Battlefield 2042 is now fully out and playable for everyone. We've been playing a whole lot of it lately, and have finally put together our thoughts on the best Battlefield 2042 guns in the form of a tier list.
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Of course, the meta is always changing, so bookmark this page to keep up to date with everything Battlefield 2042, particularly when new patch notes come out. We've got full loadout guides on the guns with their best attachments, secondaries, throwables, and gadgets too, so you can dive even deeper into the game!
Top Tier
LCMG
Our favourite weapon in Battlefield 2042, the LCMG can do it all. It has power, the ability to shred enemies at a middle distance, and even challenge snipers if you're confident enough.
Check out our guide for the best LCMG loadout if you want more information - we've gone into great depth there.
PP-29
The PP-29 is an SMG with a shockingly long range. Compared to its rivals in the category, it can actually compete with Assault Rifles, and its ammunition capacity is absolutely delightful.
We have a helpful page on the best PP-29 loadout too if you're interested!
K30
The K30 is an absolute savage at close ranges. With an absurd fire rate and damage that isn't even half bad, the K30 is reminiscent of the Vector from other shooters. Its time-to-kill potential is wild.
We've put together a handy guide showing you the best K30 loadout too, so give that a look for in-depth detail!
MP9
The MP9 is the quintessential SMG. If you're liking the close-range damage output of the K30 but want something with a slightly more controllable rate of fire, the MP9 is exactly the weapon you're after. It absolutely destroys enemies extremely quickly.
Here's the best MP9 loadout to help you deck it out right!
High Tier
SVK
The SVK is a really strong marksman rifle, working somewhat like a sniper in the right circumstances. It's a hefty piece of kit with a fast enough fire rate to get those follow-up shots to finish off your opponents. It's the perfect midpoint weapon to use in any situation.
Check out our best SVK loadout guide for more information on how best to use this gun!
SWS-10
The SWS-10 is the sniper rifle you'll have access to first in the Battlefield 2042 open beta, and you'll need to be absolutely on point to make it work. You can one-shot enemies with a headshot if you're particularly talented, and take out baddies without them even seeing you (something we're always getting killed by).
If you want to maximise your sniping ability, have a look for our best SWS-10 loadout, including the secondaries, throwables, and everything in between.
M5A3
The M5A3 is your standard assault rifle for Battlefield 2042. It's got range, decent power, and is pretty much the go-to gun you should pick if you're not sure what to do. There's the issue with bullet spread with ARs making it a touch unpredictable, but it does a really solid job regardless.
Why not have a look at our page for the best M5A3 loadout for more detail on the gun? It's a really fun one to use too!
AK-24
The AK-24 is a pretty strong weapon with a really interesting niche. It's got a massive amount of ranged potential if you deck it out with the correct loadout, and when you play your cards right, it can utterly shred even LMG-users.
For more information, have a look at our pick for the best AK24 loadout - it should help you figure out your build!
PBX-45
Slightly more mobile than the K30, the PBX-45 is a nice, bog-standard SMG. Thankfully, in Battlefield 2042, bog-standard SMGs are super useful! Just make sure you're avoiding long-ranged combat, and this weapon will serve you nicely.
If you fancy a bit more juicy detail, you could check out our page for the best PBX-45 loadouts too! C'mon, you know you want to.
Mid Tier
DXR-1
The DXR-1 is a hefty fella, perfect for bonking baddies from across the map. However, if you're skilled enough to use the SWS-10 to a high level, you won't gain too much from using the DXR. They both kill enemies in a single headshot, they both hold their damage at range, and they can both be decked out for better accuracy. The DXR just has slightly worse handling and a slower rate of fire.
It's all good though. We have the best DXR-1 loadout to help you improve with it too.
AC-42
The AC-42 is an interesting weapon. It requires you to use a burst fire mode unlike the other ARs in the game, and provides solid accuracy. The burst fire isn't for everyone though, and we found it a tad frustrating to use in actual Battlefield situations.
MCS-880
The MCS-880 is a strange gun. At the moment, we haven't found a good use for this shotgun, although you can boost its range with slugs rather than buckshot. Unfortunately, it suffers at range against ARs and LMGs (obviously), and it struggles to keep up with SMGs close-up if you don't hit every shot.
PKP-BP
The PKP-BP is a classic LMG with slightly higher bullet damage than its rival, the LCMG. Unfortunately, it's just not as powerful in practice. With awful handling and much less reliable accuracy stats, you're much better off with the LCMG in most situations.
Regardless, it's a fun one to try out, especially with our best PKP-BP loadout!
DM7
The DM7 is an okay weapon to use, but it just doesn't feel as reliable as the likes of the SVK. It's obviously for range, but when your LCMG can butcher foes from miles away anyway, then its niche is somewhat limited. We'll see if it makes it into the meta as the Warzone DMR did though!
If you're hungry for more, have a look at the best DM7 loadout guide right here on Gfinity!
Low Tier
NTW-50
The NTW-50 is down in low tier, but that isn't because it's a strictly terrible gun! It's just so situational. The NTW-50 is an anti-materiel rifle, meant for utterly destroying vehicles up to 1500m away (according to the game). It's just too heavy and unreliable to use in normal gameplay though.
Grab yourself a squad of friends with co-ordinated goals though, and you could be the designated vehicle destroyer if you fancy!
VCAR
We love a cheeky marksman rifle. Unfortunately, the VCAR just lacks the versatility we're looking for in a weapon, though. It's meant for close-range encounters with its low damage and fast fire rate, but you'll need a high-level trigger finger to get even close to good results with this thing.
12M Auto
It's a fully-automatic shotgun, so at close range, it should dominate. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite do what you'd like it to do, and you'll end up killed off by more SMG users than you'd like to admit.
It's super fun to run around with though, so give our best 12M Auto loadout a good look if you want to try this weapon!
SFAR-M GL
The SFAR-M GL just doesn't do anything quite as well as it should. Its firepower is the highest of all the assault rifles, but without a fast rate of fire and range values to match, it's basically a worse version of an LMG. It does have an underbarrel grenade launcher as standard though, which is pretty cool at least.
If you really fancy giving it a go though, check out our best SFAR-M GL loadout guide!
GVT 45-70
This lever-action rifle is an old-school piece of kit. With a maximum of six bullets available in the chamber and an excruciatingly slow fire rate, you'll struggle to deal a great deal of damage with the GVT 45-70. Stick to real snipers or marksman rifles.
Remember, more guns will keep being added with all the Battle Passes and seasons that get released, so don't fret if this isn't quite enough for you right now! There's always Battlefield Portal to whet your appetite.
We'll keep this tier list updated for you to make sure you're in the know with the best guns to use.
In the meantime, why not learn more about the best Battlefield 2042 settings, or keep your Battlefield appetite satiated with some Battle Pass info?
For more articles like this, take a look at our Battlefield 2042 , Guides , and Battlefield pages.