Hand Cannon

"The PADDYWHACKER: A revolver with immense stopping power."

- Fink Manufacturing advertisement



The Paddywhacker, known in-game as the Hand Cannon, is a break-action revolver which is based on the 1851 Colt Navy revolver and can be used by Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite. It is an accurate and rather powerful firearm, strong enough to kill certain enemies with a single shot and even decapitate them entirely.

The revolver is seen in the Heavy Hitters Part 1: Motorized Patriots trailer when Booker encounters a Motorized Patriot. In the final game, the Hand Cannon can be first acquired when meeting up with Mr. Flambeau.

Gameplay
The revolver's cylinder holds six cartridges, and is single action. At most, the revolver can fire up to 75 rounds per minute, which is completely unnecessary, since Booker is limited to 24 total rounds, or six cylinders. The player first encounters the Hand Cannon immediately before entering the Plaza of Zeal the first time. From this point on, it is a relatively common weapon, though it is not used regularly by most enemies. Its primary drawbacks are its heavy recoil and slow firing rate; however, these disadvantages are offset by its extreme stopping power, comparable to the Bird's Eye or China Broom. Unlike those weapons, the Hand Cannon remains highly effective in mid-range combat, and is capable of killing most of the non-Heavy Hitters in one headshot, including in Hard mode. When taking on Heavy Hitters such as the Handyman, with the Hand Cannon's slow rate of fire, it is recommended to use Vigors that stun the opponent. Murder of Crows, Shock Jockey, or Undertow, allow the player to line up critical shots with minimal risk of retaliation. When using this gun with the Shock Jockey Vigor, you can have a clear headshot while the enemy is stunned, making it a great combination.

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea
In Episode One of Burial at Sea, Booker starts out with a Rapture Hand Cannon with only three bullets in the cylinder.

Advantages

 * High damage dealt
 * High accuracy
 * Critical damage
 * Damage increased with Head Master
 * Effective in close to mid-range combat
 * Relatively common
 * Extreme stopping power
 * Quick reload time
 * Quick Handed decreases reload time even further
 * Effective against Heavy Hitters (such as Handymen)

Disadvantages

 * Heavy recoil (though it can be reduced)
 * Slow rate of fire
 * Small magazine size

Behind the Scenes

 * Whether reloaded mid-magazine, or reloaded early, the Hand Cannon appears to have one round left in the chamber when reloaded.
 * An image in the gallery above depicts a pre-release Hand Cannon that was originally intended to be a solid frame revolver with a swing-out magazine. The final version found in BioShock Infinite, used by Booker, Founders and Vox alike, is instead a break-action revolver.
 * A manual ejection rod can still be seen situated under the barrel of the Hand Cannon albeit it being a break action. This is most likely left over from when the weapon had a swing out cylinder.
 * The Hand Cannon has a hexagonal barrel.
 * Leadhead Splicers in Burial at Sea use the Hand Cannon.
 * The Hand Cannon looks grossly oversized in the hands of Female Splicers, as opposed to the base game. But it is changed in Burial at Sea - Episode 2 as normal pistol size.