Red Dead Redemption 2: 24 Weapons And Their Real Life Counterparts (2024)

Red Dead Redemption 2, being a western, is loaded with all sorts of iconic cowboy weapons. Set in the year 1899 for most of its narrative, the game not only features famous weapons from the Wild West era but also famous weapons from the early 1900s. Red Dead Redemption 2 is similar to other Rockstar games in how it treats its weapons.

Liberties are taken for the sake of gameplay and lore purposes but unlike games such as Fallout 4, they are not as drastic. These guns accurately resemble their source material. In fact, they make for a great starting point for someone who would like to familiarize themselves with Old West firearm history.

Updated June 8, 2024, by Gregory Louis Gomez:Few games are as lifelike and immersive asRed Dead Redemption 2. It's one of those games that makes it extremely easy for the player to jump in and almost immediately get lost in its world. This is due in part to its incredible graphics and meticulous design philosophy. One area in which the player can appreciate this is in the game's vast collection of mostly period-accurate firearms. From revolvers to long rifles, RDR2 faithfully recreates many historical firearms for players to use as they explore the game's world. With that in mind, we've added a few more entries to this article, detailing some more of these expertly recreated firearms and their real-life counterparts in RDR2.

24 Cattleman Revolver / Colt Single Action Army

The Quintessential Wild West Cowboy Revolver

The 1873 Single Action Army serves as the primary inspiration for the Cattleman Revolver. It is one of the most famous revolvers ever made, being the quintessential cowboy gun for many fans of the era. In Red Dead 2, the gun is portrayed rather accurately as a single-action-only pistol. The one quirk about it is the speed with which the player reloads it.

Normally this is a laborious process as it is entirely manual but in the game, the player whizzes through the animation in no time at all. Of course, this is purely for gameplay purposes. The game does not specify a caliber but the real gun fires a .45 Long Colt.

23 Navy Revolver / Colt 1851 Navy

A Civil War Era Classic Cap and Ball Revolver

The Navy Revolver is an online-exclusive pistol that is basically a one-to-one recreation of the famous Colt 1851 revolver. Unlike many of the other in-game revolvers, the revolver is of a cap and ball design, which means that it does not visibly use metallic cartridges. It uses the generic revolver ammo that other cartridge-firing pistols do. The revolver famously served during the American Civil War and is so named for having been manufactured by Colt for the U.S. Navy.

Though the pistol looks fantastic, its reload animation is utterly nonsensical. It is far too quick for a cap and ball revolver, especially since the player only appears to put the caps on the back of the cylinder and not the powder or ball.

22 LeMat Revolver

A Versatile Handgun With High capacity

Returning from the first game, the LeMat revolver is a ten-shot, multi-barrel cap and ball revolver available in Red Dead 2's single-player and multiplayer. The unique ten-shot capacity comes from its nine-chamber cylinder and an additional "shotgun" barrel that runs through the middle of said cylinder. The player can swap between the main barrel and the shotgun barrel the same way as in real life.

This pistol was developed by Jean Alexandre LeMat in 1855 and served as an officer's pistol and cavalry revolver for the Confederate Army and Navy during the American Civil War. As such, it is a very large pistol, weighing in at over four pounds loaded. Normally, the pistol is .42 caliber with a 20 gauge center barrel, but in-game the gun just uses generic ammo types like every other gun.

21 Hutton & Baird Schofield Revolver / Smith & Wesson Schofield Model 3

Perhaps the Best of the Old West Revolvers

The Schofield Revolver is often considered to be the best single-action revolver of its era thanks in no small part to its break-action design, allowing for much easier reloading than other revolvers. In the game, this iconic break action reload is accurately represented as being rather fast compared to other revolvers, allowing the player to insert six rounds with ease during gunfights. It can be obtained after the mission "Blessed Are the Meek." Dutch can be seen using a pair of engraved Schofields as his signature pistols.

The real Schofield was developed by Smith & Wesson in the late 1860s and put into production by 1870 (thus predating the Colt Single Action Army). Much like the Colt, it was used by the U.S. military and chambered in a 45 caliber cartridge, although the dimensions were slightly different (which would lead to logistical issues in the field). The game's version uses generic revolver cartridges, however. The Model 3 is rather long-lived, with it even seeing service in the Russian Empire during World War 1.

