Resident Evil 3 has some nice surprises in store regarding the weapons available. Getting rid of the Nemesis won't be the easiest of tasks.
As such, we've put together this guide to help you acquire the arsenal available to you in the game. Note that some of these weapons can benefit from various improvements that are hidden throughout the game.
Combat Knife
Available from the start of the adventure with Jill. Unlike Resident Evil 2, the knife is no longer destructible, but also can no longer be used as a self-defense weapon. The dodge mechanic will replace this function. However, it will help you to avoid wasting your ammunition on wooden crates, and will allow you to finish off zombies.
Jill can also take a step backwards by stabbing and tilting the stick in that direction. A little trick — a zombie running towards you can be stopped by a well-placed shot.
G19 Handgun
Also available from the beginning of the game with Jill, the G19 Handgun will be your best companion.
This weapon, with 15 bullets per clip and a good rate of fire, will allow you to blow a few heads off. Very effective in its basic form, it can be improved with the help of some hidden accessories.
The M3 Shotgun
The weapon that will save your life more than once, especially in the sewers. It is found is in a building called "Kite Bros. Railway", in the room at the far end and right next to the Fire Hose. You'll have to come back here when you've got the the Bolt Cutter, as it's behind a chained grate.
Just go into the room past the burning alley to get the Bolt Cutter. Return to the room where the M3 Shotgun is waiting for you, and cut the chain to retrieve the weapon.
The MGL grenade launcher
When you get to the sewers, slide down to get to the Lower Channel directly, where you will find dirty water, trash and corpses. After a few meters, you will have a choice between paths. Continue straight ahead, and watch out for the Hunter Gamma. At the end of this path will be a safe room with the MGL grenade launcher in it.
G18 Handgun (burst mode)
Probably the hardest weapon to miss. It'll be in the hospital when Jill wakes up. You can pick up the G18 handgun near the entrance to that safe room. With its 33-bullet clip and a burst mode capable of firing bursts of three very quickly, it'll make the rest of the adventure way easier.
The Magnum - Lightning Hawk .44 AE
The weapon that will make your life easier in the endgame, and one to be reserved for the most desperate situations given ammunition is very limited. However, you will have to wait until you get to the hospital to find it.
When playing Carlos, you can find broken windows with yellow ribbons from 2F upwards, that allow you to drop straight down to the 1F courtyard.
When Jill wakes up, go back to 2F and search all the lockers that needed the lockpick. When this is done, go back to the 2F corridors and pass underneath a stretcher with a broken window with yellow ribbons behind it. From here, head down to the yard and open the crate to get the Magnum.
BONUS: Railgun
It's impossible to miss this one, since it's the only way to get rid of the final form of the Nemesis. The Railgun is more of an over-powered pleasure than anything else. Jill is surprisingly able to carry this weapon at arm's length and shoot with it. This weapon is only usable during this part of the lab, because it's connected to several generators.
