Veteran agents of The Division should find themselves in largely familiar territory for the sequel, as The Division 2 keeps faith very closely with the original, exploration-heavy, shared-world loot and shoot adventure that initially drew players into its dreary post-apocalyptic backdrop. And, as you'd expect with a proper sequel, it manages to do it all a little better, bringing all of those elements together even more cohesively than before.
While this is demonstrated pretty well across the entire board, nowhere is this more evident than in terms of weapon selection and gunplay, and mowing down hostiles with them has never felt more impactful and rewarding. The improvements made to the gunplay and handling definitely feel awesome when you've got a great weapon to experience them with, but setting out with one that isn't quite up to par can produce the exact opposite effect.
So, to help make sure you're getting the most out of your romp through the ruins of Washington D.C, we've put together a list of the best weapons to take with you. We're working with just the raw, normalized weapon statistics here, so remember that you can definitely change your mileage depending on your build, modifications, weapon talents, and whether or not you're playing in PVP.
Updated on August 27, 2022, by Gabrielle Huston: We've refreshed this list to keep you updated on the very best shotguns, assault rifles, pistols, and more! Dive in and take a look.
15 Super 90 Shotgun
Sometimes you just want a shotgun that does exactly what a shotgun is supposed to do. It feels natural, it is effective, and it's really difficult to use incorrectly. If you like shotguns, then you need to give this one a try.
Boasting high RPM and one of the higher DPS ratings among shotguns, it may lack the solid, per-shot stopping power of quite a few of its brethren, but it kicks out shells fast enough to end up a lot more useful than most of them. Just mind the lengthy reload times.
14 FAMAS 2010 Assault Rifle
The FAMAS has the highest normalized DPS rating among its assault rifle peers, owing heavily to its incredibly high rate of fire. This makes it a pretty common choice, especially for PVP outings.
While it stays pretty accurate in most circumstances, the damage drop-off for this particular assault rifle keeps it relegated to a bit inside of mid-range fighting. However, this also makes it perfect for the frenetic, run-and-gun gameplay where most players will end up finding their comfort zone while still retaining enough punch to lend a little extra reach to that style.
13 Double Barrel Shotgun
Sometimes, the low-tech, straightforward solutions tend to get overlooked for the shinier, more modernized aesthetics of other options. That can be a pretty grave mistake, especially when it comes to picking out your favorite shotgun.
The accuracy is abysmal, and you're going to find yourself reloading more often than you find yourself doing anything else. But these drawbacks pay off in absolutely tremendous amounts of stopping power, and they're well worth the trade-off once you're comfortable with the play style that this unassuming and humble classic shotgun requires of you.
12 M44 Sniper Rifle
The M44 has been getting a lot of attention from fans of marksman rifles, and it's not entirely unfounded. While the powerful M700 outperforms it in most areas, the M44 really can dish out the pain too.
It reloads considerably faster than the M700, allowing you to put out more rounds a little faster. Depending on your play style, this subtle advantage can mean the difference between landing shots and missing them, depending on the finer points of your own personal style of play.
11 M700 Sniper Rifle
Sniper rifles entail an entirely different style of play than practically every other weapon class in the game, and whether or not it's a rewarding style of play is an entirely subjective consideration.
What isn't subjective, though, is the fact that the M700 can be an absolute monster when put to use by the right hands. It boasts some of the highest possible damage per shot ratings. Sure, it's arguably surpassed by some shotguns depending on your point of view, but this is the route you want to explore if you're tired of getting into your target's face to kick out crippling amounts of damage.
10 Mk17 Rifle
The Mk17 has, hands down, the best numbers for both burst DPS and long-term engagements in its class. Long story short, if you like using semi-automatic rifles, then this is the one you want to be running with. No question.
There are a precious few weapons that can outpace it in terms of raw damage, but simply do not offer the same utility with mid-to-long range firefights that this bad boy excels at providing. It's super accurate and it hurts, making it a pretty natural consideration if you're a sharpshooter.
9 M60 LMG
The LMG class can be full of clunky, inaccurate options with excruciating reload times. However, the M60 definitely offers enough in terms of payoffs to offset these disadvantages.
