During the early game in DayZ, you’ll be left to defend yourself mostly with sticks, bats, makeshift knives, and even your fists. However, as you explore the world more, you’ll encounter guns and firearms crucial for survival. Aside from zombies and loot, there are also a lot of guns you can find in the game’s world – if you’re lucky.
Knowing which guns to choose in DayZ is important as you will always have limited inventory. A good gun should be able to protect you from up close and from afar. If you’re looking for some of the best weapons in the game, you should consider these guns first. You’ll also see where to find these weapons specifically too.
Mlock-91
The Mlock-91 is one of the best guns in DayZ. While not as powerful as automatic rifles, this weapon will help you through a lot of trouble and is very easy to handle. Most importantly, however, the Mlock-91 is very useful up close. It’s perfect for taking out those uber-aggressive zombies on the map.
You can find the Mlock-91 mostly in police stations and military locations. It needs 9x19mm bullets, holding up to 15 rounds per magazine. What’s great about this weapon is that it only weighs 1kg and takes up around six inventory slots. The Mlock-91 isn’t normally used as a primary weapon, but it does work well as a last-resort sidearm.
Magnum
If you’re looking for one of the best guns in DayZ that pack a ton of firepower, then be on the lookout for the Magnum. You can’t go wrong with this hand cannon in terms of damage and stopping power. It can be found in houses mostly, so make sure to scour every nook and cranny of each house you loot, especially in urban areas. They can be found inside farms as well.
The Magnum needs .357 ammo, and it can hold six rounds. While powerful, the Magnum does have its downsides. For one, it has a very low fire rate, so accuracy with it is a must. The biggest downside is that since the weapon packs a mean punch, it makes a louder-than-average sound and can easily draw both zombies and humans alike to your location.
Mosin 91/30
There’s a saying among DayZ players – “always have a sniper rifle with you.” If you can, you should focus on getting the Mosin 91/30 found in hunting grounds, towns, and villages. You can even find the Mosin lying on the ground or resting alongside trees in hunting locations.
To use the Mosin, you’ll need to hold 7.62x54mmR ammo, of which the gun can hold at least five rounds. The Mosin has the longest and most accurate range of all the sniper rifles in the game. It’s perfect for taking out threats from a distance, but it is best used against other players, should you spot one and loot them.
BK-43
You’ll get up close and personal with zombies and humans regularly in DayZ. Having a double-barrel shotgun ready at bay like the BK-43 will always be a good idea. You can find this powerful shotgun in small towns and villages instead of urban areas. It’s mostly found lying on top of tables, and it can take 12ga buckshot, 12gs rifled slugs, and 12ga rubber slugs for ammo.
The BK-43 is best used at close range as it minimizes mid to long-range damage. However, the upside is that it can damage enemies in a small spread instead of one focused area. Remember that the BK-43 is also very loud, so it would be best to use this weapon only in emergencies, as you will be drawing enemies to your location very easily after using it.
KAS-74U
The KAS-74U is a mix between an assault rifle and an SMG. It’s one of the best guns in DayZ for mid-ranged fights because it’s easy to carry and it’s easy to use. The weapon also deals massive damage thanks to its high fire rate, given that you are accurate with it. It takes 5.45x39mm ammo and can hold 30 rounds per magazine.
You can find the KAS-74U lying around the military locations. It weighs 2 KD G and can take up to 18 inventory slots. All in all, the KAS-74U is a well-balanced weapon. It has the highest rate of fire in the game, so it’s easy to waste ammo with it if you aren’t careful enough.
AK-M
Regarding overall utility, any DayZ player will argue that the best weapon in the game has to be the AK-M. It weighs 2 kg and can take up 24 inventory slots. This is a minor downside, as the AK-M is a weapon that works well in various ranges. Moreover, it’s highly customizable, too, so you can adjust it to fit long-range or close-range combat.
It needs 7.62x39mm ammo. There are 30-round and 75-round magazine variants of the AKM as well. Aside from upgrading its mags, you can also attach scopes to the AK-M.
The AK-M can only be found inside military locations. These areas will be packed with zombies and other weapons, but if you find the AK-M among the loot, the struggle will be well worth it. Aside from its high fire rate, another upside to the AK-M is that it functions on full-auto and semi-auto settings.
These are the best guns in DayZ. Remember that while powerful, these weapons are best used against other humans instead of zombies. The drawback to these weapons is that they’ll always draw the attention of nearby enemies, so it’s best to go with melee for zombie fights. Still, having these guns at your disposal will be vital for your survival.
