What is the best weapon in GTA 6?

The Cartel Carbine is the strongest all-round weapon in GTA 6 thanks to its low recoil, 60-round extended magazine, and the fact that the suppressor mod carries almost no damage penalty. For raw single-target damage the Coil Rail Pistol edges it out, but its charge time keeps it out of the top slot in open combat.

Can you customize weapons in GTA 6?

Yes. Every firearm supports at least four mod slots — suppressor/muzzle, magazine, sight, and grip/stock — plus cosmetic skins. High-tier weapons unlock extra slots such as tracer rounds, thermal scopes, and bipods. Mods are purchased at Ammu-Nation and applied instantly with no cooldown.

What loadout should I buy first in GTA 6?

For early-game money runs prioritize the Leonida SMG-9 with a suppressor, a Neon Pump shotgun, and body armor. The suppressor is the single best-value early purchase because it reduces wanted-star escalation from robberies.

Is the Coil Rail Pistol the best sidearm?

Yes for burst damage — a fully charged shot two-shots most enemies to the torso. The tradeoff is charge time, so pair it with a rapid-fire primary. If you want fire rate over damage, the Hawk & Little Auto-9 is the better backup.

Combat Meta · Updated Jul 2026

GTA 6 Best Weapons & Loadouts

The definitive data-driven weapon tier list for Grand Theft Auto VI. Damage, fire rate, range, recoil, and every customization slot for the confirmed Leonida arsenal — plus four battle-tested loadouts you can copy today.

12 weapons benchmarked4 loadoutsAll mod slots mapped

Weapon tier list

Tiers are calibrated for online lobbies and heists. Single-player mission balance differs — the machete, for example, jumps a tier in stealth-focused campaign runs.

Weapon	Class	Tier	DMG	Rate	Range	Recoil	Role
Vice Combat MG	LMG	S	78	92	70	55	Heist finisher
Cartel Carbine	Assault Rifle	S	62	82	78	38	All-round meta
Coil Rail Pistol	Sidearm	S	88	45	66	60	One-shot sidearm
Leonida SMG-9	SMG	A	44	96	42	30	CQC / stealth
Marabunta Machete	Melee	A	95	40	5	0	Silent takedown
Militia AK-73	Assault Rifle	A	70	74	72	55	Mid-range brawler
Neon Pump	Shotgun	A	92	30	18	70	Room clear
Vom Feuer Marksman	DMR	A	82	55	90	35	Overwatch
Hawk & Little Auto-9	Sidearm	B	34	88	45	40	Backup
Shrewsbury Sport Rifle	Sniper	B	100	20	95	55	One-shot from cover
Everglades Crossbow	Special	B	90	25	55	20	Silent range
Vintage Micro-Uzi	SMG	C	32	98	30	65	Drive-by

Customization: every mod slot mapped

Every firearm has at least four mod slots. Tier-S weapons unlock two additional slots (usually ammo type + cosmetic). Skins are pure cosmetic and do not affect stats.

Vice Combat MG

Tier S

Best sustained DPS in the game. Slow to draw — pair with a fast SMG for the swap.

Extended drum (200)CompensatorHolo sightDigital scopeTracer rounds

Cartel Carbine

Tier S

The default competitive AR. Suppressor + grip has almost no downside.

SuppressorGripExtended mag (60)Red-dotSkin: Vice Neon

Coil Rail Pistol

Tier S

Two-shot kill to torso when fully charged. Charge time is the balancer.

Fast-charge cellLong barrelIron sight

Leonida SMG-9

Tier A

Highest TTK indoors. Falls off hard past 25m.

SuppressorExtended mag (50)LaserFolding stock

Marabunta Machete

Tier A

One-hit kill from behind on unaware enemies. Zero XP loss on stealth chains.

SharpenedWrapped grip

Militia AK-73

Tier A

Higher damage than Cartel Carbine, worse recoil. Great for open Grove Street fights.

CompensatorExtended mag (40)PSO scope

Neon Pump

Tier A

Slug rounds turn it into a 40m one-shotter. Choke tightens the pellet spread significantly.

Slug roundsChokeExtended tube (10)

Vom Feuer Marksman

Tier A

Two-shot chest at any range. The default pick for oil-rig heists and rooftop defense.

Suppressor6x scopeExtended mag (20)Bipod

Hawk & Little Auto-9

Tier B

Fast swap. Outclassed by the Rail Pistol unless you need volume.

Extended mag (25)SuppressorFlashlight

Shrewsbury Sport Rifle

Tier B

Body-shot kills. Long bolt-cycle punishes missed shots.

Thermal scopeSuppressorMatch ammo

Everglades Crossbow

Tier B

Explosive bolts are a hidden meta pick for taking out helicopters.

Explosive boltsPoison boltsRed-dot

Vintage Micro-Uzi

Tier C

The classic ride-by weapon. Free-fire dual-wield is fun, not competitive.

Extended mag (40)Suppressor

Best loadouts (copy-paste ready)

Store robberies + gas-station scores under 30 minutes played

Early-Game Money Runs

Primary Leonida SMG-9
Secondary Neon Pump (buckshot)
Sidearm Hawk & Little Auto-9
Melee Marabunta Machete
Extra Body armor L1, 2× Molotov

Cheap Ammu-Nation loadout — ~$1,850 total. Focus on suppressor for the SMG first (drops wanted-star escalation).

Maximum consistency for scripted heists and finales

Heist Meta (2-crew)

Primary Cartel Carbine (suppressor + grip)
Secondary Vom Feuer Marksman (thermal)
Sidearm Coil Rail Pistol
Melee Marabunta Machete
Extra Heavy armor, 4× Sticky bombs, 2× smoke

Prioritize the Rail Pistol first — it fully replaces snipers on interior objectives.

Dominate open-lobby fights and rival crews

PvP Free-Roam

Primary Cartel Carbine (compensator + red-dot)
Secondary Coil Rail Pistol
Sidearm Hawk & Little Auto-9
Melee None
Extra Heavy armor, 3× RPG rockets

Skip the AK-73 — its extra damage doesn't beat Cartel Carbine's TTK at 40m in netcode.

Zero-kill or silent-only bonus objectives

Stealth Contracts

Primary Vom Feuer Marksman (suppressor)
Secondary Everglades Crossbow
Sidearm Coil Rail Pistol
Melee Marabunta Machete
Extra Light armor, 2× smoke, 1× EMP

The crossbow is the highest-value stealth unlock in the mid-game — buy before the DMR.

How we score

Damage — body-shot damage at 15m against a 100 HP + 50 armor target, without headshot multiplier.

Fire rate — rounds per minute normalized to 0-100. Anything above 90 is instant kill on flesh at CQC range.

Range — distance at which damage falloff drops the weapon below its 15m TTK by 25%.

Recoil — lower is better. Measured as vertical rise over a 10-round burst with default grip.

Values come from the VICE//VI community datamine + verified in-game testing. Numbers will update when Rockstar patches balance.

Track weapon unlocks in your run

Sign in to check off weapons, mods, and loadout milestones — the tracker syncs across devices and unlocks the AI Copilot's loadout-recommendation mode.

Open tracker Ask the AI