Escape From Tarkov best guns: All meta weapons in patch 0.13.5.1
Choosing the best guns in Escape From Tarkov to bring into your raids will be a key part of your success, and we've got all of the meta weapons right now in patch 0.13.5.1 for you to look over.
Unlike most other games, guns in Escape From Tarkov don't dictate the damage that you deal, and instead determine the recoil and overall handling of your shots. Only certain weapons can take certain ammunition though, so creating the ideal pairing of gun and ammo is the key to achieving meta status in the game.
Thankfully, we've done all of the hard work for you below, so all you need to do now is continue reading to see our picks for the best guns and top meta weapons in Escape From Tarkov right now in patch 0.13.5.1.
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What are the best guns in Escape From Tarkov? (Patch 0.13.5.1)
Click to enlargeCheck out the table below to see all of the best guns and meta weapons in Escape From Tarkov during patch 0.13.5.1:
| Weapon Type | Best Guns |
| Assault Rifles |
|
| Designated Marksman Rifles |
|
| Pistols |
|
| Shotguns |
|
| Sniper Rifles |
|
| Submachine Guns |
|
As you can see, there are quite a few top-tier weapons to choose from in Escape From Tarkov across a variety of different playstyles. While some of the options above are better than others, you will still be bringing in one of the best guns in the game if you opt for any of them in your raids.
If you want to find out more about some of the best options though, make sure to continue reading for further details.
- Find out everything we know about the Escape From Tarkov player count here if you were wondering how many people play the game
Best Pistols in Escape From Tarkov
FN Five-seveN MK2 5.7x28
Click to enlarge- How to get: Peacekeeper LL3
- Key features:
- Powerful ammo
- Clean iron sights
- Fast single-fire rate
While you can deal with pretty much anyone without a face shield with any of the pistols, they all have their relative weaknesses, ranging from fire rate, reload time, to weapon damage and penetration.
The FN Five-seveN stands above the rest of the pistols however as a clear favourite, boating a fast fire rate, quick reload, and a unique ammo type that can really surprise enemies.
The best ammo for the weapon is effective even up to class six armour, but can easily stand on its own against class four and five too. Furthermore, hitting those headshots will guarantee a kill even against visors, making this an ideal choice and one of the best guns in Escape From Tarkov if you need a sidearm.
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Best Shotguns in Escape From Tarkov
TOZ KS-23M 23x75mm
Click to enlarge- How to get: Prapor, after completing 'Gendarmerie - School Guard'
- Key features:
- Powerful standard rounds
- Unique flashbang round
- Extremely fun to use
Although the KS-23M shotgun isn't as oppressive of a force as it was when it was unleashed into the game, it is still one of Escape From Tarkov's best guns.
The key appeal of the pump action shotgun is its unique Star Flashbang Slug, which, as the name signifies, fires a flashbang into opposing players instead of a traditional shot.
Combine this with the Shrapnel 10 buckshot, or Barricade Slug and your opposing PMCs won't be able to see what hit them - quite literally in this case. This is unfortunately tricky to get your hands on for good reason, but when used correctly it definitely makes this one of the best (and most annoying) guns in EFT.
Saiga 12ga 12/76/MP-153 12ga
Click to enlarge- How to get: Jaeger LL2
- Key features:
- Semi-automatic fire rate
- Can use Flechette rounds
- Saiga has very quick reloads
These two semi-automatic shotguns largely fill the same role so we've grouped them together based on their playstyle and the fact they take the same ammo. If you are in the right situation, you can't really go wrong with a semi-auto shotgun and buckshot ammunition.
Perhaps the epitome of spray and pray, most foes will drop before they even realise if you catch them first and just spam your shots. This is perfect for close-quarters maps like Factory, but can work in the interiors of a lot of other maps too.
The Saiga takes the edge over the MP-153 purely for its superior modding capabilities and its larger magazines, allowing you to keep shooting for longer and reload faster, both are among the best guns in Escape From Tarkov.
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Best SMGs in Escape From Tarkov
HK MP7A2 4.6x30
Click to enlarge- How to get: Peacekeeper LL4 (barter)
- Key features:
- Rapid rate of fire
- Super powerful rounds
- Excellent price-to-performance ratio
The HK MP7A2 is an extremely reliable choice for all situations where you would find yourself using an SMG. The 950 RPM combined with the FMJ rounds from Peacekeeper LL3 can tear through anyone not wearing class six armour, and the ability to take 40-round mags compensates well for the fast fire rate.
You can also pick up the sister variant MP7A1, which is almost identical, but it cannot take a foregrip so you're lacking more in the recoil department with that choice. Overall, it is no surprise that so many players opt for the MP7 even into the late game, making it definitely one of the best guns to choose in Escape From Tarkov.
