Key Takeaways for CS:GO Weapons Guide: Pistols
- Switching to your pistol is always faster than reloading your primary.
- The USP-S is preferred over the P2000 as the starting CT pistol.
- The Glock-18 has a three-bullet burst-fire option.
A Brief Overview of Pistols in CS:GO
Pistols in CS:GO are among the cheapest items on the in-game buy menu, all ranging from $200-$700 dollars at most. These firearms are considered secondary weapons and, regardless of whether or not the player died in the previous round, will always have at least their starting Terrorist or Counter-Terrorist pistol at the beginning of a new round.
There are ten pistols in the game, three of which are exclusive to the CTs, two belonging to the Ts, while the other five are shared. In a normal game, however, each player is restricted to a loadout of only five pistols and requires swapping out before loading into a game if they wish to use a different weapon. Just like in most other First-Person Shooter titles, switching to your pistol is always faster than reloading your primary weapon especially in a heated firefight.
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Glock-18
The Glock-18 is the default and only starting pistol exclusive to the Terrorist side of play. It comes with 20 bullets in the magazine and 120 in reserve, making it a very reliable asset to spam through bomb sites while clearing corners in attempts to outgun the Counter-Terrorists early on. If a player wishes, they can also purchase the Glock-18 from the buy menu for only $200.
It also comes with a burst-fire option, which a player can toggle by clicking on their right mouse button by default. In burst-fire, a Glock-18 will shoot three bullets at once with an upwards recoil trajectory, though it will take a few moments before another set of shots can be fired again.
P2000
The P2000 is the default starting pistol exclusive to the Counter-Terrorists when you first open the game in launch settings, and is one of two available for equipping alongside the USP-S. It has 13 bullets in the magazine and 52 in reserve, a significant amount more than its silenced counterpart and can also be purchased from the buy menu for only $200.
USP-S
The USP-S is the second available starting pistol exclusive to Counter-Terrorists, and the preferred choice for most players especially in the professional scene. It has a very small clip of 12 bullets in the magazine and only 24 in reserve, over 100 less than the Glock-18s of the Terrorist side.
It does, however, feature a silencer which improves its accuracy in game and only requires two headshots to kill a full-health opponent with a helmet compared to the Glock-18’s three. Similar to the other two starting pistols it can also be found in the buy menu for only $200.
Tec-9
The Tec-9 is the second Terrorist-exclusive pistol in the game and can be purchased for $500 in the buy menu. It holds 18 rounds at a time with 90 in reserve, but the Tec-9’s armor penetration is where the firearm truly stands out as it can one-tap an opponent with a helmet from short distances. It does, however, suffer from inaccuracy while moving and has a hefty recoil while spamming through the magazine in a single go.
Five-SeveN
The Five-SeveN is the third exclusive pistol for the Counter-Terrorist side and can be found in the same weapon slot as the Tec-9 when playing as the defenders. It features a 20-round magazine with 100 in reserve, just slightly less than the Glock-18, and can be purchased for $500.
It boasts good stats across the board and can kill an opponent with a helmet through a single headshot from medium-range, but it’s also a viable option for running-and-gunning as the spray and recoil are more forgiving than its T-side counterpart.
CZ75-Auto
The CZ75-Auto, also referred to as just the CZ, is the only fully-automatic pistol in the game and arguably the most dangerous of the bunch in point-blank range. It takes up the same loadout slot as the Five-SeveN and Tec-9 which means you have to swap either out in order to use it in-game. For $500 dollars, it holds 12 rounds in the magazine with only 12 additional in reserve, making it a single-reload gun. Its recoil is a major disadvantage, however, as it is extremely difficult to control which could prove costly even in close-range fights.
P250
The P250 is a cheap, reliable upgrade for the starting pistol on either the CT or T side. It costs only $300 for 13 rounds and 26 in reserve. While the ammunition quantity makes it sound like a glorified and unsilenced USP-S, it boasts the same rate of fire as the Glock-18 and higher damage output than both the CT starting pistols making it a clear upgrade.
Dual Berettas
The Dual Berettas are the only dual-wielding weapon in the game, available on both Terrorist and Counter-Terrorist sides. They cost $300 and boast the largest ammunition capacity of all pistols with a 30 round magazine and 120 in reserve. Though they offer the least amount of damage especially against armored opponents and are the least accurate pistols, the extensive ammo supply and low recoil make them a cheap and fun option especially in eco rounds.
R8 Revolver
Once upon a time during the early days of its release, the R8 Revolver was the undisputed king of all pistols in CS:GO. Nowadays, it’s a mere shell of its former self and stuck in the shadow of the Desert Eagle. For $700, it holds eight rounds in the magazine with only eight more in reserve giving it the lowest count out of any weapon in the game. While no longer the 100% accurate death machine it once was, the R8 Revolver still packs a mighty punch with a single headshot resulting in a kill at any range.
The R8 Revolver also has two different modes similar to the Glock-18. Its regular left-click shot has a slight delay waiting for the chamber to align but also delivers 100% accuracy on where you’re aiming. Its right-click option is faster, similar to most pistols in the game, but the accuracy is completely unreliable unless taking a fight at close-range.
Desert Eagle
Last but certainly not the least on this list is the Desert Eagle, or Deagle for short as the community calls it. Referred to as the ‘Pocket AWP’, it lives up to its name by being an extremely deadly asset in the right hands all for the small price of $700. Just like the R8 Revolver, it has a high base damage even against armored opponents and is capable of producing a kill with just a single headshot regardless of range.
The Deagle has a strong recoil which also messes up the accuracy if fired in quick succession, making it better off for slow taps starting from mid-range. Still, it’s the preferred choice over the R8 Revolver especially given that it has seven rounds in the magazine with 35 as reserve and that it doesn’t suffer from the slight delay the R8’s left-click option has to deal with.
