Handgun vs Musket
The verdict
With crit factored in, Handgun puts out 108.2 DPS against 62.8 for Musket — about 72% more damage per second. Base hits are Handgun 26 vs Musket 31, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Handgun swings faster at a 15-tick use time versus 32, so it lands on-hit debuffs like ichor, procs set bonuses, and reapplies knockback more often — an edge the flat DPS figure understates.
Musket also carries the higher base crit chance (8% vs 4%), which scales further with crit-boosting armor and accessories.
For crowd control, Musket hits with more knockback (5.25 vs 3), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Ranged weapons, so the same armor set and class accessories buff either one — you can swap between them without rebuilding your loadout.
Stat-by-stat
computed| Stat | Handgun | Musket |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 26 | 31 |
| Use time | 15 ticks | 32 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 8% |
| Knockback | 3 | 5.25 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 10 | 9 |
| Sells for | — | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You prefer faster use time (15 ticks vs 32).
- Pure DPS matters most — Handgun wins by 45.4 DPS.
- You want higher raw damage per hit (31 vs 26).
- You're stacking crit-chance gear (+4% over Handgun).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Handgun or Musket? +
Handgun averages 108.2 DPS with crit. Musket averages 62.8 DPS with crit. Handgun is ahead by 45.4 DPS.
Is Handgun or Musket faster to use? +
Handgun has the shorter 15-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Musket at 32 ticks.
Do Handgun and Musket use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Ranged weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Handgun and Musket from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.