Is there a tier list for all of the guns in this game?

[lv1234 75]

I am playing a lot of single player scenarios and seen so many different guns. So right now, I'm just wondering if there is a gun tier list that tells me which guns are good or bad to use.

[jarrad96 1940]

OK, here's my bad answer for you-

 

There aren't really any terrible guns, they all have some situations where they are the best option. 

 

I'm going to try and do a list here (with vanilla/ base Arma ballistics and weapons, I'm not adding modded weapons into the mix)

 

5.56 NATO and 5.8 Assault Rifles-

Generally any of the 5.56/ 5.8 Assault rifles (slightly heavier and slightly more accurate/ less bullet velocity) or Carbines (slightly lighter, slightly less accurate/ less bullet velocity) are your general use weapons and are most effective at closer ranges (within 100-350M or so is considered 'close range' in Arma) but the rounds they fire (5.56 NATO ball) are not very effective against anyone wearing Body Armor greater than about LvL1/ LvL 2 (Meaning Tactical Vests are usually fine to shoot through but heavier plate or military standard armor can be trouble to get through. 

If you find yourself fighting lesser-equipped factions such as the FIA or other rebel groups who do not have extensive access to body armor, this is usually a good choice because the ammo is much lighter than 6.5 or 7.62 NATO, and the weapons have rather low recoil. 

 

Some examples of 5.56 and 5.8 Assault Rifles and Carbines Include-

SPAR-16 (Hk416A5 IRL, Used by CTRG) , TRG-21 (TAR-21 IRL, used by the FIA) , Mk20 (FN F-2000 TR IRL, used by AAF soldiers) CAR-95 (QBZ-95 IRL, used by Pacific CSAT)

 

6.5 Assault Rifles-

NATO and CSAT standard rifles, they have heavier ammo and weigh more than a 5.56 rifle, but they are more powerful against body armor and retain more of their stopping power/damage over a longer distance. These are a much better choice against enemies who are wearing body armor and are usually best within 100-400M. They fill the gap between the more powerful 7.62 NATO rifle and the lighter 5.56 rifles. 

 

 

Examples-

MX 6.5 Rifle (designed by CMMG IRL, loosely based on the ACR, and NATO's standard rifle) and 'Katiba' (IRL a KH2002 rifle, CSAT standard rifle) - The CMR-76 (QBU-88) ingame is chambered in 6.5 but performs more like a DMR/ Marksman Rifle.

 

7.62x39 Assault Rifles-

7.62x39 (Meaning the AKM and AK-12 round) Is kind of an intresting case, I've always explained to people with this analogy-

7.62x39 is (from a ballistics standpoint) a flying brick. All of it's power is due to it's weight and it sacrifices longer range accuracy and velocity for simply having as much brute force behind it as possible. A 7.62x39 IS NOT as powerful as a 7.62x51 NATO round, as the smaller size and lack of power behind a x39 round was done in order to fit 30 of them in magazine- That's also why Russian 7.62x39 rifles like the AK have 30 rounds instead of the NATO rifles with 20 rounds- the NATO rounds decided to trade that additional capacity and lighter weight for having more accurate rounds for longer range. 

The AK's shine in close range fighting, such as inside cities or jungle areas, where the disadvantage they have in range is more than made up for with the advantage the reduced recoil and ten extra rounds makes in CQC. 

 

Examples-

AKM (IRL AKM) and AK-12 (IRL AK-12, 2013 prototype model, the current production model is different in some areas) The AKS-74-U Carbine is firing a different round, 5.45, which is rather similar to 5.56 in general terms. 

 

7.62 Marksman and Battle Rifles-

These are for when you want to be able to reach out and hit people at much greater ranges such as between 500-700M- Many of these rifles have small magazine sizes, usually between 10 and 20 rounds, due to the size of the larger rounds. They are useful for picking off soldiers at a distance but are not the best choice in close range fighting, unless you are shooting through thin walls to kill enemies. Usually they have very high recoil in full-auto, if they even have that option. Can penetrate armor better than all the above rounds and retains alot of damage over distance, but eventually the round will drop to low velocity and deal little damage. 

 

Examples-

Mk18 ABR (M14 EBR IRL) , 'Rahim' (VS-121 SVU Bullpup version IRL) , Mk14 (older M14 rifle) , Mk1 EMR (SIG 556 DMR) 

 

Machineguns-

Light/IAR-

This has your machineguns- obviously they have larger magazine sizes and are best used from a bipod on full-auto (this game has suppression for Ai- A suppressed target will take cover, shoot less and be less accurate when firing at you) 

There are generally a few categories of MG, but I'll generalise and make the MX-SW and SPAR-16 S,  light machineguns (Technically they are IAR's) - They are easier to carry around than most MG's, and as a result you can carry rather large amounts of ammo- the downside is that the are usually lower-caliber and lack some of the power of larger MG's, as well as having smaller magazine sizes (100 to 200 rounds) so you need to reload more often and cannot suppress as effectively. While the LIM-85 is bulkier and has a 200 round box like a real machinegun, I consider it a light because of it's low power 5.56 round. 

