Ipad Top Ads

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Hand Cannons for Early, Mid, and End Game

Destiny 2 Best Hand Cannons

By

Updated:

30 Jul 2021

Hand cannons are powerful revolvers that excel in close/mid-range combat. They hit hard, and work great as your primary or secondary weapon offering a hard kick with some nice payoff. Today we’ve curated our top 10 hand cannons for early, mid, and late game activities.

How the List Works:

Most of these weapons have either a predetermined (curated) perk roll as a random perk roll. Since naming every possible perk for each weapon would be a pain to read, we’ll list it’s curated traits/perks and its stats when it has the curated roll. Don’t worry though, we’ll provide a link to the full weapon breakdown in the Weapon Details section for each weapon.

Our Top 10 Hand Cannons

Allegro-34 (Early)
Dire Promise (Early/Mid/Late)
The Old Fashioned (Early/Mid/Late)
Sunshot (Early/Mid/Late)
Jack Queen King 3 (Early/Mid)
Sturm (Early/Mid)
Nature of The Beast (Early/Mid)
Hawkmoon (Mid/Late)
Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver (Late/Mid)
Posterity (Late/Mid)

1. Allegro-34 (Early)

SUROS invites you to pick up the pace.

The only blue rarity gun on our list, the Allegro-34 is well known because of its ability to compete with some legendaries. Even though it’s not something you can have for very long since you’ll likely get better gear in time, this hand cannon will serve you well.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 84

Range: 45

Stability: 69

Handling: 59

Reload Speed: 42

Rounds/Min: 140

Magazine: 9

Perks:

Adaptive Frame: A well-rounded grip, reliable and sturdy.

Opening Shot: Improved accuracy and range on the opening shot of the attack.

What makes Allegro-34 good?:

Good stats
Overall reliable

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/653875715-allegro-34#

How to get Allegro-34:

This weapon is a world drop from playing in different activities.

Allegro-34 in Action:

2. Dire Promise (Early/Mid/Late)

Body Image

"If you think this world ends well, you are mistaken." —Arach Jalaal

Dire Promise is a hand cannon that has the awesome look of a classic revolver but the power you would expect from a sci-fi six-shooter, (it, has 11 rounds by the way.) It’s a consistent hand cannon with some good rolls. It’s a good workhorse weapon that is reliable in any activity.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 80

Range: 41

Stability: 68

Handling: 75

Reload Speed: 54

Rounds/Min: 150

Magazine: 11

Perks:

Lightweight Frame: Superb handling. Move faster with this weapon equipped.

Triple Tap: Rapidly landing precision hits will return 1 round to the magazine.

Swashbuckler: This weapon gains increased damage from melee kills and kills with this weapon.

What makes Dire Promise good?:

Good stability
Good handling
Consistent shooting

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2742838701-dire-promise#

How to get Dire Promise:

Dire Promise in Action:

3. The Old Fashioned (Early/Mid/Late)

This is the way things were.

Now back in my day, we’d deal with problems the old fashioned way. By shooting them with a hand cannon. Well come to think of it, it doesn’t seem like anything’s changed much since then. This gun is the counterpart to the beloved Dire Promise, offering a similar performance but a somewhat different experience.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 84

Range: 53

Stability: 60

Handling: 64

Reload Speed: 49

Rounds/Min: 140

Magazine: 9

Perks:

Adaptive Frame: A well-rounded grip, reliable and sturdy.

Slideshot: Sliding partially reloads this weapon's magazine and temporarily boosts range and stability.

Surrounded: This weapon gains bonus damage when three or more enemies are in close proximity.

What makes The Old Fashioned good?:

Good stats
Reliable
Easy to get

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3569802112-the-old-fashioned

How to get The Old Fashioned:

The Old Fashioned in Action:

4. Sunshot (Early/Mid/Late)

"Can't outrun the sunrise." —Liu Feng

Get the sunscreen kids. This Exotic Solar hand cannon packs a punch with an explosive surprise. Sunshot’s rounds explode and highlight targets that are hit in the case they don’t die right away. It’s exotic trait Sun Blast adds insult to injury by making enemies explode when they are killed. This is a consistent gun that can chain kills in PvE.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact: 80

Range: 47

Stability: 51

Handling: 92

Reload Speed: 75

Rounds/Min: 150

Magazine: 12

Perks:

Sunburn: This weapon fires explosive rounds and highlights targets that take damage from Sunshot.

