Submachine Guns - Basic Weapons

Comprised of: Uzi, Silenced SMG

Pros: These are the earliest automatic weapons you can get. They have roughly as much stopping power as the pistol, fire very quickly, and reload just as fast. They also carry more rounds than any of the Assault Rifles, which makes them the automatic weapons with the largest reserve of ammunition.

Cons: The SMGs are loud, inaccurate, and take several shots to down regular infected. They best work at close to medium range, which makes hititng far-away mobs considerably more difficult.

Unique: The differences are mostly cosmetic. The Uzi and Silenced SMG are mostly the same in every category, from stopping power to fire rate. The Uzi is more accurate, but the SIlenced SMG deals more damage. The silenced weapon, funnily enough, does not keep enemies from hearing you firing and chasing you down.

Pump Shotguns - Basic Weapons

Comprised of: Pump Shotgun, Chrome Shotgun

Pros: Shotguns are the weapon of choice amongst most zombie apocalypse survivors, and for good reason. They provide a extreme amount o stopping power at very close range, making them perfect for fighting off hordes. They also have a good amount of penetration, which enables you to kill multiple enemies with each shot. A pump shotgun is your best weapon for early hordes thanks to this.

Cons: The Shotguns are very loud, have a slow fire rate, and their clips do not hold much ammunition. Much like the SMG, they work best at close to medium range, making pistols your only viable long-range option. he SMG is better for clearing out rooms.

Unique: Like the SMGs, the differences appear to be mostly cosmetic. The chrome shotgun is a little more accurate, but the pump shotgun deals slightly more damage.

Assault Rifles - Advanced Weapons

Comprised of: M16, AK47, SCAR

Pros: The assault rifles fire extremely fast, deal a lot of damage, and have a large ammunition reserve. They are extremely effective against Special Infected, can hit enemies at medium to long ranges, and penetrate enemies a little bit. They adapt the best out of all of the advanced weaponry.

Cons: The assault rifles run out of ammo very quickly thanks to their fast firing rates. They are relatively inaccurate when used in anything but bursts, and do not have the stopping power or penetration of shotguns or rifles. This makes them best for eliminating hordes and fighting off the weaker Special Infected.

Unique: The M16 fires the fastest and has decent accuracy, but deals the least damage. The AK47 is incredibly inaccurate but deals the most damage. The SCAR fires in bursts, making it the most accurate but slowest firing.

Semi-automatic Shotguns - Advanced Weapons

Comprised of: SPAS-12, Auto Shotgun

Pros: The semi-automatic shotguns combine the stopping power of the pump shotguns with the firing rate of the assault rifles. They chew through enemies like crazy, and can be fired while reloading thanks to the act of reloading each shell individually. They are the best against any enemy at close range, and can kill almost any Special Infected with one or two shots.

Cons: Massive spread and low clip size are the main issues of the semi-automatic shotguns, with ten rounds being the maximum amount of ammo in a clip. They reload pretty slow and are incredibly ineffective against enemies that are at medium to long range. They also attract infected like seeds attract squirrels, thanks to the loudness of the gun.

Unique: The SPAS-12 is more accurate but has fewer pellets and less damage per pellet. The auto-shotgun deals more damage and has more pellets but reloads slower and has garbage for accuracy.

Rifles - Advanced Weapons

Comprised of: Hunting Rifle, Sniper Rifle

Pros: If you are looking for stopping power, the rifles have you covered. They deal the most damage per bullet out of any weapon, fire quickly, and are incredibly accurate. They have scopes and can penetrate most surfaces, which makes them perfect for shooting through doors and walls to kill infected. These weapons are the only real long-range weapon, and can take down most enemies with one to two shots.

Cons: If you are moving, the rifles are extremely inaccurate. It's much more preferable to get a different weapon if you plan to be at close range a lot, and the scope kills your peripheral vision, making you susceptible to flanking attacks. They have a lower clip size than the assault rifle, but more than the semi-automatic shotguns.

Unique: The hunting rifle is worse than the sniper rifle. It could almost be classified as a basic weapon, but it is rarely seen except alongside other advanced weapons. The sniper rifle's big advantage is more ammunition.

Grenade Launcher - Special Weapon

Pros: The grenade launcher is the only weapon of its kind in the entire game. It tears through Common Infected with a large blast radius and massive damage, and can kill most Special Infected with a direct hit. The arc also makes it a great weapon at any range, assuming you can use the arcing properly.

Cons: Only firing one shot at a time, a slow reload rate, and easy team damage are some major problems with the grenade launcher. It is also the only weapon that can not be recharged at ammo piles, making it useless after the ammo is out.