Handgun

Handguns in the Metal Gear series come in two types, firing different types of ammunition. While most fire lethal kinetic projectiles, others use nonlethal tranquilizer darts instead. Handguns are important because they are usually the first weapons acquired in the game, and are usually the stealthiest weapons with which to dispatch enemies with.

Kinetic Projectile (Lethal) Type
Kinetic projectile-type handguns are capable of lethal damage; while not the most powerful weapons in the games, they can still reliably neutralize an unsuspecting guard with a single head shot. Many are capable of a noise suppressor upgrade.


 * Springfield Operator


 * Mk.23 SOCOM - Offensive handgun weapon system developed for the Navy SEALs. Equipped with a laser aiming module (LAM), allowing for easier aim. Can be equipped with a sound suppressor, but the gun is generally procured without it. Once attached, the suppressor's effect is permanent and it cannot be removed. Fires .45 ACP rounds from a double-stack 12-round magazine.
 * USP - A handgun originating from the basic design of the SOCOM. It came equipped with a flashlight made specifically for the USP, Insight Technologies M2 UTL. Fired 9 x 19mm rounds from a double-stack, 15-round magazine. The USP was used by Olga to fight Snake during the Tanker chapter of MGS2; after she was defeated, Snake took the gun and used it himself at least as far as Big Shell. A picture of the real-life weapon can be found here.
 * M1911A1 - Standard .45 ACP handgun in service with the United States military. Naked Snake gets a custom-made version from EVA after his original one is dismantled by The Boss. Fires .45 ACP rounds from a single-stack 7-round magazine.
 * Type 17 Mauser - EVA's weapon of choice. The first semi-automatic pistol to see major deployment, the Mauser C96 was first manufactured in Germany in 1896. It was used by the German Army during World War I, but it was never formally adopted. The Chinese, however, manufactured copies of the Mauser chambered in .45 ACP, which they named the Type 17. The Type 17 was the preferred sidearm of China's military for the first half of the 20th century. It was sometimes held sideways in a technique called "Bandit shooting"; the idea is to aim at the right-most target and use the muzzle jump to guide your aim to the next target. This also countered the Mauser's awkward upwards ejection. According to Sigint, the Japanese were said to fear the technique. EVA demonstrates the lethality of Bandit shooting in her first appearance by slaughtering a squadron of AK-47-equipped Soviet troops. The Mauser comes in many calibers and capacities, but EVA's gun fires .45 ACP cartridges from a 10-round, non-detachable magazine. She reloads using a stripper clip speedloader device.
 * Glock 18 - Fatman's weapon of choice.


 * Single Action Army - Revolver Ocelot's weapon of choice. While much older and more primitive than other handguns found in the series, the SAA's .45 Long Colt rounds can ricochet off of hard surfaces. Its biggest drawbacks are its slow rate of fire and six-round capacity.
 * Makarov PMPm-2.jpg - Standard-issue Soviet sidearm, firing the 9 x 18mm pistol cartridge from a single-stack 8-round magazine. The Makarov was notable for its small size and reliability; its few moving parts meant that it jammed less often than the older handguns it replaced, and it was easier to dismantle and clean. It served as the standard Russian Army sidearm from its adoption in 1951 until it was replaced by the Yarygin PYa in 2003, which could hold seventeen rounds of the more common 9 x 19mm cartridge in comparison to the Makarov's eight. A modernized version, the Makarov PMM, was developed in 1990; it was designed to utilize double-stacked 12-round magazines and higher-pressure ammunition. All of the guards in MGS3 carry a Makarov as a backup weapon in case they lose their primary, and it was Ocelot's weapon of choice until it jammed on him when he was using an unorthodox shooting method in a firefight. He replaced it with the Single Action Army.
 * Desert Eagle - Meryl Silverburgh's weapon of choice. The Desert Eagle is a modular, magnum-caliber semi-automatic pistol, manufactured by Israeli Military Industries and created by Magnum Research. The Desert Eagle is a massive handgun mainly designed for hunting and silhouette shooting, capable of firing extremely powerful .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, or .50 AE rounds. It was never meant for combat and is considered far too powerful for any military purpose. While the powerful magnum rounds are capable of killing a man in a single shot, the gun is heavy, bulky, and possesses immense recoil. In addition, the gun's small magazine capacity limits its effectiveness. Meryl's Desert Eagle is chambered for .50 AE rounds, and carries seven of these huge rounds in a single-stack magazine. She obtains one from the Armory during the Shadow Moses incident, and carries it, as well as a modified 9 inch version equipped with a scope, in Metal Gear Solid 4.
 * THOR .45-70 - A "hand-rifle" found in MGS4. It was created by using 1911 pistol parts and a dot sight and was developed for competitive shooting and hunting. Using 500-grain .45-70 rounds at a velocity of 1500 ft/s, the Thor is an incredibly powerful pistol that can eliminate guards in one shot. But the gun's power comes at a price, due to heavy recoil and a single-bullet magazine. Liquid Ocelot was seen using the Thor .45-70 during Act 3, in which he attempted to kill Snake with the pistol after the the FROGS defeated the marines blocking the Volta River.''

Tranquilizer (Nonlethal) Type
Tranquilizer guns fire sedative darts that put enemies to sleep without harming them. Guards will not raise an alarm when a tranquilized guard is discovered. The main disadvantage for all tranquilizer guns is that the player is forced to cock the gun after every shot, since the slide is locked after the dart is fired. Because of this, it is even more important to make each shot count. However, clearing the game using only tranquilizer weapons will give the player a higher score.


 * Beretta M9Beretta_m9.jpg - Standard-issue sidearm of many NATO countries, including the United States. Comes with a suppressor, a laser sight, and a double-stack 15-round magazine. It is modified to fire 9x19mm tranquilizer darts rather than lethal rounds. It uses a slide-lock mechanism, enhancing the suppression effect but reducing the rate of fire.
 * EZ Gun - Special-purpose tranquilizer pistol developed by Sigint especially for FOX. It has a laser pointer to make aiming easier and keeps your camouflage index at a minimum of 80%. It also reduces stamina consumption. While the gun can only hold one round at a time, it can be reloaded in less than a second and fires silent ammunition, meaning that the wielder never has to worry about the suppressor wearing out.
 * Mk.22 Hush Puppymk22.jpg- Modified Smith & Wesson Mk.22 Mod 0 "Hush Puppy" that uses 9x19mm tranquillizer darts instead of lethal rounds. It holds eight rounds in a single-stack magazine and uses a slide-lock mechanism, enhancing the suppression effect but reducing the rate of fire. The Mk.22 lacks a laser sight, but has been fitted with taller iron sights so the gun can be used more easily with a suppressor.
 * Mk.2 Ruger

Suppressors
In Snake Eater the two main pistols, the M1911 and the Mk.22, both have detachable suppressors. With a suppressor attached you only have a certain number of shots you can use in which the suppressor will remain effective. There are a limited number of suppressors for each gun so it is best to only use the suppressor when necessary.