Magnum Pistol

"I am in LOVE with this gun!"

- Rochelle "Nice!"

- Nick

The Magnum (A.K.A Desert Cobra) is the most powerful pistol in Left 4 Dead 2. It has only an eight-round magazine and cannot be dual-wielded but delivers one-hit kills to Common Infected on all game modes and all difficulties.

The Magnum is less commonly spawned than an extra Pistol and is typically found where that extra Pistol would normally be. Unlike the common Pistol, the Magnum's accuracy and speed of fire is the same irrespective of whether is fired standing or incapacitated.

Official Description
An alternative to a melee weapon or pistol, the Magnum holds eight massive half-inch rounds guaranteed to leave a hole the size of a dinner plate. When incapacitated, this powerful handgun will put down any swarming common infected with a single shot.

Tactics

 * Crouch to increase accuracy at long ranges. If you stand up and try to fire at a target at long range, the spread of the bullets will cause you to miss some rounds, which should be avoided as the Magnum has a very small magazine size.
 * The Magnum can be used effectively both at close and long range against Common Infected.
 * The magnum will kill any common infected with 1 shot to any parts of their body, including the limbs.
 * A Magnum is the best sidearm to have when incapacitated. It can easily tear through Common Infected whilst retaining its normal accuracy and rate of fire.
 * The Magnum is one of the two weapons that can kill Common Infected with a single shot in Realism mode, no matter where it hits (the other being the M60).
 * The Magnum's "1 hit KO" ability on Common Infected is removed in Mutation Headshot!, so switch for other secondary should be better due to the small magazine size of the Magnum. But you can keep it if you are really good at scoring headshots.
 * The Magnum has little to no crowd-clearing abilities, especially when surrounded or being attacked. Have at least one feasible way to drop a dozen Common at close range before you pick one up.
 * If you are playing Expert, the Magnum becomes even more useful as you will wish to kill Common Infected as quickly as possible due to their increased strength, but it'd be best to be cautious of hitting your teammates.
 * Players who are more comfortable in using the common Pistol may take some time to adjust to this weapon since it is more akin to an extremely powerful mini-carbine than a pistol.
 * The Magnum is not as useful against hardened special infected (i.e. Charger, Tank, and Witch), which can take entire magazines of the weapon before falling. Against all the others not listed in the examples, however, the magnum pistol can drop them all within half a magazine, even with just body shots, in all difficulties.
 * However, if your accuracy is good and you have maintained distance, the Magnum is effective against Special Infected with low hit points (HP) such as Spitters, Smokers, Boomers, and sometimes Jockeys.
 * The Magnum is capable of one-hit kills on Smokers, Jockeys and Hunters: provided they score a headshot.
 * This is easiest for Hunters since their natural position is a headfirst prowl.
 * Against Smokers. the outcome hinges on whether a player was able to aim before it attacked. If this is so, the Smoker is likely to go down. But if a player has already been grabbed by its tongue, the Magnum will probably not suffice as all this pistol's accuracy is lost during the vital split second available to a player to get some shots off before being fully snared. On Advanced or Expert, you can have a chance to let it grab you at close range because an A.I. Smoker will ensnare you on sight. If you are ensnared at close range, you will have a better chance of hitting it with the Magnum.
 * Jockeys are definitely the hardest to deal with at short and medium ranges on account of their small size and remarkable speed. Although, Jockeys usually have their head pointing in front of Survivors. It is recommended to move backwards and fire at it while a Jockey pursues you.
 * The Magnum is also good in combination with weapons which have disadvantages such as limited ammo, accuracy, long reload times, or short ranges (e.g. the Grenade Launcher, M60, and shotguns).
 * If using the Magnum over the primary weapon (or lack of one), care should be taken that the magazine is always full. Having a full magazine is necessary to kill most Special Infected. For Chargers and Tanks, it is obviously advised to switch to a primary weapon. The Magnum will also reload faster if there is still ammo left in the magazine, so reloads should be done with at least 1 round left in the weapon. This is especially important when facing against an incoming horde and sustained fire is required.
 * It is possible to kill a Witch with a Magnum without startling her. A headshot will momentarily stun a Witch and further damage can be quickly administered without her being able to retaliate. Hitting a stunned Witch with a melee attack (secondary fire) will stun her again thus allowing follow-up attacks. This process can be repeated until she is dead during in which there is no risk to the player. Great care is needed to shoot no more than three Magnum rounds before meleeing the Witch because otherwise she will recover her senses and attack.
 * In a pinch, the Magnum can be a decent weapon to use against a Tank as the damage per magazine quickly adds up. However, the user should keep a healthy distance or switch to a main weapon if he gets too close. Players tempted to take a Magnum to a Tank fight must keep in mind that the damage inflicted by the Magnum will draw his undivided attention upon them.
 * Equipping the Magnum and an automatic weapon is a good tactic. The former for firepower, the latter for rate of fire.
 * Before engaging groups, crouch and "snipe" Targets to weaken groups.

Pros

 * Extremely powerful for a sidearm.
 * Usually kills Common Infected in one shot, even in Expert and Realism mode at any range, making it one of the few guns able to do so.
 * Certain Special Infected can be killed instantly via head-shot.
 * Can kill a Charger with two shots to the head.
 * Retains its accuracy and fire rate when incapacitated.
 * 80 damage per bullet and infinite ammo.
 * Rounds can pierce through multiple Infected, making it very useful against the Horde.
 * Very accurate when still and crouching.
 * Provides superior ground cover when incapacitated.
 * Has a relatively fast reload.
 * Will kill a Fallen Survivor in one or two shots.
 * At close range, will blow zombies in half, much like a Chrome Shotgun. At close range it is very useful against hordes.

