Every gun in Arc Raiders ships with empty mod slots, and filling them wrong wastes scarce Gunsmith materials on a stat you didn’t need.
This guide covers all seven weapon mod slot types, the exact stat value at every tier, the crafting materials each one costs, and the Gunsmith level required to build it, so you spend materials on the slot that actually fixes your gun’s weakness.
Table of Contents
How the Weapon Mod System Works
Weapon mods modify a gun’s characteristics once attached, and every weapon has a different set of compatible slots.
There are seven slot types in total: Muzzle, Underbarrel, Stock, Light Magazine, Medium Magazine, Shotgun Magazine, and Tech Mod.
Shotguns use a dedicated Shotgun Muzzle category instead of the standard Muzzle slot for their chokes and silencer.
Most mods come in three tiers, and the tier you’re allowed to install is locked behind your Gunsmith workshop level.
- Tier I requires the default Utility Bench or Gunsmith Level 1
- Tier II requires Gunsmith Level 2
- Tier III requires Gunsmith Level 3
The pattern holds across almost every mod family: Tier I and Tier II give you the stat boost with no drawback, while Tier III gives you a noticeably bigger boost paired with a trade-off, usually faster durability burn, slower ADS speed, or longer equip and unequip time.
You can acquire mods three ways:
- Loot Topside. Mods and their blueprints drop in the world, with blueprints coming most often from Residential Containers.
- Craft at the Gunsmith. Once you know a blueprint, you can build the mod from raw materials at your Workshop’s Gunsmith station.
- Buy from Tian Wen. The weapons trader in Speranza carries a rotating stock of mods.
A handful of mods, covered below, have no listed crafting recipe at all. Those appear to be Topside finds only.
Every Weapon Mod: Stats, Tiers & Materials
This table lists every currently documented weapon mod, organized by slot. Values are pulled directly from the Arc Raiders Wiki’s weapon mod database and cross-checked against official patch notes.
Muzzle Mods
| Mod | Effect | Gunsmith Level | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compensator I | 20% reduced per-shot dispersion, 10% reduced max shot dispersion | 1 | Metal Parts x6, Wires x1 |
| Compensator II | 40% reduced per-shot dispersion, 20% reduced max shot dispersion | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Wires x4 |
| Compensator III | 60% reduced per-shot dispersion, 30% reduced max shot dispersion, 20% increased durability burn rate | 3 | Mod Components x2, Wires x8 |
| Muzzle Brake I | 15% reduced horizontal recoil, 15% reduced vertical recoil | 1 | Metal Parts x6, Wires x1 |
| Muzzle Brake II | 20% reduced horizontal recoil, 20% reduced vertical recoil | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Wires x4 |
| Muzzle Brake III | 25% reduced horizontal recoil control, 25% reduced vertical recoil control, 20% increased durability burn rate | 3 | Mod Components x2, Wires x8 |
| Extended Barrel I | 10% increased bullet velocity, 5% increased damage falloff distance | 1 | Metal Parts x6, Wires x3 |
| Extended Barrel II | 20% increased bullet velocity, 10% increased damage falloff distance | 2 | Mechanical Components x3, Wires x6 |
| Extended Barrel III | 30% increased bullet velocity, 15% increased damage falloff distance, 15% increased vertical recoil | 3 | Mod Components x2, Wires x8 |
| Silencer I | 20% reduced noise | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Wires x4 |
| Silencer II | 40% reduced noise | 3 | Mod Components x2, Wires x8 |
| Silencer III | 60% reduced noise, 20% increased durability burn rate | Topside find only (unconfirmed craftable) | - |
Underbarrel Mods
| Mod | Effect | Gunsmith Level | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angled Grip I | 20% reduced horizontal recoil | 1 | Plastic Parts x6, Duct Tape x1 |
| Angled Grip II | 30% reduced horizontal recoil | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Duct Tape x3 |
| Angled Grip III | 40% reduced horizontal recoil, 30% reduced ADS speed | 3 | Mod Components x2, Duct Tape x5 |
| Vertical Grip I | 20% reduced vertical recoil | 1 | Plastic Parts x6, Duct Tape x1 |
| Vertical Grip II | 30% reduced vertical recoil | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Duct Tape x3 |
| Vertical Grip III | 40% reduced vertical recoil, 30% reduced ADS speed | 3 | Mod Components x2, Duct Tape x5 |
| Horizontal Grip | 30% reduced horizontal recoil, 30% reduced vertical recoil, 30% reduced ADS speed | Topside find only | - |
Stock Mods
| Mod | Effect | Gunsmith Level | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stable Stock I | 20% reduced recoil recovery duration, 20% reduced dispersion recovery time | 1 | Rubber Parts x6, Duct Tape x1 |
| Stable Stock II | 35% reduced recoil recovery duration, 35% reduced dispersion recovery time | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Duct Tape x3 |
