Good day everyone. This year the much-awaited and desired S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. This series of games uses a diverse arsenal, and during the passage you can try out and select any barrel for different tasks. Despite the fact that the games are more than ten years old, players in other games still call guns like those from the Stalker universe: “bandit machine gun”, “scientist rifle”, “Vintar”, “Geshka” or “Bulldog”. Coupled with an excellent atmosphere, written lore, lively dialogues, a spirit of adventure, good sound component, life simulation, gamers liked the games even more. But today I will try to check how reliable the presence of a gaming arsenal is from the point of view of reality. After all, weapons, in the harsh conditions of the Exclusion Zone, allow you to save your life in a shootout with bandits or in a skirmish with a bloodsucker. And among the long list of weapons, there are those barrels that were unlikely to fall due to low reliability, high cost, difficulty of operation, rarity and low combat effectiveness.
P.S: I won’t take modern realities into account, but will undergo surgery at the time of the game’s release.
P.S.S: I won’t talk about the cut weapons.
Melee
Let’s start with the only melee weapon. In each of the three parts, the knife is available from the very beginning. It allows you to silently eliminate opponents, destroy barriers and break boxes. They can deliver two types of blows: cutting and piercing. It is not displayed in the inventory, and it cannot be thrown away.
Credibility. The game model is based on a commercial modification of the American Bayonet M9 bayonet. And the presence of these bladed weapons is unlikely due to the fact that the M9 is not used in the CIS. In addition, the price of an American bayonet is about $1000. This means that Major Degtyarev, Shram and Marked could not use it due to its high cost and the fact that it is not in service with the armies of Russia and Ukraine.
Analogues: Product 6X5 – bayonet from AK-74 and AN-94. This edged weapon has been in service since 1989 to this day.
Result: not reliable
Pistols
Makarov pistol
The very first pistol that falls into our hands. Distributed throughout the gaming Zone and found in all factions. Popular due to its low cost, light weight, and ease of use. But there are also disadvantages: low damage, poor accuracy and short bullet range. The game uses the model of the original PM. This can be seen by the 8-round magazine and appearance.
Credibility. The PM has been in service with Russia and a number of CIS countries since 1951, and it is quite possible to meet it both with a simple beginner and members of groups.
Silent pistol (SB)
This pistol is not as common as the PM. In Shadow of Chernobyl it could be found almost from the very start of the game, bought from a merchant or taken from a number of Stalkers, but in Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat it became a rare weapon. Despite the small magazine capacity, low penetration power and low reliability, it has a number of advantages: built-in silencer, compactness and good accuracy.
Credibility. The PB was developed on the basis of the PM, and created for the special services of the USSR and is still in service with the FSB and internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Therefore, its rarity in the game is fully justified.
A Ukrainian-made pistol can be found in the hands of members of various groups. And for good reason, because its high rate of fire, common caliber and good lethality, compared to the PM, makes it a good choice for starting the game.
Interesting fact: the game takes place in Ukraine. And this is the only weapon made in Ukraine.
Credibility. Fort-12 is used by the TsSO "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine, the "Berkut" and "Griffin" units, the internal troops of Ukraine and the police. Therefore everything is reliable.
Browning Hi-Power
A Belgian-made pistol is found among many stalkers. Acceptable accuracy, a spacious magazine, and good damage make it a good pistol in the Zone. Plus, many modifications will allow you to make a more efficient barrel.
Browning Hi-Power in games
Browning Hi-Power in games
Credibility. Browning Hi-Power pistols began to be produced in 1935, and their modifications were in service with armies, police and law enforcement agencies in more than 50 countries. In my opinion, it is hardly possible to find it in the hands of a beginner or a local gopnik, but as a weapon of an experienced stalker it is quite possible.
Conclusion: quite reliable
Beretta 92FS
An Italian-made pistol is found in the Shadow of Chernobyl only on one stalker – a long-serving member of the Bullet group. In Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat it has become more common and is found among stalkers of different groups. The pistol is rich in modifications, good damage, good accuracy and pleasant recoil.
