Weapons & ammo

All 20 real guns in Build 42 (plus two toy cap guns), the nine calibres after the 42.14 ammo rework, every attachment, how the new aiming circle and jamming work, the six melee skills with the weapons worth carrying, and what you can make yourself. Updated for Build 42.21, November 2026.

A dark warehouse at night — Every shot is a dinner bell

01Part

Every firearm

Noise is the radius in tiles that zombies can hear the shot. Six guns arrived with 42.15 (9 March 2026).

Gun	Type	Ammo	Capacity	Noise	Notes
M9 Pistol	pistol	9x19mm	15 (magazine)	100	Easiest sidearm ammo to find; low damage; takes laser, gun light, tritium sights
M1911 Pistol	pistol	.45 ACP	7 (magazine)	70	Quiet for a gun; its magazines also fit the Trapper Carbine
B-F Pistol	pistol	.44 Magnum	8 (magazine)	120	Hardest-hitting handgun
SN38 Revolver	revolver	.38 Special	5	60	Quietest gun in the game, lowest damage, never jams
Patrol Revolver	revolver	.357 Magnum	6	100	Never jams; moved to .357 in 42.14
Magnum	revolver	.44 Magnum	6	120	Best sidearm: high damage, never jams, takes a x2 scope
Double Barrel Shotgun	shotgun	12 gauge	2	200	Never jams; huge damage up close
Sawed-off Double Barrel	shotgun	12 gauge	2	200	70% base hit chance; still two-handed
JS-2000 Shotgun	shotgun	12 gauge	5	200	Best first gun: 65% hit chance and very common
Sawed-off JS-2000	shotgun	12 gauge	5	200	70% base hit chance
JS-3T Tactical Shotgun 42.15	shotgun	12 gauge	7	200	Police pump shotgun; biggest shotgun capacity; takes a red dot
MSR700 Rifle	rifle	5.56x45mm	5	150	Bolt action; takes the x8 scope
MSR788 Rifle	rifle	7.62x51mm	4	170	Bolt-action hunting rifle; long range; x8 scope
MSR7T Tactical Rifle 42.15	rifle	7.62x51mm	4	170	Accurized precision rifle; x8 scope
M1A Rifle	rifle	7.62x51mm	20 (magazine)	170	Best all-round rifle: longest range, shots pass through targets. Was M14
M16 Assault Rifle	rifle	5.56x45mm	30 (magazine)	150	The only full-auto gun; needs Aiming to use well
JS-14 Rifle 42.15	rifle	5.56x45mm	20 (magazine)	150	Light and robust but inaccurate (45% base hit)
L92 Carbine 42.15	rifle	.357 Magnum	10	120	Lever action; shares ammo with the Patrol Revolver
L94 Rifle 42.15	rifle	.30-30	6	160	Lever-action ranch rifle; the only .30-30 gun
Trapper Carbine 42.15	rifle	.45 ACP	7 (M1911 magazine)	70	Quietest long gun; somewhat unreliable

Toy Cap Pistol and Toy Cap Rifle also exist. They fire caps and do no damage.

02Part

Ammunition

42.14 (February 2026) reworked ammunition: .223 was removed and the base revolver moved to .357 Magnum. Cartons hold 12 boxes of any calibre.

Calibre	Used by	Box
9x19mm	M9	50 per box
.45 ACP	M1911, Trapper Carbine	50 per box
.38 Special	SN38	50 per box
.357 Magnum	Patrol Revolver, L92	50 per box
.44 Magnum	Magnum, B-F Pistol	20 per box
.30-30	L94	20 per box
5.56x45mm	M16, JS-14, MSR700	20 per box
7.62x51mm	M1A, MSR788, MSR7T	20 per box
12 gauge	Double Barrel, JS-2000, JS-3T and the sawed-offs	about 25 per box (unconfirmed)
.223	none: removed in 42.14	was 40 per box in B41

Bandoliers

Worn in the ammo slot. Bullet bandoliers take any rounds except shells; shell bandoliers take shells. They cut carried ammo weight by 85% and make hand-loading 1.15x faster. Leather versions need Tailoring 5.

Where to find it

42.15 split gun loot into civilian, police and military pools. Police stations and gun shops carry the most; military sites carry 5.56 and 7.62.

03Part

Aiming, jamming and repairs

The aiming circle

Build 42 aims with an on-screen circle: the smaller it is, the better the shot. Aiming skill, closer range and standing still shrink it. Moving, firing again too soon, panic, pain, wind, fog, rain, darkness and heavy headgear grow it.

Point blank

Inside 3.5 tiles every gun is a point-blank weapon. Gamepad aiming arrived in 42.15.

Base hit chance

Most guns 50%. JS-2000 65%, the sawed-offs 70%, the JS-14 only 45%.

Jamming

On in Apocalypse since 42.15. Revolvers and the Double Barrel never jam. Rack a jammed gun from the inventory.

Repairs

Tape and glue do not fix guns. You use up a second gun of the same family: the first repair restores half of what was lost, the second 20%, then 10%. Minimum Aiming: shotguns 2, pistols 3, bolt and lever rifles 4, M16, M1A, JS-14 and Trapper 5.

Not in vanilla

Suppressors, bayonets, SMGs and ammo crafting. If you see them, it is a mod.

04Part

Attachments

Right-click the gun and choose Upgrade. Most parts need a screwdriver.

