Pistols and Hand Cannons

2:14 ARC Raiders' sidearms are the Hairpin, Burletta and Venator pistols and the Anvil and Bantam hand cannons, and the Anvil is the one every press list rates (Best Weapons). Update 2.0 (Oct 8, 2026) raised the Anvil from Uncommon to Rare and handed the Uncommon hand cannon role to the new Bantam. Stats here come from Dexerto's sheets of Apr 17, 2026 and Beebom's Bantam page of Oct 9, 2026; Embark's later values replace them where given, and no reliable source publishes a full current table as of Oct 31, 2026. The clip is from Apr 21, 2026, when the Anvil was still Uncommon.

Quick facts

Sources: Dexerto's weapon sheets (Apr 2026), TechWiser's launch stats (Oct 30, 2025), Beebom's Bantam page (Oct 9, 2026), Embark's 1.17.0 and 2.0 notes, Game Rant's amplification guide (Oct 14, 2026).

Hairpin

0:20 The Hairpin is the Common single-shot pistol, with the highest stealth rating on Dexerto's sheets, 70 (Apr 17, 2026; 20 damage, 38.6 range, 8-round magazine). It is D tier on all five lists on Best Weapons. Amplification gives it Incendiary Rounds, Semi-Auto, Sprint Shooting and Tracker Rounds (Oct 14, 2026). Update 2.1.0 (Oct 13, 2026) fixed its Semi-Auto so it deals the reduced headshot damage intended, and Tracker Rounds reveal a target for 5 seconds on hit (Destructoid, Oct 10, 2026).

Burletta

3:09 The Burletta is the Uncommon light-ammo pistol, with 10 damage, 41.7 range and a 12-round magazine on Dexerto's sheet (Apr 17, 2026). It crafts from 3 Mechanical Components and 3 Simple Gun Parts at Gunsmith 1, and its upgrades add reload speed, to 50% at level IV. Its amplified form is the reason to care now: Embark's example is a fully automatic Burletta, and Beebom lists Burst-Fire, Increased Burst, Full-Auto (at a cost to accuracy and stability) and Sprint Shooting. KeenGamer names it among the guns to amplify first (Oct 9, 2026).

Venator

5:23 The Venator is the Rare medium-ammo semi-automatic pistol, and the gun Embark has had to cut most for PvP. Update 1.3.0 (Nov 20, 2025) cut its upgrade fire rate from 22/44/60% to 13/26/40% and raised its weight from 2 to 5. Update 1.17.0 (Feb 24, 2026) cut its headshot multiplier from 2.5 to 2 and base damage from 9 to 8, calling it "one of the highest performing weapons in the game" and warning that ammo consumption and cost would be next if that failed.

Dexerto's sheet (Apr 17, 2026) still shows 18 damage, which fits Insider Gaming's note (Jan 14, 2026) that it fires two bullets per trigger press, at launch values of 9 each. The sheet gives 48.4 range and a 10-round magazine, and a recipe of 2 Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Medium Gun Parts and 5 Magnets at Gunsmith 2. It cannot be amplified. Rankings split: S on Dexerto's PvP list, B on Beebom's (Oct 1, 2026).

Bantam

9:49 The Bantam is the Uncommon snub-nosed revolver added in update 2.0 (Oct 8, 2026), on heavy ammo, which Embark says works against both ARC and Raiders and has a unique hip-fire capability. Beebom's page (Oct 9, 2026) lists double-action firing, a magazine of 8, Strong ARC armor penetration, durability 100, weight 3.0 and value 3,800, and says it cannot use attachments. It also cannot be amplified. No reliable source read here publishes its damage as of Oct 31, 2026.

You can get it from Tian Wen for 11,400 Coins or tier 4 of the Frozen Trail Reward Pass (Beebom, Oct 9, 2026). The blueprint has no set location: it comes from random containers or weapon cases, or the Research Station with enough Research Points, and crafts from 4 Mechanical Parts and 4 Simple Gun Parts at Gunsmith 1 (Insider Gaming, Oct 12, 2026). Beebom's earlier list marked it Rare; Embark's "uncommon hand cannon" settles that.