Beretta 92FS in games
Beretta 92FS in games
Credibility. Beretta 92FS has been produced since 1985 and is used in the CIS only by special forces of Russia, Slovenia and Georgia. Therefore, such a high use among stalkers is hardly possible. In addition, the high price of more than $700 will limit the circle for owning such a valuable barrel.
Walther Captaincookscasinoonline.co.uk P99
The German pistol is very popular in the Zone among unique characters in Shadow of Chernobyl. In addition to the Shadow of Chernobyl in Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat, it is common among experienced stalkers of various groups and military special forces. And all due to excellent accuracy, a spacious magazine and high reliability.
Walther P99 in games
Walther P99 in games
Credibility. Walther P99 is used by special forces of Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Czech Republic, Finland, Serbia and Germany. That’s why you won’t find it in the hands of a novice stalker, but its presence in games is completely justified.
Old, faithful and legendary Colt in the Stalker game series. Highly accurate and powerful. But the small magazine capacity, low reliability and rare caliber will play a cruel joke on its owner. You can find it in the hands of Zone veterans, which is true in principle.
Colt M1911 in games
Colt M1911 in games
Credibility. In reality, the M1911 is a reliable weapon. At the moment this is a rare barrel, because production began in 1911 and was completed in 1984. It is used to this day in many countries, including Estonia and Poland, but is gradually being replaced by newer models of pistols chambered for.45ACP.
Conclusion: quite reliable
SIG Sauer P220
The Swiss-German pistol is found in the arsenal of many factions, especially among members with the status of “Veteran” and “Master”. High accuracy, good damage, pleasant recoil, comfortable front sight, good reliability, good rate of fire make it a favorite spare barrel.
SIG Sauer P220 in games
SIG Sauer P220 in games
Interesting fact: pistols under 9×19mm are very popular in the SIG Sauer line. Apparently the creators thus decided to diversify their arsenal by introducing a model for. 45ACP.
Credibility. SIG Sauer P220 is not widely used by special forces. Only GIGN, police in the USA, Serbia, Switzerland and Sweden use this pistol model. Therefore, this pistol can only be found among experienced stalkers.
The German pistol has gained good popularity among a number of groups whose members have prestigious statuses. And not without reason, because a capacious magazine for its large caliber, high damage, accuracy, reliability and low weight remains in good standing in the Zone.
Interesting fact: in Shadow of Chernobyl the game model holds 8 rounds, and in Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat the magazine was expanded to 12 rounds.
Credibility. HK USP is in service with Group “A” and the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as the special forces of Poland, the armed forces of Estonia, and the special services of Germany. So the USP may be in the Stalker’s arsenal.
Desert Eagle
Another iconic pistol. Members of the groups “Freedom”, “Mercenaries” and, surprisingly, “Bandits” and “Monolith” are armed with it. Perhaps they are used due to their high destructive power and firing range. But strong recoil, small magazine, huge weight, low accuracy and low reliability make it not the most favorite spare barrel.
Desert Eagle in games
Desert Eagle in games
Credibility. In reality, this pistol is not used in the armed forces and special forces for a number of reasons:
And besides, the Desert Eagle was developed as a sporting and hunting pistol, and not as a hand cannon for the military. In addition, Desert Eagle does not have a modification according to.45ACP. Eat.50AE, .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum. Plus, the price, which varies from $1,400 to $2,600 with expensive spare parts, greatly narrows the range of users. Thus, the Desert Eagle ends up being extremely expensive to use as a secondary weapon.
Analogues: Colt Anaconda, Colt Python or MP-412 Rex revolvers.
Colt Anaconda, Colt Python and MP-412 Rex
Colt Anaconda, Colt Python and MP-412 Rex
Colt Anaconda, Colt Python and MP-412 Rex
Result: not reliable
Submachine gun
MP5A3
The legendary submachine gun falls into our hands in each part. After Shadow of Chernobyl, players began to call this weapon a “bandit machine gun,” since bandits are usually armed with it. Sometimes you can find them in the hands of loners, mercenaries and Svoboda fighters. Despite the high rate of fire, a common cartridge and fast reloading, the submachine gun does not have the highest penetration ability, average accuracy, low reliability, noticeable recoil and a short firing range.
