Summary
Destiny 2is filled with many different weapon types to choose from. One of the most popular types of weapons is the Hand Cannon. Usually designed like a revolver, these futuristic cowboy guns pack a punch. They offer a great way for players to do a lot of damage from a single shot.
Destiny 2offers dozens of Exotic weapons to choose from as well, andten of these are hand cannons. Each Exotic Hand Cannon features a unique design and special perks that are often much better than standard weapons.
Updated on July 16, 2025, by Nathan Halsey:Hand cannons struggled for a while to find their original, strong place in PvE in Destiny 2, mainly due to how strong ability spam was (and is) and the abundance of other,spammier weapons like SMGsand pulse rifles. Since Lightfall and into The Final Shape, Hand Cannons have skyrocketed in relevance with some of the best weapons in the game coming from said weapon type. This update will detail all of the Hand Cannons in the Exotic tier and outline their relevancy and recommended uses in PvE and PvP if applicable.
10Sturm
Works Best Only When Paired With Drang
Sturmis one of the least popular hand cannons inDestiny 2. It features a unique look that doesn’t resemble a revolver like most hand cannons. Its first perk is that it refills the player’s other energy weapons' mags on each kill.
Its second perk is quite unique in that it requires players to be using another weapon called the Drang alongside it. Kills with the Drang reload theSturmand fill it with a bonus round. This weapon is a remnant from whenDestiny 2required players to run two Primary weapons, which is why players must do so to take full advantage of the weapon.
9Eriana’s Vow
A Special Ammo Hand Cannon That Destroys Barrier Champions
Theonly Special Exotic Hand Cannon isEriana’s Vow. This hand cannon has an intrinsic strength against Barrier Champions, thanks to its shots that have the ability to pierce shields.
While aiming down sights, players get bonus damage on the first aimed shot of their magazine. If this shot lands on a shield or crit spot, the next round does the same, incentivizing players to be extremely accurate from the jump and letting it reload itself through its catalyst or mod when this rhythm is broken. While an interesting mechanic, this weapon struggles to compete withArbalest, which offers similar utility but at much longer ranges.
8Crimson
A Unique Three-Short Burst That Works Well In PvP
Crimsonis unique in that it fires in quick 3-round bursts, making it the only Hand Cannon so far to do so. This weapon’s main perk,Cruel Remedy, heals the user when securing kills and refills the magazine on headshot kills.
This combination is well suited for aggressive PvP players, allowing them to heal and automatically reload in between fights with little need for downtime. Additionally, the weapon is a bit easier to use, functioning more like a close-range Pulse Rifle, making it more forgiving to aim when compared to other Hand Cannons.
7The Last Word
The Last Wordis a classic-looking revolver that features a cool fan-the-hammer animation to really get that cowboy vibe. Its main trait isFan Fire, which allows it to be fired from the hip with almost no bloom. Doing so not only provides an absurd damage boost to headshots, but it also grants increased reload speed and accuracy depending on the amount of hits.
This is another gun that’s popular with controller users due to its powerful aim assist. It is generally easy to use, especially when quickly picking off low health targets.
6Hawkmoon
A Strong PVP Hand Cannon But Not The Best
Hawkmoonis one of the strongest weapons for PvP. It has a great perk that allows players to stack Paracausal Charge when hitting final blows and precision hits. The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage based on how many stacks were charged.
Unfortunately, if players stow theHawkmoonwhen it reaches maximum charge, the bonus is removed, so it’s important to keepHawkmoonout to take full advantage of it. This gun can two-tap and maybe even one-tap foes in PvP, which gives it an incredible edge.
5Lumina
An Excellent Buff To Damage In PVE
Luminawas a somewhat weak weaponuntil it received some buffs in Season 16. ItsNoble Roundstrait allows players to turn kills into rounds that can be hipfired into teammates to refill their magazines.
It’s perk,Blessing Of The Sky, heals one hit withNoble Roundsand grants both the shooter and the recipient a 35% damage boost for a short time, one of the strongest boosts available in the game. It’s one of the few weapons that can be used as a support tool for teammates.
4Thorn
Thornwas extremely popular among PvP playersfor quite some time. Its main trait isMark Of The Devourer, which does damage over time on targets hit with its bullets, and its main perk isSoul Devourer, which creates Remnants on kills. Collecting a Remnant refills ammo, and increases the damage over time thatMark Of The Devourercreates. This combo makes the gun incredibly useful when applying pressure in PvP, as well decreasing downtime by allowing players to passively reload from kills.
This weapon also has a bit of PvE potential thanks to Necrotic Grips on Warlock, which allows for the poison to spread naturally to nearby combatants when affected.
3Malfeasance
High Single Target Damage
Malfeasanceis one of the strongest Kinetic Hand Cannonsin high end PvE. This comes from itsExplosive Shadowtrait, which causes enemies to explode after being hit consecutively with the weapon, granting it an absurd single target damage output. This makesMalfeasanceparticularly good in Grandmaster Nightfalls, as these explosions force normal enemies and Unstoppable Champions into stun-locked animations when the explosion goes off.
It should also be noted that Hunters can push this weapon further by usingLucky Pants, which allow for increased Hand Cannon damage on sustained hits, making it even more powerful against Champions and other mini-bosses.
2Ace Of Spades
A Powerful Tool That Provides Several Useful Abilities
Ace of Spadesis likely the most popular hand cannon in the game. Famous for being the gun that Cayde-6 uses in the game’s lore, it has a bit of everything. It actually carries three perks: Precision kills increase reload speed and make the target explode, players gain increased damage for reloading after a kill, and radar is granted at all times, including while aiming down sights.
TheAce of Spadesis a fantastic gun that sees most use in PvP. As such, it is among the Crucible favorites, right byThorn.
1Sunshot
Fires Explosive Rounds That Affect Multiple Targets
Sunshotis the best add-clear Hand Cannon inDestiny 2, and it’s not even close. It fires solar explosive rounds that pack a punch and highlight enemies for the player. When enemies are killed with these rounds, they explode in a blast of Solar energy, spreading Scorch to nearby targets and causing them to explode as well if they are hit by subsequent explosions.
Each element inDestiny 2has its definitive add-clear weapon, andSunshotsteals this position by a considerable margin. This weapon should be owned and experimented with by anyone attempting tocraft a build around Solar damage.
