Last Of Us Part 1 Best Weapon Upgrades [All Guns]

our Last Of Us Part 1 Best Weapon Upgrades detailed guide lists all important upgrades for the weapons you will find in the game.

The Last of Us Part I has a variety of different weapons that may be used in fights against humans and infected NPCs equally. You’ll need to be quick on your feet to get out of these predicaments alive, especially if you do not wish to see Ellie or Joel being cruelly killed. That is why our The Last of Us Part 1 best weapon upgrades guide lists top-tier weapon mods you should install first. 

Key Takeaways
  • Invest in Weapon Holster for extra weapon capacity.
  • Increase Rate of Fire for the 9mm Pistol for quick escapes.
  • Upgrade El Diablo’s bullets to Armor Piercing for high damage.
  • Improve reload speed and fire rate of the Revolver.
  • Upgrade components of the Shorty, such as bullet spread and fire rate.
  • Increase the range of the Bow for quiet long-range eliminations.
  • Upgrade scope and armor-piercing capabilities of the Hunting Rifle for lethal performance.

Related: Last Of Us Part 1 Weapon Tier List

Our video guide will also help you grasp the overall weapon upgrades faster, so consider watching it as well:

YouTube video

Before we begin, let’s check out a summarized overview of all the Best Weapon Upgrades in TLOU:

WeaponsLocationMaximum AmmoWeapon UpgradeClip Capacity
9MM PistolThe Quarantine Zone20 bullets(base)
28 bullets (upgraded)
Reload Speed x3
Fire Rate x3
Clip Capacity x4
6 bullets (base)
14 bullets (upgraded)
El DiabloTommy’s Dam7 bullets (base)
9 bullets (upgraded)
Reload Speed x3
Fire Rate x3
Clip Capacity x2
Armor Piercing x2
1 bullet (base)
3 bullets (upgraded)
RevolverThe Outskirts18 bulletsReload Speed x3
Fire Rate x3
6 bullets
ShortyThe Suburbs6 shells (base)
10 shells (upgraded)
Reload Speed x2
Fire Rate x3
Clip Capacity x4
Recoil x2
Spread x2
2 shells (base)
6 shells (upgraded)
BowBill’s Town9 arrowsReload Speed x1
Range x3
Draw Speed x3
1 arrow
Pump ShotgunBill’s Town14 shells (base)
18 shells (fully upgraded)
Reload Speed
Fire Rate
Clip Capacity
Recoil
Range
4 shells (base)
18 shells (fully upgraded)
Hunting RifleThe Outskirts7 bullets (base)
9 bullets (upgraded)
Reload Speed x2
Clip Capacity x2
Scope x2
Armor Piercing x2
Power x1
1 bullet (base)
3 bullets (upgraded)
The FlamethrowerThe University200 FuelReload Speed x2
Range x1
Power x1
100 Fuel

Weapon Holsters

Holster Upgrade Last of us Part 1 best weapon upgrades

First things first, let’s talk about the holsters. Investing in holster modifications is essential since doing so enables you to store more weapons in the quick slots of your holster and makes it much simpler to use those weapons. In the latter part of the game, when you may need to switch from using a shotgun, a rifle, and El Diablo all inside the same encounter, knowing how to do this well is essential to your success.

9MM Pistol

9mm Pistol Last of us Part 1 weapon mods
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
9mm Pistol The Quarantine Zone
  • 20 bullets(base)
  • 28 bullets (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (3)
  • Fire Rate (3)
  • Clip Capacity (4)
  • 6 bullets (base)
  • 14 bullets (upgraded)

The 9mm pistol needs to be the next one on your list of The Last of Us best weapon upgrades when it has been completed. Although it is not necessarily required, it might be of great assistance when playing in the early stages. Increasing the weapon’s rate of fire will be beneficial against a large number of foes. Especially in situations when they swarm, and you are pressed up against a corner.

El Diablo

El Diablo Last of us Part 1 weapon upgrades
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
EI Diablo Tommy’s Dam
  • 7 bullets (base)
  • 9 bullets (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (3)
  • Fire Rate (3)
  • Clip Capacity (2)
  • Armor Piercing (2)
  • 1 bullet (base)
  • 3 bullets (upgraded)

In The Last of Us Part 1, El Diablo is, without a doubt, the strongest sidearm in terms of its overall performance. It just takes one or two bullets from this beast to take down an opponent, and it even has sight so that it can function almost exactly like a portable rifle.

Revolver

Revolver Last of us Part 1 weapons
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
Revolver The Outskirts 18 bullets
  • Reload Speed (3)
  • Fire Rate (3)
6 bullets

When it comes to pistols, the improvement that you should prioritize for the standard pistol is capacity improvement. However, the upgrades that you should prioritize for the revolver are the reload speed improvement and the firing rate upgrade. This is the sidearm that you will depend on the most and use the most of the time!

