Finding the best guns in Battlefield 6 is a daunting task as the first-person shooter has a whopping 41 primary weapons available on launch.
Oftentimes, when a new first-person shooter is released, the most difficult aspect is seeing which gun works for you. If you’ve played the beta, you’ll probably have an idea on which guns to go for, but, with Battlefield 6‘s full release, there are a lot more guns to choose from. As Battlefield 6 has launched fairly recently, you won’t have access to a large pool of the weapon arsenal. To make up for that, we’ve listed out some of the strongest weapons that you’ll unlock at lower ranks… although it turns out, some of these early unlocks are still some of the best guns in the game.
Here are the best guns in Battlefield 6. As the meta progresses and we spend more time in battle, we’ll regularly update this guide with more recommendations.
M4A1 carbine
Classed as a carbine instead of an assault rifle, the M4A1 is by far the best gun you can equip from the get-go in Battlefield 6. The only downside is that because it’s in the carbine category, it isn’t classed as a signature weapon for any of the four classes. As the default assault rifle, M433, has so much recoil, switching to the M4A1 is a no-brainer.
Once you’ve used it for a while and leveled it up a few times, you can turn this fully-auto carbine into a true laser beam. We recommend a 1-1.5x optical sight, depending on your preference; our favorite so far has been the 2Pro 1.25x. Any of the vertical underbarrel grips are also a smart choice to manage the recoil, with the 6H64 Vertical being the best but also requiring M4A1 Mastery 18, so the Ribbed or Classic Vertical grips will do until then. The Double-Port or Compensated Brake, when you unlock them, are also mandatory for recoil management. Finally, any of the increased magazine sizes are a huge help, as the M4A1 does have a fast fire rate and you’ll be reloading often.
M2010 ESR sniper rifle
If playing slower and picking enemies off from afar is more your style, the M2010 ESR is a perfectly suitable sniper rifle to begin your multiplayer journey with. It doesn’t quite have the range and power offered by the PSR, but, since it’ll take a fair few hours of gameplay to get your hands on, you’ll get plenty of one-hit kills with the M2010.
With a 6x scope attached from the get-go, you should equip either the Full Angled or Bipod underbarrel attachment as soon as possible, depending on your playstyle. Use it with the Recon class and you’ll receive reduced weapon sway, quicker bullet rechambering, and better breath control. Aiming at enemies down the scope will also spot them for your teammates with the classic sniper training path equipped.
If you’ve got the Phantom Edition of Battlefield 6, you’ll have access to the Drop Shadow version of the weapon, which comes with a few fancy attachments already equipped, including a suppressor, extended barrel, and long-range ammunition.
PW5A3 SMG
The PW5A3 isn’t immediately available, but you won’t have to wait very long to get your hands on it as it’s unlocked at rank 6. When you do, you’ve got Battlefield 6’s version of an MP5. The classic SMG has much better handling than the SGX, which you have access to at the start, and it’s also capable of dealing with foes at a longer range.
While Battlefield 6 has plenty of huge maps for all-out warfare, it’s also leaning into smaller maps, which the PW5A3 is ideal for. That said, it’s more than capable of mid-range combat with the right attachments, as long as you kit it out to improve the recoil. As long as you do adopt a slightly slower playstyle than the SMG class might usually require, our recommended attachments include a vertical underbarrel grip — ideally the Classic when you unlock it — and the 245mm Custom extended barrel, and eventually, either the Frangible or Synthetic Tip ammunition, although that only unlocks when you’ve almost maxed out the gun.
Make sure you use it with the Engineer class and you’ll get improved hipfire control, along with reduced explosive damage when near friendly vehicles.
SCW-10 SMG
Another highly recommended SMG is the SCW-10, which requires completion of the Close Quarters 1 assignment to unlock. This assignment is only available once you reach rank 23, and to complete it, you need to inflict 10,000 damage while aiming down the sights and get 200 close quarter kills, both while using SMGs.
According to the general consensus online, when you do unlock it, you’ve got an absolute machine on your hands, albeit with a couple of drawbacks. The SCW-10’s biggest strength is that it has the highest damage out of every SMG in the game, with 33. Outside of DMRs, sniper rifles, and shotguns — all weapon classes that are capable of one or two-shot kills — it matches the highest damage total in any other category.
So what’s the drawback? Well, the SCW-10 only has 15 bullets per mag, and it tears through them at an astounding rate, resulting in needing to reload between pretty much every kill, or two if you’re lucky. You can increase this reload speed with attachments such as the Mag Catch, and when you’ve mastered the weapon further, either the 20 or 25 round mags will give you a little more to work with. It’s also not great at range, so it is best suited to very close-quarters combat.
RPKM LMG
The RPKM takes a while to unlock naturally, not coming until rank 30, but if you complete the Battlefield 6 campaign, you’ll get your hands on the Carnivore variant of the gun, which is extremely strong. It’s one of the more versatile LMGs, as it’s essentially a heavier, beefier AK-class weapon, and the attachments it comes with here mean it can compete at both medium and longer ranges.
The Carnivore variant focuses more on making it more like an assault rifle or carbine, which means it’s better suited to mobile gameplay, with attachments such as the 419mm Boar-F short barrel and R4T 2.00x optical sight. If you want to kit it out for longer range combat though, which it is more than capable of, equip attachments such as any of the Grip Pod underbarrels, either of the heavy barrels, and a much more magnified optic.
Want to dive into the single-player component first? Check out our Battlefield 6 campaign review.
