Tech Talk

Lock and load S.T.A.R.S. style with every shotgun upgrade in the game.

The shotgun is a mainstay of horror games, with Resident Evil 3 being no exception. This trusty boomstick can be the difference between a horde of zombies turning you into a Jill sandwich or you popping their heads apart with ease. The shotgun can be upgraded with a variety of parts and upgrades that not only increase its utility but also change its appearance.

We've compiled a list of the shotgun parts you can find to help make your survival against the infected hordes just a bit easier.

All shotgun upgrades and parts in Resident Evil 3

There are, to our knowledge, three shotgun parts to find that'll let you upgrade your firepower. If you need help actually finding the shotgun in the first place, you can consult our guide here. You can click or tap on the images below to enlarge them.

Semi Auto Barrel

This is undoubtedly the easiest of the shotgun upgrades to grab, as it's almost impossible to miss. The Semi Auto Barrel makes the shotgun semi-automatic, increasing the firing rate and expanding the internal magazine, so it goes from holding 4-6 shells.

1. As part of the story, you'll have to visit the Gun Shop Kendo.

2. The Semi Auto Barrel is lying on one of the first shelves in the store.

   

Tactical Stock

The Tactical Stock upgrades the shotgun by vastly reducing the recoil, making it easier to land multiple consecutive headshots. You'll find the Tactical Stock by partly solving the Monument puzzle. There are three gems that can be placed in the Monument puzzle: red, blue and green. This is a fairly involved process, so we've got the steps for finding each gem below.

1. For the red gem, go to the Donut Shop.
2. Go to the safe room in the back.

3. There's a fancy box, open it to obtain the red gem

   

4. For the green gem, check the Toy Uncle store.
5. You'll need the lockpick to open the store door.
6. The lockpick can be found at the Power Substation and is required to progress through the game.
7. Once inside the store, you'll find another fancy box on one of the shelves.

8. Open it to obtain the green gem.

   

   1. For the blue gem, head to the small store across the street from Toy Uncle.
9. This store is really easy to miss, double-check the map below if you are having trouble finding it.
10. You'll need the bolt cutter to get in. If you don't have it, check our guide here.

11. The fancy box holding the blue gem will be directly in front of you when you open the door.

    

12. Now, takeall three gems to the Monument puzzle in the Subway Station.
13. One by one, place the gems in the Monument.
14. The order in which you place the gems doesn't matter.
15. After the first gem, you'll get a grenade.
16. After the second gem, you'll get the Tactical Stock.

17. After placing the final gem, you get a Hip Pouch.

    

Shell Holder

The Shell Holder increases your reload speed, making it much easier to quickly refill after you've run out of shells in the magazine. This is the final part you can find for the M3 shotgun. You'll find it very late in the game, towards the end.

1. In the Underground Storage area beneath the hospital, you'll be looking for three fuses.
2. During your search, check behind one of the platforms near the safe room.
3. Check the map below for the exact location.
4. When you find the right platform, check the alcove behind it.

5. The Shell Holder will be in a box.

   

Resident Evil 3 is a must-play horror game

Resident Evil 3 provides a fantastic survival horror experience, bringing the original game to modern hardware with detailed graphics, tense gunplay and a cinematic story. If you're on the fence, we highly recommend jumping in and trying it out.

Shining S.T.A.R.S.

Resident Evil 3

• $60 at Microsoft Store
• $60 at Best Buy
• $60 at Amazon

Get out of the city

Resident Evil 3 takes Jill Valentine's escape from Raccoon City and brings it up to modern standards, with tight gunplay and action merged with tense survival horror.