Saints Row: How to Get All Weapons and Guns

Volition’s Saints Row reboot is rife with combat. Most campaign missions, side hustles, and Criminal Ventures have you taking on plenty of foot soldiers from Marshall Defense Industries, Los Panteros, or The Idols, the three main forces vying for control in Santo Ileso. Your fists will only get you so far, so you’ll need access to an armory of weapons and guns to build your criminal empire. 

Luckily, there are plenty to choose from in Saints Row. Here, we’ve outlined how to get every weapon and gun in the game and information on their Signature Abilities, including their in-game descriptions. Below that list, we talk about how to upgrade your weapons and guns, as well. 

Saints Row Weapons & Guns List

Melee Weapons

• Bone Crusher:
  • How to Get: Complete the Dustmoot mission.
  • Signature Ability: Swing Away — A lethal heavy attack sends the enemy flying into the air. Unlock by killing 30 Marshall enemies with regular attacks.
• Dustlander Sword:
  • How to Get: Complete the Unto the Breach mission. 
  • Signature Ability: N/A. 
• Axe:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $100.
  • Signature Ability: Bloodsucker — Gain a small amount of health every time you hit an enemy. Unlock by killing 15 enemies from behind with regular attacks.
• Crowbar:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $100.
  • Signature Ability: Bashmaster — Staggers targets for a longer duration. Unlock by staggering 250 Idols.
• Sledgehammer:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $100.
  • Signature Ability: Swing Away! A lethal heavy attack sends the enemy flying into the air. Unlock by killing five Specialists with heavy attacks.
• Smelterville Slugger:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $100.
  • Signature Ability: Swing Away! A lethal heavy attack sends the enemy flying into the air. Unlock by killing five Specialists with heavy attacks.
• Pickaxe:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $1,000.
  • Signature Ability: Bloodsucker — Gain a small amount of health every time you hit an enemy. Unlock by killing 15 enemies from behind with regular attacks.
• Machete:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $1,000.
  • Signature Ability: Bleeding Edge — The weapon inflicts wicked cuts that cause triple bleeding damage over time. Unlock by killing 30 Panteros with regular attacks.
• MD-12 Stun Baton:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $10,000.
  • Signature Ability: Electrotherapy — Heavy melee attacks with this weapon give you some health. Unlock by stunning 30 Marshall enemies.

Pistols

• KA-1 Kobra Pistol:
  • How to Get: Starting weapon.
  • Signature Ability: Aim High — A headshot made with one of the last few rounds in the magazine fully reloads the weapon. Unlock by killing 20 enemies while riding on a vehicle roof.
• Dustlander Revolver:
  • How to Get: Complet the Dustmoot mission.
  • Signature Ability: N/A
• Idol Lite Pistol:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $300.
  • Signature Ability: Trigger Happy — The weapon becomes a full-auto machine pistol. Unlock by getting 20 headshot kills.
• Handcannon .44:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $600.
  • Signature Ability: Magnum Rounds — Hits inflict some area-of-effect damage and push the target back. Unlock by shooting out the tires of 24 hostile Panteros vehicles.
• ElectroStun P1200:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $3,000.
  • Signature Ability: Shocktacular — The zap stuns targets in a small radius when it connects. Unlock by tasing 30 enemies.
• MDI-39m Sixguns:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $30,000.
  • Signature Ability: Rocket Rebound. Micro-missiles now bounce to nearby enemies after hitting their targets. Unlock by killing 30 Marshall enemies.

SMGs

• Machine Pistol SMG:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $500.
  • Signature Ability: Splattergun — Hits inflict minor splash damage around the point of impact. Get by getting 20 Idol double kills.
• 1921 Johnson SMG:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $5,000.
  • Signature Ability: Armor-Piercing Rounds — Armor-piercing rounds inflict more damage on Tough enemies. Unlock by destroying 20 hostile enemy vehicles.
• TEK Z-10 SMG:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $5,000.
  • Signature Ability: Shocker Rounds — Each reload cycles among three types of bullet effects: fire, electricity, and bleeding. Unlock by getting 20 Marshall double kills.
• D4th Blossom SMG:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $50,000.
  • Signature Ability: Improved Spray & Pray — The longer you fire the gun, the more accurate it becomes. Unlock by shooting 10,000 bullets.

Rifles

• K-8 Krukov AR:
  • How to Get: During the Making Rent mission.
  • Signature Ability: Johnny Fuse — As your killstreak with this weapon increases, the cooldown on your takedown decreases. Unlock by killing 10 enemies with your last magazine.
• Dustlander Crossbow:
  • How to Get: Complete the Dustmoot mission.
  • Signature Ability: N/A.
• MDI-77 Auto Rifle:
  • How to Get: Complete Choplifting side hustle in Badlands North. You must complete three other Choplifting side hustles before this mission appears.
  • Signature Ability: Swarm Chasers — The rifle has a random chance of firing a homing projectile for added damage and accuracy. Unlock by killing five Marshall Wranglers. 
• MDI-85 Carbine:
  • How to Get: Complete Choplifting side hustle in Rojas Desert North. This is the last Choplifting mission. 
  • Signature Ability: Flow State — As you gain more Flow, shots do more damage. Unlock by getting 20 headshot kills. 
• AR-55 Burst Rifle:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $10,000.
  • Signature Ability: Beowulf Receiver — Modified .50 receiver does more damage to vehicles and hits dynamic objects with a bigger punch. Unlock by getting five kills on your last magazine.
• .585 Safari Express Rifle:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $80,000.
  • Signature Ability: Shock & Ouch — The force from the muzzle blast staggers and damages nearby enemies. Unlock by getting 10 long-range kills.

