Resident Evil 5 isn't really a horror game. It’s a resource management puzzle disguised as a Michael Bay action flick. If you’ve spent any time in Kijuju, you know that the sheer variety of all weapons in Resident Evil 5 can be overwhelming. Most players just grab the first shotgun they find, pump some gold into it, and call it a day. That’s a mistake.
Choosing the right gear isn't just about damage numbers. It’s about "critical hit" percentages, piercing stats, and reload speeds that keep you from getting mauled by a chainsaw-wielding maniac while Chris Redfield is busy punching a literal boulder.
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The Handgun Dilemma: Accuracy vs. Raw Power
You start with the M92F. It’s iconic. It’s also kinda weak compared to what’s coming. Most people stick with the M92F because it eventually holds 100 rounds. That's a lot of bullets. But honestly? If you need 100 bullets in a single magazine, you’re missing too many shots.
The H&K P8 is the intellectual’s choice. Why? Piercing. In RE5, enemies love to hide behind wooden shields or line up in tight corridors. The P8 lets you shoot through the first guy and hit the second. It saves ammo. It saves time.
Then there’s the SIG P226. It’s a beast. If you want a handgun that feels like a mini-cannon, this is it. It has the highest base damage of any 9mm in the game once fully upgraded. However, you sacrifice that massive magazine capacity. It’s a trade-off. You have to decide if you trust your aim enough to go for the SIG or if you need the safety net of the M92F’s bottomless clip.
The Secret King of Handguns
Don’t overlook the M93R. You can't just find this in a crate. You have to fully upgrade the M92F first. It’s a three-round burst machine. It eats ammo like a hungry dog, but it staggers enemies almost instantly. If you're playing on Professional difficulty, that stagger is the difference between life and death.
Shotguns: Cleaning Up the Mess
Every Resident Evil fan knows the shotgun is the "get out of jail free" card. In RE5, the Ithaca M37 is your first taste of power. It’s reliable. It’s basic. But the real star of the early game is the M3.
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The M3 is a pump-action powerhouse. It hits harder than the Ithaca, but it lacks the "Critical" upgrade path that makes the Ithaca surprisingly lethal for headshots. If you’re looking at all weapons in Resident Evil 5, the M3 is the middle child. It’s good, but it’s often ignored for the flashy stuff.
The Hydra and the Jailbreaker
The Jailbreaker is weird. It’s a semi-auto shotgun with incredible range. Most shotguns in this game have the spread of a wet sneeze, but the Jailbreaker actually reaches out and touches someone. It’s great for the Marshlands where Majini are sniping at you from across the water.
Then we have the Hydra. This is the triple-barrel beast you unlock after upgrading the Ithaca. When Chris holds this, he uses a unique one-handed firing animation. It looks cool. It feels cool. And at close range? Nothing survives. It has the widest spread in the game, making it the ultimate tool for crowd control when you’re cornered in a shanty town.
Machine Guns: More Than Just Spray and Pray
The VZ61 is your first SMG. It’s basically a pea-shooter. But, much like the first handgun, it has a secret: the Critical Hit upgrade. A fully kitted VZ61 has a massive critical rate. You aren't killing them with damage; you're killing them because their heads keep exploding.
- H&K MP5: This is the tactical choice. It has built-in piercing. If you’re fighting the Gatling Gun Majini, the MP5 can chip away at them through cover.
- AK-74: It kicks like a mule. The recoil is obnoxious. But the damage? It’s basically an assault rifle. If you can tap-fire and control the climb, it’s one of the most efficient ways to clear a room.
- SIG 556: The fastest reload in the class. In a game where the reload animation is your biggest enemy, the SIG is a lifesaver.
Rifles: The Professional’s Choice
If you aren't using a rifle in RE5, you’re making the game 50% harder. The S75 is bolt-action. It’s slow. It’s cumbersome. But it has the highest damage per shot of any rifle. It’s a sniper’s sniper.
The Dragunov (SVD) is semi-auto. It’s great for the Mines. The scope wobbles a bit, which is annoying, but being able to fire three shots in the time the S75 fires one is huge.
