The inferno pistol is a pistol-sized melta weapon, and in Warhammer 40k that combination is rarer than it sounds. It packs the armour-melting punch of a meltagun into something you can hold in one hand, which makes it a status symbol as much as a weapon.
What the inferno pistol actually is
It’s a melta weapon shrunk down to pistol size. That means short range, brutal output, and the ability to turn power armour, vehicle plating, and most things with a heat tolerance into slag at point-blank distance.
The catch is that the technology is ancient and highly specialised. Artificers built these things, and nobody’s really been able to recreate them since. A whole Sector of space might only hold a handful.
- Pistol-sized melta weapon, so it’s short-ranged but devastating up close
- Built by Artificers using technology that’s close to impossible to reproduce
- Extremely rare, often only a few exist per Sector
- Owning one is a mark of status, not standard issue
Who gets to carry one
Because they’re so scarce, inferno pistols tend to end up with the influential and the powerful. They’re not handed out to rank-and-file troops.
The Ordo Hereticus and the Adepta Sororitas are the two groups most associated with them, and even then only their most privileged members get access. For everyone else, seeing one usually means you’re dealing with someone important.
- Ordo Hereticus, reserved for its most privileged members
- Adepta Sororitas, again only for the elite
- Generally a sign of rank, wealth, or both
The Blood Angels and the Infernus Pistol
The Blood Angels field their own variant, called the Infernus Pistol. These are prized Chapter relics, and the Chapter traces them back to the Dark Age of Technology.
Commander Dante carries one as his sidearm, known as the Perdition Pistol. He’s probably the most famous user of the weapon type in the setting.
- Blood Angels variant is called the Infernus Pistol
- Considered relics dating back to the Dark Age of Technology
- Commander Dante’s personal weapon is the Perdition Pistol
Notable patterns and named weapons
A few specific inferno pistols show up by name in the lore. The Fyrestorm, Ignis Judicium, the Catechist, and Dante’s Perdition Pistol are the ones worth knowing.
There’s also a Conflagration Infernus Pistol pattern, and at least one example hand-crafted by a Master Artificer in M38.
| Weapon | Notes |
|---|---|
| Perdition Pistol | Commander Dante’s sidearm, Blood Angels |
| Fyrestorm | Named inferno pistol |
| Ignis Judicium | Named inferno pistol |
| Catechist | Named inferno pistol |
| Conflagration Infernus Pistol | A known pattern |
How it fits with other melta weapons
The inferno pistol sits at the small end of the melta family. Above it you’ve got the meltagun, the multi-melta, and the various heavy melta weapons mounted on vehicles and Titans.
The Eldar have their own equivalents, like the Fusion Pistol and Fusion Gun. So the idea of a compact, short-range, armour-killing sidearm isn’t unique to the Imperium, it’s just that the Imperium’s version is almost impossible to make.
- Portable melta family includes the meltagun, combi-melta, melta carbine, and thermal lance
- Heavy melta includes the multi-melta, melta cannon, and Titan-scale weapons
- Eldar equivalents include the Fusion Pistol and Fusion Gun
Key facts
- The inferno pistol is a pistol-sized melta weapon of ancient, near-unreproducible design
- They’re extremely rare, sometimes only a handful per Sector, and owning one signals status
- Main users are the Ordo Hereticus and Adepta Sororitas elite
- The Blood Angels call their variant the Infernus Pistol, and Commander Dante carries the Perdition Pistol
- Named examples include the Fyrestorm, Ignis Judicium, and Catechist
- It sits at the small end of the melta family, below the meltagun and multi-melta
FAQ
Is the inferno pistol the same as a meltagun?
No. The inferno pistol is a pistol-sized melta weapon, so it’s much smaller and shorter-ranged than a meltagun. It trades reach and ammo capacity for portability and the ability to be carried as a sidearm.
Why are inferno pistols so rare in Warhammer 40k?
They’re built with ancient, highly specialised technology that Artificers created and that’s now close to impossible to recreate. As a result, only a handful might exist in an entire Sector.
What’s the difference between an inferno pistol and an Infernus Pistol?
They’re essentially the same weapon type. Infernus Pistol is the name the Blood Angels use for their variant, which they treat as a Chapter relic.
Who uses the Perdition Pistol?
Commander Dante of the Blood Angels. It’s his personal inferno pistol and one of the most famous named weapons of its kind.