The Best Guns in Rust (Top 10 List)

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Your personal choice of the best weapons in Rust depends on your preferred playstyle and current experience in the game.

Shotguns are extremely effective at close range, but you need to know how to sneak unnoticed to opponents’ bases and approach targets in the wilderness. Sniper rifles require different skills: you should know the best positions around the map and be patient to deliver one-shot kills. Rust assault rifles are the most universal, but they still lose their deadly might outside mid-range shootouts.

Beginners in Rust should focus on weapons they can obtain easily and then adapt to their capabilities. The best gun in Rust can be hard to collect even for intermediate-level players. However, the advantages you get with such firearms are worth practicing and improving your skills for.

In this article, we list the 10 best Rust weapons. It can give you ideas on what to hunt for in this dangerous virtual world and how to adapt to the specific features of these guns.

Assault Rifle (AK)

• Damage: 50
• Rate of fire: 450 RPM
• Reload speed: 4.4 secs
• Capacity: 30
• Ammo: 5.56 rifle ammo
• Tier: 3
• Loot: Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy Scientists
• Best use case: Mid-range, universally good. You need to master recoil.

It’s the most versatile firearm in Rust. The Assault Rifle suits players of different skill levels, and it can be crafted, so you don’t need to go for dangerous missions in Monuments.

The mid-range shootouts are the best for this Rust weapon as it loses its effectiveness at big distances. At close range, the Assault Rifle loses to shotguns. In any case, you should deal with high recoil. Practice short spray for better precision.

In general, it’s the best gun in Rust, even if it loses in effectiveness to some alternatives, like the M249. It’s quite accessible and easy to use, so Rust’s players count pretty much reflects how many people use the AK, at least now and again.

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M249 Light Machine Gun

• Damage: 65
• Rate of fire: 500 RPM
• Reload speed: 7.5 secs
• Capacity: 100
• Ammo: 5.56 rifle ammo
• Tier: Uncraftable
• Loot: Bradley APC and Helicopter Crates
• Best use case: Sustained suppression, dealing with multiple opponents

Technically, this Rust gun has the best characteristics in the game. The M249’s magazine is big enough to spread bullets all over the place and eliminate groups of targets. Compared to the Assault Rifle, this LMG has a higher fire rate and causes more damage.

At the same time, the M249 is extremely rare, and it’s awfully difficult to obtain this gun. You need to win battles around the Helicopter or Bradley APC crash sites, and only highly-skilled players are capable of this. Such a limitation makes the M249 rather niche in Rust, although it can be called the most effective weapon.

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L96 Rifle

• Damage: 80
• Rate of fire: 23 RPM
• Reload speed: 3 secs
• Capacity: 5
• Ammo: 5.56 rifle ammo
• Tier: Uncraftable
• Loot: Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy Scientists
• Best use case: Long-range shoots, one-bullet kills

If you know the game well and enjoy attacking opponents while camping in a safe hideout, the L96 can be a good weapon for you. It’s a typical sniper rifle: bullets reach far and deal mind-blowing damage (literally).

At the same time, the magazine capacity is very low, so you can’t win even mid-range clashes. A successful tactic with the Rust L96 is to not let your victims figure out your position. To do so, you must know the map well and understand what people tend to do in various stages between Rust server wipes.

Only experienced players will shine with the L96! Moreover, this specific sniper rifle is very rare. If you have skills and can loot good weapons, go for experimenting with the L96. It may correspond to your playing style well and therefore bring excellent results.

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LR-300 Assault Rifle

• Damage: 40
• Rate of fire: 500 RPM
• Reload speed: 4 secs
• Capacity: 30
• Ammo: 5.56 rifle ammo
• Tier: Uncraftable
• Loot:Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy Scientists; Supply Drop; Purchasable for 500 scraps in the Bandit Camp
• Best use case: Mid-range shootouts with low recoil

This rifle is a decent alternative to the AK in Rust. The LR-300 is a well-rounded firearm, effective at mid-range battles. In a specific technical characteristic, it’s even better than the Assault Rifle: the recoil is low, and you can shoot more accurately from a not-too-big distance.

On the other hand, the Rust LR-300 has substantial disadvantages compared to the AK. The damage is lower, which may be crucial in a duel. The bullet spread is high, so the rifle becomes almost unusable at longer ranges. In addition, the LR-300 cannot be crafted. You need to hunt for rare loot to get this gun.

It is still one of the best weapons in Rust! The universal power helps the LR-300 stand out from the crowd of firearms with specialised usage.

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Bolt Action Rifle

• Damage: 80
• Rate of fire: 35 RPM
• Reload speed: 5 secs
• Capacity: 4
• Ammo: 5.56 rifle ammo
• Tier: 3
• Loot: Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy Scientists
• Best use case: Long-range sniper shoots

It’s a very decent sniper rifle, and it comes with pros and cons of this weapon type. A great experience in Rust is needed to use the Bolt Action Rifle. It’s not the gun to run around randomly and spread bullets mindlessly with. You need to take specific positions to remain unnoticed and shoot careless opponents unexpectedly.

The Bolt Action Rifle may seem like a good alternative to the L96, and in a way, it’s true. However, you need to be aware of the disadvantages of this choice. Better skills, specifically with sniper rifles, are needed to deliver precise shots with the Bolt Action Rifle. During intense game actions, it feels somewhat clumsier.

On a positive note, you can craft it instead of looting, which may be easier.

If you feel a weird discomfort in the game, and you know it isn’t connected to the difficulty of a sniper rifle, take a look at the best Rust settings. Our guide can give you ideas on how to improve your experience by adjusting the game’s technical aspects.

