Handgun vs Star Cannon
The verdict
With crit factored in, Star Cannon puts out 286.0 DPS against 108.2 for Handgun — about 164% more damage per second. Base hits are Handgun 26 vs Star Cannon 55, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Star Cannon swings faster at a 12-tick use time versus 15, so it lands on-hit debuffs like ichor, procs set bonuses, and reapplies knockback more often — an edge the flat DPS figure understates.
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 | Star Cannon |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 26 | 55 |
| Use time | 15 ticks | 12 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 3 | 3 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 10 | 14 |
| Sells for | — | 10 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (55 vs 26).
- You prefer faster use time (12 ticks vs 15).
- Pure DPS matters most — Star Cannon wins by 178 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Handgun or Star Cannon? +
Handgun averages 108.2 DPS with crit. Star Cannon averages 286.0 DPS with crit. Star Cannon is ahead by 177.8 DPS.
Is Handgun or Star Cannon faster to use? +
Star Cannon has the shorter 12-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Handgun at 15 ticks.
Do Handgun and Star Cannon use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Ranged weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Handgun and Star Cannon from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.