Hitman: Blood Money/Weapons

Besides melee weapons such as fiber wire, Hitman: Blood Money features many firearms. Five customizable firearms are in the inventory from the start, but many other weapons can be found in the field; on guards, civilians and targets, in weapons racks, or just laying around. The five customizable weapons are the Silverballer, the SMG Tactical, the SP12 Shotgun, the M4 and the W2000 Sniper Rifle. These weapons are 47's own and leaving them in the field at the end of a mission incurs a fee for their recovery. As mentioned, they can be modified with many different accessories, or upgrades, that can be purchased between missions. Upgrades are organized into five levels for each weapon, with each level of upgrades becoming available as the player progresses through the game.

Silverballer
The one must-have firearm. While the other weapons in 47's arsenal do have their uses, few are as versatile and practical as the Silverballer, especially considering that most of your kills will take place at close range. If you plan to play in a stealthy fashion, as opposed to shooting your way through every level, you should invest in upgrades that make your pistol quieter and more accurate, so acquire silencers and aim stabilizers as soon as the upgrades become available.

Level 1 Upgrades ($50,000 each)
Low Velocity Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) This very useful upgrade dampens firing noise and lessens recoil - both are advantages. Using low velocity ammo reduces firing noise about as much as Silencer Type 1, so you can purchase one or the other for the same result. Using low velocity ammo along with a silencer doesn't make the weapon any quieter than if you only use the silencer.

Silencer Type 1 ( Excludes Silencer Type 2 & Long Slide ) Dampens firing noise considerably, which is essential for stealth kills unless you use low velocity ammo instead.

Level 2 Upgrades ($75,000 each)
Extra Ammo Provides two extra magazines of ammunition. You usually won't need to fire more than 2-3 bullets per mission if you play strategically, but extra ammo is always handy, just in case.

Laser Sight Whether this is worth the cost is down to personal preference. The little targeting dot on the back of your enemy's head can be useful when firing from medium range, but it's really no more difficult using the crosshair to aim.

Rail Mount Does nothing on its own, but the mount is required for additional optics such as the red dot sight and the scope. Not worth buying early now on until you actually unlock the red dot sight or scope.

Level 3 Upgrades ($100,000 each)
Magnum Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) It is noisier and has more recoil than low velocity ammo, but it is more powerful can penetrate doors. One shot to the chest will almost guarantee a kill using this ammunition, and the ability to penetrate doors can be useful on rare occasions; however, this ammunition also has a tendency to over-penetrate human targets -- it can go straight through a person and strike something else. This is fine in combat, but if you're trying to be stealthy these runaway bullets can create unwanted noise.

Long Slide ( Excludes all silencers ) Gives better precision and less recoil... though it can't be equipped along with a silencer, using Low Velocity Ammo can help to compensate.

Dual Action The ever popular dual-wielded pistols. Unfortunately, dual-wielding is quite impractical -- these two guns fire simultaneously when you pull the trigger, which is great if you need to drop someone who's aware of your presence, but if you're aiming for a stealthy headshot, that's one bullet which misses, and the resulting noise may very well alert other enemies of your position. Another downside to this upgrade is that it effectively doubles your reload time.

Level 4 Upgrades ($150,000 each)
Red Dot Sight ( Requires Rail Mount, excludes Scope ) This reflex sight provides a small amount of zoom and improved accuracy. You can move while aiming with it, and you retain some peripheral vision while using it, so it is ideal for accurate, close range shooting.

Large Clip This upgrade -- very useful for gung-ho style gameplay -- doubles the Silverballer's magazine capacity from 9 to 18. It's superfluous in most situations, because you're unlikely to need that many bullets unless you blow your cover in the middle of the guard room.

Level 5 Upgrades ($200,000 each)
Silencer Type 2 ( Excludes Silencer Type 1 & Long Slide ) Dampens firing noise even further than Silencer Type 1, it is also shorter.

Full Auto Fire ( Requires Large Clip ) This upgrade adds recoil and lets you choose to fire automatically, firing 3 (6) rounds per trigger pull. If you're using the Silverballer with care and precision, opting for headshots, then this is going to be overkill, plus using it incorrectly will empty your clips very VERY fast. If you intend to upgrade it to the point where it becomes SMG-like... why not use the SMG instead? Probably one of the worst upgrades.

