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Red Dead Redemption - Collectable GuideWeapons
There are 28 weapons to acquire in Red Dead Redemption. Read all about their stats and how you can unlock them.
In Red Dead Redemption, you'll permanently acquire a weapon once you've picked it up. Sometimes this will be by collecting the weapon as a pickup from the ground, however more often than not you'll need to purchase it from a Gunsmith or be handed it during a mission.
Weapons are only available from specific Gunsmiths, so you'll need to wait until later in the story before you're able to purchase them all.
Table of Contents
Unarmed
There is only 1 unarmed weapon in the game, or two if you include both fists as separate weapons...
Fists
How To Acquire: Unlocked by default although you'll need to specifically select the fists from the weapon wheel otherwise Marston will try to push people instead of punching them.
Melee
There is only 1 melee weapon in the game and it's also available by default from the start of the game.
Knife
How To Acquire: Automatically in your inventory at the start of the game.
Marston will use this to skin animal corpses, however if you switch to it, you can use it to attack people and animals. You'll need to use it for some of the Ambient Challenges.
Handguns
There are 8 different handguns for you to acquire.
Volcanic Pistol
How To Acquire: Complete the Twin Rocks gang hideout to claim it for free, or purchase it from the Gunsmith in Armadillo.
Semi-automatic Pistol
How To Acquire: It can be found inside the 'treasure room' of Fort Mercer while completing the gang hideout there, or you can purchase it from the Gunsmith in Escalera.
Mauser Pistol
How To Acquire: Purchase from the Gunsmith in Blackwater. You'll technically need to be about three quarters of the way through the story to access this, however the weapon is on sale from the start of the game. If you use the Camp Exploit to get to Blackwater early, you can purchase it right at the start of the story.
Cattleman Revolver
How To Acquire: Automatically owned from the start of the game.
Schofield Revolver
How To Acquire: Given to you by Landon Ricketts during the story mission "The Gunslinger's Tragedy".
LeMat Revolver
How To Acquire: Purchase it from the Gunsmith in Escalera. It's only available following the completion of "An Appointed Time".
High Power Pistol
How To Acquire: Given to you by Edgar Ross at the start of the story mission "Bear One Another's Burdens".
Double-action Revolver
How To Acquire: You'll need to open the chest in the final building of the Tesoro Azul gang hideout - where you rescue the officer who is being held hostage. Upon opening the chest you'll receive the weapon, otherwise it will stay hidden and you won't encounter it anywhere else in the game. The Tesoro Azul gang hideout is only available after completion of "The Demon Drink".
Thrown
There are 4 thrown weapons which you can unlock, but none are available before you gain access to Nuevo Paraiso.
Fire Bottle
How To Acquire: Take part in the Nosalida gang hideout after arriving in Nuevo Paraiso following "We Shall Be Together in Paradise" or it will be acquired during the story mission "The Demon Drink". You may also be able to collect one from a dead enemy during "Civilization, at Any Price".
Dynamite
How To Acquire: It becomes available to purchase from Gunsmiths after completion of the story mission "Mexican Caesar", however it's possible to acquire it for free in a number of missions in Nuevo Paraiso by killing enemies who hold them and collecting it from near their body. You may also be able to acquire Dynamite during the Nosalida gang hideout.
Throwing Knife
How To Acquire: You're given these by Abraham Reyes during the story mission "The Great Mexican Train Robbery". They can be purchased from the General Store in Manzanita Post once you have access to West Elizabeth following "An Appointed Time".
Tomahawk
How To Acquire: Purchase from the General Store in Manzanita Post. You'll technically need to be about three quarters of the way through the story to access this, however the weapon is on sale from the start of the game. If you use the Camp Exploit to get to Blackwater early, you can purchase it right at the start of the story.
The Tomahawk is unique in that it can be thrown or used as a melee weapon.
Acquiring the Tomahawk will unlock a new set of Ambient Challenges.
Special
There is 1 special weapon which is given to you by Bonnie MacFarlane towards the beginning of the story.
Lasso
How To Acquire: This is given to you by Bonnie MacFarlane at the start of "Wild Horses, Tamed Passions".
The Lasso is used to restrain horses and other animals, as well as humans who can then be hogtied.
Sniper Rifles
There are 3 sniper rifles, although the Explosive Rifle doesn't actually come with a scope. None of the sniper rifles have auto-aim lock-on, so they must be aimed manually.
Rolling Block Rifle
How To Acquire: You'll pick this up from a table during the mission "Empty Promises". It can also be found at the top of El Presidio fort during the mission "Must a Saviour Die?"
Carcano Rifle
How To Acquire: Purchase from the Gunsmith in Blackwater. You'll technically need to be about three quarters of the way through the story to access this, however the weapon is on sale from the start of the game. If you use the Camp Exploit to get to Blackwater early, you can purchase it right at the start of the story.
Explosive Rifle
How To Acquire: Purchase from the Gunsmith in Blackwater. You'll technically need to be about three quarters of the way through the story to access this, however the weapon is on sale from the start of the game. If you use the Camp Exploit to get to Blackwater early, you can purchase it right at the start of the story.
Rifles & Repeaters
There are 7 rifles to be acquired in Red Dead Redemption.
Repeater Carbine
How To Acquire: Given to you by Bonnie MacFarlane before you go out to hunt rabbits and coyotes during "New Friends, Old Problems".
Winchester Repeater
How To Acquire: You'll pick this up during the story mission "Spare the Rod, Spoil the Bandit" when examining bodies at a camp on the way to Ridgewood Farm. It can also be purchased from the Gunsmith in Armadillo.
Henry Repeater
How To Acquire: You're given this as a reward for completing the Nosalida gang hideout.
Evans Repeater
How To Acquire: Purchase from the Gunsmith in Blackwater. You'll technically need to be about three quarters of the way through the story to access this, however the weapon is on sale from the start of the game. If you use the Camp Exploit to get to Blackwater early, you can purchase it right at the start of the story.
This repeater has the highest magazine capacity of all weapons in the game, allowing you to fire off 22 shots before reloading. This is a useful weapon to use for some of the Ambient Challenges.
Springfield Rifle
How To Acquire: Purchase it from the Gunsmith at Thieves' Landing. You can get it free by completing the Gaptooth Breach gang hideout where the weapon is given as a reward. The gang hideout is unlocked after completion of "Man is Born Unto Trouble". You'll also be able to pick this weapon up on the raft during "We Shall Be Together in Paradise".
Bolt Action Rifle
How To Acquire: Purchase it from the Gunsmith in Escalera following completion of "We Shall Be Together in Paradise". You can find one inside El Presidio fort during the mission "The Gates of El Presidio" at the top of a watch tower.
Buffalo Rifle
How To Acquire: You'll need to complete the first 5 ranks of the Master Hunter ambient challenge. From then on, it will be available to purchase from all gunsmiths.
Although it fires only a single shot each time before reloading, this is probably the most powerful rifle in the game and will kill almost all enemies and animals, including Grizzly Bears (with a headshot) in a single shot.
Shotguns
There are 4 Shotguns to unlock.
Sawed-off Shotgun
How To Acquire: Purchase it from the Gunsmith at Thieves' Landing. You can earn it for free by completing the Pike's Basin gang hideout where the weapon will be provided as a reward. You may also be able to pick it up from a dead body during "Justice in Pike's Basin".
Double-barreled Shotgun
How To Acquire: Purchase it from the Gunsmith in Armadillo. You can acquire it for free during the mission "A Frenchman, a Welshman and an Irishman" where it is dropped by the final enemy you kill inside the cabin at Lake Don Julio. You can also find one during the Tesoro Azul gang hideout. Some banditos may drop it when they die, otherwise there's one propped up behind the final building where you rescue the officer who is being held hostage.
Semi-auto Shotgun
How To Acquire: Purchase from the Gunsmith in Escalera. You'll technically need to be about half way through the story to access this, however the weapon is on sale from the start of the game. If you use the Camp Exploit to get to Nuevo Paraiso early, you can purchase it right at the start of the story.
Pump-action Shotgun
How To Acquire: You'll probably pick this up from a fallen enemy during the story mission "And the Truth Will Set You Free".