Red Dead Redemption 2 has a huge selection of guns, but not every weapon performs equally well. Some are built for hunting, some excel in close-range fights, and others become much stronger when dual-wielded or upgraded.

This ranking covers single-player ballistic weapons only, not Red Dead Online-exclusive weapons, throwables, hatchets, or knives. The source also mostly ignores upgrades and dual-wielding to keep the comparison focused on each weapon’s basic performance.

21. Sawed-Off Shotgun

The source ranks the:

Sawed-Off Shotgun

as the worst weapon in the game.

Its biggest problems are:

• Very poor range
• Inconsistent damage
• Limited usefulness outside point-blank range

Its main advantage is that it counts as a:

Sidearm

rather than a primary weapon.

At extremely close range it can still be devastating, but the source would rather use almost any pistol instead.

20. Mauser Pistol

The:

Mauser Pistol

has an extremely high fire rate and works well when dual-wielded.

Its weaknesses are:

• Low per-shot damage
• Heavy ammo consumption
• Noticeable recoil

The source sees it as fun but believes weapons like the:

M1899

do the same job better with more power and accuracy.

Midnight’s Pistol

A major advantage of the Mauser family is the unique:

Midnight’s Pistol

which can be acquired as early as:

Chapter 2

The regular Mauser isn’t normally available from Gunsmiths until much later.

19. Litchfield Repeater

On paper, the:

Litchfield Repeater

looks impressive.

It has:

• Highest damage among Repeaters
• 16-round capacity

But its major weakness is:

Poor accuracy

The reticle takes too long to settle between shots, making it frustrating at anything beyond close or medium range.

Its weaknesses become especially noticeable when:

• Moving
• Fighting multiple enemies
• Trying to shoot quickly

18. Springfield Rifle

The:

Springfield Rifle

is powerful and useful for hunting, but the source doesn’t like it much for ordinary combat.

Its main issues are:

• Slow fire rate
• Slow rechambering
• More power than most human enemies actually require

Its strength is hunting, where the high damage makes much more sense.

You can also add a long-range scope and use it as a budget alternative to a sniper rifle.

17. Semi-Auto Shotgun

The:

Semi-Auto Shotgun

can fire five shots very quickly.

Its strengths are:

• High fire rate
• Strong point-blank damage

Its weaknesses are:

• Poor effectiveness beyond close range
• Heavy shell consumption
• Multiple shots sometimes needed on basic enemies

The source sees it as useful in emergencies, especially when something like a Bear attacks at close range.

16. Double-Barreled Shotgun

The:

Double-Barreled Shotgun

performs better than the Sawed-Off but still ranks low.

Its problems include:

• Slow handling
• Low capacity
• Poor comparison with other primary Shotguns

One useful trick is loading:

Slug Rounds

which can turn it into a surprisingly effective mid-range weapon.

15. Semi-Automatic Pistol

The:

Semi-Automatic Pistol

starts the middle tier.

Its strengths include:

• Fastest fire rate among the weapons discussed
• Very fast reload
• Good accuracy
• 8-round magazine

The source compares it directly to the Mauser and prefers the Semi-Auto because it lands shots more consistently.

14. Varmint Rifle

The:

Varmint Rifle

is highly specialized.

It’s a:

.22 hunting rifle

designed mainly for small game.

Its strengths include:

• Excellent for Perfect Pelts on small animals
• Responsive handling
• Fast, precise headshots
• Useful early in the game

It isn’t completely useless in combat either, especially with Dead Eye and headshots.

Its biggest limitation is simply that its usefulness is very narrow.

13. Cattleman Revolver

The:

Cattleman Revolver

is Arthur’s basic starting six-shooter.

It is:

• Balanced
• Reliable
• Easy to handle
• Useful in almost every situation

It doesn’t dominate any single stat, but it also doesn’t have any major weakness.

The source describes it as the standard against which the other Revolvers are measured.

Unique Cattleman Variants

The source mentions several unique versions:

• John’s Cattleman Revolver
• Granger’s Revolver
• Flaco’s Revolver

John’s version is normally obtained during the Epilogue.