Shotguns

• Dustlander Shotgun:
  • How to Get: Complete The Rod Warrior mission.
  • Signature Ability: N/A.
• Police Shotgun:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $400.
  • Signature Ability: Flechette Shells — Sharpened, barbed darts rip into the target and cause extra bleeding damage. Unlock by getting 10 double kills.
• Sawed-Off Shotgun:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $400.
  • Signature Ability: Dragonbreath Shells — Phosphorous-coated pellets have a chance to set targets on fire. Unlock by killing 30 Idols.
• AS3 Ultimax Shotgun:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $4,000.
  • Signature Ability: Full Battle Rattle — A few simple modifications turn this shotgun into a fully automatic weapon. Unlock by getting 10 triple kills.
• Stagecoach Shotgun:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $4,000.
  • Signature Ability: Buffalo Shot — The weapon has a random chance of ragdolling and knocking the target backward. Unlock by killing five Marshall Gunslingers.
• MDI-50 Tac Shotgun:
  • How to Get: Buy from Friendly Fire for $40,000.
  • Signature Ability: Supercharger — The weapon has a random chance of electrifying and stunning the target. Unlock by killing one Gatling gunner.

Big Guns

• Idol Star Launcher:
  • How to Get: Completing the Idol Threat mission.
  • Signature Ability: Flashgasm — Grenade explosions spawn three smaller fireworks that explode for festive mayhem. Unlock by killing 30 Idols.
• RPG Launcher:
  • How to Get: Complete the Be Your Own Boss mission.
  • Signature Ability: Big Bang — Triples the RPG warhead load for bigger booms. Unlock by shooting down five hostile aerial vehicles.
• Pinata Launcher:
  • How to Get: Complete the Let’s Pretend Criminal Venture.
  • Signature Ability: ??? (Pending).
• AT Rocket Launcher: 
  • How to Get: Complete the High Noon mission. 
  • Signature Ability: Guiding Eye — Control the flight of the projectile by aiming the reticle. Unlock by destroying 20 hostile Marshall vehicles. 
• El Lanzador:
  • How to Get: Complete Choplifting in El Dorado. You must complete three other Choplifting missions before this one appears.
  • Signature Ability: Major Impact — Hits unleash a shockwave that damages and disrupts nearby targets. Unlock by killing five Panteros Thumpers. 

Special Guns

• MDI Focus Rifle:
  • How to Get: Complete the Non-Compete Clause mission.
  • Signature Ability — Repulsor Beam. Pushes back enemies and vehicles with increased force. Unlock by killing five Marshall Specialists.
• TOGO-13 Sniper Rifle:
  • How to Get: Complete the Drawing Heat mission.
  • Signature Ability: Bonus Round — Headshots with this weapon do more damage and add ammo to your reserve. Unlock by killing 20 enemies who are driving vehicles.
• Thrustbuster:
  • How to Get: Complete the third mission of the Eurekabator! Criminal Venture.
  • Signature Ability: Mass Transit — The Thrustbuster pulls along additional enemies for the ride of their life. Or Death. Unlock by making enemies fly a total of 6,000 meters.

How to Upgrade Weapons and Guns

As expected, all weapons and guns have specific base stats. Some are more powerful than others, while some are better at range than close quarters. Perhaps unexpectedly, you can’t increase individual stats with weapon parts or anything of the sort. Instead, weapons have a preset hierarchy of three upgrades; some can’t be upgraded. 

To upgrade weapons and guns, visit any Friendly Fire location, and interact with the shopkeep to bring up the shop’s inventory menu. Highlight and select a weapon that you’ve already purchased, then choose “Upgrade” as the third option in the menu that appears to the right of that armament. 

• Upgrade 1: $5,000.
• Upgrade 2: $25,000.
• Upgrade 3: $100,000. 

How to Customize Weapons

To customize weapons, go to the Saints HQ, and access your weapon cache. Select a weapon, then choose the “Customize” option at the bottom of the list that appears. You’ll be taken to a new menu where you can apply visual mods, such as the umbrella or guitar case, standard and Cutting Edge materials, colors, surface options, decals, and patterns. Changes are automatically saved. 

New patterns and materials are unlocked by playing through the campaign, crew loyalty missions, side hustles, and Criminal Ventures like Edith’s Cutting Edge Venture.

Those are all of the weapons and guns in Saints Row. Pair them with the best skills to become a Boss feared across Santo Ileso. For more tips, check out our other guides to building an unshakeable criminal empire.