WeaponsPistols
A soldier wouldn`t be complete without a trusty sidearm to fall back on, and for some it is a badge of honor or power. Call of Duty disregards all that and gives players pistols for exactly what they`re meant for: a secondary weapon.
While all players in multiplayer are given pistols as standard sidearms, pistols no longer have their own slot. Instead, the weapon slots consider the pistol as taking up the same space as a regular rifle or submachine gun, which means that players can only carry one weapon in addition to their pistol.
Each team has their own unique pistol. They all have the same general characteristics, so there isn`t much point in trading pistols, but they are good weapons to fall back on if you don`t have a better secondary weapon.
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Colt .45
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Name: M1911A1 Colt Automatic Pistol
Country of origin: USA
Available for: American
Calibre: .45 ACP
Magazine capacity: 7 rounds
Firing mechanism: Single-action, recoil-operated
Weight: 1.08kg
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Historical Background
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Designed by John Browning in 1900 and based off a previous civilian design, the Colt M1911A1 was adopted by the US Army in 1911 after winning competitive shooting trials in 1907. Various refinements were made after experience in the First World War. When fired, the pistol recoils, allowing the barrel to move downwards and back, ejecting the spent case and loading the next bullet. The Colt also features a manual catch and external hammer, as well as a safety grip that prevents the gun being fired unless held properly.
Initially, M1911A1`s were not issued as a standard sidearm to American troops, and was given only to officers and NCOs. However, many enlisted soldiers acquired their own M1911A1`s, and they were later issued as a standard weapon for all troops.
The M1911A1 has remained the standard sidearm of the US Army until late in the 20th Century without any modifications; it needs none. A solid weapon and one of the finest pistols ever made, the M1911A1 packs a fierce punch and was a trusty companion for the American soldier.
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Call of Duty 2 notes
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The Colt .45 is pretty much the same in COD2 as it was in COD1. The weapon is light to run with, and takes 3-4 torso hits to dispatch a target. While aiming down the sight, the weapon kicks back quite a bit, making it hard to fire off multiple rounds accurately, reducing its effectiveness as a close-quarters weapon.
The iron sights consist of a rear notch and front blade, and while the sights are large enough for you to see the front pin this time, the notch continues to serve as the primary focus point.
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Luger
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Name: Pistole `08 `Luger`
Country of origin: Germany
Available for: German, Russian
Calibre: 9 x 19mm Parabellum
Magazine capacity: 8 rounds
Firing mechanism: Single-action, recoil-operated
Weight: 0.877kg
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Historical Background
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Developed by George Luger and adopted by the Swiss army in 1900, the German Army adopted the pistol in 1908, designating it as the `Pistole `08`. The main feature of the Luger was its toggle-joint breech lock, a fancy novelty that made the Luger stand out from other pistols. The catch was that it required precise manufacturing and perfect ammunition, both of which the German manufacturing force was more than capable of. However, once the war was in full stride, the difficulties of manufacturing the Luger became apparent, and the German Army discarded the weapon in favour of the Walter P-38, which was much simpler and achieved the same results. Despite this, the Luger remained a popular weapon and continued to be produced to make up for the shortage of P-38`s. A variation of the Luger, the "Artillery Model", featured a longer barrel, long-distance sights, wooden butt and 32-round drum magazine, allowing the Luger to be used as a machine carbine, although the chances at hitting something at those sorts of ranges were remote.
Even after the adoption of the P-38, the Luger remained in production until 1944, and there were enough spare parts left over to continue production. A good-looking, distinctive weapon, it was a comfort to fire and was a prized trophy for Allied soldiers.
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Call of Duty 2 notes
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As in COD1, there isn`t a significant difference between the Luger and the Colt .45. Visually, the Luger looks through it`s been left out in the sun for too long, but the weapon handles quite similarly to its COD1 counterpart.
The iron sight consists of a wide rear notch with a small front blade, which designates the approximate point of impact. As with all pistols, the Luger isn`t very accurate, and the modified crosshair system makes the pistol harder to use in close quarters than in COD1.
The weapon does not have as much recoil as the other pistols. However, the knee-joint mechanism kicks up between each shot, making it impossible to aim for successive shots. In COD1, this action took a split second, but now it takes just under a second to pop up and down, substantially impairing vision. This seems to balance out with the other pistols` muzzles kicking up.
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Webley
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Name: Webley revolver, .455, Mark VI
Country of origin: Great Britain
Available for: British
Calibre: .455in
Magazine capacity: 6 rounds
Firing mechanism: Double-action, revolver
Weight: 0.995kg
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Historical Background
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Designed by famed firearms developer Webley & Son Co., the Webley revolver was among the first revolvers to feature the `top-break` hinge, allowing the frame to be released and the chamber to be reloaded quickly.
When the chamber is broken, the ejector rod is automatically activated, removing all bullets from the chambers, allowing individual rounds to be inserted. The original .455 Webley models used "half-moon" clips of three rounds each, requiring the firer to insert two clips to fully reload the weapon.