 

Examples-

MX-SW (as above, is an IAR converted MX rifle) SPAR-16S (kk416A5 IAR) , LIM-85 (M249 SAW/Minimi, non-US Army model with variable ROF)

 

Machineguns's-

 

Zafir and Mk200 are similar to the above, but are either more powerful (7.62 NATO in the case of the Zafir) or have a large magazine size (mk200) allowing them to be used for a longer time from a single position. Your best bet with MG's in general is to find a nice hill or overwatch point and USE THAT BIPOD to keep your gun stable while firing- Usually burst of 3-5 rounds over the heads or in the direction of the enemy should do- hitting them is a bonus, suppression is your main purpose. 

 

Examples-

Zafir (Israeli Negev NG7, 'Commando' model IRL) , Mk200 (Stoner 99)

 

Medium Machineguns-

 

These weapons are absolute monsters, incredibly heavy and hard to carry around, but with large ammo reserves (if you can carry the ammo without being exhausted from stamina loss) and some of the most powerful rounds you can get. With a MMG you want to find a good spot and dig in cover, using the bipod and in a best case scenario never need to move- they are the ultimate in anti-infantry defence, and rushing a MMG team that's well dug in is basically suicide. The very powerful rounds they have can take out and even destroy lighter vehicles like MRAPs, even APC's if you hit weaker points. The SPMG is better at longer ranges or for longer missions because it's low rate of fire makes it controllable, and the weapon is lighter to carry around, while the Navid is even heavier, and it's higher rate of fire means it's more effective at closer ranges than the SPMG. These weapons are very unstable if fired without a bipod and have the worst handling of all primary weapons. 

 

Examples-

 

SPMG (LWMMG IRL, in SOCOM testing) , Navid (German Hk121 chambered to a more powerful 9.3 round)

 

Sniper Rifles and Heavy DMR's-

 

These are the big, long range weapons, more powerful than any 7.62 rifle but also heavier and slower to fire, with heavy ammo and small magazines. 

Some of these weapons are accurate to several kilometers away- if you can see it, and are a good shot, these weapons are mechanically able to hit it. 'Heavy DMR' is my own temp for the Cyrus and MAR-10, because they are semi-auto and can be used closer up if needed- A heavy DMR can shoot about 1 Kilometer to 1.5 in decent hands, while a true sniper rifle would be useless at closer ranges, but make up for it by being more powerful and accurate than a heavy DMR- I've heard of people hitting from over 4 kilometres with these, and I have personally hit targets at 2300M, and I do not consider myself a sniper. For the true sniper rifles, the M320 is more accurate at longer range, and has a larger magazine, but the GM6 has the ability to fire AP rounds to take out lighter vehicles if needed. 

 

Examples-

 

MAR-10 (Bad News 338. ) and Cyrus (Magpul body kit on a SVD-K 9.3 rifle) are Heavy DMR's. 

GM6 Lynx (GM6 Lynx IRL) and M320 LRR (M200 Intervention) are Sniper Rifles

 

Submachineguns and PDW's-

These are the weapons you are most likely to consider pointless- because of the range of Arma combat, with 100M being 'close range' compared to most other games, these are not really useful- the handling a SMG is fantastic, and they are often bullet hoses, but they fire low-powered and short range pistol rounds, which are not able to compete with any rifle round at anything past 200M, tops.

They are useful in fighting between buildings in cities or other built-up areas, but the pistol rounds lack body armor penetration, so are best against rebels or troops without armor- any sort of armor will usually cause a SMG round to fail- in that case, just hold the trigger down and hope you fire enough bullets to kill them before they kill you.

 

In my opinion, the Vermin is one of the better SMG's due to the slightly more powerful 4.5 ACP round, instead of 9MM, and the Vermin's built-in flashlight saves some weight. The PDW-2000 is a TINY weapon, and super-light, but is useless at any real range that's not point-blank.

 

A SMG is ALWAYS better than a pistol, due to the larger magazine size and higher velocity due to the longer barrel- The handling on the SMG's is superb and a pistol is not really noticeably better considering the loss in combat effectiveness compared to a SMG. 

 

Examples-

 

PDW-2000, Protector (MP5K), Vermin (Vector), Sting (Scorpion). 

 

Special Purpose Weapons-

 

Here are the weapons that don't really fit into the other categories. 

