The GP37 is a 5.56x45mm assault rifle featured in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

Appearances

Shadow of Chernobyl

A German assault rifle. It is a first-grade specimen of the modern weaponry: it is light, reliable, and ergonomic.

In-game description

The GP 37 sports an internal scope, making it very viable as a marksman weapon. Accuracy is good, recoil is relatively low and the damage per shot makes it multipurpose on all ranges. Significant downsides, however, include that its reload time is quite long compared to other weapons of its class, and that it cannot mount a grenade launcher nor a suppressor. Also, due to its high rate of fire (actually the highest of all other assault rifles and automatic weapons in general), it is the most unreliable weapon in-game (even worse than Viper 5 in that respect, which is also one of the least reliable weapons in game) and its condition bar depletes visibly faster than that of most others. However, it still relatively rarely jams (at least until its bar reaches around half or lower condition), in contrast to an Akm 74/2U as an example, which already starts to frequently jam once its condition bar is only slightly depleted. Its accuracy, however, suffers greatly due to present unreliability, so the GP 37, although being one of the most efficient weapons in game, is not suitable for longer use and should soon be replaced with a new one, if possible. The best way to save condition and accuracy with it as long as possible is to make headshots, since this generally requires only a round or few and is relatively easy to achieve due to high accuracy of the weapon and its integrated optical scope.

Its closest competitors are the Sniper SGI and the FT-200M. The Sniper SGI sports a better reload time and scope magnification as well as the ability to mount an M203 grenade launcher, while having slightly lower overall stats. The FT-200M is better in almost all stats, and also features an integrated grenade launcher - the only issue is that it can be acquired only in the Sarcophagus level.

Acquisition

The GP 37 is commonly used by Freedom and Monolith experts based in the Army Warehouses, Red Forest, Pripyat and on the outskirts of the Chernobyl NPP. The GP37 can be easily acquired at the Barrier, as both the attacking Monolithians and the defending Freedom stalkers use this weapon.

The GP37 is sold by Skinflint, and by Barkeep after retrieving the Documents from Lab X16.

Several stashes contain this weapon, the player can acquire the coordinates of one such stash (The agreed-upon secret stash) from the body of one of Skull's party members in the Army Warehouses. Another stash that contains this weapon is Supplies of the leader of Freedom.

Notable users:

• Cap
• Murk

Unique variants

• A special GP 37 was meant to be obtained from the Crystal squad of Monolith stalkers found inside the Monolith Control Center. It features higher damage and accuracy than the base model. This weapon is featured in a few builds, but is not actually present in the final release of the game.

Clear Sky

This German-made assault rifle is a first-rate example of a modern weapon - lightweight, reliable and ergonomic. Uses 5.56x45 mm ammo.

In-game description

The GP 37 is still a top tier weapon and it can be upgraded to have very high rate of fire, or lower recoil than similar assault rifles. If modified for sniping, the GP 37 is one of the best assault rifles converted for sniper use due to its already superior accuracy and its custom scope. The player can add an M203 grenade launcher to it if one modifies it for assault purposes. It can be also mounted with a silencer by default. Unlike most of the NATO rifles, it cannot be modified to fire the 5.45x39mm rounds. If the player is inclined to use the sniper upgrade tree for the GP-37, such a weapon compares exceptionally well to other assault rifles upgraded this way. It trumps others in accuracy (by 2 "notches") and is as accurate as a unmodified SVDm-2. It matches the AC96/2 for damage, while being surpassed in this family only by the SGI 5K (by one "notch"). Its handling matches both the TRs 301 and Akm 74/2, while the fire rate, and fire modes, match a TRs 301 (if the TRs is fully upgraded for sniping). At the same time it's only 0.1kg heavier than a scoped Akm 74/2. Essentially all the rifle parameters (except damage) are the best in the assault-sniper family.

Despite the weapon being very rare and unique, it is outclassed in almost all stats by the FT-200M, which is given by the Clear Sky faction after lowering the bridge to Limansk. Unless the player manages to acquire the GP 37 before Limansk, it is generally useless due to the fact the FT-200M sports better overall stats, has almost the same upgrades tree and has a grenade launcher by default.

