Bastard Gun

Lore & Background

The Bastard Gun is a child of desperation, born from the cruel scarcity of pre-war firearms in the Moscow Metro. Its design is brutally crude—a welded barrel shroud that looks like it was beaten into shape on a train rail, a stock scavenged from a broken rifle that never quite fits the shoulder, and a magazine that wobbles as if it might fall out mid-burst. Yet this ugly contraption serves a vital role in the hands of those who cannot afford or find a more reliable weapon. The gun earns its name honestly: it is temperamental, prone to seizing up or overheating after a few dozen rounds, demanding constant maintenance and a steady, knowing hand to keep it chattering through a firefight.

Reader's Guide

It excels in close-quarters combat due to its high rate of fire, which can quickly shred mutants or unarmored humans. However, its accuracy degrades rapidly with sustained fire, and the weapon is prone to jamming, especially when dirty or low on durability. Players should use short bursts to manage recoil and overheating, and always carry a cleaning kit to maintain reliability. The Bastard Gun is less effective at range, where its spread makes it nearly useless.

It is best paired with a scoped rifle or shotgun for versatility. Ammunition for the Bastard Gun is common, as it uses the same 5.45x39mm rounds as the Kalash, but the gun's poor condition means it consumes ammo faster than more efficient weapons. In Metro: Last Light, the Bastard Gun returns with similar characteristics, though it can be upgraded with a longer barrel or a suppressor to improve performance. Overall, the Bastard Gun is a weapon of desperation—unreliable but deadly when it works.

Did You Know?

• The weapon uses Pistol Rounds in Metro Exodus, not 5.45x39mm as in earlier games.
• In all three main games (Metro 2033, Last Light, and Exodus), the Bastard Gun cannot be fitted with a suppressor.