Granger’s and Flaco’s Revolvers are connected to:

The Noblest of Men, and a Woman

12. Bolt Action Rifle

The:

Bolt Action Rifle

is a stronger combat option than the Springfield according to the source.

Its strengths include:

• Good range
• Strong stopping power
• 5-round magazine
• Better combat usability than the Springfield

It’s still primarily seen as a hunting rifle, but the extra capacity makes it much more practical in firefights.

The source often adds a:

Sniper Scope

and uses it at distance.

11. Double-Action Revolver

The:

Double-Action Revolver

fires extremely quickly because you don’t need to manually cock it between shots.

Its strengths are:

• Very fast fire rate
• Easy rapid firing
• Fun close-to-mid-range handling

Its weaknesses include:

• Low damage per shot
• Poor accuracy

It rewards fast trigger use more than slow Dead Eye precision.

Unique Double-Action Revolvers

The source mentions:

• Micah’s Revolver
• High Roller Double-Action Revolver
• Algernon’s Revolver

Algernon’s version has a very high fire rate but poor damage and accuracy.

The source prefers:

Micah’s Revolver

among the unique variants.

10. Carbine Repeater

The:

Carbine Repeater

is the most basic Repeater in the game.

It has:

• 7-round capacity
• Fast reload
• Average stats across the board

You get it extremely early, and many NPCs also use it.

The source sees it as dependable but unexciting.

It doesn’t excel at anything, but it also isn’t particularly bad at anything.

9. Lasso

The source includes the:

Lasso

despite it not being a firearm.

Its strengths include:

• Non-lethal captures
• Hogtying enemies
• Dragging targets
• Hunting medium-sized animals

For hunting, the source notes that:

Lasso + Knife

is a reliable way to obtain Perfect Pelts from certain animals.

RDR2 Lancaster Repeater Guide: How to Get It Free in Rhodes

8. M1899 Pistol

The:

M1899

is one of the source’s favorite magazine-fed pistols.

Its strengths include:

• Very fast fire rate
• Strong damage
• Great feel in combat

It combines modern handling with solid stopping power and is considered one of the more exciting sidearms available.

7. Repeating Shotgun

The:

Repeating Shotgun

is based on the Winchester 1887.

Its strengths include:

• Strong range for a Shotgun
• Good firing rhythm
• High damage
• 6-round capacity
• Alternate ammunition options

It unlocks relatively late, which hurts its usefulness.

The source still considers it a strong purchase, even though the:

Pump-Action Shotgun

outperforms it.

6. Volcanic Pistol

The:

Volcanic Pistol

acts almost like a small rifle carried on your hip.

Its strengths include:

• Very high pistol damage
• Strong stopping power
• Useful against dangerous animals and enemies

Its weakness is:

Slow fire rate

But the damage output makes it one of the source’s favorite sidearms.

5. Schofield Revolver

The:

Schofield Revolver

is one of the strongest Revolvers in the game.

Its strengths include:

• High accuracy
• Strong damage
• Easy handling

The fire rate is slower than some alternatives, but the weapon rewards careful, deliberate shots.

It’s especially effective when combined with:

Dead Eye

Unique Schofield Variants

The source mentions:

• Calloway’s Revolver
• Otis Miller’s Revolver

The gold-plated:

Otis Miller’s Revolver

is the source’s personal favorite visually.

4. Carcano Rifle

The:

Carcano Rifle

is a powerful fast-firing Sniper Rifle.

Its strengths include:

• Excellent range
• High accuracy
• Strong damage
• 6-round capacity
• Fast follow-up shots
• Fast reload

It works well for both:

• Hunting
• Combat

Its biggest downside is that the built-in scope normally can’t be removed without using a glitch.

The other disadvantage is how late it unlocks.

3. Evans Repeater

The:

Evans Repeater

originally appeared only in Red Dead Online before being added to Story Mode.

Its defining feature is its enormous:

26-round capacity

It also reloads quickly for such a large magazine.