The ASP-1 KIR is a special sub-sonic (meaning it is very stealthy and does not make a sonic crack like a normal rifle) rifle firing a subsonic 50. caliber round- the immense weight and power of this round is balanced by the VERY slow speed to keep it subsonic, meaning it DROPS LIKE A ROCK past 100M, and you should not fire it within 200M if possible. The upside is it will kill almost anything in 1-2 rounds, regardless of armor, and is super-stealthy. 

 

The SDAR 5.56 Rifle is meant for use underwater, so has special underwater rounds, but can also fire normal 5.56 rounds above water in cases of emergencies. This is a rather useless weapon unless you are fighting other divers, because it's not possible to mount silencers, lasers or flashlights so you are stuck with a sub-par 5.56 weapon with iron sights if you are fighting above water, but it's the only weapon you can fire when fully submerged. 

 

Examples-

SDAR (Keltec RFB) , ASP-1 Kir (Fictionalised up-chambering of the VSS firing VKS subsonic 50. rounds)

 

Pistols-

The biggest personal preference section is here- some people hate the extra weight, others swear by one of these. 

When it comes to what pistol to use, there are 2 real ways to go- Have the additional power of a .45 pistol like the Four-Five or ACP, or have the additional capacity of a 9mm like the PO7 or 'Rook' 

 

Like with SMG's, the additional stopping power of a .45 can help kill your targets a bit better, but neither 9mm or .45 are in any way effective against armor except in a last resort situation- If you have to fight a target wearing body armor, your best bet is to A- point it at their chest and pull the trigger as fast as you can, hoping you kill them through sheer weight of rounds (something the higher magazine size of a 9mm has is it's favor) or B- Aim for exposed body areas, like the face (particularly the nose if you can, Arma takes into account the amount of 'flesh' the bullet travels though, and the nose gives you a few additional centimetres of flesh in the event that the bullet doesnt just directly kill. Other exposed parts would be the underarms (very unlikely to hit) or the groin- if possible, aim for the groin or face and let the recoil carry it upwards until the target is dead. 

 

The 'PM' is rather unique in that it's a 9MM pistol but with very small capacity, a mere 10 rounds, but the advantage of the PM over another pistol is it's much lighter weight and lighter ammo, meaning in some cases when a larger pistol can't be brought you can just fit a PM in, but for actual fighting the PM would be the worst. 

 

You have to bear in mind that a pistol should ALWAYS be a last resort weapon, whenever possible you should be using your primary weapon unless there are extraneous circumstances in play- for example, a silenced pistol can be a decent back-up for a loud primary if you are expecting to fight at close range but need to stay silent. The main reason you draw a pistol though is because your primary is out of ammo (be that just you've emptied the mag/belt or are actually fully out of ammo) - If you are totally out of ammo, the ONLY purpose of the pistol to kill a single enemy and take HIS RIFLE, at this point something has gone horribly wrong and you will need that enemy rifle. 

The best 'fighting' pistol would likely be the Four-Five, due to it's support for a full range of attachments (flashlights, lasers and red dots) as well as it's nice magazine size (11 rounds) but it's also substantially heavier than any other pistol, so it can be a trade off. 

I find the normal 9MM pistols (PO7/Rook) or the ACP to be decent and functional enough, and despite not being as 'good' as the Four-Five I think they serve their purpose as BACK-UPS.

 

9MM Pistols-

PO7 (Walther P99) , 'Rook' (MP443 'Grach' ) 'PM' (Makarov model PM) 

 

45. Pistols-

ACP-2 (A modernised M1911, is a mix of designs but mostly a Colt Railgun/ Kimber hybrid) , 'Four-Five' ( a FN FNX-45 Tactical model with a compact magazine taken from a HK45 +1 , likely done for balance reasons as the real FNX has a 15 round .45 magazine)

 

Other-

Starter Pistol- It fires 'starburst' flares, so is actually not as pointless as it appears, but it's use is pretty limited- Really only thing I think it's useful for is for downed pilots at night- it's much nicer to have 5-6 burst flares on you for the search-and-rescue team to find than just relying on walking around. 

 

 

 

 

 

[SpacePilotMax 47]

Pistols: The only real reason to use them is if you're carrying a full sniper rifle or a heavy weapon and don't expect direct contact.

[Rich_R 1087]

 

50 minutes ago, SpacePilotMax said:

Pistols: The only real reason to use them is if you're carrying a full sniper rifle or a heavy weapon and don't expect direct contact.

 

You don't think they're handy in case of dry fire? (Dead mans click, whatever you want to call it?)

[CANADAVE 14]

OK, here's my bad answer for you-
 
There aren't really any terrible guns, they all have some situations where they are the best option. 
 
