[Top 5] Insurgency: Sandstorm Best Pistols (And How To Use Them Effectively)

Updated:

31 May 2023

Did you run out of ammo with your primary weapon and have no time to reload? Well, if you want to live, you better switch to your secondary, if you bought one. Most people don’t bring a pistol with them because they think it’s useless and won’t ever be useful, but that’s where they are wrong.

There are a lot of different choices when it comes to your secondary weapon, so today we’ll go over some of the best five pistols in the whole game. I’ll rank these pistols by their usefulness and how strong they are. With that, let’s get into this list!

5. PF940

This is just a glock with a cool name.

This is the perfect secondary pistol for anyone who’s playing the marksman class or has spent a lot of points on their primary rifle. It comes with a lot of ammo, especially if you add an extended magazine to it. The recoil of the weapon is easily controllable, and you can effectively spam it if you need to.

You can also use this pistol with an SMG if you’re playing on a map that’s entirely focused on close combat. It also comes in really handy, in the PvE game mode when you're playing against bots, as they can swarm you in huge numbers. The only downside to the weapon is that it costs three supply points.

What PF940 Excels In:

It’s good against bots when you’re playing in the PvE game mode.
You can spam the weapon, as it comes with a lot of bullets.
The recoil of the weapon is easy to control.
It’s great on close combat-focused maps.

PF940 Stats:

Cartridge: 9x19mm
Vertical Recoil: 26
Horizontal Recoil: 27
Muzzle Velocity: 450 m/s
Rate of Fire: 261 rpm
Penetration: 200 pp
Magazine Capacity: 17+1; 31+1 extended mag
Reserve Ammunition: 2 mags
Supply Points: 3
Weight: 8%

4. MR 73

It’s the wild wild west.

It seems like nobody can escape the Wild West, not even Insurgency: Sandstorm. If someone is hiding behind a wall, they ain’t safe if you’ve got this bad boy. Because you load a goddamn .357 magnum round into this little guy. You can also put a lot of attachments on it, and it can be switched between double-action and single-action.

The weapon has a slow reload time, but that can be fixed if you equip the speed loader. If you want to make this pistol the best one, you have to use a lot of supply points, which isn’t recommended, and you should use those points on your primary weapon and your equipment, so that’s why it’s so high up on the list.

What MR 73 Excels In:

It’s great for penetration and killing enemies who are hiding behind a wall.
You can modify it from a double-action to a single-action.
With the right attachments, you can turn this pistol into a deadly small sniper rifle.
Great for long-distance fights.

MR 73 Stats:

Cartridge: .357 Magnum
Vertical Recoil: 51
Horizontal Recoil: 81
Muzzle Velocity: 450 m/s
Rate of Fire: 120 rpm
Penetration: 400 pp
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
Reserve Ammunition: 12 rounds
Supply Points: 4
Weight: 5%

3. Desert Eagle

Time to blow out my shoulders with the Deagle.

This is the Desert Eagle, which is the counterpart to the MR-73. It has similar stats to the MR-73, except this one fires much quicker, but it’s much harder to control if you spam it. The upside is that it hits harder than the MR-73.

This pistol will blow a hole through someone’s chest without a problem, and most of the time, it only takes one hit to the body to drop someone. It’s best used in medium-to-close combat. It’s not recommended that you spam this weapon due to its high recoil, because if you do, you’re going to be aiming at the sky pretty quickly.

What Desert Eagle Excels In:

It’s great for killing enemies in one shot.
It’s best used at medium to close distances.
It has a higher velocity than the MR-73, and the Deagle can easily penetrate through walls.

Desert Eagle Stats:

Cartridge: .50 Action Express
Vertical Recoil: 56
Horizontal Recoil: 92
Muzzle Velocity: 470 m/s
Rate of Fire: 96 rpm
Penetration: 400 pp
Magazine Capacity: 7 rounds
Reserve Ammunition: 2 mags
Supply Points: 5
Weight: 10%

2. M9

The classic, you can never go wrong with this one.

This pistol has been featured in every single FPS game to date, and you know why? Because it’s damn reliable and looks so cool. It’s a reliable sidearm that doesn’t cost a lot of supply points, and you can customize it however you want.

It’s great when you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to reload, or if you want to go John Wick style and commit genocide with a pistol. It has a decent fire rate and can penetrate through thin sheets of metal or wooden objects. It also comes with a decent amount of ammunition, which is 15 rounds in total.

What M9 Excels In:

It’s a reliable pistol that can be useful in any situation, and any class in the Security Forces can use it reliably.
It has decent penetration for a pistol, as it can go through thin sheets of metal or wooden objects.
It comes with 15 rounds in total, which is more than enough.
If you decide to spam it, the recoil isn’t that bad, and it’s easily controllable.

M9 Stats:

Cartridge: 9x19mm
Vertical Recoil: 27
Horizontal Recoil: 26
Muzzle Velocity: 381 m/s
Rate of Fire: 261 rpm
Penetration: 168 pp
Magazine Capacity: 15+1 rounds
Reserve Ammunition: 2 mags
Supply Points: 2
Weight: 8%

1. Browning HP

This is the go-to pistol with a sleek design.

For the best pistol in the whole game, we have the Browning HP, and that’s because it’s easy to control recoil and the caliber the pistol has. It makes it perfect for any class on the Insurgents as it only costs 1 supply point and you don’t have to add any attachments to it to make it amazing.

It has a high rate of fire, and the range of the weapon is great for mid-range encounters. The penetration isn’t that high, but it’s good enough to kill someone through sheets of metal or if they are behind a very thin wall.

What Browning HP Excels In: