The BEST weapons to use in GTA Online

GTA online has an arsenal of weapons, but not all of them are worth using. As GTA online heading into 2026, it's important that you're equipped with the best guns for PvE and PvP, so you're always ready for a fight against enemy players or ready to take on NPCs and other enemies during raids or missions.

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Beginner's Tips for the Best Start in GTA Online (2026)

This beginner's guide to GTA Online will make sure you don't get overwhelmed by the amount of activities now available in 2026 and beyond.

We have listed best weapons in GTA online for 2026 across PvE and PvP activities, along with which attachments you should use and what they are most effective at. Check out the weapons below to ensure you have only the best weapons in your weapon wheel.

Best guns in GTA Online for PvE & PvP

Best AP Pistol Loadout

Clamp	Extended clip
Muzzle	Damper

The AP Pistol will be your primary gun, used for all engagements from stealth to vehicular combat. The AP Pistol has an extremely high rate of fire, impressive ammo capacity, and a suppressor that makes it a staple in your loadout. While this gun is not for PvP, it will excel in PvE activities that require quick headshots for stealth everywhere.

Best Heavy Revolver Mk II Loadout

Ammunition type	Full metal jacket
Extent	Small scope
Muzzle	Compensator

The Heavy Revolver Mk II will be the next best gun for your loadout, excelling in both PvE and PvP activities. This will be your weapon of choice when high, as it can kill most enemies in one shot to the chest and has a range that negates most damage. However, the Heavy Revolver Mk II is quite slow to fire, with fairly high recoil. We recommend FMJ rounds, as it can easily pierce bulletproof glass and destroy flying vehicles in just a few shots.

Best Assault Rifles in GTA Online for PvE & PvP

Best Special Carbine Loadout

Clamp	Drum Mag
Muzzle	Damper
Grip	Grip
Extent	Large scope

The base variant of the Special Carbine (not the Mk II upgrade) has a significant advantage due to the Drum Mag accessories, which can hold 100 rounds waiting to be fired. This, along with the Special Carbine's exceptional recoil and fast damage output, make it an excellent AR to use for PvE activities and even in mid-range PvP activities.

Best Machine Guns in GTA Online for PvE & PvP

Best Combat MG Mk II Loadout

Ammunition type	Full metal jacket
Grips	Grip
Extents	Large scope
Nose part	Split muzzle brake
Barrels	Heavy barrel

The Combat MG Mk II has a few gear upgrades over the standard variant that make it superior. The base and upgraded model come complete with an extremely high rate of fire, accompanied by virtually no recoil, allowing you to eliminate enemies at a rapid pace with high damage across both PvE and PvP. Unique ammo types like FMJ also make it easier to destroy juggernauts, with the ability to shoot bulletproof glass into Kurumas, insurgents and other PvP vehicles.

Best sniper rifle in GTA Online for PvE & PvP

Best Heavy Sniper Mk II Loadout

Ammunition type	Explosive rounds
Extents	Zoom scope
Nose part	Damper
Barrels	Heavy barrel

The Heavy Sniper Mk II is great on its own simply because it is the highest damage Sniper Rifle in the GTA online. However, the Heavy Sniper can be upgraded with Explosive Rounds to make it unstoppable. With Explosive Rounds, helicopters and other vehicles are destroyed in one or two well-aimed shots, and if you hit any player, regardless of their armor, they will flop on the floor helplessly as you aim the kill shot.

Best Marksman Rifle Mk II Loadout

Ammunition type	Armor Piercing Rounds
Extents	Holographic vision
Nose part	Damper
Barrels	Heavy barrel
Grips	Grip

The Marksman Rifle Mk II is specifically for PvP encounters, and this is due to its rapid rate of fire and ammo capacity. Although it has a heavier damage output than other sniper rifles, the rate of fire means you can keep shooting and shooting to ensure that grieving isn't an issue. With the Holographic Scope and Auto-Aim on the controller, no target will be able to stay alive when you aim at them.

Best shotguns in GTA Online for PvE and PvP

Best Assault Shotgun Loadout

Clamp	Extended clip
Grips	Grip
Nose part	Damper

The Assault Shotgun excels in PvE drama, giving you a shotgun that has a rate of fire and ammo capacity like no other, especially with the Drum Mag attachment. The Assault Shotgun has the best DPS in the entire game, and it makes clearing out interiors and close range combat an easy blast. However, the damage decreases at 5 meters.

Best Pump Shotgun Mk II Loadout

Ammunition type	Explosive slugs
Extents	Medium Scope
Nose part	Muzzle brake

The Pump Shotgun Mk II has incredible utility for PvE and PvP, provided you have the Explosive Slugs ammo type unlocked. With Explosive Slugs, any vehicle you aim and shoot at explodes with just one shot. This becomes a close range grenade launcher, which comes in handy when enemy vehicles respawn or nearby players attacking from the safety of their cars.

Best Explosives in GTA Online for PvE & PvP

Homing Launcher: Great for locking onto vehicles to destroy them, but the locking strength isn't great.
Minigun / Widowmaker: Both have absurdly high DPS thanks to their RPM.
Railgun: An accurate rifle that can destroy vehicles and other targets, but the reload is quite long.
Compact Grenade Launcher: Perfect for motorcycle users who want to shoot explosives while driving.
Grenade Launcher: Fast DPS for a range of explosives that can be fired from behind cover.
RPG: Hard-hitting but slow-firing rockets to take out stable targets.
Sticky Bombs: Great for dropping traps on quickly approaching players in vehicles, and good for leaving them behind corners to explode incoming players.

No charges are needed for these explosive weapons, as they are all available from Ammu-Nation and Gun Van, and have no accessories associated with them.

Best Melee Weapons in GTA Online for PvE & PvP

The only melee weapon you need for GTA Online is the Stone Hatchet, which will give you Trevor's unique ability to absorb more damage, as long as you keep updating the ability bar with more kills from the Stone Hatchet without switching to other weapons. If you need the Stone Hatchet, we have a guide on how to get it: