The Fora-230 is a 9x19mm submachine gun added in Update 2.0 for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. It is a compact, reliable weapon built for close and mid-range fighting, and it tears through small mutants and lightly armored humans. You can buy the standard version outright, and you can extend its 20-round magazine to 40 rounds with a lootable attachment.
Quick answer: Buy the Fora-230 from Ragman in Rostok for around 13,000 Coupons, then take its 40-round High-Capacity Magazine from the stash on the roof of the Cage in the Cement Factory region.
Where to buy the Fora-230
The most direct source is Ragman, the trader in Rostok. Rostok sits west of the Slag Heap in the Garbage, and the walk from the Slag Heap to the bar is short. If you have already dealt with the Ward situation in Zalissya, the Stalkers there will be on good terms with you when you arrive.
Head to Ragman’s shop across from the bar and buy the Fora-230 for roughly 13,000 Coupons. If you are short on money, running the Arena quests in Rostok or selling off spare weapons and medical supplies is the fastest way to raise the funds.
The Fora-230 is not exclusive to Rostok. You can also pick it up elsewhere if it is out of stock or if you find yourself in another region.
| Source | Details |
|---|---|
| Ragman, Rostok | Main trader; around 13,000 Coupons |
| Trader at Yaniv Station | Alternate purchase point later in the game |
| Sidorovich, Rookie Village (Cordon) | Early purchase option in the Cordon |
| Enemy Mercenaries | Random drop, usually medium-to-low durability and prone to jamming |
Note: A dropped Fora-230 from mercenaries often arrives worn, so a trader-bought copy is the safer choice if you want a clean, jam-free weapon.
Fora-230 stats and caliber
For a 9x19mm SMG, the Fora-230 pairs low recoil with high accuracy and solid range. Its damage stat is higher than the AR416, the Fora-221, and the early 5.45x39mm AK rifles, which makes it strong against soft targets. Against armored enemies, aim for the head and switch to armor-piercing rounds to make up for the low-power ammo.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | SMG |
| Caliber | 9x19mm (can be modded to 9x18mm or .45) |
| Damage | 1.4 |
| Handling | 3.7 |
| Rate of Fire | 3.9 |
| Range | 1.8 |
| Accuracy | 2.4 |
| Weight | 1.7 kg |
| Base magazine | 20 rounds |
| Fire modes | Single, Full Auto |
| Inventory size | 4×2 |
The 9x19mm rounds are cheaper, lighter, and easier to find than rifle calibers. The .45 conversion hits harder than standard 9x19mm, but that ammo is rarer and more expensive, and it raises recoil by a small amount.
Fora-230 High-Capacity Magazine location
The 40-round High-Capacity Magazine sits in a stash on top of the Cage, a point of interest in the Cement Factory region. The Cage is an anomalous, skeletal building that deals continuous Psi damage while you are inside, so bring bandages or medkits to offset the drain.
You know it worked once the magazine appears in your inventory. Open the weapon and slot the attachment to raise the Fora-230’s capacity from 20 to 40 rounds.
Suppressor and attachment notes
The Fora-230 accepts pistol-caliber suppressors, including the one used by the PTM pistol. That makes it a practical stealth option for clearing lightly armored enemies quietly, while the extended magazine keeps you firing longer between reloads. Combine the 40-round mag, a suppressor, and armor-piercing 9x19mm rounds, and the Fora-230 becomes a dependable early-to-mid game workhorse.
