05.08.2020

• Reviewed and updated the introduction as it got very outdated. 
• Replaced "Tiers" with Loyalty Levels; We have decided to feature only "Best Bang for Your Buck" weapons available at each LL - Our old Tier List became obsolete and this is the best way of making it useful again. 
• Updated the "Table of Contents" section. 
• Replaced irrelevant (from the gameplay perspective) information (like weapon's place of origin, Action type, etc.) about weapons with actually useful stuff (like Rate of Fire, recommended ammunition types, base Ergonomics, etc.). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 7.62x54mmR LPS Gzh; no other options at LL1, but no other are really needed. LPS Gzh has 42 Penetration and 81 Damage, which is enough to wreck anyone you will meet in the early-to-mid game. Even late in a wipe, these rounds can shred people clad in Class 6 Armor - just aim to the head. 
• At Loyalty Level 3, 7N1 Sniper Cartridge becomes available; while it has just 3 more Penetration, it deals 86 Damage which is enough to 10-shot people in the Thorax after the 12.7 HP buff. 
• The rest of the Mosin ammunition types become available at LL4 - 7BT1, SNB, and 7N37 - all of these pierce through any armor with the 1st shot and all of these are enough to 2-shot people. If we were to pick one, we would choose the SNB, as it has the highest velocity which makes hitting targets at long distances easier. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 7.62x39mm PS; this is the only ammunition type, of this caliber, available at LL1. It has 32 Penetration and 57 Damage, which is enough in the early stages but becomes obsolete after a few days - when people start run in Class 4+ Armors, PS ammo becomes much less reliable. 
• The best ammunition of this caliber is 7.62x39mm BP, available from LL3 Prapor after "The Punisher - Part 5" Task. It will pierce through Class 5 Armor without too much of a problem. You can also get these earlier, from the flea market (this will be rather expensive) or from Reserve. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 5.45x39mm PS; This ammunition type becomes available from LL1 Prapor after you complete the "Delivery from the Past" Task. It has 25 penetration and 50 Damage, which is enough to pierce through early game Pacas, and will overpower Class 3 Armor after a while, but anything better will prove to be impregnable. If you want to use 5.45mm AKs, you'll quickly need an ammo upgrade. 
• The first real upgrade over the PS ammo is 5.45x39mm BT, which is a Tracer round that has 37 Penetration and 44 Damage; it's available from LL3 Prapor after you complete the "Punisher - Part 4". 
• If you want to be competitive, in the late game, while wielding any 5.45x39mm AK, you need 5.45x39mm BS or 5.45x39mm 7N39 "Igolnik", and these two are difficult to come by and very expensive on the flea market; Igolniks can be crafted on the Level 3 Workbench. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 9x18mm PM Pst gzh; the best ammunition, of this caliber, available from the start. It has only 12 Penetration, 50 Damage, and will pierce Class 1 Armor only. If you see an armored enemy and have these loaded, aim for the legs.  
• 9x18mm PM PBM has the highest penetration of all Makarov rounds (28), but it still is nothing to boast about (even Class 3 Armor will give it problems). This means that you might want to load rounds with enhanced flesh damage and aim at enemy's unarmored limbs (9x18mm PM SP7 gzh, available from LL3 Prapor, is good for this). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 9x19mm Pst gzh (available from Mechanic); the only real LL1 9x19mm ammunition choice. It has 20 Penetration and 54 Damage, which is enough to pierce through Class 2 Armor (which means Pacas that are extremely common early in a wipe). It will also go through pretty much all face shields available early, so aiming for the head is recommended. 
• At Loyalty Level 3, 9x19mm AP 6.3 ammunition becomes available (from Peacekeeper). Its 30 Penetration Power is enough to pierce Class 3 Armor and will slowly wear out Class 4s. 
• Later in the game, from LL4 Prapor, you can get the new 9x19mm 7N31 Ammunition which will go through Class 4 armor extremely easily and, after some encouragement, pierce even Class 6 (this will take 5 to 9 rounds, however). Thanks to this ammo, cheap 9x19mm Parabellum weapons are worth consideration for budget loadouts. 