I'm going to try and do a list here (with vanilla/ base Arma ballistics and weapons, I'm not adding modded weapons into the mix)
 
5.56 NATO and 5.8 Assault Rifles-
Generally any of the 5.56/ 5.8 Assault rifles (slightly heavier and slightly more accurate/ less bullet velocity) or Carbines (slightly lighter, slightly less accurate/ less bullet velocity) are your general use weapons and are most effective at closer ranges (within 100-350M or so is considered 'close range' in Arma) but the rounds they fire (5.56 NATO ball) are not very effective against anyone wearing Body Armor greater than about LvL1/ LvL 2 (Meaning Tactical Vests are usually fine to shoot through but heavier plate or military standard armor can be trouble to get through. 
If you find yourself fighting lesser-equipped factions such as the FIA or other rebel groups who do not have extensive access to body armor, this is usually a good choice because the ammo is much lighter than 6.5 or 7.62 NATO, and the weapons have rather low recoil. 
 
Some examples of 5.56 and 5.8 Assault Rifles and Carbines Include-
SPAR-16 (Hk416A5 IRL, Used by CTRG) , TRG-21 (TAR-21 IRL, used by the FIA) , Mk20 (FN F-2000 TR IRL, used by AAF soldiers) CAR-95 (QBZ-95 IRL, used by Pacific CSAT)
 
6.5 Assault Rifles-
NATO and CSAT standard rifles, they have heavier ammo and weigh more than a 5.56 rifle, but they are more powerful against body armor and retain more of their stopping power/damage over a longer distance. These are a much better choice against enemies who are wearing body armor and are usually best within 100-400M. They fill the gap between the more powerful 7.62 NATO rifle and the lighter 5.56 rifles. 
 
 
Examples-
MX 6.5 Rifle (designed by CMMG IRL, loosely based on the ACR, and NATO's standard rifle) and 'Katiba' (IRL a KH2002 rifle, CSAT standard rifle) - The CMR-76 (QBU-88) ingame is chambered in 6.5 but performs more like a DMR/ Marksman Rifle.
 
7.62 Marksman and Battle Rifles-
These are for when you want to be able to reach out and hit people at much greater ranges such as between 500-700M- Many of these rifles have small magazine sizes, usually between 10 and 20 rounds, due to the size of the larger rounds. They are useful for picking off soldiers at a distance but are not the best choice in close range fighting, unless you are shooting through thin walls to kill enemies. Usually they have very high recoil in full-auto, if they even have that option. Can penetrate armor better than all the above rounds and retains alot of damage over distance, but eventually the round will drop to low velocity and deal little damage. 
 
Examples-
Mk18 ABR (M14 EBR IRL) , 'Rahim' (VS-121 SVU Bullpup version IRL) , Mk14 (older M14 rifle) , Mk1 EMR (SIG 556 DMR) 
 
Machineguns-
Light/IAR-
This has your machineguns- obviously they have larger magazine sizes and are best used from a bipod on full-auto (this game has suppression for Ai- A suppressed target will take cover, shoot less and be less accurate when firing at you) 
There are generally a few categories of MG, but I'll generalise and make the MX-SW and SPAR-16 S,  light machineguns (Technically they are IAR's) - They are easier to carry around than most MG's, and as a result you can carry rather large amounts of ammo- the downside is that the are usually lower-caliber and lack some of the power of larger MG's, as well as having smaller magazine sizes (100 to 200 rounds) so you need to reload more often and cannot suppress as effectively. While the M249 is bulkier and has a 200 round box like a real machinegun, I consider it a light because of it's low power 5.56 round. 
 
Examples-
MX-SW (as above, is an IAR converted MX rifle) SPAR-16S (kk416A5 IAR) , M249 SAW
 
Machineguns's-
 
Zafir and Mk200 are similar to the above, but are either more powerful (7.62 NATO in the case of the Zafir) or have a large magazine size (mk200) allowing them to be used for a longer time from a single position. Your best bet with MG's in general is to find a nice hill or overwatch point and USE THAT BIPOD to keep your gun stable while firing- Usually burst of 3-5 rounds over the heads or in the direction of the enemy should do- hitting them is a bonus, suppression is your main purpose. 
 
Examples-
Zafir (Israeli Negev NG7, 'Commando' model IRL) , Mk200 (Stoner 99)
 
Medium Machineguns-
 
These weapons are absolute monsters, incredibly heavy and hard to carry around, but with large ammo reserves (if you can carry the ammo without being exhausted from stamina loss) and some of the most powerful rounds you can get. With a MMG you want to find a good spot and dig in cover, using the bipod and in a best case scenario never need to move- they are the ultimate in anti-infantry defence, and rushing a MMG team that's well dug in is basically suicide. The very powerful rounds they have can take out and even destroy lighter vehicles like MRAPs, even APC's if you hit weaker points. The SPMG is better at longer ranges or for longer missions because it's low rate of fire makes it controllable, and the weapon is lighter to carry around, while the Navid is even heavier, and it's higher rate of fire means it's more effective at closer ranges than the SPMG. These weapons are very unstable if fired without a bipod and have the worst handling of all primary weapons. 
 
