Here are the best Stalker 2 guns to get early on
Get these top-tier Stalker 2 weapons as early as possible
Want to get your hands on some of the best weapons in the Zone early on in Stalker 2? The Stalker series has always given players a remarkable freedom to go where you please and play how you like, which means there's very little stopping you from forging out in any direction you like after the prologue. So, why not spend your first few hours getting ahead of the game by hunting down some of Stalker 2's best guns?
Below we've put together a list of 6 excellent weapons, ranging from sniper rifles to shotguns and pistols, all of which you can obtain in the early regions of Stalker 2. Have a read through, and if you like the look of any gun in particular then you can follow our steps on how to lay your hands on it!
Best guns to get early in Stalker 2
Below is our list of the very best guns to find as early as possible in your Stalker 2 playthrough:
Valik Lummox's AKM-74S
Valik Lummox's AKM-74S is special purely because it's your quickest, easiest way to find a gun with a scope in Stalker 2. Otherwise it's a fairly ordinary AKM-74S just like the many others you'll find around the Lesser Zone, but the scope really does make a difference. Ammo conservation is important in Stalker 2, and so the ability to carefully land a headshot is very valuable.
To get Valik Lummox's AKM-74S, complete the prologue and then make your way up to Valissya, your first major settlement. In the bar, talk to Warlock and ask him for a job. You'll receive the side quest "Warlock's Debtor". Go to the marked location, speak to first the gang members and then Valik; and then climb to the top of the nearby water tower. At the top you'll find a bag containing Valik Lummox's AKM-74S, which is yours to keep forever from that moment onward.
Spitter
The Spitter is a modified S-2 SMG with a nice little muzzle brake for some extra recoil control. It's a fast-firing, surprisingly accurate, reliable close-range weapon which is also very lightweight. And as a nice bonus, it takes 9x18 ammo, the same kind you'll likely be using for your pistol early on in Stalker 2. Which means you don't need to be lugging around as many types of ammo wherever you go!
The Spitter is acquired during the dual side-quests "A Big Score" and "Deceive The Deceiver". Once you reach the Slag Heap, you can speak to the shady-looking Zakhar to start the first of these quests. When you meet his men at your destination, turns out Zakhar double-crossed you and his boys are there to kill you. Kill them first, then loot the body of chief buddy Sashko Cheery to obtain the Spitter SMG. Whether or not you decide to continue with the second part of the quest where you take revent on Zakhar (or choose to defend him), the Spitter is yours to keep.
VS Vintar
The VS Vintar is an excellent suppressed marksman rifle which has very comfortably taken me into the late stages of Stalker 2. Its scope is long-ranged but not too long-ranged, and it's as accurate and nippy a sniper as you're likely to find in the Zone. Particularly once you add a couple of range-increasing upgrades to the weapon at a Tech's shop, the VS Vintar is hard to put down.
Unlike the first few guns in this list, the VS Vintar is a non-unique drop among various NPCs and loot stashes in Stalker 2. You're unlikely to find any of them in the Lesser Zone, but as soon as you're able, I'd advise crossing either the Eastern or the Western Checkpoints into Cordon and Zaton, or the Chemical Plant. These areas are where you're likely to find soldiers using the VS Vintar.
Model Competitor
The Model Competitor is a satisfyingly hefty unique revolver, and probably the most powerful thing you'll be putting in your pistol slot anytime soon in Stalker 2. This thing packs as much of a punch as most primary weapons, and... Well, I mean, it's a revolver. Need I say more? It's got to be up there for the coolest weapon to explore the Zone with early on.
The Model Competitor can be found inside one of the 12 Journalist's Stash locations dotted about the Zone. To show these Stashes on your map, complete the very early main quest "A Needle In A Haystack" (which, incidentally, is a quest involving two early major choices: whether to kill Squint and who to give the Ward Sensors). Upon completing this quest, return to your private Stash and listen to the data stick recording that's been left there to start the "Seek, And You Shall Find" quest involving the Journalist's Stashes.
To get the Model Competitor weapon, you need to visit the Journalist's Stash way up to the north, in Yaniv. It may look like a long way, but if you simply beeline your way there, you'll get there before very long - and there really aren't many dangers for you to run into along the way if you set off from, say, Slag Heap.
SPSA-14
The SPSA-14 is a beast of a shotgun. It's quite heavy, but its damage potential is through the roof thanks to its ability to fire off shots at a very fast rate. All you need to do is control the recoil, and you'll be able to kill Bloodsuckers and Controllers in moments with this gun.
The SPSA-14 is another random drop from certain characters and loot stashes, and just like the VS Vintar you won't see any of them in the Lesser Zone. But make your way east to Zaton, which is where I found my first one, and your chances of coming across one of these exceptional shotguns will dramatically increase.
Riemann
The final gun on this list is another Journalist's Stash reward. Riemann is a very handsome unique SMG adapted from an Integral-A - itself a very nice submachine gun. The Riemann is one of the very best guns to use throughout the entire game, and if you prioritise getting it, it really won't take you that long to reach. Its accuracy and handling are magnificent, and it deals a very respectable amount of damage even against tough armoured enemies and powerful mutants.
To get the Riemann, you need to open the Journalist's Stash in Rostok, just a short journey from the Slag Heap. Head west and you'll find it inside an abandoned barracks, in a room filled with simple gravitational anomalies (ready your Bolts, Stalker!).
That wraps up this guide on the very best guns you can find early on in Stalker 2. If you're just starting out, you can make your journeying much easier with our guides on how to fast travel, how to repair weapons, and how to upgrade gear.