Project Zomboid: 10 Best Guns, Ranked (2024)

In Project Zomboid, you can arm your character with all kinds of pistols and rifles as your adventure unfolds in Knox County’s ruthless apocalyptic environment. On the lucky occasion that you come across a firearm, you need to know if it suits your playstyle and, more importantly, its advantages and disadvantages.

Using certain ranged weapons can be immensely satisfying to the point where battles with the dead won’t seem scary anymore but quite the opposite — they will excite you. Until the glorious day The Indie Stone introduces guard dogs in the game, guns will keep their reputation as survivors’ best friends.

10 M1911 Pistol

Utilizing the .45 Auto Round and the 7-round magazine of the same name, the semi-automatic M1911 is a decent choice for your holster. In the heat of battle, you will remain pleasantly surprised by its reload speed.

Relatively quiet, it has a very comfortable bonus effect, which makes it easier to bash down doors with it. The gun has decent accuracy, so even if your character’s skill level is low, you will likely hit your target at least once or twice before it is time to reload.

9 M9 Pistol

The M9 is one of the best pistols in Project Zomboid, and if you stumble upon it early on in your survivalist journey, consider yourself lucky. The dependable army weapon will, indeed, give you the confidence of a trained soldier.

The gun doesn’t inflict too much damage, but its helpful accuracy makes it ideal for new players. Another reason the M9 is excellent for newcomers is its magazine, which enables survivors to fire 15 9mm rounds before a reload becomes necessary.

8 Desert Eagle

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Firing the Desert Eagle feels like unleashing the sound of a thunderstorm at will. If you want to lure zombies away from your allies, no other gun will do the trick as efficiently.

When the dead reach you, the weapon’s immense power will send them flying one by one as if they are pieces of paper caught in the morning breeze. Wielding it feels good, but unfortunately, it isn't easy to find, and the same goes for its magazine and .44 bullets.

7 Magnum

A weapon with plenty of positives and negatives, the Magnum makes you feel like Dirty Harry in the zombie apocalypse. It deals some of the highest handgun damage in the game, and the deafening sound it produces should come as music to the ears of every fan of first-person shooters.

Even better, the Magnum never jams and doesn’t require a magazine. That and the firearm’s superior range will likely be enough for you to forgive its inaccuracy.

6 M16 Rifle

On paper, the M16 is a dream come true for any post-apocalyptic survivor — an automatic weapon capable of cutting down enemy mobs at great speed. You can unleash all that lethal potential only through a character of significantly developed skills.

If you use this assault rifle with a low-level character, you can waste as many bullets as you want, and you won’t significantly damage the approaching hordes. Furthermore, regardless of your level, this gun jams constantly; it requires constant racking.

5 M14 Rifle

Newcomers will find the M14 quite user-friendly, and if you play smart and avoid getting surrounded by hundreds of zombies, this semi-automatic rifle can turn you into a force to be reckoned with.

Its magazine contains 20 bullets — the .308 round, which fortunately works for several other handy guns. It lacks the precision of a sniper or the destructive impact of an M16, but it offers a balance between accuracy and firepower, which is the best option in many cases.

4 MSR700 Rifle

One thing you need to keep in mind when using the MSR700 is that you must do your best to aim carefully, especially if your character is inexperienced with guns. The bolt-action rifle can fire only three shots before the obligatory reload and racking, but that shouldn’t be a cause for concern.

No matter your skill level, you will quickly push in three new .223 rounds and easily proceed to take out any zombies half a dozen meters away if you are precise enough.

3 MSR788 Rifle

The MSR788 is perfect for if you enjoy carefully planned, methodical, long-range sniping. Its bullets can pierce multiple zombies and take out entire groups of undead, giving them no chance to ever approach your character.

It requires the .308 magazine and ammunition, containing three rounds in the clip and one in the chamber. It doesn’t get the job done as effectively when you are gunning down enemies from close range, so make sure that you keep your distance and maintain complete awareness of your surroundings.

2 JS-2000 Shotgun

Some gamers prefer to avoid danger, while others love to stare death right in the face before blowing it away. The JS-2000 Shotgun allows zombies to get close, but they will never touch your character if you fire and reload mindfully.

Even if you started Project Zomboid yesterday, this weapon will make you confident on the battlefield, vaporizing any foes with six merciless shots. It requires standard shotgun shells that you load directly. Enter combat mode, walk backward, shoot, reload, and repeat until all enemies are down.

1 Double Barrel Shotgun

The Double Barrel Shotgun is so ridiculously enjoyable that it feels out of place in Project Zomboid, a game that usually punishes you whenever you get too comfortable. This gun can reduce the armies of the dead to a pile of dirt in seconds.

There is barely any need to aim — pick a direction, squeeze the trigger, and watch your enemies crumble helplessly. You can only fire twice before reloading, making the experience of those two deliciously devastating shots all the more special.

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