One of the benefits of a remake of an older game like Resident Evil 4 is that among the many obvious visual and technical improvements made to the original, the weapons, in particular, get a massive upgrade when it comes to how they both look and feel to the player. While the original RE4 is generally quite cartoonish when it comes to weapons, the remade weapons resemble their real life counterparts far more strongly.
In fact, here are just some of the Resident Evil 4 remake's weapons compared directly to their real life counterparts to see which similarities they share, as well as areas they deviate for one reason or another.
8 Red9 / Mauser C96
Resident Evil 4 is one of the many games that feature the famous "Broom Handle Mauser" as it has come to be known since it was designed over 100 years ago. The game's version bares the name "Red9," which is a reference to the Prussian 1916 contract versions of the pistol that bore a large red colored 9 on the grip on the count of its 9mm chambering (the original is chambered for 7.63 Mauser).
The weapon was a fan favorite in the original RE4 due to its effectiveness, much of which is retained in the remake. It can be upgraded with a shoulder stock and increased ammo capacity.
7 Matilda / H&K VP70M
The Matilda is known to be Leon's personal sidearm in both the original RE2 and its remake. It once again returns in the RE4 remake, along with its iconic shoulder stock. In real life, this pistol is known as the H&K VP70M, which was innovative in that it was the first polymer frame handgun, and was known for having a very high magazine capacity for pistols at the time.
Unfortunately, it is also infamous for its bad ergonomics, including a rather terribly designed trigger that is often stated to feel similar to that of a stapler. The game's version, like its inspiration, can be modified to fire in bursts of 3 rounds at a time with the shoulder stock attached.
6 Skull Shaker / Winchester Model 1887
Everyone likes lever action weapons, and the Skull Shaker certainly lives up to their reputation for coolness. It is based off the Winchester Model 1887, which was designed by legendary firearms inventor, John Moses Browning.
The Skull Shaker is a special weapon that the player may only obtain by purchasing the deluxe and collectors editions of the game, or through its own DLC. It's clear that this weapon is inspired heavily by its appearance in Terminator 2, in which Arnold wields a sawed off variant, and famously flip-cocks the gun one-handed. This is something Leon will do as well.
5 Striker / Penn Arms Striker 12
The Striker 12, or Street Sweeper as it is also known, is an infamous revolving shotgun design that was originally developed in South Africa, though the in-game version is based on an American copy. In the old RE4, the Striker was notable in that it could be upgrades to hold 100 shells at a time, which is utterly absurd (the real gun holds 12 rounds).
The remake tops this shotgun out at 48 shells after upgrades, which, while still insane, is not quite as ridiculous as 100. It can be bought from the merchant after Chapter 10, where it serves as a powerful late-game semi auto shotgun for close encounters.
4 LE 5 / H&K MP5A5
The MP5A5 makes its appearance as a burst fire SMG dubbed the LE 5. While the MP5 did not appear in the original Resident Evil 4, its remake brings it back from the Resident Evil 2: Remake, albeit slightly modified. For one, it's no longer fully automatic (a feature unique to the Navy A5 variant), and it's missing the original optic by default, although one can be attached via upgrades.
The gun is obtained for free after completing a puzzle in Chapter 13 and is correctly chambered in 9mm, unlike its RE2 remake counterpart, which is chambered in .380 ACP.
3 Chicago Sweeper / Thompson SMG
The iconic Thompson Submachine Gun returns from the original RE4 in its WW2 configuration. Known as the Chicago Sweeper (originally the Chicago Typewriter), it is a weapon that can only be obtained by completing the game on professional difficulty with at least an A rating. Compared to the real Thompson SMG, the Chicago Sweeper is incorrectly chambered in 9mm, whereas it should be in .45 ACP.
It is also clearly based on the M1A1 variant of the Thompson, which cannot accept a drum magazine. Instead, it's limited to 30-round box magazines; however, in the RE4 remake these magazines hold 50 rounds, with the drum upgrading that to 70.
2 SR 1903 / Springfield M1903A4
The SR 1903 is one of the sniper rifles in the RE4 remake and is based on the M1903A3 and A4 American bolt action rifles. The M1903 was the American standard issue bolt action rifle during WW1 (although was outnumbered among troops by the M1917 rifle), and later served as a sniper rifle during WW2.
It was fitted with its own scope that is sadly replaced by a generic ACOG sight in RE4 and is erroneously chambered for .223 caliber ammo when in actuality, the rifle is chambered for 30-06. It is obtained in Chapter 2 and can be upgraded to have a 13-round capacity.
1 Stingray / H&K SL8
Something that had an effect on weapon designs in gaming at the time the original RE4 was released was the assault weapons ban in the U.S., which ran from 1994 to 2004. Many games developed during and around this period featured weapons that were designed in accordance with the ban, which gives them a distinctive look. The Stingray is one such weapon, as it is based on an AWB-compliant import of the H&K G36.
Dubbed the SL8, this rifle specifically features a 10-round mag, thumbhole stock, and the absence of any muzzle device as per the ban's regulations. RE4's version can be upgraded with a scope as well as an increased magazine capacity of 18 rounds and becomes available in Chapter 7 via the merchant.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.