What is the fastest gun in rd2?
As an avid RD2 player and firearm enthusiast, I‘m often researching weapons and testing guns in-game to determine key stats and best practices. In this guide, we‘ll analyze the critical factors that affect weapon fire rate in RD2 – from reload speeds, to action types, ammo capacity, and more.
My goal is to help fellow fans understand the mechanics underpinning firearm speeds so you can dominate shootouts in RD2 Story Mode and Online!
The Importance of Weapon Rate of Fire
Before diving into technical analyses, it‘s worth covering why a gun‘s rate of fire actually matters for gameplay:
- Higher Skill Ceilings – Mastering recoil and accuracy with fast-shooting weapons raises skill gaps and play complexity
- Adrenaline Rushes – The intense thrill and tension of split second life-or-death gunfights. Go big or go home!
- Convenience & Efficiency – Taking down enemies and winning objectives faster ultimately saves time and hassle
While many players focus solely on damage-per-shot stats, rate of fire is an equally crucial component that directly enables key playstyles:
- Fast Guns Suit Aggressive Players – For straight rushdowns and overwhelming enemies with bullets
- Critical for Close Quarters Combat – Speed beats power when foes are up in your face
- High Skill Ceilings – Mastering recoil control required to use properly
- Enable High-Risk, High-Reward Play – Go loud and hard relying on twitch reflexes and aim
So while departed accuracy at range and quick ammo burns require compromise, the DPS and versatility of rapid-fire weapons earn them a rightful place in any serious RD2 arsenal.
Which brings us to the central question – what is objectively the fastest shooting gun in RD2?
The Fastest Gun in RD2: Semi-Auto Shotgun
After extensive in-game testing and crunching the numbers on rate of fire, reload speeds, and firepower – the undisputed fastest weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2 is the Semi-Auto Shotgun.
Capable of firing 6 shells per second, no other base game firearm comes close this shotgun‘s sheer bullet output. The auto-cycling action allows continuous shots without needing to manually reload between each blast.
Upgrades via customization can accelerate the Semi-Auto Shotgun even faster:
- Long Barrel – Boosts fire rate further through improved cycling
- Rifling – Tightens bullet spread for deadlier rapid-fire effectiveness
Combined with devastating close-quarters damage, the raw fire rate emphatically crowns the Semi-Auto Shotgun as king of RD2 guns. No other weapon can spit out damage at remotely the same velocity.
Semi-Auto Shotgun – Absolute Fastest Shooting Gun in RD2
Ranking Fire Rates By Weapon Class
While the Semi-Auto Shotgun dominates outright speed, other weapons can shoot faster relative to their weapon classes. Let‘s analyze how different firearms compare strictly focusing on rate of fire:
Pistols
These small sidearms offer rapid fire potential with their low recoil and reload times.
| Weapon | Fire Rate | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Volcanic Pistol | ★★★★★ | Extremely high capacity and great ROF for its class |
| Mauser Pistol | ★★★★★ | Virtually unrivaled pistol fire rate with its full-auto action |
| Semi-Automatic Pistol | ★★☆☆☆ | Quick rate of fire but small magazine caps sustained damage |
Analysis: Both Mauser and Volcanic recycle my top picks for their balance of fire speed and ammo to down enemies
Revolvers
Limited by manual reload requirements, revolvers have middling fire rates – but benefit huge damage per shot.
| Weapon | Fire Rate | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Schofield Revolver | ★★★☆☆ | Respectable speed for a revolver with great versatility |
| Double Action Revolver | ★★☆☆☆ | Can rapid fire thanks to double action mechanism – but at cost of poor accuracy |
Analysis: Schofield stands out with best balance of fire rate and control. Fanning hammer technique also empowers manual revolvers for rapid fire needs
Repeaters
With their high ammo capacity and versatility, repeaters fill a nice middle ground between range, damage and fire speed.