Glock is one of the most famous and easily-recognized pistol designs in the world, and Glock 17 is its original 9x19mm Parabellum model. It was first introduced in 1982 and has received several improvements over the years (there are 5 generations of Glock 17 currently). Thanks to the light polymer body, high reliability, and good combat characteristics, Glock 17 became one of the most widely-used 9x19mm sidearms in the world. In Tarkov, it has great stock Ergonomics of 90, manageable recoil, and 17-round base magazine; it also received an indirect buff with the introduction of 9x19mm 7N31 Armor Piercing ammunition. 

Note: While clearly not as powerful as Rifles, SMGs, or Carbines, Pistols are extremely cheap and can be effective at short distances, which makes them a solid early-game choice for budget runs - this is why we've decided to feature a few of them on our list. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 9x19mm Pst gzh (available from Mechanic); the only real LL1 9x19mm ammunition choice. It has 20 Penetration and 54 Damage, which is enough to pierce through Class 2 Armor (which means Pacas that are extremely common early in a wipe). It will also go through pretty much all face shields available early, so aiming for the head is recommended. 
• At Loyalty Level 3, 9x19mm AP 6.3 ammunition becomes available (from Peacekeeper). Its 30 Penetration Power is enough to pierce Class 3 Armor and will slowly wear out Class 4s. 
• Later in the game, from LL4 Prapor, you can get the new 9x19mm 7N31 Ammunition which will go through Class 4 armor extremely easily and, after some encouragement, pierce even Class 6 (this will take 5 to 9 rounds, however). Thanks to this ammo, cheap 9x19mm Parabellum weapons are worth consideration for budget loadouts. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 1 - 12/70mm "Poleva-3" Slug; At Ll1, there is nothing better against armor than these Slugs available from Jaeger. They may only have 17 Penetration, but they deal 140 Damage and have Armor Damage Ratio of 40%. Class 2 Armor will not stop these slugs, so if you want to run a shotgun early, they are your best bet. 
• Alternatively, you can use Buckshot which will destroy any armor after a few shots (if you'll get the chance to fire those few shots). 
• At Jaeger LL3 you can buy Flechette, which disintegrates armor incredibly quickly, and at Jaeger LL4, 12/70mm AP-20 Skugs become available (37 Penetration). 

This American-made pump-action shotgun, designed and constructed by O.F Mossberg & Sons, is widely used in the USA's military and police. The A1 variant, unlike its base counterpart, features an M7 bayonet mount and has a more massive barrel. 590A1 remains in US military service since 1987 but is being gradually replaced by  M1014 JSCS, made by Benelli. Mossberg 590A1 was added to the game in patch .12.7, has taken Tarkov by storm, and is now regarded as the best pump-action shotgun available. 

Note: It is worth noting that Shotguns are now better than ever because of the recent buckshot groupings buff (buckshot is now more effective at longer ranges). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 7.62x51mm M80; An extremely devastating round and one of the strongest available around level 15 (and LL2). It has 41 Penetration and deals 80 Damage, which means that it will drop anyone who wears Class 4 Armor (or lower) with 1 shot to the Thorax. You can buy these from LL2 Peacekeeper. 
• 7.62x51mm M61, available from LL4 Peacekeeper after completing the "Wet Job - Part 6" task, is the recently dethroned king of this caliber (68 Penetration, 70 Damage). The new addition, 7.62x51mm M993 has a bit better stats (70 Penetration, 67 Damage and a bit better Accuracy and Recoil), but there's no real difference (both of these rounds slice through any armor and drop people extremely quickly). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 7.62x39mm PS; at LL2 you will still be using the PS ammo available from LL1 Prapor, as there is nothing better readily available until LL3. It has 32 Penetration and 57 Damage, which is enough in the early stages but becomes obsolete after a few days - when people start run in Class 4+ Armors, PS ammo becomes much less reliable. 
• The best ammunition of this caliber is 7.62x39mm BP, available from LL3 Prapor after "The Punisher - Part 5" Task. It will pierce through Class 5 Armor without too much of a problem. It is worth to consider Reserve runs aimed at getting 7.62x39mm BP ammunition earlier as it is a common spawn there. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 7.62x39mm PS; at LL2 you will still be using the PS ammo available from LL1 Prapor, as there is nothing better readily available until LL3. It has 32 Penetration and 57 Damage, which is enough in the early stages but becomes obsolete after a few days - when people start run in Class 4+ Armors, PS ammo becomes much less reliable. 
• The best ammunition of this caliber is 7.62x39mm BP, available from LL3 Prapor after "The Punisher - Part 5" Task. It will pierce through Class 5 Armor without too much of a problem. It is worth to consider Reserve runs aimed at getting 7.62x39mm BP ammunition earlier as it is a common spawn there. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 5.45x39mm PP; these rounds, available from LL2 Prapor, have 5 more penetration than the PS rounds (30) and deal 46 Damage. They will pierce through Class 3 Armor and punch their way through Class 4 after about 7 hits. 
• 5.45x39mm BT rounds are a direct upgrade over the PP rounds; with them, you will have a chance against Class 6 Armor (it will take up to half a mag, however). Remember that these are Tracers. 
• If you want to be more competitive in the late game while wielding any 5.45x39mm AK, you need 5.45x39mm BS or 5.45x39mm 7N39 "Igolnik", and these two are difficult to come by and very expensive on the flea market; Igolniks can be crafted on the Level 3 Workbench. 

