DayZ Wiki › Guides & tools › Best weapons
Tier list · 1.30
Best weapons tier list
Every firearm worth carrying, ranked from S to D, with the stats that decide it: calibre, fire mode, recoil, weight and how hard it is to find.
How we rank
How we rank
This tier list is our opinion, based on the stats on each item page and how the guns play in 1.30. We weigh damage per shot, fire modes, recoil, attachment options, ammo availability, weight and rarity. A gun you can actually find and feed beats a better one you will never see.
SEndgame
Wins fights on its own. Rare, usually military, crash or toxic zone loot.
AExcellent
Military-grade and reliable. What most geared players carry.
BSolid
Common enough to find and good enough to win. The mid game.
CSituational
Sidearms, hunting and close-range tools.
DLast resort
Better than fists, swap it as soon as you can.
Tier list
Every gun, ranked
| Weapon | Type | Ammo | Fire mode | Recoil | Weight | Rarity | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM4-A1 | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full Auto | Medium | 2.3 kg | Extremely Rare | Best all-round rifle in the game: light, accurate, huge attachment list, 60-round mags. |
| SSVAL | Assault rifles | 9x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | Medium | 2.4 kg | Extremely Rare | Suppressed 9x39 with full auto. Quiet, deadly, rare. |
| SVSD | Semi-automatic rifles | 7.62x54mmR Rounds | Semi-Auto | High | 3.7 kg | Extremely Rare | Semi-auto 7.62x54mmR marksman rifle. Kills in one or two body shots at range. |
| SLAR | Battle rifles | .308 WIN Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | Very high | 3.7 kg | Extremely Rare | Full-auto .308 battle rifle. Brutal up close and at range, heavy recoil. |
| SDMR | Marksman rifles | .308 WIN Rounds | Semi-Auto | High | 2.7 kg | Extremely rare | Semi-auto .308 marksman rifle with 20-round mags. |
| SSCR 17 | Battle rifles | .308 WIN Rounds | Semi Auto, Full Auto | 3.7 kg | The .308 battle rifle from Road to Badlands. LAR-class power with optics support. | ||
| SAUR AX | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Burst, Full-Auto | Medium | 3.6 kg | Extremely Rare | 5.56 bullpup with burst and auto; takes standardized mags. |
| AKA-M | Assault rifles | 7.62x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | High | 3 kg | Very Rare | 7.62x39 hits harder than 5.56; common ammo, high recoil. |
| AKA-74 | Assault rifles | 5.45x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | High | 3.1 kg | Very Rare | Reliable 5.45 rifle, easy ammo. |
| AKA-101 | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | High | 3.1 kg | Very Rare | 5.56 AK variant. |
| AAUR A1 | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Burst, Full-Auto | Medium | 3.2 kg | Rare Very Rare | Bullpup 5.56, convoy and crash loot. |
| ALE-MAS | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Burst Fire, Full-Auto | High | 3.6 kg | Very Rare | Three fire modes, 25-round mags. |
| AM16-A2 | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, 3-Round Burst | Medium | 4 kg | Rare | Burst-fire 5.56, accurate, takes standardized mags. |
| ASCR 16 | Assault rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Selective-fire | The 5.56 rifle from Nasdara. | |||
| AVikhr | Assault rifles | 9x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | Moderate | 2.2 kg | Very Rare | Compact full-auto 9x39. |
| AVSS | Semi-automatic rifles | 9x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, full auto | Low | 2.0 kg | Very Rare | Integrally suppressed 9x39 sniper rifle. |
