The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is vast and alive, filled with more than just breathtaking vistas and compelling stories. It’s a world littered with secrets, and for the dedicated outlaw, some of the most satisfying secrets to uncover are its hidden armaments. We’re not talking about the standard cattleman revolvers or carbine repeaters you can pick up at any gunsmith. We’re talking about the truly special firearms and blades. The ones with a story, a unique design, and a permanent place in your collection. This guide is your map to finding all the rdr2 rare weapons, transforming you from a simple gunslinger into a legendary collector of the West’s most storied hardware.
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What’s In Our RDR2 Rare Weapons Guide?
What’s the Difference? “Rare” vs. “Unique” Weapons in RDR2
Before we ride out, let’s clear something up that trips up many players. In the sprawling world of RDR2, you’ll hear about “rare” and “unique” weapons. While they both sound special, there’s a key distinction the game makes.
- Unique Weapons are one of a kind firearms, often with special engravings and backstories, that you typically pry from the cold, dead hands of a specific character. The revolvers you collect from the gunslinger side quests are perfect examples. They are unique, but the game doesn’t label them as “Rare.”
- Rare Weapons, on the other hand, are specific variants of common guns that actually have the word “Rare” in their name. There are only two of these in the entire game. These are true collector’s items, easily missed and highly coveted.
This guide will cover both categories because, let’s be honest, any weapon that’s hard to find and has a cool story is a treasure worth hunting. Here are over 15 rare and unique weapons you can find.
Quick Reference Table: All Rare Weapon Locations
Here is a quick summary table of all the rare and unique weapons you can find in Red Dead Redemption 2. You can find detailed guides for each one further down in the article.
| # | Weapon Name | Weapon Type | General Location |
| 1 | Rare Shotgun | Shotgun | Manito Glade, Roanoke Ridge |
| 2 | Rare Rolling Block Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Barn during “Magicians for Sport” mission |
| 3 | Flaco’s Revolver | Revolver | Cairn Lake, The Grizzlies |
| 4 | Granger’s Revolver | Revolver | Near Flatneck Station |
| 5 | Midnight’s Pistol | Pistol | On a train leaving Rhodes station |
| 6 | Calloway’s Revolver | Revolver | After the final gunslinger duel |
| 7 | Otis Miller’s Revolver | Revolver | Cave in Cholla Springs, New Austin |
| 8 | Valentine Doctor’s Revolver | Revolver | Back room of the Valentine doctor’s office |
| 9 | Double-Action Revolver | Revolver | End of a treasure hunt starting near West Hill |
| 10 | Broken Pirate Sword | Sword | Beached rowboat south of Saint Denis |
| 11 | Ancient Tomahawk | Tomahawk | Target on a cliff in Calumet Ravine |
| 12 | Viking Hatchet | Hatchet | Stone tomb north of Annesburg |
| 13 | Hunter Hatchet | Hatchet | Tree stump south of Window Rock |
| 14 | Double Bit Hatchet | Hatchet | Tree stump northwest of Wallace Station |
| 15 | Rusted Hunter Hatchet | Hatchet | Shack between O’Creagh’s Run & Elysian Pool |
| 16 | Hewing Hatchet | Hatchet | Shore of Moonstone Pond |
| 17 | Antler Knife | Knife | Lodged in a dead bear in Big Valley |
| 18 | Civil War Knife | Knife | Basement of Fort Brennand |
| 19 | Ornate Dagger | Dagger | Dropped by the Saint Denis “vampire” |
| 20 | Pump Action Shotgun | Shotgun | Chez Porter homestead, Bayou Nwa |
The Guns: Rare and Unique Firearms
Let’s start with the firearms. From officially “Rare” variants to the prized sidearms of legendary gunslingers, these are the weapons that will make you the most feared outlaw in the West.
1. The Rare Shotgun
Tucked away in the forests of Roanoke Ridge, far to the north of Annesburg, lives a very angry, very reclusive man. This hermit holds one of the game’s best kept secrets: the Rare Shotgun. To find him, head into the woods at a location called Manito Glade, west of the Elysian Pool. You’ll hear him shouting at you to leave long before you see his shack. This isn’t a friendly visit; he will shoot on sight. You must deal with him to gain entry to his home. Once inside, the powerful, beautifully carved Rare Shotgun is yours.
2. The Rare Rolling Block Rifle
This is arguably the easiest rare weapon to miss permanently. This gorgeous sniper rifle can only be acquired during the Chapter 3 story mission “Magicians for Sport.” While rescuing Trelawny from bounty hunters in a barn, one of the kidnappers will be sniping at you from the barn’s loft. You must kill this specific enemy and climb up to take the rifle from his body. If you finish the mission without picking it up, it’s gone for good.
3. Flaco’s Revolver
As part of the side quest “The Noblest of Men, and a Woman,” you’ll hunt down the gunslinger Flaco Hernandez. He and his gang are camped near Cairn Lake in the snowy Grizzlies. After a tense shootout with his gang, you’ll face Flaco in a duel. Win, and his unique Schofield Revolver, featuring a carved skull on the grip, is yours.
4. Granger’s Revolver
Another target from the same gunslinger quest is Emmet Granger, a grumpy pig farmer living near Flatneck Station. After doing some… unpleasant chores for him involving manure and dynamite, he’ll challenge you to a duel. Put him down, and you can claim his custom Cattleman Revolver, which has a dark, blood red finish.
5. Midnight’s Pistol
Your hunt for gunslingers will eventually lead you to Billy Midnight at the Rhodes train station. This paranoid outlaw will flee, leading to a memorable chase across the rooftops of a moving train. The chase ends in a duel, and your reward for winning is his stunning, gold plated Mauser Pistol, one of the fastest firing sidearms in the game.
