Every gun in San Andreas levels up as you use it, and hitting Hitman level unlocks dual-wielding on four weapons plus run-and-gun aiming. Here is how the system works and how to grind it.
San Andreas's side missions are not filler: Paramedic, Firefighter, Vigilante and Taxi runs hand out permanent upgrades like extra health, armor and fireproofing. Here is every odd job and exactly what it gives you.
San Andreas was the biggest GTA map of its era: a whole state with three cities, desert, forest and farmland between them. Here is how the map is laid out, what each region is for, and how it unlocks.
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San Andreas tracks a separate skill level for each firearm, and leveling them up changes how CJ handles that weapon. The payoff at the top is significant: faster, more accurate fire, the ability to shoot while moving, and dual-wielding on a select few guns. Here is how the system works.
Each gun has three tiers: Poor, Gangster, and Hitman. You climb by firing rounds (and landing hits) with that specific weapon. Gangster sits in the middle of the meter; Hitman is the maxed top tier. The improvements stack as you go: better accuracy, longer lock-on range, a higher rate of fire, and faster strafing.
Reaching Hitman with a weapon is the goal, because it grants the best handling and, crucially, lets CJ fire while walking and strafing instead of standing still. For four specific weapons, Hitman also unlocks dual-wielding, where CJ holds one in each hand for double the output:
These four are also the slowest weapons to level, precisely because the dual-wield reward is so strong, so expect to put real time in.
The fastest way to level a weapon is sustained, hit-landing fire. A few practical approaches:
Combat in the original San Andreas is clumsy until your skills come up. A Hitman-level pistol or Micro SMG turns CJ from a stand-still shooter into a mobile, dual-wielding threat, which makes the back half of the campaign and the gang wars dramatically easier. If you only grind one thing, grind the Micro SMG: it is accurate, controllable, and devastating once dual-wielded.
