Destiny 2's Top 10 PvE Hand Cannons in 2025

Discover top PvE hand cannons in Destiny 2, blending precision, chaos, and explosive power for ultimate cosmic gunslinger gameplay.

🔥 Hand Cannons aren't just weapons in Destiny 2 – they're the space cowboy's poetry in motion. That satisfying crack of a precision hit followed by an explosive chain reaction feels like conducting an orchestra of chaos. Since Episode: Heresy dropped in early 2025, the Hand Cannon meta's shifted harder than a Cabal drop pod, with Stasis synergies and reworked perks turning old favorites into new monsters. As someone who's cleared every raid since Leviathan, trust me when I say landing perfect shots with these feels like cracking a safe with a tuning fork – precise, satisfying, and oddly rhythmic. Let's break down the top 10 PvE slayers that'll make your Guardian feel like a cosmic gunslinger.

10. Eyasluna

Source: Grasp of Avarice dungeon

This beauty transforms Stasis builds into glacial fortresses. Landing Headstone kills feels like planting ice mines – each crystal explosion shatters enemies like glass ornaments. Pair it with ❄️ Whisper of Chains for 40% damage resistance near crystals – suddenly you're an architect of frozen killboxes. My personal dungeon grind paid off with Unrelenting/Headstone – watching health regen proc from crystal shatters is like getting paid interest on violence.

🔥 God Roll:

• Unrelenting/Rapid Hit

• Headstone

9. Posterity

Source: Deep Stone Crypt raid

Heresy's Redirection rework made this Arc cannon sing. Stacking damage against red bars before unleashing 100% bonus damage on majors feels like winding up a jack-in-the-box – the longer you crank, the nastier the surprise. My crafted Voltshot/Redirection roll turns overload champions into lightning rods during GM Nightfalls. It's not meta-defining, but watching lightning arc between targets after a precision kill? That's the kind of chaos I endorse.

⚡ God Roll:

• Voltshot/Reconstruction

• Redirection/Frenzy

8. Ancient Gospel

Source: Garden of Salvation raid

Bungie resurrected this Void beast with Rampage/Kill Clip – landing both perks is like mainlining adrenaline, boosting damage by 57%. But Destabilizing Rounds/Explosive Payload? That’s the real sauce. Watching volatile spreads trigger from explosive rounds feels like throwing lit fireworks into a pond – everything surfaces in panic. My first clear gave me destabilizing rounds, and suddenly every trash mob chain-reacted like falling dominos. Pure dopamine.

💥 God Roll:

• Destabilizing Rounds/Rampage

• Explosive Payload/Kill Clip

7. Hawkmoon

Source: Sold by Xur

Stacking Paracasual Charge feels like spinning a revolver cylinder in a dark alley – risky but gloriously lethal. That final bullet? It deletes champions like hitting ‘ctrl+alt+del’ on their existence. During last week’s Master Lost Sector, I watched a full-stack Hawkmoon shot erase a barrier champion’s health bar faster than a Thanos snap. It’s not just a gun; it’s a high-stakes roulette where the house always loses.

🎯 Must-Have Trait: Paracasual Charge

6. Midnight Coup

Source: Onslaught activity/Brave Engrams

Firefly/One for All is the combo dreams are made of. Precision kills trigger explosions that buff your damage 35% – it’s like throwing a match into a firework warehouse. I’ve cleared entire Altars of Summoning waves with this, each explosion chaining like laughter in a haunted house. The origin trait’s intrinsic explosive payload against red bars? Chef’s kiss. Farming this felt like digging for gold and striking a diamond vein instead.

💫 God Roll:

• Firefly/Explosive Payload

• One for All/Frenzy

5. Zaouli's Bane

Source: King’s Fall raid

Incandescent turns this into a portable wildfire. Landing kills with this Solar beast feels like spilling gasoline on a bonfire – every scorched enemy ignites neighbors in a chain of solar fury. My Explosive Payload/Incandescent roll made the entire Root of Nightmares raid feel like a barbecue party where the Witness brought the hot dogs. Pro tip: Pair with 🔥 Ember of Ashes for ignitions that bloom like supernovas.

☀️ God Roll:

• Explosive Payload/Pugilist

• Incandescent/One for All

4. Fatebringer

Source: Vault of Glass (Templar/Gatekeeper)

Still the GOAT legendary. Explosive Payload/Firefly turns red bars into confetti cannons, while Kinetic Tremors shatters majors like ice sculptures. My Adept version with Elemental Honing hits like a freight train when synergized – getting that 40% damage buff feels like discovering cheat codes. Running this during Salvation’s Edge reminded me why it’s iconic: precise, powerful, and as reliable as gravity.

🏆 God Roll:

• Explosive Payload/Kinetic Tremors

• Firefly/Elemental Honing

3. Unloved

Source: Sundered Doctrine dungeon

This burst-fire monster’s origin trait gives free Explosive Payload – like finding money in last season’s armor. Hatchling or Dragonfly turns it into an add-clear monster, while Elemental Honing synergizes with ✨ Lucky Pants for boss-melting insanity. The recoil pattern’s wonky at first (like riding a unicycle), but once mastered? I’ve out-DPS’ed rockets in damage phases. Heresy’s dark horse pick that punches way above its weight.

🎲 God Roll:

• Dragonfly/Hatchling

• Frenzy/Elemental Honing

2. Malfeasance

Source: "Darkness in the Light" quest

The ultimate Swiss Army knife. Five shots = death sentence for anything not a boss, and it melts Unstoppables like butter. But pair with ✨ Lucky Pants? Suddenly it’s a pocket Gjallarhorn. Watching health bars evaporate during Kell's Fall felt like pouring acid on snow sculptures. Bonus: ❤️‍🔥 Taken Predator buffs damage against Witherhoard-slimed targets – it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

💣 Secret Sauce: Lucky Pants synergy

1. Sunshot

Source: Exotic Engrams

Crowned king after Witch Queen buffs. Chaining explosions turn mobs into solar fireworks – one red bar kill detonates entire rooms like a chain of falling stars. That intrinsic Explosive Payload and 150 RPM make it feel like wielding a Roman candle in a dynamite factory. During last week’s Heresy mission, I cleared 28 adds with three shots. It’s not just a gun; it’s a portable apocalypse that turns physics into a suggestion.

☀️ Why It Reigns: 75% major damage buff + chained ignitions

🎯 Final Thoughts: Hand Cannons in 2025 aren't just tools – they're extensions of your Guardian's soul. Whether you're a Stasis architect with Eyasluna or a pyromaniac with Sunshot, that perfect click-boom rhythm is Destiny's heartbeat. But here's the real question: If you could merge ANY two Hand Cannon perks into one broken monstrosity, what unholy combo would you create? (Explosive Light + Incandescent? We see you.) Sound off below, Guardians! 👇