Far Cry 5 drops a deputy into Hope County, Montana, where Joseph Seed's Eden's Gate cult has taken the county apart and handed the pieces to three heralds. Holland Valley belongs to John, Henbane River to Faith and the Whitetail Mountains to Jacob, and each region runs its own Resistance meter that fills as you liberate outposts, wreck cult property and rescue civilians. Holland Valley needs 10,000 Resistance points to bring John out, while Henbane River and the Whitetail Mountains need 13,000 each. Everything else, the nine Guns for Hire and Fangs for Hire included, exists to make that number climb faster.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR-C | S | General purpose play across all three regions, especially for players running one primary. | The default assault rifle and the weapon that covers the widest range of situations in Hope County. |
| MS16 | A | Stealth clears where a bolt action is too slow but an assault rifle lacks the damage. | A semi-automatic marksman rifle based on the M14. |
| SA-50 | A | Long range outpost overwatch and dealing with heavy enemies before they close. | The heavy sniper rifle, modelled on the Gepard GM6 Lynx. |
| M133 | B | Interior clears, Prepper Stash defence and any fight inside a building. | A pump action shotgun based on the Baikal MP-133. |
| Recurve Bow | B | Undetected outpost liberation and hunting for the Prepper Stash and hunting challenges. | Silent, ammo-recoverable and lethal on a headshot, with no suppressor durability to worry about. |
S-Tier: AR-C
The default assault rifle and the weapon that covers the widest range of situations in Hope County. Suppressed and scoped it stays useful in stealth, and unsuppressed it handles the reinforcement waves that arrive after an alarm.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | General purpose play across all three regions, especially for players running one primary. |
| Key Mechanic | Regional Resistance meters |
| Recommended Role | Grace Armstrong |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using AR-C: Pairs naturally with Grace Armstrong thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: MS16
A semi-automatic marksman rifle based on the M14. It sits between the AR-C and the SA-50, hitting harder than the assault rifle while still being usable at close range, and it accepts a suppressor for quiet outpost work.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Stealth clears where a bolt action is too slow but an assault rifle lacks the damage. |
| Key Mechanic | Guns for Hire and Fangs for Hire |
| Recommended Role | Nick Rye |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using MS16: Pairs naturally with Nick Rye thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: SA-50
The heavy sniper rifle, modelled on the Gepard GM6 Lynx. It punches through cover and kills most cultists with a single body shot, which matters when an outpost has more armoured enemies than you have time for.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Long range outpost overwatch and dealing with heavy enemies before they close. |
| Key Mechanic | Perk points and Prepper Stashes |
| Recommended Role | Sharky Boshaw |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using SA-50: Pairs naturally with Sharky Boshaw thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: M133
A pump action shotgun based on the Baikal MP-133. Close range only, and completely decisive there, which makes it the natural sidearm for the fights that start when a Prepper Stash turns out to be guarded.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Interior clears, Prepper Stash defence and any fight inside a building. |
| Key Mechanic | Cult outposts and Outpost Master |
| Recommended Role | Jess Black |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using M133: Pairs naturally with Jess Black thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Recurve Bow
Silent, ammo-recoverable and lethal on a headshot, with no suppressor durability to worry about. It is the only weapon that lets you clear an outpost without ever triggering the alarm chain, and arrows can be pulled back out of bodies.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Undetected outpost liberation and hunting for the Prepper Stash and hunting challenges. |
| Key Mechanic | Herald abductions |
| Recommended Role | Boomer |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Recurve Bow: Pairs naturally with Boomer thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Dutch's Island
- MS16 → Your first real upgrade, available early
- SA-50 → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- AR-C → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Cut the alarm before anything else at an outpost. Every cult outpost has alarms that call reinforcements, and clearing one undetected pays a bonus on top of the Resistance points, so the alarm box is the first target and the guard nearest it is the second.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Far Cry 5 Guides
- Far Cry 5 Far Cry 5 Overview
- Far Cry 5 Best Builds
- Far Cry 5 Tier List
- Far Cry 5 Walkthrough
- Far Cry 5 Beginner's Guide
- Far Cry 5 Tips & Tricks
- Far Cry 5 Combat Guide
- Far Cry 5 Boss Guide
- Far Cry 5 Maps & Locations
- Far Cry 5 Crafting Guide
- Far Cry 5 Classes & Characters
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