Payday 3 Guide – The Best Weapons and Gadgets, and How To Get Them

Success in Payday 3 requires coordination, reflexes, patience, and the right skills, but it also comes down to having the best guns and gadgets. Due to the limited arsenal available, there isn’t much to choose from, but it makes identifying the best choices easier.

Check out some of the best weapons in the game and how to get them. Remember that owning a gun is only the first step – you also need to earn weapon XP to unlock mods. Head here for more details. You can also check out our guide for farming Cash.

Best Weapons and How to Get Them

Car-4

As the starting assault rifle, the Car-4 is pretty reliable all around. It has 30 bullets in the magazine with 300 reserve ammo, good accuracy, and decent stability, handling and fire rate. Though the damage isn’t too high, it works well in the starting heists at Normal. If you enjoy its look and feel, you can unlock the Car-4 Monument at Infamy Level 100 using C-Stacks, which boasts even lower recoil.

Signature 403

Secondary weapons are very important in Payday 3, and you should switch to them in the middle of a firefight instead of reloading your primary weapon. However, options like the Signature 403 can be strong substitutes when you’re out of primary ammo. It has decent damage with average recoil but good handling and accuracy with a 17-bullet magazine. The only downside is it unlocks at Infamy Level 59 and costs $250,000.

An alternative is to use the Signature 40, which is available from the start. It’s very similar and will serve you best during stealth missions with a silencer equipped. You can also go with the SP Model 11, which unlocks at Infamy Level 38 and costs $250,000. Despite only having ten bullets in the magazine, it hits hard, and its variant, the Hard Cough, comes with a silencer by default at Infamy Level 86.

SA A144

Marksman rifles can be essential during stealth missions but are fairly potent overall. The SA A144 is perhaps the best of the lot and unlocked fairly early at Infamy Level 15 for $300,000. It does decent damage with decent accuracy, recoil and handling, and though its fire rate isn’t very high, the fact that it’s semi-auto makes up for it. With 12 bullets in the magazine and 60 ammo in reserve, it’s a monster if you can nail those headshots.

Mosconi 12 Classic

If you want to deal massive damage up close and don’t mind constant reloading, the double-barreled Mosconi 12 Classic is a great option. If you can get around that and the low reserve ammo, it deals massive damage, shredding Elites. Just don’t try challenging any snipers with it. The Mosconi 12 Classic unlocks at Infamy Level 43 and costs $500,000.

VF-7S

The last unlockable assault rifle is the VF-7S, essentially a SCAR. Unlocked at Infamy Level 77 and costing $500,000, it has 20 shots in the magazine and 200 reserve ammo. In terms of stats, it’s pretty top-tier with strong damage, stability and accuracy, while recoil isn’t too bad. If assault rifles are your thing, get this as soon as possible.

If you’re a ways off from unlocking it, the KU-59 is a good substitute. It’s available at Infamy Level 35 for $500,000 and has 30 rounds in the magazine. It’s a solid automatic assault rifle which will carry you for much of the game.

Best Gadgets and How to Unlock Them

Gadgets can be just as vital as weapons for turning the tides. Each crew member can only carry one, so choosing the right one for the job is essential. Check out our recommendations for the best gadgets and how to get them.