[Top 11] Resident Evil 7 Best Weapons That Are Powerful (And How To Get Them)

Ethan with a shotgun outside of Zoe's Trailer
You won't get far without a weapon, luckily there are some seriously powerful ones to obtain.


Resident Evil 7 may have come out close to six years ago, but it’s still a game that is near and dear to our hearts. However, first time players may be a bit lost on where to get the good items, and what exactly those are. There’s many weapons that are easy to miss and, *spoiler alert*, one of the top three weapons isn’t achievable until after you beat the game. So what even are the best weapons, and where can you pick them up? I’m so glad you asked.

#11 - G17 Handgun

(Small, but mighty! A great starter weapon)

How To Get This Weapon

Without giving away too much for first time players, the G17 handgun is a gun that becomes available to you after a cop is killed by Jack. The game requires you to pick up the gun to continue the game, so it isn’t hidden off the beaten path anywhere. It’s one of the first guns you’ll receive, and is generally very reliable for starting out your (rather justified) killing spree.

Reasons to love it:

  • It can be a great weapon to finally replace your generally unhelpful knife. 
  • It holds 10 handgun ammo per each magazine, and has relatively good firepower when it comes to headshots. 
  • All in all, it’ll serve its purpose well in the beginning of the game and kill what needs to be killed when it needs to be killed.

​G17 Handgun full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/G17_Handgun

Damage: 100 per shot

Rounds: Handgun Ammo (Common) - 10 Max

#10 - Flamethrower

(Maurgerite is no match for the flamethrower, it does even more damage on her than other enemies)

How To Get This Weapon

The flamethrower is an often overlooked weapon due to how long it takes to kill an enemy with it, but it’s actually a great weapon to have in your inventory. The insects you encounter when going against Marguerite are extremely weak against the flamethrower, and it does higher damage on Marguerite as well. It can be put together by grabbing the burner nozzle and burner grip from the ‘Old House’, with the burner grip being through the guest room. 

Reasons to love it:

  • Slows down enemies efficiently, which is handy when you’re getting your butt handed to you.
  • Higher damage done on a mini-boss, which, again, is handy when you’re getting your butt handed to you - especially in the Marguerite boss fight.
  • Holds 150 ammo at a time

Flamethrower full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Burner

Damage: 20  

Ammo: Burner fuel (Common)  - 150 Max

#9 - M19 Handgun

(Comparable to the G17 handgun and is handy to have.)

How To Get This Weapon

Conveniently, Resident Evil 7 blessed us with two repair kits; lovely little kits that can fix a broken weapon to create a new one, and in this case we’re talking about the M19 handgun. It’ll first become an option in the guest house, which is near the hall that leads to the attic; but if you missed it there, you can also pick it up when you leave the house and head to Zoe's trailer. It will be on her bed and will read as “Broken Pistol” when you pick it up.

The firepower is better than the first required handgun (the G17), coming in at 120 damage per shot, and can hold 7 rounds, making you ready for anything that sneaks up on you.

Reasons to Love it:

  • Easy to find and fix early in the game
  • A step up from the base gun you get during your fight with Jack (G17)
  • Uses the most common ammo in the game, it really can’t get any better than that ammo wise.
  • Has great head-shot damage if you have good aim. If not..hope you can run fast.

M19 Handgun full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/M19_Handgun

#8 - P19 Machine Gun

(It'll be introduced playing as Mia, so make sure to look out for it.)

How to Get This Weapon

This specific weapon isn’t available until after you play as Mia in her ‘E-001’ VHS tape (on the ship). You can obtain it by getting a key on floor 2 that opens the Captain’s cabin locker on the 4th floor. This gun is slightly weaker when it comes to firepower, but it’s actually one of the most dependable weapons. You can let loose a bunch of bullets into your opponent at once, making quick work of them; which is great because Evelyn isn’t gettin’ any younger if you know what I mean.

