The Top 4 Guns I Want in Escape From Tarkov

Every day we get closer to the next wipe in Escape from Tarkov, which will introduce a host of new features to the game like an expanded Factory map with a new boss, a new scav karma system, and the implementation of weapon durability and malfunctions. What I haven’t heard much about are the new guns that will be introduced in the upcoming patch. Now guns are something that Battlestate Games, the developers of EFT, have done really well. From the sounds to the weapons handling and recoil, the level of detail each weapon has really gives the game an edge in the realism department. What new guns are in the pipeline? Well, here’s what I’d be most excited to see in the game.

First and foremost, I’m a huge fan of military surplus firearms, and I love that BSG has taken the time to include guns like the Mosin Nagant, PPSh-41, and Tokarev. But these WWII-era weapons only represent one side of the historical equation. According to the Trophy Committee of the Red Army, between 1943 and 1945 over 257,000 machine guns and 3 million rifles were collected as battlefield pickups from the German Wehrmacht. In fact, Russia still has so many German small arms in storage that they’re melting them down to cast as steps for the Temple of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a memorial built for the 75^th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

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How much fun would it be to load in with the iconic K98k Mauser, Germany’s standard infantry rifle during WWII? BSG could include the equally iconic P-08 Luger, Walther P-38, MP-40 submachinegun, or even the first true assault weapon, the STG-44. These guns could even be made to match the lore of Tarkov. For example, I can imagine receiving a quest from Peacekeeper to disrespect scavs by killing 20 with a German K98, or dropping markers on stockpiles of Third Reich weapons so they can be destroyed before scavs steal and distribute them. All kinds of opportunities are possible!  How realistic is this? Well, I just noticed in the full Raid film that one of the scavs (here) has a PPS-43, a WWII-era weapon not currently in the game. This could mean the ’43 is on its way, and if so then anything could be possible!

We know by now that BSG plans to include revolvers in EFT, and they’ve already included the revolver combat skill in the character menu. I’d personally like to see a mix of small and large caliber revolvers. A 38-special/ 357-magnum revolver would make the most sense on the smaller side, and of all available options I’d most want to have some of the Colt snake guns added. Imagine running a Colt Cobra in 38-special, the same weapon Jack Ruby used to kill Lee Harvey Oswald, or a stainless-steel Colt Python in 357-magnum, just like Rick’s weapon from The Walking Dead.

On the heavier side, the obvious caliber choice has to be 44-magnum, of which I’d most like to see the legendary Smith and Wesson Model 29. Dwell time between shots would certainly be longer, but rest assured the 44-magnum round would hit like a tank. They could include various 41 and 44 caliber loadings all the way up to the super-hot Buffalo Bore rounds and even include optics like modern hunters sometimes use. Terminal ballistic performance of the 44 is absolutely devastating, so you could definitely have confidence using one in a gunfight. You’ll just have to remember – did you fire 6 shots… or only 5?

Next up isn’t so much a single firearm as it is any firearm in a specific caliber; that caliber being 10mm Auto. If you haven’t heard of it, think of 10mm as .40S&W’s chonky older brother. It uses the same heavy projectile as .40S&W with a higher velocity; fitting the niche of a magnum pistol cartridge in a semi-auto platform. Why do I want 10mm in EFT? Well, it would be a good counterpart to the magnum pistol cartridges going on display when revolvers are released. It would also help flesh out some of the weapons already in the game, particularly the Glock 20.

Besides the Glock, they could also reuse the MP5 weapon model. What’s that, an MP5 in 10mm? You heard me right. Following the infamous Miami shootout on April 11^th, 1986, the FBI made a short-lived move away from 9mm Para to 10mm. The reasoning behind the move was improved terminal ballistic performance. And while the FBI soon left it in favor of the .40S&W, a batch of 10mm MP5’s, dubbed MP5/10 remains in use with the federal agency to this day. Do I want a super flat shooting, low recoil, and full auto thicc boy in EFT? Yes, please.

But that’s not even my final answer for the 10mm. BSG already announced back in 2016 that they plan to include the Chiappa Rhino in the revolver release. The Rhino is a really cool revolver. It fires from the bottom cylinder as opposed to every other traditional revolver on the market today. This has the effect of placing the axis of the bore more in line with the shooter’s hand, thereby significantly reducing felt recoil.

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While the Rhino comes in your standard calibers, BSG could really take it to the next level and include a model that shoots 10mm. And this isn’t entirely without precedent. A company called Aria Ballistic Engineering offers Rhinos chambered in 10mm. They perform a complete rechamber from 40S&W to 10mm Auto that includes an action and “true-up” service of all mechanical components and a cylinder strengthening treatment that increases Rockwell hardness. As far as in-game, this could be a gnarly space-age looking 6-shot meta pistol that potentially rivals the FN Five Seven.  

Finally, the last gun I’d love to see in Tarkov is a big, heavy bolt action precision rifle; most likely either the Barret M95 in 12.7x99mm or its similar Russian counterpart, the OSV-98 in 12.7x108mm. This would be the most obscene, over-powered round in Tarkov, like the 338LM on steroids. But in order for it to be successful, it would need to have its limits. Even though an empty M95 without scope weighs in at 23lbs, the movement restriction would need to be higher due to its combined size and weight. It may be beneficial to make it nearly impossible to shoot while standing and only viable to use when prone. They could also make the bolt cycle slower than your Remington 700 and equivalents after each shot. No doubt, the implementation would need to be done right. But a big, heavy bolt gun would be a sick addition to the game.

Overall, if I had to sum up what guns I want to see it in Tarkov, I could do it in one word: more. I want to see more pistols, rifles, and shotguns. More ammo types, grenades; just more of everything. BSG does such a good job with the firearms in EFT, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

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Full Disclosure: I have no affiliation with any product mentioned in this article. Everything discussed was purchased with personal funds and the review was written without regard for any outside influence.