DayZ: Weapons Guide

Want the edge in the zombie apocalypse mod DayZ for ARMA II? Check out our comprehensive weapons guide. Most of the weapons are listed from most common to most rare first, although keep in mind luck is really the deciding factor for higher level weapons. Any friendlies in Chern?

Pistols:

Makarov PM: The Makarov is the standard pistol that everyone spawns with in DayZ. As expected, it’s pretty shit, but can get the job done all the same. It kills zombies with a headshot or several torso shots, and usually takes a couple headshots or a clip into the body to kill another player. While the accuracy is terrible and the damage low, Makarov mags can be found almost anywhere, and the gun is very quiet compared to the other weapons.

M1911: The M1911 is a solid secondary weapon with decent accuracy and fairly high damage. The shots will kill zombies in one hit, and it is powerful enough to kill an enemy player a mid range with several well placed shots. The main downside is the smaller magazine size of 7 rounds, which can be a problem in a firefight. The gun is fairly easy to find, and the ammo is decently plentiful as well.

M9: The M9 is one of the more rare handguns in the game, and can be decent depending on the situation. With much better accuracy than the Makarov but with similar damage, the M9 is vastly superior for getting headshots. However, the ammo is so damn rare for this pistol, the M1911 or Makarov is usually going to be a better choice as your main sidearm. You can usually find these in Military spawn locations.

M9 SD: This version of the M9 comes equipped with a Silencer, making it the best sidearm in the game, by far. While the ammo is hard to find, the fact that the gun is Silenced makes it a huge asset, especially when you need to pick off a lone zombie that wanders too close. The chance of finding one of these is quite rare, and only in Military areas.

Glock 17: The Glock 17 is a semi-rare pistol that is usually a better choice than the Makarov or M1911. The damage is somewhat low, so you will need to get headshots, same as the M9 or Makarov. The main issue, like the M9, is ammo, so while the G17 is better in most cases, I usually stick with the M1911, just because ammo is so much easier to find. It also comes with a small flashlight attachment, which is a handy addition.

Revolver: The Revolver is an odd sort of sidearm, usually better against other players than zombies. While the gun is arguably good against zombies, with the one hit kill, the damn thing is so loud that it’s not really worth using in any sort of urban environment. Against other players though, the Revolver packs a punch, and is better at range than most sidearms.

PDW: The PDW is a rare Uzi style sidearm with low damage and a high rate of fire. The damage is a bit low, and the high rate of fire means you burn through ammo fairly quickly. The upside is that this weapon can use almost any type of 9x19mm ammo, so M9, MP5, PDW, and G17 mags will all work in the PDW. A decent sidearm in a firefight, but not really that great against zombies since the ammo is rare.

 

Shotguns:

Winchester 1966: Ah the Winnie. This gun is one of the most common and useful main weapons in the game, and you will see most survivors on the coast using it. Ammo is plentiful, and the Winchester spawns almost anywhere, plus the gun gun is extremely quiet for a main weapon, making it the ideal choice for killing zombies. Also, with two well placed shots this gun can take down enemy players, and at close range is hard to beat, especially indoors. A great all around weapon.

Remington 870: The Remington is a standard modern pump action shotgun with a flashlight attachment. While not as common as the Winchester, the Remington is still fairly easy to find, and the ammo is usually decently easy to acquire as well. Like the Winchester, the Remington is fairly quiet as well, making it a safe weapon to use against zombies. It has fairly poor range though, so make sure you don’t start a fight in any open fields. The flashlight can also be useful at night as well (duh).

M1014: The M1014 is similar to the Remington in most ways, although it doesn’t have a flashlight. Since the weapon is semi-auto, you can shoot faster than the Remington, making it a superior weapon in most cases. The M1014 is considerably more rare than the Remmy or Winchester in my opinion, although it can depend on your lucky obviously. Like the Remington, ammo can be a bit hard to find, but usually plentiful.

 

Sub Machine Guns:

MP5A5: The MP5 is the standard sub-machine gun in DayZ, and is a particularly hard weapon to find. If you do find this weapon, you are in for a treat, because it’s a beast in close combat and urban environments and is quieter than most main weapons. The ammo can be hard to find though, so it’s better to save the bullets for bandits rather than killing zombies. The best place to find the MP5 is in Military spawn areas.

MP5SD6: This is arguably one of the best weapons in the game. This version of the MP5 is hard to find, but for a good reason, and that reason is a silencer. Other than the crossbow, the MP5SD is the quietest weapon in the game, which means you can practically use it right on top of zombies without alerting them. The ammo can be a real pain to find though, so try to limit your shots and never use full-auto mode.

Bizon SD: The Bizon is one of the rare weapons available only at helicopter crash sites, so basically never. If you manage to get one of these though, it’s easily one of the stronger main weapons, and uses the same ammo type as the MP5, 9x19mm rounds. Heli Crash Sites are random and hard to find, with locations that differ from server to server.

