Magnum Pistol

"Oh… my… GOD."

- Rochelle "Niiice!"

- Nick

The Magnum is the most powerful pistol in Left 4 Dead 2. It is a one-hit kill to Common Infected on all game modes and all difficulties; however, it has only an eight-round magazine and cannot be dual-wielded. The Magnum appears typically where an extra Pistol would be waiting, though it is considerably more rare. It also has the unique feature of having identical accuracy and firing speed when incapacitated as when standing.

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

 * When using the Magnum, aim for the body to take advantage of its one-hit killing abilities.
 * The Magnum can be used effectively both at close and long range against Common Infected. Crouch to increase your accuracy at long ranges.
 * The Magnum is not as useful against most Special Infected (excluding the Boomer and Spitter who are comparatively weak), especially on higher difficulties. The weapon's small magazine, high recoil and mediocre rate of fire make it an unsuitable weapon against targets that can absorb entire magazines before falling. It is especially bad against the Charger which requires the entire magazine to be killed.
 * A Magnum is the best side arm to have when incapacitated. It can easily tear through Common Infected, and retains its rate of fire and accuracy remain unchanged.
 * The Magnum is also good in combination with weapons which have disadvantages such as limited ammo, accuracy, long reload times, or short range such as the Grenade Launcher, M60 the shotgun.
 * 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 is capable of one-hit killing Smokers, Jockeys and Hunters with a headshot. This is easiest for Hunters since their natural position is a head-first prowl. Against Smokers it varies on whether you saw it before it attacked, as you lose all accuracy when you're grabbed by the tongue. Jockeys are definitely hardest to deal with, though you might be able to manage it at long distances.
 * 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, Witches and Tanks, it is obviously advised to switch to your primary weapon. The weapon will also reload faster if there's still ammo left in the magazine, so reload as often as possible.
 * It is possible to kill a Witch with a Magnum without startling her. A headshot will stun a Witch and let you deal damage to her without retaliating for a short time. If you hit the Witch with your melee attack (secondary fire) she will be stunned again, and you can shoot her longer without her attacking. Repeating this strategy will allow you to kill a Witch without the risk of being torn to pieces by her. Take care however to shoot 3 bullets max from the Magnum before shoving her again, else she will get startled.
 * The Magnum can be a decent weapon to use against a Tank in a pinch as the damage per clip adds up quickly, however the user should keep a healthy distance or switch to their main weapon if the tank gets close. Keep in mind that the Magnum can grab the tanks attention due to the high damage it can put out.

Pros

 * Extremely powerful for a side arm.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Cons

 * Lower rate of fire. This means it can take longer to kill Special Infected, especially when you don't have a full magazine.
 * Has a high amount of recoil that reduces accuracy when fired quickly, hampering its performance against distant Special Infected.
 * Holds only eight rounds at a time.
 * Poor accuracy on the move.
 * Deals more friendly fire damage.
 * Cannot be dual-wielded.
 * Killing a Charger with full health requires an entire magazine.

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 gunstore.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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 infront 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 in the first building (Burger Tank), in the white house with the broken walls to the right of the ambulance, or on a table at the garage sale.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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 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.

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 the ".50 Desert Cobra".