Best Battlefield assault rifle: why the M16A3 tops the list

My pick for the best assault rifle in Battlefield history is the M16A3 from Battlefield 3. It edges out Battlefield 4's AEK-971 and the Battlefield Hardline version of the M416 in a top 20 that spans Bad Company, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 1, Battlefield V and Battlefield 2042.

I've always loved playing Battlefield, but I haven't had much opportunity to talk about it. When I put this list together, I thought the series was on schedule for a bit of a comeback. DICE and EA had yet to reveal what had already leaked many times, and I thought even more people would get excited once they did. Keep in mind that nearly all of the Battlefield games are extremely well balanced, so much of this list is highly subjective.

20. AK5C in Battlefield 2042: the all around AR

Battlefield 2042 got off to a rough start, but it ended in a solid enough place, with some good weapons to mess around with. The AK5C was the perfect all around assault rifle. It wasn't amazing at one thing, but it was above average in nearly every situation.

Yes, more specialized rifles were going to beat it in certain specific situations. But if you wanted an AR that would get the job done no matter what, and do it well, the AK5C was the weapon for you.

19. XM8 in Battlefield: Bad Company rewarded harder work

The XM8 was often in the conversation for the best assault rifle in the first Bad Company. Compared to others it was harder to use, but it rewarded you for working harder. You might not hit as many headshots, but you could kill quicker if you stayed on target.

That was easier said than done, because the game didn't run the best on the Xbox 360 and aiming was difficult. It was still a fun gun to use. I love giving Bad Company shout outs when I get the chance, because it's rare and it's an underrated game. Plus, the XM8 is one of the coolest looking assault rifles ever.

18. AUG in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 struggled at long range

The AUG is also one of the coolest looking guns ever made, and its portrayal in Bad Company 2 was perfect. It could sometimes get hard to control, and it was outperformed by some guns that rank higher here. Still, it was a fun rifle with a solid time to kill at mid range and very quick kills up close.

It did start struggling in longer range engagements, which is why I put it at number 18. Then again, some people insisted this gun was top five in Bad Company 2, so maybe it could have been higher. This list was pretty tough to make because of how well balanced a lot of these games are.

17: the Ribeyrolles 1918 in Battlefield V was a long range laser

Compared to other ARs in Battlefield V, the Ribeyrolles 1918 had the slowest fire rate but also the lowest recoil. That could get you in trouble if you tried to use it in close quarters combat, but you could absolutely laser people from long range.

That low recoil also made it great for conserving ammo, since you weren't going to miss many shots. It wasn't everybody's first choice, and I get that. But it has a passionate following of mid and long range players who used its accuracy to its fullest potential.

16. MTAR-21 in Battlefield 2042 played like a bulky SMG

The MTAR-21 is another one of the coolest looking guns in all of video games, and it has had some great portrayals throughout gaming history. The version in Battlefield 2042 was a ton of fun to mess around with.

It was great for more aggressive players who still wanted some power at mid range. You treated it like a very bulky SMG to get the most out of its close range power and mid range viability. It's not my favorite MTAR in gaming history, but it's still good, and I think it deserved a shout.

15. SFAR in Battlefield 2042 thrived on attachments

The SFAR is Battlefield 2042's version of the iconic SCAR rifle. I'm not sure why they didn't use the real name, but it's a strong gun. Its base stats were intimidating on their own, and it had an insane range of attachments that made it great for fine tuning your play style.

In general it was fantastic for mid range combat and viable at long range as well. It also had a whole bunch of cheesy underbarrel additions that could make it even more powerful, especially if you liked blowing things up at a moment's notice.

14. Ribeyrolles 1918 Optical in Battlefield 1: simple and reliable

In the real world, the Ribeyrolles was one of the first guns that could be called an assault rifle. I think it's one of the only guns in Battlefield 1 that you could even call an assault rifle, since the game took place during the First World War.

I liked it. It was simple, reliable and good for tagging people from a distance and keeping the pressure on them. Battlefield 1 played differently from most Battlefield games, and that's part of the reason so many people still love it. I remember having some good games with this gun.

13. FAMAS in Battlefield 4 shined on small maps

I love the FAMAS in nearly every game where it's an option. The Battlefield 4 version was not going to erase my memories of the classic Black Ops 1 version, but it did scratch the same itch.

The fire rate was nuts and would completely erase people up close, though it became difficult to use at longer ranges. On smaller maps, or maps with close range combat, the FAMAS was amazing. It was one of the most satisfying guns in the game to use, even if it wasn't as versatile as some of the other ARs in Battlefield 4.

12. Sturmgewehr 1-5 in Battlefield V had a fast close range TTK

This was the starting AR for the assault class in Battlefield V, and despite having a very difficult name to pronounce, it had good stats that kept you competitive in most scenarios. It had an amazing close range time to kill for an assault rifle.

It was harder to control in mid and long range combat, but it would greatly reward you for staying on target. If you were an aggressive player in the assault class, it was an excellent choice because of that fast close range TTK.

11. StG 44 in Battlefield V was the more versatile choice

It's hard not to pick up the StG 44. It's an iconic weapon, and you know exactly what you're getting. Compared to the Sturmgewehr 1-5, it's a lot easier to control during sustained fire, which made it much better in mid and long range combat.

