Is the Machine Pistol worth using in Fortnite Chapter 3?

While Zapatron may be the most powerful weapon in Fortnite, there is one that is more hyped and has been in the files since the OG days. While the weapon has been added to the game time and time again by mistake, it was never added officially, until now.

The weapon in question is the Machine Pistol. This little device can shred builds and players alike. Even though it can't be wielded akimbo style, one is enough to get the job done.

With the weapon official in-game as of February 8, 2022, a lot of players are asking if it's worth using the Machine Pistol in Fortnite Chapter 3. Given that Stinger SMG is still in the loot pool, why then even bother with the Machine Pistol?

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Fortnite Chapter 3 - Machine Pistol vs Stinger SMG

To address the elephant in the room, the first major statistic to be taken into consideration is damage output. Does the Machine Pistol deal more damage than the Stinger SMG? Sadly, the answer is no.

In terms of damage per shot, the Stinger SMG outperforms the Machine Pistol but only by a small margin. The common variant deals 16 damage, which scales to 20 when using the legendary variant.

However, the Machine Pistol has an ace up its sleeve when it comes to DPS, rate of fire, magazine size, and even reload time. Apart from damage output, the weapon outperforms the Stinger SMG in every other aspect.

Readers can view this table for quick reference:

Machine Pistol	Stinger SMG
DPS: 202.5	DPS: 192
Damage: 15	Damage: 16
Fire Rate: 13.5	Fire Rate: 12
Magazine Size: 35	Magazine Size: 30
Reload Time: 2.48s	Reload Time: 2.75s

Note: The comparison has been done taking into account the stats for the common variant of both weapons.

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Combat scenarios and gameplay

While the Machine Pistol outperforms the Stinger SMG in 4/5 categories, it has some limitations on the battlefield. Although the weapon can shoot far, the bullet spread and damage drop off will render it useless.

Unless the user is planning to use it at point-blank range or in box-fights, accurately hitting targets at a distance will become impossible. While some of this can be countered by crouching and shooting, it limits the player's mobility.

Given its high fire rate, spraying the weapon is bound to cause heavy recoil. This is going to make it harder to achieve a DPS of 202.5 or even deal any damage at all.

Taking everything into account, the Machine Pistol is superior to the Stinger SMG on paper. However, in combat situations and intense gunfights, the Stinger SMG is probably the better weapon of choice.

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This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.