Anvil

The Anvil is the Rare heavy-ammo hand cannon, S tier on all five lists on Best Weapons. Dexerto's sheet (Apr 17, 2026, still calling it Uncommon) has 40 damage, 50.2 range, a 6-round magazine and 5 kg weight, with level IV adding 75% fire rate. It crafts from 5 Mechanical Components and 6 Simple Gun Parts at Gunsmith Level 2, a recipe from before the rarity change, so check it in game. Older guides that call it Uncommon predate Oct 8, 2026.

6:18 Update 2.0 made three changes: it moved the Anvil from green to blue because it was "outperforming weapons both within and above its own level of rarity," removed its Tech Mod slot, and took it out of Tian Wen's stock, so it now comes through the weekly Nomadic Envoys rotation. The Anvil Splitter stopped being a mod that day and became an amplified option; Beebom (Oct 14, 2026) lists Anvil Splitter (each bullet splits into four weaker projectiles) and X-Rounds (slightly more damage to Raiders, much more to ARC armor). An exploit using the Splitter without its dispersion penalty had been fixed on Apr 8, 2026. In the clip, Crazymrpipz tests the X-Rounds Anvil (Oct 14, 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Is the Anvil still good in ARC Raiders? The Anvil was S tier on all five ARC Raiders lists read here, and Embark's 2.0 notes (Oct 8, 2026) say it kept its "gameplay and power" while moving to Rare. No allowed list has ranked it since that change.

How do you get the Bantam in ARC Raiders? Buy it from Tian Wen for 11,400 Coins or earn it at tier 4 of the Frozen Trail Reward Pass in ARC Raiders (Oct 9, 2026), or find its blueprint in random containers or through the Research Station.

Where can you buy the Anvil in ARC Raiders? Since update 2.0 (Oct 8, 2026), the ARC Raiders Anvil is no longer sold by Tian Wen and instead appears in the weekly Nomadic Envoys rotation.

Can you amplify the Venator or Bantam in ARC Raiders? No, neither is on the list of 15 amplifiable ARC Raiders guns (Oct 14, 2026). The Hairpin, Burletta and Anvil are.

Why was the Venator nerfed in ARC Raiders? Embark says the ARC Raiders Venator was dominating PvP, so it cut its fire rate scaling and raised its weight in update 1.3.0, then cut damage and headshot multiplier on Feb 24, 2026.

Does the Burletta go full auto in ARC Raiders? Yes, with amplification: Embark names a fully automatic Burletta as an example of ARC Raiders' Weapon Amplification, added Oct 8, 2026.

Sources

• FROZEN TRAIL - 2.0 Update, Embark Studios, Oct 8, 2026
• Frozen Trail, Embark Studios, Oct 8, 2026
• Store Update 2.1.0, Embark Studios, Oct 13, 2026
• Patch Notes 1.23.0, Embark Studios, Apr 8, 2026
• Shrouded Sky Patch Notes 1.17.0, Embark Studios, Feb 24, 2026
• Patch Notes 1.3.0, Embark Studios, Nov 20, 2025
• All weapons, Dexerto, Apr 27, 2026
• Anvil, Hairpin, Burletta and Venator sheets, Dexerto, Apr 17, 2026
• Weapon tier list (PvP), Dexerto, undated, read Oct 31, 2026
• How to Get Bantam, Beebom, Oct 9, 2026
• Arc Raiders Amplified Weapons Guide, Beebom, Oct 14, 2026
• Arc Raiders Weapon Tier List, Beebom, Oct 1, 2026
• How to get the Uncommon Bantam Revolver, Insider Gaming, Oct 12, 2026
• Best Arc Raiders meta guns tier list, Insider Gaming, Jan 14, 2026
• Complete Guide to Weapon Amplification, Game Rant, Oct 14, 2026
• All Weapon Amplifications in ARC Raiders and how they work, Destructoid, Oct 10, 2026
• All 15 Amplified Weapons and How to Unlock, KeenGamer, Oct 9, 2026
• Arc Raiders weapons stats list, TechWiser, Oct 30, 2025
• EVERY Arc Raiders Weapon Explained & Ranked in 30 Seconds (2026 Edition!), Fallout Plays, Apr 21, 2026 (video)
• Frozen Trail: First Look | ARC Raiders, Embark Studios, Sep 23, 2026 (video)
• Arc Raiders - I AMPLIFIED EVERY WEAPON... HERE ARE THE 7 BEST AMPLIFIED WEAPONS, Crazymrpipz, Oct 14, 2026 (video)