This version of the AK-74 is equipped with a metal side-folding stock and a dovetail mount to which optics and night vision devices can be attached. AKS-74N was designed for use with airborne infantry, vehicle crews, and as a general-purpose assault rifle which can be easily stored and transported thanks to the folding shoulder stock. Lack of solid Armor Piercing ammunition, available at the first two Loyalty Levels, makes all AK-74s a bit less practical than the AKM and AKMS, however, 5.45x39mm AKs have much lower recoil and can be fitted with optics without replacing parts (ones of the N variant, that is). 

Note: We have chosen AKS-74N out of multiple 5.45x39mm AK variants available at LL, because of its Dovetail Mount and a bit better recoil values than the standard AK-74N (which is also a great choice). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 9x19mm Pst gzh; available from Mechanic LL1 - at LL2 you can buy these from Prapor and Peacekeeper as well. It has 20 Penetration and 54 Damage, which is enough to pierce through Class 2 Armor (which means Pacas that are extremely common early in a wipe). It will also go through pretty much all face shields available early, so aiming for the head is recommended. Alternatively, from LL2 Peacekeeper, you can get new 9x19mm QuakeMaker rounds which are devastating at short ranges when used for leg-meta tactics.
• At Loyalty Level 3, 9x19mm AP 6.3 ammunition becomes available (from Peacekeeper). Its 30 Penetration Power is enough to pierce Class 3 Armor and will slowly wear out Class 4s. 
• Later in the game, from LL4 Prapor, you can get the new 9x19mm 7N31 Ammunition which will go through Class 4 armor extremely easily and, after some encouragement, pierce even Class 6 (this will take 5 to 9 rounds, however). Thanks to this ammo, cheap 9x19mm Parabellum weapons are worth consideration for budget loadouts. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 9x19mm Pst gzh; available from Mechanic LL1 - at LL2 you can buy these from Prapor and Peacekeeper as well. It has 20 Penetration and 54 Damage, which is enough to pierce through Class 2 Armor. Alternatively, from LL2 Peacekeeper, you can get new 9x19mm QuakeMaker rounds which are devastating at short ranges when used for leg-meta tactics.
• At Loyalty Level 3, 9x19mm AP 6.3 ammunition becomes available (from Peacekeeper). Its 30 Penetration Power is enough to pierce Class 3 Armor and will slowly wear out Class 4s. 
• From LL4 Prapor, you can get the new 9x19mm 7N31 Ammunition which will go through Class 4 armor extremely easily and, after some encouragement, pierce even Class 6 after 5 to 9 hits). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 12/70mm "Poleva-6u" Slug; this is a direct upgrade over the "Poleva-3" that has 20 penetration and 150 Damage. It will pierce right through Class 2 Armor. Thanks to very high damage-per-shot, it is the ultimate anti-scav ammunition. 
• Alternatively, you can use Buckshot which will destroy any armor after a few shots (if you'll get the chance to fire those few shots). 
• At Jaeger LL3 you can buy Flechette, which disintegrates armor incredibly quickly, and at Jaeger LL4, 12/70mm AP-20 Skugs become available (37 Penetration). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 2 - 9x19mm Pst gzh; available from Mechanic LL1 - at LL2 you can buy these from Prapor and Peacekeeper as well. It has 20 Penetration and 54 Damage, which is enough to pierce through Class 2 Armor. Alternatively, from LL2 Peacekeeper, you can get new 9x19mm QuakeMaker rounds which are devastating at short ranges when used for leg-meta tactics (this is more difficult to pull off with a pistol, however). 
