Nearly every shooter game has the same argument - what is the best weapon available?
You see this pop up in Apex Legends, Call of Duty and, of course, Fortnite - and while personal preference plays a big role in determining this on a personal level, you can't ignore the numbers.
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 has been live for months now and we might have the definitive answer for the best weapon in the game, looking at sheer damage output.
Here's a list of the top five most powerful guns in Fortnite, looking at each weapon's damage, fire rate, reload time and damage-per-second (DPS).
Top 5 most powerful guns in Fortnite Season 3
5. Pistol (legendary)
- Damage - 29 per hit
- Fire rate - 6.75
- Reload time - 1.3 seconds
- Magazine size - 16
- DPS - 197
Always underestimated, pistols are phenomenally well-rounded weapons and Fortnite is certainly no exception to this.
It might surprise you to know that damage-wise it almost rivals the FN assault rifle (SCAR).
Granted you'd have to hit every shot while firing extremely fast, but this isn't impossible to do.
4. SCAR (legendary assault rifle)
- Damage - 36 per hit
- Fire rate - 5.5
- Reload time - 2.1 seconds
- Magazine size - 30
- DPS - 198
A fan favourite for many, the gold SCAR is a great all-around weapon in close quarters or for mid-range exchanges.
The legendary assault rifle is highly accurate and the first choice for thousands of players. It’s just a matter of stumbling across one.
It's certainly not the best option, but it definitely gets the job done.
3.Submachine gun (legendary)
- Damage - 20 per hit
- Fire rate - 10
- Reload time - 1.8 seconds
- Magazine size - 35
- DPS - 200
Of course, these tiny machine guns absolutely spit bullets out and that alone is enough to cause devastation to other players.
Not as quick or as powerful as the Rapid Fire SMG, but with the P90 SMG being re-vaulted in the v13.20 patch, the standard SMG is a still useful go-to for quick kills.
Despite having its stats reduced (nerfed) in the update, the legendary version of the SMG still does 20 damage and has a fairly high fire rate of 10.
Overall its damage-per-second is 200 and still ranks among the best guns in the game.
2. Jules' Drum Gun (mythic)
- Damage - 24 per hit
- Fire rate - 8.5
- Reload time - 2.7 seconds
- Magazine size - 40
- DPS - 204
The Drum Gun is a brand new mythic weapon which was added at the start of season 3.
You can only get this gun in matches if you and your team manage to kill the boss Jules and take it.
It's basically a less powerful version of the drum gun in season 2, which was Midas' weapon of choice.
Regardless, it is still incredibly powerful with a potential damage-per-second output of 204. If you can get hold of it, it's well worth risking the boss fight.
1. Rapid Fire SMG (Legendary)
- Damage - 17
- Fire rate - 15
- Reload time - 1.3 seconds
- Magazine size - 26
- DPS - 255
In the latest update to Fortnite, version 13.20, the usual submachine gun had its damage and fire rate dropped dramatically.
For some reason or another, the legendary variation of the rapid-fire SMG remained relatively untouched.
This is now potentially the most powerful close-range weapon to use in the game. The legendary version, at least, has a rough damage-per-second output of 255.
Much like the SMG R-99 in Apex Legends, this was always going to be one of the best to use in Fortnite in terms of pure damage and speed.
Of course, you should always use the weapons you feel comfortable with and by now you'll probably have figured out what works for you.