The military version used by Britain in the Second World War was the Webley Mk IV .38 revolver, which was more or less a step down from the previous .455 calibre revolver, and used six-round speedloaders instead of half-moon clips. The Webley remained in service with the British troops until the end of the war, although it was supplemented by another revolver, the Enfield No. 2 Mk 1, as well as the American Colt M1911A1.
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Call of Duty 2 notes
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The Webley in COD2 is technically a different gun to the Webley in CODUO, as seen by the longer barrel. The result is that the Webley looks more proportional and less "goofy" than its CODUO counterpart, but gameplay-wise the weapon is still the same.
The iron sight consists of a simple front blade, which marks the approximate point of impact. The Webley fires slowly and has substantial recoil, and has the least amount of ammunition in its clip. It also has the longest reload time, as the player must empty the chambers and insert a speedloader before snapping the weapon back into firing position. Thankfully, the slow reload speed is compensated for by being the most powerful handgun out of the four, but this is not as great as it sounds due to impracticality of using pistols as a primary weapon.
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TT-33
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Name: Tula/Tokarev model of 1933
Country of origin: Russia
Available for: Russian
Calibre: 7.62 x 25mm TT
Magazine capacity: 8 rounds
Firing mechanism: Single-action, short-recoil
Weight: 0.84kg
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Historical Background
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Prior to the adoption of the TT-33, the Red Army used the Nagant revolver. Simple and reliable, the Nagant was liked by the troops, but it was clear that a new pistol was needed for better performance.
Arms designer Fedor Tokarev based his design on the successful Browning design, the Colt M1911 pistol, using the sliding breech and swinging link system. The ammunition was picked based on previous experience with the German C96 pistol, which was used by the Russians previously and whose 7.63mm rounds were greatly liked for its performance. The design was complete in 1930, and after extensive field-testing and improvements, the weapon was adopted in 1933. Post-war versions had several external refinements, and was distributed to Eastern Bloc countries. Production was ceased in 1952, although the TT-33 was still in use by Russian police forces until the 1960`s.
While based on good concepts, the TT-33 had several prominent flaws. Most notable would be the lack of a manual safety, which meant that the weapon could be accidentally discharged when being carried, and the only way of carrying the weapon safely was to have an empty chamber. The design was also not very ergonomic, and the grip turned out to be quite uncomfortable.
Furthermore, while a good weapon, it was more complex than the previous Nagant revolvers, and the conscript forces preferred the simple Nagant. Consequently, both pistols served in the Red Army throughout the war.
Overall, the TT-33 had good penetration at decent ranges, and was easy to maintain. After the war, the TT-33 was replaced by the Makarov PM due to its lighter weight and smaller size.
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Call of Duty 2 notes
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The TT-33 is pretty much the same as the Colt .45. Like the Colt, the TT-33 has a larger iron sight which allows you the see both the rear notch and the front blade, and the weapon recoils in the same manner as the Colt, making it difficult to fire multiple shots in quick succession.
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General Pistol Tactics
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Apart from being easier to aim and taking up one weapon slot, pistols haven`t changed much from their COD1 incarnation, even retaining some weapon sounds. Pistols are still the same standard sidearm that are often overlooked in favour of rapid-firing submachine guns. However, with the new disappearing crosshair system, pistols have become harder to use as a personal defense weapon, and the increased recoil while aiming down the sight makes using the pistol less effective than it would be in COD1`s gameplay.
One thing has been substantially changed in COD2, however. In COD1, pistols and grenades had the fastest running speed, although there wasn`t much difference between them and the rifles and submachine guns. In COD2, grenades are no longer selectable, and all primary weapons have taken a substantial drop in running speed. This makes the pistol a viable weapon to have in the second slot instead of the submachine gun, as players can revert to the pistol for quick movement through safe areas, since even the bolt-action rifles carry a noticeable amount of weight. Plus, player models look pretty cool while running with a pistol, as it looks like they`re doing bullet-time moves WWII-style.
Of course, for its speed, the pistol still has the shortcomings of being a sidearm. Their damage is generally unimpressive, their ammunition capacity is low and they are quite inaccurate beyond 20m or so. However, the pistol is one of the fastest weapons to pull out, and is an important weapon for riflemen who lack an automatic alternative until they pick one up.
Many players are still ready to discard the pistol the moment they run across another weapon, and that`s an understandable choice. However, remember that you need to change to your pistol and hold it to swap it with another weapon, and that can take some time and leave you vulnerable to being picked off. Some players prefer to stick with their primary weapon and not swap their pistol for that reason.
Although the pistol does take up a full slot, it should be used not as a primary weapon by itself. It compares unfavourably to every other weapon, and should only be used as a desperate measure. Standard operational procedure is to expend primary weapon ammunition, then switch to the pistol instead of reloading. Bolt-action riflemen should fire off one round before switching to their sidearm. This removes the vulnerability of reloading in the middle of a firefight while allowing you to finish off a wounded opponent.
Getting killed while using a pistol also prevents the enemy from picking up your main weapon, leaving them instead with a rather weak sidearm.
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