 

Assault Rifles:

Lee Enfield: My friends and I call the Lee Enfield the “Zombie Whistle”, which is pretty self explanatory. While the Enfield is a solid rifle, firing one of these in a zombie dense area is about as conspicuous as setting of a hand grenade. For that reason, I tend to avoid the Lee Enfield, although it’s pretty good at taking down enemy players, since it is accurate at range and packs a punch. Ammo is usually quite plentiful for the Enfield as well, so if you don’t plan on going near any cities, or you want to attract zombies, then this is the weapon for you.

AKM: The AKM is probably the most common assault rifle in the game, and can almost always be found in military spawn areas. While the AKM is loud, the gun is fairly accurate at range, and is great against both zombies and players. Ammo is almost always a drop in Military spawn areas, so the AKM is the most economical of the military grade weapons. A decent all around assault rifle until you find the more rare military weapons.

AK-74: The AK-74 is a more modern version of the AKM, which means it’s slightly more accurate at range. While the AKM and AK-74 handles generally the same, the AK-74 is usually the better choice, due to the superior accuracy and the fact that the 5.45×39 mags work in all variants of the AK-74, while the AKM ammo is specific to the one rifle. Usually a good choice, especially since the AK-74 Kobra is right around the corner.

AKS-74u: The AKS-74u is essentially a shortened carbine version of the AK-74, more or less like the M4A1 to the M16A3. While not as accurate as the AK-74, the AKS-74u is much better at closer range, and easier to aim indoors since it is considerably more compact. This gun shares ammo with all the AK-74 variants, so you won’t have to switch ammo types if you already have an AK. I personally prefer the AK-74, but they are so similar it’s largely irrelevant.

AK-74 Kobra: The AK-74 Kobra is essentially a modified version of the AK-74 with a Kobra scope attached. The Kobra scope is a close quarters red dot style sight that makes aiming much easier.While this variant is not as good at range as the classic AK-74, the Kobra scope more than makes up for that fact. Like the other AK-74 variants, this weapon shares ammo across all the AK weapons except for the AKM. This is usually my weapon of choice before finding rare military hardware.

M16A2: The M16A2 is the “classic” variant of the M16 family, based of the original Vietnam service model. More accurate than the AK-74 or AKM, but weaker at range and louder. M16 ammo can also be harder to find than AK-74 or AKM clips, which can be a problem if you are not near any military areas. The 5.56x45mm STANAG mags can be used across all M16 and M4 variants, which makes switching weapons much easier. The M16 is a decent all around assault rifle, and I usually prefer it to the AK-74, however the M16 tends to attract more zombies than the other assault rifles, so beware.

M16A2 M203: This M16 comes equipped with an underslung grenade launcher, which can fire explosive or smoke rounds. While in most cases a scope is better, firing a grenade from your M16 at another player is a priceless moment everyone should experience. The grenade launcher is decent, but the explosive rounds tend to be hard to find, and smoke grenades get old after a while.

M16A4 ACOG: This variant of the M16 is equipped with an ACOG scope, which is a great medium range sight. The M16 ACOG is harder to find than the standard M16, but well worth the effort, since the ACOG is vastly superior to the iron sights, which can be a bit hard to use, especially in close quarters. A solid assault rifle, good in almost any situation.

M4A1: The M4A1 is the shortened carbine version of the M16, usually seen in service today with the US military. While a bit worse at range than the M16, the barrel is much shorter, making it a better choice for combat in urban environments or indoors. Since the ammo is interchangeable, switching between the M4 and M16 families can be done with no penalty. I personally take this over the M16 if given the choice.

M4A3 CCO: This is the “special forces” style variant of the M4, with a grip, flashlight, and Aimpoint CompM4 scope. The flashlight can be good for looting at night, and the grip adds accuracy, but the best feature is by far the scope. While similar to the Kobra scope on the Ak-74, the Aimpoint scope is generally superior and great for close/medium range engagements. This weapon is a personal favorite of mine, albeit a bit hard to find.

M4A1 Camo SD: This version of the M4 in DayZ comes with a suppressor and Aimpoint scope, and is easily one of the best assault rifles in the game. In a zombie filled world, anything with a suppressor is a great weapon, and coupled with the M4 and a scope, this weapon is great in all situations. Ammo is usually easy to find at military areas, and griefing people is easy with the silencer. This is one of my favourite guns in the game, by far.

M4A1 HWS N203: This version of the M4 comes with an M203 grenade launcher and a Holographic scope. Needless to say, this is easily one of the better assau

FN FAL: One of the few rare weapons available only at Heli Crash Sites, the FN FAL is a great all around assault rifle. Ammo can be very hard to find for this weapon, and there’s also the fact that scoped variants of the M4 or M16 are usually easier to find. As such, it is quite rare to see many players using this weapon, although it has great damage and accuracy. Beware though, this weapon is crazy loud, and will attract zombies easily.

