Every figure shows its source. Where a source is missing, the number is a placeholder — and it is never written as fact.

By GamGem ResearchLast updated 6 Oct 2026

No change to the Sawed-Off’s numbers in Valve’s file since May 2024.

CS2 weapon · Heavy · T side Sawed-Off

Valve: “High powered shotgun for close engagements.” The classic Sawed-Off deals very heavy close-range damage, but with its low accuracy, high spread and slow rate of fire, you'd better kill what you hit.

5 m20 m30 m40 m60 m
Target & armour
Buy Sawed-Off when…

Close fights only — it fires 8 pellets, and how many land decides the kill.

Valve’s buy menu: “Consider in force buy rounds.”
Buy recommended$1,100
$4,100 buys it with Kevlar and a helmet and leaves $2,000.
Price
$1,100
game data
Kill reward
$900
game data
Damage
32 × 8
game data
Armour pen
75%
derived
Fire rate
71 RPM
derived
Ammo
7 / 32
game data
Reload lock
0.47 s
game data
Run speed
210
game data
Penetration
1.0
game data
Accurate range
2.21 m
derived

Damage & kill outcomes @ 30 m

Damage per pellet, by zone and armour
ZoneNoneKevlarHelmet
Head191914
Chest433
Stomach644
Arms433
Legs333

Head vs Kevlar + helmet at 30 m: 14 damage per pellet.

derived · damage × range modifier^(units ÷ 500) × zone × armour, rounded down

Armour breakpoints

No breakpoints: it fires 8 pellets, and how many land decides the kill. One pellet to the head, against Kevlar + helmet:

  • 0 m96 per pellet
  • 5 m70 per pellet
  • 10 m51 per pellet
  • 15 m37 per pellet
  • 20 m27 per pellet

Damage over distanceper pellet

  • Head · no armour
  • Head · helmet
  • Chest · Kevlar
  • Chest · no armour
Here: 14 damage per pellet at 30 m.

1st shot spread

Every pellet in a 30 cm plate to2.21 m

At 30 m the pellets spread up to 207 cm from the crosshair — wider than this drawing.

derived · 0.1524 m ÷ (spread + inaccuracy) — Valve’s own 30 cm plate

Spray & firing mode

Phase
7 shells · 5.10 s of fire at 71 RPM · the magazine is empty.
Valve’s recoil inputs: kick 143 ± 22 · direction variance 20.Valve’s file holds these inputs, not the path the bullets take — so no path is drawn here.

Firing mode guidance

Pump-action — one blast of pellets per pump. How many land decides the kill.

Spread still varies shot to shot — a guide, not a guarantee.

What beats the Sawed-Off?

Weapon · edge30 m · headCost
Hits to kill from Valve’s file at your distance and armour — not win rates. Shotguns left out: pellets decide.

Economy context

  • Sawed-Off + Kevlar + helmet$2,100$2,000 left
  • Sawed-Off + Kevlar$1,750$2,350 left
  • Sawed-Off alone$1,100$3,000 left
  • Nova + Kevlar + helmet$2,050$2,050 left
Kill reward $900 — 2 kills pay the gun back. Armour: Kevlar $650, with helmet $1,000 (Valve’s items_game.txt).

Counterplay tips

  • Fight it beyond 2.21 m: past its standing accurate range even the first shot is not sure to land.
  • Catch it moving: on the move its first shot is only sure within 1.93 m.
  • It fires pellets — stay out of close range and it cannot kill in one shot.
  • It moves at 210 u/s — re-peek fast; it is slow to follow.
  • Drop its holder first: they lose a $1,100 gun, and each kill it makes pays them $900.

Pellets decide — 14 per pellet to a helmeted head at 30 m.

Buy now or save now?with $4,100

If you lose0 kills1 kill2 kills
+$1,400after winsbuy$3,400 nextbuy$4,300 nextbuy$5,200 next
+$1,900a half’s first lossbuy$3,900 nextbuy$4,800 nextbuy$5,700 next
+$2,400buy$4,400 nextbuy$5,300 nextbuy$6,200 next
+$2,900buy$4,900 nextbuy$5,800 nextbuy$6,700 next
+$3,400the capbuy$5,400 nextbuy$6,300 nextbuy$7,200 next
rule · ours: buy when a lost round still leaves $2,100 for it with full armour. Loss bonus and kill reward: Valve’s source

Share this scenario

30 m · Kevlar + helmet · headPellets decideBuy recommendedSawed-Off
gamgem.com/counter-strike-2/weapons/sawed-off#30m-helmet-head

Sources & evidence

Damage · armour · range
weapons.vdata · 10f3693c · 2026-09-23
Price · kill reward
$1,100 · $900
Fire rate · magazine
71 RPM · 7/32
Range modifier · penetration
0.45 · 1
Description · buy-menu lines
csgo_english.txt
Loss bonus · armour prices
gamemode_competitive.cfg · items_game.txt
Valve’s files, read 2026-10-06:weapons.vdataitems_game.txtgamemode_competitive.cfg

All the maths runs in your browser, from Valve’s weapon file (10f3693c, 2026-09-23).