If you spend enough time in ARC Raiders, you start to notice that not every fight needs to be loud. Sometimes the smartest move is to stay light, keep moving, and use a tool that lets you slip through trouble instead of kicking the door in. That is where the Hairpin comes in, and if you are still figuring out your build path, checking ARC Raiders BluePrints can help you see how this little sidearm fits into the wider gear loop. It is a compact pistol with a built-in silencer, made for players who like clean shots, quiet steps, and a bit of patience. What the Hairpin Actually Does The Hairpin is a single-action pistol that runs on Light Ammo. It is not the kind of weapon you pull out when you expect a messy stand-up fight. It feels more like a sidearm for people who plan ahead. The silence matters a lot. You can take out isolated targets without drawing every nearby enemy into the same fight, and that alone makes it useful in missions where noise gets you punished fast. Its handling is another reason people keep it around. The gun is easy to control, the recoil stays tame, and the whole thing feels quick in hand. That said, it is still a pistol. You are not carrying a full power rifle here. The Hairpin gives you control, not brute force. So when someone gets close or when a pack pushes you hard, you will feel the limits pretty quickly. Stats, Cost, and Crafting On paper, the Hairpin looks modest. It has 100 durability, an 8-round magazine, and single-fire operation. The damage sits at 20, fire rate at 9, range at 38.6, stability at 90.9, agility at 78.3, and stealth at 70. The armor penetration is very weak, which is the big warning sign. It can handle unarmoured targets fine enough, but once heavier protection shows up, the pistol starts to feel thin. Still, for a starter weapon or a backup tool, the stats are workable. If you do not feel like spending currency, Tian Wen sells the Hairpin for $1350, which is fair for a gun with this kind of niche. It is also easy to craft. You only need 2 Metal Parts and 5 Plastic Parts, plus Gunsmith Level 1 and Workbench Level 1. No blueprint is required. That low barrier makes it one of those weapons players can throw together early without building out a whole crafting setup first. How It Plays in Real Runs Where the Hairpin really earns its place is in runs where staying unseen matters more than winning straight trades. Solo players notice this fast. If you are sneaking through a zone, breaking line of sight, or trying to avoid turning a small mistake into a full alarm, the pistol gives you some breathing room. It is also handy for early farming, especially when you are moving through areas where you do not want to waste stronger ammo on minor threats. It is less useful once the action gets crowded. The small magazine means you cannot spray your way out of trouble, and the weak penetration makes armoured enemies a bad matchup. In squad play, that gap becomes even more obvious. Teammates may be dumping damage into a target while you are still trying to line up a safe shot. That is fine if you know your role. It is not fine if you expect the Hairpin to carry every fight. Treat it like a quiet utility piece, and it makes a lot more sense. Final Thoughts The Hairpin works best for players who enjoy a slower pace and do not mind picking their moments. It is cheap, simple to craft, and easy to control, which makes it a useful early pickup or a reliable backup when you want to keep a low profile. It will not win brawls against heavy targets, and it is not built for prolonged firefights, but that is not really the point. It is there for clean movement, quiet eliminations, and the kind of raids where not being noticed is half the win. If that sounds like your style, it is worth keeping in your loadout alongside the rest of your ARC Items.
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