Acquisition

The GP 37 is a very rare weapon as no stalkers use this rifle. A GP 37 is awarded to the player by Tooth along with a Bulldog 6 for joining the Bandits and eliminating the Loners' base in the Cordon.

Another GP 37 is available as a reward for an optional side mission given by random Loners, Duty, Freedom or Mercenaries squad leaders in the Army Warehouses, requiring the player to bring back a Flame artifact from one of the houses in the Bloodsucker village. As a reward, the player is given a GP37 along with 120 5.56x45mm AP rounds.

Upgrades

Only the Clear Sky technician Grey can fully upgrade this weapon. Limpid and Yar are the only other technicians that can upgrade the GP37, but they cannot fully upgrade it, although Yar can install the final accuracy upgrade for it. It should be noted that any upgrades made after acquiring the 4x scope will revert its value to 1.6x.

Color-coded upgrades are mutually exclusive.

Bolt mechanism modification (2500 RU) Fire rate +15% A technological modification of the bolt mechanism allows for a higher rate of fire. Bolt mechanism modification (2500 RU) Accuracy +30% Careful adjustment of the bolt mechanism increases the weapon's precision.	Improved mechanism balance (3750 RU) Fire rate +25% Better balancing of the mechanism's working parts allows the weapon's rate of fire to be significantly increased. Barrel replacement (3750 RU) Flatness +50% This durable steel barrel resists deformation and allows for better bullet acceleration.	Barrel cooling (6250 RU) Fire rate +50% A barrel cooling system allows the weapon's rate of fire to be increased further with no risk of barrel deformation. Electronic stabilizer (6250 RU) Accuracy +40% Automatically adjusts bullet momentum and significantly increases firing accuracy.
Operating rod modification (2500 RU) Recoil -50% Mounting an operating rod compensator allows recoil to be reduced. Operating rod modification (2500 RU) Recoil -30%, RPM lowered Reducing operating rod weight reduces recoil at the expense of the weapon's rate of fire.
Under-barrel attachment mount (2500 RU) Underbarrel mount Allows you to attach an under-barrel grenade launcher to your weapon. Barrel modification (2500 RU) Flatness +50% An attachment which lengthens the barrel, increasing muzzle velocity.	Barrel modification (3750 RU) Recoil -20% Installing a muzzle brake allows recoil to be reduced significantly. Soft trigger (3750 RU) Accuracy +40% A smooth trigger pull allows firing accuracy to be increased.
Built-in scope 1.6x (2500 RU) Optical scope x1.6 The 1.6x scope restricts the shooter's field of vision as little as possible and is ideal for assault operations. Built-in scope 4x (2500 RU) Built-in scope x4 With a 4x scope, any weapon becomes fit for sniping.
Extended magazine (2500 RU) Mag. size +15 Increasing magazine capacity using improvised means.

Call of Pripyat

A new addition to the Western-made assault rifle family, which differs significantly from previous models in the series built on an automatic foundation with a semi-open bolt assembly, this weapon is more like American automatic gas-operated assault rifles with a short-stroke gas piston system. These changes ensure that the rifle is a first-rate example of a modern weapon - lightweight, reliable and ergonomic.

In-game description

In Call of Pripyat, it is one of the best sniper analogues in the game once upgraded, having sniper-grade accuracy, high durability, the lowest recoil for a rifle in the game (barring the Gauss rifle) and being relatively cheap with common ammunition. By default it comes with a x1.6 scope. It arguably becomes the best assault rifle for sniping purposes in the game once Tier 3 upgrades are available to the player, as it can be upgraded to have 100% accuracy with no rate of fire loss - a feat only matched by the Vintar BC and the SVDm-2. Its performance as an assault weapon is also satisfactory, the low recoil coupled with superb handling and damage will make short work of enemies at close range. Its reliability is also very high, being nearly as reliable as the AKM-74/2.

The GP37 is easily one of the best 5.56mm assault rifles, rivaled only by the FT-200M and Strelok's SGI 5k. The FT-200M sports an integrated grenade launcher (that the GP37 cannot even mount), has fire rate upgrades and its scope can be upgraded with target identification, while having lower stock fire rate and more recoil. Strelok's SGI has more damage per shot, can mount a scope, grenade launcher and suppressor, has more upgrades but has lower accuracy and handling, as well as more recoil.