Cons

 * Low rate of fire. This means it can take longer to kill Special Infected, especially when the magazine is only part full.
 * Has a high amount of recoil that reduces accuracy when fired quickly, hampering its performance against distant Special Infected and Commons.
 * Holds only eight rounds at a time.
 * When being surrounded by horde, it's harder to disperse horde due to low ammo capacity than with dual Pistols.
 * Poor accuracy on the move.
 * Deals more friendly fire damage than regular pistols, making it an unideal weapon for bad shooters.
 * Cannot be dual-wielded.
 * On Advanced and Expert, some shots will be unable to instantly kill Commons, especially at medium to long ranges.
 * Killing a Charger with full health requires an entire magazine delivered to his body.
 * Significantly rarer than a second pistol, and occasionally will not spawn throughout an entire campaign.

Locations
The Magnum is usually located in a number of places where it replaces the P220 Pistol spawn. A few of the many locations where a Magnum would spawn are:
 * Dead Center
 * The Hotel: From the start, head down the stairs. In the room in the right, either on the map table or in the bedroom on the right on the nightstand. One can also be found in a room in the burning corridor to the right where you would normally go left to go to the elevator.
 * The Streets: In Whitaker's Gun Shop. This is always a 100% spawn near the K-Ration crates with the health kits.
 * The Mall: Sometimes the Magnum can be found on the 2nd floor, when you cross under the half-closed security gate or on a desk in the Security room after the Emergency Door Gauntlet Crescendo event.
 * The Passing
 * The Riverbank: Immediately at the start, on Jimmy Gibbs Jr.'s car. Otherwise, it will be on the second floor of the apartments just before the Rayford Park and after the alley with alarmed cars, in the living room, on a small table (also a possible spot for Laser Sights to spawn). If not, it can be found at the ending safe room.
 * The Underground: The starting safe room and the "suitcase full of pistols & money" on the second floor of the bar after the construction site.
 * Dark Carnival
 * The Highway: In the Whispering Oaks Motel (the building in between the Midnight Riders billboard and the pool). Both the white pickup truck with roll bars and lights and the orange car (which may be alarmed) facing the door.
 * The Fairgrounds: In the starting safe room. This is always a 100% spawn.
 * The Coaster: Right after the maintenance room.
 * The Barns: On one of the tables under the sheltered area with benches near the Strength Test game.
 * The Concert: May spawn at the final weapons cache either on the stage or in front of the light switches in the finale.
 * Swamp Fever:
 * The Swamp: Sometimes found at the beginning, but usually found on a dock next to a destroyed wooden building. About 35% into the chapter before the plane Crescendo Event.
 * The Shantytown: Sometimes found in an elevated shack, next to pills spawns or ammo caches, or on a table outside the shack. Located just before the room with first aid and before the crescendo event.
 * Hard Rain
 * The Milltown: On the table inside the Burger Tank, in the white house with the broken walls to the right of the ambulance, on a table at the garage sale, or in the house nearest the safe room.
 * The Sugar Mill: Very rarely at the beginning safe room.
 * Town Escape: Inside the beginning safe room. If you found a Magnum in the Burger Tank in the first chapter, the Magnum will still be there as well.
 * The Parish
 * The Waterfront: From the building with the jukebox, take the side alley all the way to the end. It will be found on the floor at the end of the street by the mailbox.
 * The Cemetery: On the bottom floor of the first building you come to. Also, about halfway through the level, you will come across a caravan in the middle of a street that usually contains a melee weapon, a Tier 2 weapon, and almost definitely a Magnum on all difficulties, on a table to the left once you enter.
 * No Mercy
 * The Subway: Can be found on the ground, next to the security booths, at the beginning of the level. Then it can be found in a crashed train, and later on one of the tables at the entrance to the generator room.
 * The Sewer: Randomly found on the first weapon table by the safe room, inside a closet near the first aid cabinet, next to a dead body before the drop-down hole, and at random spots in the sewers.
 * The Hospital: Can be found in the safe room, but only if starting from this chapter (such as in Versus). Randomly found on hospital tables and on the floor on the way to the elevator.
 * Rooftop Finale: Similar to the last chapter, found in the safe room if starting from it; otherwise, it's found at the weapons chache on the rooftop.
 * The Sacrifice
 * The Docks: Found randomly in rooms after the starting safe room, and before the crescendo. Often a single spawn, unlike most weapons spawns throughout the game.
 * The Barge: Located in the room attatched to the garages about 1/4 through the level. Later found in the building with the accessible rooftop. Sometimes found in rooms or cloests right before the crescendo.
 * Port Finale: Sometimes found at the top of a staircase (near some pipe bombs), near the bar with the jukebox, or inside the building sitting on the bar.

Behind the Scenes


The Magnum was originally supposed to be called the "Desert Cobra". A string calling the Magnum the Desert Cobra is in "left4dead2_english.txt" under a line about the Magnum. The name Desert Cobra only appears in the final on the sign next to the Magnum in Whitaker's Gun Shop, which calls the weapon ".50 Desert Cobra". This is a reference to the pistol's real name, "Desert Eagle".