Ball Bearings

"These 15mm steel balls, pried out of bearings, became the ideal ammo for some makeshift weapons due to their smooth finish and near ubiquity."

- Metro Exodus in-game description

Ball Bearings are a makeshift type of ammunition in Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, and Metro Exodus, used in equally makeshift weaponry. They appear to have been obtained from machinery readily available in the Metro, and are very numerous, given how cheap they are.

Overview
Ball bearings are metal 15mm or 0.59 inch balls. In both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light, they are found in long cartridges containing up to 15 balls. These can be purchased in most shops in the game. In Metro 2033, they have the best exchange rate, as 1 MGR buys 8 pellets, though they hold little resale value, given how many need to be sold in exchange for one MGR. Trading MGR for ball bearings is only advised if the Tikhar or Hellbreath are Artyom's primary weapons.

In Metro: Last Light, the value of ball bearings has increased, as 10 ball bearings now cost 8 MGRs to buy and only 10 ball bearings can be exchanged for one MGR, instead of 16.

In Metro Exodus, ball bearings are available as the ammunition for the Tikhar, which is given to Artyom by Tokarev at the beginning of Volga. An advantage of ball bearings is that they can be crafted in the field, using Artyom's backpack, and they are also the cheapest ammo type to craft. Otherwise, they are very uncommon, as nobody else, apart from the Aurora crew, uses the Tikhar, being a Metro-made weapon.

Acquisition
Ball bearings are a rather uncommon type of ammunition, and are not as common as shotgun shells or dirty rounds. While on lower difficulty in Metro 2033, each pickup will gain 15 ball bearings, on the highest difficultly, only 5 to 8 will be acquired. Furthermore, ball bearings are also the cheapest form of ammunition, as one military-grade round will net Artyom eight ball bearings at an exchange kiosk, so buying most ball bearing ammo is a viable strategy, especially since the guns that use ball bearings are high-damage weapons, that can kill anything in one shot with a headshot (as long as the weapon in pumped/charged enough). Given their rarity, if they are regularly used, purchasing as many as possible is advised.

Use
Ball bearings are only used in the Tihar and Volt Driver in Metro 2033, so it's best to carry a backup Kalash or Uboinik in case the supply of pellets has been depleted.

They see even less use in Metro: Last Light, as the main campaign only has the Tikhar, so their use is diminished until one can be found. The first Tikhar available is found in the Facility level, on the walkway above the gas room, with some rounds. Ball bearings are uncommon in Metro: Last Light, so purchasing as many as possible when at a station is advised, although Artyom can only carry up to 90 ball bearings. They are also used in Metro: Last Light's DLC, as ammunition for the Hellbreath (Volt Driver).

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