5 best guns to use in GTA Online in 2024

If GTA could be explained in two words, they would be guns and cars. Using the right guns can be crucial in GTA Online's PvP, but they're equally important during missions. Some guns may just be a waste of money or simply serve no other purpose but aesthetics. Others are considered mandatory for some types of matches, and some can even make a mission much easier.

Choosing the ideal loadout in Grand Theft Auto Online can be challenging as the game has over 100 weapons. This article picks out the best of the bunch and explains why they're so necessary, covering all purposes, such as in PvP against other players, against vehicles, or in drive-bys.

So, here are five weapons in GTA Online that every player should carry at all times.

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5 best GTA Online weapons to use in 2024

1) Railgun

The Railgun is a bizarre futuristic sci-fi weapon that's also available in Story Mode, but it's been nerfed in Online. However, it's still one of the most powerful GTA Online weapons and can blow up most vehicles in a single shot. The incredible speed of the projectile makes it especially useful against an aircraft, even though it's slower than in Grand Theft Auto 5.

Another unique aspect of the Railgun is that it knocks out high-level players and heavily armored NPCs who won't die in one shot. This allows players to switch to a different weapon and finish them when they're ragdolling. It's available from the Gun Van for a whopping $730,000.

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2) Tactical SMG

The Tactical SMG is one of the newer weapons in GTA Online, which came out with the San Andreas Mercenaries update in 2023. At $325,000, it's a bit pricey, and it's only available from the Gun Van, but it's well worth the price. SMGs in Grand Theft Auto Online are best at drive-bys from vehicles, and this one outperforms all the others.

It does decent damage and is quite accurate for an SMG, making it extremely useful for Freemode missions where players have to roam around in a vehicle. As SMGs are the go-to choice for firing from a vehicle, this weapon is essential in everyone's arsenal in 2024.

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3) Special Carbine Mk II

The Special Carbine in GTA Online is one of the most reliable assault rifles, with decent accuracy, superb damage, and a high rate of fire. The only downside is the range, but it's nullified by the accuracy and damage. Another advantage of this rifle is the relatively low recoil.

When it's upgraded to its Mk II variant, the Special Carbine becomes much better. The damage is increased, and it gets access to some great upgrades, like different ammo types, muzzle brakes, a grip, and a heavy barrel. The muzzle brake reduces its recoil even further, the grip increases accuracy, and the heavy barrel increases long-range damage.

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4) Heavy Sniper Mk II

The Heavy Sniper and its upgraded Mk II variant have been an all-time favorite of the GTA Online community. It's instrumental in PvP and becomes an efficient anti-vehicle weapon with the Explosive Rounds upgrade. It also has useful Mk II upgrades, like muzzle brakes, a heavy barrel, and specialized scopes.

The Night Vision Scope is a useful and cool attachment to use against players, but the Thermal Scope is even better. With the Explosive Rounds, the Heavy Sniper Mk II is slightly less powerful than the Railgun, requiring 23 rounds to destroy a Nightshark in GTA Online compared to 20 rounds from the Railgun.

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5) Homing Launcher

The Homing Launcher is another essential weapon every GTA Online player should own. The lock-on system is incredibly useful against moving targets, especially enemy players in vehicles. It can also be used like a normal missile launcher, such as when the target is too close for the missile to lock on to.

There's also a unique trick that players can attempt with the Flare Gun and the Homing Launcher. To do this, they must simply fire the Homing Launcher and then switch to the Flare Gun and fire it somewhere else; the missile will follow where the flare landed. It can also be done the other way around.