| Weapon | Fire Rate | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster Repeater | ★★★★☆ | Impressive rate of fire with great accuracy makes it one of the best balanced repeaters |
| Litchfield Repeater | ★★★☆☆ | Very quick for a high caliber weapon with punchy damage |
Analysis: Lancaster edges out as best overall with excellent reliability and speed for dynamic engagements
Rifles
Range-oriented firearms means larger calibers and bolt-actions that reduce firing rate, but boost impact dramatically.
| Weapon | Fire Rate | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Bolt-Action Rifle | ★☆☆☆☆ | Slow as expected for a powerful long-arm, but custom ammo helps DPS |
Analysis: Rifles sacrifice rate of fire for range and stopping power. Bolt action undermines rapid fire capability by design
Shotguns
From rapid-fire semi-autos to heavy double barrels, shotguns vary wildly in rate of fire potential.
| Weapon | Fire Rate | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-Auto Shotgun | ★★★★★ | Undisputed fastest shotgun with incredibly quick cycling speed |
| Double Barreled Shotgun | ★★☆☆☆ | Powerful but slow due to manual reloads after 2 shots |
| Repeating Shotgun | ★★★☆☆ | Lever action allows solid fire rate, but small capacity and range issues |
| Pump Action Shotgun | ★★☆☆☆ | Slow manual reload after every shell caps fire rate potential |
Analysis: The Semi-Auto Shotgun‘s mechanical speed is peerless. Perfect room clearing and savage DPS with the right playstyle
Additional Factors Influencing Fire Rate
While base stats heavily dictate speed, several other factors subtly contribute to a firearm‘s shots per second performance:
Reload Speed
Faster reloads let you resume firing quicker after ammo depletion. Lever and pump-actions suffer here.
Ammo Capacity
Bigger mags, loops, or belts means longer sustained fire before needing to reload. Big boost to real world fire rates.
Recoil Control
Mastering a gun‘s kick reduces time recentering for follow up shots. Skill gap element that improves rate through practice.
Bullet Speed
Faster bullet velocity reduces lead time, meaning shots connect quicker for slightly faster engages
Customizations
Upgrades like rifling and triggers can tune weapons for boosted fire rates at cost of other attributes.
Deadeye Usage
Leveraging Deadeye paints targets faster than guns can physically shoot – essentially multiplying fire rate.
As you can see, there are many levers affecting actual in-game fire speeds. Your individual playstyle will dictate which factors are most relevant and helpful!
Most Rapid Fire Weapons For Playstyles
Let‘s recommend top gun picks for players wanting to focus on rate of fire based on how you like to play:
The Rusher
Violently aggressive close-range fighters who charge into intense CQB and hip fire constantly.
Best Guns: Semi-Auto Shotgun, Mauser Pistol
The Fan Hammer
Revolver experts fanning hammers while diving and rolling to stylishly unleash bullets.
Best Guns: Schofield Revolver, Double-Action Revolver
The Support
Providing constant covering fire and pinning enemies behind cover.
Best Guns: Lancaster Repeater, Litchfield Repeater
The Marksman
Accuracy technicians surgically eliminating foes with high-speed headshots.
Best Guns: Volcanic Pistol, Semi-Auto Shotgun
Final Verdict: Why Rate of Fire Rules in RD2
While considerations around damage, range, versatility, and ammo are crucial – rate of fire is the meta-defining attribute that truly separates RD2‘s firearms.
The ability to spit bullets at blinding speed expands a gun‘s effectiveness across more engagements, playstyles, and mastery potential. Tension boils over when split fractions separate killing or being killed.
That‘s why the Semi-Auto Shotgun reigns supreme as undisputed king of fire rate. I can practically feel my heart bursting from my chest Tony Montana-style when wildly spraying hot lead across the saloon.
Raw adrenaline simply unmatched!
So whether you love shotguns, pistols, repeaters, or rifles – always be weighing rate of fire as you choose your weapons if you want to play at the highest skill levels.
Trust me – speed kills in this game!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other guns you think shoot faster than the trusty Semi-Auto. I‘m always researching and testing weapons so would love to hear other perspectives!
Now get out there, equip an rapid-fire beast, and start gunning down enemies in style!
