8 types of weapons that you should get as soon as possible

There are dozens of different Western weapons that players can collect all over the place Red Dead Redemptionbut you don't have to go too far to get some of the best RDR1 weapons. In fact, there is quite a bit of overlap when it comes to the best weapons Red Dead Redemption and the best weapons you can get early on RDR1.

Almost all of these are the best early game weapons Red Dead Redemption players can collect the found until mid-game, although you may have to go all out to get some of them earlier. Accumulate your dollars, complete stranger missions and required story missions and get some of these best early weapons in Red Dead Redemption shortly after the start of the game.

8 Volcanic gun

High powered gun, right at the start

The Volcanic Pistol is a simple upgrade to the default Cattleman's Revolver with more power, range, and ammo. It has a slightly slower rate of fire and a slightly slower cooldown, but since it's very easy to get almost right out of the game and generally has higher stats, it's an easy upgrade to pick up as soon as you can Red Dead Redemption a little easier.

To get the Vulcan Gun, Red Dead Redemption players must either buy it from the gunsmith in Armadillo or clear the Twin Rocks vault to obtain it from looting on enemy bodies or from a chest in the area.

7 Lasso

Increase your income and tame your horses at an early stage

The lasso isn't necessarily a weapon you'll use in combat, but it's a good idea to unlock it as early as possible to access the various benefits it brings. It won't kill enemies, but that's the point – with the lasso you can subdue and bind enemies to revive them for bigger Bounty rewards, and you can use the wild horse lasso to immobilize and break them.

To get the lasso, Red Dead Redemption players must complete Wild Horses' main story mission, Tamed Passions.

6 Winchester repeater

A drastic upgrade over the default repeater

The Winchester Repeater is a powerful early game weapon Red Dead Redemption it's essentially a clean upgrade of the original repeater. This shotgun has higher power, range, RoF, and ammo than the default Repeater Carbine, and you can get it very early. It also works well in Dead Eye mode, despite its relatively low rate of fire.

To get a Winchester repeater, Red Dead Redemption players can purchase it from the gunsmith in Armadillo for $350 or purchase it for free during the main story mission “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Thug”.

5 Double barrel

The first gun you can buy

A double barrel is one of the first shotguns you can buy Red Dead Redemptionbut this is far from the worst. In fact, it has the best scope of all the shotguns – the spread of this weapon is lower than the other shotguns, even though it can only hold two shells at a time.

To get a double barreled shotgun, Red Dead Redemption players must buy it from the gunsmith in Armadillo for $300.

4 Buffalo rifle

Extremely high powered single shot rifle

The Buffalo rifle is one of the most powerful rifles in the world Red Dead Redemptionbut it has one fatal flaw. It will kill even the biggest animals in the game with one bullet, but you only get one bullet. It's accurate, has good range and of course extremely high damage – but the cooldown means you need to be very careful with your shots and have a backup weapon in case things get hairy.

To get the Buffalo Rifle, Red Dead Redemption players must complete any of the Master Hunter quests up to rank 5. Once this requirement is reached, you can purchase a Buffalo rifle from any gunsmith for $450.

3 Dynamite

Explosive damage – but be careful

Dynamite is an extremely powerful thrown weapon Red Dead Redemption if you can make sure you don't get hit by the explosion. It will kill almost any enemy in the game in one blast, but you have to make sure you time it and aim it right. Use this when the fight starts, then switch to a more reliable cannon or use it against grouped enemies – just be careful.

To get dynamite, Red Dead Redemption players can find it randomly in a dynamite camp or purchase it from any gunsmith after completing the main story mission “Mexican Caesar”. You can also find him in the Nosolida gang hideout, where Reyes' rebel gang is located.

2 Fire bottle

Cover the area in fire

Like dynamite, the fire bottle is a throw weapon that allows John Marston to quickly take on a large number of enemies at once. With the right aim, you can cover the area with fire, preventing enemies from going through the inferno, and incinerate any enemy unlucky enough to get caught in the blast. He can also set stagecoaches and enemies on fire, destroying or damaging them over time.

To get the fire Red Dead Redemption players must complete the “Civilization at Any Price” or “Demon's Potion” story missions. In the first, it can be found on a body, and in the second, it will be given to John Marston.

1 Semi-automatic pistol

Best early to mid game gun

The semi-auto pistol is one of the best weapons you can get early on Red Dead Redemption because of how affordable it is compared to other guns and how powerful it is in combat. This pistol fires faster than any other without much of a power penalty, and is a significant upgrade over the base Cattleman's Pistol, though you can only get it in Mexico without using codes.

To get a semi-automatic pistol, Red Dead Redemption players must purchase it from the gunsmith in Escalera for $300. You can also get it for free by clearing out the Fort Mercer Vault and searching the chest it's in.