Weapons

The weapons in the Counter-Strike series form the basic framework for gameplay. Each weapon is split up into different categories based on their individual attributes.

Melee[]

The only melee weapon featured in the Counter-Strike games is the basic knife.

The Machete, once planned to be a usable weapon, is seen by A.I Terrorists throughout the campaign of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Deleted Scenes. This usable version was also cut from the original Counter-Strike and Counter-Strike: Condition Zero.

In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, there is a Gold Knife exclusive to the Arms Race gamemode. However, its attributes remain exactly the same and is only used to signify the user's match position. In addition, several updates introduced knife skins:

Bayonet
Butterfly Knife
Flip Knife
Gut Knife
Huntsman Knife
Karambit
M9 Bayonet

Like the Gold Knife, they have the same attributes as the basic knife.

Pistols[]

Pistols (or handguns) are the secondary weapons in the Counter-Strike series, as well as the first weapons that can be used at the beginning of a match or upon respawning after death. Generally, pistols are weak when compared to primary weapons, with low recoil and low magazine capacity (however, the Night Hawk .50c/Desert Eagle is considered to be one of the most powerful weapons in the game). Players will run at default speed using any pistol, CS:GO excluded. Most of the handguns have comparably fast reload times.

228 Compact (P228) - (replaced with the P250 in Global Offensive)
Desert Eagle (Night Hawk .50c)
Dual Berettas (.40 Dual Elites) - Terrorist exclusive (available to both teams in CS:GO)
Five-SeveN (ES Five-seven) - Counter-Terrorist exclusive
Glock-18 (9x19mm Sidearm) - Terrorist default pistol (Terrorist exclusive in Global Offensive)
K&M .45 Tactical (USP) - Counter-Terrorist default pistol (replaced with the P2000 in Global Offensive)

CS:GO Exclusive Pistols[]

CZ75-Auto - A new automatic pistol
P250 (replaces the P228 from previous games)
P2000 - Counter-Terrorist default (replaces the USP from previous games)
Tec-9 - Terrorist exclusive
USP-S - Counter-Terrorist exclusive (CS:GO iteration of the USP featured in previous games)

Shotguns[]

Shotguns are a type of primary weapon featured in the Counter-Strike series. Shotguns are fairly cheap, costing less than most rifles and the M249. There are only two shotguns in Counter-Strike prior to CS:GO: the Leone 12 Gauge Super, utilizing a pump action firing mode, and the Leone YG1265 Auto Shotgun, utilizing a semi-automatic firing mode. Both shotguns are exposed to heavy speed and range reduction, but excell at close-quarters combat and can deal extreme damage up close. In CS:GO, the Leone 12 Gauge Super was replaced by the Nova, and 2 other shotguns were introduced. Most shotguns cannot fire underwater.

Leone 12 Gauge Super (Benelli M3)
XM1014 (Leone YG1265 Auto Shotgun)

CS:GO Exclusive Shotguns[]

MAG-7 - Counter-Terrorist exclusive
Nova (replaces the Leone 12 Gauge Super from previous games)
Sawed-Off - Terrorist exclusive

Submachine guns[]

Submachine guns are a type of primary weapon featured in the Counter-Strike series. Submachine guns are extremely cheap, costing below $2500. Most submachine guns have a fast rate of fire, slight speed reduction, and low-moderate recoil. Unfortunately, submachine guns are outclassed by rifles at long and close ranges as rifles can inflict more damage, better armour penetration, and better accuracy.

K&M Sub-Machine Gun (MP5)
MAC-10 (Ingram Mac-10) - Terrorist exclusive
P90 (ES C90)
Schmidt Machine Pistol (TMP) - Counter-Terrorist exclusive
UMP-45 (K&M UMP45)

CS:GO Exclusive SMGs[]

MP7 - (replaces the MP5 from previous games)
MP9 - Counter Terrorist exclusive (replaces the TMP from previous games)
PP-Bizon

Rifles[]

Rifles are a type of primary weapon featured in the Counter-Strike series. Rifles are fairly expensive weapons with very high damage and recoil but have speed reduction (excluding the Schmidt Scout). Several rifles have unique firing modes, specialized for different ranges. Rifles such as the Schmidt Scout and Magnum Sniper Rifle have scopes which facilitates long-distance combat. (Meanwhile, the FAMAS has a burst-fire option and the M4A1 has an attachable/detachable silencer.) These types of rifles are typically classified as "sniper rifles" while all others are simply known as "assault rifles".

