While Arma 3 does provide weapon descriptions in the field manual and stats are displayed when viewed in the virtual arsenal, I've found that this info translates poorly into how the weapon will actually perform in different situations. With that in mind, I decided to go a bit more in-depth about each firearm. I've put in hours of research and experimentation with each of these vanilla weapons to get a good feel for their damage, ballistics, and handling. The results follow.

Besides this section, I haven't provided much updates regarding the ADR PDWs or the new Cold War Germany equipment. If you want some insight on those, you've come to the wrong place.

Pistols won't usually be your first choice for a gunfight, but they are very useful for close quarters and self-defense. None are very effective against proper body armor, but are still very deadly against unarmored targets. With few exceptions, it's a good idea to bring one of these with you, along with a few spare mags. And yes, just like in most shooters these days, it's faster to swap to your handgun instead of reloading.

Looks like Bohemia updated things so the .45 handguns can mount pistol flashlights now. About damn time, too.



Based on the Walther P99, this peashooter is NATO's standard sidearm. It's a 9mm handgun that can take either 16 or 30 round mags. The barrel supports a suppressor, but suppressors will block the sights, making ranged aiming much more difficult. Since the P07 is a 9mm, it is one of the weakest weapons in the game. Even though that makes it sound like the P07 isn't worth your time, it's still capable of neutralizing unarmored targets in a single shot to the torso. It also has a respectably high fire rate, clear sights, low weight, minor recoil, and great accuracy. The only real downside is the low armor-piercing capability, sometimes taking over a full mag to take down a heavily-armored target, but this can be mitigated by aiming for unarmored areas or the head. Overall the P07 does its job very well and I highly recommend it for most players.



Based on the MP-443, the Rook-40 is CSAT's standard sidearm. It shares many similarities with the P07, as both take the same magazines, use the same suppressors, have the same weight, and are nearly ubiquitous throughout their respective factions. The main differences are the sight pictures, gunfire signatures, and recoil patterns, along with a the Rook-40 having a slightly (as in, nearly unnoticable) higher fire rate than the P07. If you need to pick between the Rook-40 and P07, I recommend picking the one associated with your faction since they're both so similar. Otherwise, pick based on what sights you like more.



Based off of Kimber's Custom Covert II, which is itself an improvement on the classic M1911, The ACP-C2 is the AAF's only dedicated secondary weapon. It is chambered for .45 ACP rounds fed through 9 round magazines, it can mount a flashlight, and its barrel supports suppressors that, as usual, block your sights. The .45 round is a bit more powerful than the 9mm, but still leaves much to be desired against body armor. The sights are also very clear and easy to make accurate shots with. That's about where the positives end. Compared to the Rook and P07, the ACP-C2 has less horizontal recoil, but significantly more vertical recoil. Plus, although the .45 round is more deadly than the 9mm, the difference is not nearly enough to balance the magazine being nearly half the capacity of most 9mm magazines. Overall, the ACP-C2 is better than nothing, but is probably the second-worst handgun in the game, followed by the PM. I'd recommend it only when you have no better options and/or you really need a flashlight on your sidearm

Note that the ACP-C2 seems to deal much less damage than the other .45 handguns. This is probably because the AAF faction was added before those "heavy" pistols.

Update: It seems the ACP-C2 got buffed to the point it's now viable. Seems like it's got more firepower now, comparable to the other .45 handguns. Hell, it's even my preferred sidearm now.

Update Update: Nah, it's still kinda crap. Use it if you need something that can mount both a silencer and flashlight while still being very accurate, but otherwise pick something else. The 4-Five hits much harder and the P07 and Rook have comparable stopping power but almost twice the mag capacity with less recoil..



Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Obviously based off of the Makarov PM, this handgun can be found in the hands of some of the more well-armed or senior Syndikat members. It uses 9mm rounds, and is the only weapon to use 10 round 9mm magazines. Both the PM and the Zubr are the only handguns that cannot mount suppressors. The only positives I can think of about the PM are the low weight and recoil. Other than that, it pales in comparison to all other handguns. It's very inaccurate, uses weak ammo, and the magazine is pitiful, holding only 1 more round than the .45 ACP-C2. It still shoots bullets so it'll eventually kill the guy you're firing at, but the PM is probably the worst handgun in Arma 3. I recommend choosing the PM only if you have no other options for a decent secondary weapon.



Based off of the FN FNX-45, this heavy pistol is used by NATO officers and special forces. It's chambered for .45 ACP fed from 11 round mags, and it can support a suppressor, flashlight, and collimator sight. Oddly enough, suppressors don't block too much of the 4-Five's sights, and the red dot sight bypasses the issue nearly entirely. The 4-Five shoots fast, packs a punch, has a decent mag, and isn't too hefty, making it perfect for CQB. However, it is inaccurate, the iron sights are obstructive, it still has issues against body armor, and it has significant recoil, making it unfit for anything besides CQB. I recommend using the 4-Five whenever in urban terrain, but its inaccuracy at range means it should be replaced by something more accurate like the P07 when in open areas.



Based on the Chiappa Rhino series, the Zubr revolver is CSAT's answer to the 4-Five. It's chambered for .45 ACP and is fed through a 6-round cylinder. It can mount a collimator sight and, after a recent update, a flashlight, but it cannot mount a suppressor. The Zubr is possibly the most accurate handgun in vanilla Arma 3, and its firepower is about as high as the 4-Five, but the iron sights, fire rate, and recoil all leave much to be desired. Besides, the 6 round capacity is just, well, awful. I'd recommend this to those who can keep their cool under fire, but it is completely out of place in urban terrain. If you're planning on building-clearing with a pistol, pick the 4-Five instead.

