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Getting a good gun completely changes how you’ll play STALKER 2. After the opening prologue, you’ll start your survival adventure with a worthless handgun. If you want to take out enemies without getting instantly wrecked, you’ll want powerful forever guns like the AKM-74S or the M860 Cracker. These weapons aren’t so easy to find in your first hours, especially versions that are fully repaired and already upgraded. If you want a scoped gun right away, here’s where to find it. And we’ve listed a few other basic guns you’ll want to grab at the very start of the story.
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AKM-74S
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The best weapon for the early game is the AKM-74S. The ammo for this gun is plentiful, almost every bandit and mercenary you encounter will be carrying ammo for it — and it’s got a scope for accuracy, making this the most useful gun at the start of the game. Later Assault Rifles are better, and this gun will need some upgrades at the Technician to get the most out of it, but the AKM-74S is still a powerhouse and the weapon you’ll need the most.
- Where To Find: Valik Lummox’s AKM-74S is the best workhorse weapon you can get early in STALKER 2. Talk to Warlock in Zassilya Bar, the first major settlement, to begin the ‘Warlock’s Debtor’ side-mission. At the location, you’ll encounter the debtor barricaded and a group of bandits. Talk to them, and then to Valik and he’ll give you the location of his stash.
- Even if you don’t take on this mission, you can find Valik’s Stash at the Water Tower to the north of Zassilya Base. Climb to the top of the Water Tower and look the container to collect this weapon and some ammo. The AKM-74S is one of the best standard weapons you’ll find in the Zone, and ammo is very plentiful. Most enemies will carry ammo for this gun.
The scope is what makes this weapon so useful. Take it to Lens the Technician in Zassilya Base for upgrades. While this weapon isn’t as good as other weapons you’ll find later in the Zone, it’s a great starting weapon that’s perfect for fighting human enemies. That scope makes scoring headshots so much easier.
- Also Found In: Dropped very early in the story during the ‘Lost Boys‘ side-quest. After you find The Ninth, agree to kill him to collect his gun. He’s carrying an AKM-74S. Doing this will also net you $1,000 for your mission reward.
Viper-5
The standard SMG is a more common bandit drop and one of the early close-range weapons you’ll get while exploring the Zone. This MP5-like SMG has high recoil but works very well when you need to clear interiors or when fighting enemy mercenaries. This gun is first available to buy from Hamster in the starting settlement, but you can get it for free very early with a little exploration.
- Where To Find: The Viper-5 can be found on one of the Bandit bodies outside the Post Office area after rescuing the Stalker inside. But this is a busted version and isn’t that useful. Talk to the Stalker inside and agree to his mission ‘Dangerous Visitors‘ and he’ll give you the location of his stash.
- The stash is north up the road between the Post Office and the Boiler House. Look for a crashed helicopter in the mud. A pack of mutant dogs will attack when you approach, so be prepared for a fight.
- Inside the irradiated helicopter, look for a stash container with the Viper-5 and ammo. The area is labeled ‘Zhorik’s Stash‘ on the map.
The Viper-5 is a lightweight weapon and requires a lot of ammo. The one found at the Stash is a fully repaired version of the weapon and a good tool to keep in your inventory for a long time. It’s a standard, simple workhouse weapon with common ammo that’s worth using for most situations.
M860 Cracker
A powerful Pump-Action Shotgun that’s one of the best in the early Zone, and a much better weapon than the Sawed-Off Shotgun you’ll find from most bandits. Because shotguns are so common, this gun is extremely useful. Make sure to loot all those Sawed-Offs you find and take the ammo.
- Where To Find: The M860 Cracker can be found very early during the ‘Warlock’s Debtor‘ side-mission. Talk to Warlock in the Bar in Zalissya Bar to begin the mission. Agree to help Valik Lummox instead of the bandits and wipe them out. One of the Bandits is carrying a yellow durability version of this weapon. Fix it at Lens in the nearby settlement for a fully operational version.
The M860 Cracker has a standard 6 shell magazine. It is slow to fire and reload, but significantly faster and easier to use than the double-barreled shotguns you’ll find in the Zone. It’s also just as powerful, with a maximum damage effect that’s incredibly useful against mutants.
TOZ-34
This double-barreled shotgun is available for purchase early in the game from Hamster — but you can collect it for free. Either by collecting it from dead bodies, or during an early mission.
- Where To Find: The TOZ-34 is a rare drop from enemy bandits and can be found on a dead body in the ‘Lost Boys‘ side-quest — while exploring the bunker, look for a Stalker body you can loot. He should have one of these shotguns. The gun is on the ground near the Fuse Box room.
Very, very good for dealing with mutants that rush toward you. Ammo is relatively common, but you won’t need nearly as much as other weapons — the TOZ-34 only has two shots per reload, but each shot is extremely powerful in the early game. While not as good as the Cracker — and especially not as good to keep permanently — it is a useful early weapon you can easily miss.
