GTA Online · Weapons

GTA 5 Weapons: the Best in Every Class (2026)

📅 Checked on 11 September 2026

The best weapon in each class of GTA Online: the Service Carbine for assault rifles, the Heavy Sniper Mk II for snipers, the Combat MG Mk II for SMGs and machine guns, the Assault Shotgun for shotguns, the AP Pistol for handguns and the Homing Launcher for explosives. Each verdict comes from its class page, where 74 weapons are ranked on the game's own numbers.

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Assault rifles15 ranked by damage per second: the Service Carbine leads

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Sniper riflesAll 6 with damage to players: the Heavy Sniper Mk II leads

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SMGs & machine gunsAll 13 ranked by damage per second: the Combat MG Mk II leads

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ShotgunsAll 10 ranked by damage: the Assault Shotgun leads

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HandgunsAll 20 ranked by damage per second: the AP Pistol leads

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ExplosivesAll 10 heavy weapons: the Homing Launcher leads

Every weapon in one table, melee and thrown weapons included: the full GTA 5 weapons list.

The Best Weapon in Each Class

Class	Best weapon	Why	In class
Assault rifles	Service Carbine	About 278 damage per second, level with the fastest rifles, with the joint-best accuracy. Best value: the Advanced Rifle, 283 per second for $14,250.	15
Sniper rifles	Heavy Sniper Mk II	230 per shot, 319.7 against a player, and the only sniper with explosive rounds.	6
SMGs and machine guns	Combat MG Mk II	About 435 damage per second, 47 per shot on a 100-round belt. Best true SMG: the Mini SMG.	13
Shotguns	Assault Shotgun	192 per shot with every pellet, at 240 a minute: the most damage over time. Past close range, the Heavy Shotgun.	10
Handguns	AP Pistol	The only automatic handgun, about 250 damage per second. For heavy single hits, the Heavy Revolver Mk II.	20
Explosives	Homing Launcher	The only launcher that locks on, 500 on a direct hit, $75,000 with no rank requirement.	10

Is There One Best Weapon in GTA Online?

No, and the numbers show why. The Minigun puts out 1,500 damage per second, five times the fastest assault rifle, but it slows you down and does nothing at range. The Heavy Sniper Mk II hits for 230 in one shot and needs a second to cycle. The Homing Launcher is the only answer to a jet. A loadout is one weapon per job, and the six class pages are there to pick each one.

Mk II Conversions and Attachments

Two different things that are often confused. Most weapons take attachments, scopes, grips, suppressors, larger clips, bought at Ammu-Nation. A Mk II conversion is a separate upgrade that only twelve weapons have: the Pistol, the SNS Pistol, the Heavy Revolver, the SMG, the Pump Shotgun, four assault rifles, the Combat MG, the Heavy Sniper and the Marksman Rifle. It is done at a weapon workshop, which comes with a Mobile Operations Center or an Avenger, and it is what unlocks the special rounds, explosive, incendiary, armour-piercing and the rest.

Story Mode

The single-player arsenal is smaller: every Mk II conversion and most weapons added by later updates exist only in GTA Online. Of the rifles that are in story mode, the Advanced Rifle deals the most damage per second, 283. For long range it is the Heavy Sniper. And if you would rather not pay for any of it, the GTA 5 cheat codes hand out a full weapon set, in story mode only.

More GTA Online on GTAside

The fastest cars and the business income rankings sit alongside this one. To pay for a $370,000 Service Carbine, the best paying missions after the July 2026 update. For the older games, the arsenals of San Andreas, GTA IV and GTA III.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best weapon in GTA Online?

There is no single answer, because each class does a different job. By class: the Service Carbine for assault rifles, the Heavy Sniper Mk II for snipers, the Combat MG Mk II for SMGs and machine guns, the Assault Shotgun for shotguns, the AP Pistol for handguns and the Homing Launcher for explosives. For raw damage output the Minigun leads everything, at 1,500 damage per second.

How many weapons are there in GTA Online?

109 on the fullest GTA Online lists, melee and thrown weapons included. Our six class pages cover the 74 firearms and launchers: 20 handguns, 15 assault rifles, 13 SMGs and machine guns, 10 shotguns, 10 heavy weapons and 6 sniper rifles.

Which weapons have a Mk II version in GTA Online?

Twelve: the Pistol, the SNS Pistol, the Heavy Revolver, the SMG, the Pump Shotgun, the Assault Rifle, the Carbine Rifle, the Special Carbine, the Bullpup Rifle, the Combat MG, the Heavy Sniper and the Marksman Rifle. The conversion is done at a weapon workshop, in a Mobile Operations Center or an Avenger.

Are attachments the same as a Mk II upgrade?

No. Most weapons take attachments, scopes, grips, suppressors and larger clips, bought at Ammu-Nation. A Mk II conversion is a separate upgrade, available for twelve weapons only, and it is what unlocks the special rounds.

What is the best gun in GTA 5 story mode?

The Advanced Rifle among the assault rifles, at 283 damage per second, and the Heavy Sniper for long range. The Mk II conversions and most weapons added by later updates exist only in GTA Online.