Sun Blast: Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy.

What makes Sunshot good?:

Great handling
Good reload speed
Good stability
Good for clearing groups with a few shots

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2907129557-sunshot#

How to get Sunshot:

You can acquire this gun as a random exotic engram world drop or purchase it from Xur if he has it in stock for 29 Legendary Shards.

Sunshot in Action:

5. Jack Queen King 3 (Early/Mid)

An army meets, and stands, and falls. Three nobles wage their hopeless war. In shifting madness, evil crawls. One stands above the battle's roar.

Jack Queen King 3 is a versatile hand cannon that performs great in PvE and Pvp, assuming you get a good roll suited for the job. The curated roll for this Arc hand cannon comes with Rampage and Pulse Monitor, which aren’t the best but work well. If you’re willing to farm a little, you can score some amazing perks that enhance this already good gun.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 80

Range: 50

Stability: 55

Handling: 87

Reload Speed: 63

Rounds/Min: 150

Magazine: 13

Perks:

Lightweight Frame: Superb handling. Move faster with this weapon equipped.

Pulse Monitor: Automatically reloads the magazine and improves weapon handling when critically wounded—even when this weapon is stowed.

Rampage: Kills with this weapon temporarily grant increased damage. Stacks 3x.

What makes Jack Queen King 3 good?:

Good impact
Good handling
Perk rolls make it versatile

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/410996590-jack-queen-king-3#

How to get Jack Queen King 3:

Jack Queen King 3 in Action:

6. Sturm (Early/Mid)

These ancient ceremonial pistols can be dated back to the early Golden Age. A faded inscription reads, "To Sigrun, from Victor."

Sturm is a hand cannon that needs a friend. It’s friend being the legendary sidearm Drang, and when you have these two equipped they make quite a duo. When you get kills with Drang it reloads and gives Sturm an overcharged (higher damage) extra round in its magazine. But that’s not all, Sturm kills refills your energy weapon ammo, simply put, it means these weapons practically reload each other.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact:92

Range: 73

Stability: 56

Handling: 37

Reload Speed:37

Rounds/Min: 110

Magazine: 12

Perks:

Accomplice: Kills with this weapon fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves.

Storm and Stress: Kills with Drang reload this weapon and overflows bonus damage round into the magazine.

What makes Sturm good?:

High Impact
Good range
Energy ammo generation from the exotic perk

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2907129556-sturm#

How to get Sturm:

Sturm in Action:

7. Nature of The Beast (Early/Mid)

Don't let them change you.

While it is in the less popular 180 RPM archetype of hand cannons, this weapon performs surprisingly well in PvP. The shooting is fairly snappy and is pretty precise for this kind of hand cannon. If you get the chance, give it a try, it might be the right one for you.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 78

Range: 46

Stability: 60

Handling: 37

Reload Speed: 33

Rounds/Min: 180

Magazine: 12

Perks:

Precision Frame: Recoil pattern on this weapon is more predictably vertical. Fires quickly with high accuracy.

Subsistence: Kills partially reload the magazine from reserves, but reserve capacity is reduced.

Dragonfly: Precision kills create an elemental damage explosion.

What makes Nature of the Beast good?:

Good stats
Reliable
Best in its archetype

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/1835747805-nature-of-the-beast#

How to get Nature of the Beast:

Nature of the Beast in Action:

8. Hawkmoon (Mid/Late)

Stalk thy prey and let loose thy talons upon the Darkness.

With the launch of the Beyond Light expansion, the Hawkmoon returned. This exotic hand cannon is a versatile weapon that does great in most activities. It’s got good stats all around and the exotic perk rewards you for precision kills with the last round doing extra damage. There’s a good reason players missed this gun.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 71

Range: 61

Stability: 76

Handling: 83

Reload Speed: 63

Rounds/Min: 140

Magazine: 8

Perks:

Paracausal Shot: Final round damage for precision hits.

