Arc Raiders Bantam: Stats, Hip-Fire Tips and Anvil Verdict

The Arc Raiders Bantam is a heavy-ammo revolver that arrived with the Frozen Trail update, and players already want to know if it beats the Anvil. Embark has confirmed the basics, but damage numbers and the blueprint source are still unpublished, and guessing wrong wastes heavy ammo.

This guide covers what is verified on launch day, how the Bantam differs from the Anvil, and how to use its hip-fire.

Table of Contents

• What is the Arc Raiders Bantam?
• Bantam stats
• How Bantam hip-fire works
• Bantam vs Anvil
• How to get the Bantam
• Using the Bantam on Pendola Pass
• Can you amplify the Bantam?
• Key takeaways
• FAQ

What is the Arc Raiders Bantam?

The Bantam is a snub-nosed, double-action revolver that fires heavy ammo. In its Frozen Trail first-look post, Embark says it is effective against both ARC and Raiders and comes with a unique hip-fire capability for the “cowboy fantasy.”

It launched on October 8 next to the Stiletto, a light-ammo battle rifle. See our Frozen Trail update guide for the full patch. The Bantam is the second hand cannon in the game, after the Anvil.

Bantam stats

Embark has not published a full stat sheet. The ARC Raiders wiki’s Bantam page was last edited the day before launch and is still marked as a stub. Treat every row below as provisional until that page is filled in.

The wiki’s one-line summary points to good handling and damage, offset by low accuracy, control and range. That reads like a gun built for short fights, which fits how Embark pitches the hip-fire.

How Bantam hip-fire works

Embark’s official line is short: a snub-nosed revolver with a unique hip-fire capability. The detail comes from hands-on coverage and developer comments.

Inven Global’s hands-on preview says the Bantam overlaps with the Anvil in role but trades accuracy for faster response. It also reports a subtle delay between pressing the trigger and the shot landing.

A real double-action revolver explains why. One trigger pull cocks the hammer and releases it, so the pull is longer than on a single-action gun where the hammer is cocked first. Embark has not confirmed that the delay is intentional, but the Anvil is listed as single-action and the Bantam is not.

A recap of Embark’s September 25 developer Q&A adds two claims, both from one source:

• The Bantam reportedly fires faster from the hip than when aiming down sights.
• The suggested pattern is to soften a target at medium range, then push in and finish with hip fire. Hip-fire accuracy is described as loose, which makes it a high-risk, high-reward finisher.

Practical takeaways that follow from those descriptions:

1. Open with aimed shots at mid range. The wiki rates range as low, so do not expect to win long duels.
2. Commit to hip fire only inside close range. Loose accuracy punishes hip-firing from a distance.
3. Expect a beat between pull and shot. Start squeezing early on moving targets instead of waiting for a perfect line.
4. Do not run the Bantam as your only gun. A revolver finisher needs something to start the fight.

These tips are inferred from published descriptions, not from tested damage numbers. Retest them once exact stats appear.

Bantam vs Anvil

Embark itself frames the Bantam as a contrast to the Anvil. The Anvil numbers below come from the wiki’s Anvil page, which was edited on launch day.

For how the Anvil ranks across the roster, see our weapons tier list.

Precision verdict: the Anvil. Its 40 damage, 2.5x headshot multiplier and high stability make it the gun for placed shots.

Close-range verdict: the Bantam looks like the better finisher on paper, since it responds faster and Embark built a hip-fire mode around it. Without a published damage figure, that is a read of design intent, not a measured result.

Magazine verdict: the Bantam wins if the 8-round figure holds. The Anvil holds six.

One practical overlap: both guns use heavy ammo, so you can run either from the same stack.

How to get the Bantam

As of launch day, no source states where the Bantam blueprint drops or what its crafting recipe costs. The wiki page lists no sources, recipe or trader for the weapon.

What is known:

• Both new guns are described as uncommon-tier additions meant to add early-game variety, per the developer Q&A recap.
• The Anvil, by comparison, requires a learned blueprint (see our blueprint guide), a Gunsmith 1 workbench and a recipe of 5 Mechanical Components and 6 Simple Gun Parts, per its wiki page. Do not assume the Bantam follows the same recipe.

What to do now:

• Read our new weapons guide for how it compares with the Stiletto.
• Check the Gunsmith recipe list and the trader inventories in-game for a Bantam entry.
• If neither shows it, treat it as a drop and watch the wiki page, which should gain a Sources section as players report findings.
• Ignore reseller listings. Shops were advertising Bantam “preorders” before the update shipped, selling delivery of an item nobody could verify existed.