Examples-
 
SPMG (LWMMG IRL, in SOCOM testing) , Navid (German Hk121 chambered to a more powerful 9.3 round)
 
Sniper Rifles and Heavy DMR's-
 
These are the big, long range weapons, more powerful than any 7.62 rifle but also heavier and slower to fire, with heavy ammo and small magazines. 
Some of these weapons are accurate to several kilometers away- if you can see it, and are a good shot, these weapons are mechanically able to hit it. 'Heavy DMR' is my own temp for the Cyrus and MAR-10, because they are semi-auto and can be used closer up if needed- A heavy DMR can shoot about 1 Kilometer to 1.5 in decent hands, while a true sniper rifle would be useless at closer ranges, but make up for it by being more powerful and accurate than a heavy DMR- I've heard of people hitting from over 4 kilometres with these, and I have personally hit targets at 2300M, and I do not consider myself a sniper. For the true sniper rifles, the M320 is more accurate at longer range, and has a larger magazine, but the GM6 has the ability to fire AP rounds to take out lighter vehicles if needed. 
 
Examples-
 
MAR-10 (Bad News 338. ) and Cyrus (Magpul body kit on a SVD-K 9.3 rifle) are Heavy DMR's. 
GM6 Lynx (GM6 Lynx IRL) and M320 LRR (M200 Intervention) are Sniper Rifles
 
Submachineguns and PDW's-
These are the weapons you are most likely to consider pointless- because of the range of Arma combat, with 100M being 'close range' compared to most other games, these are not really useful- the handling a SMG is fantastic, and they are often bullet hoses, but they fire low-powered and short range pistol rounds, which are not able to compete with any rifle round at anything past 200M, tops.
They are useful in fighting between buildings in cities or other built-up areas, but the pistol rounds lack body armor penetration, so are best against rebels or troops without armor- any sort of armor will usually cause a SMG round to fail- in that case, just hold the trigger down and hope you fire enough bullets to kill them before they kill you.
 
In my opinion, the Vermin is one of the better SMG's due to the slightly more powerful 4.5 ACP round, instead of 9MM, and the Vermin's built-in flashlight saves some weight. The PDW-2000 is a TINY weapon, and super-light, but is useless at any real range that's not point-blank.
 
A SMG is ALWAYS better than a pistol, due to the larger magazine size and higher velocity due to the longer barrel- The handling on the SMG's is superb and a pistol is not really noticeably better considering the loss in combat effectiveness compared to a SMG. 
 
Examples-
 
PDW-2000, Protector (MP5K), Vermin (Vector), Sting (Scorpion). 
 
Special Purpose Weapons-
 
Here are the weapons that don't really fit into the other categories. 
The ASP-1 KIR is a special sub-sonic (meaning it is very stealthy and does not make a sonic crack like a normal rifle) rifle firing a subsonic 50. caliber round- the immense weight and power of this round is balanced by the VERY slow speed to keep it subsonic, meaning it DROPS LIKE A ROCK past 100M, and you should not fire it within 200M if possible. The upside is it will kill almost anything in 1-2 rounds, regardless of armor, and is super-stealthy. 
 
The SDAR 5.56 Rifle is meant for use underwater, so has special underwater rounds, but can also fire normal 5.56 rounds above water in cases of emergencies. This is a rather useless weapon unless you are fighting other divers, because it's not possible to mount silencers, lasers or flashlights so you are stuck with a sub-par 5.56 weapon with iron sights if you are fighting above water, but it's the only weapon you can fire when fully submerged. 
 
Examples-
SDAR (Keltec RFB) , ASP-1 Kir (Fictionalised up-chambering of the VSS firing VKS subsonic 50. rounds)
 
 

Great post. Thank you.

Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk

[SpacePilotMax 47]

On 11.08.2017 at 11:09 AM, Rich_R said:

 

 

You don't think they're handy in case of dry fire? (Dead mans click, whatever you want to call it?)

They would be if there was some sort of a quickdraw option to take it out WITHOUT PUTTING THE RIFLE ON YOUR BACK FIRST. That's the #1 reason I get killed when out of ammo, I try to switch to the pistol.

[Rich_R 1087]

But access to a pistol, delayed by however many seconds, is better than having no pistol at all right?

 

I use ACE and the switch over is pretty quick. For years, I didn't consider carrying a pistol worthwhile, but two fellow players (both police officers, one from Canada and the other from San Diego) showed the time saved in switching to a pistol rather than reloading a rifle with an empty clip. While its not as slickly done in game as IRL, its working with what you have is Arma all over!