Smooth Grip: This weapon is slightly easier to hold and aim.

What makes Hawkmoon good?:

Not very difficult to get
Performs well in any activity
Good overall stats

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3856705927-hawkmoon

How to get Hawkmoon:

Hawkmoon in Action:

9. Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver (Late/Mid)

Body Image

A thing of elegance from a more civilized age.

A weapon of a more civilized age, or was that a lightsaber? Anyway, this hand cannon makes a good choice for when you’re on your way to the late game content. I recommend you look for one that rolls with Timed Payload or Hight Impact Reserves. The former being a good perk for PvE.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 78

Range: 44

Stability: 57

Handling: 46

Reload Speed: 54

Rounds/Min: 180

Magazine: 9

Perks:

Precision Frame: Recoil pattern is more vertical.

Firmly Planted: Increased accuracy, stability, and handling when firing while crouched.

Feeding Frenzy: Each rapid kill with this weapon progressively increases reload speed for a short time.

What makes Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver good?:

Good stats
Overall reliable

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3037520408-seventh-seraph-officer-revolver

How to get Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver:

Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver in Action

10. Posterity (Late/Mid)

A single word is etched inside the barrel: "Anastasia-1."

This unique looking hand cannon belongs to the less popular 180 RPM archetype, but don’t let that scare you away, It’s got it where it counts. This raid hand cannon has some good rolls that pay for your trouble for going through the Deep Stone Crypt.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 78

Range: 45

Stability: 73

Handling: 42

Reload Speed: 44

Rounds/Min: 180

Magazine: 13

Perks:

Precision Frame: Recoil pattern on this weapon is more predictably vertical. Fires quickly with high accuracy.

Genesis: Breaking a combatant's shield with this weapon fills its magazine from reserves. Energy weapons regenerate ammo on hit when matching the damage type to the combatant's shield.

One for All: Hitting three separate targets increases damage for a moderate duration.

What makes Posterity good?:

Good perk rolls
Decent stability
Good in PvE

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3281285075-posterity#

How to get Posterity:

Posterity in Action:

Liked our list? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

You may also be interested in:

Email us about this article

Top 3 Favorite Games:

Saints Row IV, Left 4 Dead 2, XCOM 2

More Top Stories

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Solar Weapons That Are Powerful (Ranked)

Solar weapons are an important part of a Guardian's armory in Destiny 2, as they unleash powerful fire damage to torch enemies and face challenges around the solar system. Solar weapons include armaments for various combat conditions, from primary auto rifles to heavy-hitting rocket launchers. Guardians use solar shotguns in close-quarters battles, precision solar sniper rifles in long-range comba

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Overload Weapons That Are Most Powerful (And How To Get Them)

Champions, the bane of every Destiny 2 season, always coming around to ruin your fun and stomp you into a paste. They are annoying to deal with, either they make a barrier to heal up all the damage you did, don’t stagger when taking damage, or just slap you into next week. You have to deal with them and you have to deal with them quickly to survive most high-level activities. Below is a list of

[Top 15] Best Sci-Fi Games To Play Right Now

It seems now more than ever, we’ve entered a Golden Age of video game design and concept. There is always a new game on the horizon that promises a truly revolutionary take on a beloved setting or idea. This is of course, only good news for game aficionados. If you’re one for exploring the depths of space, or like to imagine the different futures humanity may mold, sci-fi games are sure to dra

Top 5 Best Destiny 2 Scout Rifles 2019 (And How To Get Them)

Scout rifles. There are many of them in Destiny 2, but which ones are worth using? Since the release of Destiny 2 scout rifles have been categorized as some of the worst weapons to use. However, there are some that rise above the others. In this article I will be listing my top five scout rifles in all of Destiny 2. 1. MIDA Multi-Tool MIDA Multi-Tool is a returning D1 exotic weapon. It was

[Top 12] Destiny 2 Best Fusion Rifles That Wreck Hard (Ranked)

One-shot kill weapons are the fan-favourite weapon category from the OG Destiny 1, and you can master this art with the Fusion rifles. This weapon is the energy weapon version of Destiny 2. These extremely powerful weapons release a burst of energy, converting your enemies into smoke in the blink of an eye. They can easily counter any weapon in the game. This weapon archetype has a special place f

