Weapons in GTA IV

Weapons are a precious commodity in any GTA game.

Melee

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Fists

Fist

With your fist, you have the choice of disarming, counteracting a move, ground punches and kicks, lefts and rights, and uppercuts and jabs. String moves together to create a combo. On some occasions you can perform "Stun" hits. Also, fighting unarmed is the best way to fight someone without killing them, something that can be important in several missions. The combos deal out the most damage. With fist selected as current weapon you can pick up random objects off the streets, such as a plank, a brick, or a bottle. You cannot switch weapons while an item is picked up, unless the item is a thrown item such as a brick.

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Knife

Knife

Knives are very efficient alternatives to firearms. Even a well-armored adversary can be taken down with a few slashes. They are very efficient at taking someone down with out getting police attention. This is helpful on the street and in missions.

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Baseball Bat

Baseball Bat

The bat can be swung left or right. You can also block attacks with it. The bat can be useful when you don't want to draw attention to yourself, since it is considered a "silent" weapon, though less so than the Knife.

Thrown Weapons

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The Molotov Cocktail

The Molotov Cocktail

The molotov cocktail, named after 1920s Soviet Premier Vyacheslav Molotov, is a crude weapon that can only be thrown overhanded, which helps to ensure that you throw it far enough that you don't burn yourself. They are primarily an anti-personnel weapon; it takes several to destroy a car. It works well for drive-bys, too. Most pedestrians/cops will die once set on fire, but armored targets will only suffer mild damage. It works well when fighting N.O.O.S.E enforcers, because when they're flailing about on fire, you can shoot them easily. You can also just let them burn and drive away, even though shooting is probably your best bet. 25 max can be carried.

Grenades (M26A1 Fragmentation)

The grenade is excellent at clearing rooms full of enemies and taking out vehicles. They can be tossed underhand when crouched behind a barrier, or overhand while standing. Be careful not to hit the cover you're hiding behind when you throw the grenade. You can "cook" (shorten the detonation timer) the grenade by holding the throw button. You can also drop these out of your car window to fend off pursuers. They cost $1,000 per grenade, and 25 max can be carried.

Firearms

Weapons can be purchased at a "Weapons" type store or Little Jacob once you have won over his friendship.

Handguns

Handguns are the staple to any crime dog's arsenal. Even in the endgame, pistols are very efficient guns. While generally not a good idea to try to kill someone by unloading into their body, you can make short work of them by shooting them in the head, foot or leg. Recommended for weaker enemies, as well as enemies that are disarmed or helpless.

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Pistol (Glock 17)

Pistol (Glock 17)

• Caliber: 9x19mm Luger/Parabellum
• Capacity: 17 (1183 rounds extra)

Developed in the 1980s by Austrian engineer, Gaston Glock, the eponymous pistol soon became the world's most popular civilian and law enforcement sidearm. With its polymer frame and simple, internal striker-fired mechanism, the Glock series of pistols is both lightweight and extremely durable. It is the standard pistol for most of the game and is the standard side-arm of the LCPD.

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Combat Pistol (Desert Eagle Mark XIX)

Combat Pistol (Desert Eagle Mark XIX)

• Caliber: .357 Magnum (ingame)
• Capacity: 9 (1191 rounds extra)

In 1979, Magnum Research Inc. set out to create the first gas-operated, magnum-caliber pistol. While the end product is generally considered too heavy and too expensive to serve as a practical combat pistol, it hasn't stopped the Desert Eagle from becoming the weapon of choice for Hollywood (and video game) bad guys. It is a powerful gun ingame, but has a small magazine, forcing more frequent reloads.

Sub-Machine Guns

Submachine guns are the next step up from pistols. They're most effective a medium range. These are preferred over pistols when doing drive-bys or chasing down an escaping car, and are the strongest weapons that can be used while doing so.

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Micro-SMG (Micro-Uzi)

Micro-SMG (Micro-Uzi)

• Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
• Capacity: 50 (1150 extra)

The smallest member of the Uzi family was introduced by Israel Military Industries in 1982 as a security weapon to fill the firepower gap between pistols and standard submachine guns. Because of its short barrel and extreme rate of fire, things like aiming are but an afterthought. This gun is not as fast, accurate or powerful as the MP10, but it holds more bullets per magazine, making it a good blindfire weapon.

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SMG (SW MP-10)

SMG (SW MP-10)

• Caliber: 9x19mm Parabellum
• Capacity: 30 (1170 rounds extra)

The SW10 is a derivative of the MP5, doing away with a buttstock and fitting a polymer grip with a flashlight. Otherwise, it retains the MP5's functionality and is a good weapon, although it has a high rate of fire and can burn through ammo quickly. The MP5 was featured in early artwork as the MP5NA3, but for some reason R* decided to remove it, and use the MP-10.

