Early on, the Fort Mercer hideout treasure room holds a Semi-automatic Pistol, and you take a Double-barreled Shotgun from the final enemy in "A Frenchman, a Welshman and an Irishman." Both cost nothing. Later, the Mauser Pistol (fire rate 10) and Carcano Rifle (range 10) open up at Blackwater after "An Appointed Time." Gunsmith stock depends on where you are in the story, so the best buy depends on when you play.
Weapon group
Handguns
Volcanic Pistol
Take it from the Twin Rocks hideout or buy it from the Armadillo gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Twin Rocks, New Austin; Armadillo, New Austin
- Range / 10
- 3
- Base price
- $100
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Semi-automatic Pistol
Take it from the Fort Mercer hideout treasure room or buy it from the Escalera gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Fort Mercer, New Austin; Escalera, Nuevo Paraíso
- Base price
- $300
- Story or challenge gate
- We Shall Be Together in Paradise for the Escalera purchase
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Mauser Pistol
Buy it from the Blackwater gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Base price
- $800
- Story or challenge gate
- An Appointed Time
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Cattleman Revolver
John starts with it.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Starting inventory
- Range / 10
- 4
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Schofield Revolver
Landon Ricketts gives it to John during 'The Gunslinger's Tragedy.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Chuparosa, Nuevo Paraíso
- Range / 10
- 4
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- The Gunslinger's Tragedy
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
LeMat Revolver
Buy it from the Escalera gunsmith after An Appointed Time.
- 100% purchase
- Required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Escalera, Nuevo Paraíso
- Base price
- $1,250
- Story or challenge gate
- We Shall Be Together in Paradise; An Appointed Time
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
High Power Pistol
Edgar Ross gives it to John at the start of 'Bear One Another's Burdens.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- West Elizabeth
- Range / 10
- 4
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- Bear One Another's Burdens
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Double-action Revolver
Open the chest in the final building of the Tesoro Azul hideout.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sidearm
- Town / region
- Tesoro Azul, Nuevo Paraíso
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- The Demon Drink opens the hideout
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Weapon group
Rifles & Repeaters
The Buffalo Rifle is gated by a challenge, not a story mission. You need Master Hunter rank 5 before any gunsmith will sell it to you.
Repeater Carbine
Bonnie gives it to John before the hunt in 'New Friends, Old Problems.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- repeater
- Town / region
- MacFarlane's Ranch, New Austin
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- New Friends, Old Problems
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Winchester Repeater
Pick it up during 'Spare the Rod, Spoil the Bandit' or buy it from the Armadillo gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- repeater
- Town / region
- New Austin; Armadillo, New Austin
- Base price
- $350
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Henry Repeater
Earn it by clearing the Nosalida hideout.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- repeater
- Town / region
- Nosalida, Nuevo Paraíso
- Range / 10
- 6
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- Reach Nuevo Paraíso
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Evans Repeater
Buy it from the Blackwater gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Required
- Category
- repeater
- Town / region
- Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Range / 10
- 6
- Base price
- $1,000
- Story or challenge gate
- An Appointed Time
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Springfield Rifle
Earn it at Gaptooth Breach, take it from the raft during 'We Shall Be Together in Paradise,' or buy it in Thieves' Landing.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- rifle
- Town / region
- Gaptooth Breach, New Austin; Nuevo Paraíso; Thieves' Landing, New Austin
- Base price
- $300
- Story or challenge gate
- Man Is Born Unto Trouble for the Gaptooth Breach reward; We Shall Be Together in Paradise for the raft pickup
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Bolt Action Rifle
Buy it in Escalera or take it from the El Presidio watchtower during 'The Gates of El Presidio.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- rifle
- Town / region
- Escalera, Nuevo Paraíso; El Presidio, Nuevo Paraíso
- Range / 10
- 8
- Base price
- $750
- Story or challenge gate
- We Shall Be Together in Paradise for the Escalera purchase; The Gates of El Presidio for the tower pickup
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Buffalo Rifle
Reach Master Hunter rank 5, then buy it from any gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- rifle
- Town / region
- Any gunsmith
- Range / 10
- 8
- Base price
- $475
- Story or challenge gate
- Master Hunter challenge rank 5
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Weapon group
Sniper Rifles
The Explosive Rifle sits in this group, but it has no scope. It also has no ratings listed, so its stats are blank.
Rolling Block Rifle
Take it from a table during 'Empty Promises' or from the top of El Presidio during 'Must a Saviour Die?'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- sniper
- Town / region
- Nuevo Paraíso; El Presidio, Nuevo Paraíso
- Range / 10
- 10
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- Empty Promises or Must a Saviour Die?
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Carcano Rifle
Buy it from the Blackwater gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Required
- Category
- sniper
- Town / region
- Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Range / 10
- 10
- Base price
- $1,100
- Story or challenge gate
- An Appointed Time
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Explosive Rifle
Buy it from the Blackwater gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- explosive
- Town / region
- Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Base price
- $10,000
- Story or challenge gate
- An Appointed Time
- Edition
- Liars and Cheats DLC; 2023 PS4/Switch Game of the Year bonus; the Undead Nightmare standalone disc does not unlock it in RDR Story Mode.
