This is a tier list of the best guns in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. See a tier list of the best guns to use in your journey through the Zone in this guide!

Weapon Guides
Best Weapons	Weapons List

Best Weapons Tier List

Best Weapons Overall

Tier	Saiga D-12	Kharod	Dnipro
	Skif's Pistol	SPSA-14	APSB
	M701 Super	SVU-MK S-3	Integral-A
	Gauss Gun	EM-1	-
Tier	M860 Cracker	AKM-74S	VS Vintar
	AS Lavina	Grom S-14	AR416
	GP37	Fora-221	Buket S-2
	Mark 1 EMR	Ram-2	Rhino
	Zubr-19	-	-
Tier	Boomstick	RPG-7U	M10 Gordon
	RPM-74	UDP Compact	Viper-5
	Toz-34	AKM-74U	PTM

List of All Weapons and Guns

Best Weapons and Guns Explained

Top Weapons and Guns
Saiga D-12 (Shotgun)	・Destroys at Short-Range ・Best Against Mutants ・Semi-Automatic
Kharod (Assault Rifle)	・Versatile Mid-Long Range ・High Accuracy ・Accepts Underbarrel Attachments
Integral-A (SMG)	・High Fire Rate ・Great at Close-Mid Range ・Accepts Silencers
Skif's Pistol (Pistol)	・Consistent Damage and Durability ・Accepts Suppressors
SVU-MK S-3 (Sniper Rifle)	・High Single Shot Damage ・Best at Long Range ・High Fire Rate
Gauss Gun (Sniper Rifle)	・Best for Endgame ・Very High Burst Damage

Saiga-D12 (Best Shotgun)

Saiga D-12
Ammo	12x70mm Buckshot
Weight	3.76 kg

The Saiga D-12 is the best shotgun in the game, beating out others in its class due to it using box magazines and being semi-auto. This setup makes is very comfortable to use against Mutants. With a high-capacity mag upgrade, it beats out both the Ram-2 and SPSA-14 in DPS.

It is also the only shotgun that has the most upgrades (and also the most expensive to upgrade). It accepts 2x scopes and can be converted to accept only Slugs in exchange for more accuracy and range.

How to Get the Saiga D-12 and Stats

Kharod (Best Assault Rifle)

Kharod
Ammo	5.56x45mm M885
Weight	4.16 kg

The Kharod is the best assault rifle in the game, being able to accept a variety of attachments and has an upgrade to convert it to the common 5.45x39mm ammo. It has high range and accuracy stats, making it a great all-around weapon for your usual ranged engagements.

It a step higher than the Dnipro due to its range and accuracy, along with the compatibility with both the underbarrel grenade launcher or Holemaker-L shotgun.

How to Get the Kharod and Stats

Integral-A (Best SMG)

Integral-A
Ammo	9x19mm
Weight	3.4 kg

The Integral-A is the best SMG in its class, outshining other SMGs in its class due to its high fire rate. This gun becomes more serviceable once upgraded and equipped with a silencer and a high-capacity magazine.

You can also upgrade the Integral-A to accept .45 ACP ammo for more damage with some drawback to spread, making a reliable alternative to a shotgun when you are up against Mutants.

How to Get the Integral-A and Stats

Skif's Pistol (Best Pistol)

Skif's Pistol
Ammo	9x18mm PST
Weight	0.05 kg

While not as powerful as the other guns on this list, Skif's Pistol makes it here since it's perfect pistol for stealth and general use. It still holds up in the late game simply because it is cheap to maintain and has enough stopping power for smaller mutants like dogs and rodents.

Since most late game missions drain you of ammo, knowing at least one gun can be relied on for the small tasks is great for any Stalker exploring the Zone. Plus, Skif's Pistol is considered a quest item so you won't be able to get rid of it anyway (can only be stored in your inventory).

How to Get the Skif's Pistol and Stats

SVU-MK S-3 (Best Sniper Rifle)

SVU-MK S-3
Ammo	.762x54mm
Weight	4.64 kg

The SVU-MK S-3 is the best sniper rifle in the game before the Gauss Gun, having a high stopping power similar to the M701 Super but having significantly higher fire rate. You'll only want the M701 Super if you prefer bolt-action and being able to attach a Holemaker-L underbarrel shotgun.

Being a sniper rifle, it is best for taking down human enemies in the distance, especially ones that are heavily armoered or wearing Exoskeletons.

How to Get the SVU-MK S-3 and Stats

Gauss Gun (Best Endgame Weapon)

Gauss Gun
Ammo	Cartridge
Weight	7.05 kg

The Gauss Gun gets a special mention in the list as the best endgame weapon and alternative sniper rifle you can have, being able to destroy Mutants in only a few shots (3-4 shots on a Burer).

The Gauss Gun has a charge-up time for each shot, making it a tad bit slower than other weapons in its class. You'll want to save this weapon for bigger enemies like Chimeras and Pseudogiants since ammo for the Gauss Gun is hard to come by.

How to Get the Gauss Gun and Stats

Best Weapons Criteria

Gun List Criteria

Category	Evaluation
Ammo Economy	Determined by how easy or hard it is to obtain ammo for the weapons.
Penetration	Refers to the damage output through enemy armor.
Accuracy	Determined by the dispersion of bullets when you fire your weapon.

Ammo is scarce in the world of STALKER 2. Some weapons that have better stats are rendered useless because you might not find ammo for them. This is why Ammo Economy is the most important part of the criterion.

Penetration is arguably more important than Damage, as armored enemies can tank a lot of bullets before going down with a weapon with subpar armor penetration.

Accuracy is another stat that you should be looking for because you do not want to be wasting precious ammo because of a weapon's inaccuracy. It is also easier to hit headshots with a more accurate weapon.

STALKER 2 Related Guide

STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl Walkthrough Wiki

Recommended Guides

Difficulty Differences	Game Length
Best Weapons	Best Armor
Best Detectors	Best Technicians
Best Endings	Guide Fast Travel Locations
Techinician Locations	Journalist's Stash Locations
All Missables and Points of No Return	Best Artifacts
List of All Unique Weapons	List of All Unique Armor
Is There New Game Plus?	Best Exoskeleton

STALKER 2 Wiki

STALKER 2 Guides
Main Missions	Side Missions
Weapons	Armor
Interactive Map	Choices
Endings	Tips and Tricks
Artifacts	Factions
Bases	Attachments
Ammo	Detectors
Puzzles and Codes	Anomalies
Technicians	Vendors and NPCs
Stashes	Mutants
Achievements	Bugs and Errors
Multiplayer	News