Fun Fact: Zubr has a few different meanings in different languages, but in Arabic I'm pretty sure it's a slang term for a phallus. Use with caution.



Requires Arma 3 Karts!

This is not really a weapon but, hell, it's in the handguns tab so I'm mentioning it. Basically a joke gun, the starter pistol doesn't fire bullets, but rather clusters of flares. It's pretty much worthless besides signalling the beginning of races like it was meant for, or maybe for lighting up an area, but you'd probably be better off actually picking a gun instead.

Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs) are compact automatic weapons that tend to fire pistol-caliber rounds. In Arma, they're usually found in the hands of pilots and helicopter crews, but some special forces and, in the case of the Gendarmerie, military police units can be seen using SMGs as well. They're all very light compared to most rifles and carbines, often accompanied with shorter length to make a better CQB weapon. All of the SMGs available do have very poor range with the rounds tending to drop like rocks after about 150-200 meters, so they're pretty much restricted to close-quarters. With that in mind, it's not a good idea to mount optics on them that have fixed zeroing above 100 meters like the RCO, since the weapon will automatically alter its trajectory to that zeroing, often making your bullets fly waaaaay above what you were aiming for. It's best to either use an SMG collimator sight or at least some sort of scope that can be zeroed to 100 meters.



Based on the KRISS Vector, the Vermin is an SMG used by NATO Jet and helicopter crews. Chambered in .45, it's fed from 30 round mags (may have been updated to 25 round mags) with access to tracers if you want them, and comes with single shot, 2 round burst, and full auto firing modes. It can mount a suppressor and optics, with an option for a flashlight but not an IR laser. It's not very effective against armor, the recoil can take some getting used to, and the range is pitiful as with all SMGs, tapering off at around 200 meters along with a quickly steepening trajectory. That's about all the negatives I can think of. With its .45 caliber round and blistering rate of fire, it's easily the most powerful SMG in the game. It's very light and easy to handle, and only heavily armored targets can survive more than 3 rounds to the body. Overall this means that although the Vermin isn't effective at range, it's one of the best choices for CQB and is much better than other SMGs against targets with body armor. I'd recommend it to anyone who going to be involved in some sort of MOUT, and won't need to engage too many heavily armored guys and/or anyone further than maybe 150 meters.




Based on the CZ Scorpion Evo 3, the Sting is an SMG used by CSAT jet and helicopter crews. It's chambered for 9mm and is fed by 30 round mags with "tracers-only" mags being an option. Since the mags are transparent you can take a look at it to gauge how much ammo you have left. It can mount most optics, flashlights, IR laser pointers, and a suppressor. As for negatives, it's got the usual SMG limitations of poor range, low stopping power, and poor penetration. On the upside, I like transparent mags, it's highly modular, the rate of fire is pretty good, accuracy is decent, recoil is low, weight is low, and the ammo can be shared with the P07 and Rook-40. Overall it's a decent weapon if you're on a budget and performs admirably against unarmored targets, but the low stopping power and range is a deal-breaker for me. At least you can fit it in your backpack if you need a spare primary for whatever reason. I recommend only using it if you don't really have any other decent options.




Based on the ST Kinetics CPW, the PDW2000 is an SMG used by AAF jet and helicopter crews. It's basically the same as the Sting, except its mags aren't transparent and it doesn't have a side mount for lasers and flashlights.



Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Based on the MP5K-PDW, the Protector is the main weapon of Tanoa's militarized police. It's functionally almost exactly the same as the Sting, with the same (but non-transparent) magazines and attachments available. The only real difference is the iron sights. Pick whichever one you think looks better.



If you can't tell from the lack of effort, I don't know too much about this since it was only recently officially implemented into the game after spending a while as an "official mod." What I do know is that it's based on the FN P90, is fed through 50 round 5.7 magazines, has differing available attachments by weapon variant, and, uh, isn't that bad. 5.7 is supposed to be armor piercing but pretty weak, and what little experience I have with it seems to support that claim, so use plenty of rounds per target. It's very accurate with low recoil and pretty good range for an SMG.

Drawing some inspiration from the Bushmaster ACR and the SCAR, the MX series is a fictional group of rifles used by nearly all NATO and CTRG forces. These get their own tab since their iterations are all over the map as far as categorization, but they're still pretty similar.
Here's some similarities shared between all versions:

• All are chambered in 6.5, giving them more firepower over 5.56 rifles.
  
• All have semi and full-auto firing modes.
  
• All can be fed through the same 30 round mags, tracers-only mags are an option.
  
• All can mount most optics, IR laser pointers, flashlights, and most 6.5 suppressors. They can also mount bipods, with the exception of the MXC and MX3GL.
  
• The MXC is the lightest, the standard MX is a little heavier, and all other versions are heavier than either
  
• All have nice and clear adjustable iron sights
  
• All versions can come in 3 colors: Black, Sand, or Khaki. Usually, black is used by CTRG, sand is used by NATO on Altis and Stratis, and Khaki is used by NATO on Tanoa.
  
• All have moderate (standing or crouched) to low recoil (prone), depending on your stance and whether the weapon is deployed on a surface. They aren't too hard to control on full-auto, at least in close quarters.

The standard MX is a full-length assault rifle ubiquitous amongst NATO and CTRG forces. Standard MX's can also usually be found in the inventory of NATO ground vehicles. It's pretty unremarkable besides being well-balanced, with respectable firepower, accuracy, recoil, weight, and fire rate. The basic version will fit in most backpacks too. The MX doesn't really have any significant downsides. As far as the 3GL version, the 3GL, like all grenade launchers, adds some extra weight and removes the option for a bipod, but makes up for these shortcomings with the ability to fire grenades. The MX 3GL is unique in that it is the only weapon that can use special 3 round 40mm grenade magazines, providing a significant advantage. I recommend the basic MX whenever you don't know exactly what you're getting into, since it'll do well in nearly any situation. If you have enough extra room and don't expect to need a bipod for longer-ranged combat, choose the MX 3GL instead, just make sure to bring 3GL magazines instead of individual rounds when possible. The grenade launcher even allows for some limited AA capabilities (ask me, I love bragging on these stories).





