My Hunt for the Drowned Rifle
Alright, let me tell you about finding this thing people are calling the ‘drowned rifle’ in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. It wasn’t exactly straightforward, took me a good chunk of time wandering around.
I first got wind of it from some chatter, you know how it is in the Zone. Someone mentioned a custom rifle lost ages ago, supposedly sunk somewhere wet and nasty. Didn’t have much to go on, just ‘drowned’. Seemed like a long shot, but hey, boredom strikes.
So, I started thinking, where’s the wettest, nastiest place I could think of? The swamps, obviously. Not my favorite area, truth be told. Too much muck, too many things hiding just below the surface. Stocked up on anti-rads and ammo, because you just know it’s never simple.
First Pass – The Wrong Swamp
Spent maybe two days just wading through the usual spots. Checked near old piers, sunken shacks, the usual places you’d expect loot. Found some decent scraps, fought off a pack of dogs and way too many fleshes, but no special rifle. Got pretty irradiated too, used up half my meds just staying functional. Started thinking maybe the rumor was just that, a rumor.
Getting a Real Clue
I was about ready to give up, drying my boots near a campfire with some loners. Got talking, shared some food. One old timer, pipe sticking out his mouth, mentions this specific, really dangerous marshland area further north. Said folks avoid it because of some tricky anomalies and worse mutants. But he remembered seeing an old, half-sunk transport truck there years ago, before a big emission changed the landscape.
That felt more like it. A specific landmark. ‘Drowned’ could mean inside a submerged vehicle, right?
The North Marsh Trek
Getting to this northern marsh was rough. The anomalies were no joke – vortex fields that would just appear out of nowhere. Had to use my detector constantly, tossing bolts like crazy. Saw a couple of snorks get ripped apart, made me extra cautious. Then there were the leeches… nasty little things.
- Dodging anomalies took forever.
- Fought off at least three leech swarms.
- Ran low on anti-rads again.
Finally, I saw it. Just like the old timer said. A big military-looking truck, half buried in the toxic sludge and water, tilted on its side. Looked like it had been there forever. Getting close was tense. The water around it gurgled, probably chemical anomalies.
Inside the Wreck
I carefully climbed onto the exposed side of the truck. The metal groaned under my weight. Had to pry the back doors open, rusted shut tight. Inside was a mess – crates, skeletons, debris floating in the murky water filling the back. It stank something awful.
I started searching, wading through the disgusting water inside the truck bed. Almost missed it. Tucked under a collapsed shelf, almost completely submerged, was a long, sealed container. It was heavy.
The Prize
Hauled the container out of the truck and onto drier land. It took some effort to get the seals open, they were tight. Inside, wrapped in oilcloth… there it was. Looked like some kind of heavily modified rifle, maybe based on an old SVD or something similar, but clearly custom work. It was surprisingly well-preserved considering where it was, guess the container did its job.
Cleaned it up best I could out there. Took it back to a technician later for a proper look. He confirmed it was unique, probably a one-off build. The ‘drowned rifle’ – felt good to finally hold it after all that searching.
So yeah, that’s how I tracked it down. Lots of wading, fighting, and following a vague hint. Worth it? For the story and the gun, definitely. But I’m not rushing back to that particular marsh anytime soon.