20 Volcanic Pistol

A Predecessor to the Winchester Lever Action Family

The Volcanic Pistol is kind of a strange case of Red Dead taking gameplay liberties with its weapons. The one in the game is one of the better pistols the player can get. It has both high damage and a higher capacity than most other pistols, along with comparable accuracy and range. Its slow reload speed is its only drawback. The pistol can be gotten as early as the start of Chapter 2 in Valentine, making it an excellent purchase option for the early game missions.

The real Volcanic Pistol (developed by Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson) was a breathtakingly weak handgun. It fired what was referred to as the Rocket Ball round, a lead projectile with powder stuffed into a cavity at its base. This meant that the charge was so low that there were reports of people and animals surviving being shot by it even multiple times. Still, the design of this pistol, as well as its rifle counterpart, evolved into the Henry repeating rifle. This would in turn become the Winchester family of repeaters.

19 Double Action Revolver / Colt New Army & Navy

A Reliable and Fast Rate of Fire in a Small Package

This revolver is undoubtedly based on the M1892 civilian model New Army & Navy. Red Dead 2's version, though, is simply called the Double-Action Revolver. Much like the rest of the firearms in the game, the Double-Action Revolver doesn't have a specified cartridge that it fires. Instead, the game assigns it generic revolver cartridges.

The real pistol is chambered in a .38 Long Colt. It is correctly depicted as being both double action and single action, as the hammer is co*cked manually upon drawing the pistol, with each subsequent shot co*cked by the pull of the trigger itself. The Revolver would see service as late as World War 1. This was due to shortages of other handguns at the time.

18 Semi-Automatic Pistol / Borchardt C93

It Might be Ugly, But it Works

Many people have seen the famous (or infamous depending on one's view) Luger pistol. The Borchardt C93 is its direct ancestor. Developed by Hugo Borchardt in 1893, it was the first semi-automatic pistol to see mass production. It was this exact pistol that Georg Luger would iterate on and perfect in the form of the P08 Luger pistol in the early 1900s.

RDR2's version of the pistol has a slightly altered profile in that its grip is much more angled than the real pistol's grip (probably to fit existing animations). It also fires generic pistol ammo rather than the 7.65×25mm cartridge.

17 M1899 / FN Model 1900

The Originator of Modern Handgun Design

This auto-loading pistol is rather significant in that it is the first pistol to use a slide, something all modern pistols feature. Developed by the legendary John Moses Browning, it makes its series debut as the M1899 pistol. Aesthetically, it differs in notable ways from its inspiration.

Chief among these is the much more angled pistol grip. The trigger is also shaped differently, and the overall size is bulkier than the pocket size of the actual gun. The game had it fire pistol cartridges while the real pistol is chambered in .32 ACP.

16 Mauser Pistol / Mauser C96

Famous For Its Innovative and Stylish Design

The Mauser is and has been a common sight in video games for decades at this point. It was in the first Red Dead Redemption, and it once again makes an appearance in its successor. Accuracy-wise, the pistol is a near one-to-one recreation of the actual C96. One deviation is that it's stated to have been manufactured by the Mühlberg company in Germany, which is not a real firearms company. Another deviation is that it fires generic ammo rather than the historically accurate 7.63x25mm cartridge.

In real life, the C96 was developed by the Mauser company in the 1890s, hence the namesake of the pistol. It was one of the first successful self-loading pistol designs (to the point that it was copied illegally the world over) and would be used in conflicts around the world for many decades after its invention. Interestingly enough, China was the only nation to ever adopt the Mauser as its standard-issue pistol. It would, however, see extensive use as a contract pistol around the world.

15 Semi-Automatic Shotgun / Browning Auto 5

Devastating Power with Every Pull of the Trigger

The Semi-Automatic Shotgun returns after appearing in the first Red Dead Redemption. This return, however, is a little perplexing seeing as how much of the game is set in 1899. Given that it is based on John Browning's Auto 5 shotgun, which was first produced in 1902, this makes it anachronistic for the time period.

Granted, the epilogue is set in 1907, which means that it would be totally fine for John Marston to be running around with one. Arthur Morgan on the other hand has some explaining to do. Other than this, the gun is faithfully recreated, though the speed at which the player reloads wouldn't be physically possible until 1953 with the advent of the speed reload feature.

