ARC Raiders: Best Guns in 2026

If you're going to survive a hostile alien invasion, you'll need some serious firepower. Luckily, the apocalyptic arsenal in ARC Raiders has every weapon you need to get the job done, ranging from easy-to-craft hand cannons to experimental energy weapons.

There are five different rarities of weapons in ARC Raiders: common, uncommon, rare, epic, and legendary, but some of the lower-tier guns have proven to be more powerful than you might first expect, especially when upgraded and equipped with mods—so don't judge a gun by its rarity.

The first thing you need to consider when equipping yourself before a topside excursion is your playstyle. Are you the patient and strategic raider that picks off their targets from a distance? The close-quarter run-and-gun PvP fanatic? Or the friendly raider looking to master the art of taking down ARCs?

Whatever your mission is, we'll make sure you're well-informed and properly equipped. After many hours of trial-and-error and experimenting with each weapon, I constructed this list to help my fellow raiders figure out which guns will suit their playstyle the best and increase their chance of making it back to Speranza in one piece.

ARC Raiders Gun Tier List

20 Hairpin

If you're a master of stealthy maneuvers, the hairpin will likely be your best friend. I gave this silenced pistol the lowest ranking due to its weak ARC armor penetration, but that doesn't mean you should count it out completely.

The more noise you make when you're topside, the more likely you'll be to meet an unfortunate end. You can use the hairpin to quietly take out security cameras, alarms, and smaller ARCs to avoid attracting any unwanted attention—it's extremely useful, but not very powerful in fights.

19 Rattler

At launch, I would've also given the rattler a D ranking as it only came with a 10-round magazine at level 1, but thanks to a recent buff that increased the mag size, the rattler feels much better to use.

This dusty dystopian assault rifle stays true to its name, as Raiders will hear your rounds rattling away in the distance from halfway across the map, but it does pack a satisfying punch.

18 Kettle

With the kettle, your success will largely depend on how fast your trigger finger is. This semi-auto AR garnered a respectable B ranking, thanks to its accuracy and the ability to spam shots at a very high rate.

If you fancy yourself a marksman, the kettle is a versatile gun that will be good on any map and excels in mid-range PvP combat, with the only real downside being that its AAP (ARC Armor Penetration) is very weak.

17 Ferro

The ferro is still my favorite gun to receive when heading topside with a free loadout, because it's effective at long-range and has strong AAP. Unfortunately, you have to reload after every shot, and at level 1 the reload time is excruciatingly long.

However, upgrading the ferro significantly increases your reload time, so if you can keep your distance from whatever you're fighting and stay behind cover while you reload, you'll be filling your inventory with goop in no time.

16 Stitcher

When it comes to close-quarter PvP combat, Stitcher has become the SMG of choice among many, including myself. Upgrade the stitcher to level 4, throw on an extended light mag and some stability attachments, and suddenly this common gun is hard to beat.

Whether it's a tick trying to latch onto your face, a pop flying at you from an expected angle, or a Raider thief looking to steal your hard-earned loot, things are bound to sneak up on you, and the stitcher is your best bet when it comes to spray-and-pray gameplay.

15 Burletta

This light-weight pistol is a great sidearm to bring with you for those hectic moments where your primary weapon needs to be reloaded, but you just don't have the time.

Being efficient when swapping weapons or reloading is extremely important when it comes to winning PvP fights, but also for surviving ARC attacks. With an extremely high agility stat, the burletta is a solid choice for pistol professionals, and I'd love to see a duel-wielding perk in the future.

14 Arpeggio

The arpeggio is a well-rounded burst-fire AR that excels in mid-range combat. Whether you're shooting at Raiders or ARCs, as long as you keep a bit of distance between you and your target, you're bound to find success with the arpeggio.

The main downside to this gun is the firerate which can be increased by upgrading it in your gunsmithing station.

13 Il Toro

The Il Toro may only be of uncommon rarity, but the damage feels like a legendary. This shotgun has been the weapon of choice for many PvP enthusiasts, as it will only take two shots to kill a Raider at close range if they have a light shield equipped.

As it is easily one of the most dominant weapons when it comes to PvP, and is easy to craft, requiring only six simple gun parts and five mechanical components, the IL Toro sits comfortably at S Tier.

12 Anvil

Another uncommon gun punching above its weight class, the anvil, is my personal favorite out of all the options. With high headshot damage, the anvil is effective in close-quarters or at long range, and when upgraded, its fire rate is increased greatly.

Even at level 1, the anvil packs a heavy punch similar to the ferro, but comes with a six-round magazine.

11 Osprey

Sniper's delight, the osprey is devastatingly powerful and accurate from long-range, and with decent AAP, you can pick your favorite rooftop and reign down on the ARCs from above—or dare I say it, other raiders.

The only reason I didn't reward the Osprey with an A-tier ranking is that it's largely situational and is very difficult to use in close-quarter combat.