Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/Weapons

Fighting
All aimed weapons weapons aim better when CJ is crouching. This position also allows CJ to do combat rolls in and out of cover, giving him time to reload.

Fists
You've always got these.

Brass knuckles
These make your punches more powerful. They don't take the spot of your regular melee weapon, either.

Katana
An asian sword.

Knife
The knife is an ordinary melee weapon but has a special attack mode. If you target an unaware opponent (for example approaching them from behind) and attack you should slit the target's throat, killing them instantly.

Golf club
Attacking with the golf club should bring back good Vice City memories.

Chainsaw
As a melee weapon, the chainsaw is unique in that it "locks" characters in place and does enough damage that it is usually a one hit kill.

Pistol
The basic pistol is modeled on a 9mm.

Silenced 9mm
The silenced pistol differs from the 9mm pistol in that, when fired, it seemingly has less effect on CJ's Wanted Level than other weapons. In stealth missions the silenced pistol allows silent kills at a distance, although players should be sure to use headshot kills. Failure to kill a target with a headshot can result in return fire, causing a higher alert level in the mission.

Desert Eagle
The Desert Eagle or "Deagle" is a powerful pistol that kills with one shot.

Machine Pistols
These are machine guns you hold with one hand.

SMG
The versatile SMG is useful in a drive-by, and when CJ is in a crouching position the SMG's range and accuracy are comparable to the assault rifles.

M4
The AK-47 and the M4 are very similar, apart from their ammo clip sizes (30 and 50 rounds, respectively). In its favor, the AK-47's ready availability makes achieving Hitman ability with it much easier.

Rocket Launcher
The RPG can destroy virtually all vehicles in the game with a decent shot, handy for causing mayhem or getting a police helicopter off your back. It can also be used as a more accurate substitute for grenades or molotov cocktails.

Heat-seeking Rocket Launcher
The Heat Seeking Rocket Launcher is practically the same as the RPG except that when aimed it also shows a targeting symbol. This is usually placed on the vehicle roughly in the centre of the aimed view. When the launcher is fired the rocket will then hone in on the target. This is not all that useful on land vehicles but is the best way of bringing down aircraft and helicopters.

Flame Thrower
The flamethrower is, in many ways, a great weapon as it is the only practical area-effect weapon in the game and causes a great deal of chaos by setting pedestrians and passing vehicle on fire. Since any area it touches continues to burn for a while after, it also effectively allows you to stop people moving through an area. The weapon has two major weaknesses: firstly since it creates a burning area wherever it is fired it is only possible to move backwards when using the flamethrower; secondly it is difficult to control what will be affected by the flamethrower and using it on a busy street is likely to rapidly increase your wanted level and make you a target for pedestrians.

Minigun
The Minigun or chain gun is effectively a monster machine gun with a huge rate of fire. It needs to be "spun" up by being aimed. It is probably the best weapon for dealing with large numbers of spawned enemies, such as cops at Wanted Level 5 and gang members in Turf War.

Hand grenade
The hand grenade can be useful, if expensive. A down-side is that it tends to tie you to the spot. You might try it to initiate gang or turf wars and it can also be used to dissuade pursuing rival gang members before resorting to side- or long-arms.

Molotov Cocktails
The Molotov becomes quite handy once you've completed the Firefighter mission to become fireproof. You can kill a half dozen assailants (like gang members in a turf war in close proximity) instantly, without fear of having it backfire. Be careful though, because vehicles set on fire will explode a few seconds later, and being fireproof doesn't mean you're immune to the concussive force of an explosion.