While pistols are by no means the stars of Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, they’re typically the difference between life and death when you have to reload under fire. Learn which is the best for your playstyle and how to make the most out of your favorite.

How many pistols are there?

There are three pistols at launch with the potential for more rolling out as free DLC. Every sidearm has their own strengths and weaknesses.

What are pistols used for?

Pistols are versatile, lightweight weapons. Their most common use is a hot swap during firefights (reloading leaves you vulnerable) and balancing long range weapons like sniper rifles at shorter distances. Sidearms are ideal when enemies are at most 20 meters away.

Pistols are generally semi-auto, meaning one bullet per pull. They also have a fairly high rate of fire. 

When should I use pistols?

Use sidearms when:

• You want to move quickly, as they’re light and help with mobility. Even with a ton of attachments, pistols typically boost your movement speed.
• Definitely keep them in mind for close quarters combat, but remember, they’re secondary weapons for a reason. If you and an enemy fire at the same time, chances are the primary weapon will win.
• You need to reload your primary weapon. Ducking behind a corner might seem appealing, but it is a major risk. If your opponent rushes or throws something like a lethal or stun, then you’re at a severe disadvantage. 

1911

The 1911 comes with a standard eight-round magazine, but that can be upgraded into the double digits fairly easily. It’s a powerful weapon that packs a strong fist (big damage) in a little body.

This is the most versatile handgun in the game thanks to its high speed and accuracy. According to COD expert Drift0r, the gun is so powerful that it has been GA’ed (Gentleman Banned) in professional play. That means that while it’s allowed according to the rules, many players won’t use it in matches.

The gun has a three shot to kill ratio in all body regions, although it takes four at long range (three with headshots). Equip the Task Force barrel attachment to kill enemies in two headshots.

While the 1911 has the best sights, lowest recoil, and lowest sprint to hipfire time of any pistol, the weapon is best suited for aiming down sights rather than spray and pray fire.

Akimbo or dual wielding is the least effective way to use it.

This is probably the best well-rounded secondary weapon in the game.

Diamatti

The Diamatti handgun is a 3-round burst pistol. This sidearm has the fastest reload speeds of its class and a high ammo capacity with the right attachments. While it’s not the most powerful weapon, it is crazy fast, even beating out some SMGs.
It can hit enemies at 25 meters, but because of recoil issues can be harder to use at long range. You’ll kill baddies in 5 to 6 shots (4 via headshot).

Take advantage of the Diamatti’s ridiculously high rate of fire, especially for a burst weapon, at close range. Make every burst count because of the slight pause in between shots.

While the Task Force Barrel will increase damage, unlike the 1911, it won’t make a difference in terms of shots to kill. Instead, equip an attachment or barrel that increases range.

Going akimbo makes this sidearm more lethal up close, allowing players to one burst kill anyone in the game. It’s no surprise the community often complains about OP (over powered) dual wielding weapons and asks for nerfs. Dominate close quarters with double the firepower.

Akimbo plus increased magazine capacity makes this weapon one of the best in the game because you can more easily take out multiple enemies. Why use something like a shotgun when your pistol can blast bad guys with better range?

Players that prefer to hipfire might find the Diamatti more appealing than the 1911 thanks to faster handling and wider hipfire.

Magnum

The Magnum is the grand kahuna of sidearms. It’s a double-action big papa revolver with really powerful cartridges. It also has the slowest firing rate of all the pistols, so aim for accuracy over volume. The Magnum is a good choice against vehicles and armor too.

This thing is a beast with akimbo. According to Drift0r, while the single magnum is slow and kind of unwieldy, the Akimbo magnum can insta-kill, which is significant for wiping out enemy squads with one clip.

Speaking of unwieldy, the recoil and fire rate aren’t great so if you miss a shot using the single Magnum, chances are things are going to get bad.

Stats wise, it’s surprisingly the fastest bullet velocity of the bunch, but with the slowest fire rate that doesn’t mean much. The damage range isn’t the longest of the pistols either at 21 meters. Generally it takes two hits to kill.

While it’s powerful, it’s probably not going to be your go to sidearm. Akimbo is obviously a different story. Make sure you have great aim if you want to secondary this iconic pistol.

Check out some of our other gun guides to build the best loadout given your personal preferences or join the Open Series for a new kind of competitive experience.