Sniper Rifles[]

There are two types of sniper rifles. They are bolt-action sniper rifles and semi-automatic rifles (sometimes called auto-snipers by fans). The Schmidt Scout, SSG 08, and the AWP are bolt-action rifles while the Krieg 550 Commando, SCAR-20, and the G3SG/1 are semi-automatic rifles.

Primarily, bolt-action sniper rifles usually are used for defensive purposes.

Assault rifles[]

AK-47 (CV-47) - Terrorist exclusive
AUG (Bullpup) - Counter-Terrorist exclusive
FAMAS (Clarion 5.56) - Counter-Terrorist exclusive
IDF Defender (Galil) - Terrorist exclusive
Krieg 552 (SG 552) - Terrorist exclusive
Maverick M4A1 Carbine (M4) - Counter-Terrorist exclusive

CS:GO Exclusive Assault Rifles[]

Galil AR- Terrorist exclusive (replaces the IMI Galil from previous games)
M4A1-S - Counter-Terrorist exclusive (CS:GO iteration of the Maverick M4A1 Carbine)
M4A4 - Counter-Terrorist exclusive (replaces the M4A1 from previous games)
SG 553 - Terrorist exclusive (replaces the SG 552 from previous games)

Sniper rifles[]

Schmidt Scout (Scout)
AWP (Magnum Sniper Rifle)
G3SG1 (D3/AU-1) - Terrorist exclusive
Krieg 550 Commando (SG 550) - Counter-Terrorist exclusive

CS:GO Exclusive Sniper Rifles[]

SCAR-20 - Counter-Terrorist exclusive (replaces the SG 550 from previous games)
SSG 08 (replaces the Schmidt Scout from previous games)

Machine guns[]

Machine guns are a type of primary weapon featured in the Counter-Strike series. Before Global Offensive, the M249 was the only machine gun in the multiplayer Counter-Strike games and was the most expensive weapon at $5750. The M249 is extremely heavy, although it has a fast firing rate and large magazine size. The M60 was expected to appear in the original Counter-Strike but was cut for unknown reasons. It later reappeared in the single-player campaign of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Deleted Scenes. Furthermore, a mounted machine gun M2 Browning is available during the same campaign.

Eventually, the introduction of the Negev in Global Offensive brought the total number of available machine guns to two. This machine gun is considerably more deadly, due to its larger magazine capacity and higher rate of fire than the M249, but is slightly more expensive and less accurate.

M2 Browning Machine Gun (cannot be purchased in multiplayer games)
M60 - Deleted Scenes exclusive
M249

CS:GO Exclusive Machine Guns[]

Negev

Trivia[]

Sometimes in Counter-Strike and Condition Zero, there is a bug where the player can carry more than one secondary or primary weapon. (However, some maps can also grant players this ability). If this bug happened, the fast switch for that category will be disabled and require the player to select a weapon in that list, much like in Half-Life.
- If this bug happened, the player cannot purchase ammo for the first weapon in that category; the player can only purchase the ammo for the second weapon that he can get in that category. The only way to get ammo for the first weapon is by picking up a weapon from either primary or secondary. (If you have two secondary weapons, you will have to pick up a primary and vice versa (provided that the killed player doesn't have a primary weapon).
In Deleted Scenes only, the player can carry more than one primary and secondary weapon. However, unlike in Half-Life, if the player already has that weapon and the player attempts to pick up the same weapon, it won't give the player ammo unless the first same weapon has ran out of ammo. In that case, it will give the player the same new weapon with a single magazine.
In Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, it is possible to see the inactive weapons another player is equipped with on their models:
- The player's main weapon is on the model's back.
  - Submachine guns are not placed on the model's back as a CT, instead, they are hung in front of the model's chest.
- The player's knife is hung on the model's belt.
- As a CT, the player's pistol is holstered in a pistol holster on the model's right leg. As a T, it is stuffed in the model's pants from behind.