Few games have been the blueprint for a genre like Counter-Strike is for economy-based FPS games. In Counter-Strike, players receive money each round — depending on numerous factors — that they can spend on weapons, armor, and utility items such as grenades. Not all weapons were created equally and a gun's effectiveness does not correlate to its price point, though.
Players have to pick and choose which gun they can buy based on how much money is available to them for that round. With so many different options, it is sometimes difficult to know what to buy and when. Here are the best guns in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in order and why you should be using them.
Updated on June 7, 2021 by Ritwik Mitra: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive stands strong to this day as one of the greatest multiplayer shooter titles anyone can pick up and play right now. The gameplay is engaging, the squad play is extremely satisfying... and the weapons are a blast to use — literally! For players who want their arsenal in the game to be as reliable as possible, we've refreshed this list to include more of the best guns that players can use in CS:GO.
15 USP-S
- Damage: 35
- Fire Rate: 352 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.2 seconds
While the USP-S might not seem like a particularly valuable or useful weapon in CS:GO, those who decide to train with this weapon will definitely understand its true potential.
So long as you keep the silencer on and don't spray bullets, the USP-S becomes a reliable firearm that a tactical build can use in long-range gunfights to get an edge over the opposition.
14 Tec-9
- Damage: 33
- Fire Rate: 500 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.5 seconds
A semi-automatic pistol with a high rate of fire, the Tec-9 is an extremely damaging and scary weapon in the right hands.
The high rate of fire coupled with the overall damage dealt by each bullet makes the Tec-9 a force to be reckoned with. However, keep in mind that moving around while shooting with the Tec-9 hampers its accuracy quite a bit, making it important to remain stationary and pick one's shots wisely in close-quarters combat.
13 Glock-18
- Damage: 30
- Fire Rate: 400/1200 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.27 seconds
The Glock-18 is easily one of the most versatile weapons in CS:GO. The semi-automatic firing mode makes it feel like a run-of-the-mill pistol that serves the user well in medium to long-range shootouts.
However, if you want to get up close and personal, then you can rush players with the burst-fire mode to unleash a torrent of bullets into enemy players, killing them easily in around one to two point-blank bursts.
12 P250
- Damage: 38
- Fire Rate: 400 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.2 seconds
One of the best guns in CS:GO, the P250 is one of the best pistols that you can use in a whole host of situations, making it a versatile and deadly weapon to have in your arsenal.
The fact that it's a pretty cheap weapon means that you can quickly upgrade to this weapon after just a few rounds, giving you an edge over the opposition in terms of firepower.
11 CZ75-Auto
- Damage: 31
- Fire Rate: 600 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.73/2.83 seconds
Easily one of the best side-arms that can be used to dish out some serious damage in a close-range gunfight, the CZ75 is a fearsome weapon in CS:GO when wielded correctly.
However, the weapon compensates for this high damage and rate of fire by introducing massive recoil that can make the weapon quite unwieldy at times, especially in long-range shootouts. Users are better off closing the distance and limiting their shots with this weapon to make the most of it.
10 SG 553
- Damage: 30
- Fire Rate: 545 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.77 seconds
A former meta-defining weapon, the SG552 was nerfed, and for good reason. The Terrorist exclusive SG 553, or Krieg as it is known by many, was able to do everything an AK could do, but with a scope. Although the rifle is not a must-have weapon anymore, it is still a fantastic gun. It is an excellent weapon at holding angles, making it a beast in post-plant situations. It also is quite capable in longer-range engagements.
The SG 553 may have been nerfed out of seeing pro use, but it is still an excellent gun to use in matchmaking, especially at lower levels.
9 AUG
- Damage: 28
- Fire Rate: 600 RPM
- Reload Time: 3.8 seconds
The Counter-Terrorist answer to the SG 553, the AUG was also nerfed. It is no longer the best weapon available to the Counter-Terrorists, but it is still exceptional within its niche. The CTs objective is to hold and defend bomb sites, and few weapons are equipped to hold an angle as well as the AUG is. While the AUG may lack the one-shot kill potential of its Terrorist counterpart, the recoil pattern is significantly easier to learn and intuitive.
The AUG trades ease of use for killing power, making it an excellent lower-level weapon that falls off at higher ranks.
8 SSG 08
- Damage: 88
- Fire Rate: 48 RPM
- Reload Time: 3.7 seconds
The AWP's little cousin, the SSG 08, or Scout rifle, is an excellent choice when doing a half buy or an eco round where you can't afford an AWP. The Scout is extremely affordable and effective for its price point. It will one-shot anyone to the head and will do massive damage to the body, leveling the playing field for your teammates with bad guns. Capable of locking down long corridors or holding angles like the AWP, the Scout trades pure killing power for a more attractive price point and mobility.