14 Repeating Shotgun / Winchester Model 1887

Great In-Game, Kind of Terrible in Real Life

The Repeating Shotgun is a late-game shotgun that is based on the famous John Browning design Winchester Model 1887. Fans of Terminator 2: Judgement Day will remember this as the shotgun Arnold 'flip co*cks' while pursuing the T1000 via motorcycle. The shotgun is moderately powerful with a max capacity of 6 rounds. It can be bought in the main story after breaking John Marston out of prison, but it can also be obtained for free during the mission "Jim Milton Rides, Again?"

The 1887 might be a famous old-west shotgun, but it's not without its issues. For one, it's rather stiff to operate, and a lot of force is required for it to feed and eject properly (similar to the French 1886 Lebel Rifle) and is prone to malfunction. Ultimately, the Winchester 1897 pump-action shotgun would justifiably steal its thunder with its far better ergonomics and mechanical design.

13 Pump Action Shotgun / Winchester 1897

A Classic Pump Action Designed by John Moses Browning

The Model 1897 is among the most famous and popular pump-action shotguns in firearms history, so it's no surprise that it makes a return in Red Dead 2 in the form of the Pump-action Shotgun. The gun is unlocked after the mission "Pouring Fourth Oil IV," and can be purchased for $148.00 from any gunsmith. Though the real 1897 has a glowing reputation among civilians to this day (as is the case with many of John Moses Browning's designs), its military service history has been less than stellar.

The U.S. was infamous for bringing shotguns into The Great War upon entering in 1917, with the Winchester 1897 being among them. Most people assume that it was a devastating weapon in the trenches, but they actually had great difficulty working at all. They were known to jam frequently and were hardly used as soldiers regarded them as unreliable. This was mostly due to the easily damaged paper ammo that was issued at the time. This ammo does not appear in Red Dead 2, instead, the gun uses brass shells only.

12 Evans Repeater

A Forgotten Weapon Given New Life in Gaming

The Evans Repeater was one of the guns added to the game upon its PC release in 2019 and is available for purchase in the main game during chapter 3 and at any time in Red Dead Online. The rifle was first developed by Warren R. Evens in the 1870s but did not see as much popularity as some of its contemporaries.

This was despite its comparatively large magazine capacity of at least 26 .44 caliber cartridges, though the "helical" magazine design made it difficult to load, as the game accurately demonstrates. In the game, however, the higher capacity and high damage make it a good weapon for a variety of situations.

11 Carcano Rifle / M91/38 Short Rifle

An Italian Classic with an Unfortunate History

In a strange turn of events, a carbine from the 1930s makes an appearance in Red Dead 2 as a sort of sniper rifle. The Carcano Rifle is based on the M91/38 short Rifle that was used by the Italians during World War 2. The rear sight is from the M91 long rifle, which would've been a much more appropriate choice for a game set in 1899.

This particular Carcano model is infamous for being the one used by Lee Harvey Oswald to assassinate President Kennedy in the 1960s. Of course, the game doesn't reference this event at all, nor should it. It is, however, silly that the gun is depicted as a sniper rifle when in reality it was a general issue carbine. The M91/38 was also chambered in 6.5x52mm Carcano which is a round-nosed projectile while the game's version uses generic ammo.

10 Bolt Action Rifle / Krag-Jørgensen Rifle

An Elegant, if Somewhat Outdated, Combat Weapon

The Bolt Action Rifle is clearly an amalgamation of a few different variants of the Krag-Jørgensen rifle. This can be seen in the rifle's overall size and muzzle design. The size and stock design resemble the 1899 constabulary carbine, but the muzzle is straight off an 1889 artillery carbine. The rifle is known for its unique rotary magazine design, which is loaded via a gate on the side of the receiver. This design allowed for the rifle to be easily topped off easily, which is reflected in the game.

The Krag, chambered in 30-40, was the American military's standard-issue rifle from 1894 to 1904, by which point it was replaced by the M1903 Springfield rifle. This replacement came because the Krag was said to have performed poorly during the Spanish-American War against the Spanish Mauser rifles. This was a war that the United States handily won, by the way. Despite the Krag's smooth mechanism, the move to a double stack, box magazine, stripper clip fed design was considered a significant improvement.