Scope Type 1 ( Requires Rail Mount, excludes Red Dot Sight ) Oddly named, as it is the only actual Silverballer scope you can buy. It gives a bit more zoom than the Red Dot Sight and considerably better aiming precision, but is somewhat more awkward to use in close quarters because you can't move while using it. It's not exactly going to turn your Silverballer into a sniper rifle, but it'll allow for headshots from a rather long distance, when required.

SP 12 Shotgun
Ah yes, the ol' boomstick. Extremely powerful weapon, capable of blasting people halfway across the room... it has two rather big disadvantages, though.

Firstly, it cannot be concealed in your clothing, which means you'll have to pick it up from the ICA crate placed in the level after you arrive. Generally these crates are somewhere near your starting location, but as soon as you pick it up, you'll be fired upon by any guard that sees you running around...

Secondly, the M4 is a much better assault weapon than the SP 12. A fully upgraded M4 is pretty much capable of killing people across the border in the next country, while the SP 12 is only effective at close range and even then can't always be depended on to hit the target. The M4 can also hold much more ammo (think one hundred rounds) when upgraded, making the SP 12 somewhat of a marginal weapon.

Level 1 Upgrades ($50,000 each)
Flechette Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) Allows you to fire in a tighter group, for less damage. This is the way to go, however, because with most of the rounds hitting in a close pattern, your target will die, "less damage" or not. The standard ammo will render you incapable of hitting targets standing about 10 feet away from you.

Butt Stock More precision, less recoil.

Level 2 Upgrades ($75,000 each)
Extra Ammo Worthwhile, obviously. Shotgun ammo can be found in some levels, but this is for the basic shotgun, not the SP 12, so make sure you stock up on ammo.

Reload Boost This halves your reload time by adding a side-mounted clip filled with spare shells. Since ordinarily the shotgun's reload time pathetically slow, make sure to pick up this upgrade.

12 Gauge Slugs ( Excludes all other ammo ) Maximum damage, but this isn't so important. This ammo is less precise than the Flechettes, meaning that you'll often need to fire twice (or more) to kill your target, meaning that you'll be taking more damage than you would using the less powerful, but still more accurate ammo. It is overkill, since the Flechette ammo is usually enough to kill.

Level 3 Upgrades ($100,000 each)
Rail Mount Allows you to mount the Red Dot Sight later on. By itself, no use.

Short Barrel ( Excludes Silencer Type 1 ) Sawing off the end of your shotgun will let you do more damage, but it will make your spread worse, pretty much negating the effects of the Flechettes and buttstock.

Level 4 Upgrades ($150,000 each)
Laser Sight Generally, your shells will land all around the laser sight, so it's rather pointless.

Magazine Provides four extra slugs and an improved rate of fire, which is critical when using the shotgun. Reducing the amount of time between reloads guarantees you'll be able to kill more enemies and thus take less damage.

Level 5 Upgrades ($200,000 each)
Red Dot Sight ( Requires Rail Mount ) Maximum precision. That's relative to the other SP 12 sights, of course, not in comparison to the red dot sights of other weapons. Considering the nature of the shotgun, your shells will scatter all over the place regardless.

Silencer Type 1 ( Excludes Short Barrel ) It works quite well, even though it seems quite odd to equip a shotgun with a silencer.

SMG Tactical
This is a fine weapon, capable of dishing out fully-automatic fire that will drop plenty of people. The main weakness here is that its ammunition capacity is quickly exhausted by the high rate of fire; even after upgrading, you'll have a hard time killing more than a few targets without needing to reload. Still, a plus here is that the SMG can be concealed in your clothes (unlike the SP 12 and M4), making it a good backup if you think you'll need more firepower than your Silverballer can provide. In a pinch, you can also single-fire it at distant targets that are a little too far to be hit with the Silverballer.

