Pistol (Left 4 Dead 2)

The P220 Pistol is the backup weapon of the Survivors in Left 4 Dead 2. It is one of the weapons they can use when knocked down, although with a slower rate of fire and greatly decreased accuracy than that of the first game. The pistol(s) is one of the only weapons that has infinite ammunition. However, they are still limited to a magazine capacity of 15 rounds.

Even though they are meant as emergency weapons, the pistols make great secondaries, or even primaries for Hunting Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Grenade Launcher and any shotgun users. They pack a punch larger than that of the M16 Assault Rifle, but smaller than the Combat Rifle, and possess above better accuracy than the Tier 1 wepons. Pistols will usually spawn on the first level of each campaign. This occurs most frequently on easy and normal. However, on advanced and expert, they are often not available during the first level.

Upon picking up a melee weapon, Survivors drop their pistol (if they are dual wielding, they will drop both pistols). However, when they are incapacitated, they still pull out a pistol, and once revived, the pistol is no longer part of their inventory and the melee weapon is still in the pistol slot. While illogical, this is due to the fact that a survivor downed with no pistol is a sitting duck and it would be impossible to defend a team mate reviving them.

Dual-Wielding
If a second pistol is found, they can be dual-wielded. Once you equip another Pistol, that pistol will be a Glock, however the Glock will not be automatic. Second pistols are placed periodically by the Director and can also be picked up if dropped by a teammate who has picked up a magnum, melee weapon, or has died. This allows for twice the ammo capacity, as well as the rate of fire being increased from 300 to 600 RPM. The downside of having two pistols is that it takes slightly longer to reload, but this delay is marginal and doesn't affect gameplay much. When dual-wielded, the pistol in the left hand will not have a light. It is not possible to dual wield a magnum; instead one sacrifices that ability for extra power.

Trivia

 * Unusually, if you pick up a P220 that another survivor drops when they pick up a melee weapon or the magnum, it changes to a Glock. In addition, if you pick up a Glock when you have a melee weapon or magnum, it changes to a P220.
 * When a survivor using a melee weapon is downed and pulls out a pistol, once they are revived, the pistol quite simply disappears. It is not in the holster, nor present anywhere else on their person.
 * The Glock in the dual pistol arrangement uses the single P220 firing sound, while the P220 uses a new sound. (possibly the Glock's)
 * The P220 reuses Left 4 Dead's pistol HUD icons.
 * The gun actually does not look at all like the real life Sig Sauer P220 that it claims to be. But it appears to be a composite of Sig Sauer pistols, it has the overall shape of a P245 enlarged to the size of a P226, with an adjustable 3-dot target sight, it also seems to have a pecuilar decocking or safety mechanism different from most Sig Sauers located at the left rear side near the tail and it also vaguely looks like it has a USPA two-tone finish.
 * In Realism Mode, using a P220 on a Common Infected can cause body deformation. This may be because in real life, a pistol can blast holes in its target.
 * If you shoot all but 1 bullet when dual wielding the pistols, and you switch to your primary weapon and back to pistols, after you cock the guns, the P220 will cock itself back.
 * the Glock is actually not a 17 directly but another composite blend of Glocks, the shape of the forend of the slide is the shape of some of the subcompact models like G33,G36,G27, the dimensions of the glock itself have the slide length of a standard frame like a G17 or G37 but the grip seems stunted and off a slightly smaller compact model like a G19
 * Like in the original Left 4 Dead, if you crouch and hold still with the P220 (And/or with the Glock), you will have excellent accuracy, which is great at picking off targets in the distance.