The built-in scope can be modified for either close-range combat, high-contrast sight, NVG, or adjustable magnification. Due to an oversight in the upgrade text files, the scope upgrade description mentions that the upgrade restricts the weapon's scope to x1.6 but in reality, this actually increases scope zoom to x4.0 rather than restrict.

Acquisition

In Call of Pripyat, the GP37 is much more common than its previous iteration. It is used by Experts of the Freedom, Loners, Mercenaries and Monolith factions. Due to an oversight in the game's scripts, Monolith experts with the weapon will carry 5.45x39mm ammunition instead of 5.56x45mm, forcing them to switch to a pistol after some time.

The GP37 is sold by Hawaiian after the player obtains the achievement A Friend of Freedom. One can be obtained by ordering an assault rifle for 20000 RU from Nimble, although he might also give a FT-200M or a Storm instead. One can be found hidden under a window, in an apartment building to the west of the Volcano anomaly in Pripyat.

Notable users:

• Black; since he attacks the player during the mission Last developments, the weapon can be easily obtained during the ensuing shootout.
• Kremen; he might die in the skirmish for the Duty warehouse if the player sells Morgan's PDA to Loki, although this is unlikely given his armor.
• Jackal; it can be looted by eliminating him after taking Colonel Kovalsky's mission One Shot. However, it is likely that another mercenary may pick it up during the getaway.

Upgrades

Impact-resistant polymer components for automatic elements (900 RU) Reliability +10% The fashion for polymer components has not only paid off, but it has also become quite a popular upgrade.	Inertia delay mechanism (1400 RU) Accuracy +20% A component installed on the rear side of the receiver that reduces bolt speed. Installed to improve effectiveness of aimed fire.	Installation of a "smart compensation" component (1900 RU) Handling +25% A link fixes the position of the barrel and if the barrel moves, additional compensation holes are opened. Addition of a stopping device (1900 RU) Accuracy +30% A synthetic component immediately in front of the bolt movement area, which compresses it significantly to improve firing accuracy.
Pneumatic stock (900 RU) Recoil -10% A pneumatic stock is used to reduce recoil during burst fire.	Ergonomic stock (1400 RU) Handling +15% A more modern stock, which takes account of the specific nature of human physiology. Installation of an amortization should rest (1400 RU) Recoil -15% A mobile shoulder rest considerably reduces recoil impact on the body.	Lengthening the bolt frame shock buffer (1900 RU) Flatness +20% Partial lengthening of the bolt frame into the stock allows flatness to be increased at the cost of more recoil.
Installation of a "floating" barrel (900 RU) Accuracy +10% The lack of big gas chambers and barrel mounting on the foregrip has a positive effect on accuracy.	Optimized compensation muzzle brake (1400 RU) Recoil -20% Replacement of dated component with a more modern one reduces recoil.	Installation of a barrel with a polygon rifled section (1900 RU) Flatness +30% Polygon rifling is usually performed to improve accuracy. Rifled sniper rifle canals (1900 RU) Accuracy +30% A peculiar barrel replacement for weapons with good flatness characteristics that improves their accuracy.
1.6x reflex sight (1200 RU) 1.6x reflex sight Mounting of an assault scope for close range combat.	Improvement of sight contrast (2000 RU) High contrast sight A modification made to assault weapons with reflex sights by means of a simple improvement in sight contrast in the yellow range. Important for combat in twilight conditions and dim buildings.	Night vision device installation (4000 RU) Second generation night vision device Night vision devices have saved many a sniper since their inception. Adjustable range-finder sight (3500 RU) Adjustable sight This modification allows the sight to be easily adjusted to the firing distance.

Heart of Chornobyl

This German-made assault rifle is an exemplary piece of modern weaponry, featuring lightweight construction, excellent reliability, and an ergonomic design.

Heart of Chornobyl in-game description

Acquisition

This list is non-comprehensive, and may be missing sources.

• Sold by Traders, including Lyova Fan, Eugene, Quiet and Sidorovich.
• Next to a dead Ward man, in the Cave Network.
• On the second floor of the Dredger, laying on a desk.

Upgrades

Color-coded upgrades are mutually exclusive. Prices based on Stalker difficulty.