Weapon group
Shotguns
Double-barreled Shotgun
Buy it in Armadillo, take it from the final enemy during 'A Frenchman, a Welshman and an Irishman,' or find it at the Tesoro Azul hideout.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- shotgun
- Town / region
- Armadillo and Lake Don Julio, New Austin; Tesoro Azul, Nuevo Paraíso
- Base price
- $150
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Sawed-off Shotgun
Buy it from the Thieves' Landing gunsmith or earn it by clearing the Pike's Basin hideout. An enemy may also drop it during 'Justice in Pike's Basin.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- shotgun
- Town / region
- Pike's Basin and Thieves' Landing, New Austin
- Range / 10
- 1
- Base price
- $250
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Semi-auto Shotgun
Buy it from the Escalera gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Required
- Category
- shotgun
- Town / region
- Escalera, Nuevo Paraíso
- Range / 10
- 3
- Base price
- $1,000
- Story or challenge gate
- We Shall Be Together in Paradise
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Pump-action Shotgun
Take it from an enemy during 'And the Truth Will Set You Free.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- shotgun
- Town / region
- West Elizabeth
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- And the Truth Will Set You Free
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Weapon group
Thrown
Fire Bottle
Pick one up at the Nosalida hideout or during 'The Demon Drink,' then buy more from the listed shops.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- thrown
- Town / region
- Nosalida, Nuevo Paraíso; Chuparosa and Escalera, Nuevo Paraíso; Manzanita Post and Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Range / 10
- 3
- Base price
- $25 per bottle
- Story or challenge gate
- We Shall Be Together in Paradise for shop access; The Demon Drink or the Nosalida hideout for a free pickup
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Dynamite
Collect dropped sticks during missions or at Nosalida; buy more after Mexican Caesar.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- thrown
- Town / region
- Nuevo Paraíso; Escalera, Nuevo Paraíso; Manzanita Post, West Elizabeth; Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Range / 10
- 3
- Base price
- $45 per stick
- Story or challenge gate
- Mexican Caesar for shop access
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Throwing Knife
Get one from Abraham Reyes during 'The Great Mexican Train Robbery'; buy more from the Manzanita Post general store or the Blackwater gunsmith.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- thrown
- Town / region
- Nuevo Paraíso; Manzanita Post and Blackwater, West Elizabeth
- Base price
- $10 per knife
- Story or challenge gate
- The Great Mexican Train Robbery for the first knife; An Appointed Time for Manzanita Post and Blackwater stock
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Tomahawk
Buy it from the Manzanita Post general store. You can carry one at a time.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- thrown
- Town / region
- Manzanita Post, West Elizabeth
- Base price
- $10 per Tomahawk
- Story or challenge gate
- An Appointed Time
- Edition
- Legends and Killers DLC; 2023 PS4/Switch Game of the Year bonus; the Undead Nightmare standalone disc does not unlock it in RDR Story Mode.
Weapon group
Melee & Special
The Hunting Knife is in your inventory from the start. The Lasso is utility gear, so it has no ratings.
Hunting Knife
It's in John's inventory from the start.
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- melee
- Town / region
- Starting inventory
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Lasso
Bonnie gives it to John at the start of 'Wild Horses, Tamed Passions.'
- 100% purchase
- Not required
- Category
- utility
- Town / region
- MacFarlane's Ranch, New Austin
- Base price
- No purchase price
- Story or challenge gate
- Wild Horses, Tamed Passions
- Edition
- Base Story Mode
Only the Mauser Pistol, LeMat Revolver, Evans Repeater, Semi-auto Shotgun and Carcano Rifle count toward 100%. Each adds 0.5% to completion, so the set is worth 2.5% total. They're shop buys, not random drops, so this part of 100% is a shopping trip. Blackwater sells the Mauser, Evans and Carcano once "An Appointed Time" opens West Elizabeth. The Semi-auto Shotgun is at Escalera in Nuevo Paraíso after "We Shall Be Together in Paradise." The LeMat is also at Escalera. It needs "We Shall Be Together in Paradise" for region access and "An Appointed Time" before the shop sells it. Together they cost about $5,150 at Medium Honor prices.
Best weapon picks by group
| Weapon group | Best pick | When you can get it | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handguns | Mauser Pistol | After "An Appointed Time," from the Blackwater gunsmith for $800 | Fire rate 10, the highest listed fire rate for a handgun here, and reload 9. |
| Rifles & Repeaters | Buffalo Rifle | Reach Master Hunter rank 5, then buy it from any gunsmith for $475 | Power 10, the highest listed power in this group. |
| Sniper Rifles | Carcano Rifle | After "An Appointed Time," from the Blackwater gunsmith for $1,100 | Range 10, tied with the free Rolling Block Rifle. Its fire rate (3) beats the Rolling Block's (1), and it's the only sniper with a listed reload (7). |
| Shotguns | Sawed-off Shotgun | Clear the Pike's Basin hideout, or buy it at Thieves' Landing for $250 | Power 7, the highest listed power in this group. Its range of 1 makes it a close-quarters gun. |
| Thrown | Fire Bottle | Free at the Nosalida hideout or during "The Demon Drink," then $25 a bottle in shops after "We Shall Be Together in Paradise" | Power 7, the highest listed power in this group. |
| Melee & Special | Hunting Knife | In your starting inventory | No menu ratings are listed for it. |
These picks use only the ratings the menu lists. A blank isn't counted as zero, so each pick is the best listed stat in its group, not an overall ranking. The Lasso sits in the Melee & Special group but is utility gear, so it has no ratings.