There are just two sorts of upgrades that can be purchased for this six-shooter, but the ability to rapidly reload a gun once it has run out of ammunition is more significant than gradually increasing the rate of fire.

Shorty

Shorty Last of us Part 1 weapon upgrades
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
Shorty The Suburbs
  • 6 shells (base)
  • 10 shells (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (2)
  • Fire Rate (3)
  • Clip Capacity (4)
  • Recoil (2)
  • Spread (2)
  • 2 shells (base)
  • 6 shells (upgraded)

Since this sawed-off shotgun will never become a long-range weapon, why not focus on what it does well instead? Anyone who tries to go near to you once you’ve upgraded the spread of your shots is going to become a tangled mass of blood and body pieces quickly.

This sawed-off should be turned into a short-range weapon by the players by increasing its capacity to knock down several targets in a short amount of time in rapid succession.

Bow

Bow Last of us Part 1 weapon upgrades
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
Bow Bill’s Town 9 arrows
  • Reload Speed (1)
  • Range (3)
  • Draw Speed (3)
1 arrow

In The Last of Us Part 1, the bow is the unheralded weapon for Joel & Ellie. This is the only weapon in the game that allows you to sneak up on enemies from a distance, and it even has a possibility of allowing you to take arrows from enemies you kill.

First and foremost, you should improve the Bow’s range. The Bow is one of the strongest alternatives for stealth and ranged combat in the game since it gives you the potential to hit headshots on foes that are quite a distance away while remaining silent. It will take some time and effort to become proficient with the Bow, but once you do, it will make it much simpler to eliminate adversaries, particularly when you are at a distance.

Pump Shotgun

Pump Shotgun Last of us Part 1 weapon improvements
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
Shotgun Bill’s Town
  • 14 shells (base)
  • 18 shells (fully upgraded)
  • Reload Speed
  • Fire Rate
  • Clip Capacity
  • Recoil
  • Range
  • 4 shells (base)
  • 18 shells (fully upgraded)

You are going to need to make improvements to all three of these aspects of the Shotgun: its range, its capacity, and its recoil. Since this will be one of the weapons you use the most, it is in your best interest to invest in its modifications.

The shotgun is already a lethal weapon, and therefore in order to bring its rounds under control, you need to concentrate on their precision and where they should be placed.

You have the ability to reduce the recoil by two levels, each of which will cost you 15 and 40 scraps, accordingly. Your next best choice is the range in this situation.

Hunting Rifle

Hunting Rifle Last of us Part 1 weapon upgrades
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
Hunting Rifle The Outskirts
  • 7 bullets (base)
  • 9 bullets (upgraded)
  • Reload Speed (2)
  • Clip Capacity (2)
  • Scope (2)
  • Armor Piercing (2)
  • Power (1)
  • 1 bullet (base)
  • 3 bullets (upgraded)

There is no question that this firearm comes with a number of highly pricey upgrades, but it is in everyone’s best interest to get all of them. The sight is the essential The Last of Us weapon modification that should be acquired as soon as possible for the rifle.

This will be of great assistance, in particular for the portions of the game that take place in open locations. Following that, you have to put some of your money into Power and Armor-piercing.

The Flamethrower

Flamethrower Last of us Part 1 best weapon upgrades
Name Location Maximum Ammo Weapon Upgrade Clip Capacity
Flame Thrower The University 200 Fuel
  • Reload Speed (2)
  • Range (1)
  • Power (1)
100 Fuel

Last but not least, you should invest your components in the flamethrower so that you may extend its range and increase the intensity of its flames. Due to the fact that the Flamethrower does damage over time, it is imperative that you eliminate all foes before they can reach you.

If you increase the damage potential of the Flamethrower, foes will fall even more quickly, which will enable you to preserve ammunition for dangers that are farther down the line. When you are armed with a flamethrower, there is virtually nothing that can stop you from accomplishing your goals.

My Recommendation For The Best Upgrades In Last Of Us Part 1

After getting the platinum and going through its many difficulties, the best hurdle I found in combat was the lack of a quick switch between weapons. Bullets and ammo are scarce in Last of Us Part 1, which further incentivizes the constant switching of weapons in any given encounter. So, buying holsters for all of its weapons should be your top priority.

Last of Us Part 1
Last of Us Part 1 Sphinx Profile

Once you have all the required holsters, your second priority should be upgrading the damage and ammo capacity of the Shotgun, as it will be your go-to weapon for close-quarter combat against clickers. Afterwards, try to prioritize the rifle, bow and El Diablo, as they will be your main means of long-range combat.

Also, consider going through our following guides as well:

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Hamid Ali is a Guides Writer & Editor on eXputer who occasionally covers Game Codes. He is a huge Doom fanatic and loves to melt his stress away in titles such as God of War games and Elden Ring. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Hamid’s been writing and updating about the majority of games for several years. Hamid's gaming experience can be verified on his Steam and PSN profiles.

Experience: 3+ Years || Education: Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.

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