This is the section most likely to change in the first week. Recheck it before publishing a loadout built on the Bantam.

Using the Bantam on Pendola Pass

Pendola Pass is the new Frozen Trail map, an abandoned Italian mountain village with a supermarket, a town square, an observatory and a buried train depot, according to Embark’s first-look post.

The developer Q&A recap describes the map as a mix of mid-range rooftop fights and close-quarters points of interest that are linked so players can stay in cover. That is the environment the Bantam’s soften-then-finish pattern fits: aimed shots across a street, then hip fire when a fight spills into a doorway or stairwell.

Two cautions:

• The Bantam’s range is rated low, so rooftop-to-rooftop exchanges favor longer-range weapons.
• Storms on the map reportedly open stocked shelters that draw other Raiders to the same spot. Those are tight, contested fights where a fast-responding sidearm has an obvious role.

Can you amplify the Bantam?

Not yet. Amplified Weapons are a fifth quality tier unlocked through the Outpost’s Research Workstation, and Embark confirmed the system launches with 15 weapons. The developer Q&A recap says the Stiletto and Bantam have no amplified versions in this update, with more likely later.

The Anvil is on the amplification list. The recap says the Anvil Splitter mod becomes a stronger Anvil amplification, so the Bantam’s older sibling gains an upgrade path the Bantam lacks for now.

Key takeaways

• The Bantam is a heavy-ammo, double-action revolver added in Frozen Trail on October 8.
• Embark says it is effective against ARC and Raiders, with a dedicated hip-fire mode.
• Hands-on coverage describes faster response and lower accuracy than the Anvil, plus a slight delay after the trigger pull.
• Damage, headshot multiplier and durability are unpublished. The 8-round magazine comes from a single wiki stub.
• The blueprint source and recipe are unconfirmed. Check in-game and avoid reseller listings.
• No amplified version exists at launch.
• Verify every stat here against the wiki once it moves past stub status.

FAQ

What is the Bantam in Arc Raiders?

The Bantam is a snub-nosed, double-action revolver that fires heavy ammo. It arrived with the Frozen Trail update on October 8 alongside the Stiletto battle rifle. Embark describes it as effective against both ARC and Raiders, with a unique hip-fire capability.

What ammo does the Bantam use?

The Bantam uses heavy ammo, the same ammo type as the Anvil. Embark’s Frozen Trail preview confirms the ammo type. That means one stack of heavy ammo can feed either revolver.

Is the Bantam better than the Anvil?

Neither is strictly better. The Anvil is the more accurate, slower, headshot-oriented gun, while hands-on previews describe the Bantam as faster to respond but less accurate. No Bantam damage figure has been published yet, so a number-based verdict is not possible at launch.

How do you get the Bantam in Arc Raiders?

No source has confirmed where the Bantam blueprint drops or what the recipe costs. The community wiki listed no sources, recipe or trader for it at last check. Check the Gunsmith recipe list and trader stock in-game, and ignore reseller listings.

What rarity is the Bantam?

The Bantam is uncommon. The ARC Raiders wiki lists it as an uncommon weapon, and a recap of Embark’s September 25 developer Q&A says both new guns are uncommon additions meant to add early-game variety.

How does Bantam hip-fire work?

The Bantam has a dedicated hip-fire animation that Embark highlights as part of its identity. A recap of the developer Q&A says it fires faster from the hip than when aiming down sights, with looser accuracy. The suggested pattern is to soften a target at medium range, then close in and finish with hip fire.

Does the Bantam work against ARC machines?

Yes. Embark says it is effective against ARC and Raiders, and the wiki’s pre-launch stub rates its ARC armor penetration as strong. The Anvil carries the same strong rating.

How many rounds does the Bantam hold?

The wiki’s pre-launch stub lists a magazine of 8 rounds. That figure comes from a single page that was still marked incomplete, so confirm it in-game before building a loadout around reload timing.

Can the Bantam be amplified?

Not at launch. A recap of the developer Q&A says neither the Stiletto nor the Bantam has an amplified version in this update, though more weapons are planned for the system later. Amplification currently covers 15 other weapons.

When was the Bantam released?

The Bantam went live with the Frozen Trail update on October 8, 2026. Embark revealed it in its Frozen Trail first-look post on September 23.