PUBG Mobile Weapon Guide

Whether you're dropping into Erangel for the first time or a seasoned veteran aiming for the final circle, understanding your arsenal is the key to victory in PUBG Mobile. The game offers a vast array of firearms, each with distinct behaviors, strengths, and ideal engagement ranges. This guide will break down every weapon category, explain their nuances, and help you decide what to pick up when the pressure is on.

Assault Rifles: The All-Rounders

Assault Rifles (ARs) are the backbone of most players' loadouts. They offer a fantastic balance of fire rate, damage, and manageable recoil, making them effective in almost any situation you'll encounter on the battlefield. Mastering at least one or two of these is essential for consistent performance.

Most ARs use either the common 5.56mm ammo, which offers higher velocity and flatter trajectories, or the harder-hitting 7.62mm ammo, which typically deals more damage per shot but can have more pronounced recoil.

Here are the ARs you can find:

AKM: A 7.62mm classic. It packs a serious punch per bullet but has significant vertical recoil. Best for players who can control its kick.
M16A4: A 5.56mm rifle with a unique burst-fire mode. It boasts the fastest bullet velocity among ARs, making it excellent for mid-to-long-range taps, but lacks a full-auto setting.
SCAR-L: A very stable and user-friendly 5.56mm AR. It's often recommended for beginners due to its predictable spray pattern.
M416: Arguably the most versatile and popular AR. With the right attachments (especially a tactical stock), its 5.56mm recoil becomes incredibly manageable, allowing for deadly sprays.
M762: A 7.62mm rival to the M416. It deals higher damage but its horizontal recoil is much harder to control without a compensator and foregrip.
ACE32: Another hard-hitting 7.62mm option. It offers a good balance between the M762's damage and the SCAR-L's stability.
Honey Badger: A 7.62mm AR that uses integrated suppression, making it quieter by default. It's a hybrid between an AR and an SMG.
Mk47 Mutant: A 7.62mm rifle that only fires in two-round bursts. It's a niche weapon that rewards precise, powerful shots.
QBZ: Erangel's map-exclusive 5.56mm AR, replacing the SCAR-L there. It functions very similarly and is highly reliable.
G36C: Vikendi's exclusive 5.56mm AR. It's another stable platform, comparable to the SCAR-L.
Groza: A 7.62mm powerhouse only available from Care Packages. It has an extremely high fire rate and damage, making it devastating in close quarters.
AUG A3: The 5.56mm Care Package AR. It has the lowest recoil of all ARs, making it a laser beam for spraying at any range.

Submachine Guns: Close-Quarters Dominance

When the fight moves indoors or into tight spaces, SMGs are your best friends. They feature high rates of fire, excellent mobility (you move faster while aiming), and are generally easier to control than ARs. Their main trade-off is damage drop-off at longer ranges.

Most SMGs use 9mm or .45 ACP ammunition.

UZI: The fastest-firing SMG in the game. It shreds enemies at point-blank range but is nearly useless beyond 50 meters. It can accept a stock to improve stability.
UMP45: A slower, more methodical SMG. It uses .45 ACP ammo and is very stable, making it a decent option for early-game medium-range fights.
Vector: A high-skill, high-reward SMG. It has a blistering fire rate (especially with an extended mag) and low recoil, but its base magazine size is tiny.
Thompson SMG (Tommy Gun): Uses .45 ACP and comes with a drum magazine for a massive ammo capacity. It's great for sustained close-quarters pressure but lacks precision.
PP-19 Bizon: A 9mm SMG with a built-in, high-capacity helical magazine. It's incredibly reliable with minimal need for attachments.
MP5K: A stable, customizable 9mm SMG available on some maps like Vikendi. It's a well-rounded choice.
P90: An Arena-only SMG that uses special 9mm ammo. It features a built-in suppressor and a 50-round magazine, making it a powerhouse in Team Deathmatch.

Shotguns: The One-Shot Kings (in the Right Hands)

Shotguns are high-risk, high-reward weapons designed for extreme close-quarters combat. A well-placed headshot can eliminate an enemy in a single blast, even against Level 3 armor. However, their effectiveness drops off dramatically with distance.

All shotguns use 12 Gauge shells.

