Chapter 2: Weapons and Equipment

This section covers Sam Fisher's diverse set of weapons and equipment. There are many enemies to avoid throughout the game, and stealth is often much more useful than a risky firefight. Master Sam's gadgets and you can bypass or disable any enemy in the game at any time.

SC Pistol

Sam Fisher's SC Pistol uses 5.72x28mm rounds with a 20-round magazine. It's available in all missions and will be your primary weapon up to the fourth mission, CIA Headquarters. This is a semiautomatic weapon, so it fires slower than the SC-20K's automatic mode. After the fourth mission, the pistol becomes your secondary combat weapon because the SC-20K is much more powerful in combat.

The pistol is a quieter firearm, so use the pistol to shoot out lights or cameras and save the SC-20K ammunition for combat. Switch to the pistol when you want to conserve SC-20K ammo. Although the pistol lacks the long range of the SC-20K (it doesn't have a sniper scope), it's an effective close- to medium-range weapon that can disable an enemy in a single headshot.

SC-20K

Sam acquires the SC-20K MAWS (modular assault weapon system) during the fourth mission, CIA Headquarters, and it becomes your primary combat weapon through the remainder of the game. You can toggle between semiautomatic and automatic fire modes. Use semiautomatic mode in long-range combat (such as sniper mode) and automatic mode for furious close-range firefights. Ammunition (the SC-20K uses 5.56x45mm rounds) is limited, so be very careful when firing in automatic mode. Fire quick bursts instead of a sustained stream.

The SC-20K's sniper mode is extremely effective for long-range, quiet combat. With sniper mode active, line up your targeting cursor as close as possible and press the left trigger to make Sam hold his breath. This steadies the targeting cursor and permits more precise movement. Sam can't hold his breath for long, so adjust the cursor as quickly as possible to ensure an accurate shot. Although the pistol should be used most often to destroy lights, the SC-20K's sniper mode helps destroy lights at long range.

The SC-20K is a multipurpose launcher, and it carries the following miscellaneous gadgets: ring airfoil rounds, sticky shockers, diversion cameras, sticky cameras, and gas grenades. Specific descriptions and strategies for these gadgets are discussed later in this section.