Stun Gun
Short-range incapacitation tool with a recharge delay.
Key Takeaways
The Stun Gun is a non-lethal pistol-slot weapon whose defining function is temporary electrical incapacitation rather than conventional firearm damage.
Electrical incapacitation
Its probes shock a target and can temporarily disable them, making the weapon’s combat role distinct from ordinary pistols.
Close engagement tool
The Stun Gun is most useful when the player can maintain a clear shot at a nearby target; it is not a general substitute for a lethal sidearm.
Mode-specific availability
Story Mode and GTA Online use separate acquisition rules, so the weapon’s vendor route and access conditions must be checked for the mode being played.
No Mk II progression
Unlike several GTA Online firearms, the Stun Gun does not have a standard Mk II conversion or the associated special-ammo upgrade path.
Alternative to a pistol
Compared with a conventional pistol, it gives up lethal stopping power for a temporary disable effect, favoring control over direct damage.
Overview
The Stun Gun is a non-lethal pistol-class firearm in Grand Theft Auto V, built for temporarily incapacitating targets rather than dealing conventional firearm damage. Its distinctive electrical projectile gives it a control-focused role that separates it from the lethal pistols and compact weapons occupying the same general slot.
The weapon is most useful when the immediate objective is to stop a person without relying on ordinary bullet damage. A successful hit produces the Stun Gun’s defining electrical incapacitation effect, briefly interrupting the target and creating an opportunity to move, escape, investigate or follow up with another action. Its value therefore comes from control and situational utility, not from sustained gunfire or conventional damage output.
In Story Mode, the Stun Gun occupies a specialised place among the protagonists’ firearms. It is a practical alternative when a mission, encounter or player-created situation calls for a less lethal response, while its unusual effect makes it more than a cosmetic pistol sidegrade. It is not a general replacement for a standard sidearm: targets that cannot be safely controlled, encounters requiring rapid damage, and situations involving several threats favour other weapons.
GTA Online treats the weapon as separate availability context rather than simply extending every Story Mode assumption to the multiplayer arsenal. Its presence, purchase route and surrounding weapon-system support should be checked within the relevant Online-era content and current vendor or armoury rules. The Stun Gun’s core identity remains consistent across modes, but access and progression are not interchangeable between Story Mode and GTA Online.
The Stun Gun is consequently best understood as a situational control tool. It differs from lethal pistols through its intended outcome, and from explosives or automatic weapons through its more focused, target-specific application. Readers choosing it should first decide whether temporary incapacitation is useful in the encounter at hand; when the priority is reliable elimination, crowd pressure or long-range engagement, a conventional weapon is usually the more appropriate comparison.
Statistics
In-game values on GTA V's 0–100 stat bars, with the real magazine figure alongside. Taken from the project's verified weapons database, not from generated text.
- CategoryHandguns
- Magazine1
- Story ModeYes
- OnlineGTA Online: The Contract
- How to getAmmu-Nation
Figures verified against Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
Compared to similar handguns
| Weapon | Damage | Fire Rate | Accuracy | Range | Magazine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stun Gun | — | 10 | 25 | 8 | 1 |
| AP Pistol | 28 | 85 | 40 | 18 | 18 |
| Ceramic Pistol | 32 | 46 | 52 | 20 | 10 |
| Combat Pistol | 32 | 50 | 55 | 22 | 12 |
| Double-Action Revolver | 68 | 18 | 62 | 30 | 6 |
Damage, fire rate, accuracy and range are GTA V's own 0–100 stat scales; magazine is the real figure. From Consolidated Game Weapons Database.
How to Obtain
- Story Mode requires completion of “Monkey Business.”
- GTA Online requires access to an Agency with the Armory upgrade. No one-per-playthrough or NG+ restriction applies.
- 01Story Mode: complete the mission “Monkey Business.” After the mission, visit any Ammu-Nation and purchase the Stun Gun; it is a store weapon rather than a mission reward or enemy drop.
- 02GTA Online: use an Agency equipped with an Armory and purchase the Stun Gun from the Armory’s weapon counter. This is the Online route and is separate from the Story Mode Ammu-Nation unlock.
Availability
Requires Complete "Monkey Business" to unlock the Stun Gun for purchase.
This Story Mode availability is separate from GTA Online's Gun Van route.
Requires Requires the GTA Online version that includes the Cayo Perico Heist update; no separate rank requirement is stated here.
