Counter-Strike: Source has brilliant weapons, but somehow the huge Counter-Strike modding community has managed to make them even better. Modders have achieved great results by cutting out the polygons devoted to bits of arm you hardly ever see, and piling them into creating new high detail weapons complete with new sounds and custom animations. They're also dead easy to install. Perhaps you're tired of seeing the same old combat knife, fancy sticking a scope on your M4A1 or want to dual wield Berettas made of ice and fire. Read on for ten of the best.
Before you install any mods, it's worth keeping a backup of your 'cstrike' file, as not all servers support custom skins. With that done, all you need to do to get each of these mods working in your game of Counter-Strike: Source is download and unzip the mod file. Then open your Counter-Strike: Source directory, normally located at Steam/Steamapps/*your account name here*/counter-strike source/cstrike.. and drag the mod folders into this directory. If Windows asks whether you want to merge the files, click 'yes'. Now, boot up the game. Voila. All those old weapons you've seen a thousand times before will be shiny and different. Here's our top ten.
1. Nighthawk
As the default pistol, the USP is the one gun you're going to see a lot. Spice it up a bit with these alternative models. The sleek Nighthawk will give you a highly detailed alternative with a realistic looking scope. The HK1911 0.45cal is another great replacement, with unique animations and unusual boxy silencer.
2. Dual M7s
This brilliant mod replaces the once-great P90 with a pair of M7 submachineguns, because two guns are better than one, that's just a fact. If there's one thing everyone knows about submachineguns, it's that spinning them round and round like an idiot makes them fire better, that's another fact. Brace yourself, this is probably the best reload animation ever.
3. Scorpion knife
I know what you're thinking. "There isn't enough Klingon weaponry in Counter-Strike Source." You're absolutely right. The Scorpion is exactly what you need if you want to replace the boring old knife with something more exotic. If that's a bit too otherworldly for your taste, the M9 Probis III blade is a perfectly fine replacement for Valve's original.
4. Auric Dragon Desert Eagle
The Auric Dragon reskin brings a touch of class to your tired old Deagle. The traditional silver texture is darker, and, here's the good bit, there are golden dragons embedded into the grip. It looks like it's come straight out of a John Woo film.
5. Magic bullet
This mod gets rid of the AWP sniper rifle entirely. Instead of replacing it with another gun it gives you telekenetic powers. A quick point of the index finger sends a floating bullet flying at your target. The reload animation makes you beckon, at which point the bullet you just fired flies back into your hand. Genius. You'll find a video of the magic bullet in action here.
If adding magic powers to Counter-Strike seems a bit extreme, there are some other excellent alternative AWP models out there, most notably the mighty Barrett M82a1 (pictured).
6. Double Barrelled Shotgun
This mod replaces the XM1014 with a good old fashioned double barrelled shotgun The sturdy looking weapon comes with its own reloading animations. For a good modern alternative check out the mighty Striker.
7. Snark's M4A1
This fantastic looking replacement for the M4A1 looks as though it's come from a modern Call of Duty game. Who needs a gun with both scope and a laser sight, you ask? You do! Because it looks awesome.
8. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. G36
If you've braved S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s terrifying wastelands, you'll know how comforting it is to have a G36 at the ready. Thankfully it kills Terrorists as well as it does mutants, and it looks a lot better than the SG552 it replaces.
9. Vintorez
The Vintorez really does look as though it could shoot a pea from a mile away. That's partly because it has the the biggest scope you've ever seen, but mostly because of the superb texturing work. This weapon replaces the SG1 sniper rifle.
10. Mark 23 .45 Auto Akimbo
Those Beretta Elites, they think they're so great. Little do they know that the Mark 23 Auto Akimbo models, with their high resolution, high detail textures are superior them in almost every way. The underslung attachments make them look meaner than the standard Berettas, and it has custom animations provided by a man who calls himself Batman IV. For an unusual alternative, check out Ice's Heaven and Hell Berettas, because firing a gun while it's on fire earns you extra action hero points.
If these 10 alternative weapons aren't enough, you'll find thousands more over on FPS Banana. Which one's your favourite? What other mod features would you like to see on PCGamer.com?
