CS2 Weapons in Real-Life: Discover the Real Counterparts

Counter-Strike isn’t the most realistic game in the world (and not the least realistic game in the world either, cough cough Call of Duty), but nevertheless, it draws inspiration from real-life weaponry. In this article, we’ll tell you all about every weapon’s real-life counterpart, starting with…

CZ75-Auto

The CZ75-Auto is a modified version of the Czech CZ75 coming from Ceska Zbrojovka, the former national arms manufacturer of Czechia.

In real life, the weapon shoots pretty similarly to its CS2 equivalent, firing off a quick fully automatic burst whenever the trigger is held.

Desert Eagle

Designed by Magnum Research and Israel Military Industries, the real-life Desert Eagle has been around since 1983, having undergone some small changes since. It’s a very adaptable weapon taking many cartridges, and Counter-Strike gives a pretty realistic representation of the weapon all in all.

Dual Berettas

The Dual Berettas are inspired by the Beretta 92 manufactured in Italy. The idea to make them dual wielded stems from their use as dual-wielded pistols in John Woo’s classic Hong Kong action movies like Hard Boiled.

The game itself isn’t quite sure as to which version is actually used, between the 9mm Parabellum and .40 S&W, as the buy menu and interface differ on that account. We’re going to assume the former is correct, though.

Five-seveN

Produced by FN Herstal in Belgium, the real-life version of this weapon has actually been developed in conjunction with another CS2 gun in the P90. The weapon was launched in 2000 and has been used by law enforcement from Poland to Nepal. We wonder if it’s as destructive as it is in CS2, but surely, it must be reliable.

Glock-18

One of the most popular pistols in the world, the Glock-18 is manufactured in Austria and has been used by militaries and law enforcement (as well as gangs) all over the world ever since 1982. This particular model of the Glock allows users to select a full-auto mode, which is also present in Counter-Strike in the burst fire mode that is rarely used in Counter-Strike.

P2000

Designed by German Heckler & Koch, the P2000 was created in the early 2000s for the German Customs Organization, fittingly enough, as a successor to the USP, as the agency needed a more compact pistol. Ever since then, however, it was dropped by the German Customs, but used by law enforcement in Germany, Canada, and Japan, as well as ironically enough, Customs officers in the US.

R8

Actually The Smith & Wesson 327 R8, this model is a modernized version of a classic revolver. The original model has been in production since 1935; however, the refreshed versions appeared in the early 2000s. The Counter-Strike version is definitely a bit of a fictional invention, but hey… At least the look’s there.

Tec-9

Developed by Swedish-American Intratec, the Tec-9 is a weapon that’s mostly associated with American gangs because of its relatively low price and high fire rate. It has been made illegal in some states, but fortunately for us, it’s legal in Counter-Strike.

USP-S

Designed by Heckler & Koch, the USP has been in service since 1993 as a weapon to be used by law enforcement. The most interesting thing about this gun in real-life is that it has 9 different “trigger styles” allowing users to swap the trigger for one that fits them best.

Mid-Tier

MAC-10

While it may look like it’s a pretty modern gun, this one is actually one of the oldest guns in Counter-Strike when it comes to real-life, having been made since 1970 by the Military Armament Corporation, and has even seen action in the Vietnam War. Not bad for an SMG.

The civilian version of this weapon has actually been banned in the United States between 1994 and 2004 under the Assault Weapons Ban.

MP5-SD

Another Heckler & Koch invention, the MP5-SD is a silenced (and very much real) version of the MP5, a submachine gun even older than the Mac-10, having been around since 1966. The suppressed version was introduced in 1973, with the letter standing for Schalldämpfer, which literally means “sound suppressor”, with the suppressor actually being built-in to the gun. Eventually this design was replaced by another CS2 weapon - the UMP-45.

MP7

As you could’ve guessed by the name, the MP7 is another Heckler & Koch weapon, designed to compete against the FN P90. While being designed in 1989 to meet NATO requirements, the weapon only went into production in 2001. The reason for this development was the fact that more and more combatants used soft-body armor, making the likes of the MP5 inefficient. The MP7 uses 4.6x30mm cartridges that are designed to penetrate that armor, making the CS2 equivalent very much a realistic one.

MP9

Surprise, this one isn’t designed by Heckler & Koch! Instead, it’s another German partnership in Brügger & Thomet. This selective-fire submachine gun was created for the German military in 2001 (hence the name Maschinenpistole 9), and been in use ever since.