This makes it excellent for:

• Large firefights
• High Wanted Levels
• Enemy strongholds
• Sustained combat

The source doesn’t love its basic handling, but the magazine size gives it unmatched sustained fire.

2. Rolling Block Rifle

The:

Rolling Block Rifle

is the source’s traditional sniper choice.

Its strengths include:

• Huge range
• Excellent damage
• Strong one-shot potential
• Great hunting utility

There are two versions.

The:

Rare Rolling Block Rifle

is described as slightly more accurate.

The weapon is slower than the Carcano, but its raw power makes it extremely effective at very long range.

1. Lancaster Repeater

The source ranks the:

Lancaster Repeater

as the best overall weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Its biggest strengths are:

• Reliable accuracy
• Strong consistency
• Large magazine
• Good hip-fire performance
• Excellent Dead Eye performance
• Useful at close and medium range
• Strong in most combat situations

Its main weakness is only:

Extreme sniper-level distances

Outside of that, the source considers it one of the most dependable weapons in the entire game.

Best Shotgun: Pump-Action Shotgun

Although the Lancaster takes the overall top spot, the source considers the:

Pump-Action Shotgun

the best Shotgun.

It has:

• 5-shell capacity
• Heavy damage
• Surprisingly good range
• Excellent close-range performance

It can also use:

• Explosive Ammo
• Incendiary Ammo

The source considers it one of the best weapons in the entire game for fighting multiple enemies at close range.

Why the Bow Ranks So Highly

The:

Bow

also ranks among the strongest weapons because of its versatility.

It can be used for:

• Stealth
• Hunting
• Perfect Pelts
• Poison Arrows
• Incendiary Arrows
• Dynamite Arrows

It takes some practice to aim well, but the source praises its:

• Durability
• Low cost
• Versatility

It is essentially a multi-purpose weapon for almost every playthrough.

Why the LeMat Revolver Is So Strong

The:

LeMat Revolver

is another late-game weapon.

It has:

• Strong damage
• Good fire rate
• 9-round capacity

It also has a unique feature:

Secondary Shotgun Fire

According to the source, it is the only weapon in the Red Dead series with this type of secondary firing mode.

That makes it extremely versatile, especially at close range.

Best Weapons by Category

Best Overall Weapon

Lancaster Repeater

Best Revolver

LeMat Revolver

Best Traditional Revolver

Schofield Revolver

Best Sniper Rifle

Rolling Block Rifle

Best Fast Sniper

Carcano Rifle

Best Shotgun

Pump-Action Shotgun

Best High-Capacity Repeater

Evans Repeater

Best Hunting Utility Weapon

Bow

Best Small-Game Weapon

Varmint Rifle

Best Heavy Sidearm

Volcanic Pistol

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Full Weapon Ranking

Based on the source’s ordering:

1. Lancaster Repeater
2. LeMat Revolver
3. Bow
4. Pump-Action Shotgun
5. Rolling Block Rifle
6. Evans Repeater
7. Carcano Rifle
8. Schofield Revolver
9. Volcanic Pistol
10. Repeating Shotgun
11. M1899 Pistol
12. Lasso
13. Carbine Repeater
14. Double-Action Revolver
15. Bolt Action Rifle
16. Cattleman Revolver
17. Varmint Rifle
18. Semi-Automatic Pistol
19. Double-Barreled Shotgun
20. Semi-Auto Shotgun
21. Springfield Rifle
22. Litchfield Repeater
23. Mauser Pistol
24. Sawed-Off Shotgun

Final Thoughts

The most useful RDR2 weapons aren’t always the ones with the highest raw damage.

Reliability, magazine size, accuracy, fire rate, range, and versatility matter just as much.

The Lancaster Repeater stands out because it performs well in almost every normal combat situation, while weapons like the Pump-Action Shotgun, Rolling Block Rifle, Bow, and LeMat Revolver dominate more specialized roles.

The best loadout ultimately depends on how you play, but understanding the strengths and weaknesses of every weapon makes it much easier to build an arsenal that works for you.