Reasons to love it:

  • The fire rate and capacity is elevated by the type of ammo the P19 uses (most common in game, rejoice.)
  • Best damage-per-second weapon if we’re taking the common ammo usage into account. Otherwise, 44 MAG is probably the best (but so, so little ammo..)
  • 64 rounds per magazine, and easy to reload

P19 Machine Gun full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/P19_Machine_Gun

Damage: 50 per round

Ammo: Machine Gun Ammo (Common) - 64 Max

#7 - M37 Shotgun

(That statue isn't going to need it anyway,and it's your ticket out of the Main House really.)

How To Get This Weapon

The M37 Shotgun is a powerful gun that is capable of taking out an enemy in one shot, and holds 4 shotgun shells. It's one of the first greatly powerful guns you’ll come across, and is located in the Main Hall (1F) of the house. 

Although when you take it from the arms of the soldier statue holding it, the front door will subsequently lock; so in order to circumvent this you’ll need to get the broken shotgun from the grandma’s bedroom and place it in the soldier’s hands. After the ole switch-a-roo, you’re free to leave and search for the correct ammo (or continue the game…or both).

Reasons To Love It:

  • Knocks over enemies easily at close range, so it’s great for those sneak attacks.
  • A great place holder until the beloved M21 comes around
  • Wide pellet spread, which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re using it for, but used correctly it’s a great thing.

M37 Shotgun full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/M37_Shotgun

Damage: 80/Pellet (720 total)

Ammo: Shotgun shells (Uncommon) - 4 Max

#6 - M21 Shotgun 

(The sister of the M37, but more powerful and way more worth it.)

How To Get This Weapon

This shotgun is comparable to its counterpart, the M37, due to the amounts of damage each emit; the M21 holds less ammo at two shells, but lets off more firepower than the M37. As long as you remember to reload, this can be a super reliable weapon that will assist you until the end game. Similar to the M19 handgun, you’ll need another repair kit to fix it; this kit is, more than 99.9% likely, the last one in the game (If you find another somehow let me know. Seriously.)

To obtain it you’ll first need a treasure photo that you’ll find in the main house’s master bedroom. In the bedroom is a side room with the photo near the left of it, pick this up and head back to the master bedroom. Assuming you have the snake key, head down to the fourth room in the ‘testing area’ (that Saw-esque place that Lucas terrorizes you for no reason other than to keep up appearances.) and look out for that mannequin head. Touching it will give you the needed repair kit. 

Reasons to love it:

  • Reliable knock back power
  • Stronger than the M37 despite less capacity.
  • Speaking of less capacity, the damage rate makes up for lack of ammo it can hold, so don’t even worry about that whole ‘only holds two shells’ thing.

M21 Shotgun full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/M21_Shotgun

Damage: 80/pellet (800 total)

Ammo: Shotgun Shells (Uncommon) - 2 Max

#5 - Circular Saw

(So elusive, yet so sought after and useful.)

How To Get This Weapon

If you’ve played through this game once before, you may be confused as to how you missed it in-game the first time, and that’d be because it isn’t in the game. To obtain this highly powerful saw, you’ll need to beat the game on any difficulty within four hours, not a minute more. 

It’ll be in your item box when you start a new game, and offers an almost unfair advantage, as it can kill an enemy within mere seconds. It’s the most powerful melee weapon in the game and is for sure worth trying to finish the main storyline within four hours.

Reasons To Love It:

  • Challenges you to obtain it and gives you incentive to replay, facing the dreaded Molded once more.
  • Able to kill an enemy in mere moments, which is beneficial for you speedrunners.
  • Able to stop/slow down an enemy if you need to run and heal before landing a final blow.

Circular Saw full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Circular_Saw

Damage: Primary attack - 300

Ammo: None - use attack button

#4 - Remote Bomb

(Why is this thing so powerful?)

This Weapon Is Scattered Throughout The Game

This is a fan favorite and all around essential for the game, it’s such an unforgiving weapon that it can not only kill all enemies around you, but even you if you don’t run for your life…literally. Detonating it remotely will result in your safety and your opposition’s demise; so make sure you don’t set it off two inches from your feet.

