History of Violence
The weapons of RE:7, and how soon you can get your hands on them.
Axe: The first thing you get capable of inflicting more damage than your fists. Which is handy, because you can't do any damage with your fists. You get the axe as a scripted part of an early fight. You automatically drop it at the end of that fight, but it can be picked up again.
M19 Handgun: You'll get this in Attic of the Guest House, shortly after a very traumatic cutscene. You keep it for one fight, after which the plot confiscates all weapons from your inventory.
Knife: Given to you by a police deputy in a scripted scene shortly after reaching the first save room (in the laundry) of the Main House. Minimal damage, but never runs out of ammo.
G17 Handgun: Gained in the garage, after a boss encounter- find it in the back seat after the car is totaled.
M37 Shotgun: You can technically get your hands on this just after you pass through the oxen door. However, you can't leave the room with it until you get the Broken Shotgun from Grandma's room, by using the Scorpion Key. Swap them out to walk away with this beauty.
Chainsaw: You couldn't take Mia's, but you'll have to chance to (briefly) use Jack's during a showdown in the Morgue.
M19 Handgun (again): Reclaim this pistol by grabbing the Broken Gun from Zoe's bed in her trailer out back, and applying the Repair Kit available by peeling away some loose sheetmetal under the back porch of the mansion.
.44 Magnum: Available for 9 Antique coins, from a birdcage in Zoe's trailer, though you'll have another chance to purchase it near the end of the game. Amazingly powerful, with amazingly rare ammo- entirely possible you complete the game with your .44 bullet count never breaking into double digits.
Flamethrower: This one requires a bit of DIY. Both parts are found in the early stages of the Old House down by the swamp. The grip is in a trash can just outside the shadow puzzle Gallery, and the nozzle is inside a shack built onto the other section of piers, to the northeast. Simply combine these in your inventory to let the burnination begin. Excellent against insects in the Old House and the Greenhouse, but after that only useful for things you don't want to waste real ammo on.
Grenade Launcher: Once you've acquired the Crow Key in the Old House, you can return to the hunting-trophy filled Drawing Room in the Main House to unlock this powerhouse. It shoots flame rounds and neuro rounds- the latter of which do no damage themselves, but can paralyze enemies. Very useful against the blobbier Molded.
M21 Shotgun – If you use the repair kit on the Broken Shotgun rather than the pistol, you can get this instead. A great weapon, but one better suited to the late game (unless you're playing Madhouse). Otherwise, you'll get this when you find the second Repair Kit in the testing area. Just be sure you have the relevant Treasure Photo. Excellent for head-shotting Molded, and useful for pouring damage into boss monsters, but beware the long reload times. Also note that, while you can craft pistol bullets and grenade rounds, shotgun ammo can only be looted from the environment.
P19 Submachinegun- You'll get this automatically at the start of the final videotape, and can then acquire it again from the Captain's Cabin, using a key from the Bunk Room. Its main virtue is that there's a ton of ammo for this one scattered across all the final levels. Tempting to just spray away, but controlled bursts, headshots, and tactical retreats are still the best strategy.
Survival Knife– Another final videotape freebie, found later stuck in a table, when crawling up from the broken elevator. Does roughly twice the damage of the regular knife.
Remote Bombs – Obtainable in the final videotape and scattered around the present thereafter. Powerful blasts take all but the heftiest Molded in one go, and you never take splash damage from them (an incredibly generous gesture from a survival horror game).
MPM Handgun – A compact little peashooter found in the first floor saveroom aboard ship (or in Sickbay, for Madhouse players). Useful for shooting bobbleheads and other low-level threats, but switch back to the M-19 or bonus pistol once you get all your gear back.
Crowbar- Only appears if you choose Zoe over Mia at a critical juncture, and then you only use for a single fight. Functions almost identically to the Axe.
Albert 01 – The best pistol in the game, which you get in a scripted scene right before the game ends. Luckily, it carries over to your next playthrough, so you'll be able to dish out a new level of hurt to the denizens of the Baker Estate.
Circular Saw
You get this as a bonus weapon when you complete a playthrough in 4 hours or less. Arguably the most powerful weapon in the game, you can find our complete combat guide for the Circular Saw here.
Check back soon, as the history of violence marches on!