Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Top 15 Destiny 2 Best Hand Cannons

Destiny 2 Season of the Haunted Exotics

Hand Cannons in Destiny 2 are for those who considered themselves to be old fashioned gunslingers even in space. While it’s the choice weapon for many Hunters, hand cannons are a reliable pick for those who are confident in landing precise powerful shots regardless of class. Since there are many hand cannons in Destiny 2, you won’t have any shortage of choosing the best one.

Here are the best hand cannons in Destiny 2 in our humble opinion:

Posterity Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Posterity

Thanks to the Season of the Seraph, Posterity is rolling with some new perks that gives it a new edge. It can now handle difficult enemies with greater ease compared to other hand cannons of its type. Combining Rapid Hit and Rampage makes this a pretty reliable hand cannon to wield.

How to Get:

  • Complete Deep Stone Crypt raid.
Sturm Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Sturm

The looks of Sturm doesn’t just stand out from other hand cannons in Destiny 2, but it also packs some punishment if you’re running it with the right build. It’s a reliable sidearm if you’re looking for a solid hand cannon, but you’ll need Drang to fully take advantage of all its perks. The Sturm is a pretty underrated hand cannon that can really take you far in PVE.

How to Get:

  • Finish the Relics of a Golden Age quest.
Eriana's Vow Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Eriana’s Vow

Being the only hand cannon in Destiny 2 that can equip Anti-Barrier rounds, Erianna’s Vow is especially useful against Champions. Of course it doesn’t fire as fast as other hand cannons in Destiny 2, so it’s best left to those who can really hit their shots. If you’re running a Lucky Pants build, then Eriana’s Vow can really shine with some investment.

How to Get:

  • Purchase in The Tower from Exotic Kiosk.
  • Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard, 150 Helium Fragments, 100,000 Glimmer
The Last Word Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

The Last Word

A fast firing hand cannon, The Last Word can dish out 225 RPM putting it on the fast side. On the surface, it doesn’t look like much. However it can be a sleeping beast with the right build. It’s especially enticing with the Fan Fire perk which practically turns the weapon into an automatic.

Try running Marksman’s Dodge with Lucky Pants with The Last Word. Lucky Pants will increase your target acquisition after using Marksman’s Dodge which also reloads your hand cannon for you. Using this combination in Crucible matches with The Last Word equipped will have other players dropping like flies.

How to Get:

  • Purchase in The Tower from Banshe-44.
  • Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard, 200 Etheric Spiral, 125,000 Glimmer
Thorn Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Thorn

If you want a hand cannon that continues to be a pain even after you’ve landed your shots, then Thorn is a weapon worth getting. Each shot poisons enemies which causes them to take damage over time. It’s particularly useful in PVP content where those you shoot are prevented any health regeneration.

The only real downside to the Thorn is that it doesn’t have as much range or stability. However it more than makes up for it thanks to the fact that you can increase its damage over time poison by walking over those you’ve killed. In the right hands, the Thorn can wipe out teams in PVP combat.

How to Get:

  • Purchase in The Tower from Exotic Kiosk.
  • Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard, 200 Dusklight Shards, 125,000 Glimmer
Eyasluna Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Eyasluna

Eyasluna offers plenty of traits that make it a great hand cannon pick for PVP in Destiny 2. You’ll specifically be interested in its Headstone perk which spawns a Stasis crystals on the bodies of your enemies. You can use these for slowing other players or dealing AoE damage in an area.

How to Get:

  • Drops from Grasp of Avarice dungeon.
Ace of Spades Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Ace of Spades

Arguably one of the best hand cannons in Destiny 2 also belongs to Cayde-6. It has plenty of perks despite being just one gun which gives you plenty of bang for your buck. Precision kills can cause enemies to Solar explode and grants increased reload speed, get a Kill Chip effect for six of your shots just after reloading, High Caliber rounds will cause targets to flinch, and can grant radar when aiming down sights.

Thanks to its Intrinsic Perk, Memento Mori, the Ace of Spades gets a damage buff after its reload. Firefly is an enticing trait since your precision kills cause Solar explosions to targets and grant you increased reload speed.

How to Get:

  • Purchase in The Tower from Exotic Kiosk.
  • Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard, 200 Microplastic Datalattice, 125,000 Glimmer
Malfeasance Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Malfeasance

While the Malfeasance wasn’t considered to be ground breaking when it first came out, the balance changes that have been added throughout the times have caused this weapon to shine. It’s a reliable gun against most majors in PVE content. It’s a solid weapon of choice for clearing out crowds in Lost Sectors.