[flight1700 22]

On 8/11/2017 at 4:28 AM, jarrad96 said:

OK, here's my bad answer for you-

 

There aren't really any terrible guns, they all have some situations where they are the best option. 

 

I'm going to try and do a list here (with vanilla/ base Arma ballistics and weapons, I'm not adding modded weapons into the mix)

 

5.56 NATO and 5.8 Assault Rifles-

Generally any of the 5.56/ 5.8 Assault rifles (slightly heavier and slightly more accurate/ less bullet velocity) or Carbines (slightly lighter, slightly less accurate/ less bullet velocity) are your general use weapons and are most effective at closer ranges (within 100-350M or so is considered 'close range' in Arma) but the rounds they fire (5.56 NATO ball) are not very effective against anyone wearing Body Armor greater than about LvL1/ LvL 2 (Meaning Tactical Vests are usually fine to shoot through but heavier plate or military standard armor can be trouble to get through. 

If you find yourself fighting lesser-equipped factions such as the FIA or other rebel groups who do not have extensive access to body armor, this is usually a good choice because the ammo is much lighter than 6.5 or 7.62 NATO, and the weapons have rather low recoil. 

 

Some examples of 5.56 and 5.8 Assault Rifles and Carbines Include-

SPAR-16 (Hk416A5 IRL, Used by CTRG) , TRG-21 (TAR-21 IRL, used by the FIA) , Mk20 (FN F-2000 TR IRL, used by AAF soldiers) CAR-95 (QBZ-95 IRL, used by Pacific CSAT)

 

6.5 Assault Rifles-

NATO and CSAT standard rifles, they have heavier ammo and weigh more than a 5.56 rifle, but they are more powerful against body armor and retain more of their stopping power/damage over a longer distance. These are a much better choice against enemies who are wearing body armor and are usually best within 100-400M. They fill the gap between the more powerful 7.62 NATO rifle and the lighter 5.56 rifles. 

 

 

Examples-

MX 6.5 Rifle (designed by CMMG IRL, loosely based on the ACR, and NATO's standard rifle) and 'Katiba' (IRL a KH2002 rifle, CSAT standard rifle) - The CMR-76 (QBU-88) ingame is chambered in 6.5 but performs more like a DMR/ Marksman Rifle.

 

7.62 Marksman and Battle Rifles-

These are for when you want to be able to reach out and hit people at much greater ranges such as between 500-700M- Many of these rifles have small magazine sizes, usually between 10 and 20 rounds, due to the size of the larger rounds. They are useful for picking off soldiers at a distance but are not the best choice in close range fighting, unless you are shooting through thin walls to kill enemies. Usually they have very high recoil in full-auto, if they even have that option. Can penetrate armor better than all the above rounds and retains alot of damage over distance, but eventually the round will drop to low velocity and deal little damage. 

 

Examples-

Mk18 ABR (M14 EBR IRL) , 'Rahim' (VS-121 SVU Bullpup version IRL) , Mk14 (older M14 rifle) , Mk1 EMR (SIG 556 DMR) 

 

Machineguns-

Light/IAR-

This has your machineguns- obviously they have larger magazine sizes and are best used from a bipod on full-auto (this game has suppression for Ai- A suppressed target will take cover, shoot less and be less accurate when firing at you) 

There are generally a few categories of MG, but I'll generalise and make the MX-SW and SPAR-16 S,  light machineguns (Technically they are IAR's) - They are easier to carry around than most MG's, and as a result you can carry rather large amounts of ammo- the downside is that the are usually lower-caliber and lack some of the power of larger MG's, as well as having smaller magazine sizes (100 to 200 rounds) so you need to reload more often and cannot suppress as effectively. While the M249 is bulkier and has a 200 round box like a real machinegun, I consider it a light because of it's low power 5.56 round. 

 

Examples-

MX-SW (as above, is an IAR converted MX rifle) SPAR-16S (kk416A5 IAR) , M249 SAW

 

Machineguns's-

 

Zafir and Mk200 are similar to the above, but are either more powerful (7.62 NATO in the case of the Zafir) or have a large magazine size (mk200) allowing them to be used for a longer time from a single position. Your best bet with MG's in general is to find a nice hill or overwatch point and USE THAT BIPOD to keep your gun stable while firing- Usually burst of 3-5 rounds over the heads or in the direction of the enemy should do- hitting them is a bonus, suppression is your main purpose. 

