STALKER 2: The Best Weapons, Ranked

Key recommendations

• The AKM-74S is a reliable assault rifle with solid stats and high accuracy, ideal for medium and long range combat.
• The RPM-74 is the only LMG in the game, perfect for putting massive firepower against both human and supernatural enemies.
• The Rhino Revolver, Dnipro Rifle and Shah's Mate SMG are powerful weapons with unique features and high versatility.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the latest entry into the popular STALKER series produced by the Ukrainian studio GSC Games. Players must go to The Zone in search of alien anomalies, where they will also face a number of unpredictable threats. Based on the novel “Roadside Picnic” by the legendary Strugatsky brothers, STALKER will challenge players on multiple fronts, from surviving in extreme conditions, to managing inventory items, to fighting against a series of hostile enemies.

Whether it's gunmen or mutant monsters, there are plenty of things in the Zone trying to kill players. Fortunately, there's also a massive arsenal of powerful weapons to choose from, along with unique variations and a host of upgradeable customization options. While each player will have their own favorites based on their objective and playstyle, the following weapons hold up best when all of their stats and attributes are considered collectively.

10 AKM-74S

A versatile assault rifle with solid stats across the board

Although relatively common throughout the game, the AKM-74S is one of the best weapons in The Zone. Known for its reliability even under harsh conditions, the AKM-74S maintains solid performance compared to most other assault rifles and even excels in some areas.

One of its biggest strengths is also its high accuracy and good range, making it an ideal choice for medium and long range fights. Several unique variants of the rifle can be found throughout the game, including Valik Lummox's scoped version.

9 RPM-74

The RPM-74 is, so far, the only LMG in the game. It can be used to lay down massive amounts of firepower and is effective against both human and supernatural enemies. The weapon can be found in several locations in the game world, including The Lesser Zone, Cordon, Garbage, Rostok, and the Chemical Plant.

With a huge magazine capacity of 150 rounds, the RPM-74 is ideal for engaging larger groups of enemies and holding defensible positions such as buildings or hilltops. They are also worth a substantial amount, bringing up to 43,038 coupons when sold.

8 Rhino

A devastatingly powerful revolver

Originally said to be an African buffalo hunting revolver, the Rhino is an extremely powerful hand cannon that almost equals some shotguns in terms of damage output. This weapon excels in its extraordinary accuracy, which far surpasses most other handguns.

Ideal for taking on Zone chimeras, the Rhino revolver has a fairly fast rate of fire given its power and penetration capabilities. Players who have purchased the Ultimate Edition of STALKER 2 will also have access to a unique variant of the Rhino called the “Model Competitor”.

7 Fora-221

The Fora-221 is an elite assault rifle usually found by looting tougher enemies such as the ward soldiers near the detention center. This rifle can be used in both single and full mode, but it is the automatic setting where the Fora-221 is most effective.

For mid-range encounters, the Fora-221 has very few rivals, and together with its high accuracy and penetration, it is ideal for such open-air battles. A number of upgrades can also customize the Fora-221 to suit a wide range of different playstyles.

6 Dnipro

A powerful and versatile rifle for any situation

This compact and lightweight assault rifle is worth seeking out and can be acquired from the fire vortex anomaly in the Cooling Towers region. Packing a solid punch with every round, the Dnipro is immediately noticeable as an above-average assault rifle.

With high penetration and accuracy, the Dnipro excels in long-range firefights, but can also be converted to full-auto and handle close encounters with relative ease. This versatility, along with its solid base stats, make the Dnipro one of the best and most valued weapons in the game.

5 Shah's partner

Elite Tier SMG with a high capacity magazine

Shah's Mate is a powerful variant of the Viper-5 and boasts the best stats of any SMG in the game. To find it, talk to the Docent in the No Honor Among Thieves side quest and then head to a small shelter hidden in a dark tunnel northwest of the Slag Heap.

The SMG has three firing modes, an improved 40 round magazine, improved damage and good accuracy. Due to its light weight, it is an ideal secondary weapon and will help when it comes to clearing buildings and close areas.

4 M701 Great

Extremely powerful and accurate sniper rifle

The M701 Super is arguably the best sniper rifle in the game, and if it goes shot for shot, it certainly is. The downside is its smaller ammo capacity with the standard magazine, but chances are it will only take one shot.

Although the weapon is noisy, the range is long enough that it can still be hard for enemies to know where to shoot. A high penetration stat also ensures that many lesser cover items will be of little use against the M701 Super. A unique variant of the rifle called the Hunter can also be purchased as part of the Deluxe Edition of the game.

3 Ram-2

The ultimate room cleaner

The Ram-2 is a highly effective rifle that players can purchase from the Wreck at the base of Yaniv Station. It can be an ideal melee weapon for clearing rooms and also makes a perfect secondary weapon for snipers.

With extremely high damage and penetration, along with an above-average range and rate of fire for a rifle, there's not much to dislike about the Ram-2. When it comes to shotguns, and even other close-range weapons in general, it can't quite match its power and performance.

2 Kharod

A favorite weapon among veteran hunters

The Kharod is a highly rated and powerful assault rifle based on the Sig Sauer MPX. It can be purchased from the merchant named Wreck at the base of Yaniv Station, although note that it will cost up to 27,597 coupons.

The rifle has strong stats across the board, excelling in accuracy and having a very high rate of fire on full auto. Kharod also has extremely effective penetration, allowing him to shoot through cover and armored enemies.

1 Drowned

A unique modified assault rifle

The Drowned Assault Rifle is a unique modification of the AKM-74S and can be found next to a pool at the entrance to the slag heap. Although it will need some serious repairs to make it fully functional again, it is well worth the task.

Once fully restored, the Drowned has the strongest stats of any assault rifle in the game, in addition to having a grenade launcher attached under the barrel. For those who prefer to play with different types of weapons, the drowned ones will sell for 28,660 coupons.