Battlefield 1: Best Assault Weapons, Ranked

Highlights

• The M97 Trench Gun Hunter is one of the
  best assault weapons
  in
  Battlefield 1
  for its automatic firing mode and low damage drop-off at medium range.
• The Sjogren Inertial Slug is a powerful shotgun for close-quarters combat with high damage and a decent rate of fire.
• The Ribeyrolles 1918 Optical is an effective long-range weapon with high bullet velocity and stability, making it a great counter-weapon against snipers and LMGs.

The assault class in Battlefield 1 is unparalleled for the close-quarter destruction that players can lay down on their foes. With a wide range of fast-firing SMGs, destructive shotguns, and reliable assault rifles, this class favors the offense-driven and fast-paced action that players come to expect from intense encounters in Battlefield 1.

The ranked comparison below will take a look at the seven best assault class weapons currently in Battlefield 1. The ranking is based on the consensus among the Battlefield 1 community as well as the performance metrics, including rate of fire, accuracy, and damage potential of each respective firearm.

Updated on March 24, 2024, by Waseem Muhammad: Battlefield has always offered a diverse arsenal that caters to a wide range of combat preferences. Being one of the most fast-paced multiplayer shooters, it features weapons with a high rate of fire and enough ballistic damage that can pierce through enemy lines. The assault class is a perfect example of soldiers who can go out onto the frontline and deal serious damage in close-range fights. One of the most confusing things, however, comes when picking out a class-specific weapon that is consistent and also allows the players to enjoy those intense gunfights. This update features a new entry, the Maschinenpistole, which is one of the best BF1 guns for control point skirmishes.

6 Maschinenpistole M1912/P.16 Experimental

Fast Hipfire And Rate Of Fire With Low Recoil

• Damage: 26.5 – 15.0
• Rate of Fire: 1200 RPM
• Ammunition: 16/144

The Maschinenpistole is unlocked from the start of the game. It comes equipped with a shoulder stock that increases stability. The weapon has a very high rate of fire of 1200 RPM, allowing the players to spray the enemies with bullets so long as they have access to some. One of the best things about this weapon is that it is extremely good even when using hipfire. This allows close-range fights to favor the user.

The weapon has quite a lot of damage drop-off at medium to long range, so it is only suitable for indoor maps or maps with congested control points. It has two 8-rounder clips that are used when reloading, making reload speed quite long at times, but this can be interrupted mid-way.

5 M97 Trench Gun Hunter

Low Damage Drop-Off At Medium Range

• Damage: 10 – 5 (12 Pellets)
• Rate of Fire: 138 RPM
• Ammunition: 5/30

The M97 Trench Gun is unlocked by spending 200 Warbonds, the in-game currency of Battlefield 1, after reaching rank 1 of the assault class. What makes for a very promising shotgun is the prospect of an automatic firing mode – slamfire. Upon holding down the trigger, this pump-action shotgun will continue to empty round after round, giving it a very decent fire rate (138 rpm) for a weapon of this class.

With a focus on high ROF in slamfire motion, there is an obvious impact on the accuracy and stability of the weapon. This is more noticeable at medium distances, so to mitigate this drawback, choosing the Hunter variation of the weapon seems like the best option. At distances greater than 10 meters, the damage drop-off and weapon spread of the M97 Hunter is lower compared to other shotguns, which makes medium-range encounters more manageable.

4 Sjogren Inertial Slug

High Damage With Decent ROF

• Damage: 75 – 34
• Rate of Fire: 164 RPM
• Ammunition: 5/30

The Sjogren Inertial Shotgun is unlocked right from the start in Battlefield 1. The weapon comes at a fairly high ROF (164 rpm) and a high damage profile. Up to 14 meters, the Sjogren Inertial can reliably one-shot opponents, but the damage-drop off is more considerable at distances beyond 14 meters.

For this purpose, the Sjogren Inertial shines in close quarters, whereby maximum damage is the only utility of the weapon. The Slug variant will further make close encounters a dominating affair for Sjogren Inertial users thanks to a lens-sight attachment as well as the ability to continuously pump out 12 gauge shotgun slugs in a semi-automatic fashion.

3 Ribeyrolles 1918 Optical

High Bullet Velocity And Stability

• Damage: 28.0 – 17.5
• Rate of Fire: 550 RPM
• Ammunition: 25/100

The Ribeyrolles 1918 Optical variation is unlocked by default. This weapon is most effective when it comes to long-range encounters with its bipod attachment, giving it a great deal of stability and low recoil. The manageable ROF (550 rpm) coupled with high bullet velocity (520 m/s) makes it a very useful tool in the assault class player’s arsenal for moving targets at considerable distances.

The long-range capabilities of Ribeyrolles 1918 are further improved by choosing the Optical variant over the Factory one. The Optical variation comes with a lens attachment for more accuracy when aiming down sights and less spread as well. This variant almost makes the Ribeyrolles 1918 a great Battlefield 1 counter-weapon against snipers and LMG users who will always get beat by the high ROF of this firearm.

2 Hellriegel 1915 Factory

Generous Magazine Capacity

• Damage: 26.5 – 15.0
• Rate of Fire: 650
• Ammunition: 60/120

Players can unlock the Hellriegel 1915 Factory by spending 200 Warbands upon reaching rank 10 of the assault class. This SMG can be considered one of the best Battlefield 1 assault weapons due to its very durable magazine capacity, boasting around 60 rounds. This works well for flanking opportunities and toughing out against LMG-wielding opponents and large groups of enemies. The high fire rate of 650 rpm also makes it a better SMG than Ribeyrolles 1918 for close encounters, albeit at the cost of marginally higher recoil.

Fortunately, the Factory variant of Hellriegel 1915 makes the recovery and recoil of the weapon quicker and thus more manageable, which is great for follow-up shots. Another promising variant also exists, the Hellriegel 1915 Defensive, which further boosts the ammo size but comes at the expense of considerable recoil. The Hellriegel 1915 Factory is the way to go for the most optimum results at close range.

1 MP 18 Trench

Tremendous Hip Fire Accuracy

• Damage: 28 – 15
• Rate of Fire: 550 RPM
• Ammunition: 32/96

The MP 18 Trench SMG is unlocked from the beginning. Players will likely see it as one of the best guns in Battlefield 1 due to its consistency and hip fire accuracy. Assault class players will find themselves in close-quarter combat more often than not, and with the possibility of a gas grenade that severely reduces visibility, the MP 18 Trench is a surefire approach for bagging kills without worrying about being accurate with the aim.

The generous rate of fire (550 rpm) and bullet velocity (420 m/s) make close-range engagements a breeze regardless of the enemy’s movement. The Trench variant is the best option here as it minimizes hip fire spread and recoil. Regardless of how many best Battlefield 1 gun lists players may browse, the MP 18 Trench is always near the top spot because of its close-quarter prowess and reliability.