so simple in operation and maintenance this is extremely rare to have to do. Opening/closing the breech works fine too.

If you want to, you can open the breech of a double barrel and remove the shells loaded by hand if you need them somewhere else.

The Izh-81 Pump Action shotgun can be cycled by holding the foreend in your opposite hand, then using the trigger to unlock it and pull backwards. Be careful not to short-stroke the action when using by not fully moving the pumping mechanism all the way back; you won't cycle the weapon properly and the weapon will fail to fire.

If you need to see if you short-stroked the action, you can unlock the pump and move it only halfway back, then check the chamber on the right side. If you see a shell in the chamber, that means you're probably loaded. If you're still not sure, cycle it anyways, grab the shell, and place it back in the magazine.

AK-series weapons generally all have a paddle magazine release that is convenient to operate -- if you know how. For AK-type weapons, you can usually simply grab the magazine from the bottom of the gun without having to hold the eject magazine button first. This makes it convenient to quickly unload a magazine.

If you're in a hurry, you can also do a fast reload trick using another magazine: While holding the weapon in your dominant hand, grab a fresh magazine with your other hand. Knock the currently inserted magazine out of the way with your fresh magazine (the direction does not matter, though doing it back-to-forwards is the realistic way). This should remove it from the gun. Once you've moved the fresh magazine far enough away from the gun and back, it should be loaded. You can practice doing this with empty magazines so you have an easier time mimicking the motions under pressure.

The PPsh variants are one of the few open-bolt sub-machineguns you'll run into. Unlike a pistol, for example, where the slide closes after you release it, open-bolt weapons simply hold the bolt in the open position when they are ready to fire. This also means they do not keep a separate round in the chamber of the weapon. To check if an open-bolt weapon is loaded, simply look in the top of the receiver and you should be able to see the magazine and if any ammunition remains in it.

Point-shooting is a skill where the user aims their weapon from the shoulder or hip without utilizing the sights in order to quickly shoot targets at close range. It is often done when clearing rooms in a fast-paced environment and with laser-pointer assistance for more reliable aiming. For point shooting, it can be beneficial to hold the weapon at a 45° angle to get a better view of where the barrel is pointing.

If you don't plan on or don't have a sight for a weapon, but have a proper rail mount, you can attach a laser pointer to the top rail of your weapon. While this generally obscures your iron sights, it can be more useful to attach the laser pointer on the top as it tends to project its beam more in-line with where the bullet is expected to impact. This is particularly useful for small SMGs that won't be used outside of close range.

Most magazines have physical viewports at staggered intervals to show the user how much ammo remains at a glance. These can be useful to familiarize yourself with if you don't have the luxury of fully inspecting your magazine during a firefight but need to know about how many shots you have left. Tokarev T-33 magazines, for example, have six holes in the side that can be used to see rounds 3-8 in the magazine without needing to inspect it manually with "B". Glock magazines have evenly-spaced dots on the back that can be used to estimate how much ammo remains.

Most higher-capacity magazines lack any useful viewports other than the top of the magazine. Most magazines you can tell if there's still around 3-4 shots left, but beyond that you'll have to fully inspect it or just guess.

Passively learning to count your shots can also help you pace when to reload during a pause of combat, especially for weapons with smaller magazines that fire rapidly like pistols and shotguns. Try to keep a paced count of how many times you've shot so you can get an idea of when you'll need to reload.

Hey I recently found a mod called "Scavenger" on nexus mods which rebalances the entire game around scavenging from loot crates and the environment, and disables the shop. I personally find it an enjoyable way to play, might be cool to check out.

Leave me hate mail in the comments.
Smash that mf dislike button.
also since someone asked im just gonna put the full guide splash image here because I think its funny