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Armor Builds

It takes more than a cool gun to be the biggest and baddest in Destiny 2. You can be armed to the teeth but you won’t get anywhere without having the right armor suited to your subclass and weapons. To help you out, we’ve curated 10 builds that focus on synergizing your abilities and gear with an exotic armor piece to squeeze every drop of potential out of them. Each build comes from a creato

[Top 15] Destiny 2 Best Machine Guns That Are Powerful (And How To Get Them)

[Top 15] Destiny 2 Best Machine Guns And How To Get Them Machine guns are one of the most fun yet underrated weapons in Destiny 2. If you know what gun and traits you should have, you can dominate with these guns in PvP and PvE activities. Despite recent buffs, they still lag behind other power weapons in enormous boss damage. (Not talking about Xenophage; we all know that gun has its own cat

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Pulse Rifles and How To Get Them

In Destiny 2 we often have a weapon for every occasion, an auto rifle for hordes of enemies or a scout rifle for picking off enemies at a distance. (unless you play Titan like me, sprinting forward until the enemy’s in punching range). While the multiple-gun method is fine and dandy, when you want the best of speed and accuracy pulse rifles are the way to go. Today we have a list of the best pul

[Top 5] The Destiny 2 Best AoE Class Builds

Area of Effect, abbreviated as AoE, is damage (usually in the form of shockwaves or explosions) that spreads out a certain range. This is effective against groups of enemies and some abilities’ damage lingers, dealing damage over time. With this in mind, we’ve curated our top 5 best AoE class builds in Destiny 2. How this list works: We’ll list what mods, armor, and weapons you’ll need t

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best PvE Weapons

Top 10 Destiny 2 PvE Weapons If you want to have the best weapons to destroy the worst enemies in Destiny 2, this is the article for you. Your Fireteam needs you, Guardian. Whether you’re grinding for engrams in public events or pounding away at Emperor Calus in the Leviathan Raid, you need to have the best weapons for every situation. This means keeping up to date with which weapons in Destiny

Top 5 Best Destiny 2 Kinetic Hand Cannons 2019 (And How To Get Them)

Among all of the weapons made available to you Destiny 2’s universe, the Hand Cannon is by far the most iconic of them all. This weapon type was pioneered by Bungie in Destiny back in 2014 and has since made Hand Cannons the face of the Destiny Franchise. This list will help narrow down the top 5 Kinetic Hand Cannons currently available in game with the release of the Season of Opulence and ho

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Gambit Weapons and How to Get Them

There is a renewed focus on Destiny 2’s Gambit. With the Witch Queen expansion, this core activity saw a lot of changes implemented with the hope of addressing some of the more obvious pain points. Heavy ammo, for example. Such that you may be hearing The Drifter’s soothing voice calling you in to slay some enemies once more. And to do so, here are the current ten best weapons to use in Destin

[Top 15] Destiny 2 Best Pulse Rifles and How To Get Them

Pulse rifles are the everyman’s weapons. These guns fire in 3 round bursts, giving you a little bit of a scout rifle’s accuracy but some of the fast firing rate of an auto rifle. This compromise of qualities makes pulse rifles some of the most versatile guns that can handle themselves in any activity. Here we’ll give you our top 15 pulse rifles and how you can snag them for yourself. Our To

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Shotguns That Are Most Powerful (And How To Get Them)

Shotguns are quite numerous in Destiny 2 and most often you’ll find players with at least one equipped in their current loadout. Why? Because there’s no better way to outright delete an enemy that is too close for other weapons to handle. Shotguns, like in real life, are the kings in close-quarters combat and cause massive amounts of damage. That being said, it’s by no means an easy weapon t

[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Swords and How To Get Them (August 2021)

Swords are a favorite power weapon among many players, their limited range is overshadowed by how powerful they are against groups of enemies and enemy players in PvE. Also, swords also have the passive effect of making you look cooler than all of your (non-existent) friends. So let’s impress them and cut up bad guys with our list of the top 10 best swords in Destiny 2 and how you can get them.

