RE4 Remake Best Handgun: Handguns 2

Compare the best handguns in resident evil 4 remake, including the Red 9, Blacktail, and Punisher. Find out where and when to get them.

Red 9 Pistol

The Red 9 was the most powerful handgun in the original Resident Evil 4. While still powerful, its usefulness is slightly diminished in the remake due to fewer guns supporting laser sights. Its main drawback is its large inventory space requirement when the stock is attached, which is necessary for its extra damage.

You can find the Red 9 in Chapter 4, located on the shipwreck in the middle of the lake.

Blacktail

The Blacktail is a strong contender for the best handgun in resident evil 4 remake, rivaling the Red 9. It boasts high firepower, great accuracy, and a fast firing rate, while taking up significantly less inventory space than the Red 9 with its stock. You can purchase it from the Merchant starting in Chapter 7, though it remains expensive.

Punisher

The Punisher's key feature is its ability to pierce through multiple enemies, making it effective for crowd control. While sacrificing some firepower, it's a good upgrade over the starting handgun, especially early on. The exclusive upgrade, allowing it to pierce up to five enemies, is generally considered overkill as piercing two or three is usually sufficient. It is weaker than the Blacktail and Red 9 and has a less impressive exclusive upgrade. It serves as a solid interim weapon until the Red 9 becomes available.

You can trade for the Punisher with the Merchant for five Spinels, the currency obtained from completing Requests. This can be done as early as your first Merchant visit in Chapter 2.

Matilda

The Matilda's main feature is its burst-fire capability, which can be useful but consumes ammunition rapidly. Unlike in previous versions, it's no longer a post-game unlockable. However, better options like the Blacktail and Red 9 are generally preferred. If you choose to use the Matilda, it's recommended to use an Attache case that increases handgun ammo drops.

You can trade for the Matilda from the Merchant for 10 Spinels, starting from Chapter 8.

SG-09 R

The SG-09 R is the starting handgun and is a decent all-rounder. Its main disadvantage is the lack of unique features found in other handguns. It serves its purpose adequately as a starting weapon, but it's advisable to switch to another handgun as soon as possible, ideally the Punisher before the Red 9 becomes available.

Sentinel Nine

The Sentinel Nine is a DLC (downloadable content — extra missions or items released after launch) Weapon available with the Deluxe Edition of resident evil 4 remake or as a separate purchase. It shares many similarities with the SG-09 R. When fully upgraded, it has the lowest damage output alongside the Punisher but boasts a higher rate of fire and the highest max ammo capacity (31) among all handguns. Its exclusive upgrade significantly increases the critical hit rate by 5x, making each shot more impactful.