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Thompson (SMG)

• Damage: 37.5
• Rate of fire: 462 RPM
• Reload speed: 4 secs
• Capacity: 20
• Ammo: Pistol bullets
• Tier: 2
• Best use case: Mid-range in early and mid game

The biggest advantage of this sub-machine gun is its low crafting cost and universal simplicity. You don’t need any unique abilities or preparations to feel the deadly power in your hands if Thompson is on your side.

It’s another all-rounder among the best Rust weapons. Thompson comes with pros and cons, though. It is easier to craft this SMG, which is certainly an advantage. The mid-range shooting effectiveness is very decent. However, some alternatives, such as the MP5A4 and especially the Assault Rifle, have higher damage and accuracy.

A good scenario with Thompson is to attack individual opponents or pairs. Against groups, the SMG struggles.

Consider using Thompson specifically in the early to mid stages of the game.

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M39 Rifle

• Damage: 50
• Rate of fire: 343 RPM
• Reload speed: 3.25 secs
• Capacity: 20
• Ammo: 5.56 rifle ammo
• Tier: Uncraftable
• Loot:Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy Scientists; Supply Drop; Purchasable for 400 scraps in the Bandit Camp
• Best use case: Mid-to-long range with high accuracy

The M39 has good accuracy but requires rather calm actions from the player. The rifle is effective at mid-range, and it can be used at long distances as well. The rate of fire is slightly lower than the Assault Rifle can provide you with, but beyond that, the M39 is a good alternative—if you tend to keep a good gap between yourself and opponents.

At close range, this rifle becomes unnecessarily difficult, and it loses to simpler options. When you are ambushed or decide to rush into the heat of action, better switch to something more appropriate.

Also, the M39 is more difficult to obtain than the AK or SMGs.

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Grenade Launcher

• Damage: Varies by ammo type, like 90 for HE grenade
• Rate of fire: 150 RPM (semi-auto)
• Reload speed: 6 secs
• Capacity: 6
• Ammo: 40mm grenades and shotgun rounds
• Tier: Uncraftable
• Loot: Heavy scientists
• Best use case: Base raids, universal aggression against groups of opponents

This one looks pretty unusual on our list of the best weapons in Rust. Indeed, the Grenade Launcher feels and works differently. As the name clearly suggests, you launch deadly grenades with it: the ammo capacity is low, but the damaging effect within a big area is impressive. Attacking groups of opponents in their base is one of the best scenarios for the Grenade Launcher with HE as ammo.

You can use smoke to add CS2-style tactics to your Rust assault actions. Or, you can use shotgun rounds for super-effective killing power at close range.

High skills with this specific weapon and good game knowledge is needed to benefit from the launcher. It’s a really difficult gun, and you need to practice with it.

Also, the weapon pays off properly only with team actions. Someone should rush forward to complete your initial damage. And someone should protect you when that little magazine is empty.

If you are dedicated enough to train with this gun, you may want to strive for perfection in all aspects of the game. Do you know how to show FPS in Rust? Our guide explains!

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MP5A4 (SMG)

• Damage: 37.5
• Rate of fire: 600 RPM
• Reload speed: 4 secs
• Capacity: 30
• Ammo: Pistol bullets
• Tier: 3
• Loot:Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy, Cargo Ship, Military Tunnel Scientists; Supply Drop; Purchasable for 500 scraps in the Bandit Camp
• Best use case: High DPS at close range with controllable recoil

Technically, it’s a better SMG than Thompson. The Rust MP5A4 prevails in various aspects, such as the rate of fire and the magazine capacity. It feels somewhat better at close-range battles.

However, the downsides are significant. It’s as difficult to obtain the MP5A4 as it is the Assault Rifle, and that weapon is much more effective at mid-range. It loses the biggest appeal of SMGs: easy accessibility during early game stages.

In the heat of Rust action, the gap between MP5A4 and Thompson may not feel very tangible.

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SPAS-12 Shotgun

• Damage: 157.5
• Rate of fire: 240 RPM
• Reload speed: 5.8 secs (individual shell)
• Capacity: 6
• Ammo: 12 gauge shells
• Tier: Uncraftable
• Loot:Elite Tier, Locked, Helicopter, and Bradley APC Crates; Heavy, Cargo Ship, Military Tunnel Scientists; Supply Drop; Purchasable for 250 scraps in the Bandit Camp
• Best use case: Close-range, base defense, and aggressive pushes

The fate of all shotguns in Rust is to be difficult to use. You need really excellent skills to reach the effective range of such weapons. Sure, the SPAS-12 starts shining brightly after that, with its wonderfully high damage. Can you land those shots?

Rust is a dynamic game, and the action happens within a big space. It’s a rare situation when you bump into someone face-to-face, but it’s exactly the best scenario for the SPAS-12. You need to be able to create such situations during team-driven sieges, or patient defense. Learning spots on the Rust maps is as important for shotguns as for sniper rifles.

The prospect of instantly killing opponents is sweet enough to spend your time practicing with the SPAS-12. It’s the most advanced shotgun in the game.

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It’s always a good idea to experiment with different weapons in Rust to figure out the best gun for you. Do it at different stages of your growth as a player. Something that seems too difficult now may become perfect after gaining some experience.

To highlight your dedication, collect awesome skins for your favorite weapons. You can do it for free with Rust Twitch Drops—or via purchases on DMarket, for very little expense.

For more Rust info, stay tuned to DMarket Blog.