Secondary weapons, particularly pistols, often tend to be disregarded and utilized as a last-resort in FPS games. Fortunately for Payday 2 players, these handguns can be optimized to the same levels of effectiveness that primary guns provide – plus, they won’t disappoint no matter what happens!
This article will cover what we consider to be the best ten pistols based on their stats and performance during a heist. Stick with us and learn about the ten best pistols available in Payday 2!
Overview of Pistols in Payday 2
Pistols in Payday 2 can be considered secondary weapons with less power and capacity than an assault rifle or shotgun; however, they are more valuable than most people think and carry massive advantages.
Pistols in Payday 2 won’t replace your primary weapon; they will take the secondary weapon slot, meaning that you can still take a useful primary weapon that is more situational for specific scenarios.
Payday 2 allows players to customize their weapons heavily in order to upgrade their effectiveness and adapt them for specific scenarios. Pistols are best suited for stealth missions and close-quarter combat.
Are Pistols Worth Using in Payday 2?
Pistols are usually not as heavy as rifles and are easier to conceal, meaning they are perfect for stealth builds in Payday 2 or fast-paced playstyles, as they have less of a movement penalty compared to bigger weapons.
Furthermore, pistols tend to have more accuracy, a higher rate of fire, and less recoil in close-quarter gunfights within Payday 2.
The effectiveness of a weapon can be improved or degraded, depending on the attachments it is given and how it is used. For the best pistol build in Payday 2, check out our companion guide.
The 10 Best Pistols in Payday 2
These ten pistols were hand-picked for this article and selected based on their effectiveness, customizability, and, most importantly, how fun they are to use in the game.
Remember that akimbo pistols, such as the Akimbo Chimano Custom Pistols, are part of the primary weapon slot.
10. 5/7 AP Pistol
The 5/7 AP Pistol is a pistol with a tremendous rate of fire, high damage potential, and high concealment levels.
This pistol is considered one of the best, as it can penetrate armor while dealing significant damage with every shot thanks to its armor-piercing ammunition. The 5/7 also offers a fast rate of fire that can be combined with extended magazines that won’t affect its concealment.
The 5/7 is one of the few pistols that can significantly damage heavy armor enemies. If you are planning to go loud, there is no reason not to pick this pistol as your secondary.
Base Stats
- Magazine: 20 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 600 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 135
- Accuracy: 56
- Stability: 36
- Concealment: 29
9. STRYK 18c Pistol
The STRYK 18c Pistol is a pocket SMG that won’t deal significant damage, but it can be compensated for with its rate of fire of 909 rounds per minute.
This pistol offers high DPS, capable of taking down several enemies simultaneously at close range, thanks to its automatic fire mode. It may not have the best accuracy in the game, but it can tear through groups of enemies from medium to close distances.
The STRYK 18c pistol can improve its accuracy with the right attachments, becoming a highly reliable weapon.
Base Stats
- Magazine: 25 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 909 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 50
- Accuracy: 60
- Stability: 56
- Concealment: 29
8. The Judge Shotgun
The Judge Shotgun is considered by most to be one of the most reliable secondary weapons for stealth runs, as it offers high damage and fires as fast as one can press the trigger.
This weapon offers severe damage, excellent concealment, and a reasonable rate of fire; still, it can also be reloaded very quickly, making it convenient for almost any scenario you might encounter.
Don’t be fooled just because it is a secondary; its damage matches some of the primary shotguns in the game. The Judge Shotgun can also be modded to improve its accuracy.
Base Pistol Weapon Stats
- Magazine: 5 Shells
- Rate of Fire: 500 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 155
- Accuracy: 52
- Stability: 28
- Concealment: 29
7. Akimbo Chimano Custom Pistols
The Chimano Customs Pistols are akimbo primary weapons that can be dual-wielded, with increased damage compared to the single version.
These weapons, akimbo, offer excellent stopping power with good concealment, making them great for both loud and stealth runs. Moreover, it is straightforward to get ammo for this weapon due to its large ammo pool and good magazine size.
The Chimano Custom Pistols can be obtained early in the game without acquiring any of the best DLCs for Payday 2.
We recommend adding laser sights and attachments to improve both stability and accuracy.
Base Stats
- Magazine: 42 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 361 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 95
- Accuracy: 76
- Stability: 16
- Concealment: 29
6. Parabellum Pistol
The Parabellum pistol can quickly be compared to high-damage weapons, such as the Peacemaker .45 or the Matever .357, thanks to its remarkable damage of 195 hit points per shot.
