Security Pistol

The Security Pistol is the facility's standard-issue sidearm for on-site security personnel. It functions as a common, easily found firearm intended to arm guards and appears repeatedly throughout the complex. In gameplay terms it is a basic pistol-type weapon that players acquire through loot and corpse searches rather than craft or purchase.

Security Pistols can be obtained by looting GATE Security Crates and have a chance to drop when killing Grunts that are armed with pistols. They also appear as fixed loot spawns in many indoor areas across multiple sectors of the facility. Notable guaranteed or repeatable spawn points include: the Level 2 Security Office firing range in the Office Sector; the Lens Epicentre in Cascade Laboratories, located beside a security guard corpse; several locations in the Security Sector (a large room upstairs with toxic spillage and destroyed robots, a spot beneath a desk and on top of a computer tower in that same room, on top of a bench in the gym, and two pistols in the firing range adjacent to the gym); and two pistols in the Residence Sector building where Moira Shepherd is located (one near her and one tucked under a first-floor bed).

The weapon model and behavior are based on a real-world Glock 17 design. The game includes multiple reload animations (notably levelled animations such as low-level and high-level reloads) and sequences for firing and reloading visible in the media assets. One mechanical quirk noted for realism is that, because the in-game reload animation pulls the slide while the magazine is still present and without enough clearance, the action shown would not reliably chamber a round from the magazine in real life.

Practical notes and tips:

• Loot common security locations and GATE crates early for quick access to a reliable sidearm; Secured offices, firing ranges and guard corpses are high-value search targets.
• Killing Grunts that use pistols is a steady source of additional Security Pistols if you need spares or replacement weapons.
• The pistol serves as a fallback weapon for low- to mid-threat encounters; it is easier to find than specialized weapons and ideal for conserving scarce or powerful ammo types.
• Pay attention to level-specific reload animations only for visual variety; they do not change official chambering behavior beyond what the game models.
• Search desks, computer towers and under furniture in occupied buildings—many pistols are hidden in these mundane spots rather than placed in obvious weapon caches.