How To Get A Railgun In GTA Online (And GTA 5 Story Mode)

Appearing in nearly every major shooter from "Call of Duty" to "Halo" and even "Fortnite," the railgun is practically a staple of the first-person shooter genre at this point. In every iteration, it's big, it's powerful, it's the most brutal you can get without getting into explosives territory — and it's no wonder that "Grand Theft Auto 5" players are eager to know where and how to get this powerhouse to perforate the opposition.

Fortunately — or, rather unfortunately for any player on the receiving end — the railgun is a fairly simple gun to get in "GTA Online." However, it is restricted to certain missions and modes due to the fact that, while not nearly as destructive as some of the biggest cheats in "GTA Online," it has considerable killing power that just isn't fair to tote to every fight.

Another unfortunate fact is that it's simply just plain unavailable to certain unlucky players in story mode, making it a rather exclusive gun to gear your trio of protagonists with. If you're still looking to add this gun to your collection — perhaps alongside some of the rarest melee weapons in the game — here's a rundown on how and where to get the railgun in "Grand Theft Auto Online" and "Grand Theft Auto 5"'s story mode.

"GTA Online" allows you to purchase the railgun like any other weapon at the Gun Van — marked on your map via a van icon. Once you've purchased it and any upgrades you want, it's permanently yours to load into whatever missions that allow it, which are mostly limited to Adversary Modes and Bunker Missions (per GTABoom).

The trickier part is getting it in story mode, as mentioned above. The unfortunate aspect is that it's only ever available to returning "GTA 5" players — e.g., players who owned the game on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 and migrated to PS4 or XB1.

However, if you do qualify as a returning player, there are a few ways of getting it. One is to simply purchase it for $250,000 from the Ammu-Nation after completing the main story mission, "Minor Turbulence." The second, cheaper option is to go scuba diving after the mission to find it in the cockpit of the wrecked plane from the "Alamo Sea" mission.

A third method that takes even less effort — and may or may not be a slightly illegitimate way of getting the gun — is to head to the shooting range and try the bonus challenge, which will let you use a railgun for the duration of it. According to GTABoom, shooting yourself in the foot will kill you and respawn you outside with the railgun still in hand, bypassing the story mission requirement.