Attachments

Attachments are devices attached to a weapon to enhance a certain aspect of that weapon. Throughout the Metro system the player will find many types of guns that are either standard models of the weapon, meaning it has nothing attached to it, or that it will have some sort of attachment on it. In Metro 2033, weapons cannot be customized, but can be found with various attachments in the Metro. In Metro: Last Light the attachment options have been widened with customization possible in vendors, as well as a wider range of attachments available. The attachment system is introduced into Metro 2033 in Metro 2033 Redux.

Metro: 2033

Scopes

A Kalash with a scope

Some of the guns found in the Metro will have a scope attached to it, which allows the user to engage in long range combat. However there are only two levels in Metro 2033 big enough to allow long-distance sniping. Glares and oily thumbprints on the optics obstruct vision in the dark and this problem is made even worse with Night Vision Goggles equipped. Use of scopes is only recommended if the player wants precision. The Tihar and Helsing are practical with scope equipped because of their stealthy nature.

Bayonet

A Uboinik with a bayonet

The Bayonet is only available for the Uboinik Automatic Shotgun in Metro 2033. It greatly increases the user's melee damage, and it is quite handy if you do not have time to reload and mutants are very close. It could be handy for stealth kills, though many players will choose silenced weapon or throwing knives instead for sneaky approaches, no ammunition required is the bayonet's biggest advantage. There are no negatives to having this attached to the Uboinik, as it does not slow you down in any way, or restrict view like other attachments. The Bayonet is also featured on NPC versions of the Kalash, Kalash 2012 and the VSV but they are unusable. It was removed from the game in Redux.

Suppressor

The Suppressor, or more commonly known as a silencer, is an extremely useful attachment for those who prefer a stealthy approach in combat, or for those who need to remain stealthy in some levels. The suppressor allows the user to eliminate hostiles without alerting others of their location. The suppressor can work as a flash hider that eliminates muzzle flash, which can be easily noticed during firefight. It also reduces some of the recoil on the gun, increasing accuracy, but the bullets are slowed, meaning they inflict less damage on enemies. Some guns are naturally silent like those that use compressed air as a propellant such as the Tihar, Helsing, or the VSV, that has a suppressor built in. However, the Suppressor does not muffle a gun completely, so enemies will become suspicious when firing too close or missing a shot. The Suppressor is available for:

• Bastard
• Kalash 2012
• Revolver

Laser Sight

The Laser Sight is a hugely beneficial attachment on any gun as it increases the user's accuracy and is even more useful in the Ranger difficulties as the HUD is removed and there are no on screen crosshairs. With this attachment, you can aim without using scope or iron sight, as a red dot is projected wherever Artyom is aiming. Oddly enough, this cannot be seen by opponents. However, the red dot does not necessary point exactly where you are shooting while on the move. When shooting stationary, the Laser sight provides better accuracy.

The Laser sight is available for:

• Kalash 2012
• Kalash
• VSV

Extended Barrel

In Metro 2033 the Extended Barrel is exclusive to the Revolver and provides a huge improvement over the standard revolver, adding more accuracy to the gun and increasing the range.

Rifle Stock

The Rifle Stock is another attachment that is also exclusive to the Revolver. It greatly reduces the recoil of the gun and is always seen paired with either a Suppressor or an Extended Barrel. Using this turns the revolver into a small carbine.

Metro: Last Light

In Metro: Last Light you can find weapons with attachments like Metro 2033, but with enough Military-Grade ammo you can customize the attachments yourself at the weapon vendors. The prices of these attachments are different between difficulties; the higher difficulty you are playing, the more expensive the attachment costs, with one exception in D6, where you can equip and customize weapons for free. If you want, you can get some MGRs back by uninstalling your attachments. 

Reflex Sight

“	This pre-war sight makes aiming the gun at close and medium range easier, without sacrificing much of the field of view.	„
— Store description

The reflex sight, or red dot sight, is the cheapest power scope and is available for purchase for 25 MGR (37 on Hardcore). The Reflex sight has no magnification, like the IR sight. It is available right away at all gun kiosks and shops. Most smaller guns (non-heavy weapons) can support a reflex sight. It provides faster short-range target acquisition, but unless combined with the Laser Sight attachment it can make precise shots more difficult since despite its name it does not provide an actual dot, but rather a rounded reticle with no center marker. Adding the Laser Sight makes up for this, with the laser providing the actual "dot" at the center of the reticle. However, it is a cheap sight for early in the game that makes it easier to aim until more powerful scopes become available, and sometimes this is better than iron sight. Its one advantage over the other scopes is that it reduces vision a lot less than they do, so you can see more looking through it. This sight is good for close range combat, since you can line up your opponent faster than any other type of optics. It can be noted that the Reflex sight has very slight night-vision capability. Rather humorously, the ingame Reflex Sight is not based on a Russian design; it is in fact based on an American Sightmark Sure Shot red dot sight.