S686: A double-barrel shotgun. It can fire two shots in extremely rapid succession, offering a quick two-tap potential.
S1897: A pump-action shotgun. It has a slower rate of fire but allows for follow-up shots without needing to reload after every couple of rounds.
S12K: An automatic shotgun. It fires semi-automatically, allowing for multiple quick shots, but deals less damage per pellet than the others.
M1014: A semi-automatic shotgun with solid stopping power and a decent magazine capacity.
DBS: A double-barrel bullpup shotgun available from Care Packages. It holds two shells and can fire them both in quick succession for a devastating burst.

Snipers & DMRs: Controlling the Long Game

This category covers weapons designed for engaging targets at medium to very long ranges. They fall into two sub-categories: Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles for one-shot headshot potential and Designated Marksman Rifles (DMRs) for sustained, accurate fire.

Bolt-Action Sniper Rifles

These require you to manually cycle the bolt after each shot, making them slow but incredibly powerful. A headshot is often an instant kill.

Kar98k: The most common world-spawn bolt-action. Uses 7.62mm and is the staple of many snipers.
M24: A more powerful 7.62mm bolt-action, often found as a world spawn but less common than the Kar98k. It can one-shot a Level 2 helmet.
AWM: The king of snipers, only found in Care Packages. It uses unique .300 Magnum ammo and can one-shot a Level 3 helmet.
Win94: A lever-action rifle using .45 ACP. It has a built-in scope and is a solid, fast-firing option for medium-range.
AMR: An anti-material rifle from Care Packages, using .50 BMG. It's designed to destroy vehicles and can one-shot anyone, anywhere, but has huge bullet drop and a long reload.

Designated Marksman Rifles (DMRs)

DMRs have a higher fire rate than bolt-actions, allowing you to put more rounds downrange, but they usually require multiple body shots to secure a kill.

SKS: A common 7.62mm DMR. It's versatile but can have bouncing recoil.
Mini 14: A 5.56mm DMR with very high bullet velocity and minimal drop, making it easy to hit moving targets.
QBU: Vikendi's exclusive 5.56mm DMR, functioning similarly to the Mini 14 but with a bipod for prone stability.
SLR: A high-damage 7.62mm DMR. It hits hard but has significant recoil.
Mk14: A Care Package 7.62mm DMR that can switch to full-auto. It's extremely powerful but wildly unstable.
MK12: A 5.56mm DMR with a built-in grip that reduces recoil.
M1 Garand: A classic 7.62mm semi-automatic rifle with a distinctive "ping" sound when the clip is empty.
VSS: A unique 9mm DMR with a built-in suppressor and scope. It's very quiet but has slow bullet velocity and drop, making it hard to use at true long range.

Support Weapons: LMGs & Melee

Light Machine Guns (LMGs)

LMGs have enormous magazine capacities, making them perfect for suppressing enemies—forcing them to keep their heads down—or for shredding vehicles.

M249: A 5.56mm belt-fed beast. It has 100 rounds by default and can lay down incredible fire, but has a long reload and is unwieldy.
DP-28: A 7.62mm pan magazine LMG. It has a slower fire rate than the M249 but is more stable, especially when deployed on its bipod while prone.
MG3: A Care Package LMG that uses 7.62mm. It can switch between a slower, more stable fire rate and a terrifyingly fast one.

Melee Weapons & Others

Melee weapons are your last resort. The Pan is legendary, as it can block bullets when stored on your back. The Machete, Crowbar, and Sickle are functionally similar for actual melee attacks. The Crossbow is a silent, one-shot-kill weapon on a headshot, but its projectiles are slow and it has a very long reload.

Pistols & Special Weapons

Pistols

Pistols are sidearms, generally outclassed by primary weapons. However, in the first few seconds of a match, they can be lifesavers. The P92 and P1911 are common 9mm and .45 ACP pistols. The Skorpion and Desert Eagle are powerful automatic and high-caliber options, respectively. The Flare Gun doesn't shoot bullets; when fired into the air, it calls in a special air drop with Level 3 gear and a chance for exclusive weapons.

Payload Mode Weapons

In Payload mode, you can find powerful heavy weapons.

Minigun (M134): A vehicle-mounted 7.62mm chain gun with