Assault Rifles

The iconic assault rifles fill the niche between sniper rifles and SMG's. While they are more powerful and accurate than SMG's, assault rifles are also more expensive and are unable to be fired from a car, but can be fired from any of the three passenger seats of a helicopter. Most effective at medium to long ranges, and are useful for most things from assaulting a building full of bad guys to fending off the cops, assault rifles are a must in Liberty City.

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Assault Rifle (AK-47)

Assault Rifle (AK-47M)

• Caliber: 7.62x39mm M1943 Soviet
• Capacity: 30 (570 rounds extra)

Even after sixty years, Mikhail Kalashnikov's legendary AK-47 rifle is still a hard act to follow; both in reliability and popularity. Created with mass production in mind, the simple design and loose clearances resulted in a rifle that's practically indestructible, and that will remain functional with little maintenance or cleaning. A much more powerful rifle than the HK416, but is more inaccurate to compensate. The variant depicted in GTAIV is the AKM model, with a stamped receiver and a muzzle brake, along with a redesigned body and pistol grip. The AKM was introduced in 1959, 12 years after the AK-47 was designed.

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Carbine Rifle (HK416)

Carbine Rifle (HK416)

• Caliber: 5.56x45mm NATO SS109
• Capacity: 30 (570 rounds extra)

The Heckler und Koch HK416 rifle is the German firearm manufacturer's rendition of the M4 platform. This carbine features a short stroke gas-piston mechanism, like the AK series of rifles, to reduce heat generated from continuous fire and to reduce carbon buildup in the bolt and chamber area, which is a problem with the direct-impingement mechanism of the standard M4. Overall length is 33 inches (with stock extended) and the barrel length is 14.5 inches. The carbine is slightly more accurate than the AK-47, but less powerful. It features a MIL-STD 1913 "Picatinny" rail on the top and a quad-rail grip, but no attachments can be mounted on it. Many reviews and press releases from R* identify the weapon as an HK416.

Sniper Rifles

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Sniper Rifle (Remington 700)

Sniper Rifle (Remington R700P)

• Caliber: .308 Winchester
• Capacity: 5 (45 rounds extra)

The Remington 700 is a hunting rifle based around a centerfire rounded action. It has been adopted by various groups, including the US military, who modified the R700 into the M40 sniper rifle. The R700P is the police version, and has a 5-round internal magazine standard and is fitted with a black synthetic riflestock; the rifle in the game appears customized to accept a 10-round detachable box magazine and is fitted with a walnut stock. It is a powerful rifle, but has a slow rate of fire due to its bolt action mechanism. Players who prefer shot quality over shot quantity will enjoy this rifle.

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Combat Sniper (HK PSG1)

Combat Sniper (HK PSG1)

• Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
• Capacity: 10 (40 rounds extra)

The PSG1 is a popular HK G3 sniper variant with an increased capacity. It is moderately expensive and is semiautomatic, allowing a faster rate of fire.

Shotguns

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Pump Shotgun (Ithaca Model 37 Stakeout)

Pump Shotgun (Ithaca Model 37 Stakeout)

• Gauge: 12
• Capacity: 8 (72 shells max)

Based on the classic Ithaca Model 37, the Stakeout is a compact shotgun providing good power in a shortened package. This feature has made the shotgun popular for both sporting and security purposes. The ingame shotgun is a good rendition of the Model 37, only the ingame model has an 8 shell magazine, while the 37 in real life only holds 4 shells.

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Combat Shotgun (Beretta 1201FP Automatic)

Combat Shotgun (Beretta 1201FP Automatic)

• Gauge: 12
• Capacity: 10 (70 shells extra)

This automatic shotgun is a powerful tool for disposing of enemies quickly and efficiently. Although it burns through ammo quickly, it is useful for holding back enemies and saturating an area with large amounts of lead. Easily acquired, just enter a police cruiser, and a free one with 5 shells is given. Strangely, the police never use this weapon, instead using the pump shotgun when attacking the player.

Rocket/Grenade Launchers

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RPG-7V

RPG-7V

• Caliber: 40mm PG-7VM HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank)
• Capacity: 1 (8 extra)

This classic anti-tank, rocket propelled grenade launcher was first used by the Soviets back in 1961. It has remained popular ever since thanks to its durability and low cost. The RPG can even skip off the ground and knock things around that are in its way. This weapon costs $15,000 to purchase and $5,000 per rocket. Rockets fired at average sized cars will automatically destroy them. It is, by far, one of the deadliest weapons in the game. The rocket fired ingame is a PG-7VM, evidenced by the "grooves" on the warhead's tip. The flame trail of the rocket is modified ingame, emitting a spiral line of flame, while the real life warhead emits a straight backwards flame.