The MXC is the carbine variant of the standard MX, used by various NATO troops including engineers and vehicle crewmen. MXCs can also usually be found in the storage of NATO helicopters which, among other options, allow helicopter crews to better arm themselves in the event of a crash. As a carbine, it trades a little range for lighter weight, better maneuverability, and easier storage. The shorter barrel and inability to mount a bipod means the MXC is better for CQB than the MX, but worse at long range. It's also easier to fit in a backpack, giving it greater appeal to some special forces. Other than that, it perfomrs similarly to the MX. I'd recommend it to anyone who would normally pick an MX but needs something lighter, such as when carrying other heavy equipment.

The MXC is my personal favorite weapon for MOUT and CQB.



The MXM is the MX's DMR configuration used by NATO infantry marksmen. Its modifications apparently weigh about as much as a grenade launcher, so it's a little more unwieldy than the standard MX and probably won't fit as nicely into a backpack either. It makes up for the weight with its longer and heavier barrel, which allows for a slightly closer shot grouping and a faster muzzle velocity. In my experience, I couldn't find a noticable difference between the MXM and the standard MX, besides the MXM having slightly less bullet drop. It might work differently for you, but in most cases I'd recommend the basic MX over the MXM. I guess the MXM could be a better choice during patrols in rural areas.



The MX SW is the MX's SAW configuration, hence the SW (Support Weapon) designation. It's used by NATO infantry autoriflemen. Like the MXM, it weighs more than the standard MX and has a longer, heavier barrel. It's a little harder to handle in close quarters than the standard MX, but I've found that of all the MX series, the SW variant has the best recoil and stability when fired from a deployed position. It's also the only weapon that can accept 100 round 6.5 STANAG magazines as well as the magazines used by all the other MX types, so you can easily get extra ammo from your teammates in a pinch. While it may not have the firepower of some of the other available support weapons, it's more than adequate in most cases. I recommend it to most infantry autoriflemen, especially those who can't afford to carry around anything heavier. It's also a pretty appealing choice to anyone who would normally bring an MX, but can manage to bring something a little bigger.

Based on the H&K 416 and 417 models, the SPAR family is seen in limited use, mainly by CTRG and NATO special forces.

Similarities shared between all versions:

• All can mount most optics, IR laser pointers, flashlights, and suppressors. They can also mount bipods, with the exception of the GL-mounted iteration.
  
• All are slightly lighter than their MX counterparts, with the exception of the SPAR-17 whose weight is betwen the Mk14 and Mk18 ABR
  
• All have terrible and obstructive adjustable iron sights. Optics are highly recommended
  
• All versions can come in 3 colors: Black, Sand, or Khaki. Usually, black is used by CTRG, sand is used by NATO on Altis and Stratis, and Khaki is used by NATO and CTRG on Tanoa.
  
• With the exception of the SPAR-17, all have minimal and easily controllable recoil, even when firing on full auto.

Requires Arma 3 Apex!

The SPAR-16s are fed by 30 round 5.56 mags and can mount most attachments. They're light with low recoil, but the 5.56 round performs poorly at range and against armor. The GL version has some dated grenade sights too. The main upsides are the quiet signature, high mobility thanks to the low weight and short length, as well as incredible recoil control. The perfect tool for clearing tight quarters. Recommended if you need to do some mid-range sneaky stuff, or plan on kicking in a few doors on guys who aren't wearing armor.




Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Pretty much the SPAR-16, but with a 100 round 5.56 drum mag. It's a little heavier and longer, but it's still one of the lightest SAWs available. It maintains the rest of the traits associated with the SPAR-16. You can still fit it with normal 30 round mags, but that just makes it a slightly longer and more accurate version of the standard SPAR-16 with much more weight, at which point you might as well just take the GL variant. Recommended if you're the autorifleman during mid-range sneaky stuff.



Requires Arma 3 Apex!

It's like a SPAR-16 that's better at everything, except maneuverability. In fact, it's extremely similar to the Mk18 ABR both in function and performance, with barely noticable statistical changes. It is supposedly a bit more accurate at long range with a lower rate of fire, but the differences are so small it's mostly up to personal preference. At least it lets you blend in better amongst a group of riflemen sporting SPAR-16s. Recommended if you're up for mid-long range engagement distances.

The famous Kalashnikov rifles make another appearance in Arma 3 Apex as the primary weapons of Syndikat forces on Tanoa. There aren't really enough of them in Arma to justify a dedicating a whole section, but I get the feeling the internet would be mildly perturbed if I didn't give the AK any special treatment.



Requires Arma 3 Apex!
The classic AKM is, for lack of better words, a barebones powerhouse. It can fire in single shot or full-auto, and is fed through 30 round 7.62x39 magazines, giving it high firepower. It has enough firepower to stop an unarmored target in a single shot, and armored targets in about 1-3. It also has very clear iron sights. The positives end there, seeing as reliability doesn't mean much in Arma. The AKM can't mount any attachments, has relatively high recoil, is uncomfortably heavy (and so is the ammo), has a poor fire rate, and doesn't have the accuracy or range of most Western rifles. I'd recommend it if you need some close-quarters firepower, but don't have access to a better option, like the AK12.