This powerful pistol can easily replace most revolvers thanks to its damage, higher round capacity, reasonable accuracy, fast reload, and decent ammo pool.
The only downside of this weapon is that it has limited modifications and cannot be suppressed, so it is better suited for loud runs. It is better to modify this pistol towards improved stability and optics.
Base Pistol Weapon Stats in Payday 2
- Magazine: 13 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 400 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 195
- Accuracy: 84
- Stability: 24
- Concealment: 29
5. Gruber Kurz Pistol
The Gruber Kurz Pistol is a low-damage secondary weapon that compensates for its excellent fire rate, low muzzle flash, low recoil, and ample ammunition supply.
This weapon can easily be compared to the Bernetti 9, with some differences due to its high concealment, which can be improved with modifications.
The Gruber Kurz is also one of the pistols with the lowest recoil, a large ammunition reserve, and a quick reload time. This weapon is available from the start of the game and is incredibly inexpensive.
This pistol won’t let you down, and you can’t go wrong with it on stealth runs.
Related Guide: How to Play Payday 2 with Friends
Base Stats
- Magazine: 19 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 545 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 68
- Accuracy: 52
- Stability: 60
- Concealment: 30
4. Baby Deagle
Like the Judge Shotgun, the Baby Deagle is considered by most to be one of the best weapons thanks to its severe damage, fantastic accuracy, and good concealment levels.
With the Baby Deagle, you are covered in most areas, as it can be used during gunfights reliably or for stealth runs with no problem.
The Baby Deagle’s significant damage is on par with some rifles, as it can kill most enemies in one shot on Overkill difficulty and below.
The Baby Deagle lacks good iron sights, so we recommend attaching an excellent optic to improve one’s accuracy with it.
Base Stats
- Magazine: 12 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 400 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 120
- Accuracy: 76
- Stability: 32
- Concealment: 29
3. Bronco .44 Revolver
The Bronco .44 Revolver is a high-damage revolver capable of killing almost any enemy in one shot at most distances.
This revolver is the second highest-damage pistol in the game, matching some of the most powerful rifles in Payday 2.
Moreover, this hand cannon can be highly concealable with the proper attachment while maintaining its severe damage output and accuracy.
If you want to use this for longer distances, you can attach a long-range scope to deal with enemies at a farther distance.
Related Article: Top 5 Action FPS Games like Payday 2
Base Stats
- Magazine: 6 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 400 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 190
- Accuracy: 84
- Stability: 4
- Concealment: 26
2. The Bernetti 9 Pistol
The Bernetti 9 pistol is a secondary weapon available early in the game, and it is considered by most to be one of the best weapons for stealth, thanks to its high concealment levels after being modded.
This pistol also offers good magazine capacity, a large ammo pool and reserve, so you don’t have to worry much about ammo if you have to go loud.
This weapon can be unlocked early in the game, increasing its concealment levels even more.
We recommend that you go strictly for headshots, as they offer low damage in exchange for their other great stats.
Base Stats
- Magazine: 19 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 545 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 68
- Accuracy: 64
- Stability: 60
- Concealment: 30
1. Broomstick Pistol – The Best Pistol in Payday 2
The base Broomstick pistol is fantastic, as it offers one of the best accuracies in the game and matches its high concealment level.
This pistol has a small magazine size and a slow reload time, but in the right hands it can be a deadly weapon and one of the best in the whole game.
This weapon shines with its attachments, as it can be turned into a DMR with its Precision Barrel that adds +110 damage and +8 Stability. Furthermore, the Holster Stock will add +15 stability, transforming it into a DMR and a long-range weapon capable of quickly killing almost any enemy in the game.
Base Stats
- Magazine: 15 Bullets
- Rate of Fire: 480 Rounds per Minute
- Damage: 95
- Accuracy: 88
- Stability: 60
- Concealment: 28
Last Thoughts on the Best Pistols in Payday 2
That’s it for this article, and trust us – we had tons of fun using these ten excellent pistols; hopefully, you will too.
Remember to check out other Payday 2 articles, including our survey of the 5 best builds in Payday 2. Moreover, stay tuned for more content about this fantastic game, as well as other great first-person shooters we love to play. Also, if you’ve moved on to the sequel, check out our guide to the best pistol build in Payday 3.
Please let us know what you think of our list, and let us know your favorite pistol in Payday 2 in the comments section below.
Good luck and good heist!