The MP9 is actually an evolution of the Steyr TMP, after B&T bought the design from Steyr and added some safety and quality-of-life features to the gun, and fittingly enough, has replaced the TMP in Counter-Strike as the game evolved.

PP-Bizon

Actually the PP-19 Bizon, this is a nepo-baby baby, as it has been created by Victor Kalashnikov (son of Mikhail Kalashnikov of AK-47 fame) and Alexei Dragunov (son of Yevgeni Dragunov of SVD fame). Created for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1993, the design features a unique helical magazine, allowing it to hold 64 rounds. It’s used mainly in Russia, however it also has seen use by the Vietnamese forces.

P90

Created by the Belgian FN Herstal along with the Five-seveN, it actually uses the same ammunition as the pistol. The name derives from its project codename - Project 90. With its compact bullpup design, it’s been popular with law enforcement agencies all over the world, and also seen action in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

UMP-45

Back to Heckler & Koch we go with the UMP, a 2000 successor to the MP5. The U stands for Universal, making this the Universal Machine Pistol to highlight its new design. Yet, despite their best efforts, the UMP still hasn’t become as popular as the MP5, however, it’s been a hit among military personnel, being deployed in Iraq, as well as in the US, where .45 ACP cartridges are very popular.

MAG-7

Created by South African Techno Arms, the MAG-7 is a pump action shotgun in production since 1995. It was designed for close quarters combat, with a civilian version also being made, featuring a non-detachable wooden stock. Despite not being too popular with law enforcement at first due to early development pains, the weapon has become widespread ever since the manufacturer fixed said issues.

Nova

Developed by Italian Benelli, this Italian shotgun has been in production since the 1990s, with its primary use being hunting and self-defense, with hunting, tactical and “supernova” variants being introduced for the various users. The version we see in Counter-Strike is the Tactical variant.

Sawed-Off

The Sawed-Off is the first weapon on this list not to have an obvious real-life inspiration, however, we know it’s been inspired by the Remington 870 (or, as the engraving says, the Relphington 808). That’s because Sawed-off shotguns are what the name says. Shotguns with a barrel shortened with a saw. The model the Sawed-Off is based on has been around since 1951, created by the defunct American Remington Arms Company and now produced by Remington Firearms.

XM1014

Another Benelli creation, the XM1014 was actually originally named the Benelli M4, however, the US military designated it as an experimental weapon (hence the X), before eventually dropping the letter, meaning that in real-life the XM1014 is actually the M1014. The weapon uses a proprietary auto-regulating gas-operated system (ARGO), allowing it to become the semi-automatic shotgun it is. Ever since its introduction in 1999, it has been used in many conflicts around the world, including the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine.

M249

This weapon introduced in 1984 is an adaptation of the FN Herstal’s LMG, the FN Minimi (what a name!) created for the US Armed Forces. Produced by their American subsidiary, FN Manufacturing, the weapon is also known as the M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) and aims to combine the portability of an assault rifle with the rate of fire of the machine gun. In 2022, it was replaced by the SIG Sauer XM250. We wonder, will Counter-Strike do the same in the future?

Negev

Designed by Israel Weapon Industries and named after the Negev desert, the Negev is in production since 1995, and we must say this clearly, IS NOT ACTUALLY A SUPER-PRECISE LASER GUN. In real-life, it’s an LMG closer to the M249 and is used by the Israeli military, along with its 2012 update, the Negev NG-7 (NG standing for Next Generation).

Rifles

AK-47

Perhaps the most iconic rifle in both Counter-Strike and real-life, the AK (Avtomat Kalashnikova, Kalashnikov’s Automatic) has been in production since 1949, making it Counter-Strike’s oldest weapon. This is an example of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” In 2004, research indicated that out of 500 million firearms in the world, 75 million were AK-47’s.

Designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov and produced by his concern among others, this weapon is reliable, cheap, and available, making it popular among armies and terrorists alike. Simply said, it’s iconic. For the wrong reasons, but it’s iconic.

AUG

The AUG might look futuristic, but it’s actually not much younger than the Kalashnikov. Designed in the 1960s and launched in 1978 by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the AUG is the weapon of choice for the Austrian Armed Forces, owing to its bullpup design. It was one of the weapons banned in the US between 1994 and 2004 due to the assault weapons ban, but it is now available legally throughout.

