[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Hand Cannons and How To Get Them (August 2021)

Updated:

11 Dec 2023

Hand cannons are long loved by Destiny 2 players thanks to their stopping power at mid to close range. They make great choices for both PvE and PvP, but which ones should you be using? Here are our top 10 hand cannons and how you can get them.

Our Top 10 Hand Cannons

The Old Fashioned
Nature of The Beast
Posterity
Dire Promise
Sunshot
Jack Queen King 3
Hawkmoon
Sturm
Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver
Ace of Spades

1. The Old Fashioned (PvP, PvE)

This is the way things were.

Now back in my day, we’d deal with problems the old-fashioned way. By shooting them with a hand cannon. Well come to think of it, it doesn’t seem like anything’s changed much since then. This gun offers similar performance to its well-known counterpart the Dire Promise.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 84

Range: 53

Stability: 60

Handling: 64

Reload Speed: 49

Rounds/Min: 140

Magazine: 9

Perks:

Adaptive Frame: A well-rounded grip, reliable and sturdy.

Slideshot: Sliding partially reloads this weapon's magazine and temporarily boosts range and stability.

Surrounded: This weapon gains bonus damage when three or more enemies are in close proximity.

What makes The Old Fashioned good?:

Good stats
Reliable
Easy to get

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3569802112-the-old-fashioned

How to get The Old Fashioned:

The Old Fashioned in Action:

2. Nature of The Beast (PvE, PvP)

Don't let them change you.

While it is in the less popular 180 RPM archetype of hand cannons, this weapon performs surprisingly well in PvP. The shooting is fairly snappy and is precise for this kind of hand cannon. If you get the chance, give it a try, it might be the right one for you.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 78

Range: 46

Stability: 60

Handling: 37

Reload Speed: 33

Rounds/Min: 180

Magazine: 12

Perks:

Precision Frame: Recoil pattern on this weapon is more predictably vertical. Fires quickly with high accuracy.

Subsistence: Kills partially reload the magazine from reserves, but reserve capacity is reduced.

Dragonfly: Precision kills create an elemental damage explosion.

What makes Nature of the Beast good?:

Good stats
Reliable
Best in its archetype

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/1835747805-nature-of-the-beast#

How to get Nature of the Beast:

Nature of the Beast in Action:

3. Posterity (PvE, PvP)

A single word is etched inside the barrel: "Anastasia-1."

This unique-looking hand cannon belongs to the less popular 180 RPM archetype, but don’t let that scare you away, It’s got it where it counts. This raid hand cannon has some good rolls that pay for your trouble for going through the Deep Stone Crypt.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 78

Range: 45

Stability: 73

Handling: 42

Reload Speed: 44

Rounds/Min: 180

Magazine: 13

Perks:

Precision Frame: Recoil pattern on this weapon is more predictably vertical. Fires quickly with high accuracy.

Genesis: Breaking a combatant's shield with this weapon fills its magazine from reserves. Energy weapons regenerate ammo on hit when matching the damage type to the combatant's shield.

One for All: Hitting three separate targets increases damage for a moderate duration.

What makes Posterity good?:

Good perk rolls
Decent stability
Good in PvE

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3281285075-posterity#

How to get Posterity:

Posterity in Action:

4. Dire Promise (PvE, PvP)

"If you think this world ends well, you are mistaken." —Arach Jalaal

Dire Promise is a hand cannon that has the awesome look of a classic revolver but the power you would expect from a sci-fi six-shooter, (it, has 11 rounds by the way.) It’s a consistent hand cannon with some good rolls. It’s a good workhorse weapon that is reliable in any activity.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 80

Range: 41

Stability: 68

Handling: 75

Reload Speed: 54

Rounds/Min: 150

Magazine: 11

Perks:

Lightweight Frame: Superb handling. Move faster with this weapon equipped.

Triple Tap: Rapidly landing precision hits will return 1 round to the magazine.

Swashbuckler: This weapon gains increased damage from melee kills and kills with this weapon.

What makes Dire Promise good?:

Good stability
Good handling
Consistent shooting

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2742838701-dire-promise#

How to get Dire Promise:

Dire Promise in Action:

5. Sunshot (PvE)

"Can't outrun the sunrise." —Liu Feng

Get the sunscreen kids. This Exotic Solar hand cannon packs a punch with an explosive surprise. Sunshot’s rounds explode and highlight targets that are hit in the case they don’t die right away. Its exotic trait Sun Blast adds insult to injury by making enemies explode when they are killed. This is a consistent gun that can chain kills in PvE.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact: 80

Range: 47

Stability: 51

Handling: 92

Reload Speed: 75

Rounds/Min: 150

Magazine: 12

Perks:

Sunburn: This weapon fires explosive rounds and highlights targets that take damage from Sunshot.