 

Examples-

Zafir (Israeli Negev NG7, 'Commando' model IRL) , Mk200 (Stoner 99)

 

Medium Machineguns-

 

These weapons are absolute monsters, incredibly heavy and hard to carry around, but with large ammo reserves (if you can carry the ammo without being exhausted from stamina loss) and some of the most powerful rounds you can get. With a MMG you want to find a good spot and dig in cover, using the bipod and in a best case scenario never need to move- they are the ultimate in anti-infantry defence, and rushing a MMG team that's well dug in is basically suicide. The very powerful rounds they have can take out and even destroy lighter vehicles like MRAPs, even APC's if you hit weaker points. The SPMG is better at longer ranges or for longer missions because it's low rate of fire makes it controllable, and the weapon is lighter to carry around, while the Navid is even heavier, and it's higher rate of fire means it's more effective at closer ranges than the SPMG. These weapons are very unstable if fired without a bipod and have the worst handling of all primary weapons. 

 

Examples-

 

SPMG (LWMMG IRL, in SOCOM testing) , Navid (German Hk121 chambered to a more powerful 9.3 round)

 

Sniper Rifles and Heavy DMR's-

 

These are the big, long range weapons, more powerful than any 7.62 rifle but also heavier and slower to fire, with heavy ammo and small magazines. 

Some of these weapons are accurate to several kilometers away- if you can see it, and are a good shot, these weapons are mechanically able to hit it. 'Heavy DMR' is my own temp for the Cyrus and MAR-10, because they are semi-auto and can be used closer up if needed- A heavy DMR can shoot about 1 Kilometer to 1.5 in decent hands, while a true sniper rifle would be useless at closer ranges, but make up for it by being more powerful and accurate than a heavy DMR- I've heard of people hitting from over 4 kilometres with these, and I have personally hit targets at 2300M, and I do not consider myself a sniper. For the true sniper rifles, the M320 is more accurate at longer range, and has a larger magazine, but the GM6 has the ability to fire AP rounds to take out lighter vehicles if needed. 

 

Examples-

 

MAR-10 (Bad News 338. ) and Cyrus (Magpul body kit on a SVD-K 9.3 rifle) are Heavy DMR's. 

GM6 Lynx (GM6 Lynx IRL) and M320 LRR (M200 Intervention) are Sniper Rifles

 

Submachineguns and PDW's-

These are the weapons you are most likely to consider pointless- because of the range of Arma combat, with 100M being 'close range' compared to most other games, these are not really useful- the handling a SMG is fantastic, and they are often bullet hoses, but they fire low-powered and short range pistol rounds, which are not able to compete with any rifle round at anything past 200M, tops.

They are useful in fighting between buildings in cities or other built-up areas, but the pistol rounds lack body armor penetration, so are best against rebels or troops without armor- any sort of armor will usually cause a SMG round to fail- in that case, just hold the trigger down and hope you fire enough bullets to kill them before they kill you.

 

In my opinion, the Vermin is one of the better SMG's due to the slightly more powerful 4.5 ACP round, instead of 9MM, and the Vermin's built-in flashlight saves some weight. The PDW-2000 is a TINY weapon, and super-light, but is useless at any real range that's not point-blank.

 

A SMG is ALWAYS better than a pistol, due to the larger magazine size and higher velocity due to the longer barrel- The handling on the SMG's is superb and a pistol is not really noticeably better considering the loss in combat effectiveness compared to a SMG. 

 

Examples-

 

PDW-2000, Protector (MP5K), Vermin (Vector), Sting (Scorpion). 

 

Special Purpose Weapons-

 

Here are the weapons that don't really fit into the other categories. 

The ASP-1 KIR is a special sub-sonic (meaning it is very stealthy and does not make a sonic crack like a normal rifle) rifle firing a subsonic 50. caliber round- the immense weight and power of this round is balanced by the VERY slow speed to keep it subsonic, meaning it DROPS LIKE A ROCK past 100M, and you should not fire it within 200M if possible. The upside is it will kill almost anything in 1-2 rounds, regardless of armor, and is super-stealthy. 

 

The SDAR 5.56 Rifle is meant for use underwater, so has special underwater rounds, but can also fire normal 5.56 rounds above water in cases of emergencies. This is a rather useless weapon unless you are fighting other divers, because it's not possible to mount silencers, lasers or flashlights so you are stuck with a sub-par 5.56 weapon with iron sights if you are fighting above water, but it's the only weapon you can fire when fully submerged. 

 

Examples-

SDAR (Keltec RFB) , ASP-1 Kir (Fictionalised up-chambering of the VSS firing VKS subsonic 50. rounds)

 

 

WOW! Paint me impressed and give this man a cookie!!! Jeez.

 

This is one for the bookmarks for sure, this guy's done his homework and you won't find better compiled info on the real life counterparts of the ARMA weapons.

 

This is great.

 

One thing that was left out (very minor). The AK-12 rifle with the 7.62x39 round is going to be better than the 6.5 MXs at ranges of 400m or less, simply due to power. Assuming an armored man, a 6.5 takes 4 bullets to kill (body) and the 7.62x39 takes 2 to kill.