The Malfeasance is capable of dealing out massive damage when paired with Lucky Pants. Thanks to the Illegally Modded Holster perk, you gain a massive damage buff per bullet. Expect red bar enemies to immediately go down in one hit. Even some of the stronger bosses you’ll face will be no match for a Malfeasance you know how to take full advantage of.

How to Get:

Cantanta-57 Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Cantata-57

The Cantata-57 is a reliable hand cannon that can run well with plenty of awesome perks. Beyond that it also has some pretty great stats which makes it a complete package.

You’ll want to put Rangefinder on this hand cannon in order to help extend your range which the Cantata-57 could really use. Rapid Hit and Eye of the Storm are really popular picks for most players in PVP since they bode well with the gun.

How to Get:

  • Open Legendary World Engrams
Rose Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Rose

Probably one of the only hand cannons in Destiny 2 that has the Lightweight Frame intrinsic, Rose is already a step ahead of others of its own kind. It’s an excellent pick for Guardians who want to move faster around. It’s also got some pretty awesome trait combos depending on your roll.

Having Elemental Capacitator which increases a stat depending on your equipped subclass and Explosive Payload is a popular trait combo to have for Rose. There are also other trait combos like Perpetual Motion and Rangefinder which players find favorable in PVP combat.

How to Get:

  • Complete Glory matches in Crucible.
Sunshot Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Sunshot

Okay, so you like explosions. Who doesn’t? The explosive rounds that the Sunshot has are for those who aren’t satisfied with just having their bullets damage one target at a time. It’s essentially a grenade launcher wrapped into a large hand cannon.

Any enemies that are killed with precision hits or die while still burning cause an explosion that splashes damage in a small area. It can cause other enemies to burn as well and then explode which makes it great for clearing out crowds in a heartbeat.

How to Get:

  • World loot drops
  • Purchase Exotic Gear from Xûr.
Hawkmoon Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Hawkmoon

What really sets the Hawkmoon apart from the other hand cannons in Destiny 2, is the stacks of Paracasual Charge you get from Final Blows and precision hits. This makes the last bullet in your final round hit really hard. This make the gun a favorite pick for PVP content.

That doesn’t mean that Hawkmoon isn’t good for PVE. Those stacks of Paracasual Charge grant you an increase in handling, range, and reload speed. That final shot can one shot stronger enemies and even weaker bosses. We recommend pairing Rangefinder with Heavy Grip to really land those precision hits.

How to Get:

  • Purchase Exotic Gear from Xûr.
Exalted Truth Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Exalted Truth

One of the best hand cannons in Destiny 2 for those who grind Trial of Osiris, Exalted Truth stands out for its range of amazing perks. Even barring its traits, this weapon already has some solid stats on its own.

Not only is the Exalted Truth a pretty powerful hand cannon, but get Rangefinder and Eye of the Storm for dropping other players like flies in PVP combat. Though if you prefer damage over range, then the Kill Chip is also on offer.

How to Get:

  • Complete challenges in Trial of Osiris
Fatebringer Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Fatebringer

If you want a hand cannon that really nails those precision kills, then the Fatebringer is your best bet. It’s a gun that has one of the best stats for its class. And it also comes with some pretty awesome perks to have.

It’s the traits that really make Fatebringer shine. Its ability to stagger enemies with Explosive Payload while giving you a 15% damage increase is probably the highlight of this weapon. You can get some pretty good perks depending on the roll you get with Fatebringer.

How to Get:

  • Vault of Glass raid
  • Gatekeeper and Templar encounters
Austringer Best Hand Cannons in Destiny 2

Austringer

The best hand cannon in Destiny 2 is still the Austringer. Even now with its healthy competition that kind of challenges its spot, the Austringer is still a damn strong hand cannon even when compared to the others.

This is especially true since unlike the others, Austringer can be crafted which already gives you so much flexibility in getting the desirable perks. A god roll has never been so accessible. Combine Eye of the Storm and Rangefinder to make you a monster in PVP combat.

How to Get:

  • Craft at The Enclave
  • Open Opulent Chests

That’s our list for the best hand cannons in Destiny 2. We hope this list was useful in helping you find more guns to add to your collection. Here are some more Destiny 2 related content:

Check out this Youtube video from Aztecross who ranks the best hand cannons in Destiny 2 using his own tier list.

Senior Editor