Level 1 Upgrades ($50,000 each)
Butt Stock 1 Less recoil, more precision. It's worth buying. However, you should note that the two different buttstocks are identical in function -- the only differences are cosmetic (the first one is a fixed, synthetic, MP5A2-style buttstock, while the other one is a metal MP5A3-style buttstock of the retractable kind. The metal one should, in theory, make the weapon more compact and, therefore, easier to conceal, but it doesn't retract and so makes no practical difference in the game). Choose the one you like and don't bother spending money on the other one...unless you have some cash to burn, of course.

Butt Stock 2 See above.

Low Velocity Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) Can be useful, if you think subtlety is required with such a weapon. Generally though, if you're using this instead of the Silverballer, the time for stealthiness and headshots has probably passed.

Level 2 Upgrades ($75,000 each)
Extra Ammo Provides two extra magazines of ammunition, quite useful.

Rail Mount This upgrade lets you mount a Red Dot Sight later on, as with the other weapons. Doesn't do anything on it's own, so it is not worth purchasing until later on.

Magnum Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) Penetrates doors and does more damage than regular ammo, but has more recoil. In most cases, using the SMG, you'll probably be firing at close range, so recoil isn't such an important aspect to consider. However, if you want to reduce noise without a silencer, Low Velocity Ammo is better.

Level 3 Upgrades ($100,000 each)
Rapid Fire Extremely fast rate of fire. Once again, with the drawback of having more recoil. This will let you take down targets much faster, but will absolutely chew through the ammo, firing 5 (10 with the Double Clip) rounds per trigger pull, and you will find yourself reloading much more often. Not a recommended upgrade, short bursts of fire are generally more efficient.

Short Barrel An MP5K-style short barrel. More damage, but slightly reduced accuracy. Not that important if you're only using the SMG for crowd-sweeping if you screw up and the alarms go off, but if you need to sight a target in an area where you can't bring a sniper rifle, this upgrade becomes something of a liability.

Silencer Type 1 ( Excludes Silencer Type 2 ) Dampens firing noise but also reduces damage somewhat.

Level 4 Upgrades ($150,000 each)
Laser Sight Increases precision and lets you know exactly where the bullets fired will hit. Useful and can't be negated by other upgrades, so buying it is recommended.

Double Clip This is basically two magazines clipped together together, making reloading considerably faster. If you're a frequent SMG user, buy it, it might save your life a few times.

Level 5 Upgrades ($200,000 each)
Silencer Type 2 ( Excludes Silencer Type 1 ) Dampens firing noise even further.

Red Dot Sight ( Requires Rail Mount ) Provides a small amount of zoom and greater precision.

M4
Like the SP 12, the M4 is non-concealable, meaning that it will be placed in an ICA crate at the beginning of the level. Unlike the SP 12, the M4 is an excellent combat weapon. Decent accuracy, moderate recoil, high power, and large magazine capacity and ammo reserves... if you intend to go through Blood Money as a FPS and not a stealth game, then this is the gun for you.

Level 1 Upgrades ($50,000 each)
R.I.S. Handguard Like the Rail Mount, this is a prerequisite for a later upgrade, and does nothing on its own.

Low Velocity Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) A waste of money. If you have subtlety even remotely in mind you wouldn't have brought the M4.

Butt Stock Less recoil, more precise.

Level 2 Upgrades ($75,000 each)
Extra Ammo Two additional magazines.

Laser Sight Useful when trying to score a headshot with your opening volley of fire, but if you're generally trigger-happy, mowing down legions of guards, then this might be redundant.

Rail Mount As for other weapons, this is a prerequisite for scopes, doing nothing on its own.

Armor Piercing Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) This is basically analogous to the Magnum Ammo of the Silverballer and SMG. It does more damage and can penetrate doors.

Level 3 Upgrades ($100,000 each)
Silencer Type 1 ( Excludes Silencer Type 2 ) Pretty much useless, again. The M4 is not used in a stealthy approach, better off with a Silverballer.

Pistol Grip ( Requires R.I.S. Handguard ) Reduces recoil and increased precision slightly.

Level 4 Upgrades ($150,000 each)
Double Clip ( Excludes Drum Magazine ) Same deal as the SMG. This reduces your reload time significantly. However, the "Drum Magazine" upgrade will render it obsolete, so think twice before buying.