| AVS-89 | Bolt-action rifles | 7.62x54mmR Rounds | Bolt-Action | High | 5.8 kg | Rare | Bolt-action 7.62x54mmR, one-shot head and chest. |
| ACR-550 Savanna | Bolt-action rifles | .308 WIN Rounds | Single | Very High | 3.3 kg | Rare | Bolt-action .308 hunting rifle with a 10-round mag option. |
| ASSG 82 | Bolt-action rifles | 5.45x39mm Rounds | Bolt-Action | Medium | 4.5 kg | Very Rare | Bolt-action 5.45 with a built-in scope mount. |
| BMosin 91/30 | Bolt-action rifles | 7.62x54mmR Rounds | Single (Bolt-Action) | High | 4 kg | Uncommon | The classic. Common, powerful 7.62x54mmR, takes a PU scope. |
| BSK 59/66 | Semi-automatic rifles | 7.62x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto | High | 3.9 kg | Uncommon | Semi-auto 7.62x39 with a 10-round internal mag. The best mid-game rifle. |
| BLee-Enfield | Rifles | 7.62x54mmR Rounds | Single | 10-round bolt-action from Badlands. | |||
| BCR-527 | Bolt-action rifles | 7.62x39mm Rounds | Single | Medium | 2.7 kg | Uncommon | Light bolt-action 7.62x39 with a 5-round mag. |
| BRepeater Carbine | Lever-action rifles | Single (Lever-Action) | High | 2.7 kg | Rare | Lever-action .357, fast follow-up shots. | |
| BBlaze | Break-action rifles | .308 WIN Rounds | Single, Double | Medium | 2.8 kg | Uncommon | Double-barrel .308 hunting rifle. |
| BVaiga | Shotguns | 12ga 00 Buckshots | Semi-Auto, Full Auto | High | 3.6 kg | Rare | Semi/full-auto shotgun with drum mags. Room clearer. |
| BBK-133 | Shotguns | 12ga 00 Buckshots | Single (Pump-Action) | Medium | 3.3 kg | Uncommon | Pump shotgun, police and hunting loot. |
| BR12 | Shotguns | 12ga Rifled Slugs | Semi-Auto | 3.3 kg | Rare | Semi-auto slug shotgun. | |
| BKAS-74U | Assault rifles | 5.45x39mm Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | High | 2.7 kg | Rare | Short AK, great in buildings. |
| BBizon | Submachine guns | .380 ACP Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full-Auto | Medium | 2.9 kg | Rare | 64-round .380 SMG. |
| BSG5-K | Submachine guns | 9x19mm Rounds | Full-Auto, Burst, Semi-Auto | Medium | 1.8 kg | Rare | Burst and auto 9mm SMG. |
| BUSG-45 | Submachine guns | .45 ACP Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full Auto | Low | 2.2 kg | Rare | Low recoil .45 SMG. |
| BDeagle | Handguns | .357 Rounds | Semi-Auto | Medium | 1.5 kg | Very Rare | Hard-hitting .357 pistol. |
| BPioneer | Bolt-action rifles | 5.56x45mm Rounds | Single | Medium | 2.7 kg | Rare | Bolt-action 5.56 scout rifle. |
| CM70 Tundra | Bolt-action rifles | .308 WIN Rounds | Single | Low | 1.5 kg | Very Common | Light .308 bolt-action with a 5-round internal mag. |
| CCR-61 Skorpion | Submachine guns | .380 ACP Rounds | Semi-Auto, Full Auto | Medium | 1.3 kg | Uncommon | Compact full-auto .380. |
| CRAK-37 | Submachine guns | .380 ACP Rounds | Full-Auto | High | 1.6 kg | Uncommon | Full-auto .380 machine pistol. |
| CFX-45 | Handguns | .45 ACP Rounds | 2 | 950 g | Uncommon | .45 pistol with 15-round mags. | |
| CKolt 1911 | Handguns | .45 ACP Rounds | Semi-Auto | Medium | 1.1 kg | Rare | .45 pistol, decent stopping power. |
| CMlock-91 | Handguns | 9x19mm Rounds | Semi-Auto | Medium | 1.3 kg | Uncommon | 9mm pistol with a suppressor option. |
| CCR-75 | Handguns | 9x19mm Rounds | Semi-Auto | Low | 1 kg | Uncommon | Common 9mm pistol. |
| CRevolver | Handguns | .357 Rounds | Semi-Auto (Double-Action) | High | 1.4 kg | Rare | 6-shot .357. |
| CLonghorn | Handguns | .308 WIN Rounds | Single | Medium | 2.0 kg | Rare | Single-shot .308 pistol with a scope. |
