The ability to increase the critical hit rate to 5x will make your killing sprees much easier. Some will tell you to buy the Punisher handgun instead, but don’t be fooled! Although the Punisher does offer more penetration, the SG-09 R’s exclusive perk outshines the punisher by a mile. This will have you popping enemy heads with a single shot more often than not. Once fully upgraded, immediately purchase the exclusive perk from the merchant to increase the critical hit rate to 5x. When fully upgraded, this handgun packs 2.0 damage per hit and that does not include critical hits. You are going to want to focus on upgrading its power, rate of fire, and reload speed first. Not only is it a nostalgic callback to the original game, but it makes aiming that much easier, especially in darker areas and with enemies that are at a distance. Firstly, I strongly recommend purchasing the laser sight for the handgun. Its bullets do not inflict much damage and sometimes enemies won't even react to being shot when the handgun has no upgrades applied, but be patient! Once the gun receives a few upgrades, it will be your instant go-to weapon throughout the entire campaign. That’s right, Leon’s default handgun is one of the best weapons in the game! It may seem weak at first, especially in Hardcore mode.