The Scout may be in the shadow of the AWP, but it is essential to gaining and holding map control on an eco round.
7 MP9
- Damage: 26
- Fire Rate: 857 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.1 seconds
When you know that your opponents are not going to buy anything or you're playing on a close-range map, the MP9 is the gun to choose. It is affordable, allows for high mobility, and shreds players foolish enough to engage in close-quarters combat with it. The best gun for making money after winning the pistol round, the MP9 (or Mac-10 if you're on the Ts) has secured many players an ace and a wad of cash to spend for their team.
There is no better weapon in the game at stopping an eco rush than the MP9 on a budget.
6 UMP-45
- Damage: 35
- Fire Rate: 666 RPM
- Reload Time: 3.5 seconds
The perfect mix between rifle and SMG, the UMP is a great jack of all trades. The UMP is the gun to buy when you can't afford a full rifle, but you need to fight against them. While other SMGs like the MP9 fall off at longer ranges, the UMP gives the user a fighting chance while still possessing SMG killing power in close range. The UMP is also very user-friendly. It has a manageable recoil pattern that is not punishing to mess up. The UMP has been featured in many of the best FPS games of all time and it has been a great weapon in nearly all of them. CS:GO is no different.
Few weapons are as easy to use and effective as the UMP is in most situations, making it an excellent firearm.
5 Desert Eagle
- Damage: 63
- Fire Rate: 267 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.2 seconds
The Desert Eagle, or Deagle as it is more commonly known as is the great equalizer. As a pistol, it is incredibly cheap. As a weapon, it is incredibly powerful. Very few weapons in Counter-Strike are capable of a one-shot kill. The Deagle is one of them. It is a workhorse if used well, capable of winning rounds by itself. However, miss your shot and you have no way to defend yourself. The Deagle rewards skilled players by allowing them the opportunity to win rounds they have no right winning.
When your back is against the wall and you need a miracle to stay in the game, the Deagle is the gun that will answer your prayers.
4 M4A1-S
- Damage: 33
- Fire Rate: 600 RPM
- Reload Time: 3.1 seconds
The M4A1-S would be the de facto best rifle for the CT side if the M4A4 did not exist. The M4A1-S is silenced and has significantly easier-to-control recoil than the M4A4, but has a slower rate of fire and a smaller magazine, making it less valued. The gun is still incredible. Due to its better recoil, the M4A1-S is a fantastic long-range rifle that will serve you well in wiping out enemies from afar. A newer player looking to improve would find the M4A1-S to be more forgiving and easier to learn with than the M4A4.
While the smaller mag size and a slower rate of fire hold it back, the M4A1-S is able to wipe teams with ease and sound incredible doing it.
3 M4A4
- Damage: 33
- Fire Rate: 666 RPM
- Reload Time: 3.1 seconds
The CTs' weapon of choice, the M4A4 can do it all. It can hold its own in long-range firefights, wipe a rushing team in a single mag, and spam through smokes for what seems like an eternity, all while being fairly easy to use. If it had slightly higher damage, allowing it to one-shot armored opponents to the head, it would be the best weapon in the game. The M4A4 is one of the best weapons at dropping multiple enemies in a single spray thanks to its good mag size, damage, and recoil management.
Any player who wants to play CS:GO competitively needs to master the M4A4 to stand a chance.
2 AWP
- Damage: 115
- Fire Rate: 41 RPM
- Reload Time: 3.7 seconds
No gun can shut down entire sections of a map or take over a game quite like the AWP can. The only gun that is able to one shot to the body, the AWP is expensive, but it is worth every dollar spent. Every team will have an AWPer whenever possible on both sides. The amount of map control the AWP provides is uncontestable. Enemy players need to know where the opposing AWPer is at all times and strategies need to be made to combat them. Peeking into an AWP without help is a near-death sentence.
The only downsides to the AWP are its rate of fire and unscoped accuracy. Otherwise, it is the perfect weapon.
1 AK-47
- Damage: 35
- Fire Rate: 600 RPM
- Reload Time: 2.43 seconds
The Ts have it and the CTs want it — the AK-47 is undoubtedly the best weapon in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. A well-placed headshot will drop opponents, even if they are wearing armor. It has a large mag and a good rate of fire, which helps the Ts push into the CTs without getting destroyed. A skilled AK user can even duel a player using an AWP due to peeker advantage if they are quick enough. The AK is the one advantage the Ts get over the CTs and it is colossal.
The ability to kill in as half as many bullets as an M4A4 combined with a high degree of mobility and multi-kill potential makes the AK-47 the single best gun in the game.