There's more to buildcrafting in Borderlands 4 than just picking the biggest gun that makes the biggest damage numbers. Weapons and Vault Hunters are also subject to a myriad of other stats that can greatly affect how they perform.
Unfortunately, Borderlands 4 doesn't tell players what most stats do. Gun Handling, for example, is an important stat that affects many builds, and if you have no idea what it does, here's what you need to know about it.
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How Does Gun Handling Work in Borderlands 4
Gun Handling is a stat that affects weapon sway, recoil, and accuracy bloom. There's currently no way to tell how high or low a weapon's default Gun Handling stat is (or if it is even tied to weapons in the first place), but you can easily test Gun Handling's effect yourself by using Vault Hunter skills that increase or decrease it.
For example, if you're using Rafa, his Gun Handling stat decreases when he wields his APOPHIS Lance via his Action Skill. While he is holding the lance in his left hand, his right-hand weapon becomes more cumbersome to use. Firing long bursts causes his weapon's accuracy to rapidly deteriorate, and weapon recoil becomes much more intense after a few seconds of continuous fire. However, if you use skills that improve Gun handling, these effects aren't as intense.
Gun Handling doesn't affect damage output, but since lower values of it makes shooting harder, players will need to compensate for it. Usually, getting into an enemy's face is enough to offset the inaccuracy and increased recoil, but if you'd rather not get too close, then you'll need to use a skill that increases Gun Handling one way or another.
Improving Gun Handling
Apart from using skills, Enhancement items may also drop with stats that offset any negatives players might experience from having low Gun Handling. Gun Accuracy will likely be the most important stat to focus on when using a build that reduces Gun Handling, especially since Enhancements cannot reduce your recoil.
Weapon Swap Speed may also be an attractive option for players. Swapping weapons usually takes a while when dual-wielding, and bonus Weapon Swap Speed can end up saving your life during FFYL scenarios where you need just a few more bullets to take an enemy down for a second wind.
Should You Build for Gun Handling?
It depends purely on the player. One can still be effective even with a low Gun Handling stat in Borderlands 4 so long as they can stay close to enemies. Having a high Gun Handling stat will definitely make things more convenient, but ultimately, it's up to personal taste. High Gun Handling translates to a better shooting experience overall, so it may be worth investing in. However, if you're using a gun with Hyperion parts, this might not be necessary at all.
Borderlands 4
- Released
- September 12, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2, Borderlands
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- October 3, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- Local Co-Op Support
- Yes
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