6. Calloway’s Revolver
The grand prize for completing the gunslinger questline. After tracking down all the other legends, a final confrontation will lead you to acquire this beautiful, silver plated Schofield Revolver. It has “Canis Canem Edit” engraved on the barrel, a fun Easter egg for fans of another Rockstar classic, Bully.
7. Otis Miller’s Revolver
A true treasure hunter’s prize. This lavishly decorated Schofield with gold and ivory parts is found inside a chest in a hidden cave in Cholla Springs, New Austin. To find it, you first need to find two halves of a treasure map. One from a hostile hermit’s cabin in Roanoke Ridge (north of Annesburg) and the other from a second hermit’s cabin in Manito Glade. It’s a long journey, but the reward is one of the most beautiful guns in the game.
8. The Valentine Doctor’s Schofield Revolver
This one requires a bit of snooping. Head to the Doctor’s office in Valentine. If you peek through the back window, you’ll witness an illegal operation taking place. This gives you the option to rob the back room. Confront the doctor, force him to open the locked door, and take out the O’Driscolls inside. You’ll find a Schofield Revolver in a cash box on the table. It may look standard, but it’s a free, early game Schofield you can’t get anywhere else.
9. The Double Action Revolver
This weapon is the reward for a treasure hunt that starts by finding a clue in a place called West Hill. This eventually leads you to a final location where you’ll find the revolver hidden away. While it was also part of a crossover event with GTA Online, it can be found and kept in the RDR2 story mode as a unique piece.
The Blades: Unique Melee Weapons
Sometimes, the best work is done up close and personal. These unique axes, hatchets, and swords are scattered across the land, waiting for a true adventurer to find them.
10. The Broken Pirate Sword
Ever wanted to be a pirate in the Wild West? Head south of Saint Denis to the small cluster of islands in Flat Iron Lake. On the largest of these islands, you’ll find a dilapidated, beached rowboat. Sticking out of the boat’s floorboards is this unique and deadly melee weapon. You’ll need to find a canoe or boat to get out there, making it feel like a proper treasure hunt.
11. The Ancient Tomahawk
This beautiful throwing weapon is far more ornate than the standard tomahawks. You can find it sticking out of a broken wooden target on the eastern cliff edge of Calumet Ravine, located just east of the Wapiti Indian Reservation. The view from here is stunning, and the weapon is a fantastic piece for your collection.
12. The Viking Hatchet
For those who want to embrace their inner Norse warrior, this is a must have. North of Annesburg, along the riverbank, you can find an old stone tomb. Head inside the tomb, and you’ll find the Viking Hatchet on an old stone altar. Don’t forget to also pick up the Viking Helmet next to it to complete the set!
13. The Hunter Hatchet
This is a simple but effective hatchet, perfect for a rugged mountain man. It’s found lodged in a tree stump south of Window Rock in the Grizzlies. It’s a bit out of the way, making it an easy one to miss if you aren’t specifically looking for it.
14. The Double Bit Hatchet
Another fine piece of sharpened steel for your collection. This hatchet is found on a tree stump near a small camp just northwest of Wallace Station. The area is forested, so keep your eyes peeled for the stump among the trees.
15. The Rusted Hunter Hatchet
This variant of the Hunter Hatchet has a more weathered and worn look. You can find it stuck in a tree stump in a small shack located between O’Creagh’s Run and Elysian Pool in the Roanoke Ridge area of New Hanover.
16. The Hewing Hatchet
One more hatchet for the collection. The Hewing Hatchet can be found on a tree stump on the southern shore of Moonstone Pond, right next to the water. It’s a peaceful spot, perfect for a moment of quiet discovery before you claim your prize.
17. The Antler Knife
This unique knife has a handle crafted from the antler of a stag, giving it a raw, natural look. It’s found lodged in the body of a dead bear northwest of Hanging Dog Ranch in Big Valley. It seems the bear won the fight, but its victim left behind a fantastic weapon for you to find.
18. The Civil War Knife
A fantastic collectible for history buffs. This unique Bowie knife is found in the basement of the abandoned Fort Brennand, a dilapidated ruin southwest of Van Horn. It’s on top of a crate in a dark storage room. You can also find the Civil War Hardee Hat here to complete the historical ensemble.
19. The Ornate Dagger
This beautiful and unique dagger is the reward for one of the game’s most mysterious and interesting side quests: the hunt for the Saint Denis vampire. To get it, you must first find five strange writings on the walls around the city. After finding all five, Arthur will piece them together into a map in his journal. The map leads you to a dark alley near the city’s cathedral. Go there in the middle of the night to confront the “vampire.” After defeating him, you can pick up this ornate and deadly dagger. More than just a tool, it’s a memento of one of the game’s best secrets.
20. The Pump Action Shotgun (Free & Early)
Another powerful weapon you can get for free, saving you a good chunk of change, is the Pump Action Shotgun. You can find it at a remote homestead called Chez Porter, located just north of Saint Denis and west of the “N” in Bayou Nwa, in the middle of the swamps. The family living there won’t be thrilled to see you, and you’ll have to find a way inside the house to claim your prize. Once you’re in, search the master bedroom. The Pump Action Shotgun will be on a weapon rack or leaning against the wall. Grab it to add a serious amount of firepower to your arsenal long before you’d normally buy it.
A Final Word for a Fellow Outlaw
The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 rewards exploration more than almost any other game. Every hidden weapon tells a small story of a crazed hermit, a fallen gunslinger, a forgotten battle, or a long lost treasure. Hunting down these pieces of history is more than just a way to fill your weapon wheel. It’s a way to engage with the world on a deeper level. So saddle up, clean your guns, and ride out. There’s a world of rare and unique steel out there waiting for you, and with this guide, you now hold the map to all of it. Happy hunting.