Infrared Sight

“	A piece of pre-war military tech, this Night Vision sight allows for precisely hitting targets in the dark.	„
— Store description

The IR sight is an unique sight. Unlike the other sights (that enhance zoom power), the IR scope uses heat signatures to point out enemies in dark locations, it's also very similar to the effect of the night vision goggles. When the NVGs are equipped, the effect of the IR scope is no longer apparent but unlike NVGs, the IR Scope has a clearer sight picture when aiming at distant targets at the expense of a narrow field of view. It is available since the Bolshoi level and onwards at all gun shops and kiosks much like the reflex sight. Later in the game, when you are affected by the Darkness, the IR scope will still work for some reason, unlike the flashlight or NVG, but its limited field of view makes it impractical compared to lighter; it does has one advantage, enemies never notice the IR scope while player is hidden. Which make this attachment good for subtle players. Its recommended to attach at least one gun with NVG scope that you can navigate through the dark without being seen, while the NVG goggles are better choice for this task but the NVG scope is avaliable much earlier on. The IR scope never seems to run out of the battery, like Laser sight and Reflex sight. It costs 35 MGR (52 on Hardcore).

2x Optical Sight

A fully upgraded Bastard. Equipped with a red laser sight and a 2x scope.

“	The pre-war, 2x Sight facilitates weapon aiming at medium range but limits the field of view, making it hard to use in the confines of tunnels.	„
— Store description

The 2x sight acts like the reflex sight but the zoom is much higher. It is the second most powerful zoom sight with the 4x sight being the first. It can be purchased in Bandit level and onwards. It costs 45 MGR (67 on Hardcore). It can be equipped by most weapons excluding all shotguns and the four sniper rifles, which have a 4x Optical sight instead. For players with low-performance PC, using this attachment could be problematic, as lag may occur while zoomed in. The scope itself is based on a Russian PO 3.5x21.

Suppressor

The Suppressor, or more commonly known as a silencer, is an extremely useful attachment for those who prefer a stealthy approach in combat, or for those who need to remain stealthy in some levels. The suppressor allows the user to eliminate hostiles without alerting others of their location or just used to blow out lights. It also reduces some of the recoil on the gun increasing accuracy, but the bullets are slowed, meaning they inflict less damage on enemies. Some guns are naturally silent such as the Tihar or Helsing, that use compressed air as a propellant. Unlike in Metro 2033, the VSV in Last Light now has a removable suppressor, but the weapon's usefulness is greatly reduced without it. Also, the Clapper has built-in suppressor, thus making purchasing one unnecessary. However, the Suppressor does not muffle a gun completely, so enemies will become suspicious when firing too close or missing a shot. The silencer also remove the muzzle flash for some weapons, making the user harder to detect. With all these stealth-related benefits, the suppressor is a recommended choice for at least one gun, although it costs 60 MGR on Hardcore.

The suppressor is available for:

• VSV
• Bastard
• Kalash 2012
• Revolver
• Ashot
• Duplet
• Shambler
• Lolife
• Kalash
• Saiga
• AKS-74U

Laser Sight

The Laser Sight is a hugely beneficial attachment on any gun as it increases the user's accuracy and is even more useful in the Ranger difficulties as the HUD is removed and there are no on-screen crosshairs. With this attachment, you can aim without using a scope or iron sight, as a red laser beam is projected wherever Artyom is aiming. In Last Light the lighter can be used with a weapon equipped, so adding a laser sight to the weapon can greatly improve accuracy while doing so. Oddly enough, this cannot be seen by opponents. It is best used together with the red dot sight/IR Scope for the best accuracy. The Laser sight is relatively cheap compared to other attachments, 22 MGRs on Hardcore, and most guns in game can attach this mod.

The Laser sight is available for:

• Kalash 2012
• Kalash
• VSV
• Revolver
• Saiga
• Hellbreath
• Duplet
• Lolife
• AKS-74U
• RPK
• Abzats
• Valve
• Preved
• Helsing
• Tihar
• Clapper

Extended Barrel

The Extended barrel makes a reappearance in Metro: Last Light, but instead of being exclusive for the revolver, it now can be attached to shotguns, pistols, and a few other weapons Artyom comes across. It again reduces recoil and increases accuracy, though at the cost of making pistols harder to wield. However, this apparent disadvantage does not appear to have any impact on gameplay. The Extended Barrel is a recommended attachment for the shotgun as it greatly reduces pellet spread, making it more accurate up close as well as increasing effective range. However, it is not necessary to install this while you are low on MGR, shotguns without extended barrel still has a moderate reach. This attachment costs 67 MGRs on Hardcore.

The extended barrel is available for:

• Revolver
• Shambler
• Duplet
• Lolife
• Ashot

Grips and stocks

Most secondary weapons can be fitted with some sort of stock or grip, like the Revolver with rifle stock in the previous game. They still increase accuracy and decrease recoil, greatly improving pistols. With the Bastard, it improves its primary weakness of recoil and puts the Bastard on equal footing with other assault rifles like the Kalash. A Lolife with a rifle stock, suppressor and extended magazines can be found in the locker in Facility, and is a powerful weapon so early in the game. Pistols with the full stock and foregrips become powerful carbines, especially if other attachments are added. The Duplet also has access to a grip and stock, greatly reducing the normally terrible recoil. The Stock cost 60 MGRs on Hardcore.