9 Varmint Rifle / Winchester Model 1890

Perfect for Smaller Critters in the Wilderness

Like many weapons in Red Dead 2, the Varmint Rifle is based on a famous firearm developed by John Moses Browning. In this case, the .22 caliber slide-action Winchester Model 1890 serves as its inspiration. In the game, the gun can be obtained after completing the mission "Eastward Bound." Amazingly, the Varmint rifle is the only weapon in the game to use its real-life ammo type of .22 caliber. It is the only weapon in the game to use this ammo type.

The Model 1890 was a popular rifle for shooting galleries and recreational shooting in general. It subsequently earned the nickname "gallery gun" as a result and was produced from 1890 all the way to 1932.

8 Rolling Block Rifle / Remington Rolling Block

The Best Sniper Rifle a Frontiersman Could Ask For

Returning from the first game, the Rolling Block Rifle fills the sniper rifle role as a single shot permanently scoped rifle. Unlike most other weapons, the rifle can be obtained for free as part of the main story in which Arthur uses the rifle at John Marston's request (apparently on his dime too). The Rolling Block is Lenny's weapon of choice for most of the game, even using a custom model.

The Remington Rolling Block is often considered to be among the greatest breech-loading rifles ever made due to its extremely simple yet very strong locking system. It had been developed from a Civil War-era cavalry carbine design, though the rifle itself never saw active service during the war. Eventually, however, it would be developed for a huge variety of both black powder and smokeless calibers. It would even be sold to some European countries to serve as a rear-line weapon during World War I (though by this point it was thoroughly obsolete).

7 Springfield Rifle / Springfield Model 1873

A Rugged and Reliable Breach Loader

The "Trapdoor Springfield", as it was most commonly known (due to its iconic breech mechanism), was the standard U.S. service rifle from 1873 to 1892, directly preceding the adoption of the Krag-Jørgensen rifle. It was the first breech-loading rifle adopted by the U.S. and was chambered for the powerful .45-70-405 cartridge.

This is represented in the game quite accurately (unlike in Red Dead 1), as the rifle is a powerful single-shot weapon with a longer effective range than a repeater, much like the weapon on which it is based. It is obtained early in the main game (at the start of chapter 2) while in Red Dead Online it can only be purchased after reaching rank 38.

6 Lancaster Repeater / Winchester Model 1866

The Gun That Won the Wild West

Few old west weapons are as famous as the Winchester 1866, or 'Yellow Boy' as it's also known. The 1866 is a more advanced version of the 1860 Henry Rifle, which saw unofficial use during the American Civil War among various units. The Henry featured a somewhat poorly thought-out tube magazine system that the Winchester would fix with the introduction of a loading gate on the receiver. Not only did this allow for safer and more convenient loading, but it also allowed for the addition of a wooden handguard (something the Henry did not have).

It is one of several weapons to be manufactured by the fictional Lancaster company (clearly an analog to Winchester), along with the Varmint Rifle, Springfield Rifle, Pump Action Shotgun, and the Repeating Shotgun. It has rather low damage but a high rate of fire and reasonable accuracy. This makes it a rather well-rounded weapon even in the later stages of the game. It (along with its generic ammo type), can be bought from a gunsmith at any point, although it is given to the player by Micah during the main story.

5 Carbine Repeater / Spencer Carbine

Load On Sunday and Shoot all Week

The Carbine Repeater returns from the first game albeit with an inverted name. Its primary inspiration, the Spencer carbine (invented by Christopher Spencer) is a very important weapon in firearms history. It was the first repeating weapon adopted by the American military in the 1860s and represented a massive leap forward in technology and combat effectiveness over the standard muskets that were available. It fired a rather large 54 or 55-caliber projectile and was primarily issued to the cavalry during the American Civil War.

The game accurately represents its operation, though it makes the gun not only seem like it's far smoother to handle than in real life but also gives the impression that the weapon is far more popular than it ever was historically. The reality is that the weapon was a developmental dead end, and in 1869 production would cease after fewer than 200,000 rifles were produced. Its clunky design was one of the reasons why it was eventually replaced by the single-shot Springfield Trapdoor Carbine.