Early, mid and late picks
- Early, in New Austin: Take the Semi-automatic Pistol from the Fort Mercer hideout treasure room. Its fire rate and reload (8 and 9) match the High Power Pistol, which Edgar Ross hands you in West Elizabeth. For a shotgun, take the Double-barreled Shotgun from the final enemy during "A Frenchman, a Welshman and an Irishman" in New Austin. It has power 6 and reload 5. If you miss it, the Armadillo gunsmith sells it for $150.
- Mid, in Nuevo Paraíso: Once you reach the region, clear the Nosalida hideout for the Henry Repeater. It has power 7 and range 6, and it costs nothing. The Bolt Action Rifle's power, range and reload are all 8. Buy it at Escalera for $750 after "We Shall Be Together in Paradise," or take it from the El Presidio watchtower during "The Gates of El Presidio." Fire Bottles have the highest listed power in the thrown group (7). After "We Shall Be Together in Paradise" opens the region, shops in Chuparosa, Escalera, Manzanita Post and Blackwater sell them for $25 a bottle.
- Late, in West Elizabeth: The Mauser Pistol and Carcano Rifle are the late buys from Blackwater. The Mauser's fire rate of 10 is the highest listed for a handgun here, and the Carcano ties the free Rolling Block Rifle for range. The Buffalo Rifle isn't tied to a region. Reach Master Hunter rank 5 and you can buy it from any gunsmith.
Free pickups and shop backups
Some weapons can't be bought. They come from a mission, a hideout or your starting inventory, so grab them when the moment comes:
- Schofield Revolver: Chuparosa, during "The Gunslinger's Tragedy."
- High Power Pistol: Edgar Ross hands it over at the start of "Bear One Another's Burdens" in West Elizabeth.
- Repeater Carbine: Bonnie gives it to you before the hunt in "New Friends, Old Problems."
- Henry Repeater: the reward for clearing the Nosalida hideout.
- Rolling Block Rifle: a table during "Empty Promises," or the top of El Presidio during "Must a Saviour Die?"
- Pump-action Shotgun: from an enemy during "And the Truth Will Set You Free."
- Double-action Revolver: the chest in the last building of the Tesoro Azul hideout, once "The Demon Drink" opens it.
Some free weapons have shop backups. The Double-barreled Shotgun and Winchester Repeater sell at Armadillo, and the Springfield Rifle and Sawed-off Shotgun sell at Thieves' Landing. For the hideouts themselves, see Red Dead Redemption gang hideouts. For mission names and where they fall in the story, see Red Dead Redemption story missions.
Shop prices and Honor
Listed prices are Medium Honor (Rustler through Honest Joe) prices. High Honor (Peacemaker or Hero) cuts shop prices in half. Low Honor (Desperado or Road Agent) raises them by half. Thieves' Landing is the exception: its prices stay the same at High Honor and drop by half at Low Honor. The game rounds adjusted prices up.
Mistakes that cost you
- Paying $300 at Escalera for the Semi-automatic Pistol when the Fort Mercer hideout treasure room has one for free.
- Paying $250 at Thieves' Landing for the Sawed-off Shotgun before clearing Pike's Basin, which gives it to you.
- Skipping the Buffalo Rifle because the challenge sounds like a chore. It's only $475 once you reach rank 5.
- Buying the Semi-auto Shotgun for its ratings. Its only listed rating is range 3, so buy it for 100% and carry something else into a fight.
- Expecting the LeMat to reload quickly. Its only listed rating is reload 2.
The DLC guns
The Tomahawk came from Legends and Killers, and the Explosive Rifle came from Liars and Cheats. The 2023 PS4 and Switch releases include both in their Game of the Year bonus content.
Buy the Tomahawk at the Manzanita Post general store after "An Appointed Time" for $10 per Tomahawk. You can carry one at a time. The Explosive Rifle sells at the Blackwater gunsmith after "An Appointed Time" for $10,000 at Medium Honor prices. Neither counts toward 100%.
FAQ
Does the Undead Nightmare disc unlock the Tomahawk or Explosive Rifle?
No. Rockstar says the standalone Undead Nightmare disc doesn't unlock either weapon in the original Story Mode. That disc's Undead Nightmare campaign awards them through its own missions.
Are Golden Guns separate weapons?
No. A Golden Gun is a finish on a weapon you already own, and it carries a Fame modifier.
Are the Tomahawk and Explosive Rifle in the 2025 ports?
Not confirmed. Rockstar's 2025 announcement says the ports include Game of the Year bonus content, but it doesn't name either weapon. Both were named in the bonus content for the 2023 PS4 and Switch releases.