Red Dot Sight ( Requires Rail Mount, excludes Scope Type 1 ) Small amount of zoom, lot more precision aiming. However, like the Double Clip, it'll be rendered obsolete by the Scope upgrade, so you might as well save your $150,000.

Level 5 Upgrades ($200,000 each)
Silencer Type 2 ( Excludes Silencer Type 1 ) As mentioned before, it's a possible upgrade, but any pretensions towards stealth seem to miss the point of the M4.

Drum Magazine ( Excludes Double Clip ) 100 rounds per drum will prevent you from having to reload your M4 for quite a while. Although it destabilizes the weapon a bit, increasing recoil, by now you should have a good deal of stability-increasing upgrades to compensate, so it shouldn't matter all that much.

Scope Type 1 ( Requires Rail Mount, excludes Red Dot Sight ) The scope gives plenty of precision, but it is wasted on the M4: if you're firing at a distant target, you'll likely need to zoom in to get more precision for a headshot, and holding the fire button will cause recoil. As such, your gun will jump over the targets head. Not really recommended.

W2000 Sniper Rifle
This rifle is going to be useful for a few game missions. It'll allow you to take down a target from extremely long distance, unnoticed (if you've silenced it properly, of course). An added benefit is that it can be carried in a customized rifle case, to be assembled/disassembled for use wherever you wish. This is much much less conspicious than running around with a huge rifle in your hands. That said, care is needed when constructing the rifle, as being seen in this act will raise the alarm. Generally, a single shot to the body is enough to kill most targets.

Level 1 Upgrades ($50,000 each)
Low Velocity Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) Less sound/recoil. Should be the only sniper ammo you buy throughout the game.

Double Capacity Clip ( Excludes Bolt Action ) Useful, if you're not already using bolt action. If you have to fire 2-3 times before reloading though, you've probably already messed up any chance of stealthy sniping.

Level 2 Upgrades ($75,000 each)
Extra Ammo An extra magazine. This is rather pointless, because if a sniper needs more than a few shots to get their target, they're doing something wrong.

Scope Type 1 ( Excludes Scope Type 2 ) A critical upgrade. The original scope has little zoom and is very unsteady. Get this ASAP.

Lightweight Frame This upgrade improves overall handling, it makes the rifle more precise and stable. The only in-game description is "light-weight parts", which is pretty vague. Still, it's a prerequisite to the Bolt Action upgrade, so go ahead and get it.

Level 3 Upgrades ($100,000 each)
Silencer Type 1 ( Excludes Silencer Type 2 ) Important unless you're sniping from an isolated spot, which is rare. The quieter you are, the less likely you are to gain suspicion or guard attention when firing.

Armor Piercing Ammo ( Excludes all other ammo ) Allows your shots to penetrate doors, with the disadvantage of added recoil. While the recoil penalty won't be that big a deal if you're using a bolt-action rifle, there is no need to penetrate wood when firing the sniper; most snipeable targets will be standing out in the open, or at the very least, have a pane of glass separating the two of you, which can easily be shattered by normal bullets. Better to stick with normal or low velocity ammo.

Level 4 Upgrades ($150,000 each)
Extra Ammo Yet another ammo upgrade. Again, you can get it if you want, but it is really not necessary as the starting ammo is more than sufficient if you snipe carefully.

Carbon-Fiber Barrel Less recoil, more precision. Unfortunately, it also adds a few seconds to the rifle construction time. If you pick assembly spots well, locations that are far away from any people with no chance of being seen, you should be OK with this.

Bolt Action ( Requires Lightweight Frame, excludes Double Capacity Clip ) Increases precision significantly, which is helpful for very long-range sniping. The act of reloading takes a few seconds and interrupts your sight picture an instant after firing, so make sure you don't miss your first shot.

Level 5 Upgrades ($200,000 each)
Silencer Type 2 ( Excludes Silencer Type 1 ) This upgrade should make your shots almost completely inaudible. "Less damage" is listed in the upgrade info, but go ahead and get it, no need to worry about this. Even the completely un-upgraded rifle can kill any target with a single shot to the head/body.

Scope Type 2 ( Excludes Scope Type 1 ) "Max Zoom" is in the description. Need more incentive? This is the way to go if you can afford it.