AWP

The British Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifle has been in production since 1982, with one of the variants being the Arctic Warfare Police, or AWP. However, many gun aficionados have argued that this variant is actually the Arctic Warfare Military, or AWM, given its cartridge and appearance. Whatever the case, they’re the variant of the same gun, and AWMing just doesn’t have the same ring that AWPing has.

FAMAS

Another futuristic-looking rifle that has been around since the bullpup revolution in 1978, the FAMAS stands for Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne, meaning 'Assault rifle from the Saint-Étienne Weapon Factory’, which is quite literal, we must say. Developed in Saint-Étienne, France, it has also come to be called “The Bugle” (that’s a brass instrument in case you have to google it) by French troops. It’s been the primary rifle of the French army for years, but is now being phased out in favor of the HK416F (aka the weapon that killed Osama Bin Laden) and will only remain in use until 2028. We wonder… when that happens, will it also be replaced in Counter-Strike?

G3SG1

Another Heckler & Koch creation (in collaboration with the Spanish CETME), this rifle has been around since 1959, and its design contributed to a lot of other weapons, including the MP5. The SG is its sharpshooting variant. The rifles for this variant were actually selected from the production line if they performed well in the shooting tests, before being adapted to snipers’ needs.

Galil AR

Another Israel Military Industries creation, named after designer Yisrael Galili, the weapon has been in use since 1972 and is still in use by the Israel Defence Force. The weapon actually traces its lineage to the AK-47, as it’s inspired by the Finnish RK 62, which in turn was designed based on the Kalashnikov. That’s because soldiers who captured AK-47’s during the Yom Kippur war notably said that it’s better than anything that the Israeli Army was currently using. Thus, the Galil was born as the Kalashnikov of the desert, making its placement beside it on the T-Side somehow fitting.

M4A4/M4A1-S

Developed by Colt since 1987, the M4 is as iconic as the AK-47, not just in Counter-Strike, having been the primary weapon of the US Military for the past 30+ years, with only the previously used M16 being comparable.

However, in Counter-Strike, only one of the weapons is actually real. The M4A1 is a real variant, and the S stands for the suppressor, however the actual weapon it’s modeled on is the older M16A1, not the variant named. The A4 is entirely a Counter-Strike invention to create an alternate version that is suggested to be a future development, even though it looks like a realistically modified version of the A1.

In real life, we’re not getting an A4, as the US military has decided to go with the SIG XM7 instead. Will Counter-Strike follow suit? We will see.

SCAR-20

FN Herstal is really chasing Heckler & Koch for the “best manufacturer” title here, as the other autosniper is a sharpshooting variant of the FN SCAR. The weapon was originally created for the US SOCOM special forces in 2004, making it one of the newest weapons on the list, and the Mk 20 is a sharpshooting variant of the gun. Even though SOCOM backed out of purchasing more, it’s still been in use in many conflicts around the world.

SG 553

Designed by the Swiss Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG) in the 90s, the SG 553 (standing for Sturmgewehr - assault rifle) is a variant of the SG 550 that was released in 2008, making the exact version the newest weapon in Counter-Strike (along with our next entry). The weapon itself is based on an earlier SIG, the 540. The particular variant in Counter-Strike features a rail for scope mounting (used in CS), and is used by the Swiss military and a few law enforcement agencies.

SSG 08

Produced by Austrian Steyr (of AUG fame, in case you forgot), this bolt-action rifle is the newest weapon on our list, with its launch coming in 2008. It has a folding stock and uses .308 Winchester rounds. Used mostly by law enforcement, this cool sniper rifle might be (relatively) new to the world but sure packs a punch.

And that’s all for this one! These real-life variants of the gun are fun… but they don’t have amazing skins, which you can buy on PirateSwap. What are you waiting for? Get yer skin treasure today!

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CZ75-Auto

Desert Eagle

Dual Berettas

Five-seveN

Glock-18

P2000

R8

Tec-9

USP-S

Mid-Tier

MAC-10

MP5-SD

MP7

MP9

PP-Bizon

P90

UMP-45

MAG-7

Nova

Sawed-Off

XM1014

M249

Negev

Rifles

AK-47

AUG

AWP

FAMAS

G3SG1

Galil AR

M4A4/M4A1-S

SCAR-20

SG 553

SSG 08

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