Carbines stand right between assault rifles and SMGs in Battlefield 6, offering good stopping power over range and excellent control when firing extended bursts. Some of the best guns in the game fall under this category, and one can argue they outperform most rifles too.
Every carbine in Battlefield 6 is good in the right hands, but finding one that works for you may take a while. In this guide, we'll go over each of the carbines in the game and pit them against each other to see which comes out on top.
This Battlefield 6 Assault Class Weapon Combo is Completely OP
Battlefield 6 players who want to take advantage of the Assault class’s strongest feature need look no further for the best gun setups.
Updated October 29, 2025 by Marc Santos: The big Season 1 patch for Battlefield 6 rebalanced the weapon bloom for weapons across the board, though this didn't make that big of an impact on our best carbines list. What did make an impact is the SOR-300SC, and as such, we've updated this guide to include a section briefly going over that weapon's strengths and how it performs compared to the others.
Best Carbines in Battlefield 6
- M4A1
- QBZ-192
- GRT-BC
- SG553R
- SOR-300 (NEW - S1)
- M417 A2
- AK-205
- M277
We ranked the carbines in BF6 according to ease of use as well as their performance relative to each other, with the one at the top being the easiest and most effective, and the bottom being a niche weapon that's difficult to use. The best carbine in the game is the one that works best for you, and if this weapon class just isn't clicking for you, below are details for each weapon to help you figure out how they're meant to be used.
M4A1
The King of Close Quarters
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The M4A1 quickly became a fan-favorite in BF6 thanks to its overall reliability. It has good accuracy and decent recoil control for close-medium ranges, and it can take an opponent down in 0.2 seconds if you hit all your shots from a very close range (approximately 8m or less). These factors combined make the M4A1 an absolute beast in close quarters, though it's not bad at longer ranges too, as long as you tap-fire your weapons to control recoil and bloom in BF6.
This weapon has very few downsides; the 900 RPM fire rate may be off-putting for some players who prefer steadier guns, and its notorious 0.2s TTK value only works at extremely close ranges. The M4A1 in BF6 also struggles against targets beyond 80 meters or so due to damage drop-off, bullet velocity, and recoil. Still, it's easily the best carbine in the game just because of how reliable it is on every map in the game.
Every carbine in the game experiences damage fall-off by the 10-meter mark, except for the M277.
QBZ-192
Best All-Around Carbine
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This weapon ties with the M4A1 in terms of performance and reliability. It may not fire as fast, but it has the same minimum and maximum damage values, and its recoil is significantly lower than that of the M4's, so treat this like a longer-ranged version of that weapon. The latter is the QBZ's greatest strength, as it lets players effectively fight others at ranges you don't typically expect from a carbine.
The only reason that kept us from ranking this higher than the M4A1 is its acquisition. To get the QBZ-192, you need to complete the Danger Close Assignment in BF6 — the challenge itself is easy to grind out, but before you can make any progress toward it, you need to be Rank 23. Additionally, the QBZ-192 has fewer attachments to choose from compared to most other weapons. It's not that much of an issue, though, as the gun works great even without anything on it.
GRT-BC
The Duelist's Choice
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The GRT-BC is a bullpup carbine designed for close-range fighting. It's unlocked at Rank 41, and if we're talking performance, it is basically an M4A1 with a few stats shuffled around. The GRT-BC has higher base Precision, Control, and Mobility, but its Hipfire, fire rate, and reload speeds are worse. This weapon's muzzle also climbs to the left compared the M4, which climbs to the right.
The slightly slower fire rate and the better Control stat on the GRT-BC makes it easier to handle than the M4, and while the fire rate also affects the gun's TTK, the difference is granular. To sum things up, if you like the M4A1, you'll like the GRT, but you might not like the feel of its recoil and the sluggishness of its reload animation.
