Hydra

The Hydra is a triple-barrel, sawed-off shotgun, available in Resident Evil 5. Compared to other shotguns, it does a lot of damage from long range, and is just as effective at close range, similar to the Jail Breaker. It is the most powerful shotgun in RE5. The Hyrdra when upgraded in its attack range, it can triple or even quadruple its damage at close range. For comparison, the M3, which doesn't have the attack range upgrade, can only double its damage. It has a starting firepower of 280, reload speed of 3.67, a capacity of 4, and an attack range of 0. Fully upgraded, it has a firepower of 550, reload speed of 3.30, a capacity of 10, and an attack range of 2. Note that attack range works by increasing the number of pellets fired. It's only major downside is its very slow reload time, but consider that you can reload via your inventory, which would bypass the reloading animation. This gun is arguably the best weapon in the game.

The most notable feature of this gun is its erratic firing stance when used by either Chris or Wesker. Rather than the traditional two-hand grasp while aiming, both characters will instead turn sideways to a side view and hold it in one hand; this technique may need some getting used to upon first trying it out.

The gun becomes available for purchase for 30,000 gold after the Ithaca M37 is fully-upgraded.

Note that it's not recommended to use both Hydra and Gatling Gun at the same time, because it's very hard to aim with Hydra due to the ammo container of the Gatling gun blocking the vision.

Trivia

 * At some point in the game's development, this gun was known as the Mad Max.
 * While several arms manufacturers have attempted to build shotguns with more than two barrels, all designs that were actually sold had four barrels arranged in a diamond pattern. No triple-barrel shotgun has ever been mass produced.
 * If Sheva uses the Hydra, she will hold it in a typical shooting stance while aiming, while if Chris uses the Hydra, he will hold the shotgun straight out with one hand. Wesker uses the same stance to fire the Hydra as Chris, seen when using his S.T.A.R.S. outfit in The Mercenaries.
 * While all other weapons in both Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5 have a laser module mounted to the weapon via some sort of accessory rail or specialized mounting, the Hydra does not. Instead, the laser is secured to the bottom of the forearm via a piece of tape, further enhancing the unconventional nature of the weapon.
 * The single-handed wielding of the fully upgraded Hydra is a reference to Capcom's Devil May Cry, due to Chris & Dante's way of holding their respective guns.