Requires Arma 3 Apex!
If you're being generous, you might call Arma 3's AKS-74U a "master-of-none" weapon, or a "jack-of-all-trades." If you're blunt like me, it's a piece of trash. It's fed through 30 round 5.45 magazines, only has single shot and full-auto, can't mount attachments, has poor iron sights, and has prohibitively poor accuracy and range. For some reason, the 5.45 round does terrible damage for a rifle round, weaker than even 5.56, and the recoil is pretty bad too. Its main upside is that it's lighter than most full-length rifles, so I guess it could be useful to someone who needs to carry heavy equipment but needs more firepower than an SMG. I recommend it only if you need better armor-piercing than an SMG, no other primaries are available, and/or you need some extra weight capacity for heavy equipment.






Requires Arma 3 Apex!
The AK-12 is a heavily upgraded take on the AKM. It's pretty much the same as the standard AKM, except it has a 2-shot burst firemode and can mount attachments. The GL version's grenade sights are pretty lackluster, but they get the job done. It feels slightly more accurate than the AKM, but maintains poor range. Firepower's still great. I'd recommend this thing to most infantry expecting close to medium range engagements, unless anticipating long-range firefights, long hikes, or when OPFOR is Syndikat (to avoid friendly fire).



The Contact DLC added some new variants of the AK-12 in the form of the carbine AKU-12 and the LMG conversion RPK-12. I have minimal experience with either, but I'd imagine the differences are similar to those between the MX and its variants. The DLC also added alternate optics to CSAT's usual ARCOs to better accommodate the 7.62 round's ballistics.

um, work in progress so let me generalize it for now.

Carbines trade some range and accuracy for better weight and maneuverability. They're excellent alternatives for CQB or non-combat/rear-echelon personnel.

6.5 rifles are jack-of-all trades ordeals. They've got a great balance of stopping power, accuracy, recoil, range, and weight.

5.56 rifles trade stopping power and sometimes range for better accuracy, recoil, and weight, making them more maneuverable and easier to control in full-auto. The round is very weak, though.

5.8 rifles used by pacific CSAT are basically like 5.56 rifles but a little stronger.

As for that weird rifle used by CSAT's Viper SF operatives, it's like a katiba (6.5) with an underslung ASP-1 Kir that's unsuppressed. If you want to know how that works, read up on the Kir and just add "but it's not suppressed."

Light Machine Guns rely on large magazines and generally high fire rates to suppress groups of hostiles or hold down a firing lane. Despite the name, it's only relative to vehicle mounted machine guns. These things are heavy and cumbersome to swing around in close quarters, so keep that in mind.



Based on the Stoner 96 LMG, the Mk200 is a Light Machine Gun (LMG) used by the AAF and some NATO forces. It had the largest magazine capacity available before Apex, is fed through massive 200 round 6.5 bags and can mount almost all attachments. Optics are recommended since the iron sights are pretty bad. The Mk200 is a decent middle ground between the lighter MX SW and the much more powerful but heavier Zafir. It has decent accuracy and range, comparable to pretty much anything else that uses 6.5 ammo, but the recoil is a bit higher than usual. The fire rate isn't very high, but I can't call it slow, and that coupled with the enormous mag size makes it excellent for extended suppressive fire. Overall the Mk200 doesn't really have any noteworthy aspects besides the ammo capacity and weight that come with being an LMG. I guess I'd recommend it to any autoriflemen who really need a lot of bullets, or maybe have poor aim.




A Chinese copy of the Negev LMG according to the field manual, the Zafir is an LMG used by CSAT autoriflemen. It's the heaviest and most powerful LMG available, using 7.62 cartridges in 150 round mags. It can mount most attachments and while the iron sights are servicable, optics are still recommended. It can fire in single-shot and full-auto (last I checked). The Zafir's high fire rate, powerful ammo, and respectable accuracy, provide for a highly deadly and intimidating presecnce in combat. Its main downsides are the high weight and frustrating recoil, but the latter is mitigated by simply deploying a bipod. I'd recommend the Zafir to any autoriflemen that can afford the weight, though there might be better choices for certain CQB situations.





Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Based on an updated model of QBZ-95, the CAR-95-1 is a LMG conversion of the Pacific CSAT's CAR-95, used by their autoriflemen. This thing's basically just a lighter MX SW. It's fed by 75 round 5.8 mags and can mount most attachments. It has impressively low recoil, but I'm not sure I've done enough testing on longer-range accuracy. Plus, the 5.8 round isn't very powerful. Suit yourself, I guess.



Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Based on the M249 Para, the LIM-85 is an LMG used by Syndikat. It uses the relatively weak 5.56 cartridge fed through 200 round boxes. It can mount most attachments and comes with a permanent grip-pod. It only fires in full-auto, but you can swap fire modes between a slow or fast fire rate. It's fairly light for an LMG, has low recoil, and respectable range and accuracy. Pretty good as a SAW, but too weak for my tastes.

MMGs are the LMGs' roid-raged cousins. They're incredibly heavy, and you'll have a hard time carrying more than one or two mags, especially if you want any armor along with it. They make up for their weight with extreme firepower. MMGs use ammo normally used in DMRs, resulting in impressive damage and piercing capabilities.



Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on the Lightweight Medium Machine Gun under development by General Dynamics, the SPMG is a Medium Machine Gun (MMG) used by NATO heavy gunners. The SPMG is fed through 100 round .338 boxes, can only fire in full-auto, and can mount most attachments. The .338 round provides extremely high firepower, eliminating most hostiles in one shot, rarely two or three if hit in a non-vital area or body armor. It pierces cover and armor pretty well and even has some limited effectiveness against vehicles, especially against glass or wheels (even APCs). It has some pretty good accuracy and range for such a heavy round, but heavy recoil as well. To help compensate, it also has a very low rate of fire, which might sound bad until you remember this thing isn't exactly meant for close quarters. The accuracy, firepower, and fire rate make the SPMG incredibly well-suited for suppressive fire. The main thing keeping this weapon from seeing more widespread use is the incredible weight of the weapon and its ammo. Only the higher-end vests have enough room to carry a single belt, and you'll need a backpack to carry a second. Even then, you likely will be too overburdened to carry extra equipment such as explosives or better body armor. That's why on most occassions you see the AI packing SPMGs, there's a light rifleman whose main role is simply to carry a big-ass backpack with extra SPMG ammo since it's too damn heavy for the gunner to carry himself. Overall, while I wouldn't recommend it for any missions that require a lot of walking, it's a good choice if you plan on parking yourself near one spot whilst punching fist-sized holes into anyone unfortunate enough to say "hi." It's my personal favorite for point defense.





Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on the HK MG-5, the Navid is an MMG used by CSAT heavy gunners. It's fed through 150 round 9.8 boxes, can fire in full auto or 3-shot burst, and can mount most attachments. This thing's probably the most powerful weapon you can use without needing to strap it to a vehicle. While the 9.8 round isn't quite as powerful as the SPMG's .338, the difference is negligible in practical contexts. The fire rate is very high, especially when compared to the SPMG, and the caliber helps actually make it a viable tactic to just spray down an enemy-occupied building with gunfire before breaching. The accuracy suffers somewhat, being noticably harder than the SPMG to land consistent hits with, and the recoil is nothing to write home about either. It shares its weaknesses in weight with the SPMG, and is similarly a (thankfully) uncommon sight. I'd recommend it to anyone who would otherwise use the SPMG but is put off by the low fire rate.

DMRs are specialized rifles that have improved range and accuracy over the average assault rifle. They tend to be heavy(ish) and cumbersome to swing around up close, so they're meant for longer-distance engagements. These rifles practically allow a unit to bring along an interim sniper without the conspicuousness and close quarters worthlessness a full-fledged sniper would bring to the table.



Based on the Mk14 EBR, the Mk18 ABR is a Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) used by AAF Marksmen and some NATO special forces. It is fed through 20 round 7.62 magazines, can mount almost all attachments, can fire in single shot or full-auto, and it has decent tritium iron sights. The Mk18 has excellent range and accuracy, with bullet drop becoming a significant issue only past about 800 meters, or just when suppressed. It has good damage and armor piercing capabilities, elminating most hostiles with 2 shots to the body or 1 to the head. The only downsides are the moderately high weight and moderate recoil, though the recoil is pretty good for a DMR and isn't enough to be a big issue. I recommend this to anyone with the room for it.

The Mk18 is easily my favorite weapon and it's my go-to for most situations, especially if I don't know exactly what conditions I'll be operating under. I'm very biased towards it, so take my comments with a grain of salt.




Based on the experimental VS-121 rifle, the Rahim is a DMR used by CSAT marksmen. It's fed through 10 round 7.62 magazines unique to the Rahim, fires in single shot or full auto, and can mount most attachments. The Rahim feels pretty weak for something that uses 7.62, and the recoil isn't too great, but it has excellent range and accuracy, even amongst others in its class. It's also sports low-ish weight and decent iron sights. The result is a weapon that's fairly specialized yet respectable in its own right. Recommended to any marksmen who expect a lot of long range engagments, but the 10 round magazine tends to be highly inefficient in CQB, so pick something else if you're going into town..



Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on the M14, the Mk14 is a DMR used by FIA marksmen. It's essentially a downgraded version of the Mk18 ABR, using the same ammo and basic platform, but with impressively terrible iron sights and lack of side rails for IR lasers or flashlights. The barrel's a little longer than the Mk18, so I suppose it has slightly more range and accuracy, but with what feels like much more recoil. In a nutshell, there's a reason the only guys who use it are undersupplied guerillas. I recommend it only if you can't find any better DMRs.




Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on the SG-556 but chambered for 7.62, the MK-1 EMR is a DMR rarely used by NATO, usually special forces. There's not much I can say about this, since it's practically the same as the Mk18 ABR. It uses the same ammo, attachments, and firemodes. The stats are also fairly similar, but it seems like the MK-1 EMR is a bit less accurate at long range. The iron sights are different too, this time using that new diamond setup that seems to be gaining popularity these days. The MK-1 does seem like a better choice over the Mk18 when it comes to CQB, so I guess I'd recommend it to those who would normally pick the Mk18, but are expecting some more close-range encounters.




Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on an anti-materiel variant of the SVD Dragunov, the SVDK, the Cyrus is a DMR used by CSAT sharpshooters. It's fed through 10 round 9.8 magazines, can fire in single shot or full auto, has decent iron sights, and can mount most attachments. The Cyrus is pretty damn bulky and handles like a truck, but its 9.8 round packs a hell of a punch, neutralizing most hostiles in a single shot. It's not too accurate at ranges past about 600 meters, but up to that point it maintains high effectiveness. The recoil is heavy, even when deployed on a bipod, so the full auto firemode is of questionable use anywhere besides near point-blank range. The Cyrus also holds some limited effectiveness against vehicles, especially MRAPs. I recommend it to any marksmen who plan on having most of their engagements at medium range, or need some extra firepower against light vehicles.




Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on the Noreen Bad News, the Mar-10 is a DMR used by CTRG and some NATO special forces. The Mar-10 is about as big as it can get before being classified as a sniper rifle. It uses 10 round .338 Lapua Magnum magazines, can mount most attachments, and can only fire in single shot. Like most bigger rifles, it's heavy with poor handling and recoil. It makes up for this with its superb range, accuracy, and firepower. It can reliably hit a target up to about 800 meters out, with a minor reduction in accuracy 800-1000 meters away. The .338 round will drop most targets within that range in a single shot, though a grazing hit or heavy armor might require a second shot. I haven't done extensive testing on vehicles, but if memory serves it can pierce bulletproof glass and, at the very least, destroy tires with a few hits. I'd recommend te Mar-10 to anyone who will be straddling the line between marksman and sniper and avoiding close-quarters encounters. The ability to add a suppressor is a nifty bonus.



Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Based on the QBU-88, the CMR-76 is a DMR used by Pacific CSAT marksmen. I sorta like to think of the CMR-76 as a hybrid between the Rahim and MXM. It's fed through 20 round 6.5 magazines, I forgot the fire modes, and can fit most attachments besides IR lasers/flashlights. It's got high firepower for a 6.5 rifle, along with good range and excellent accuracy. It's sluggish to aim and the iron sights aren't pretty, but that shouldn't matter too much at long range. It's still noticably weaker than 7.62 weaponry, but a solid weapon nonetheless. I'd recommend it if you're going up against hostiles who aren't wearing enough body armor to necessitate an upgrade to 7.62, and at a distance so the handling isn't much of a problem.

I wish I could see more true snipers using these weapons instead of the untrained grunts I usually see toting them around, but that's besides the point. Sniper rifles are high-caliber rifles meant to be used at long range, as in, greater than 600 meters. They're heavy and tough to handle, but their range, accuracy, and firepower make for highly effective anti-infantry weaponry.



Based on the Cheytac Intervention, the M320 LRR is a .408 sniper rifle used by NATO snipers. It is fed by 7 round magazines, has a built-in bipod, and has a rail for mounting optics. This rifle has the best range and accuraccy of any primary weapon in vanilla Arma, reliably hitting targets from over 1.2 km away. Its .408 round is highly lethal, with shots to the body or head being nearly guaranteed 1-hit kills, even if heavily armored. Limb hits can still be deadly, but they are not nearly as reliable as head and body shots. It has a high piercing capability, being able to pass through even shipping containers, albeit with far less velocity. It can also shoot through most bulletproof glass, such as the windows and windshields of MRAPs, but I've never seen it pierce enough armor to take out something like an engine. As far as downsides go, the M320 is the only bolt-action in the game and thus has the slowest fire rate. It's not as heavy as the Lynx, but it's still bulky enough to make you rethink your gear selection. It handles like a semi truck with a drunk driver, it's one of the longest rifles available, recoil's severe, the mag is small, and it takes a long time to reload, which together make the M320 an awful selection for close quarters. Overall the M320 performs very well at long-distance sniping and skilled sharpshooters can use it to eliminate MRAP crews, but it's not the best choice for anything besides sniping. While some people can use it effectively in close quarters, they'd still probably be better off with a carbine, or DMR if firepower is the issue. I recommend the M320 LRR to anyone who will be targeting infantry at ranges around or above 800 meters.



With the real weapon's name and likeness, the GM6 Lynx is a .50 cal sniper rifle used by AAF and CSAT snipers. It's fed by 5 round magazines, has a built-in bipod, and supports optics. A special attribute about the Lynx is that it has 2 seperate ammo types: Standard and APDS. As far as I've seen, the APDS rounds are much, much better than standard ammo. Compared to standard bullets, APDS rounds fly further, have a more flat arc, hit harder, and, as the name suggests, are more capable of piercing armor and other materials. APDS ammo has proven that it's able to pierce enough armor to damage or destroy the engines of MRAPs and even APCs, though the engine locations on some vehicles are not very obvious and require prior knowledge to target, and even then may take multiple hits to disable. The only reason I can think of for using standard rounds over APDS ammo is possibly muzzle velocity, but I've never been able to confirm that there is a difference between the two in the first place. Maybe you might want to pick standard ammo since it's less likely to pierce something and hit a friendly or civilian on the other side. Both rounds are generally capable of immobilizing vehicles, even tanks, with several shots to the wheels or tracks. Basic snipers are equipped with only standard ammo, but I would recommend upgrading to APDS if you are ever given the chance. As for the rifle itself, it's hard not to simply compare it to the M320. The Lynx is semi-automatic, so the fire rate is obviously much higher than the M320. While still effective to a certain point, the Lynx has a noticable drop in accuracy around about a kilometer away, making it less suitable than the M320 for very long distance shooting. It's also a bit heavier, despite the shorter length. Overall, the M320 wins in accuracy and distance, but the Lynx wins in firepower and versatility. I recommend the Lynx to anyone who needs something with extreme firepower and piercing capability from a distance. It's better than the M320 at short and mid-range, but it's still way out of its element.

The Contact DLC has added shotguns, in the forms of a classic double-barreled over-under and an underbarrel attachment for LDF's Promet. I don't have much experience with these, but what I've seen indicates extreme firepower at close range, perfect for room-clearing if you can make your shots count. They have the option to use either slug or buckshot ammo, so use the right type for the job: Buckshot is less accurate at range but the spread can be helpful up close, considering the entire shell's payload doesn't always need to connect for a kill. Slugs are much more accurate and hit hard, but their weight means you still aren't going sniping with them. TL;DR, Slugs for close-mid range, buckshot for very close range.


