Hand Cannons are some of the most popular weapons in Destiny, the go-to weapon for those that like to push forward and stay deep in the action. With every shot dealing big damage at close range, only a few options let the player step back and pick off enemies. In fact, only a select bunch of hand cannons can compete in Destiny 2's long list of available weapons. Seeing as there are over 60 available options, it would take a long while before players could narrow down the best choices.
The popularity of the hand cannon ebbs and flows with the changing stats and mechanics in the game. Those that are truly dedicated will ignore the constant flip-flopping of effective weapons and hone their skills on the battlefield instead of the stat board. To save players time, here's a look at the best hand cannons Destiny 2 offers.
Updated August 9, 2021 by Rhenn Taguiam: In the post-apocalyptic future of Destiny 2, Guardians don’t just wield pistols. Thanks to Hand Cannons, Guardians have a gun the size of a sidearm that packs quite the heavy punch. When push comes to shove, it’s the close-ranged efficiency of Hand Cannons that give Guardians that layer of survivability they need. And for Guardians who want to get up close and personal to their foes, Hand Cannons easily serve as the best companions for the job. With competition amongst Guardians ramping up, players who want to dominate the Crucible and other game modes should always have a Hand Cannon to rely on.
15 Igneous Hammer
Igneous Hammer is a Legendary Energy Hand Cannon deserving of its status. Its Aggressive Frame immediately gives it high recoil and high damage, making it a worthy companion when it comes to long-range engagements. Meanwhile, its Celerity Perk further increases its reload speed and weapon handling. With Celerity, being the last member of the Fireteam gives players further boosts in reload speed and handling, target acquisition, and reduced flinching.
In terms of stats, the Igneous Hammer boasts incredible Impact and Range statistics. Its Aim Assistance and Recoil are not to underestimate as well. Being a Hand Cannon of this power, Igneous Hammer is easily a go-to weapon for more intense engagements.
14 Fatebringer
Fatebringer, being a Legendary Kinetic Hand Cannon, easily boasts some of the best handling across its weapon type. Its Adaptive Frame gives a well-grounded grip and easier handling. Its Firefly Perk means Precision Kills not only increase reload speed but can also make enemies explode in a Solar AOE burst.
Stats-wise, the Fatebringer boasts incredible Impact and Aim Resistance, making it reliable in almost any encounter. Its balanced Stability, Handling, and Reload Speed make it a great companion in terms of extended engagements against multiple opponents.
13 Bottom Dollar
Bottom Dollar, as a Legendary Energy Hand Cannon, is worth the grab for its immense firepower. Its Aggressive Frame provides high damage at the cost of high recoil - perfect for long-distance engagements. Additionally, its Dragonfly Perk will cause enemies to erupt in elemental damage AOE whenever killed with Precision Kills.
Stats-wise, the Bottom Dollar boasts incredible Impact and impressive Range. Its rather so-so Stability and Handling does pose a challenge in terms of handling. However, its rather middling Aim Assistance can potentially compensate for the challenge.
12 The Palindrome
The Palindrome, being a Legendary Energy Hand Cannon, excels in fighting multiple enemies at once. Its Adaptive Frame gives the Palindrome incredible handling and stability. This Frame works immensely well with its One For All Perk, which increases damage when hitting three separate targets.
In terms of stats, the Palindrome has high Recoil with decent Impact, making it useful for long-ranged incursions. Its decent Stability and Aim Assistance can make shots much easier to train, especially against multiple opponents. When it comes to immense firefights, the Palindrome can take enemies out much faster.
11 Ancient Gospel
The Ancient Gospel, as a Legendary Energy Hand Cannon, gives players advantages the more it gets to kill foes. Thanks to Adaptive Frame, the Ancient Gospel boasts remarkable stability as a weapon. And with its Kill Clip Perk, Ancient Gospel gets increased damage whenever the player reloads after a kill.
Despite its maxed Recoil stat, the Ancient Gospel does compensate with impressive Aim Assistance and Impact. This makes it quite a reliable, albeit heavy, weapon to control. Its decent Stability and Handling easily lets players capitalize on the Ancient Gospel for extended encounters.
10 Dire Promise
Dire Promise has a great recoil that will feel nice to shoot with. Its impact is high, delivering good damage with every shot. It also has the unique perk of letting the player move faster when it's equipped, either gaining on the enemy or running away are two major benefits that are hard to pass up.
It provides very consistent function with high aim assist that lets the player be a little more relaxed with the joystick/mouse. While it might not always be needed, the added assistance can definitely help avoid some sticky situations. Dire Promise should be a serious consideration for any player that likes to agile and move around the map.
