Right now I'm not sure where I'm going with this loadout... I'm in 8-1 at the moment.
This is the set I use most of the time;
Swords: Khorovod + Warmaster Rocket Hammer
Guns: Blazing Pulsar + Strike Needle, sometimes Virulent Catalyzer (I have a lot more guns, don't use them as much)
Bombs: Dark Retribution (use in specific situations)
Helm: Salamander Mask (Lv. 10 heat, might make it volcanic)
Armor: Volcanic Salamander Suit (just alchemized today)
Shield: Wyvern Scale Shield (planning on heating up)
I'm really shady about this set, especially the armor.
I have no idea why I picked this up in the first place, and I really need help knowing on what I should do.
My future plans are to get rid of both salamander/volcanic salamander pieces, doing OCH a third time (to get the mask that's unlockable from it), and getting a chaos cloak / divine veil / shadow protection armor for Vana or any Prestige Missions I can do.
I consider myself either an all-out Gunner or a hybrid class. So, any help or options on this?
Yes, Volcanic Salamander is bad.
I don't mean that you can't play with it. Pretty much any 5-star armor is sufficient to beat the game. And Volcanic Salamander's damage and status defenses are well-matched to Firestorm Citadel, which is the main farming locale for most knights.
I mean that many, many other armors are better. The main reason is that Volcanic Salamander's offensive bonus (slime+2) doesn't match up with its defenses (elemental), because slimes inflict piercing. Even if the defense were matched to the offense, this armor would still be among the weaker armors in the game.
Your plan to get Perfect Mask of Seerus and Chaos Cloak is great. Divine Veil is also nice. By the way, there are a lot of shadow-inflicting monsters in Firestorm Citadel, but they are not really the main problem. Vanaduke's mace, the slag guards, and the trojans all inflict tons of normal damage. There's also some elemental damage, and obviously tons of fire. I would prioritize those over shadow protection.
What is your plan for shields? Keep in mind what I said about normal damage. Dragon Scale is not a good choice for most situations. But some people like Omega Shell a lot. Consider also Barbarous Thorn Shield, Swiftstrike Buckler, Grey Owlite, Dread Skelly, Crest of Almire, Volcanic Plate Shield.
About guns: You seem to be overlooking the alchemers, which do tons of damage, once you learn how to use them. You might also try the magnus-style guns, whose new charge attack is very potent, if you can position yourself in front of the target.