Fatebringer
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
Free-to-Play
Slot: 
Kinetic | Ammo: 
Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Explosive Payload + Firefly
PvP God Roll: Explosive Payload + Eye of the Storm
► One of the most iconic legendary weapons in the game, Fatebringer comes with insane stats and great perks. While it does have some competition, namely Eyasluna, this almost-perfect Hand Cannon holds its ground as an all-time community favorite.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Explosive Payload + Firefly
PvP God Roll: Explosive Payload + Eye of the Storm
Warden's Law
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
Free-to-Play
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy Burst
PvE God Roll: Fourth Time's the Charm (also good: Perpetual Motion) + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Frenzy )
PvP God Roll: Moving Target (also good: Discord) + Kill Clip
► While Warden's Law is only known for one thing (absurdly high DPS with the Hunter's Lucky Pants), it does exceptionally well at it. Although it definitely isn't a meta pick outside of that one use case, that alone bursts it above most of the pack; plus, it's an extremely fun and unique gun to use regardless!
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy Burst
PvE God Roll: Fourth Time's the Charm (also good: Perpetual Motion) + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Frenzy )
PvP God Roll: Moving Target (also good: Discord) + Kill Clip
Sunshot
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvE
Free-to-Play
Slot: 
Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires explosive rounds. Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy."
► While it may not have access to the Season 23 Artifact that made it truly pop, Sunshot continues to dominate the current PvE meta. Even if you aren't rocking a Solar build, this weapon is a great option for any PvE activity you dive into.
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires explosive rounds. Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy."
Malfeasance
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvE
Free-to-Play
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Shoot tainted slugs that burrow into the enemy. Stacking enough slugs causes them all to explode. Bonus damage against Taken enemies and Gambit invaders."
► Malfeasance has always been a fascinating weapon, and with the buffs to Hand Cannons, it quickly became one of the strongest Kinetic Primaries in the game, especially against Taken enemies. Malfeasance is even stronger when using the Lucky Pants Exotic, allowing for ridiculous damage.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Shoot tainted slugs that burrow into the enemy. Stacking enough slugs causes them all to explode. Bonus damage against Taken enemies and Gambit invaders."
Zaouli’s Bane
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvE
Free-to-Play
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Explosive Payload + Incandescent
► On top of offering excellent base stats (which can only be expected from a raid weapon), the Zaouli's Bane can also roll with an extremely lethal and unique perk combination: Explosive Payload + Incandescent. With a strong Solar 3.0 Build, a Zaouli's Bane with Incandescent can be a monster in mid to high-end PvE content.
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Explosive Payload + Incandescent
Midnight Coup
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvE
Free-to-Play
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Firefly or Explosive Payload + Frenzy or One for All
► Midnight Coup offers a plethora of perks. While the classic Outlaw and Rampage combo is still strong, Midnight Coup offers insane perk combinations that set it apart, and help it excel, be it for ad clear or taking down Majors.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Firefly or Explosive Payload + Frenzy or One for All
Ace of Spades
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvP
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Precision kills increase reload speed and cause the target to explode. Reloading after a kill increases damage. Grants radar while aiming down sights."
► Arguably the best 140 RPM hand cannon in the game, Ace of Spades has a lot to offer. With excellent base stats and some of the best perks around, namely Momento Mori, which is like Kill Clip on steroids and the ability to see your radar while zoomed in, this weapon has a bit of everything.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Precision kills increase reload speed and cause the target to explode. Reloading after a kill increases damage. Grants radar while aiming down sights."
Thorn
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvP
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills leave behind Remnants which, when absorbed, increase damage."
► Thorn has rocketed right back into the meta with the release of its Exotic Catalyst. This catalyst provides practically everything: Range, Mobility, Handling, and Stability upon a single kill, or absorbing a remnant. This allows for constant kill-chaining and lets good players take over any lobby.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills leave behind Remnants which, when absorbed, increase damage."
Hawkmoon
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvP
Beyond Light Pack
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Final blows and precision hits with Hawkmoon grant stacks of Paracausal Charge. The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage based on the number of stacks. Stowing Hawkmoon on the final round removes this bonus."
► Hawkmoon is one of the strongest Exotic Hand Cannons in PvP. It can consistently 2-tap (and even 1-tap) opposing Guardians, provided you are accurate enough. In the hands of an experienced player, Hawkmoon is definitely something to fear.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Final blows and precision hits with Hawkmoon grant stacks of Paracausal Charge. The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage based on the number of stacks. Stowing Hawkmoon on the final round removes this bonus."
Rose
Hand Cannon
Best
❘ S
Excels in:
PvP
Free-to-Play
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Lightweight
PvP God Rolls: Moving Target + Explosive Payload (also good: Eye of the Storm)
► Rose was a reward from competitive PvP, so it makes sense that it's a monster in The Crucible. The weapon has absurd stats and perks that allow it to rocket past its competition. Sure, it's harder to obtain than other options, but this grind is easily worth it if you're an avid Crucible player.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Lightweight
PvP God Rolls: Moving Target + Explosive Payload (also good: Eye of the Storm)
Lumina
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Kills with this weapon leave behind Remnants which convert your next hip fired shot into an ally-seeking Noble Round that heals them and grants both of you a weapon damage bonus for a short duration."
►Lumina is one of the most unique Exotics in Destiny 2, allowing you to heal allies and spread one of the most potent damage buffs in the game. If you're looking to optimize a DPS phase—or want to play a more significant support role—this is a fantastic pick. This applies to PvP too.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Kills with this weapon leave behind Remnants which convert your next hip fired shot into an ally-seeking Noble Round that heals them and grants both of you a weapon damage bonus for a short duration."
