The humble handgun is a man's best friend on the battlefield. Your various rifles and bazookas may take all the glory, but who's there when they are out of ammo? A trusty sidearm that fits your style well can be the difference between life and death. The pistols available to you in
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 are each unique in their fit and feel between each other, perhaps more than among other guns of the same category, and each pistol has their own fan club. Finding the one that fits you is the first step to becoming a pro pistolero.
Recon, Medics, and those using an M1 or M14 will be among those having to rely on their pistol more often than others. The typical traits that need to be considered are the pistol's damage versus its capacity given its expected utility or user ability. Basically, if you're playing Assault and the primary use of your pistol will be as an emergency backup and you need to drop a guy
now, higher damage pistols are the better choice. Maybe you're a Recon player though, and you find yourself using your pistol as a finisher to anybody who wasn't killed outright by your rifle or as a primary weapon in itself, and you'll need plenty of bullets. Whatever your style and needs, there's
an app a gun for that.
M9
Default Unlock
Caliber: 9x19 Parabellum
Fire Mode: Semi Automatic
Rate of Fire: 350RPM
Damage At 5m: 25.0 (31.25 magnum)
Damage at 50m: 16.7 (20.875 magnum)
Magazine Size: 12 Rounds
Reload Time: 3.75s
As your default starting pistol, the M9 is at a happy medium compared to all of the later pistols. The gun has good damage at 25, making this a four-hit kill without Magnum Ammo. With Magnum Ammo, it remains a four-hit hit kill against unarmored targets, albeit at a much longer range, making the M9 a good candidate pistol for class builds not using Magnum Ammo. With the M9's twelve-round magazine you have plenty of bullets at your disposal to potentially kill up to 3 guys with close range chest shots, or at the least get one important kill when the situation is a little more... frantic.
Statistically and practically, the M9 is the best all-rounder pistol of the bunch. It can be used by anyone and everyone in any situation, reliably. The gun has good damage, a good round count, a quick rate of fire, and a half decent set of iron sights. It even comes in black.
MP443 Grach
Unlocked Level 3
Caliber: 9x19 Russian
Fire Mode: Semi Automatic
Rate of Fire: 450RPM
Damage At 5m: 20.0 (25.0 magnum)
Damage at 50m: 14.3 (17.875 magnum)
Magazine Size: 17 Rounds
Reload Time: 3.75s
The Grach is on the lower end of the group damage-wise. It takes five bullets to kill somebody up close, four with Magnum Ammo, and way too many at range. This can be a lot, but the primary strength to compensate is its large magazine capacity at seventeen rounds and it's quick, just about as fast as you can tap. This large magazine lends itself to use with people who have at times... not the best of aim, as well as those who rely on their pistol heavily and need ample capacity for multiple encounters. The Grach can potentially handle three, maybe four people - sometimes more - at close range. Just don't expect it to win out every time in a head on quick-draw encounter, or get a kill at a distance.
The Grach is a solid carry for the inexperienced and the very experienced alike. It has so-so damage, but an excellent round count, fast rate of fire, and usable iron sights. This is a great gun for Recon players.
