The best SMGs in PUBG

Though the core game mechanics will stay the same, each PUBG match will be different from the other. The key to winning in PUBG will be focusing on the aspects of the game that you have control over. By knowing your strong sides as a player and how useful each item is in PUBG, you’ll be increasing your odds of getting the chicken dinner.

All PUBG players have that one loadout that they try to get their hands on every game. But depending on where you land, you may not be fortunate enough to have your dream guns at your disposal. When that’s the case, you’ll still need a way to weigh your options, and having an idea of which guns are the best in their respective categories will help you make decisions faster.

Shotguns and assault rifles have out-shadowed submachine guns (SMGs), but they made a comeback for good during season four since their damage multipliers for limbs and torso were buffed. SMGs are relatively easy to come by during the early game due to their higher drop rates, and they’ll be your key to winning close-quarter skirmishes during the early game.

Here are the best SMGs in PUBG.

Vector

If you were to compare SMGs based on how much damage each bullet deals, you’d immediately disregard the Vector. The gun makes up for its low damage (31) with its fantastic fire rate, increasing its overall DPS. It’s practically a shredder in close-quarter combat.

Despite its excellent fire rate and fighter jet-like bullet travel speed, the Vector comes with a tiny magazine. This means that it requires a bit of work to become fully functional, so keep your eyes open for any attachments you can use on your Vector. The initial magazine can hold up to 19 bullets, and it goes up to 31 with an extended magazine. Pair it up with a sight attachment not higher than a two-times scope since the Vector was simply not made for medium/long-range gun fights.

The Vector can be found almost anywhere in Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok, and Vikendi. It uses 9mm rounds, also a fairly common bullet type in PUBG.

Micro UZI

Compared to the Vector, the Micro UZI can seem slightly worse on paper, but it’s more common than the Vector, meaning you’ll be finding more UZIs than you find Vectors while playing PUBG matches. If you use the Micro UZI right, it’ll have the same deadly effect that the Vector has. 

Each 9mm bullet fired from Micro UZI deals 26 damage. The gun backs it up with its low damage output with a considerably low recoil rate, making it one of the easier weapons to use in PUBG. It’s hard to match its fire rate/recoil ratio in any gun, which makes the Micro UZI a force to be reckoned with even if you’re hip-firing.

The default magazine size of 25 is more than enough to take down an enemy, and the reload speed is also relatively short. You may still want to find some cover as you start reloading since the gun also shines when you catch enemies off-guard.

The Micro UZI can be found around all looting spots in Miramar, Erangel, Sanhok, and Vikendi.

UMP45

The first SMGs on our list excel at taking down enemies at fast as possible in face-to-face situations. While both the Vector and Micro UZI are exceptional at what they do, they require you to have a steady aim. Missing a single shot with these two weapons can cause you to miss a kill, and your opponent may just land the killing blow on you as you try to reload your gun.

The UMP45 can be considered as the most stable SMG in the game due to its high base damage. It can even play out as a makeshift assault rifle with the right attachments, but your results may vary.

A base hit damage of 41 shows a lot of promise, but the UMP45’s fire rate is almost sluggish compared to the Vector and Micro UZI. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. If you tend to miss a couple of shots while tracking enemy players, the UMP45 will give you much-needed room for making such errors.

The UMP45 uses .45 ACP bullets and can be found in all lootable areas in Erangel, Miramar, Vikendi, and Sanhok.

Tommy Gun

The Tommy Gun or the Thompson is one of the most iconic weapons in the world. They can easily be spotted in almost all old school mafia movies, and they’ve become widely available in many shooter games, including PUBG.

The Tommy Gun is usually known for its ease of use, and it’s also what makes it great in PUBG. It’s quite a common drop and uses .45 bullets. It’s the ultimate weapon to have when you land in a crowded place since its default magazine size is 30. Though the Tommy Gun’s firing rate is low, like UMP45, at 40 damage points, its low recoil makes using it a breeze.

Despite being in the game for a while, the Tommy Gun was mostly disregarded due to its inability to house sight attachments. This meant that players trying to aim down sights (ADS) with the weapon had to endure its gigantic iron sight. The size of the gun’s iron sight made the ADS less than ideal, and players usually found themselves hip-firing while using the Tommy Gun.

This was changed during the sixth season of PUBG, however, and you can now equip sight attachments on the Tommy Gun. This change helped it advance through the SMG power rankings by making it more reliable.

The Tommy Gun can be found in most lootable locations in Miramar, Sanhok, Vikendi, and Erangel.

PP-19 Bizon

The PP-19 Bizon is an exclusive SMG weapon that can only be found in Erangel and Vikendi. The limited availability of the weapon makes it a niche pickup. What makes the PP-19 Bizon is its firing sound without any attachments. The gun fires as if it has a suppressor equipped, making it an excellent choice in situations where you’re trying to take down enemies without alerting anyone close by.

The PP-19 Bizon has the largest mag size of all SMGs at 53 bullets and shoots the fastest traveling buttons. Each shot from the gun deals 35 damage, placing PP-19 Bizon in the middle of the pack in terms of raw damage. The weapon only supports muzzle and sight attachments, causing it to fall behind the competition toward the late game. It has a low recoil, which is especially noticeable while you’re hip-firing. You can feel a little bit of a kick in super-close range and ADSing, though.

The PP-19 Bizon uses 9mm rounds. The weapon is only available in Vikendi and Erangel. These two maps have many landing areas that can allow PP-19 Bizon to shine.

MP5K

All SMGs in PUBG try to do the same things on a technical level. The MP5K isn’t necessarily worse than any other entry on our list. It deals a decent amount of damage per bullet and has a decent firing rate. While the recoil is somewhat higher than other alternatives, it’s still easily manageable. 

The MP5K has 33 damage points and one of the fastest bullet speeds, but it’s reload animation holds it back. MP5K features the slowest reload animation of all SMGs in PUBG. You’ll almost always be better off by switching to another weapon if there’s another enemy approaching.

Despite its drawbacks, the MP5K is one of the more attachment-friendly SMGs in the game. If nothing goes according to your plan, you can commit to fully decking an MP5K, which increases the gun’s potential drastically.

If you’re out of options, the MP5K will be a decent alternative until you find better weapons. The gun uses 9mm rounds and has a base magazine size of 30. The MP5K is an exclusive weapon for Vikendi, meaning you won’t be able to find it on any other map.