HK UMP .45 ACP
Click to enlarge- How to get: Peacekeeper LL2 / Peacekeeper & Mechanic LL1 (barter)
- Key features:
- Low recoil
- High damage ammo
- Doesn't need to be modded
Almost the counterpoint to the MP7A2 is the UMP .45, which offers a significantly lower fire rate of 600 RPM, but still stays just as powerful - if not more. The UMP benefitted massively from the patch 12.12 recoil changes, which nerfed the recoil of faster-firing weapons, making the .45 calibre SMG stand out as by far one of the best guns you can pick in Escape From Tarkov.
The ammo also does a very high amount of damage, so legs or the face will be prime targets that are easy to hit. Furthermore, once you get your hands on the .45 ACP AP ammo at Workbench L2, you're able to penetrate up to class five armour, making this a budget killer.
Lastly, it offers insane value at a very early point in the game, as it can be traded with Mechanic and Peacekeeper at LL1 for two easily obtainable barters.
- Make sure to check out our Escape From Tarkov ammo tier list if you're wanting to pair your top-tier gun with the best ammo
Best Marksman Rifles in Escape From Tarkov
VSS Vintorez 9x39 Special Sniper Rifle
Click to enlarge- How to get: Prapor LL3/LL4 (barter)
- Key features:
- High damage and penetration ammunition
- Great in single-fire and automatic
- Subsonic rounds
While it has had a bit of a break from the meta due to the patch 12.12 recoil changes, it received a slight buff in 12.12.30 that has made it worth using again. The weapon itself hasn't changed, but there have been some tweaks to the ammo that have made it one of the best guns in Escape From Tarkov.
Overall, it is an excellent hybrid weapon that allows you to take long-range and close-quarters fights adeptly and has very strong ammo all around. Furthermore, it (alongside the AS VAL) is unique in its design as subsonic-capable weapons. This makes your shots nearly impossible to distinguish from a location perspective, making stealthy playstyles thrive.
The biggest downside for this weapon (outside of the still sometimes troublesome recoil) is how difficult it can be to acquire mags and good ammo. This can be circumvented through some crafts, but still is a lot more painful than just picking them up through the traders or at the flea market.
Remington R11 RSASS 7.62x51 marksman rifle
Click to enlarge- How to get: Peacekeeper LL4 (after Wet Job - Part 5)
- Key features:
- Incredible accuracy
- High power rounds
- Fantastic modding capability
While this spot was previously held by the SR-25 and M1A, the changes over time to the availability of both weapons and the 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition has seen the more expensive RSASS emerge as the overall best option.
It was always the defacto 'best' weapon out of the three but proved largely to be a little too expensive to consistently run. However, with 88 vertical recoil that can scale down dramatically with modding, the RSASS is a certified laser that can demonise any PMC across mid to long-range gunfights.
Stick on one of the best sights, a suppressor, and you'll be good to go - and confident that you'll hit your shots with the ever-impressive 0.77 MOA.
SWORD International Mk-18 .338 LM
Click to enlarge- How to get: Jaeger LL4 (after Hunter)
- Key features:
- Best ammo in the game
- Incredibly low MOA
- Tarkov's biggest flex
This is a bit of a tricky one, as the Mk-18 is technically the best weapon in the entire game, but as such it is insanely difficult to get your hands on. While it is now not the only weapon that takes the phenomenal .338 Lapua Magnum ammo, which - with the AP variant - is a one-shot through any armour in the game, it stands tall with its semi-automatic fire rate.
However, the tough part is that neither the weapon nor the ammo can be bought on the flea market. The AP ammo can only be found in raid, and you are only able to buy the Mk-18 from Jager after completing the Hunter quest at LL4, requiring you to kill the Woods boss a whopping 25 times. If you get your hands on it though, you're in for a treat.
- Make sure that you use the best early wipe weapon builds in Escape From Tarkov to dominate the initial patch periods
Best Assault Rifles in Escape From Tarkov
Desert Tech MDR 7.62x51
Click to enlarge- How to get: Peacekeeper LL4 (after Wet Job - Part 4)
- Key features:
- Brings the 7.62 NATO platform automatic
- Great ergonomics
- Doesn't need to be modded
Think about how powerful the 7.62x51mm ammo is in the semi-automatic weapons above, but then imagine how strong it would be fully automatic. The result here is the 7.62x51 MDR, which is by far one of the best guns in Escape From Tarkov and is rightfully an ideal choice for the endgame period.
There is a 5.56x45mm variant of the MDR that can be obtained much earlier in the progression cycle which is good as well, but you really cannot deny the power of its larger sibling. Both variants require very minimal modding too, but that does come with a relatively restricted recoil ceiling.
