So in short, carbines are assault rifles that have had their barrel length shortened; they are a compact version of their original rifle, they use a shorter cartridge and they are overall lighter and easier to use and control. That’s the same case in the game, these weapons are light, easy to use, and great for pushing objectives and flanking enemies.
They are easy to use, don’t have a lot of recoils, have a high rate of fire, and are overall a very versatile weapon in medium to close combat situations. Long-distance combat isn’t recommended with these rifles. I’ll be ranking all of these carbines by their stats alone, so with that, let’s get into the article!
6. SKS
The first carbine that we’ll be talking about is the SKS. Which is good for some long-distance engagements, but mainly it’s perfect for medium-distance engagements. This weapon has some huge kick to it due to the fact it uses 7.62x39mm rounds, which can make it hard to control the recoil.
Thankfully, you can add some attachments to it to make the recoil manageable, but if you don’t have any supply points for that, just make sure not to spam your left-click when using the weapon. This gun can use magazines from the AKM, so if you run out of ammo, just look for that weapon and you can get yourself some ammo.
SKS Stats:
- Cartridge - 7.62x39mm
- Vertical Recoil - 30
- Horizontal Recoil - 15
- Muzzle Velocity - 735 m/s
- Rate of Fire - 160 rpm
- Penetration - 374 pp
- Magazine Capacity - 20+1 rounds
- Reserve Ammunition - 3 mags
- Supply Points - 2
- Weight - 17%
What SKS Excels At:
- It’s great for 1v1 situations.
- The penetration is good enough to kill someone in 1 hit.
- Due to the high muzzle velocity, the gun can be good in some long-distance engagements.
How To Get SKS:
- You can obtain this carbine when you pick the advisor class on the Insurgent Forces.
5. AKS-74U
Any genre of weapon will have some sort of AK variant. In short, this is an AK that’s like a submachine gun. This AK variant has the fire rate and size of a submachine gun while it uses the rounds from an assault rifle.
That’s one of the main reasons it’s so good in medium and close combat. It may have some recoil, but that can be reduced with some attachments. One great benefit of this weapon is that you can attach a drum magazine to it to hold up to 50 rounds.
AKS-74U Stats:
- Cartridge - 5.45x39mm
- Vertical Recoil - 19
- Horizontal Recoil - 12
- Muzzle Velocity - 735 m/s
- Rate of Fire 732 rpm
- Penetration - 260 pp
- Magazine Capacity - 30+1 rounds
- Reserve Ammunition - 3 mags
- Supply Points - 3
- Weight - 14%
What AKS-74U Excels At:
- Due to its small size and high rate of fire, the weapon is good in medium and close combat.
- You can attach a drum magazine to the weapon, making it perfect to spray down enemies.
- The low weight makes it easier to flank enemies.
How To Get AKS-74U:
- You can obtain this weapon when you pick the advisor class on the Insurgent Forces.
4. G36K
The next carbine comes from Germany, and it’s made by the legendary H&K. It comes from the family of G3 rifles. The K in the G36 stands for “kurz,” which means “short,” because the weapon has a short barrel and short forend, and it comes with a bottom rail to which you can attach accessories.
The best part about this carbine is that you can attach a grenade launcher. The carbine doesn’t have a lot of recoil, has a high rate of fire, and there are three firing modes. You can use the 2 round burst mode to kill anyone easily.
G36K Stats:
- Cartridge - 5.56x45mm NATO
- Vertical Recoil - 26
- Horizontal Recoil - 10
- Muzzle Velocity - 850 m/s
- Rate of Fire - 741 rpm
- Penetration - 299 pp
- Magazine Capacity - 30+1 rounds
- Reserve Ammunition - 3 mags
- Supply Points - 3
- Weight - 18%
What G36K Excels At:
- You can attach a grenade launcher to the weapon.
- It’s highly customizable to the user's preferences.
- It has three different firing modes.
How To Get G36K:
- You can get this carbine when you pick the rifleman, demolitions, observer, and commander class in the Security Forces.
3. M4A1
Here is one of the most versatile carbines in the whole game. This is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 while maintaining its ability to be highly customizable. It doesn’t have a lot of recoils, so you can do without the attachments that reduce recoil and focus more on your equipment.
It has a high rate of fire, fast muzzle velocity, and decent penetration. It’s best used in close quarters or when you want to flank the enemy team. Due to its ability to attach a grenade launcher, it’s also very useful for clearing out rooms or creating thigh choke points in alleyways or hallways.
M4A1 Stats:
- Cartridge - 5.56x45mm NATO
- Vertical Recoil - 25
- Horizontal recoil - 7
- Muzzle Velocity - 910 m/s
- Rate of Fire - 741 rpm
- Penetration - 391 pp
- Magazine Capacity - 30+1 rounds
- Reserve Ammunition - 3 mags
- Supply Points - 5
- Weight - 18%
What M4A1 Excels At:
- It’s great for clearing out rooms.
- It’s amazing for flanking enemies.
- It’s highly customizable.
- You can attach either a grenade launcher or a shotgun to the under barrel.
How To Get M4A1:
- You can get this carbine when you pick the rifleman, demolitions, observer, and commander class in the Security Forces.
2. MK 18
This is the most popular carbine in the whole game, and people love using it. The size of the weapon is small, which makes it easier to use around corners, tight spaces, vehicles, and so on. The size makes it seem like an SMG, but it has the firepower of an assault rifle.
It can easily drop a squad of enemies in seconds. It’s not as customizable as the M4A1, but you can attach some essentials to it. Such as a recoil grip, scope, and so on. The gun is easy to use, and it doesn’t require a lot of skill.
MK 18 Stats:
- Cartridge - 5.56x45mm NATO
- Vertical Recoil - 22
- Horizontal Recoil - 11
- Muzzle Velocity - 780 m/s
- Rate of Fire - 741 rpm
- Penetration - 275 pp
- Magazine Capacity - 30+1 rounds
- Reserve Ammunition - 3 mags
- Supply Points - 4
- Weight - 14%
What MK 18 Excels At:
- It’s easy to use in confined spaces.
- The recoil is easily manageable with attachments.
- It’s a community's favorite weapon to use.
- It has the firepower of an assault rifle.
How To Get MK 18:
- You can obtain this carbine when you pick the advisor class in the Security Forces.
1. SG 552
This carbine was added to the game in the most recent update, and it’s quite good. The best part about it is that it has a transparent magazine, which allows you to see how many bullets you have. It comes in quite useful in tight situations, especially if you don’t know when to reload.
The rate of fire is fast, the recoil can be removed with attachments, and it’s great in close quarters. The only downside to this weapon is the ammo, as it can only hold up to 20 rounds in its magazine. It does have three different firing modes, and the best one is the short three-round burst, which will drop anyone who comes into your sights.
SG 552 Stats:
- Cartridge - 5.56x45mm NATO
- Vertical Recoil - 23
- Horizontal Recoil - 9
- Muzzle Velocity - 725 m/s
- Rate of Fire - 700 rpm
- Penetration - 257 pp
- Magazine Capacity - 20 rounds
- Reserve Ammunition - 3 mags
- Supply Points - 2
- Weight - 14%
What SG 552 Excels At:
- It doesn’t cost a lot of supply points to use.
- It has a transparent magazine that shows you how many bullets it has left.
- The recoil isn’t high and can easily be controlled.
How To Get SG 552:
- You can obtain this carbine when you pick the rifleman, observer, demolitions, and commander class on the Insurgent Forces.
