- Hot Dogs Horseshoes Hand Grenades 2 all pistols start with the Simple Gun certification tutorial
- Pistol handling: check the safety, find the correct ammo type, and rack the slide before firing
- Campaign usage: pistols shine early when belt slots are scarce and ammo machines are rare
- Armory access: use sandbox spawners to test every pistol and attachment before committing
- Progression: recycle old guns and extract via pneumatic transfer to keep unlocks permanent
All Pistols Overview: From the Simple Gun Upward
Pistols are the entry point to firearm mastery in H3VR's sequel. The very first weapon you handle is the Simple Gun, a single-shot pistol that teaches core mechanics during the shooting certification. From there, the armory expands into dozens of pistols with realistic controls, safeties, and magazine systems.
The video below walks through the early campaign and shows how pistols fit into the new roguelite Facility mode:
Video Highlights:
- Full Simple Gun certification walkthrough on Quest 3
- First look at the Facility campaign, looting, and extraction
- Armory spawner tour showing the sheer weapon variety
- Belt and backpack inventory management with limited slots
In the early Facility runs, you may only have one or two inventory slots. A compact pistol plus a spare magazine on your belt is often the most efficient kit before you find belts, backpacks, and better weapons.
Pistol categories you will encounter include:
| Pistol Type | Description | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Gun | Single-shot, no magazine, minimalist training pistol | Certification and target practice |
| Compact pocket pistols | Tiny frame, limited capacity, fits small slots | Emergency backup weapon |
| Full-size service pistols | Magazine-fed, manual safety, higher capacity | Main campaign sidearm |
| One-shot utility guns | Single-use or very low capacity, disposable | Desperate situations |
Pistol Handling Mechanics & Controls
Every pistol in the game follows realistic handling rules. Missing these details is the most common reason a pistol "won't shoot."
| Mechanic | How It Works | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Grip pickup | Press the grip button on your firing hand | Grabbing with the wrong hand |
| Safety | Toggle the lever; red typically means ready to fire | Forgetting to disengage before shooting |
| Magazine | Insert mag from belt or backpack into the grip | Dropping the mag while racking |
| Slide rack | Pull back and release to chamber a round | Riding the slide slowly, causing a jam |
| Ammo matching | Use the correct caliber from ammo machines | Loading the wrong caliber |
Red on the safety means danger — the pistol is ready to fire. Double-check the lever orientation before holstering or handling a loaded sidearm near NPCs, as discharging firearms near agents triggers alarms in the Facility.
Certify with the Simple Gun
Complete the shooting certification range. Spawn fresh Simple Guns with the blue button and hit the three targets to unlock further training.
Learn Firearm Types
Browse the Firearm Types section of certification to see the full pistol roster and their control schemes.
Practice Reloads in Sandbox
Enter a sandbox range, spawn a magazine-fed pistol plus spare mags, and drill reloads until they feel automatic.
Bring It to the Facility
Slot the pistol and spare ammo on your belt, and deploy into a Bunker run to test it under pressure.
Pistols in the Facility Campaign
The roguelite Facility mode changes how you value pistols. You start each run with limited kit space, loot weapons and ammo from shelves and enemies, and must extract through the pneumatic transfer tubes to keep your rewards.
Early Runs
- Simple Gun and pocket pistols
- One-shot guns as throwaway tools
- Melee fallback when dry
Mid Progression
- Magazine-fed service pistols
- Belt slots for spare magazines
- Scanner and map for navigation
Deep Facility
- Rifles and shotguns take over
- Pistols become backup weapons
- Banana foregrips and attachments add value
Key survival rules for pistol-focused runs:
- High-sec weapon gates trigger alarms if unauthorized weapons pass through — toss guns over or drop them through the gate.
- Ammo machines let you refill, but stock is limited per machine.
- Gunshot sensors summon reinforcements when triggered — suppressed or melee approaches help early.
- Bathrooms often serve as quiet, low-threat spots to reorganize your kit.
- If you die, you lose everything not extracted — the extruder/grinder tubes are your extraction points.
Use the recycler stations to convert old guns, mustard blobs, and scrap into resources. Withdraw everything, then place items in the pneumatic transfer to permanently upload them to the hub.
Pistol Progression Goals
Pistol Mastery Milestones:
- Complete the Simple Gun shooting certification
- Clear all core certifications: movement, gear, tactics, grenades
- Successfully extract from a Facility run with a pistol kill
- Purchase a leather belt upgrade with meat currency
- Test five different pistols in the sandbox armory
Progression currencies and what they unlock:
| Resource | How to Get | What It Buys |
|---|---|---|
| Meat | Looting, mustard blobs, recycling | Belts, wearables, kit upgrades |
| Credits | ATMs, looting, enemy drops | Weapons and gear from buyers |
| Scans | Using the reality-mapping scanner | Spawner unlocks and map data |
| Extracted resources | Recycler withdrawal plus extraction | Hub upgrades and blueprints |
Tips, Platform Performance & What's Next
The sequel runs well on Quest 3 even with the enormous armory on display, and developer Anton's track record with a decade of updates to the original suggests the pistol roster will keep growing.
The armory spawner lays out every gun, magazine, ammo type, and attachment. Attach a scope or foregrip, toggle invulnerability if you just want to experiment, and learn pistol controls with zero risk before a Facility run.
Practical tips summary:
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Sniper range warmup | Use the sandbox sniper challenge to calibrate aim before runs |
| Save mid-run | You can save and resume a campaign run later |
| Buy before deploying | The buyer NPC in the hub sells gear between runs |
| Ignore toilets | They do not flush, and hold nothing — zero for zero |
| Watch the abyss | Falling into black voids ends the run with no extraction |
FAQ
Q: What is the first pistol you get in Hot Dogs Horseshoes Hand Grenades 2?
The Simple Gun. It is a single-shot pistol used during the shooting certification, spawning fresh copies from a blue button on the table. The tutorial jokes that it is minimalist Scandinavian perfection with one bullet and no complicated controls.
Q: Where can I test all pistols safely?
Use the sandbox armory spawner in the hub. It displays every weapon, magazine, ammo type, and attachment such as scopes and the banana foregrip, with dev options like invulnerability toggle for stress-free practice.
Q: Do I keep pistols if I die in the Facility?
No. If you die without extracting, you lose the items carried on that run. Use recycler stations and the pneumatic transfer extraction points to withdraw and permanently bank resources and gear at the hub.
Q: How do I carry more ammo for my pistol?
Upgrade your belt and backpack with meat currency from the spawner vendor. Belts hold spare magazines and ammo boxes, while backpacks expand your general inventory slots for deeper Facility runs.