Combat — Pistols

Overview

Pistols in DayZ are essential secondary weapons that provide lightweight, reliable defense in close-quarters combat and urban navigation. Mastering these sidearms allows you to conserve primary ammunition while maintaining a low-profile threat response for infected or hostile survivors.

How It Works

Pistols function using magazine-fed or internal-loading systems compatible with specific calibers like .22LR, .380 ACP, 9x19mm, .45 ACP, or .357. You must equip the pistol in your hands, ensure a compatible magazine is loaded with ammunition, and cycle the action or chamber a round. Aiming is managed via iron sights or compatible optics, and firing requires sufficient weapon durability, as damaged pistols will jam or suffer from decreased accuracy.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Locate a compatible magazine for your specific pistol model and fill it with matching ammunition by dragging bullets onto the magazine in your inventory.
2. Open your inventory screen and drag the loaded magazine onto the pistol icon to attach it.
3. Equip the pistol to your hands using your hotbar or the inventory menu.
4. If the weapon is not chambered, press and hold the 'R' key to cycle the action and load a round from the magazine into the chamber.
5. Raise the weapon using the right mouse button to aim down sights.
6. Toggle your fire mode if applicable by pressing the 'T' key to switch between semi-auto and safe.
7. Depress the left mouse button to fire, monitoring your sway based on your character’s stamina levels.

Tips

• Always keep a spare, pre-loaded magazine in your clothing slots for rapid reloading during a firefight.
• Use the CR-75 or Glock 19 for their high magazine capacity, which is critical when dealing with hordes of infected.
• Attach a Pistol Suppressor to your weapon to avoid drawing unnecessary attention from nearby players during engagement.
• Maintain your pistol’s condition using a Weapon Cleaning Kit; a 'Worn' or 'Damaged' pistol will result in frequent jams.
• Utilize the 'hold breath' mechanic (Shift key) while aiming to stabilize your reticle for precise headshots.

Common Mistakes

• Carrying ammunition that does not match the pistol caliber, wasting inventory space.
• Neglecting to chamber a round before an encounter, resulting in an empty click when you attempt to fire.
• Attempting to suppress a weapon with an incompatible suppressor, which causes damage to the firearm.
• Failing to check the weapon's fire selector, leading to accidental discharges or an inability to fire when needed.

Related Items

• Stunbaton
• Policebaton
• Trumpet
• Trumpetparts
• Ssg82

Related Guides

• Medical
• Base Building
• Hunting
• Vehicle Maintenance