Pistol rounds are pivotal in Counter-Strike: Global Offensice.
By them, you set momentum and morale for both your team and the opposition. While they are not decisive in and of themselves, good pistol rounds can set up a chain reaction of success that can linger long into the half.
Knowing your equipment is more than half the battle, despite only being a few rounds out of the match. Let’s break down the best pistols CS:GO has in its arsenal after the break.
Best Pistols in CS:GO – Pistol Tier List
There are five pistol slots per team in CS:GO. Some of the slots allow for customization, so you can pick the right pistol setup for your playstyle. Before we get into all of that though, let’s get a bird’s eye view of the options on the table. Below, you’ll find our tier list of CS:GO best pistols roughly ranked by effectiveness across an entire match. The team(s) capable of purchasing said pistol will be in parentheses alongside the name.
CS:GO Pistols – Best to Worst
- Desert Eagle (Both)
- Tec-9 (T)
- Five-Seven (CT)
- P250 (Both)
- CZ-75 (Both)
- USP-S (CT)
- Glock (T)
- P2000 (CT)
- R8 Revolver (Both)
- Dual Berettas (Both)
Of course, a lot of your choice will come down to personal preference. This tier list is based on a variety of factors, including weapon spread/first-shot accuracy, mobility, damage, and more. It’s subject to change with the metagame like all strategic aspects of a competitive game. But in terms of what sees the most playtime, this is (generally) how it looks at present.
Like we mentioned, certain pistols share a slot. Those pistols are:
- Tec-9 / CZ-75 (T)
- Five-Seven / CZ-75 (CT)
- Desert Eagle / R8 Revolver (Both)
- USP-S / P2000 (CT)
Which setup you choose to roll with says a lot about you as a player. Do you favor slinging a storm of hot lead downrange, accuracy be darned? Or do you prefer to put shots on target with precision? What positions you play and the roles you fill on the team can affect this too. Take some time to try each of the pistols in deathmatches or casual games.
But if you learn better by reading, it’s time to crack into some specifics.
Starter Pistols
USP-S (CT)
- Cost: $200 (Free on spawn)
- First-shot accuracy: High
- Fire rate: Medium
- Magazine size: Medium
- Damage (Unarmored): Medium
- Damage (Armored): Low
The USP-S (the “S” stands for silenced) has been the mainstay of Counter-Terrorist teams the world over since the turn of the millennium, with decent accuracy backed up by solid damage even in medium range engagements. Headshots are yours to farm if you remain cool and collected while holding an angle or performing some deft counter-strafing. But be advised: this pistol can struggle while spamming, with inaccuracy that falls apart as you start panicking. As long as you can keep your crosshairs on target you remain a formidable force even in a pinch against rifles or SMGs.
Glock (T)
- Cost: $200 (Free on spawn)
- First-shot accuracy: Medium
- Fire rate: High
- Magazine size: High
- Damage (Unarmored): Medium
- Damage (Armored): Low
The Glock, likewise a reliable companion for antagonistic groups since the first retail release of Counter-Strike, is meant for running and gunning. It’s not going to be remarkably accurate no matter what, so you might as well keep moving and keep yourself pointed toward the enemy. Headshots against unarmored opponents can be one-hit kills even at medium ranges, so as long as they’re still standing, keep clicking. You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.
P2000 (CT)
- Cost: $200 (Free on spawn)
- First-shot accuracy: Medium
- Fire rate: High
- Magazine size: High
- Damage (Unarmored): Medium
- Damage (Armored): Low
The P2000 functions as a pseudo-Glock for the CT team. It has similar stats in terms of fire rate, inaccuracy, magazine size, and damage. Ideal for the CT on the move, or someone who would rather squeeze the trigger a dozen times first and ask questions later. Great for spraying down a line of opponents charging into a site while you desperately call for your teammates to rotate.
Midgame Pistols
P250 (Both)
- Cost: $300
- First-shot accuracy: Medium
- Fire rate: Medium
- Magazine size: Medium
- Damage (Unarmored): Medium
- Damage (Armored): Medium
The P250 is a workhorse for both teams and one of the best pistols Counterstrike has for midgame play. It’s inexpensive and offers solid performance in a wide variety of conditions. Even on an eco round, a player armed with a P250 can easily hit-and-run a better equipped player and snag a rifle or an SMG for their trouble. While the spread means long range engagements are ill-advised, a P250 in the hands of a determined player should give any opponent pause.
CZ-75 (Both)
- Cost: $500
- First-shot accuracy: Medium
- Fire rate: High
- Magazine size: Medium
- Damage (Unarmored): Medium
- Damage (Armored): Medium
Take a P250 and make it fully automatic — that’s the CZ-75 in a nutshell. As you might imagine, while the first-shot accuracy is still decent, every subsequent shot is even more wild than the last. This is the ideal panic button in the pocket of AWPers and lurkers who may need to empty their magazine in a hurry to escape a tight spot.
Main Pistols
Five-Seven – CT
- Cost: $500
- First-shot accuracy: High
- Fire rate: Medium
- Magazine size: High
- Damage (Unarmored): High
- Damage (Armored): High
The sidearm of choice for many a CT, the Five-Seven is an armor-penetrating machine. It’s got a big magazine to keep you shooting longer and each shot has the potential to do some solid damage. While the accuracy falls off beyond medium range, anything closer is going to be ducking for cover.
Tec-9 (T)
- Cost: $500
- First-shot accuracy: Medium
- Fire rate: High
- Magazine size: High
- Damage (Unarmored): High
- Damage (Armored): High
The wilder cousin of the Five-Seven, the Tec-9 is the run-and-gun king of Counter-Strike pistols. A full team armed with Tec-9s can flash and smoke their way onto a site and overpower even rifle-wielding defenders with ease. It’s the simple fact that they don’t have to stop running to put a dent in your day, and they won’t likely need to reload until you’re already dead.
Desert Eagle (Both)
- Cost: $700
- First-shot accuracy: High
- Fire rate: Low
- Magazine size: Low
- Damage (Unarmored): Extreme
- Damage (Armored): Extreme
It’s called the “hand cannon” for a reason. The Desert Eagle is a beast among the best pistols in CS:GO. It’s deadly accurate as long as you counter strafe or crouch appropriately. And headshots, armored or not, are usually a kill. Two or three body shots are enough to put even a Kevlar wearing opponent down at anything closer than medium range. The slow fire rate hampered by slow inaccuracy recovery and limited shots are the only things that bring this pistol back to earth, but only just….
Specialty Pistols
R8 Revolver (Both)
- Cost: $600
- First-shot accuracy: Extreme
- Fire rate: Low
- Magazine size: Low
- Damage (Unarmored): Extreme
- Damage (Armored): Extreme
What could possibly top the Desert Eagle? The R8 Revolver is a pistol that packs the same punch with even better, pixel perfect accuracy. But there’s a catch — pulling the trigger requires cocking the hammer back before firing, adding a delay of about half a second where you have to hold down the mouse button and keep your crosshair on target. As long as you’re comfortable working around this, there isn’t much in the game that can match this accuracy with this much potent firepower.
Dual Berettas (Both)
- Cost: $400
- First-shot accuracy: High
- Fire rate: High
- Magazine size: High
- Damage (Unarmored): Medium
- Damage (Armored): Low
Live out your wildest John Woo fueled fantasies with the Dual Berettas, the last pistol on our list of best pistols CS:GO. It’s a gun in each hand for maximum lead slinging with minimal downtime. Getting two magazines for the price of one doubles the numbers of shots you can make before awkwardly reloading without dropping your guns. The first shot accuracy is even decent despite the unusual setup. However, the damage is middling at anything other than close range. Which is fine considering that while each individual shot does less damage, you can stack half a dozen on target before your opponent can call “Pushing B!”
Become a High Grounder
No matter which of the best pistols in CS:GO you slot into position, it’s the mind behind the mouse and keyboard that puts them to use. Practice often, then practice even more to get comfortable with the damage, weapon spread, and all the other variables that make up each pistol.
In no time you’ll be dominating pistol rounds. Perhaps even keeping riflers on their toes when your team is forced into an eco round. They may be called “sidearms,” but as long as you have health on your HUD and a weapon in your hands, you’re never out of the fight.
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