9 Better Devils
A now seasoned weapon in Destiny 2 battlefields, Better Devils is the well rounded reliable gun that players can lean on in almost any situation. Having a very balanced fire rate and impact makes for dependable results as soon as players get used to it. Especially with a very minor recoil, players can unload their magazine into the enemy with relative ease.
This is topped off with the Explosive Payload perk that deals a larger area of damage wherever the bullet hits, taking away the need to be laser accurate with every shot. Further complimented by a large magazine and players have one of the most steadfast weapons on the battlefield.
8 Waking Vigil
One of the biggest advantages of Waking Vigil is its actual frame. Being a very thin build means it won't block the player's view while aiming. A much-needed trait when this heavy hitter fires at close range, visibility makes a huge difference in the thick of things.
One of the best things about Waking Vigil is its availability, being much easier to get than most of the other top prospects makes it a go to for those that want to jump right into the action. The scope and aim assist come as the cheery on top, giving those without an eagle eye able to consistently hit their target.
7 Last Word
Reserved only for those that throw caution to the wind and are confident in their quick-draw skills, The Last Word is any wild man's delight. Firing from the hip is practically the only way to handle the thing, taking out enemies in seconds and doing it in style.
The downside is its effectiveness in other game modes than PVP, it essentially becomes useful as a melee weapon due to its bulky size but provides little other use. So as a competitive weapon, it's about as tough as it gets, otherwise it might be better to choose something more versatile. The Last Word can't be topped if players are looking for style points, it provides some of the most satisfying wins in the game.
6 Optative
The sprayer, Optative makes for one of the top volume hand cannons in the game. Spraying 180 RPM with some of the best stability available, it would be hard to miss an enemy in any situation. A lethal combination when players can maintain a target while holding down the trigger, Optative is very forgiving at long range.
Sacrificing a little damage for the reliable shot is a preference call, completely dependent on what the player feels more comfortable with. It's list of perks like Outlaw will amplify the weapons function, upping the reload speed and allowing even more rounds to hit the target in such a short period of time.
5 Luna's Howl
Another gun that can shoot a mist of bullets in a blink, Luna's Howl also has the useful advantage of dealing damage at long range. Players can easily take out the enemy in 4 shots from distances most hand cannons would seriously fade at. High damage and long range for a hand cannon is rare and one of the reasons Luna's Howl is one of the toughest to acquire.
Even more devastating is its Magnificent Howl perk that ups the damage when 2 head shots are made, giving the snipers a 3 shot kill. This puts it at one of the top spots for laying enemies out in a short period of time and doing it at range is even better. Players have to be pretty good to even get their hands on it, making anyone in possession of the gun a serious problem.
4 Not Forgotten
One of the key factors in balancing out a hand cannon is an increased range, something Not Forgotten has built-in. Recent changes to the game have made range hand cannons a little less effective but it still holds steady as one of the best long range shooters on the market. For those in the know it also serves as bragging rights given the long road to get the gun.
One con it does have is a slow reload speed at base, hindering some that like to spray instead of aim. This tailors the gun into a more specific lane, forcing the player to pick their shots wisely. Luckily this shouldn't be an issue for those that are looking for a more long distance shootout anyway and cements the gun as a prized weapon in the arsenal.
3 Austringer
One of the rare occasions when a hand cannons base stats are already elite, the Austringer is basically guaranteed to feel good no matter what roll players get. If it's a bad roll then it becomes above average and more than enough to take out most of the battlefield, it's when the good rolls come that one of the best feeling weapons in the game appears.
The perks that Austringer can get are second to none, giving players a chance at some of the best combination of stats in the game. It also functions well in both PVP and PVE, all without being an exotic. Players of any level should aim for this weapon simply because of the feel and easy access.
2 Spare Rations
Spare Ration is the Austringer's more risky, bad boy brother. Providing some exceptional perks for those willing to sacrifice the ease of use, its peaks are higher but its valleys lower. Those with incredible control and faster pace will find Spare Ration a much more rewarding experience with a much higher reload speed and handling stats.
It also has rebound rounds that give the player a lot more options on the offensive, taking a serious level of skill to pull off. It also plays a lot more in closer range scenarios, making the user operating in close range situations a lot more. The high reward for high skill, Spare Rations definitely takes the cake for advanced players.
1 Thorn
On top of being a top notch gun, Thorn comes with a powerful 2 piece perk combination that both deals extra damage to the opponent and makes the player more powerful. Mark of The Devourer will sink into the enemy and deal residue damage over time and leaves Residue behind once they succumb to the injury.
Soul Devourer strengthens the first perk when the left behind Residue is picked up while refilling the magazine. A perfect recycling plan that only serves to increase damage and ammo, if players can keep the kill train going there's little that can stop them. The only oddity is the vertical recoil that comes in after a shot but it's a quick learning curve to get over.