The Kozlice is a throwback to the first Arma, Cold War Assault, where it was available to the resistance faction and was even worse -the worst weapon in the game, in fact- being able to hold only one weak bullet or one "shell" that essentially functioned as a 7-ish shot burst before requiring a reload that immobilized its user. Thankfully, the Arma 3 iteration is not quite as awful, capable of carrying two 12-gauge buckshot or slug shells and allowing free movement during reloads like most other small arms. It's still pretty terrible though. While not as bad as you might think, buckshot shells' spread is still too wide to effectively engage target at any further than, say, 30 meters, especially when considering how weak the pellets are on their own. Buckshot effectiveness is heavily reliant on the target's armor, with unarmored requiring only a small fraction of the shell's pellets while armored targets, even just the basic CSAT infantry padded uniform, will take upwards of half the shell's pellets before dropping. For this reason, it's still important to aim for center mass even in close quarters to ensure your target doesn't live long enough to get pissed off. Slugs are a different beast, being effective up to about 75 meters but usable up to around 150 if aim is adjusted for distance. Slugs are very powerful and will kill with a single shot most of the time, though heavy armor or limb shots may require a follow-up. The Kozlice is fairly clunky to handle, about as heavy as a middle-weight assault rifle, and has, of course, very heavy recoil. It also has a long barrel which, when put together with its small ammo capacity and the poor handling, make the Kozlice paradoxically ill-suited to prolonged close-quarters combat. I only recommend it if you have no other options, or if you need to clear one or two rooms of a house. Pray there's only one or two guys to shoot.


See above, but worse. Sawing off the barrel and stock has significantly reduced weight and improved handling, but at the price of accuracy and range. This variant doesn't even have a front sight, so forget about using it past arms-length. It's best to just load it with buckshot, point it vaguely in the enemies' direction, and hope for the best. This weapon should really only be used as a last resort for clearing very small buildings.


This shotgun attachment shares most of the attributes of the other shotguns, but with two of the main drawbacks addressed: 6 shells can be carried for better close-quarters performance, and an actual assault rifle is there for hostiles out of the shotgun's range. The shotgun is bulky though, so the SG version is the heaviest Promet variant available and also the worst-handling. Compared to the Kozlice, the Promet SG maintains a decent rate of fire with better recoil and handling, and an assault rifle for anything past short-range, so it's just better if the heavier weight isn't an issue. The Promet SG is uniquely positioned to be ideal for heavy MOUT. Recommended if you can bear the heavy weight and want some punch for close-quarters.

These ones were too specialized to classify as an option in one of the other groups. They're only meant for specific cases and excel where they're meant to, but are easily outclassed by other weapons in any other situation.



Based on the Kel-Tec RFB, the SDAR is a dual-purpose weapon equipped by combat divers of all factions. It's chambered for 5.56 and is fed through either standard 30 round mags, or dual-purpose 20 round mags. It's the only weapon that can accept that dual-purpose ammo. It's unable to accept attachments of any kind. The reason I didn't just throw this gun in with other carbines is due to its functionality when loaded with dual-purpose magazines; they allow the weapon to fire underwater. Now, it's not very powerful and the range drops off after about 30 meters, but it's your only option to fight while submerged. As for above the surface, the dual-purpose ammo maintains a horrible range and has less firepower than even 9mm rounds, so it should really only be used as a last resort. Now when loaded with standard 5.56 mags, the SDAR loses its underwater capabilities but gains an open-air performance similar to most other 5.56 rifles. it's reasonably powerful with respectable range and low recoil, but its inability to mount optics will limit long-range effectiveness. Overall it's adequate at its purpose of underwater combat, and can perform respectably on land if loaded with the proper ammo. I'd only really reccommend the SDAR if you plan on engaging submerged hostiles, but be sure to pack plenty of standard ammo for use on land.



Requires Arma 3 Marksmen!

Based on both the VSS Vintorez and VKS rifles, the ASP-1 Kir is a specialist's weapon available to CSAT recon pathfinders. It is fed through 10 round 12.7 mags, fires in single shot or (slow) full auto, can accept most sights, IR lasers, flashlights, and bipods. Seeing as this weapon comes with the Marksmen DLC, you might be tempted to think you could use it like any other DMR, but if you try to do so you'll probably find out that most if not all of your shots are missing past about 200 meters. That's why I didn't lump this in with weapons like the Cyrus or Mk14. To elaborate, the ASP-1 Kir is the most silent weapon available. It uses an integral suppressor and subsonic ammunition and is the only weapon whose rounds don't make a loud crack, instead making a much softer "whoosh" sound. However, its silence comes at a price; Range. The combination of a heavy subsonic bullet with low muzzle velocity means your shots will drop like rocks and take a decade to reach their target. The trajectory is relatively flat up to 100 meters, taking a noticable dip afterwards, but good luck trying to hit anything past 200 meters. Overall, the trajectory is much worse than even SMGs and handguns. Try firing it in virtual arsenal at different zeroings and you'll see the kind of round you're working with, especially once you get to the longer distances when it looks like you're firing straight up in the air. If improperly zeroed, the Kir's shots will easily miss the target completely and sail over his head. Therefore, zeroing is critical to properly operating the Kir. I recommend only using iron sights or adjustable scopes, preferably with built-in rangefinders, and setting the zeroing to either 100 or 200 meters, since anything past that is not a guaranteed hit. Now, even within those ranges, the Kir is still uncomfortably heavy, tough to handle, and has heavy recoil, not to mention the weight of the ammo. Considering all the above, you might think the Kir is pretty useless, but it does have its niche. Its 12.7 round doesn't disappoint; it will drop most hostiles in one shot, regardless of armor, with the occassional hostile taking a second to finish off. This coupled with its impressively low sound signature make the ASP-1 Kir the perfect sentry remover. With all this in mind, I'd only recommend this weapon in very special circumstances, such as nighttime special operations that may require a silent takedown after sneaking close by.

If you find my description of the Kir insufficient, ShacTac community leader Dslyecxi has a video guide specifically for this weapon. His series of guides are damn good informative material and have basically been officialized by Bohemia, so check them out if I'm too boring for you.