| CBK-43 | Shotguns | 12ga 00 Buckshots | Single, Double | High | 3 kg | Uncommon | Double-barrel shotgun. |
| CCrossbow | Bows and crossbows | Bolt | Single | Low | 2.7 kg | Uncommon | Silent, recoverable bolts. |
| CSporter 22 | Semi-automatic rifles | .22 LR Rounds | Semi-Auto | Very Low | 2.3 kg | Uncommon | Quiet .22 for hunting. |
| CMP-18 | Submachine guns | 9x19mm Rounds | 9mm SMG from Badlands. | ||||
| CLuger | Handguns | 9x19mm Rounds | 9mm pistol from Badlands. | ||||
| DIJ-70 | Handguns | .380 ACP Rounds | Semi-Auto | Low | 760 g | Common | Weak .380 pistol. |
| DMK II | Handguns | .22 LR Rounds | Semi-Automatic | Low | 1.3 kg | Uncommon | .22 pistol for hunting. |
| DP1 | Handguns | 9x19mm Rounds | Semi-Auto | Low | 960 g | Common | Basic 9mm pistol. |
| DDerringer | Handguns | .357 Rounds | Single | Very High | 350 g | Uncommon | Two shots, last resort. |
| DBK-12 | Shotguns | 12ga 00 Buckshots | Single | High | 3.2 kg | Common | Single-shot shotgun. |
| DBK-18 | Break-action rifles | 7.62x39mm Rounds | Single (Break-action) | High | 3.2 kg | Common | Single-shot 7.62x39 rifle. |
| DSignal Pistol | Handguns | Flare | Single | Low | 400 g | Rare | A flare gun. Signals, not fights. |
Not ranked: launchers, explosives, and items listed in game files but not spawning in 1.30 (Groza-4, PKM, M249, RPG-7 and others). Full stats for every gun are on firearms.
Best by role
The best gun for each job
| Role | Best | Common alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Assault rifle | M4-A1 | KA-74 |
| Long range | VSD | Mosin 91/30 with PU scope |
| Marksman (semi-auto) | DMR | SK 59/66 |
| Stealth | SVAL or VSS | Mlock-91 with suppressor, crossbow |
| Close quarters | Vaiga | BK-133 |
| Sidearm | Deagle | FX-45 |
| Hunting | CR-527 | Sporter 22 |
| Nasdara (long sightlines) | Lee-Enfield | Mosin 91/30 |
Ammo
Ammo decides more fights than guns
- 7.62x54mmR (Mosin, VSD, VS-89, Lee-Enfield): the hardest-hitting common round.
- .308 WIN (LAR, DMR, SCR 17, CR-550, Blaze, M70): full power, rarer in military loot, common in hunting.
- 5.56x45mm (M4-A1, M16, AUR, LE-MAS, SCR 16): shared by many rifles, so easy to stock.
- 7.62x39mm (KA-M, SK 59/66, CR-527): common and strong.
- 9x39mm (SVAL, VSS, Vikhr): subsonic, quiet, rare.
See every ammo type and attachments.
By game stage
Early, mid and late game
Early (first hour)
Anything that shoots. A CR-75, BK-133, CR-527 or Mosin from houses, police and hunting stands.
Mid (first day)
An SK 59/66 or Mosin with a scope plus a shotgun or SMG for buildings.
Late (geared)
An M4-A1, KA-74 or AUR for range and CQB, and a VSD or DMR if you play long range.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
What is the best gun in DayZ?
For most players the M4-A1: low recoil, full auto, huge attachment list and 60-round magazines. For long range, the VSD and DMR.
What is the best early game gun in DayZ?
The Mosin 91/30 or SK 59/66 for range, and the BK-133 pump shotgun for close fights. All are common in hunting and village loot.
What is the best sniper rifle in DayZ?
The VSD hits hardest of the semi-autos; the VS-89 and Mosin are the best bolt-actions.
What is the quietest gun in DayZ?
The VSS and SVAL with subsonic 9x39, and the crossbow.
Is this tier list official?
No. It is our opinion, based on in-game stats for update 1.30.
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Last checked 28 October 2026, against DayZ 1.30 (PC 1.30.164200, console 1.87). Stats from DayZ2.net item pages. Rankings are our opinion.