Pistol/Doom 3

"All UAC Security and Military personnel are supplied with this basic projectile side arm."

- PDA Description

The Pistol is the basic gun found in Doom 3. It is the first weapon that the player obtains, aside from the flashlight. The Pistol is modeled after its iteration from the classic Doom games. However, it is considerably more powerful but near useless in most situations as several of the weaker monsters have been buffed compared to their classic counterparts.

While the Pistol, Machine Gun, and Chaingun all fire bullets, they do not share the same ammo pool as in earlier Doom games.

Tactical Analysis
As the first weapon the player is given in the game, the Pistol shines greatly against the earlier enemies the player comes across. Comparatively outclassed but also very accurate, the Pistol is ideal to land headshots against Zombies and even Z-Secs. However, when fighting against the most basic demons such as the Imp, the player should switch to more powerful weapons like the Shotgun or Machine Gun.

It is best used as a backup weapon when the player is running low on ammunition of stronger weapons. It is also a worthy weapon against Trites, being able to kill one with two bullets, and against Lost Souls if your aim is reliable. But when they come closer, swap to something more powerful.

While the Pistol is unviable against majority of enemies, it is also convenient on destroying explosive barrels that are scattered throughout the game. If you can lure even some of the stronger enemies such as Cacodemons or Wraiths at the nearby barrels, you can rely on the Pistol to destroy them, causing the explosion to kill them instantly.

Trivia

 * The appearance of the pistol is influenced by the pistol that Harrison Ford's character Rick Deckard carries in the Blade Runner film.