The magazine size is absolutely massive and the damage rating really packs a solid punch, so while many will still find the reload delay hurtful, it's worth wondering if there are actually going to be any remaining hostiles for you to worry about once swapping magazines finally comes into play.
8 P416 Assault Rifle
This assault rifle is pretty comparable to the FAMAS in terms of performance, it just fires a little bit slower and hits a little bit harder with each round. The way this boils down, the FAMAS still comes out ahead in terms of DPS, but not by much.
The slower rate of fire can come to some benefit, like having a much easier time controlling how many rounds you spend per burst. Whether or not that's worth the slight trade-off is up to you, but whatever that case may be, this is still an incredibly solid option for assault rifle users. It's also worth noting that in the longer run, the P416 can outpace the FAMAS in longer firefights with a magazine attachment.
7 D50 Pistol
Generally, a sidearm is just that – a sidearm. You don't necessarily want to use it unless you have to, but this is one pistol that will tempt you to drag it out of the holster time and time again, whether it's for style points or to be used as intended to great effect.
The M1911 actually does outpace it ever so slightly when you're talking about straightforward DPS, but the D50's impressive per-shot damage makes it the more effective weapon when it comes to crunch time. If you've felt the need to drag out your pistol, every shot needs to count, and every piece of lead that exits the barrel of the D50 is going to feel like it matters when it lands.
6 AKM Assault Rifle
Ah, yes. One variant or another of the classic AK is going to find itself into almost any shooter, and it's going to carry its reputation as a rugged and reliable go-to weapon with it. Luckily, it doesn't disappoint when it comes to The Division 2.
While it features a sluggish RPM and one of the longest reload times in its weapon class, it also ranks among the highest when it comes to per-shot damage. This means that it doesn't top the DPS charts, but it definitely doesn't fall short either. This is a reliable, well-rounded choice that's easy to set up a build around while avoiding utter disappointment.
5 Vector SMG
The Vector is probably one of the most popular PVP selections in the game, kicking out blistering burst DPS numbers that will absolutely melt other players in record time.
Its insane RPM value means that this thing will absolutely shred through anything you point it at, regardless of the low per-shot damage. While this means that you'll also be emptying its remarkably small magazine very quickly, it features an incredibly quick reload time that will keep you in the fight.
4 SVD Sniper Rifle
At a glance, the SVD has the lowest damage rating of all the available sniper rifles in the game. Which would usually be an incredible reason to totally skip it over in favor of one of the more conventionally powerful options.
However, it has a high magazine size, very high rate of fire, and a speedy reload time. It may take quite a bit of practice, but if you can stay on target and track them well, there's an incredible amount of damage potential here. Seriously, if you decide to give this thing a try, stick with it for a while. You might be surprised what you can pull off.
3 AUG A3 SMG
The AUG is an incredibly well-rounded SMG, striking a great middle ground between damage and RPM. This makes it a reliable and effective go-to weapon when you're a bit unsure of what exactly you're wanting to go for.
There are a few drawbacks, like the somewhat limited magazine capacity. However, that isn't too difficult to compensate for, and the outstanding performance of this weapon is way more than worth going out of your way to do so.
2 M1A (CQB) Rifle
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The M1A was a weapon with no shortage of appreciation in the original release of The Division, and it's back with a vengeance here in the sequel. It rivals the Mk17 rifle pretty solidly in terms of DPS thanks to its incredibly high fire rate, but does a little less damage per shot.
Of course, to take full advantage of it you'll need to maintain a pretty steady aim on your target. DPS doesn't add up if you can't land shots consistently, so as is usual for these types of weapons, accuracy is the determining factor between having a superior or inferior weapon.
1 ACR Rifle
The ACR is another well-rounded weapon, and you'd be incredibly wise to give it some much-deserved attention – especially if you're new to the game and still figuring out where your exact niche is.
It isn't the best rifle in the game, but it is, without a doubt, very far from the worst. The core damage rating might seem a bit lacking, but its incredible rate of fire and decent reload speed allow it to keep up well and put on a good showing in the DPS department. You may not be overjoyed by the ACR, but that's precisely what makes it so dangerous to overlook.