Valorant has a number of different weapons ranging from snipers to SMGs to sidearms. Within the sidearm category, there are four pistols to choose from, and while they aren’t as good as a rifle they aren’t a waste of money. Being able to utilize the pistols effectively can be the difference between losing and winning a round.
The pistols in this game are great for winning an opening round to get the momentum going. They can also be useful to carry with a sniper or during a round that your team decides to save creds on. Every Valorant player needs to work on mastering their pistol skills because there is a time when they’ll be put to the test.
There are five sidearms (4 pistols, 1 shotgun), and in this article, we’ll outline the best PISTOLS in Valorant ranking them from best to worst.
#1 – GHOST (The Best Pistol)
- Cost: 500
- Magazine Size: 15
- Semi-auto; 6.75 rounds per second
- No alternative fire
- Medium wall penetration
| Head | Body | Legs | |
| Ghost (at 30m) | 105 | 30 | 26 |
| Ghost (over 30m) | 88 | 25 | 21 |
The Ghost pistol is (in our opinion) the best pistol in the game. It has all the characteristics needed. It’s accurate, can dish out a lot of damage, and has a high rate of fire.
Every player should work to master the Ghost and get used to using it. It’s great in the opening round to get easy headshots while also being able to spit out multiple shots to take down an armored enemy.
#2 – SHERIFF
- Cost: 800
- Magazine Size: 6
- Semi-auto; 4 rounds per second
- No alternative fire
- High wall penetration
| Head | Body | Legs | |
| Sheriff (at 30m) | 160 | 55 | 47 |
| Sheriff (over 30m) | 145 | 50 | 43 |
Remember the Deagle from Counterstrike? That’s the Sheriff. It’s high risk, high reward with powerful damage. If you’re an aim god than choose the Sheriff and hit those heads. It’ll one-shot your enemies as long as you don’t miss their dome.
In the early rounds you can use this to annihilate the enemy team in one to two shots. The disadvantage to this gun is that it’s the most expensive pistol in the game. Secondly, it has a slow rate of fire.
In most fights you may have 1 to 2 shots on an enemy before they take you down. If you miss even a single shot with the Sheriff you’re almost guaranteed to get killed.
With that said, it’s one of the most satisfying guns to land a headshot with. There’s few things within the game that feel better than taking out an enemy sniper with a well placed Sheriff headshot.
#3 – CLASSIC
- Cost: FREE!
- Magazine Size: 12
- Semi-auto; 6.75 rounds per second
- Alternative fire: Right click for 3 shot spread; 2.2 rounds per second
- Low wall penetration
| Head | Body | Legs | |
| Classic (at 30m) | 78 | 26 | 22 |
| Classic (over 30m) | 66 | 22 | 18 |
The Classic pistol is the default sidearm you’re given for free. While you may assume that the default pistol would be garbage, you’d be mistaken! While it isn’t quite as effective as the Ghost or Sheriff, the classic can deal damage in the right hands.
Why are we ranking the Classic over the frenzy pistol? Situationally the Frenzy is better at close range, but it’s damage drop off at farther ranges makes it a poor choice. The classic gun has ok damage, but continues to be accurate at range.
In addition, the classic has the alt-fire 3 round spread that is a headshot machine at close range. It’s the combination of accuracy, damage, and cost that position this pistol as the third best in Valorant.
#4 – FRENZY
- Cost: 400
- Magazine Size: 13
- Full-auto; 10 rounds per second
- No alternative fire
- Medium wall penetration
| Head | Body | Legs | |
| Frenzy (at 20m) | 78 | 26 | 22 |
| Frenzy (over 20m) | 63 | 21 | 17 |
The Frenzy pistol is the only full automatic pistol in the game shooting 10 rounds per second. If you land all your shots it will kill an enemy with 4 body shots within 20 meters, but the drop off of damage past this point is substantial. Beyond 20 meters, it will take 5 shots to do over 100 damage.
The spray beyond 20 meters isn’t tight, and so its a crapshoot whether all your shots hit the target at this range.
The Frenzy is incredible useful at short range, and so can be the perfect purchase for an eco round. Position yourself to fight the enemy at close range, and go for a quick pick! Once you down an enemy you can nab their gun, and you’ll be all set.
The Best Pistol is the One That Works For You!
In the end, the best pistol in Valorant is the one that you’re able to get kills with. Perhaps you’re more of a Frenzy user rather than the one-shot Sheriff. Just because a gun is a higher tier than another doesn’t mean that a lower-tier gun is useless. Use the pistol that works best for you!
I hope this article on the pistols of Valorant have helped you! Make sure to study the damage and ranges of the various pistols to ensure that you’re using them properly.