It can also be thrown into the mouth of one of the molded enemies when you’ve been knocked to the ground, killing it instantaneously. There are many places to find these, and some are seeable to the naked eye, but the first time you’ll encounter it is during the ‘Old Tape’ VHS when playing as Mia. Be sure to pick it up, but don’t blow yourself to smithereens (which is actually a trophy in the game).

Reasons to love it:

  • Stellar for very wide range attacks
  • Renders an enemy powerless faster than you can blink
  • A great replacement for the grenade launcher until you retrieve it
  • Safe distance from enemies during detonation (Don’t really have an option there.)

Remote Bomb full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Remote_Bomb_(RE7)

Damage: 2000

Ammo: None - 20 bombs to one inventory slot

#3 - Grenade Laucher

(You're absolutely going to want this.)

 How To Get This Weapon

The grenade launcher is a well-loved weapon that is located in the supplies room in Main House (1F), which can be opened by using a crow key. The launcher uses both ‘neuro rounds’ and ‘flame rounds’ as ammo.

Ammo for this is scarce, but not impossible to find; so use it when you need it most. Using 2 flame rounds can knock a fat molded to the ground, while using one round on a normal molded will blow their arms and legs to bits. Altogether the grenade launcher deals crazy amounts of damage that you seriously need to get your hands on, atleast to go up against Jack. He really doesn’t stand a chance against that thing.

Reasons To Love It:

  • Does higher damage against both Marguerite and Jack
  • Has impact damage and flame/neuro damage. A jack of all damages
  • Slows down enemies if they *somehow* don’t die on the first impact

Grenade Launcher full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Grenade_Launcher_(RE7)

Damage: 2800-3200

Ammo: Flame rounds and Neuro rounds (Rare - craftable to an extent)

#2 - 44 MAG

(Crazy damage for a handgun, use it and its ammo wisely.)

How To Get This Weapon

Coming in at our number two spot is none other than the 44 MAG, the most powerful gun in your first playthrough.. You’re definitely good if a hoard of enemies swarm you, as the damage is insane. Although, the ammo is very rare, and definitely not out in the open, so use the ammo you can find sparingly. 

This gun isn’t one that you find on your journey, though; it's one that you can purchase in Zoe’s trailer for nine antique coins. The location of antique coins vary, and you should totally keep an eye out for them if you plan to acquire this powerhouse. (Keep an eye out for them anyway, they’re super handy for many things.)

Reasons To Love It:

  • Easily one shot a molded
  • Great to have if you don’t have the Albert 01R, as they are comparable
  • Holds enough ammo to fend off a good amount of enemies in little time

44 MAG full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/44_MAG

Damage: 1200 per shot

Ammo - 44 MAG Ammo (Very rare) - 7 max

#1 - Albert 01R

(What a nice final boss gift.)

 How To Get This Weapon

When it comes to guns, this is the most powerful you’re going to get. It’s comparable to the 44 MAG, but uses regular handgun ammo instead of the hard-to-find MAG ammo. As handgun ammo is the most common in the game, it’s regarded as the best weapon you can get in the main game.

When you enter phase two of the final boss fight, an Albert 01 will be dropped to you from a helicopter, with a phone call on your watch telling you to use it against the boss. Talk about convenience, huh? But after you defeat the game once, you willunlock the Albert 01R, which will go to your item box at the start of a new game.

Reasons To Love it:

  • The fact the most powerful gun uses the most common ammo is enough reason
  • One or two shot an enemy, which is great for speedrunning if you want that circular saw
  • Only takes up one inventory slot compared to the two slots most weapons take up.

Albert 01R full details: https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Albert-01

Damage - 600 per shot with enhanced ammo

Ammo - Handgun Ammo (Common) - 3 max

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Avid gamer who went from writing down cheats for the ps1 on lined paper to writing about things I'm passionate about on a gaming website. I don't think half of those cheats even worked.
Gamer Since: 2005
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