Part	Effect	Fits
x2 Scope	Sight range 4–12, slower aim	Rifles, Magnum
x4 Scope	Sight range 8–16, slower aim	Rifles
x8 Scope	Sight range 15–22, slowest aim	MSR700, MSR788, MSR7T only
Red Dot	Sight range 2–10, faster aim	M16, M1A, JS-14, JS-3T, Trapper
Tritium Pistol Sights	Faster aim, better in low light	M9, M1911, B-F
Laser Sight	+5 hit chance, faster aim	Pistols and some rifles
Gun Light	Light; shares the laser slot; no screwdriver	Pistols
Recoil Pad	Less recoil	Long guns
Ammo Straps	Faster reloads; no screwdriver	Long guns (sling slot)
Full Choke	Tighter spread, +2 range	JS-2000, Double Barrel
Improved Choke	Slightly tighter spread, +1 range	JS-2000, Double Barrel

05Part

Melee weapons by skill

Each melee category has its own skill, so pick one family and stick to it. Maintenance slows wear on all of them.

Skill	Weapon	Why
Axe	Wood Axe	Most damage of any common weapon; two-handed and tiring
Axe	Firefighter Axe	Strong and durable
Axe	Hatchet	One-handed compromise
Axe	Pickaxe	Heavy hitter, good crits
Axe	Crude Stone Axe	B42 primitive craft; can chop trees
Long Blunt	Crowbar	Most durable common weapon; also a tool
Long Blunt	Baseball Bat	Common, good crits; upgrade with nails or metal
Long Blunt	Metal Bat with Bolts	One of the best long blunts
Long Blunt	Sledgehammer	Huge damage, very heavy, very slow
Long Blunt	Shovel / Spade	Long reach, early find
Short Blunt	Mace	Best short blunt
Short Blunt	Nightstick	Light and fast
Short Blunt	Lead Pipe	Durable
Short Blunt	Claw Hammer, Pipe Wrench	Weak but long-lasting tools
Long Blade	Katana	Highest damage in the game; rare, fragile, can’t be sharpened
Long Blade	Machete	Best all-round find; one-handed
Long Blade	Sword	Can be forged and sharpened
Long Blade	Scrap Metal Sword	Welding craft
Short Blade	Hunting Knife	Best common knife; quiet single kills
Short Blade	Kitchen Knife	Fragile; early use or a spear tip
Short Blade	Fighting Knife	Military knife; also a spear head
Short Blade	Stone Knife	B42 knapped primitive knife
Spear	Garden Fork	Most durable spear; also digs
Spear	Spear with Kitchen Knife	Good damage, wears fast
Spear	Fire-Hardened Spear	Cheap and renewable
Spear	Metal or stone-headed spears	About 20 head variants in B42

Damage, durability and reach for 78 weapons: melee weapon stats.

Multi-hit (one swing hitting several zombies) only works if the Weapon Multi Hit sandbox option is on. It is off in Apocalypse.

06Part

Weapons you can make

Spears

A stick and a knife make a wooden spear; harden it at a fire. Build 42 adds about 20 heads: knife, bone, glass, stone and metal.

Stone and bone

Crude Stone Axe (Maintenance 1), then Knapping unlocks large stone axes, mauls and knives. Bone hatchets, axes and spiked clubs from Carving.

Nailed weapons

Carpentry 1 and five nails: nailed bats, planks and cudgels. Railspikes, sawblades and brake discs make the heavier versions.

Welded scrap

Welding 2 to 8: large knives, cleaver-axes, mauls, shortswords, morningstars and swords. They often come out blunt; sharpen them.

Forged steel

Blacksmithing at a forge and anvil: knives and crude blades first, real swords and axe heads at the advanced forge. Recipes must be learned.

Improvised mauls

Kettle, bucket and engine-part mauls at Maintenance 4 to 5.

The stations and tiers are in the crafting guide.

07Part

The best weapons

Opinion, ours and the guides we checked.

First gun

JS-2000 Shotgun. Common, forgiving, and every shotgun levels Aiming fastest.

Best rifle

M1A. Longest range, shots pass through, 20-round magazine.

Best sidearm

Magnum. High damage, never jams. Quietest: SN38.

Quiet long gun

Trapper Carbine, as loud as a pistol.

Best melee to carry

Crowbar or Machete for durability, plus a heavy hitter (axe or sledge) for emergencies.

The trophy

Katana. Triple the damage of anything else, but rare, fragile and impossible to sharpen.

Every gunshot draws every zombie inside its noise radius. On Apocalypse, a shotgun in town at noon is how most characters die. Use melee for one or two, guns for when it is already too late.

08Part

Quick answers

What is the best gun in Project Zomboid Build 42?

For most players the JS-2000 shotgun early and the M1A rifle later. The Magnum is the best sidearm.

What guns were added in Build 42?

42.15 added six: the JS-14 Rifle, JS-3T Tactical Shotgun, L92 Carbine, L94 Rifle, MSR7T Tactical Rifle and Trapper Carbine.

Is there .223 ammo in Build 42?

No. 42.14 removed .223; the MSR700 now uses 5.56x45mm.

How do you repair a gun in Project Zomboid?

By using up a second gun of the same kind. Tape and glue do not work on firearms.

Are there suppressors in Project Zomboid?

Not in vanilla Build 42. Suppressors come from mods.

What is the best melee weapon?

The katana hits hardest but is rare and fragile. The crowbar and machete are the best weapons to rely on day to day.

Gun stats, calibres and attachment data from the Build 42 game data as published by pzfans.com (42.19 to 42.20.4) and pindrop.gg (42.21), with The Indie Stone’s 42.14 and 42.15 notes for the ammo rework and new guns. Box sizes for 12 gauge, .38 and .45 are not individually confirmed. Rankings are opinion.