Payday 2 Weapons

Payday 2 offers a wide variety of weapons that can be used in both the primary and secondary weapon slots. Assault rifles are typically a primary weapon, and each weapon can be modified for use in diverse situations. Here I have compiled a list of my top 5 favorite assault rifles as well as just some examples of available modifications.

5) Clarion

The player inspects the left side of their custom modded Clarion rifle while ducking beneath a camera inside a dilapidated structure.

The Clarion is a lightweight 5.56 mm assault rifle with a high rate of fire that is found in the Gage Assault Pack  Downloadable Content (DLC). This gun becomes available after you reach level 27 and can be added to your primary weapon slot for just $605,000! This weapon is great for close range battles as it is not very accurate or stable, but it will spit out a lot of bullets in a very short period of time, causing quite a bit of damage. Because it does have such a high rate of fire, this weapon will run out of ammo rather quickly. However, the ammo pickup rate from fallen enemies is relatively high. Despite its initial drawbacks, this weapon is a great framework for building a fatal close range or highly concealable weapon. 

For close range modifications, equip a Short Barrel, a Funnel of Fun Nozzle, Auto Fire mode, an LED Combo, a G2 Grip, and a sight of your choice. The Short Barrel, the Funnel of Fun Nozzle, and Auto Fire hurt the accuracy and stability of the weapon while packing in a lot of damage and threat, while the LED Combo, Sight, and G2 Grip balance out the stats.

For silenced stealth modifications, equip the Suppressed Barrel, G2 Grip, Concealment Boost, and the Compact Laser Module. The improvement in accuracy and stability that results from adding a Suppressed Barrel and the G2 Grip is mirrored by a decrease in concealment. Luckily, this weapon is already concealable, so the effect can be easily negated by adding a Concealment Boost.

Some of these mods cannot be acquired until specific tasks are completed, such as killing 25 Bulldozers using the Gewehr 3 Rifle, gathering 15 Red Spider Packages, killing 200 enemies using the Clarion rifle, and purchasing the Gage Assault Pack.

What makes the Clarion great:

• High rate of fire
• High damage
• Good concealment
• High ammo pickup rate

How to get the Clarion: Purchase the Gage Assault Pack and one of each weapon will be given to you. You can then modify it using Continental Coins, Card Drops, Side Jobs, and Rewards.

Clarion details: https://payday.fandom.com/wiki/Clarion#Gadget
 

4) Valkyria

The player catches a glimpse of their custom modded Valkyria rifle as they run towards the armored truck located in an urban alley.

Valkyria is a primary weapon found within the purchasable DLC Sokol Character Pack. Worth $652,000, this weapon is unlocked at level 29 and honors its mythological namesake by sending its slain victims to Valhalla, just like the Valkyrie. This weapon comes with a suppressor, a high rate of fire, and a fast reload speed. The base stats for this weapon are already relatively good, with damage, stability, and accuracy being comfortably average. With fewer mods available, this weapon cannot be as customized as the others, but can still be built well for a highly concealable weapon that does well under pressure. 

For a stealth build, equip the rifle with the Prototype Barrel, Auto Fire, a Compact Laser Module, and a Concealment Boost. Accuracy is sacrificed in the effort to increase stability, damage, and concealment, better suiting the weapon for close range combat.

Some of these mods cannot be acquired until specific tasks are completed, such as picking up 15 Red Spider Packages and purchasing the Sokol Character Pack.

What makes Valkyria great:

• High rate of fire
• High ammo pickup rate
• High ammo pool
• Suppressed
• Highly concealable

How to get the Valkyria: Purchase the Sokol Character Pack to unlock the gun as well as mods included in that pack. You can then modify it using Continental Coins, Card Drops, Side Jobs, and Rewards.

Valkyria details: https://payday.fandom.com/wiki/Valkyria
 

3) AK5

The player inspects the left side of their AK5 in a shooting range.

The AK5 is a basic assault rifle found in the base game, inspired by the real-world Saab Bofors Ak 5. Worth $749,000, this primary weapon can be unlocked at level 33. This weapon has a respectable ammo reserve with high rates of ammo pickup. Stats are relatively well rounded, though slightly low for stability and damage. The raised concealment level can be manipulated even higher, resulting in a great backup weapon for when an alarm is accidentally triggered. 

For a silent assault build, endow the AK5 with the CQB Barrel, The Bigger The Better Suppressor, Karbin Ceres Handguard, LED Combo, L5 Magazine, The Professional’s Choice Sight, Concealment Boost, and the Caesar Stock. Most of these mods add damage, accuracy, and stability while reducing the ability to conceal the weapon. By including the stock, concealment boost, and barrel, however, this effect can be mitigated. 

