Every weapon class compared: the best of each in GTA Online

One verdict per class, then the loadouts. Everything below reflects tracked community consensus against the current game as of early August 2026, and every pick has earned its place across years of heists, sell missions and lobby arguments. For the deeper how-and-why, the full weapons guide sits alongside this page.

The class verdicts

• Pistol: the AP Pistol for everything, with the Heavy Revolver Mk II as the PvP-flavoured alternative for players who make their shots count
• SMG: the Tactical SMG, the newer arrival that displaced the old guard on damage, fire rate and accuracy, and the best thing to hold on a motorcycle
• Rifle: the Special Carbine Mk II, the balance point of the whole game, with the Advanced Rifle at rank 70 as the strong free-unlock stopgap
• Machine gun: the Combat MG Mk II, especially with Full Metal Jacket rounds against anything armoured
• Shotgun: the Assault Shotgun, full auto with a 32-shell drum, the room-clearer
• Sniper: the Heavy Sniper Mk II, full stop, with the Marksman Rifle Mk II as the dedicated PvP alternative for its fire rate
• Heavy: the Railgun for deleting vehicles with style, the Homing Launcher for deleting them with tracking, and the Minigun for sustained area unpleasantness
• Throwable: Sticky Bombs, and it is not close
• Utility: the Up-n-Atomizer for un-flipping vehicles and the Compact EMP Launcher for disabling them without the insurance call
• New-generation exclusive: the El Strickler military rifle, PS5 and Xbox Series only, Gun Van rotation only

The PvE loadout

• Combat MG Mk II and Special Carbine Mk II for the mid-to-long range work that missions are made of
• Assault Shotgun for interiors
• Heavy Sniper Mk II with explosive rounds for anything airborne or armoured
• AP Pistol for every vehicle seat
• Sticky Bombs and the Up-n-Atomizer for problems and self-inflicted problems respectively

The PvP loadout

• Marksman Rifle Mk II for pressure at range: faster follow-ups beat raw damage against a moving player
• Special Carbine Mk II with a drum magazine for the mid-range fight
• Heavy Revolver Mk II or the Assault Shotgun when it gets close
• Heavy Sniper Mk II with explosive rounds as the anti-aircraft answer to anything hovering nearby
• The Compact Grenade Launcher as the underrated pick, usable from a bike or a boat

The one-of-each answer

If the weapon wheel only carried one of each: AP Pistol, Tactical SMG, Special Carbine Mk II, Combat MG Mk II, Assault Shotgun, Heavy Sniper Mk II, Railgun, Sticky Bombs. That set answers every situation GTA Online can generate, and every piece of it is covered in the full weapons guide, including the Mk II workshop route and the verified prices: the Heavy Sniper Mk II conversion at GTA$165,375, the Railgun at GTA$730,000, the Tactical SMG at GTA$409,500 and the Up-n-Atomizer at GTA$399,000, the latter three all Gun Van stock.

Where it fits

Match the loadout to the desk: the PvE set carries every heist and business guide on this site, the PvP set is for the lobbies, and the van check is a daily habit either way. Everything lives at sixcentral.co.uk/online, on the site and in the SixCentral app, filterable by topic.

One verdict per class, two loadouts, eight weapons if you are ruthless. Spend the rest of the money on the businesses.