Last of Us 2

Best Weapon Upgrades | Which Weapon Upgrades Should You Get First?

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This is a guide to the best weapon upgrades, which you should prioritize unlocking first in the Last of Us Part 2. Read on to learn which weapon upgrades are most useful, and where you should spend your scavenged parts!

Which Weapon Upgrades Should You Get First?

For Beginners

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If you are a beginner at the game, it is recommended that you focus on upgrading the Damage of your revolver. This allows you to one-shot most enemies just by shooting their chest area which is extremely useful especially If you are having trouble aiming at the enemy's head.

In addition, weapon upgrades like extra capacity for all guns will be useful, as you may have trouble making each shot count, so that extra bullet capacity will give you extra chances.

For Veterans

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However, if you are an experienced player, upgrading the Stability of the Bolt-Action Rifle will help you increase the accuracy of your shots giving you a better chance of conserving your ammo when landing headshots and efficient kills. Generally speaking, the Stability upgrade will be the first thing to prioritize on guns like the rifle, pistol, and bow.

How to Upgrade Weapons

Note: You can also unlock a trophy from upgrading a weapon for the first time.

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Upgrade a weapon

Trophy List and Guide

Ellie - Best Weapon Upgrades

The following tier list ranks all the weapon upgrades in the game on a scale of S being the highest, and C being the lowest. Keep in mind that you must own the weapon first before it becomes available for an upgrade.

S Tier - Upgrade Immediately!

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Bow
Draw Speed
50 Restring the bow to increase draw speed.
+50% Nocking Speed
+70% Draw Speed
Pump Shotgun
Fire Rate
40 Replace the springs and extractor to increase fire rate.
+55% Fire Rate
Bolt-Action Rifle
Stability
50 Add weight to the stock to decrease weapon sway.
+40% Stability
Semi-Auto Pistol
Stability
50 Replace the pistol grip to decrease weapon sway.
+35% Stability
Revolver
Damage
70 Replace the barrel to fire more powerful shots.
+40% Damage
+25% Accuracy

A Tier - Worth Upgrading

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Bow
Stability
60 Replace the grip to decrease weapon sway.
+60% Stability
Revolver
Stability
50 Replace the revolver grip to reduce recoil and decrease weapon sway.
-25% Recoil
+35% Stability
Bolt-Action Rifle
Capacity
50 Add a magazine to increase reload speed and hold more rounds.
+3 Magazine Capacity
+65% Reload Speed
Semi-Auto Pistol
Recoil
30 Attach a compensator to decrease weapon recoil.
+25% Accuracy
-35% Recoil

B Tier - Upgrade If You Have Extra Parts

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Semi-Auto Pistol
Fire Rate
40 Replace the hammer spring to increase fire rate.
+45% Fire Rate
Pump Shotgun
Stability
40 Replace the grip to reduce coil and decrease weapon sway.
-40% Recoil
+35% Stability
Pump Shotgun
Capacity
50 Extend the magazine tube to increase shell capacity.
+2 Magazine Capacity
Revolver
Reload Speed
50 Use a speed loader to load rounds all at once instead of individually.
+85% Reload Speed
Bolt-Action Rifle
Damage
100 Replace the barrel to fire more powerful shots.
+25% Damage
Semi-Auto Pistol
Capacity
50 Craft an extended magazine to hold more rounds.
+4 Magazine Capacity

C Tier - Upgrade Last

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Revolver
Fire Rate
30 Replace the hammer spring to increase firing rate.
+35% Fire Rate
Bow
Rangefinder
80 Add a rangefinder to automatically mark the distance of enemies on the reticle.
Bolt-Action Rifle
6x Scope
80 Add a scope to aim at distant targets with greater accuracy by pressing x.

Abby - Best Weapon Upgrades

The same rules from above applie here, only these will be for Abby's weapons. Since the quantity of her parts are separate from Ellie's, she gets her own tier list.

S Tier - Upgrade Immediately!

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Semi-Auto Rifle
Stability
50 Add weight to the stock to decrease weapon sway.
+35% Stability
Crossbow
Stability
50 Attach a foregrip to increase stability.
+55% Stability
Hunting Pistol
Stability
50 Replace the pistol grip to decrease weapon sway.
+25% Accuracy
+35% Stability
Military Pistol
Stability
50 Replace the pistol grip to decrease weapon sway.
+35% Stability
Double Barrel Shotgun
Damage
60 Replace the barrel to fire more powerful shots.
+30% Damage

A Tier - Worth Upgrading

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Semi-Auto Rifle
Capacity
60 Extend the magazine to hold more rounds.
+3 Magazine Capacity
Double Barrel Shotgun
Reload Speed
40 Store shotgun shells in bullet loops on the stock to increase reload speed.
+35% Reload Speed
Crossbow
Reload Speed
80 Store arrows in a quiver increase reload speed.
+55% Reload Speed
Hunting Pistol
Damage
80 Replace the barrel to fire more powerful shots.
+25% Damage
Military Pistol
Capacity
50 Craft an extended magazine to hold more rounds.
+4 Magazine Capacity

B Tier - Upgrade If You Have Extra Parts

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Military Pistol
Fire Rate
40 Replace the hammer spring to increase fire rate.
+50% Fire Rate
Semi-Auto Rifle
Burst Fire
80 Modify the trigger to allow for a three-round burst that can be toggled on and off with △.
+50% Fire Rate

C Tier - Upgrade Last

Weapon / Upgrade Parts Required Effect
Double Barrel Shotgun
Stability
30 Add weight to the stock to decrease weapon sway.
-35% Recoil
+50% Stability
Crossbow
4x Scope
60 Add a scope to aim at distant targets with greater accuracy pressing X
Hunting Pistol
4x Scope
60 Add a scope to aim at distant targets with greater accuracy pressing X
Military Pistol
Recoil
30 Attach a compensator to reduce weapon recoil.
+25% Accuracy
-35% Recoil
Semi-Auto Rifle
4x Scope
80 Add a scope to aim at distant targets with greater accuracy by pressing x.

Last of Us 2 Tips and Tricks

Tips & Tricks

Game Mechanics and Features
Combat Guide and Tips List of Skill Upgrades
How to Use Listen Mode How to Stealth Kill | Stealth Tips
How to Upgrade Weapons -
Controls and Techniques
Game Controls & Settings
How to Ride the Horse How to Heal
How to Use Quick Turn How to Run (Sprint)
How to Turn on Aim Assist How to Ride the Boat
Resources and Tools
What are Scavenged Parts? What are Ingredients?
Recipe List List of Training Manuals and Locations
List of All Workbench Locations How to Get Infinite Ammo
Exploration and Secrets
Safe Combinations and Locations How to Find the Downtown Seattle Map
Trophy Guide | List of Trophies How to Open the Bank Vault
Soda Can Code How to Earn the High Score in the Archery Game
How to Win the Marksmanship Competition How to Put a Hat on your Companion
How to Find the Engraved Ring How to Find the Strange Artifact
How to Unlock the Hidden Trophies Easter Eggs
Miscellaneous Guides
Which Skills Should You Upgrade First? Which Weapon Upgrades Should You Get First?
How to Play Guitar What Carries Over Into New Game Plus?
How to Use Photo Mode Difficulty Settings and Best Difficulty
How to Use Generators Scent Trails Explained

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