Some of these mods cannot be acquired until specific tasks are completed, such as collecting 15 Red Spider Packages and preventing cops from entering the jewelry store in the Jewelry Store job on OVERKILL or above.

What makes the AK5 great:

• Good ammo reserve
• Good ammo pickup rate
• Highly concealable
• Modest reload speed

How you get the AK5: The weapon itself comes with the base game. You can then modify it using Continental Coins, Card Drops, Side Jobs, and Rewards.

AK5 details: https://payday.fandom.com/wiki/AK5
 

2) Lion’s Roar

The player quickly reloads their Lion’s Roar rifle in an urban alley to prepare for battle. 

The Lion’s Roar is a 765 mm rifle that must be purchased as part of the Dragan Character Pack DLC. After reaching level 28, it can be all yours for $628,000. This weapon is deadly without modifications, which is great because mod options are limited. A decently sized magazine combined with a large ammo reserve will come in useful as this weapon does have a high rate of fire, so bullets will go quickly. With that being said, each damage-packed shot is worth it as the slightly higher than average accuracy and stability increases the likelihood that the bullets will find their mark. The Lion’s Roar can be modded to have higher overall damage, accuracy, and stability to produce a great loud assault rifle at both close and long range.

To enhance the build of this weapon, equip it with the Precision Barrel, Tactical Compensator, Auto Fire, LED Combo, and the Reconnaissance Sight. The main goal of most of these mods is to improve the accuracy and stability of the weapon with a slight increase in damage. These improvements are made at the sacrifice of concealment, a feature that is only necessary if you’re trying to be sneaky. 

Some of these mods cannot be acquired until specific tasks are completed, such as collecting 5 Green Mantis Packages and purchasing the Dragan Character Pack.

What makes the Lion’s Roar great:

• Good ammo reserve
• Good ammo pickup
• High rate of fire
• HIgh damage
• Well rounded, damaging stats

How to get the Lion’s Roar: Purchase the Dragan Character Pack and the gun as well as mods included in that pack will be available. You can then modify it using Continental Coins, Card Drops, Side Jobs, and Rewards.

Lion’s Roar details: https://payday.fandom.com/wiki/Lion%27s_Roar
 

1) AMR-16

Customization screen for the AMR-16 rifle. Player is currently comparing the stats of a selected magazine to the stats of the currently equipped magazine. 

The AMR-16 is a fully automatic rifle that comes as part of the base game, is unlocked at level 39, and costs $896,000. It boasts a high rate of fire and hence deals significant damage. The magazine holds a decent amount, and the nuisance of a slightly lower ammo pool for this weapon is mitigated by a fairly good pickup rate. The base stats for this weapon show average accuracy but low stability, a drawback that is easily corrected with a large selection of modifications. One of the most advantageous builds for this rifle is the Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) build, which proves to be an incredibly deadly setup.

To fabricate the DMR build, rig the base weapon with the DMR Kit, Competitor’s Compensator, Stability Boost, Long Ergo Foregrip, LED Combo, Rubber Grip, THRUST Lower Receiver, Speed Pull Magazine, See More Sight, 2 Piece Stock, and the LW Upper Receiver. The DMR Kit itself adds a huge amount of damage, along with the THRUST Lower Receiver and the compensator. The rest of these mods focus on increasing accuracy and stability at the expense of concealment. With high stability, accuracy, and damage at an incredibly fast rate of fire, quick reload speed, and adequate ammo pool combined with satisfactory ammo pick-up, this weapon is a mean killing machine.

Some of these mods cannot be acquired until specific tasks are completed, such as preventing cops from entering the jewelry store on OVERKILL or above in the Jewelry Store job, finding 5 Green Mantis Packages, completing the Nightclub job with each crew member using the OVE 9000 saw as primary and secondary weapons, and leaving 12 hostages on the floor in the Nightclub Job.

What makes AMR-16 great:

• Highly customizable
• High rate of fire
• Good ammo pickup
• High damage

How to get the AMR-16: The weapon itself comes with the base game. You can then modify it using Continental Coins, Card Drops, Side Jobs, and Rewards..

AMR-16 details: https://payday.fandom.com/wiki/AMR-16
 

All modifications included in this article are just a few of the many possibilities, some of which may be free while others are part of a paid DLC Pack. There may be other combinations of mods that produce better results, so keep experimenting! Adjusting skill trees to reflect weapon capabilities may further increase the effectiveness of your weapons. Many mods can be unlocked in a Card Drop or by completing a side job, although they may be purchasable using the in-game currency Continental Coins.

For a complete list of all of Payday 2’s assault rifles, including a brief description, watch this video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX5dXiKe5J4

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