Gun Van availability and price are subject to the current stock rotation, so older listings may not describe the weapon's present availability.
Mechanics and Handling
The Stun Gun replaces conventional pistol damage with a short-range incapacitation effect. Its projectile shocks a person on a successful hit, interrupting their immediate actions and leaving them vulnerable while the effect lasts. It is therefore a control weapon rather than a dependable finishing firearm: its value comes from creating an opening, not from sustained gunfire.
Its handling rewards deliberate shots. The weapon fires one electrical projectile at a time, so missed shots create a meaningful opportunity cost and the Stun Gun is poorly suited to suppressing several targets at once. Aim for a clear line to the target; intervening geometry, distance and movement can make the projectile unreliable compared with an ordinary pistol.
Electrical projectile and incapacitation
A hit applies the Stun Gun's signature shock effect instead of ordinary bullet impact. The target is visibly disrupted and temporarily unable to fight normally, giving the user time to reposition, restrain the encounter or switch to another weapon. The effect is conditional on the projectile connecting; merely aiming at a target does not create a stun field or area effect.
The shock is most useful against an exposed individual. It does not turn the Stun Gun into a crowd-control weapon, and the weapon should not be treated as a guaranteed solution for every enemy type or combat situation. Repeated use against a target may be possible after the weapon is ready again, but the Stun Gun does not provide the immediate follow-up pressure of a conventional sidearm.
Shot timing and follow-up
After firing, the Stun Gun has a recovery cycle before another shot can be made. This makes timing important: fire when the target is committed to an action or when cover is available, rather than relying on rapid follow-up shots. Once a target is shocked, changing weapons is usually the practical way to capitalize on the opening, because the Stun Gun's role is disruption rather than damage output.
In Story Mode, this behaviour makes the weapon useful for controlled encounters and non-lethal-feeling takedowns where a temporary interruption is more valuable than immediate firepower. In GTA Online, the same basic control role must be weighed against player movement, latency and the possibility that another opponent attacks while the Stun Gun is recovering.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Best Uses
Strengths
- Its electrical discharge can temporarily incapacitate a person, creating an opening without immediately using a conventional lethal firearm.
- The Stun Gun can affect a target from beyond melee distance, making it useful for stopping a single exposed NPC before closing in or changing weapons.
- Its distinctive effect gives it a clear utility role: disabling a person matters more than dealing sustained firearm damage.
Weaknesses
- It is built for single-target control rather than clearing groups, so multiple attackers can overwhelm the user while the first target is disabled.
- Its limited effective range restricts it compared with pistols and other firearms, and missed shots are costly when the target is moving.
- The Stun Gun is a poor answer to vehicles and situations requiring sustained damage; its incapacitation effect does not replace a conventional weapon in prolonged firefights.
- Its firing and reload cycle makes follow-up attacks less immediate than with ordinary repeating firearms.
Best uses
- Use it against an isolated person when temporary incapacitation is more useful than immediate conventional gunfire.
- Use it to create a short opening for repositioning, escape, or a weapon switch rather than treating it as a primary firefight weapon.
- Keep a conventional firearm available for groups, vehicles, resistant targets, or any encounter where repeated damage is required.
Compared With Similar Weapons
| Weapon | Role and effect | Firing profile | Practical distinction from Stun Gun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stun Gun | Uses an electrical discharge to incapacitate a target rather than serving as a conventional lethal sidearm | Best suited to temporarily disabling a target; its utility is conditional on the target being within its effective reach | — |
| Pistol | Standard lethal firearm for repeated pistol fire | More suitable when the objective is direct lethal damage rather than temporary incapacitation | — |
| Heavy Pistol | Lethal sidearm with a stronger-feeling individual shot than the standard Pistol | Provides a conventional combat option where the Stun Gun's disabling effect is not useful | — |
| AP Pistol | Supports sustained automatic sidearm fire | A closer alternative for rapid conventional gunfire, while the Stun Gun remains the more specialized choice for disabling targets | — |
Used In
- Monkey BusinessIn Story Mode, the mission is associated with the Stun Gun's early use and its subsequent availability through Ammu-Nation.
- Ammu-NationStory Mode vendor associated with purchasing the Stun Gun after the relevant story progression.
- Agency ArmoryGTA Online vendor route for the Stun Gun, subject to the Agency and its armory being available.
- Gun VanGTA Online rotating vendor that can offer the Stun Gun; stock is not permanent and should be checked in the current game state.