Rubber Stock Rear (1300 ) Recoil decrease 10% Effectively dampens recoil, providing a smoother shooting experience. Rebalanced Stock (900 ) Aiming speed 10% The stock’s center of gravity is shifted forward to facilitate quicker, more efficient aiming.	Enlarged Back Pad (2700 ) Aiming accuracy 15% A back pad with expanded contact area minimizes unwanted sight sway for the shooter Cheek Pad (2700 ) Breath holding 75% A comfortable head position enables the shooter to hold their breath for longer.

Adjusted Bolt Locking Lugs (1300 ) Flatness 10% Reducing powder gas leakage leads to increased muzzle velocity. Automatic Two-Stage Gas Regulator (1100 ) Wear and tear 20% A mechanism that reduces weapon fouling.

Counterweight (1300 ) Spread decrease 20% The addition of the counterweight enhances stability, reducing spread when firing. Rubber Coating (1300 ) Recoil decrease 10% The rubberized surface dampens the recoil and enhances the weapon’s grip.

Barrel Chrome Plating (1100 ) Wear and tear from external sources 15% Protects the barrel from wear and tear.	Return Mechanism Sleeve Tightener (2700 ) Bullet range 10% Increases barrel pressure, resulting in increased muzzle velocity. Modified Gas Block Geometry (3100 ) Reduced damage drop-off 10% Enables the bullet to retain energy longer in flight.

Modules

Scope Mount (3800 ) Allows the user to attach a range of scopes to the weapon. Laser Designator (4600 ) Aiming speed 5% Spread decrease 20% +0.5kg A laser designator facilitates faster, easier aiming at short and medium range. Tactical Foregrip (5400 ) Recoil decrease 10% Spread decrease 5% Aiming accuracy 10% +0.5kg Installs a tactical foregrip on the gun. Flash Suppressor (5400 ) Spread decrease 25% +0.5kg Installing a flash suppressor reduces the visibility of the muzzle flash when firing for both the shooter and the enemy. Muzzle Brake (5400 ) Recoil decrease 10% +0.5kg Utilizes the kinetic energy of powder gases as it exits the barrel after firing to reduce weapon recoil.

Behind the Scenes

• The GP 37 is a full-sized G36 and not a G36K as some mistake it to be. The main proof that this weapon is a full-sized rifle is the number of ventholes present in the handguard, a G36K only has 4 while a full sized G36 has 6 holes. However, it does have a G36K barrel.
  • Rather strangely, the inventory icon is a reversal of this, where it has the handguard of a G36K but with a longer barrel.
• The model of the GP 37 is actually not fully based on the military-issue G36, but also on the Heckler and Koch SL8, the civilian variant of the G36 that is converted into a G36 look-alike. The main giveaway about this is how the stock and grip is attached to the weapon, the grip and stock on a regular G36 are always near each other while the GP37's are noticeably apart and are separated by a big block that is not present on military G36 models. This is due to the fact that the SL8 is designed to eliminate the attachments of pistol grips and stocks to abide by civilian gun laws in certain countries (mostly the United States) which prohibits these features, and instead mounts a fixed thumbhole stock, where the stock doubles as the grip.
• For some reason, Shadow of Chernobyl's model has dummy cartridges loaded in the magazine (as noted by their blue color).

Glitches

• In Shadow of Chernobyl, a M203 grenade launcher will appear attached to the GP37 when sprinting in first person view, even though the weapon cannot sport this attachment in-game; it will disappear once the player stops sprinting. This glitch also affects the IL 86.
• Though the weapon is listed in Tooth's wares under certain circumstances (the player has returned the loot to Sidorovich and the Bandits control the Garbage), he is unable to sell it because it is not listed among the objects he is allowed to sell, regardless of the player's alignment with the Bandits.

Sounds

Gallery

Shadow of Chernobyl

The GP 37 in first-person view

Scope overlay

Reloading

The GP 37 with an attached silencer

The GP 37 with an attached M203 grenade launcher

Third person view

Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat

The GP37 in first-person view

Scope overlay

Reloading

The GP37 with an attached silencer

The GP37 with an attached M203 grenade launcher

A GP37 with a M203 grenade launcher attached.

Fully upgraded assault-sniper GP37 in Clear Sky compared to other rifles fully upgraded in the sniper-assault family.

A loner holding a GP37

References