Top 15 Best Free FPS Games for PC

With games as a service and freemium models taking over the gaming industry, a lot of players have been looking for good, quality games you can get on a budget. With FPS games dominating the mainstream currently, a large amount of free FPS games have been released. Player’s may feel overwhelmed when trying to find a quality FPS game to download, so we put together a list. Here’s our Top 15 Fre

[Top 5] Destiny 2 Best Sniper Rifles And How To Get Them

I’m here to reveal the best Sniper Rifles in Destiny 2 and how to get them. There are so few, yet so many of them out there and it’s hard to choose which one to use, and then there’s the part of where to get them. Here are the best D2 sniper rifles all in one place. 5. Whisper Of The Worm Whisper Of The Worm Inventory Picture From Destiny 2 Starting our countdown to number one is

[Top 15] Destiny 2 Best Submachine Guns and How To Get Them

Submachine guns are Destiny 2’s solution for those who want to riddle their enemies with bullets at close quarters. These compact weapons come as both kinetic and energy weapons, making them good backup guns as well as your go-to. To showcase what we think is best, we’ve compiled a list of the top 15 SMGs and how you can get them. Our Top 15 Submachine Guns: The Huckleberry Tarrabah Escape

Destiny 2: How To Generate Orbs of Power

How to Generate Orbs of Power in Destiny 2 Generating Orbs of Power in Destiny 2 is the key to making you and your Fireteam unstoppable. One of the most important gameplay aspects of Destiny 2 is the ability to generate Orbs of Power. These items are used to collect Super energy, allowing you to use superpowered attacks on multiple foes and de

[Top 5] Destiny 2 Best Bows and How To Get Them

What bow should you take with you on your next Destiny 2 adventure? Bows are perhaps the most unique type of weapon in Destiny 2. With power and precision they hold a spot as some of the best weapons in the right hands. Here are the Top 5 Bows in Destiny 2 and how to get them. 5. Accrued Redemption “I should never have let it come to this. Now each arrow is a penance.” -Lisbon-13, Hunt

Top 7 Best Aliens Vs Predator Games

Which games will quench your Aliens vs Predator thirst? It’s been quite a while since the first Aliens vs. Predator game was released for the SNES way back in 1993. This side-scrolling beat ‘em up wasn’t anything extraordinary, but for fans of the AVP comics, it was nice to see something a little different from other beat ‘em ups at the time. It was a game set in a universe they adored a

Top 5 Best Destiny 2 Grenade Launcher 2019 (And How To Get Them)

What Are The Best Destiny 2 Grenade Launchers? The Season of Opulence update has given Grenades Launchers a much-needed boost in PvE damage in order for them to compete with other weapons in the current PvE meta. Now that Grenades Launchers are viable in both PvP and PvE meta, which Launchers should Guardians be on the lookout for? This list will give you a good look at what you need to bring y

[Top 7] Destiny 2 Best Bows That Wreck Hard (Ranked)

Bungie released Combat bows in the Forsaken Expansion of Destiny 2. They are a unique blend of Sniper rifles and Scout rifles. Initially, they didn't make a significant mark in the game, but with the release of some game-changing exotics and exciting perks, they became one of the strongest weapons for both PvE and PvP activities. Bows stand out as a unique and skill-intensive weapon class. With t

[Top 15] Destiny 2 Best Legendary Weapons That Wreck Hard!

Who doesn’t need to be armed to the teeth when they’re aliens all over? Destiny 2 is always shifting when it comes to which weapons are the META but there are always some guns that hold up to high standards no matter what. So here are our top 15 legendary weapons. Our Top 15 Legendary Weapons SUROS Regime Arctic Haze Monte Carlo Posterity The Old Fashioned Bonechiller Astral Horizon H

[Top 3] Destiny 2 Best Kinetic Snipers and How To Get Them

Sometimes it’s best you pick off the enemy team from a distance so they don’t crowd you and your buddies. Other times you just can’t get in close to a boss because they’ll just squish you, if not for those reasons, maybe your bubble of personal space is a few hundred meters wide. Whatever the case, we’ve made a list of the 3 best kinetic snipers in for PvE and PvP; for when you can’t b