Colt M4A1 5.56x45 assault rifle
Click to enlarge- How to get: Peacekeeper LL2 / Peacekeeper LL1 (barter)
- Key features:
- Fast time to kill
- Great ammo for all of the wipe
- Excellent modability
While it did become relatively unviable for quite a while after the 12.12 recoil changes, Tarkov's most iconic gun the M4A1 has come back into fashion in recent times.
A combination of the across-the-board recoil buffs back in patch 13, and the recent increased availability of M856A1 and M855A1 in patch 0.13.1 have seen the M4 become much stronger within the meta, and potentially challenging for the top spot.
It features one of the fastest fire rates for assault rifles, meaning that you're theoretically able to drop your opponents quicker if you hit your shots. Furthermore, while its base recoil isn't the best, it is arguably the most moddable weapon in the game, and you can bring its vertical recoil down to the low 20s with the right parts.
CMMG Mk47 Mutant 7.62x39
Click to enlarge- How to get: Skier LL4 (after Bullshit)
- Key features:
- Super low recoil
- Incredibly strong ammo
- Great modding options
The Mk47 Mutant has been one of the best guns in Escape From Tarkov for a while now, sitting in its rightful place near the top of the meta with low recoil and incredible stopping power.
Wielding the 7.62x39 ammunition, the Mutant can utilise BP to tear through even the highest armour classes in the game. Of course, it is harder to get your hands on BP now compared to the last few wipes, but it is still by far one of the top choices that you can opt for across a patch cycle.
Rifle Dynamics RD-704 7.62x39 assault rifle
Click to enlarge- How to get: Mechanic LL4
- Key features:
- Very similar to the Mutant
- AK platform makes modding cheap
- Great recoil
If you haven't quite got to Skier LL4 and completed the Bullshit quest yet, however, the RD-704 will certainly do the trick. The RD-704 is being dubbed the 'mini-Mutant' due to the frankly staggering similarities between the two weapons.
They both take the incredibly strong 7.62x39 ammo - which is still one of the best ammo types in the game - but it also has exceptional recoil and ergonomics capabilities. Much like the Mutant, you can pick up the RD from Mechanic LL4, but you thankfully won't need to complete any tasks to get your hands on it this time.
If you're looking for the best guns in Escape From Tarkov then you really can't get much better than the RD-704, as its versatility and stopping power make it an all-round exceptional choice.
- We've got the best RD-704 build in Escape From Tarkov here if you're wanting some help setting up the gun for your raids
Best Sniper Rifles in Escape From Tarkov
Lobaev Arms DVL-10 7.62x51
Click to enlarge- How to get: Skier LL3 (after Long Road)
- Key features:
- Super accurate
- Lightweight
- Built-in suppressor option
As you have probably noticed as a trend throughout this list, whenever a gun is loaded with 7.62x51mm ammo, it is incredibly strong. If long-range battles are your thing, then the DVL-10 is definitely one of the best guns in the game to choose from.
Furthermore, if you can stretch to 7.62x51 M62 ammo, which is faster, has a longer effective distance, does more damage, and has better armour penetration than the more common M80, then you will have a much better chance against tougher PMCs and bosses.
Accuracy International AXMC .338 LM Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle
Click to enlarge- How to get: Jaeger LL4 (after Hunting Trip)
- Key features:
- Best ammo in the game
- Incredibly low MOA
- More viable than the Mk-18
The AXMC joins the Mk-18 in the insanely powerful .338 LM ammo category, making it instantly one of the best guns in Escape From Tarkov, and certainly one of the top sniper rifles too.
It is the best bolt action you can get your hands on in the game, purely because of the ammo that you load it with, but that doesn't mean that it is free from downsides. Again, like the Mk-18, the ammo is incredibly hard to get a hold of (but at least you won't be able to burn through it as quickly here), and despite being easier to buy than its semi-automatic counterpart, it still requires you to kill Shturman - just once this time though, instead of 25.
Finally, seemingly as a means of balancing its overwhelming power, BSG has set the base ergonomics of the weapon as a whopping zero, meaning that your ADS time is incredibly slow and you aren't able to stay scoped for too long before depleting your arm stamina. Despite all of this though, it is still a frankly unmatched sniper rifle - if you can get your hands on it, of course.
So, that completes our Escape From Tarkov best guns list, going over every top-tier weapon in the game at the current patch 0.13.5.1. If a gun you like isn't on this list, it doesn't mean that it is not worth using, just that it doesn't quite hit the top of the mark in Tarkov.
Check out our Escape From Tarkov homepage for more guides, or find out what the best quest order in Escape From Tarkov is for the early game.