Last updated: 9 September 2026

GTA Online Best Weapons Loadout — The 5-Gun Kit That Covers Everything

GTA Online gives you well over a hundred weapons, but almost none of them earn a permanent spot in your loadout wheel. A small handful of Mk II upgrades and a couple of unmodified classics do the vast majority of the work across heists, freemode PvP, and Contact Missions. This guide covers the five-gun core loadout worth actually saving up for, with real prices, stats, and rank requirements, plus what to swap in for pure PvP or vehicle-heavy work.

01The 5-Gun Core Loadout

Before the specifics, here is the loadout most veteran players converge on: Combat MG Mk II for sustained firepower against groups, Special Carbine Mk II as your everyday accurate rifle, Heavy Sniper Mk II for long range and anti-vehicle work, AP Pistol as a do-everything sidearm, and an Assault Shotgun for close-quarters interior clearing. Between them, this kit handles almost every heist setup mission, Contact Mission, and freemode encounter without needing a vehicle weapon or explosive on top.

02Combat MG Mk II — Best All-Round Weapon

The Combat MG Mk II has the highest sustained damage-per-second of any Mk II weapon in GTA Online (heavier weapons like the Minigun out-DPS it, but cost mobility and can't be holstered the same way), which makes it the strongest single pick for holding a room or a corridor against waves of enemies. Its 100-round magazine (200 rounds fully upgraded) means you rarely have to reload mid-fight.

• Damage: 57 · Fire rate: 65 · Magazine: 100 rounds (200 extended)
• Cost: $14,800 for the base Combat MG, plus $119,000 to upgrade to Mk II at the Weapon Workshop (inside the MOC or Avenger) — $133,800 total.
• Mk II ammo types include tracer, incendiary, and armor-piercing rounds, on top of the usual scope, grip, and muzzle attachments.

It is heavier and less mobile than an assault rifle, so it shines most in defensive setups — heist finales where you're holding a position — rather than PvP duels where you need to move and aim quickly.

03Special Carbine Mk II — Best Everyday Assault Rifle

The Special Carbine Mk II trades some of the Combat MG's raw DPS for accuracy and control, making it the more reliable pick for medium-range fights and PvP where landing shots consistently matters more than spraying.

• Damage: 34 · Fire rate: 65 · Accuracy: 55 · Magazine: 30 rounds (60 extended)
• Cost: $14,750 base, plus $135,000 Mk II upgrade at the Weapon Workshop — $149,750 total.
• Mk II ammo options include tracer, incendiary, armor-piercing, and full metal jacket rounds, the last of which pierces bulletproof glass and light vehicle armor.

This is the rifle to reach for by default — it is controllable at range, hits hard enough to matter, and its ammo variety covers armored targets without switching weapons.

04Heavy Sniper Mk II — Best Long-Range and Anti-Vehicle Weapon

The Heavy Sniper Mk II is the hardest-hitting sniper rifle in the game and doubles as an anti-vehicle tool once you unlock Explosive Rounds, which can down a helicopter or destroy a car in one or two hits regardless of the target's armor.

• Damage: 98 · Range: 100 · Accuracy: 90 · Fire rate: 20 · Magazine: 6 rounds (8 extended)
• Cost: $38,150 base, plus $165,375 Mk II upgrade — $203,525 total. Explosive Rounds are a further $115,450.
• It is manufactured in-game by Vom Feuer and modeled on the real-world Serbu BFG-50A.

This is the priciest weapon in the core loadout, so it is worth saving for after you've got the Combat MG and Special Carbine covered — but for sniping guards, clearing rooftops, or taking out pursuing vehicles, nothing else in the game matches its one-shot power.

05AP Pistol — Best All-Purpose Sidearm

The AP Pistol is the highest fire-rate pistol in the game and, with a suppressor attached, doubles as a stealth weapon for quiet takedowns during setup missions.

• Damage: 26 · Fire rate: 80 · Magazine: 18 rounds (36 extended)
• Unlocks: Rank 33. Costs $5,000 in GTA Online. The suppressor attachment unlocks at Rank 36 for $12,200.
• It has no reload-canceling downside compared to revolvers and its rate of fire makes it excellent for drive-bys or finishing off a downed enemy fast.

Because it unlocks relatively early (Rank 33) and is cheap, it is usually the first weapon in this loadout most players actually own — treat it as your default backup rather than something to save for.

06Assault Shotgun — Best Close-Quarters Weapon

For clearing interiors — vaults, warehouses, cramped heist rooms — the Assault Shotgun's full-auto fire and drum magazine make it the fastest way to put down multiple enemies at close range.

• Damage: 77 · Fire rate: 50 · Magazine: 8 rounds (32 extended) · Range: 15 (short, as expected of a shotgun)
• Unlocks: Rank 37. Costs $10,000 in GTA Online.
• It is modeled on the real-world UTAS UTS-15 and manufactured in-game by Vom Feuer.

Its short effective range means it is a poor choice outdoors or in open freemode fights — keep it strictly for the close-quarters portions of a heist or mission and switch back to the Special Carbine or Combat MG once you're in open ground.

07Situational Swaps: PvP, Vehicles, and Newer Options

The five-gun core covers most content, but a few situational swaps are worth knowing:

• Tactical SMG — a newer addition to the weapons pool with a high rate of fire and strong accuracy, particularly effective while sprinting or riding a motorcycle, where the Special Carbine's handling suffers.
• Heavy Revolver Mk II — a high-damage sidearm that can drop most enemies in one chest shot; its Full Metal Jacket rounds also pierce bulletproof glass and can down aircraft, making it a lighter-weight alternative to carrying the Heavy Sniper for anti-vehicle work.
• Homing Launcher and Railgun — dedicated anti-vehicle options for freemode griefer defense or missions with heavy air/vehicle opposition; neither replaces the core loadout but both are worth keeping in your wheel if you spend time in open lobbies.
• Sticky Bombs — cheap, versatile explosives useful for breaching doors or clearing grouped enemies without spending a weapon slot on a dedicated launcher.

For dedicated PvP (freemode fights, Deathmatches), prioritize the Special Carbine Mk II and AP Pistol over the Combat MG — their better handling and accuracy at range tend to win more duels than raw DPS. For PvE heists, the Combat MG and Heavy Sniper earn their cost back the fastest.