Interesting fact: in Shadow of Chernobyl you can find a variant of the MP5 chambered for 9×18, which has the old inventory icon. It is noteworthy that this very icon depicts an HK53 assault rifle. This is due to the fact that in the builds it was “HK” that had such a modification. However, the developers cut out the submachine gun, so they decided to leave this modification for Viper-5, and in a hurry they forgot to redo the icon. Although in reality the G53 and MP5 have many similarities in appearance. The difference is that the G53 is an assault rifle that uses 5.56x45mm cartridges.
Credibility. In reality, various MP5 models are used by special forces all over the world: in Russia – the FSB, in Ukraine – the SBU and the National Guard, in France – GIGN, Finland – FDF, in Estonia it is used by the police, in Germany GSG 9 and so on… It was more appropriate to give the PP into the hands of ordinary NPCs, and more experienced Stalkers, due to the complexity of operation, capriciousness of ammunition and rarity in illegal arms markets. Due to this, I cannot confidently say that the weapon was implemented reliably.
Analogues: AKS-74u. It would look more appropriate in the hands of bandits due to its high prevalence and accessibility to the 5.45×39 cartridge.
Shotguns
This shotgun is a popular weapon among beginners and bandits due to its ease of use, high damage at close range, easy accessibility, light weight and low recoil. In Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, “horizontal” is common at the starting locations, but in Call of Pripyat it becomes less popular, due to the location of the action – the center of the Zone, where more serious weapons are in demand.
Interesting fact: the sawn-off shotgun is based on the BM-16, which is a flaw of the developers, since the BM-16 uses a 16-gauge and is not suitable for shooting with a 12-gauge. Perhaps the creators confused it with TOZ-66, since these guns are similar to each other, and confusion could arise.
Credibility. In reality, double-barreled shotguns are common all over the world and are quite easy to obtain. Therefore, from the point of view of reliability, there are no claims.
This gun is found in Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat. “Vertical” is common among novice stalkers on the outskirts of the Zone. Possessing high damage, good shot range in its class, good accuracy and low recoil has gained popularity among low-level NPCs.
Credibility. Hunting rifles for the Zone are true and can be used in the initial stages of a Stalker’s career. In addition, they are quite effective in hunting wild animals due to their simplicity of design and reliability, which is reflected in games.
Mossberg Maverick 88
An American-made pump-action shotgun has high accuracy, destructive power, reliability and low weight. The gun can be found in the hands of stalkers of most groups of different statuses and ranks.
Mossberg Maverick 88 in games
Mossberg Maverick 88 in games
Interesting fact: the name of the shotgun, according to the game files, is derived from the Winchester 1300, but the prototype appearance is a modification without the stock of the Maverick 88.
Credibility. In reality, the Mossberg Maverick 88 is a cheap version of the Mossberg 500. The original Mossberg 500 is used in a number of countries, including Poland, Kazakhstan and the Netherlands. I can believe that he could not have achieved such a strong spread in the Zone and reliably armed only experienced NPCs.
Result: reliable, but with conventions
The Italian semi-automatic shotgun can be found in all parts of the game. In Shadow of Chernobyl it occurs less often than in the following parts. Appears in the hands of Stalkers of a number of factions starting from the “Experienced” rank. Has good characteristics of reliability, rate of fire, damage and accuracy.
Credibility. In reality, SPAS-12 has not been produced since 2000 and is unlikely to be found in large quantities in the Exclusion Zone due to its heavy weight, high cost and rarity. It would have been more correct to give SPAS-12 only to a few seasoned stalkers.
Analogues: Benelli M4 Super 90, Saiga-12 or Remington 870.
Benelli M4 Super 90, Saiga-12 and Remington 870
Benelli M4 Super 90, Saiga-12 and Remington 870
Benelli M4 Super 90, Saiga-12 and Remington 870
A shotgun from South Africa appears in Call of Pripyat and is found among experienced Stalkers of a number of factions. Has a capacious magazine, high damage, good rate of fire and effectiveness at close range. But the downsides are long reload times and low reliability.
Credibility. Protecta is not widely used. It is used by Israeli special forces, the Kosovo army and the South African army. Consequently, it was unlikely to encounter even seasoned Stalkers in the hands, especially among bandits. It would have been more correct to do the same as with SPAS-12: give Protecta only to a few seasoned stalkers.