The rifle stock is available for:

• Revolver
• Lolife
• Ashot
• Bastard
• Duplet

4x Sight

The 4x sight is similar to the 2x sight, except that it (obviously) is twice as powerful. It is only useful for long range sniping, so can only be fitted to sniper rifles, as the shrink view may hamper quick aiming. Despite double the magnification, is visually similar to the 2x sight. It costs 67 MGRs on Hardcore.

The 4x sight is available for:

• Valve
• Preved
• Hellbreath
• Clapper

Extended Magazine

The extended magazine increases the ammunition capacity of guns (meaning you have to reload less), and thus is handy in a fight, especially with fast mutants like Nosalis. They come either as larger box magazines or drum magazines. The amount of capacity they increase varies per weapon.

The extended magazine is available for:

• Kalash (from 30 to 45 rounds)
• Saiga (from 10 to 20 rounds)
• AKS-74U (from 30 to 45 rounds)
• RPK (from 45 to 100 rounds)
• Abzats (from 20 to 40 rounds)
• Lolife (from 8 to 20 rounds)
• Valve (from 5 to 10 rounds)
• Preved (from 1 to 5 rounds)

The quad barrel attachment for the Duplet technically increases capacity from 2 to 4 rounds, but two shells are fired at once with the primary trigger, and four with the secondary, meaning you will still have to reload as often as before the upgrade - but it will deliver some serious firepower at close range.

Airtight Valve

The airtight valve is a very useful attachment for pneumatic weapons. If you can spare the MGRs, then it is a must. The valve stops the gradual leak of pressure from pneumatic weapons, meaning they will only lose pressure from firing rounds. This reduces the amount of times you have to pump the weapon, as well as meaning you can always be certain the weapon will fire, as long as you pump them after every fight. This also help turning them from long range stealth weapons into ones that can cope with close range attacks.

The airtight valve is available for:

• Helsing
• Tikhar

Flash Suppressor

The flash suppressor is only available on snipers and the Abzats shotgun. The suppressor reduces recoil, improves accuracy and reduces the flash of the weapon firing, meaning you will not be blinded in small tunnels, and enemies will not be able to see you fire it. However, it does not reduce the sound of the weapon, so enemies will still fire in your general direction. With no obvious drawbacks, it is a must for all long range snipers.  You can only purchase this upgrade in Depot, and it costs 60 MGRs on Hardcore. A free chance to get this upgrade is the armory just before the battle for D6.

The flash suppressor is available for:

• Abzats
• Preved
• Valve

Heat Sink

The Heat Sink is only available for the Bastard and reduces its primary weakness, overheating, by venting excess heat via longitudinal metal fins and reducing the need to manually vent the weapon after prolonged firing. This upgrade allows the player to fire Bastard automatically longer before it overheats. Heat Sinks cannot be bought, but instead are found (only) pre-fitted on various Bastards scattered throughout the environment.

The heat sink is available for:

• Bastard

Autofire Adapter

The Autofire Adapter is a device allowing normally semi-automatic weapons to fire fully automatically, obviously increasing rate of fire, but also increasing recoil, making it harder to control. In the Sniper team level, the Lolife you equipped already has this attachment. This attachment is pretty expensive, 90 MGRs on Hardcore.

The autofire adapter is available for:

• Lolife
• Abzats

Trivia

• In Metro 2033, the model of the scope used by all weapons except the Tihar is the Russian PK-AV Scope.
• The Tihar is the only weapon to use a unique scope. It uses a series of three aperture sights.
• In the Metro 2033 Launch Trailer as well as in the Prologue cutscene, Artyom is seen with a fully upgraded Kalash 2012 with a Bayonet, but in-game only the Bayonet-attached Automatic Shotgun is available to Artyom.
• The Bayonet attachment is not available in Metro: Last Light, as melee mechanics is changed.
• The Revolver has a gas seal system similar to the Nagant revolver, allowing it to be suppressed.
• The Laser sight is slightly different between games, in 2033, only a red dot can be seen, in Last Light and Redux version however, you can see the laser beam.
• The red dot sight seen in Metro: Last Light resembles the BSA Multi Dot Sight instead of the much more likely Russian-made Kobra, PK-ASV, PK-04 or some other equivalent. The many specialized shops in Moscow probably had this particular model or similar replicas in stock before the bombs fell. A few might even be scavenged from airsoft guns, given the popularity of the attachment in airsoft.
• The scope in Metro: Last Light resembles the Russian PK-A red dot optic, with chevron style reticle similar to the one found on PSO-1 optic.
• The 4X optic is based on PSO-1 scope, first used by Dragunov SVD.
• The Flash Suppressor seems to be based on the arrow head muzzle break that normally used by Anti-Materiel rifles like Barrett M82 or the French PGM Hecate II.