For a quick weapon, claim Bantam I at Reward Pass Tier 4 or buy it from Tian Wen; for repeat copies, research the matching blueprint at Research Station Level 1. In Arc Raiders, Bantam favors close hip-fire reactions with Heavy Ammo, while Stiletto favors paced shots with Light Ammo. For players weighing in-game progression against another gear option, ARC Raiders Items is a separate choice; it does not change the difference between owning a gun and learning its recipe.

Choose by role, then compare the cost

Pick Bantam if you want a heavy-ammo revolver for close encounters. Pick Stiletto if you prefer measured fire at range; spraying it like a full-auto weapon works against its intended role. The Anvil moved to Rare rarity when Bantam arrived, so Bantam now fills the Uncommon hand-cannon slot.

Pass or trader for one gun; blueprint for replacements

The Reward Pass is the cleanest no-blueprint route if you are already progressing through its tiers: claim Bantam I at Tier 4 and Stiletto I at Tier 8. At each reward tile, use the claim control and check that its state changes to Claimed; then confirm the weapon is in your inventory. These copies are ready to use, but neither unlocks the crafting recipe.

Tian Wen sells Bantam I for 11,400 Coins, and listings often show three in stock. Check the displayed offer and cost before confirming the purchase. Cassio may offer an upgraded Stiletto IV in the Nomadic Envoy barter rotation for 8 Candleberries, 2 Cable Strippers, and 2 Mini Pumps. Only trade when the live offer matches and you have chosen Stiletto; that barter also provides a weapon, not its blueprint.

Research is the better spend when you expect to lose a gun and want to make replacements. Each blueprint costs 3,000 Research Points, so learning both takes 6,000 total, plus 8 Hornet Drivers for Bantam and 15 Wasp Drivers for Stiletto. Once the recipe is learned, the same Level 1 Gunsmith base craft applies to either weapon: 4 Mechanical Components and 4 Simple Gun Parts.

Unlock research before farming blueprint materials

Start Sheltered Retreat.
On Blue Gate, photograph the farmland house by Ruined Homestead.
Finish the Outpost project, then build the Research Station. It may also be called the Research Bench or Research Workstation.
At Research Station Level 1, spend Research Points and the matching Drivers on the blueprint you want. Confirm the recipe is learned before relying on the Gunsmith to craft it.

Do not treat finding or claiming a weapon as proof that its recipe is unlocked. The practical check is whether the learned recipe is available for crafting at Gunsmith Level 1. If the blueprint or material is found Topside, extract with it; gear left behind after a failed extract will not reach Speranza.

Loot routes and avoidable material waste

Weapon cases, lockers, Raider caches, and other containers can hold either gun or its blueprint, including on Pendola Pass. No landmark is a guaranteed blueprint spawn, so do not keep repeating one location as if it were certain. Wasps and Hornets are the named sources for the Level 1 Driver materials; tag Hornet Drivers and Wasp Drivers in your stash so you can track what each research project still needs.

Keep Research Points for the weapon you expect to recraft most often instead of unlocking both recipes just because both guns are available. Also check the in-game upgrade UI before spending rare parts on Amplified Weapons: Bantam and Stiletto were not listed as confirmed launch examples. Claim the pass weapon that fits your loadout first, then check your stash for the matching Drivers before committing Research Points or using buy ARC Raiders Items for your next loadout.