"Getting to know your pistol on a more personal level"

Are you tired of seeing your pistol shots ineffective? Do people laugh when you pull it out? Do you just need to get in touch with your inner John Wooery?!

Then this guide is for you! Turn that secondary into a primary!

Question: But Sirus, aren't pistols underpowered and weak?
Answer: Nope.

You see, because of they're unlimited ammo they are tiny little powerhouses. Other guns have finite ammo, forcing shots to be taken carefully and considerately. With pistols you can pump a full clip into infected without worry of wasting ammo.

Question: But Sirus, isn't that overkill?
Answer: *chuckle* ...No! *fake smile* They're Zombies!

By using your pistols as your primary, you can always fall back onto your primary when the zombified pasta hits the fan. We'll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the pistols and how to use them to the best of their abilities.

Strengths and Weeknesses
The pistols (that's one for each hand) don't have quite the accurate range of the Assault Rifle or the Hunting Rifle. Nor do they have the power or pure amount of bullets in their clip. The shotgun too has a spread that the pistols nor any other weapon can match.

The only strengths that the pistols can claim are unlimited ammo and the most controllable bursts of any of the guns. That's right, you can choose if you want a full two clips of ammo to go into your zombied infected or just two shots.

Strategy
The pistols can't be treated like the other set of standard guns. The point of using the pistols is to conserve your ammo for the moments you need them most. Since audio cues and more predict these events, you're given ample time to switch to your primary weapon.

Timing is everything, if you can click fast enough, you'll hardly even recognize the semi automatic nature of the weapons. Quite simply they work well close quarters. They work even better if you're able to move around.

Indoors or outdoors you're gonna have to get close to the enemy, about point blank. Don't spend more than two shots on an enemy infected. Once you gather their attention, start running back and have them in a line. Then unleash your whole clip.

You can do the same running forward but only if you're not being chased from behind. Again never waste your ammo unless you've got them all in a line. Due to the controllable nature of the pistols your accuracy will be much better spraying than any of the primary weapons, as well as conserving that much needed ammo.

The main tactic here is to get the infected's attention then draw and quarter them in a line to mow them down with your pistols. Due to the expendable nature of the ammo you'll be much more effective.

When and Where
Pistols are definitely viable in Co-Op but still viable, only to a lesser degree, in Versus mode.

Pistols are for use against the common infected, not for the boss infected. You can still use your pistols on boomers. In fact it's ideal not to have to switch weapons for surprise boomer attacks.

During a horde rush don't switch to your primary just yet, you might as well go nuts and exhaust all your ammo on your pistols before you switch to your primary.

In Versus Mode, only pull out your pistols for running between infected spawns. The boss infected are gonna force you to waste a lot of ammo as it is. Using your pistols means you'll have more ammo for the boss infected.

There you go, you're well on your way to having doves in flight when you pull a pistol. Don't fight fiercer, fight smarter.