Rocket and missile launchers here. I don't have too much to say here, you probably know what these do already, but I might as well gloss over them. Keep in mind that every launcher only holds one projectile before needing a reload, and firing one will alert pretty much any AI within 600-800 meters. Not a good option for stealth.



Based on the MBT LAW, the PCML is a Medium Anti-Tank (MAT) launcher used by NATO and AAF forces. It's effective against armor up to some of the heavier APCs, but it's lacking against MBTs. The optics have night vision and the weapon has the capability to lock on to targets and automatically lead them. Medium weight ammunition.




Based on the RPG-32 Hashim, the RPG-42 Alamut is an unguided MAT launcher used by CSAT. Effectiveness is similar to the PCML, but it's not guided so it's harder to aim at range. At close range, use the topmost sight (.5); for all others, fire at the appropriate crosshair for the distance- it's ranged in intervals of 100 meters. Optics come with night vision but just one magnification. It can use HEAT and HE rockets; both are lighter than PCML missiles, but HE rockets are lighter than HEAT. Use HEAT against light-medium armor, but treat HE rockets like a big grenade. HE won't hurt armor too much, but can be very effective against softer targets.





Requires Arma 3 Apex!

Based and named after its real-world counterpart, the RPG-7 is a basic unguided Light Anti-Tank (LAT) launcher used by Syndikat. It's relatively light and so is its ammo. Those are the positives. It's ineffective against most armored targets, only dealing significant damage to the lightest of armor. Lack of optics or ranging sights significantly reduces range, so get close.




Based after the Rafael Mini-Spike, the Titan MPRL Compact is a guided Heavy Anti-Tank (HAT) launcher used by all regular factions. This thing's pretty interesting and it's gone through plenty of revisions. Don't let "compact" fool you, it's heavy as sin along with its missiles. It makes up for its weight by being the second-most powerful weapon a guy can carry. Its AT missiles can deal significant damage to all known armor, though it still pays to aim for the less-armored areas on tanks. Titans do have a problem consistently neutralizing Angara tanks, however. It also can be fed AP (read: big boom for tiny peoples) missiles for use on groups of infantry. The optics have two levels of magnification and have normal, white hot, and black hot vision modes (no night vision). The fire mode can be changed between a normal shot that beelines towards whatever it's shot at, or a top-down mode in which the missile gains some altitude before changing trajectory towards the top of the target. Top down can be particularly effective against vehicles behind cover that might eat the hit from a normal shot, or against tanks with weaker top armor. Alternatively, the missile can be shot without a target lock. In this case, the missile is guided to where the optics' crosshair is pointed, allowing some extra versatility. Fire the titan this way when targeting anything that can't be locked onto, like buildings, aircraft, or vehicles the system hasn't picked up. Keep in mind the missile is launched at an angle above where you're aiming, so be careful when firing in close quarters. Although it's an impressive piece of equipment, I only recommend it if you're planning on engaging lots of armor on foot, since the weight is incredibly restrictive. There's a reason there's a damn emplaced version.




Based after the Rafael Mini-Spike, the Titan MPRL is the only Anti-Aircraft (AA) weapon available in vanilla Arma 3, available to all regular factions. It's heavy as hell and so are the missiles. It's worthless for anything besides aircraft. Make sure you got a lock and try not to let the missile get distracted by countermeasures. Its optics offer normal and thermal modes, and can zoom in a bit.


Sharing the name with the real weapon, the MAAWS is a LAT launcher used by NATO and FIA. There's two versions, but the only difference I can tell is the optics. The newer version used by NATO has better ranging with a built-in rangefinder and night vision, while the older version lacks the rangefinder and i can't remember if it has night vision or not. This thing's really new and I haven't used it a lot so I can't give good advice on it, though it does seem more powerful than the RPG-7. Maybe it's a bridge between the RPG-7 and RPG-32 Alamut?


Based on the Russian Metis ATGM weapon system, the Vorona is a massive heavy AT launcher used by CSAT. Since the Vorona and Titan compact are the best options for infantry to deal with tanks, I'll be comparing the two here. The Vorona has similar ammo types to the Titan and similar optics as well, only with orange-filtered thermals. The difference lies in the Vorona's considerably heavier weight and increased firepower. After finally getting some experience with this launcher, I can confirm the Vorona is the most powerful portable AT weapon available to infantry, and the only one I've found to consistently neutralize Angara tanks with a single well-aimed shot. It also fires the missile straight ahead with a small dip in trajectory as the missile adjusts, unlike the Titan's up-angled trajectory, making the Vorona a better choice for countering heavy armor at short ranges. While these attributes may make the Titan seem obsolete in comparison, the Vorona has a distinct disadvantage that will keep the Titan in service. In line with the classic "simple and reliable" Russian design philosophy, the Vorona's only targeting system involves the missile being guided towards wherever the crosshair is pointed until impact. This makes it much harder to accurately engage small, fast, or distant targets. It also means the Vorona's operator needs to maintain visual contact with the target from launch to impact, which can be very dangerous if the target is upset with your existence. In these cases, the Titan compact's lock-on fire-and-forget targeting modes would be much more likely to result in hitting the target while giving the weapon's operator time to find cover or another target. The Titan's up-angled trajectory and top-down fire mode also give it a much better chance of hitting a partially obscured target or weaker top-armor.

Overall, the Vorona has more brute firepower than the Titan, but lacks the latter's versatility and accuracy. The Vorona is better at close range and when dealing with super-heavy armor like the Angara, but the Titan is better at handling distant, fast, and concealed targets at less risk to the operator. Consider your situation and what you are facing before making your choice

I, um, don't know how to end this one. . . . .



Go away.