Weapons of Resident Evil 4

Weapons of RE4
Many weapons are encountered during Capcom's Resident Evil 4. They serve different purposes and have advantages over the other weapons. Here is the list of some of the weapons that you will encounter.

Handgun

Leon's first weapon, this is a 9mm pistol with minimal firepower. It is not capable of blowing doors or shelves apart like the Handcannon or Chicago Typewriter. However, it can be upgraded to increase its chance of a critical headshot by 500%.

Shotgun

The second weapon that is encountered during the game, the shotgun is a pump-action weapon that works best when used at close range. Ammo for this weapon is encountered somewhat commonly.

TMP

This is an automatic 9mm gun that is light in firepower but heavy in firing speed. It can be useful for keeping enemies at bay, but ammo for it is rarely found and it takes up quite a bit of space in your Attache Case.

Rifle

The rifle is a long range weapon with decent firepower. However, after the weapon is fired, you will be foced out of scope mode for a moment as Leon reloads. This can be unconvenient if several enemies are rushing you. An additional scope can be purchased for the rifle that allows it to zoom in further.

Rocket Launcher/ RPG

This extremely powerful weapon can be bought from the shop for 30,000 pesos, but it can only be fired once. It will take out most enemies/bosses in close to one hit. It is most effective on slow moving bosses such as the El Gigante since the rocket hesitates for a split second before it is fired. However, its firepower is off the chart. As the weapons dealer said, "Stranger, stranger...now that's a weapon."

Semi-Automatic Rifle

This weapon is very similar to the standard rifle, but since it is semi-automatic, you are not forced out of scope mode after every shot. Additional scopes can also be purchased for this weapon.

Broken Butterfly

One of the most powerful (standardized) weapons in the game, this .45 Magnum has become a trademark of the Resident Evil games. Its starting firepower level is 10.0, which is very useful for taking out enemies with shields and helmets (the Handgun's starting firepower level is about 1.1). Ammo for this weapon is rarely encountered, though.

Handcannon

The most powerful weapon in the game, the Handcannon is a .50 Magnum that surpasses the Broken Butterfly by far with a maximum firepower level of 99. Ammo for the Handcannon is probably the rarest in the game, but if you upgrade it to the max, unlimited ammo will be awarded to you for the gun, which is probably the most useful bonus upgrade in the game.

Chicago Typewriter

Unlocked upon beating the game on Normal difficulty, this is a Thompson submachine gun (or "Tommygun") with a max firepower of 10. Basically, each shot from this weapon is the equivalent of one from the Broken Butterfly. Since this gun is automatic, though, it can be useful when backed into a corner by multiple enemies wheras the Broken Butterfly/Handcannon is slow firing and would expose you. This weapon also has unlimited ammo.