• At Loyalty Level 3, 9x19mm AP 6.3 ammunition becomes available (from Peacekeeper). Its 30 Penetration Power is enough to pierce Class 3 Armor and will slowly wear out Class 4s. 
• From LL4 Prapor, you can get the new 9x19mm 7N31 Ammunition which will go through Class 4 armor extremely easily and, after some encouragement, pierce even Class 6 after 5 to 9 hits). 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 7.62x51mm M80; An extremely devastating round, available from Peacekeeper LL2. It has 41 Penetration and deals 80 Damage, which means that it will drop anyone who wears Class 4 Armor (or lower) with 1 shot to the Thorax.
• 7.62x51mm M61, available from LL4 Peacekeeper after completing the "Wet Job - Part 6" task, is the recently dethroned king of this caliber (68 Penetration, 70 Damage). The new addition, 7.62x51mm M993 has a bit better stats (70 Penetration, 67 Damage, and a bit better Accuracy and Recoil), but there's no real difference in performance. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 7.62x51mm M80; An extremely devastating round, available from Peacekeeper LL2. 41 Penetration and 80 Damage, will allow you to drop anyone who wears Class 4 Armor (or lower) with 1 shot to the Thorax.
• 7.62x51mm M61, available from LL4 Peacekeeper after completing the "Wet Job - Part 6" task, is the recently dethroned king of this caliber (68 Penetration, 70 Damage). The new addition, 7.62x51mm M993 has a bit better stats (70 Penetration, 67 Damage, and a bit better Accuracy and Recoil), but there's no real difference in performance. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 5.56x45mm M855A1; This ammunition is available from LL3 peacekeeper so you'll gain access to it at the same time you unlock the MDR. 43 Penetration and 45 Damage are enough to contest any armor available in the game, however, class 6 will give you some problems (it will stop ~4 bullets). 
• From Peacekeeper LL4, you can get the best 5.56x45mm ammo in Tarkov, the 5.56x45mm M995 which has 53 Penetration and deals 40 damage. M995 pierces Class 6 Armor after ~2 shots. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 5.45x39mm BT; These tracer rounds have 37 Penetration and deal 44 Damage. They will go through Class 4 Armor after 1-2 shots and punch their way through Class 6 after about 7 hits. Available from Prapor LL3 after completing "the Punisher - Part4" Task. 
• If you want to be more competitive in the late game while wielding any 5.45x39mm AK, you need 5.45x39mm BS or 5.45x39mm 7N39 "Igolnik", and these two are difficult to come by and very expensive on the flea market; Igolniks can be crafted on the Level 3 Workbench. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 7.62x39mm BP; these become available from LL3 Prapor after you complete "The Punisher - Part 5" Task. With 47 Penetration and 58 Damage, BP rounds punch through Class 5 Armor after ~2 shots and through Class 6 after around 4 hits. 7.62x39mm BP is the best currently available ammunition of this caliber. 

AK-103 is a 7.62x39mm AK designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov himself in 1994. While based on the AKM, its shape closely resembles the AK-74M (they have a very similar configuration). Thanks to the dovetail mount, it can be easily fitted with a variety of optics.

