Published and developed by Capcom, Resident Evil 5 has become a favorite third-person shooter in the video game community, even if not one of the most liked entries among fans of the series. It allows players to do what they can’t in real life – let off a bit of steam and shoot away some zombies without restriction.
The best part is that you can choose any kind of gun to take down your enemies. The worst part is choosing which one to use. Out of all the weapons in Resident Evil 5, there are some pretty poor guns, but several of them are great. The ones you’ll find in this list are the absolute best.
Updated on March 19, 2026, by Ben Jessey: Resident Evil Requiem has recently been released to critical acclaim. To celebrate, we thought we’d update our list of the best weapons from Resident Evil 5 to add a few more.
18
Stun Rod
A common trend in the Resident Evil series is a lack of ammo. And even though RE5 gives more bullets than most entries, it’s still less than the typical shooter. So, any weapon that can deal out damage without using resources is useful. The Stun Rod is a prime example of that.
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This melee weapon is surprisingly deadly, sometimes killing enemies with one hit. But using it does mean getting dangerously close to the infected. If you’re not scared of close-quarters combat, then it can be purchased from the store after Chapter 2-3 for 3,000 gold.
17
Ithaca M37
On the surface, there isn’t much that is special about the Ithaca M37. After all, it’s only the first shotgun you acquire in the game. However, the fact that it is a shotgun means it’s very useful.
This is because these types of weapons are extremely effective in Resident Evil 5, particularly for knocking enemies away from you. With its maximum firepower of 400, it’s likely to deal plenty of damage in the process. You can pick it up for free in Chapter 1-2, and it will serve you nicely for much of the game.
16
H&K P8
The H&K P8 is one of several solid handguns in the game. What stands out about this one is its Piercing power. None of the other pistols have a Piercing upgrade, but the H&K P8 has three of them.
This helps you shoot through multiple targets at once, making it more of a crowd control weapon than the other handguns. Plus, it makes quick work of the wooden shields that enemies sometimes have. To add it to your arsenal, you need to buy it from the shop for 4,000 gold after Chapter 3-1.
15
Flash Grenade
A Flash Grenade isn’t the first weapon you think to use against a horde of infected monsters. But this throwable item can instantly kill some of the most dangerous enemies in the game, as Plaga-exposed creatures are susceptible to them. For that alone, it’s a useful weapon to carry around.
Plus, if used against regular infected, it leaves them open to stylish melee attacks, which are always fun to deal out. The grenades aren’t hard to find, either, as they regularly appear as pick-ups during missions.
14
Grenade Launcher
During Chapter 4-1 in the ancient ruins, you can get your hands on the versatile Grenade Launcher. This destructive weapon can use six different kinds of ammunition, making it effective against all sorts of enemies.
What’s more, unlike every other weapon in the game, you can actually buy ammo for the gun. This can come in handy when you’re coming up to a boss or a difficult section of the story. If you miss picking up the Launcher in Chapter 4, you can buy one for 10,000 gold.
13
S&W M500
Even some of the best weapons in Resident Evil history don’t deal the level of damage that the M500 does. Once fully upgraded, the magnum boasts 5,000 firepower and kills nearly every enemy in one shot. And with its piercing ability, it blasts straight through any piece of armor the infected decide to wear.
However, there are also some downsides to the weapon. Its reload speed of 3.18 seconds and capacity of six bullets is unimpressive. Plus, even Chris’ beefy arms can’t stop the insane recoil on the beast. At least its sheer damage output makes up for its lack of speed. If you want to get your hands on the weapon, you need to buy it for 30,000 gold, and it’s only available after you’ve fully upgraded the S&W M29.
12
Rocket Launcher
The Resident Evil series includes some challenging bosses. However, many of them have a weakness against Rocket Launchers. The ones in RE5 are no different; the RPG can kill most of them in a single shot.
It’s a special weapon that doesn’t have stats, but you don’t need them to recognize it is by far the most powerful piece of weaponry in the game. Unfortunately, it lacks ammo – unless you beat the game in under five hours and get the infinite version. Still, it’s worth picking one up on the sunken ship in Chapter 3-1 or buying one for 10,000 gold at the shop.
11
SIG P226
One of the most impressive handguns in the game is the SIG P226. It has a damage of 480, a reload of 1.62 seconds, and a capacity of 16 rounds when fully upgraded.
The gun’s firepower is higher than that of all the other pistols. Unfortunately, it also has the smallest capacity and the lowest reload speed. Plus, you’ll have to spend 4,000 of your hard-earned gold to obtain it. Still, though, it’s a weapon that won’t let you down.
10
M93R
Another good handgun is the M93R, containing a damage of 400, a reload speed of 1.36 seconds, a 30-round capacity, and a three-shot burst ability when fully upgraded. The Beretta M93R has the second-highest firepower of all the pistols, a decent reload speed, and the fastest fire rate.
The only downside is that it costs a pretty penny to acquire. First, you have to use plenty of gold to fully upgrade the M92F handgun to unlock the M93R in the game’s store. Then you have to spend another 30,000 just to purchase the gun.
9
M3
Next is a shotgun, specifically the M3 shotgun. Fully upgraded, this weapon has a firepower of 900, a reload of 2.7 seconds, and ten rounds available. It’s known as the best shotgun in class because of its high firepower and wide range of attack.
With great power also comes great consequences. This shotgun lacks upgrades and has a small capacity. Using this gun against a close, single target is also a downfall because it does work better with crowd control. However, the fact you can pick up this gun for free during Chapter 3-3 (in the second dock area) makes up for its imperfections.