Austringer
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
Beyond Light Pack
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage
PvP God Roll: Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot (also good: Rangefinder)
► With a fanbase that rivals that of Spare Rations, nearly everyone was waiting for the day that Austringer came back. That day has come, and Austringer is once again a great pick for anything in the game. With amazing stats, even better perks, and the ability to be crafted, it's hard to not see why people love this weapon.
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage
PvP God Roll: Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot (also good: Rangefinder)
Exalted Truth
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
The Final Shape
Slot: 
Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage (also good: Repulsor Brace)
PvP God Roll: Rangefinder + Rampage
► Currently one of the best legendary hand cannons available, Exalted Truth's difficult method of obtainability is balanced out by the weapon's pure power. With buildcrafting options for PvE and a plethora of consistency perks for The Crucible, this is a weapon that will be hard to top with future releases.
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage (also good: Repulsor Brace)
PvP God Roll: Rangefinder + Rampage
Word of Crota
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
Free-to-Play
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Repulsor Brace (also good: Demolitionist) + Sword Logic (also good: Destabilizing Rounds)
PvP God Roll: Killing Wind + Sword Logic
► Word of Crota is in the running for the best 180 RPM hand cannon in the game, competing with other top-tier options such as Posterity. While it continues to be difficult to recommend 180 RPM options over other archetypes, Word of Crota excels in its own field and could become a top option with future sandbox changes.
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Repulsor Brace (also good: Demolitionist) + Sword Logic (also good: Destabilizing Rounds)
PvP God Roll: Killing Wind + Sword Logic
Sightline Survey
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE + PvP
Episode 1: Echoes
Slot: 
Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Enlightened Action + Voltshot
PvP God Roll: Keep Away (also good: Fragile Focus) + Kill Clip (also good: Precision Instrument)
► While 180 RPM hand cannons are notoriously disliked (especially in PvE), Sightline Survey is one of the best of the bunch. Offering some solid perks for all areas of the game, it may be with grinding if you're a fan of the way it feels to use.
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Enlightened Action + Voltshot
PvP God Roll: Keep Away (also good: Fragile Focus) + Kill Clip (also good: Precision Instrument)
Nation of Beasts
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Dragonfly (also good: Eddy Current) + Voltshot (also good: Collective Action)
► Nation of Beasts was treated well with the Last Wish weapon refresh. While it's not the absolute strongest option out there, it's one of the best pairings for Arc builds in PvE.
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Dragonfly (also good: Eddy Current) + Voltshot (also good: Collective Action)
Posterity
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE
Beyond Light Pack
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Reconstruction (also good: Rapid Hit) + One for All (also good: Rampage)
► With an extremely strong perk pool and amazing stats, Posterity is easily one of the best 180 RPM Hand Cannon in the game. The problem is it belongs to the weak Precision Frame archetype... While it isn't the best choice now, it might be worth picking up a roll you like when 180s get buffed.
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Reconstruction (also good: Rapid Hit) + One for All (also good: Rampage)
Bold Endings
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE
The Final Shape
Slot: 
Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy Burst
PvE God Roll: Headstone (also good: Rapid-Hit) + Demolitionist or Collective Action
► Bold Endings has some stiff competition from Warden's Law, and people tend to still prefer the latter. While Bold Endings does well in the stat department, Warden's Law is better at what heavy burst hand cannons are primarily used for: boss damage.
Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy Burst
PvE God Roll: Headstone (also good: Rapid-Hit) + Demolitionist or Collective Action
Better Devils
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE
Free-to-Play
Slot: 
Strand | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Demolitionist + Frenzy or Explosive Payload
► While Better Devils does have its fair share of solid perks (and is easily the best Strand hand cannon for PvE released thus far), it definitely doesn't compare to the top options we see being used constantly.
Slot: Strand | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvE God Roll: Demolitionist + Frenzy or Explosive Payload
Maahes HC4
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvE
Free-to-Play
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy Burst
PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit or Repulsor Brace + Frenzy or Destabilizing Rounds
► Because there aren't all too many outstanding Void hand cannons for PvE, Maahes HC4 has seen a fair bit of use recently. Even so, unless you're running a Void build and are an avid hand cannon enjoyer, there's likely a better option out there for you.
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy Burst
PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit or Repulsor Brace + Frenzy or Destabilizing Rounds
Igneous Hammer
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvP
The Final Shape
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive
PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Outlaw) + Rampage
► Igneous Hammer definitely isn't as popular as it was when it was first released, but the weapon still sees use in all areas of the game. With excellent stats and some top-tier perks on its side, Igneous continues to be one of the better 120 RPM hand cannons available.
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive
PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Outlaw) + Rampage
Cantata-57
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvP
Free-to-Play
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvP God Roll: Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot (also good: Rangefinder )
► Cantata-57 has definitely lost popularity since its initial release with The Witch Queen, but that doesn't mean it's not worth using! With a well-rounded balance of great perks and stats, this hand cannon still rivals top picks in The Crucible while being easier to obtain.
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive
PvP God Roll: Eye of the Storm + Opening Shot (also good: Rangefinder )
Luna's Howl
Hand Cannon
Strong
❘ A
Excels in:
PvP
Free-to-Play
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvP God Roll: Encore or Eye of the Storm + Magnificent Howl or Kill Clip
► Given that Magnificent Howl was nerfed, Luna’s won’t be as overpowered as it used to be. However, its new suite of perks makes it one of the most powerful 140s for PvP, plus, it has the stats of a precision frame in terms of accuracy. This is a perfect dueling weapon for the hand cannon aficionados.
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvP God Roll: Encore or Eye of the Storm + Magnificent Howl or Kill Clip