So if you want a more aggressive assault rifle, you could go with the 1-5. But if you want something more versatile that won't fight you so much when you back away from your target, I think the StG 44 is the way to go.

10. F2000 in Battlefield 4 earned a place on a positive list

I can't believe I'm putting an F2000 in the top 10 of anything on a positive list. I love trashing the F2000 in other first person shooters, specifically the original Modern Warfare 2. But the Battlefield 4 version was nuts if you could control the recoil.

The fire rate was really high and the base damage was a little low, but if you could stay on target, the time to kill was ridiculous. On top of all that, it sounded crazy.

9. M416 in Battlefield 4 never fought you

The M416 was one of the most popular guns in Battlefield 4 because it was simple. It wouldn't surprise you, but you would get solid results, and it wouldn't fight you during combat, which is what you want from a weapon in a Battlefield game. Solid stats all around and fun to use. No notes.

8. ACE 23 in Battlefield 4 edged the M416, maybe

Maybe this is a hot take, because there was a lot of debate back in the day between the M416 and the ACE 23, but I always thought the ACE was slightly better. It had a slightly higher fire rate and a slightly bigger magazine, and in return it was slightly less accurate and seemed to hit slightly weaker.

Or maybe that was all in my head, a placebo effect. I don't know. I could go either way on these two guns, but at this moment I think the ACE 23 was a little better. I'm sure somebody will argue with me, but maybe somebody will defend me too.

7. AN-94 in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and its two round burst

The AN-94 has been getting more popular in video games thanks to portrayals in games like Black Ops 2 and the Bad Company subseries. The Bad Company 2 version was amazing, featuring the iconic two round hyperburst the weapon is known for.

If you could stay on target with those two shots, you would be rewarded with some of the best TTK values in the entire game. That made it good for ranged engagements: you could erase people from very far distances, and they wouldn't even know what hit them.

6. VHX D3 in Battlefield 2042 dominated until it was nerfed

This DLC gun was so powerful when it was added to Battlefield 2042 that the community started to get fed up with it, which wasn't what the game needed at that time. It had already had enough of a rough start, so when a DLC gun was added and completely dominated the AR category, it left the community unhappy.

The VHX D3 was bonkers and had to be nerfed several times before DICE felt it was in a balanced place. It's still unclear whether it was made overpowered on purpose, but it was a top three weapon when it was first added. I think it deserves the number six spot, and it could have been higher if it had never been patched.

5. G36E in Battlefield 2 sparked forum complaints

We're going way back for the start of the top five. The G36 family of rifles is iconic, but the E variant in Battlefield 2 was a salt generator. Unlike the G36 rifles in most video games, the G36E was a semi automatic or three round burst rifle, which made it more of a precision weapon.

It also had insane damage output, to the point that many people complained on forums back in the day that it needed to be nerfed. It could erase people from insane distances and was easy to use despite not being fully automatic. I think it's a good way to kick off the top five.

4. M416 in Battlefield 3 was reliable in two words

Statistically speaking, the M416 was surpassed by one other rifle in Battlefield 3, which comes up at number one. But it still had a loyal fan club and many things going for it. It was easy to control, its stats were viable and its handling was silky smooth.

You knew exactly what you were getting with the damage, and with how easy it was to control, it was hard to put down once you got started. In two words: super reliable.

3. M416 in Battlefield Hardline is the best version of the gun

I know many people skipped Hardline, because its multiplayer was largely seen as a copy and paste of Battlefield 4. But the M416 got a buff in that game. The Hardline version shoots faster than usual while keeping its trademark accuracy and reliable damage.

I don't know whose idea it was to take an already good weapon and make it even better, but it left an impact. I think this is the best version of the gun we've seen in the Battlefield franchise to date. Even if you skipped the game, this is a top three assault rifle.

2. AEK-971 in Battlefield 4 was a low recoil bullet hose

The AEK-971 had an excellent rate of fire. It was the second fastest firing assault rifle in Battlefield 4, and there were many rifles in that game. Despite that high fire rate, it was still easy to stay on target.

Usually when an assault rifle fires quickly, you have to deal with recoil or a long reload animation. For some reason, the AEK had a very quick reload and low recoil despite its insane fire rate. You could even add attachments to make it more of a bullet hose laser beam. It was one of the best guns in the game, and I'm going to call it the second best assault rifle in the franchise.

1. M16A3 in Battlefield 3 is the best assault rifle in Battlefield history

Many people thought the M16A3 was totally overpowered because of how hard it was spammed. I don't think it was overpowered, but I do think it was overall the best assault rifle in the franchise. The damage wasn't crazy, but it was reliable and consistent.

It was so easy to use that anybody could pick it up, point it at someone and shred right through them without missing a shot. So many people called for it to be nerfed because it killed the variety of the game, but what was there to nerf? It wasn't that the M16 was overpowered. It was easy to use and consistent.

I don't think any other assault rifle has been quite so dominant in Battlefield history without being blatantly overpowered, and for that it gets the top spot. It was spammed for good reason: it was really, really reliable.