9 best weapons in Resident Evil 7

The Baker house is a dark and dangerous place in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and players must face the horror alone. Although a friendly character occasionally appears, this is only a reprieve before Jack inevitably reappears to torment players. With the odds stacked against them in this nightmare, players will need all the help they can get… which means they'll need to use smart RE7best weapon.

In the course of Resident Evil 7players slowly collect a small arsenal of weapons. Each weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, and there will always be one that is better suited to a situation than another. These are the best of these weapons that will greatly improve Ethan's chances of survival.

Updated March 24, 2026 by Mark Sammut: Thanks to Requiem, Resident Evil has been pushed back into the spotlight. The February 2026 game marks a fresh start for the franchise, but it still draws inspiration from RE7, particularly Grace's sections. If you're new to the series and looking to play one of the older games, the 2017 release is a great starting point. RE7 is the scariest game in the franchise, so you need to pick up a good weapon.

Quick Picks: RE7 Weapon Stats Table and Best Use Scenarios

Here's a quick stat breakdown for RE7s outstanding weapon covering base damage, magazine size and best use.

8

P19 Machine gun

A good weapon when rapid fire is required

• Damage per shot: 50
• Journal: 64
• Place: Captain's Cabin cabinet, wrecked ship

For accurate firepower, players will want to grab the P19 Machine Gun as soon as they can. It is not difficult to set this weapon as a target; it teases the players right behind a cage. Now, despite the low damage per round compared to pistols, the P19 Machine Gun is still good value.

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It fires quickly and is generally easier to place all shots compared to the slower but more damaging weapons. Also, it's one of the few proper military-grade hardware Resident Evil 7. It's not a pea shooter, and the ammo is easy enough to find and hoard.

7

G17 handgun

Despite being the first gun, it is reliable throughout the game

• Damage per shot: 100
• Journal: 10
• Place: Garage of the Main House 1F during the first Jack boss fight

It turns out that one of the earliest guns that players can get their hands on is already one of those best weapons in Resident Evil 7. The G17 handgun scales well into the late game and usually never goes out of style, although bigger and stronger weapons are constantly being added to Ethan's arsenal.

The G17 deals respectable damage. It is also by far the most practical weapon to use against the regular Molded enemies in the game. This in turn allows players to save their ammo for the larger guns as they are more useful against bosses. In any case, you can't go wrong with the G17 as it also works well as a panic weapon.

6

M19 handgun

Useful when an enemy has a lot of health

• Damage per shot: 120
• Journal: 7
• Place: Guest cabin 3F, before the attic

The M19 Handgun is a more accurate and powerful option for people who feel the G17 falls a bit short. Its magazine holds fewer bullets, but the damage more than makes up for it as M19 rounds deal 20% more damage per shot compared to the G17.

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Players can certainly take advantage of this higher damage when dealing with Molded, as some encounters with them may not require an extra shot, especially if they have less than 100 HP left. At the same time, the M19's special ammo damage is also significantly higher compared to the G17. Players who have special bullets lying around would do well to fire them with the M19.

5

Albert 01R

A stunning, elegant weapon for players who beat the game

• Damage per shot: 200
• Journal: 3
• Place: Beat the game regardless of difficulty

It's Albert Wesker's signature weapon, and it's just one of the best weapons in Resident Evil 7 in terms of damage and mobility. The magazine capacity is questionable or even laughable to some, but Wesker's gun here does twice the damage of a regular gun.

If players use enhanced ammo, the Albert 01R can even deal about half the damage of a 44 Magnum, which is the most powerful gun in Resident Evil 7. If players can handle the excessive recoil and low magazine capacity, Wesker's gun is a real contender here.

4

M21 shotgun

The best weapon for your first RE7 playthrough

• Damage per shot: 80 per pellet; 800 total if all pellets hit
• Journal: 2
• Place: Starts as the Broken Shotgun; need a repair kit and a model shotgun

The M21 Shotgun is a classic over-and-under design common among duck hunters or skeet shooters. Its pellets actually do the same damage as the pump shotgun or the M37, but the M21 adds another pellet thanks to the more concentrated spread. Consequently, this concentrated pellet dispersion also contributes to the weapon's longer range.

In addition to dealing higher damage per shot compared to the pump shotgun, the M21 also has a stronger kick and will knock back enemies more reliably. Overall, its only downside is the fact that it is a double-barreled shotgun and needs more frequent reloading. It doesn't really matter as targets are usually displaced by this weapon.

3

Grenade launcher

The Ultimate Boss Killer

• Damage per shot: 800-2400
• Journal: 1
• Place: The accessory room in the main house 1F, requires the crow key

The grenade launcher is a powerful weapon in Resident Evil 7. Players will want to save it for the most dangerous encounters. Because each explosive round of the grenade launcher can deal a hefty amount of damage, depending on the angle of impact.

Unfortunately, it only fires one round before needing to be reloaded, so that's all the more reason for players to keep it in reserve. The grenade launcher is best used against boss fights. It's especially effective against Jack's final form since he has an absurd amount of health. Every grenade launcher hit is therefore very useful in such a fight.

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2

44 MAG

The ultimate gun for pursuit

• Damage per shot: 1200
• Journal: 7
• Place: Zoe's trailer in the yard outside the main house

The 44 MAG or Magnum is easily the most powerful gun in the Resident Evil 7. Other handguns simply cannot compete with the Magnum's damage per round or per magazine. As a result, the 44 MAG's ammo is scarce, usually reserved only for the most curious of players or comp players.

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The payoff for all that snooping around and finding enough ancient coins is an accurate hand cannon that can blow the heads off shaped enemies in one shot. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like a traditional Magnum revolver, but players can easily forgive the milder aesthetic as the weapon more than makes up for it with its damage output.

1

The circular saw

The best RE7 weapon for surviving Madhouse

Image via GameRant; Source: Capcom

• Damage per tick (about 5-6 per cycle): 60
• Place: Complete the campaign in under 4 orders. All difficulties are good.

The most powerful melee weapon in Resident Evil 7 trivializing enemy encounters to the point that even bosses like Jack won't present anything resembling a challenge. The circular saw needs no ammo and will slice through most basic enemies, or at least stun them en route to a quick kill. Because the saw is so broken, players basically have to master the game to unlock it, and there's no way a newbie will be able to complete the campaign in less than 4 hours after their first playthrough. Experienced players may struggle to meet the unlock requirements as usual, and even a simple mode run is likely to come to an end.

Since it won't be available during the first playthrough, the circular saw has no value for those who just want to finish RE7and they will never get to use it. However, if you plan to complete the game on Madhouse or are trophy hunting, the circular saw is pretty much mandatory.