Payday 3: Best Stealth Weapons, Ranked (2024)

Stealth is a core aspect of Payday 3, and of all 8 heists, players can utilize a stealth build in 7 of them. Payday 3 may give players the option between stealth and loud, but for a more thrilling and tense experience, stealth is usually the way to go. Rather than bursting in, guns blazing, stealth allows for a more precise completion of a set of objectives to rule the mission without a hitch.

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There is a great assortment of stealth weapons in Payday 3, and anything can constitute a stealth weapon so long as it doesn’t alert guards and civilians. If it can be thrown silently or has a suppressor to keep the noise to a minimum, then it’s an assured and tested stealth weapon, but only some can be the best of the best for the most challenging heists.

5 Reinfeld 880

Shotguns are an absolute classic of the stealth game when it comes to Payday. In fact, in Payday 2, a stealth shotgun was perhaps the best gun in the game, due to the fact that players could use it to send guards and civilians flying like a ragdoll when they were shot at specific angles. Sadly, Payday 3 features more realistic physics, so sending a guard sky-high isn’t possible, but that doesn’t stop shotguns from being effective.

Due to the stopping power of the Reinfeld 880, it can easily take care of guards that have spotted the player. Yet, the spread is where some might struggle with this selection. Despite the power of its blast, this gun could end up taking out an unnecessary victim, or even shoot out a window and alert other people, making it a risky choice for stealth.

4 Ziv Commando

This small SMG has handleability and portability to make it a reliable choice of weaponry for stealth heists. The Ziv Commando doesn’t need a great output of damage considering it has such an intense rate of fire, meaning that they can rattle anyone being aimed at.

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The large supply of bullets benefits the weapon and its wielder greatly, as they are free to commit to crowd control if things are getting too hectic and spray and pray their way to success. One less-than-impressive tidbit with the Ziv Commando might come from the intense fire rate, even if it is a benefit, the fact that players can fire so quickly means they might miss their shots and end up taking out a pedestrian or a window.

3 SA A144

The SA A144 is a high-precision marksman rifle that works great with spec ops units, which makes it no surprise that this is one of the best stealth weapons in Payday 3. The SA A144 has an efficient ammo count of 60 bullets, which is more than players will need for their stealth antics across the base game heists and future DLCs.

The SA A144 can easily take out enemies with a chest shot, or even better, a headshot. This semi-auto marksman rifle can have a suppressor attached, making it the perfect choice for a stealth weapon with some range to it. Players can use this long-range weapon to take out guards and cameras from afar.

2 Throwing Knife

At level 16, players will unlock the throwing knife as their throwable piece of equipment. The throwing knife is great for players who want to feel like a ninja. Each throw of this knife will ensure a silent kill, but players need to make sure it’s quick and efficient to throw their aim. The throwing knife doesn’t have the best range of all weapons, but it certainly has the best stealth capabilities thanks to its infinite use, meaning all heisters should give it a try.

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Players can retrieve their throwing knife from the body that they have left it in, or from the wall that they threw it at. If players are looking for a stealth build in Payday 3, then the throwing knife is the best throwable for a loadout due to the fact that the other pieces of equipment will alert guards and civilians thanks to their loud explosions.

1 Signature 40

It’s hard to beat the most reliable and basic of weapons, and Payday 3’s default secondary weapon is great for stealth. The Signature 40 comes as the first weapon players will own in the game, and once they equip a suppressor, they can use it to commit some truly secret heists without anyone knowing they were ever there, bots or otherwise. The Signature 40 is capable of instantly killing cameras and guards with a clean headshot, meaning players don’t need to pay for expensive weapons for something this one can do.

If players do need more than one shot, then they are more than capable of doing so thanks to the Signature 40's high rate of fire and ammo count. Players can keep shooting their enemies until they lie dead, as long as the guard doesn’t pull off a shot first. It’s always great to bring a pistol due to the fact that it’s fast, lightweight, and always reliable.

Payday 3 is out now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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