With dozens of weapons scattered across Erangel, Miramar, Taego, and the rest of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS‘s maps, picking the right gun matters as much as positioning. This tier list ranks every PC weapon by how quickly it wins fights at its best range, how manageable its recoil is, how easy it is to actually find in a match, and how well it pairs with common attachments.
S Tier: Meta-defining weapons
- M416 — the most controllable assault rifle once fully kitted, and the safest all-round pick in the game.
- Groza — the highest fire rate of any assault rifle, with a brutal close-to-mid time to kill, but it only drops from airdrops.
- AKM — the highest damage per bullet among ground-loot assault rifles, at the cost of heavy recoil.
- AWM — a .300 Magnum sniper that penetrates helmets up to Level 3, though its ammo is scarce and it is airdrop-only.
- Kar98k — the ground-loot sniper that one-shots a Level 2 helmet, and far easier to find than the AWM.
- Vector — the fastest fire rate of any SMG for close range, balanced by a small base magazine.
- Also S tier: AUG A3, G36C, Mk14 EBR, SLR, Dragunov, Mosin Nagant, P90, MP5K, and JS9.
A Tier: Excellent, with a few more limitations
A step below the metadefining guns, but still strong picks in the right fight: ACE32, M16A4, Mk47 Mutant, FAMAS, QBZ95, Lynx AMR, M24, Mk12, QBU, UMP45, Micro UZI, M249, MG3, S12K, and the Flare Gun for calling in a custom airdrop. Most of these are easier to find than S-tier weapons and remain viable in the right loadout even without perfect attachments.
B and C Tier: Situational and weak picks
B Tier (situational): SCAR-L, Mini-14, SKS, VSS, Win94, Tommy Gun, DBS, O12, S1897, R1895, frag grenades, and C4. These are still viable with decent attachments, especially early in a match before better loot appears.
C Tier (weak): K2, PP-19 Bizon, S686, Panzerfaust, and the Mortar. Treat this as a warning list rather than a ban list — use them only when nothing better is available.
Best weapon by engagement range
- Close range: Vector, JS9, and the S12K if you prefer a shotgun.
- Mid range: M416, ACE32, and UMP45, all of which stay controllable in longer spray fights.
- Long range: Kar98k, M24, SLR, and Mk14 EBR for ground loot, or the AWM if you’re lucky enough to find one in a drop.
Suggested loadouts by playstyle
- Safe all-rounder: M416 as your main, paired with a Kar98k or M24 for long-range picks.
- Aggressive: AKM or Groza for close-to-mid fights, backed by a Vector or JS9 for clearing buildings.
- Mid-range DMR: SLR or Mk14 EBR paired with an M416 for flexibility.
- Budget: B-tier guns like the SCAR-L or Mini-14 are still viable with decent attachments when better loot hasn’t dropped yet.
Remember that airdrop-only weapons like the Groza and AWM are powerful but unreliable to find, so a ground-loot loadout built around the M416, AKM, or Kar98k will win you far more matches over time.
Stocking up for your next match
Jumping back into PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS to test this loadout guide? A Steam Wallet Code is the quickest way to fund your account for new skins or battle passes. Check out our full Steam and PC game key selections for more.
