CJ stands in the middle of Ganton, surrounded by Ballas. You’re low on health. Your pistol is empty. In any other game, you’re dead. But in 2004, and even now in the definitive editions, we had a secret weapon that didn't require aiming. You just had to be fast with your thumbs. Honestly, san andreas gun cheats are more than just "cheats" at this point; they are a fundamental mechanic of how most of us actually played the game.
Rockstar Games didn't just give us one set of weapons. They gave us tiers. Depending on your mood, you could be a street-level thug or a literal walking army.
The Three Tiers of Destruction
Most people remember the basic sets. You’ve got LXGIWYL, PROFESSIONALSKIT, and NUTTERTOOLS. These aren't just random strings of letters. For those playing on PS2 back in the day, these were muscle memory patterns that felt like playing a mini-game of Dance Dance Revolution on your controller.
The first set is the "Thug" kit. It’s basic. You get the brass knuckles, the bat, the 9mm, and the uzi. It’s great for the early game when you’re just trying to take over a few territories in Los Santos without feeling like you're breaking the immersion too much. But let’s be real. Nobody stays at the thug level for long.
The "Professional" set (Set 2) is where things get interesting. You get the fire extinguisher—which is surprisingly lethal if you're creative—and the Sawn-off shotgun. There is something uniquely satisfying about the Sawn-off in San Andreas. Once you hit hitman level with it, CJ holds one in each hand. It turns the game into a completely different experience. You aren't just playing a sandbox game; you're playing an action movie.
The Heavy Stuff
Then there’s Set 3. This is for when you've finally had enough of the San Fierro police department. We’re talking Chainsaws. We’re talking the M4. We’re talking the heat-seeking rocket launcher.
If you use the NUTTERTOOLS (or the button combo: R1, R2, L1, R2, Left, Down, Right, Up, Left, Down, Down, Down), you are basically a god. The heat-seeking launcher is particularly broken in the best way possible. You can lock onto those annoying police mavericks from three blocks away. It’s glorious.
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Why We Still Use Them
You might think using san andreas gun cheats ruins the challenge. Some purists argue that the struggle of earning money to buy weapons at Ammu-Nation is the "real" way to play. They’re wrong. Well, maybe not wrong, but they’re missing the point of what Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas actually is.
This game is a chaos simulator.
The missions are iconic, sure. "Wrong Side of the Tracks" is a rite of passage. But the most memorable moments for most players happen between the missions. It’s the ten-minute rampage you go on because a taxi driver nicked your fender. Without instant access to an RPG or a Minigun, those moments lose their spontaneity.
The Hitman Stat Workaround
Here is a detail a lot of casual players miss: the cheats give you the guns, but they don't give you the skill.
In San Andreas, your weapon proficiency increases as you use the gun. If you’re a "Poor" rank, your reload times are slow and your aim is shaky. Even with the best san andreas gun cheats active, you still have to put in the work to reach "Hitman" status.
However, there’s a trick. If you want to level up fast, find a car in a secluded garage. Fire your weapon into the tires or the body of the car repeatedly. Because the car is in a garage, it won't explode as easily (or at all, if you're careful), and your skill bar will skyrocket. It’s a grind, but a "Hitman" level M4 is a surgical tool.
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The "Infinite" Problem
The most sought-after cheat isn't actually a weapon set. It’s FULLCLIP.
Running out of ammo mid-firefight is the only thing that can kill the vibe of a good rampage. In the PC version, typing FULLCLIP gives you infinite ammo and removes the need to reload. On consoles, the code is L1, R1, Square, R1, Left, R2, R1, Left, Square, Down, L1, L1.
Wait. Think about that. You never have to reload.
The Tec-9 becomes a fire hose of lead. The combat shotgun becomes an unstoppable wall of force. If you combine this with the "Hitman" skill level mentioned earlier, CJ becomes more powerful than any protagonist in the later games, including the three guys in GTA V.
A Word of Caution for Trophy Hunters
If you are playing the Definitive Edition or the older "Classics" versions on modern consoles, you need to be careful. Activating san andreas gun cheats will disable Trophies and Achievements for that save file.
It’s a bummer.
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Rockstar essentially forces you to choose between the "official" recognition of your progress and the pure, unadulterated fun of having a rocket launcher in your pocket at all times. My advice? Keep two saves. One "clean" save for your 100% completion run, and one "chaos" save where you let the codes fly.
Also, it’s worth noting that some cheats can't be "undone." If you save your game after inputting certain codes—like the one that makes pedestrians riot or carry weapons—you might permanently brick your ability to finish certain story missions. The gun cheats are generally safe, but always, always have a backup save before you start messing with the game's internal logic.
The Cultural Impact of the Cheat Code
We don't see this anymore. Modern games have "Microtransactions." They have "Time-savers" you buy with real money.
In San Andreas, the "Time-savers" were free. They were a gift from the developers to the players. The community used to trade these codes on printed-out sheets of paper in school hallways. You’d have a crumpled piece of notebook paper in your pocket with "R1, R2, L1, R2..." scribbled in blue ink.
That’s a level of community engagement you just can't manufacture with a battle pass. Using san andreas gun cheats is a nostalgic trip back to a time when games felt like toys meant to be broken, rather than services meant to be monetized.
Practical Next Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re hopping back into San Andreas today, don't just spam the codes and go nuts immediately.
- Get your stats up first. Use the garage trick to hit Hitman level with the SMG and the Shotgun.
- Focus on Set 2. It’s the most balanced for general gameplay. The fire extinguisher is a hidden gem for crowd control, and the M4 is the best all-around rifle in the game.
- Trigger the Jetpack. While not a "gun" cheat, ROCKETMAN is the best companion to any weapon set. Sniping from the top of the Gant Bridge or the Los Santos skyscrapers is only possible if you have an easy way to get up there.
- Watch your save files. If you’re on the Definitive Edition, manually save before you enter your first code. The auto-save can be a bit aggressive and might lock you out of achievements before you realize what happened.
The beauty of this game is that it lets you choose your level of reality. You can be a guy trying to fix his neighborhood, or you can be a one-man army with a minigun and a jetpack. Both are valid. Both are fun. But only one involves a lot of explosions.