L85A2 RIS CWS: If you manage to get one of these, be careful, because anyone who sees it is going to want it, I would personally kill on sight anyone with this. The L85A2 is one of the few weapons in the game with a night vision scope, and only available at heli crash sites. Even at heli crash sites this weapon is extremely rare though, so don’t plan on finding one any time soon. The gun itself is highly accurate and smaller in size, so useful both indoors and outdoors.

FN FAL ANPV S4: This version of the FN FAL is equipped with a AN/PVS-4 night vision sight, which obviously makes it an extremely prized weapon in DayZ. This gun, like the FAL, only spawns at helicopter crash site, and is thus one of the rarest weapons in the game.

 

Light Machine Guns:

M240: The M240 is the standard LMG in use in the US Military, and is a great find in DayZ, although the spawn is quite rare. While it can be tempting to mow down zombies Rambo style, the ammo for the M240 is pretty hard to find as well, which kind of ruins the fun of using the weapon.

M249: The M249 is similar to the M240, although with a much more compact design. This LMG has a much larger magazine size than the M240, but with the drawback of worse accuracy at longer range. Ammo seems to be harder to find than the M240, although they are both comparably rare compared to other weapons.

Mk-48: The Mk-48 is the rarest of the LMGs, due to the scope it has mounted on it’s beautifully camo painted body. The gun also shares ammo with the M240, making it the ideal choice for an LMG. Like the other weapons, the Mk-48 can be found in Barracks and Heli Crash sites.

 

Sniper Rifles:

CZ550: The CZ550 is a standard hunting rifle type weapon, and usually spawns in civilian areas. The weapon is harder to find than the Winchester or Lee Enfield, and the scope is great for scoping out locations before looting, so don’t hesitate to pick it up. The gun is extremely accurate at medium range, and can usually 1-shot any enemy in the game. The gun is very loud though, so it’s usually better to use the CZ against bandits and save your handgun for zombies. Ammo is usually easy to find, especially in barns.

DMR: The DMR is probably the most common high level player weapon in the game, and usually the choice of weapon for killing other players. Usually found in Military Barracks or Heli Crash Sites, the DMR is a great find if you manage to get one, and ammo is actually not that hard to find compared to some of the other late game weapons in DayZ. The weapon is very accurate at high range, and usually kills a player in one hit, making it the ideal anti-player weapon.

M14 EP1: The M14 EP1 is a carbine style rifle with an Aimpoint scope, making it an ideal mid-range weapon. Sharing ammo with the DMR, the M14 is a much rarer gun, although more suited for close range combat due to the more assault rifle style scope. The M14 has great damage however, and can usually kill anything one hit, making it a prized weapon for experienced players.

M24: The M24 is a military style sniper rifle, effective at long range and with high enough damage to kill in one or two hits.  The M24 is usually much harder to find than the CZ or DMR, and can only be found in Military spawns or Barracks. Ammo can be a pain to find, since M24 mags spawn a lot less than DMR mags which are shared across weapons. The M24 is also very loud, so again, use caution.

M107: The M107 is an absolute beast of a sniper rifle, and acts the same as a classic military Berrett 50cal. While the M107 and ammo for it are rare, and only found in Barracks and Helicopter Crash Sites, the weapon can kill anything one hit, and can even cripple vehicles in two hits, making it a great PvP weapon. The effective range is also significantly higher than almost any weapon in the game. One of the best guns in DayZ by far.

SVD CAMO: The SVD is one of the better guns in the game, with a built in range finder and ghillie camo. While a rare spawn only from the Barracks, and with rare ammo to boot, the SVD can one shot players and zombies, and has an effective range of 1000 meters. This weapon as a beast for taking down other players, and the ghillie on the weapon combined with a ghillie suit makes your player feared by all. An all around awesome weapon.

BAF AS50: With similar damage to the M107 and zeroing up to 1800 meters, the BAF AS50 as a monster weapon. Unfortunately it only spawns from Heli Crash sites, making it one of the more rare weapons in the game. Sharing ammo with the M107, it’s still very difficult to build up ammo, so this weapon is mainly used against other people, which is fine since you can theoretically kill them from over a mile away.

 

Miscellaneous:

Crossbow: The Crossbow is one of the more common weapons in the game, and can be found in most civilian spawns. It fires a single Steel Bolt, which can instantly kill a zombie with a headshot, and the bolt can be recovered and reused indefinitely providing you don’t lose it. The weapon is also completely silent, and fairly accurate at range. It all sounds pretty good, until you actually use the weapon and realize each bolt takes up an inventory space, and losing a bolt is fairly easy to do, unless he zombie is up against a wall. A decent weapon for stealth runs, but not really that great overall.

M136 (Rocket Launcher): The M136 is a single fire rocket launcher found in military Barracks spawn. The M136 is very rare, and takes up a ton of space, making it a fairly uncommon sight in DayZ. The rocket also isn’t nearly as grand as you would think, since it was more designed for anti-vehicle than anti-zombie. A good gun for laughs, but other than that fairly useless.