SG553R
Versatile, Hard-Hitting Rifle
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The SG553R is an adaptable carbine that feels more like an assault rifle in terms of damage profile and effective range. It hits for an estimated 33.4 damage per shot at point-blank range, resulting in three-hit kills if all shots hit the body, though the bullets needed to kill someone at 80 meters is the same as the QBZ's at six shots.
Despite the gun having 33 as its listed damage value, you'll realistically be doing 25–17 damage from 10–80 meters, putting it on par with most other carbines, and as far as bullet-to-kill requirements go. The SG553R's harsh horizontal recoil and 720 RPM fire rate put it ever so slightly behind the QBZ and M4A1.
Much like the QBZ, this weapon is also unlocked via the Danger Close Assignment. To get it, you need to get kills with the QBZ or M277 and hit 300 headshots. You only need head hits to progress the latter, not headshot kills.
SOR-300SC
The Laser Beam
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The SOR-300SC is an odd weapon. It has the makings of a mid-ranged weapon, with its extremely stable recoil, high accuracy (even while moving), and solid damage profile. However, the gun experiences damage fall-off past 25 meters, and its low rate of fire and relatively slow TTK of 0.3 seconds from 10–25 meters away makes it less competitive than many other weapons in the category, at least in terms of pure stopping power.
Even so, we're ranking the SOR-300SC fifth on this list, the best of the lower half of the carbines in BF6, simply because of how easy it is to use. There's so very little recoil and bloom to deal with here that if you miss within that 25-meter range, that's completely your fault. If you're looking for something that's easy to handle, then the SOR-300SC is the gun for you. Just don't bother using this thing beyond 30 meters.
M417 A2
Mid-Range Sledgehammer
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This gun and the SG553R are very comparable in terms of performance. Both deal 33 damage at point-blank range, but the M417 A2's recoil is much easier to control, leading to tighter burst groupings. This weapon also carries more of its damage at longer ranges, dealing 20 damage per hit compared to 17 from the three previous carbines on this list.
The M417 A2 is designed for medium-ranged combat, and that becomes even more apparent when you look at its weaknesses. It starts off with only a 20-round magazine, and to get a 25-rounder, you need to reach Rank 29 Mastery with it. On top of that, the M417 A2 has the slowest fire rate out of all carbines, sitting at 654 RPM. Missing shots with this weapon is very punishing at close range, and you can easily get outgunned by any of the other weapons above.
AK-205
The Headhunter
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If you want to use a carbine for long-ranged shooting, then the AK-205 might be the gun for you. This weapon's recoil is basically non-existent, making it incredibly easy to use with a high-magnification optic. However, the AK-205's low base damage and 720 RPM fire rate makes it weak in close quarters. You are going to get outgunned by the vast majority of primary weapons in BF6, but there's a catch.
The AK-205 has access to Synthetic Tips, an attachment for the ammo slot that raises the gun's headshot damage from 1.34 to 1.75. This will raise the AK-205's base headshot damage from 27 to a whopping 35, and at 100 meters, this drops to around 25. With Synthetic Tips, the AK-205 becomes the most lethal gun in its category, but only if players can hit headshots.
M277
Consistency is Key
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The M277 in Battlefield 6 is an interesting weapon. It is the most consistent carbine in the game as far as damage is concerned. The M277 deals 25 damage per hit, and it maintains that damage up to 80 meters. Its harsh recoil and extreme accuracy bloom make it hard to use at long ranges, though you can work around this by burst-firing or switching to single shot mode (the latter is strongly recommended).
There is absolutely no doubt that the M277 is capable of competing with the rest of the carbines (and even DMRs), but its strong recoil seriously holds it back compared to something like the QBZ-192. Even with good attachments, this gun still kicks like a mule. However, its extreme consistency over long ranges and good performance at close ranges makes the M277 worth picking up and mastering.
Battlefield 6
- Released
- October 10, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, In-App Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Battlefield Studios
- Publisher(s)
- EA
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- Via EA Account
- Franchise
- Battlefield
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- October 10, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- October 10, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- October 10, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- How Long To Beat
- 6 hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 87.44 GB
