GTA Online has an arsenal of weapons, but not all of them are worth using. As GTA Online heads into 2026, it's essential that you come equipped with the best guns for PvE and PvP, so that you are always ready for a fight against hostile players or ready to take on NPCs and other enemies during heists or missions.
Beginner Tips for the Best Start in GTA Online (2026)
This beginner's guide to GTA Online will ensure you don't get overwhelmed with the bounty of activities now available in 2026 and beyond.
We've listed the best weapons in GTA Online for 2026 across PvE and PvP activities, along with what attachments you should use, and what they're most effective to use on. Check out the weapons below to ensure you only have the best weapons in your weapon wheel.
Best Pistols in GTA Online for PvE & PvP
Best AP Pistol Loadout
|
Clip |
Extended Clip |
|---|---|
|
Muzzle |
Suppressor |
The AP Pistol will be your primary Pistol, used for all engagements from stealth to vehicle combat. The AP Pistol boasts an extremely high rate of fire, impressive ammo capacity, and a suppressor that makes it a staple in your loadout. While this gun isn't for PvP, it will excel in PvE activities that require quick headshots for stealth at any range.
Best Heavy Revolver Mk II Loadout
|
Ammo Type |
Full Metal Jacket |
|---|---|
|
Scope |
Small Scope |
|
Muzzle |
Compensator |
The Heavy Revolver Mk II is going to be the next best Pistol for your loadout, and excels for both PvE and PvP activities. This will be your weapon of choice when going loud, as it can kill most enemies in one shot to the chest, and has a range that negates most damage drop-off. However, the Heavy Revolver Mk II is quite slow to fire, with rather 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
|
Clip |
Drum Mag |
|---|---|
|
Muzzle |
Suppressor |
|
Grip |
Grip |
|
Scope |
Large Scope |
The base variant of the Special Carbine (not the Mk II upgrade) holds a significant advantage due to the Drum Mag attachments, which can hold 100 rounds waiting to be fired. This, paired with the Special Carbine's exceptional recoil, and fast damage output, makes it a great AR to use for PvE activities and even in medium-range PvP activities.
Best Machine Guns in GTA Online for PvE & PvP
Best Combat MG Mk II Loadout
|
Ammo Type |
Full Metal Jacket |
|---|---|
|
Grips |
Grip |
|
Scopes |
Large Scope |
|
Muzzles |
Split-End Muzzle Brake |
|
Barrels |
Heavy Barrel |
The Combat MG Mk II has a few attachment upgrades over the default variant that make it superior. The base and upgraded model is complete with an extremely high rate of fire, accompanied by practically no recoil, allowing you to eliminate enemies at a fast pace with great damage across both PvE and PvP. Unique ammo types like FMJ also make destroying juggernauts easier, with the ability to shoot bulletproof glass in Kurumas, Insurgents, and other PvP vehicles.
Best Sniper Rifles in GTA Online for PvE & PvP
Best Heavy Sniper Mk II Loadout
|
Ammo Type |
Explosive Rounds |
|---|---|
|
Scopes |
Zoom Scope |
|
Muzzles |
Suppressor |
|
Barrels |
Heavy Barrel |
The Heavy Sniper Mk II is great on its own simply because it's the highest damage Sniper Rifle in 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 hitting any player, regardless of their armor, will see them flail on the floor helplessly as you aim the kill shot.
Best Marksman Rifle Mk II Loadout
|
Ammo Type |
Armor Piercing Rounds |
|---|---|
|
Scopes |
Holographic Sight |
|
Muzzles |
Suppressor |
|
Barrels |
Heavy Barrel |
|
Grips |
Grip |
The Marksman Rifle Mk II is specifically for PvP encounters, and that's due to its fast fire rate and ammo capacity. While it does have a damage drop-off harsher than other Sniper Rifles, the fire rate means you can keep shooting and strafing to ensure griefers won't be 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 & PvP
Best Assault Shotgun Loadout
|
Clip |
Extended Clip |
|---|---|
|
Grips |
Grip |
|
Muzzles |
Suppressor |
The Assault Shotgun excels in PvE drama, providing you with 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 interiors and close-range battles an easy blast. However, the damage drops off at 5 meters.
Best Pump Shotgun Mk II Loadout
|
Ammo Type |
Explosive Slugs |
|---|---|
|
Scopes |
Medium Scope |
|
Muzzles |
Muzzle Brake |
The Pump Shotgun Mk II has amazing usefulness for PvE and PvP, provided you have the Explosive Slugs ammo type unlocked. With Explosive Slugs, any vehicle you aim and shoot at will explode in just one shot. This becomes a close-range buckshot grenade launcher, which comes in handy with respawning enemy vehicles or nearby players who are 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 lock-on 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 rather long.
- Compact Grenade Launcher: Great for motorcycle users who want to fire explosives while driving.
- Grenade Launcher: Fast DPS for an array of explosives to be fired from behind cover.
- RPG: Hard-hitting but slow-firing rockets to take out stable targets.
- Sticky Bombs: Great for dropping traps on players who are fast approaching in vehicles, and great for leaving them behind corners to explode incoming players.
There are no loadouts needed for these explosive weapons, as they're all available from Ammu-Nation and the Gun Van, and have no attachments associated with them.
Best Melee Weapons in GTA Online for PvE & PvP
The only melee weapon you'll need for GTA Online is the Stone Hatchet, which will provide you with Trevor's unique ability to absorb more damage, so long as you continue to refresh 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:
All Maude Bounty Locations in GTA Online
The Stone Hatchet is the best melee weapon in GTA Online, but first, you'll need to do some work for Maude by hunting down her bounty targets.
- Released
- October 1, 2013
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar North
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- Rockstar Advanced Game Engine
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action