This is no longer the case at 500m though, as the 7.62x39 loses velocity and accuracy, while the 6.5 is a 4 shot accurate kill out to 800m.

 

So use the AK-12 if your typical engagement range is less than 400m and the MX if it's more.

 

Generally speaking though, if your engagement range is greater than 400 meters, you probably wish to use something like the 7.62x51 DMRs, since mag capacity doesn't matter at that range. So we can narrow down your weapon choices, excluding snipers and (L)MGs, to the AK-12 and the MK1 DMR.

 

ALWAYS use the MRCO for expected ranges less than 400m, and use the MOS (or I guess TWS if for some reason you have access to it) for expected ranges greater than 400 but less than what it zeros to (upwards of 1200m), which is as far as you're likely shooting. The MX is a good inbetween, if you're unsure. It's still probably better to take the MK1 over the MX though.

 

The 7.62x51 is only accurate out to roughly 1000m. Anything past that and you want one of the real snipers. They all act the same(ish), but the .408 is my personal favorite. LRPS over MOS when shooting past 1000m, but only on real snipers and only when no contact is expected closer than 200m.

[jarrad96 1940]

I Basically agree with you, but you CAN use ACOG type (meaning anything 4x with a BDC / Drop markers) optic to around 7-800M, meaning the RCO, MRCO, ARCO, ERCO, but past that it gets tough- I'm ingame right now and with a mk14 I just killed an AI at 1000M with an ACOG type optic- doing that a 5.56 is POSSIBLE, but by that point the bullet has so little velocity it would barely do any damage- really, Ingame BI 5.56 NATO starts to struggle at the 550M mark. Taking modded (Meaning Spartans ballistics, using in NIA, SMA, RHS) 5.56 rounds can push the effective range of a 5.56 Rifle out to around 6-750M (assuming you have a good optic and are using 'Match' rounds, meaning bullets that retain that velocity at long long more effectively than BI 5.56. 

 

7.62x39 (Meaning the AKM and AK-12 round) Is kind of an intresting case, I've always explained to people with this analogy-

7.62x39 is (from a ballistics standpoint) a flying brick. All of it's power is due to it's weight and it sacrifices longer range accuracy and velocity for simply having as much brute force behind it as possible. A 7.62x39 IS NOT as powerful as a 7.62x51 NATO round, as the smaller size and lack of power behind a x39 round was done in order to fit 30 of them in magazine- That's also why Russian 7.62x39 rifles like the AK have 30 rounds instead of the NATO rifles with 20 rounds- the NATO rounds decided to trade that additional capacity and lighter weight for having more accurate rounds for longer range. 

 

I agree with not using 7.62 NATO past 1000M- Really, in my experience even modded ammo starts to struggle to perform well past around 800-900M and anything past a kilometre should be reserved for a true sniper rifle with it's own ammo. 

 

And a notice- All optics in this game work as in real life, so things like BDC's and stadiametric rangefinders work. 

 

Example of a stadiametric rangefinder- (DMS scope ingame)

 

Arma assumes all soldiers are 1.7 metres high, which is also the 'standard' used for creating the stadiametric rangefinder, so this works rather well and is fully functional ingame- the only problem you will run into is that the DMS is meant as a Marksman/ DMR scope so lacks the magnification to to truly effective further out, but the rangefinder is still handy to have there in the event you don't have an actual rangefinder binocular. 

 

Ballistic Drop Compensator 'BDC'- RCO, MRCO, ARCO, ERCO in various forms

 

In some scopes (not all but the majority) you can set the target person on the horizonal lines to find out how far they are away, as you can see in the picture. Ingame, this isn't something I do regularly because of how much more 'cluttered' a real firefight would be, with the background terrain and the enemy often wearing some sort of camouflage, but it can do done if you have to. 

 

I've expanded the list to include pistols and the AK now. 

[REAVER ARMANET 15]

On 8/11/2017 at 1:33 PM, SpacePilotMax said:

Pistols: The only real reason to use them is if you're carrying a full sniper rifle or a heavy weapon and don't expect direct contact.

 

I can't disagree with this more. Pistols are, in my opinion, one of the most useful items in the game. Close to a large group of enemies and need to take a roving target that's wondered away from the group without alerting his friends? Pistol. Want to do a close range simultaneous take down but you're facing the direction you're heading into the AO and want to ensure that the sound of your suppressed round doesn't pass beyond those shooters? Pistol. Weapon jam? Pistol. Dry fire? Pistol. Need to injure a running target without killing them? Pistol. The pistol is the most important part of my load out. Not  because I use it often, but because when I do use it, it serves a greater purpose. Is it useful for long range shots? Hell no but what pistol really is in a combat situation? None. But it's the best  and most useful close range item we all have.