The best pistol in CS2, judging by how often pros buy it, is the Desert Eagle: a headshot kills even a helmeted opponent. Next come the CT starting USP-S, the T-side Tec-9 and the P250, which both teams can buy. CS2 has ten pistols in total, some of them limited to one side, and only a handful see regular play in matches.
The choice comes down to price, weapon stats and your own playstyle. Below, the pistols are ranked by popularity, from the most bought to the least used.
Desert Eagle
The Desert Eagle, or Deagle for short, is considered by many players to be the best pistol in CS2 due to its high damage and ability to penetrate armor. At close and medium range, a headshot kills even an opponent wearing a helmet. Another sign of its popularity is the variety and price of skins for it. Many of them can become not only a decoration for your collection but also a good investment. Current picks are collected in our guide to the most popular Desert Eagle skins.
USP-S
The popularity of the USP-S is not only due to the fact that it is a starting weapon. In terms of its characteristics, this is one of the best pistols on the CT side, especially considering that it is available for free. Silent shooting allows you to take the enemy by surprise. In addition, skinmakers created many unusual colorings for this pistol, using the silencer as additional space for drawings and ornaments.
Tec-9
Available only to the T side, the Tec-9 offers a high rate of fire, a large magazine and good accuracy when standing still. It will not replace a rifle because its damage drops off at range, but in an eco round it can easily decide the outcome. Finishes for it are covered in our list of the best Tec-9 skins.
P250
P250 can be called an improved version of the Glock-18. It remains effective over long distances, has a high rate of fire, and is accessible to both sides. A player who has learned to use it well will be able to defeat the enemy with more powerful weapons, especially with the support of smoke grenades. A great option to hold out while you save up for something more powerful.
Glock-18
Glock-18 is the default T-side pistol, but availability is not its only advantage. It has little recoil when moving, so it's great for intense attacks. In addition to the usual semi-automatic firing mode, you can switch to an alternative one, when the pistol fires short bursts of three rounds. It is worth considering that in this case the recoil is stronger; however, experienced players know how to aim so that the last of the three shots hits the enemy's head. Finishes for it are covered in our roundup of the best Glock-18 skins.
Dual Berettas
Dual Berettas is a weapon that is inferior in efficiency to the options listed above, but compensates for this with an impressive appearance. Sure, two-handed shooting looks cool, but the problem is that getting accurate shots with Berettas is not easy, and their damage is low. This is partly compensated by the large clip, which allows you to rain down a hail of shots on the enemy. However, Berettas do not appear very often in competitive mode. If you choose a weapon that looks so remarkable, give it some extra flair with one of the bright skins.
CZ75-Auto
At one point, back in CS:GO, the CZ75-Auto would have been much higher in this rating, but in one of the updates its stats were nerfed, and now its use is much more limited. High damage and automatic shooting capabilities do not provide enough advantage due to the small magazine. This pistol is often chosen by snipers as a backup weapon.
P2000
P2000 is usually seen as an alternative to the USP-S on the CT side. It has similar characteristics, fairly high shooting accuracy, and one more cartridge in the magazine. However, many players do not see the point of spending money on P2000 if they already have a free USP-S with comparable stats (see our P2000 vs USP-S comparison). In that case, it is better to spend money on grenades or save for the future.
Five-SeveN
The main advantage of this pistol is its twenty-round magazine, which allows you to cause a lot of trouble to the enemy. Five-SeveN allows you to kill the enemy with one shot when hitting the head. However, it is worth considering that with continuous shooting it quickly loses accuracy.
R8 Revolver
The R8 Revolver takes the last place in the ranking, and this is not surprising. The R8 Revolver's damage is about the same as the Desert Eagle's, but the rate of fire is noticeably lower. The alternative mode allows you to increase it, but at the cost of accuracy. This pistol can provide an advantage in certain situations, for example, during skirmishes in narrow corridors, but usually players prefer more effective alternatives.
Whatever your playstyle, the LIS-SKINS catalog has skins for every pistol in CS2, and the standouts are collected in our guide to the best pistol skins.