Sun Blast: Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy.

What makes Sunshot good?:

Great handling
Good reload speed
Good stability
Good for clearing groups with a few shots

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2907129557-sunshot#

How to get Sunshot:

You can acquire this gun as a random exotic engram world drop or purchase it from Xur if he has it in stock for 29 Legendary Shards.

Sunshot in Action:

6. Jack Queen King 3 (PvE)

An army meets, and stands, and falls. Three nobles wage their hopeless war. In shifting madness, evil crawls. One stands above the battle's roar.

Jack Queen King 3 is a versatile hand cannon that performs great in PvE and Pvp, assuming you get a good roll suited for the job. The curated roll for this Arc hand cannon comes with Rampage and Pulse Monitor, which aren’t the best but work well. If you’re willing to farm a little, you can score some amazing perks that enhance this already good gun.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 80

Range: 50

Stability: 55

Handling: 87

Reload Speed: 63

Rounds/Min: 150

Magazine: 13

Perks:

Lightweight Frame: Superb handling. Move faster with this weapon equipped.

Pulse Monitor: Automatically reloads the magazine and improves weapon handling when critically wounded—even when this weapon is stowed.

Rampage: Kills with this weapon temporarily grant increased damage. Stacks 3x.

What makes Jack Queen King 3 good?:

Good impact
Good handling
Perk rolls make it versatile

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/410996590-jack-queen-king-3#

How to get Jack Queen King 3:

Jack Queen King 3 in Action:

7. Hawkmoon (PvE, PvP)

Stalk thy prey and let loose thy talons upon the Darkness.

With the launch of the Beyond Light expansion, the Hawkmoon returned. This exotic hand cannon is a versatile weapon that does great in most activities. It’s got good stats all around and the exotic perk rewards you for precision kills with the last round doing extra damage. There’s a good reason players missed this gun.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact: 71

Range: 61

Stability: 76

Handling: 83

Reload Speed: 63

Rounds/Min: 140

Magazine: 8

Exotic Perks:

Paracausal Shot: Final round damage for precision hits.

Smooth Grip: This weapon is slightly easier to hold and aim.

• Slightly increases stability

• Slightly increases handling speed

What makes Hawkmoon good?:

Not very difficult to get
Performs well in any activity
Good overall stats

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3856705927-hawkmoon

How to get Hawkmoon:

Hawkmoon in Action:

8. Sturm (PvE)

These ancient ceremonial pistols can be dated back to the early Golden Age. A faded inscription reads, "To Sigrun, from Victor."

Sturm is a hand cannon that needs a friend. Its friend being the legendary sidearm Drang, and when you have these two equipped they make quite a duo. When you get kills with Drang it reloads and gives Sturm an overcharged (higher damage) extra round in its magazine. But that’s not all, Sturm kills refills your energy weapon ammo, simply put, it means these weapons practically reload each other.

Exotic Weapon Stats:

Impact:92

Range: 73

Stability: 56

Handling: 37

Reload Speed:37

Rounds/Min: 110

Magazine: 12

Perks:

Accomplice: Kills with this weapon fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves.

Storm and Stress: Kills with Drang reload this weapon and overflows bonus damage round into the magazine.

What makes Sturm good?:

High Impact
Good range
Energy ammo generation from the exotic perk

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/2907129556-sturm#

How to get Sturm:

You can acquire this weapon from the Monuments to Lost Lights kiosk at the Tower.

Sturm in Action:

9. Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver (PvE)

A thing of elegance from a more civilized age.

A weapon of a more civilized age, or was that a lightsaber? Anyway, this hand cannon makes a good choice for when you’re on your way to the late-game content. I recommend you look for one that rolls with Timed Payload or Hight Impact Reserves. The former being a good perk for PvE.

Weapon Stats:

Impact: 78

Range: 44

Stability: 57

Handling: 46

Reload Speed: 54

Rounds/Min: 180

Magazine: 11

Perks:

Precision Frame: Recoil pattern on this weapon is more predictably vertical. Fires quickly with high accuracy.

Firmly Planted: Increased accuracy, stability, and handling when firing while crouched.

Feeding Frenzy: Each rapid kill with this weapon progressively increases reload speed for a short time.

What makes Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver good?:

Good stats
Overall reliable

Weapon Details:

https://destinytracker.com/destiny-2/db/items/3037520408-seventh-seraph-officer-revolver

How to get Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver:

Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver in Action:

10. Ace of Spades (PvE, PvP)

"Folding was never an option." —Cayde-6

Despite nerfs in the past, the Ace of Spades still has great performance. Thanks to its great perks, it’s very versatile and plays well in any game activity. This is quite the ace up your sleeve. Except that it isn’t in your sleeves because it’s a gun. I can’t make good jokes or euphemisms.