Fun Fact: This is one of the sturdiest firearms ever made, as was proven in a video posted by the Kalashnikov Group on a very popular video platform - AK-103 was able to fire 1440 rounds (1260 more than required by Russia's Ministry of Defense) in rapid succession before it jammed. The jam was actually caused by residue from varnish that was used to protect ammunition from rusting, which means that it would withstand even more if another ammunition type was used for the test. It was actually the second attempt to break the AK-103; the first one failed as testers ran out of ammunition... 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 7.62x54mmR 7N1 Sniper Cartridge; Powerful ammunition, capable of 1-shotting enemies in the Thorax (it deals 86 Damage). 7N1 has 45 Penetration, which is enough to pierce Class 5 Armor with the 2nd or 3rd shot and Class 6 after about 5 hits. 
• The rest of the 7.62x54mmR ammunition types become available at LL4 - 7BT1, SNB, and 7N37 - all of these pierce through any armor with the 1st shot and all of these are enough to 2-shot people. If we were to pick one, we would choose the SNB, as it has the highest velocity which makes hitting targets at long distances easier. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 3 - 5.7x28mm SS190; With 37 Penetration and 49 Damage, this round goes through Class 3 armor like through butter and will penetrate even Class 6, after about 7 hits. it is available from LL3 Peacekeeper. This is, by far, the best ammunition for both Five-seveN and P90. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 4 - 7.62x51mm M61; These rounds become available from LL4 Peacekeeper after you complete the "Wet Job - Part 6" Task. Their 68 Penetration is enough to pierce through any armor available in the game with the first shot, and their 70 Damage is very respectable. 
• If you have to use "the best" ammo available, you can load recently-added 7.62x51mm M993 rounds which are a bit better than M61s. 

Desert Tech LLC MDR chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Just like its little brother, this has extremely good stock statistics (not as good as the 5.56 version, but still impressive). To make you aware just how good this weapon's stats are, here is a little comparison to the SA-58, a gun that uses the same ammunition: 

• MDR fires 50 rounds per minute less, but...
• MDR has vertical recoil lower by 225, horizontal recoil lower by 305, and its base ergonomics is 15 higher, and its 1Kg lighter. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 4 - 5.45x39mm BT; These tracer rounds have 37 Penetration and deal 44 Damage. They will go through Class 4 Armor after 1-2 shots and punch their way through Class 6 after about 7 hits. Available from Prapor LL3 after completing "the Punisher - Part4" Task. 
• If you want to be more competitive in the late game while wielding any 5.45x39mm AK, you need 5.45x39mm BS or 5.45x39mm 7N39 "Igolnik", and these two are difficult to come by and very expensive on the flea market; Igolniks can be crafted on the Level 3 Workbench. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 4 - 5.7x28mm SS190; With 37 Penetration and 49 Damage, this round goes through Class 3 armor like through butter and will penetrate even Class 6, after about 7 hits. it is available from LL3 Peacekeeper. This is, by far, the best ammunition for both Five-seveN and P90. 

FN P90 was designed by FN Herstal in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9x19mm Parabellum firearms. It is a compact and extremely deadly weapon that fires 900 5.7x28mm FN rounds per minute. It features high base ergonomics and very low recoil values which make it one of the strongest SMGs in Tarkov (maybe Kriss Vector will dethrone it). 

Tip: You can barter 2 Military Cables for P90 with LL3 Peacekeeper, which is an extremely good deal. 

Ammunition Recommendations

• Loyalty Level 4 - 9x39mm 7N9 SPP; these subsonic rounds have 45 Penetration, deal 64 Damage per shot, and have +10 enhanced accuracy at the cost of +22 Recoil. Class 6 Armor will give up after it is hit by these about 4 times, which makes them extremely effective. These rounds are also available from Barter trade with Prapor LL3. 
• 9x39mm SP6 ammunition is as effective as 7N9 SPP; It has lower recoil (+10 instead of +22) but deals 6 less Damage per shot (its Penetration characteristics are almost exactly the same). 9x39mm SP6 is available from LL3 Prapor. 
• 9x39mm 7N12 is currently the most powerful round of this caliber, available only through LL4 Barter with Prapor, after the completion of the "Grenadier" task. It pierces Class 6 Armor after ~2 shots (48 Penetration and 60 Damage). 

END NOTE

Do note that there are a lot more weapons available in the game, and describing them all would take unbelievable amounts of time, so we have chosen the best, and the most interesting ones of each Loyalty Level. Please keep in mind that every EfT weapon's characteristics can be enhanced by proper modding (this is not always cost-effective, however), and the firepower of most Escape from Tarkov's firearms can be largely improved with the right choice of ammunition. 

We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. We will be happy to receive constructive criticism that will help us improve our future work so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.