But the H&K PSG-1 is the gold standard. When you upgrade its scope, the zoom is incredible. It also has the least amount of "sway" when aiming. If you’re trying to hit the tiny weak points on a boss like Irving, the PSG-1 is your best friend.
The Big Guns: Magnums and Special Gear
Magnums are the boss killers. The S&W M29 is the classic "Dirty Harry" gun. It’s loud, slow, and devastating. However, the L. Hawk (Desert Eagle) is often better because of its reload speed and piercing.
If you want the absolute peak of all weapons in Resident Evil 5, you have to talk about the S&W M500. You unlock this by maxing out the M29. It does 5,000 damage. To put that in perspective, most standard enemies have a few hundred HP. It’s overkill. It’s expensive to upgrade. It’s worth every penny.
Explosives and Melee
Don't sleep on the Grenade Launcher. It’s the most versatile tool in Chris or Sheva’s inventory. You have six different ammo types:
- Explosive (Standard boom)
- Acid (Great for Lickers)
- Nitrogen (Freezes enemies solid—one kick and they shatter)
- Flame (Essential for U-8 and anything with tentacles)
- Flash (Instantly kills Plaga parasites)
- Electric (Stuns the chainsaw guys)
And then there's the Longbow. Only Sheva can use it. It has no laser sight. You have to aim it by "feel." It’s difficult to master, but it has infinite ammo. If you can get good with the arc of the arrow, Sheva becomes a silent, unstoppable goddess of death.
The Infamous Gatling Gun
Chris gets the Gatling Gun. It requires a fully upgraded VZ61 to unlock. It's ridiculous. It takes up half the screen. It has a massive ammo backpack that makes it hard to see what’s behind you. It also has a spin-up time.
Is it practical? Not really. Is it fun? Absolutely. On lower difficulties, you can just walk through the game holding the trigger. On Professional, the spin-up time will get you killed because you can't move quickly while firing.
Why Your Upgrade Strategy Matters
A common mistake is spreading your gold too thin. You shouldn't try to upgrade every gun you find. Pick a lane. If you like the M3 shotgun, commit to it.
The "Infinite Ammo" feature is the endgame goal. Once you fully upgrade a weapon and finish the campaign, you can buy the infinite ammo version with Exchange Points. This changes the game entirely. The S&W M500 with infinite ammo turns Resident Evil 5 into a point-and-click adventure where everything in front of you disappears.
Real-World Nuance: The Co-op Factor
You have to think about your partner. If you’re playing with a human, talk about who takes which ammo. If you’re playing with the AI (poor Sheva), give her the Rifle. The AI in RE5 is actually a god-tier sniper. She rarely misses. If you give her a machine gun, she will waste every bullet in thirty seconds. Give her the bolt-action S75 and she will provide perfect cover while you do the heavy lifting with a shotgun.
The game tracks "Total Kills" and "Accuracy" for your final rank. Using the right tool for the job isn't just about survival; it’s about getting that S-Rank.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Playthrough
- Prioritize Reload Speed: Early on, damage feels like the most important stat. It isn't. Capacity and Reload Speed keep you alive during the "Public Assembly" fight where you're constantly being swarmed.
- The Flash Trick: Always keep Flash Rounds or Flash Grenades for the Cephalo (the worm-heads that pop out of Majini). It's an instant kill and saves you three clips of handgun ammo.
- Sell the Junk: You don't need three different types of handguns. Pick the P8 or the SIG and sell the others. Use that gold to max out your primary shotgun immediately.
- Vests are Weapons too: Don't forget the Melee Vest and Bulletproof Vest. They don't take up much space and they drastically reduce the "hit stun" you take, allowing you to fire back faster.
Resident Evil 5 is a game about momentum. If you have the right gear, you're the hunter. If you have a cluttered inventory of unupgraded junk, you're the prey. Focus on one weapon per category, learn the reload timings, and remember that sometimes the best weapon is a well-timed punch to the face after a stagger shot.