| Stable Stock III | 50% reduced recoil recovery duration, 50% reduced dispersion recovery time, 20% increased equip/unequip time | 3 | Mod Components x2, Duct Tape x5 |
| Lightweight Stock | 200% increased ADS speed, 30% reduced equip time, 30% reduced unequip time, 50% increased vertical recoil, 50% increased recoil recovery time | 3 | Mod Components x2, Duct Tape x5 |
| Padded Stock | 15% reduced vertical recoil, 15% reduced horizontal recoil, 20% reduced per-shot dispersion, 20% increased equip/unequip time, 30% reduced ADS speed | 3 | Mod Components x2, Duct Tape x5 |
| Kinetic Converter | 15% increased fire rate, 20% increased horizontal recoil, 20% increased vertical recoil | Topside find only | - |
Magazine Mods
| Mod | Effect | Gunsmith Level | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended Light Mag I | +5 magazine size | 1 | Plastic Parts x6, Steel Spring x1 |
| Extended Light Mag II | +10 magazine size | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Steel Spring x3 |
| Extended Light Mag III | +15 magazine size | 3 | Mod Components x2, Steel Spring x5 |
| Extended Medium Mag I | +4 magazine size | 1 | Plastic Parts x6, Steel Spring x1 |
| Extended Medium Mag II | +8 magazine size | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Steel Spring x3 |
| Extended Medium Mag III | +12 magazine size | 3 | Mod Components x2, Steel Spring x5 |
| Extended Shotgun Mag I | +2 magazine size | 1 | Plastic Parts x6, Steel Spring x1 |
| Extended Shotgun Mag II | +4 magazine size | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Steel Spring x3 |
| Extended Shotgun Mag III | +6 magazine size | 3 | Mod Components x2, Steel Spring x5 |
You’ll notice there’s no Heavy Magazine entry here despite the game having a Heavy ammo type. That’s not an oversight: none of the current heavy-ammo weapons (Ferro, Bettina, Anvil) list a magazine slot at all in their compatible mods, so there’s currently no craftable heavy magazine mod to document.
Shotgun Muzzle Mods
| Mod | Effect | Gunsmith Level | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun Choke I | 10% reduced base dispersion | 1 | Metal Parts x6, Wires x1 |
| Shotgun Choke II | 20% reduced base dispersion | 2 | Mechanical Components x2, Wires x4 |
| Shotgun Choke III | 30% reduced base dispersion, 20% increased durability burn rate | 3 | Mod Components x2, Wires x8 |
| Shotgun Silencer | 50% reduced noise | 3 | Mod Components x2, Wires x8 |
Tech Mod
| Mod | Effect | Gunsmith Level | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anvil Splitter | +3 projectiles per shot, 70% reduced projectile damage | Topside find only | - |
The three entries listed as “Topside find only” (the Horizontal Grip, Kinetic Converter, and Anvil Splitter) have no crafting station or material cost documented anywhere, which matches how the wider community has reported them: as items you find rather than build.
Patch Currency: What’s Changed
Arc Raiders’ current live build is Update 1.39.0, released July 28, 2026. That update focused on matchmaking, grenade damage consistency, and trinket stacking.
It did not touch any weapon or mod stat.
The last update to change a combat number was Update 1.29.0, released May 19, 2026. That patch increased the Extended Barrel’s bullet velocity bonus and damage falloff distance, and it added a new interaction where weapon mods can affect ADS transition speed on scoped weapons specifically, on top of each mod’s usual stat line.
Every update between 1.29.0 and 1.39.0 covered events, cosmetics, economy, and fixes rather than weapon balance.
If you’re reading a build guide dated before May 19, 2026, its recoil and dispersion numbers are still current. If it predates that, double-check any scoped-weapon ADS claims against your own loadout.
Which Mods Are Worth the Materials
Not every mod is worth the crafting cost, and the material curve tells you why.
A Compensator I costs six Metal Parts and one Wire for a 20% dispersion cut. A Compensator III costs two Mod Components (the rarest material tier) and eight Wires for a 60% cut, plus a new durability penalty.
That’s roughly a three-times material cost for a three-times stat gain, plus a downside you didn’t have before. Whether that trade is worth it depends on how much you’re willing to lose if the run goes wrong.
Consistently good value regardless of tier:
- Magazine mods. No downside at any tier, on any of the three magazine types. If a magazine slot is empty, fill it.
- Compensator. Fixes dispersion, which is the more common problem on full-auto and burst weapons.
- Stable Stock. Fixes recovery speed, which determines how fast you can land a follow-up shot after your first one lands off-target.
Worth it only for a specific problem:
- Muzzle Brake. Take this over the Compensator specifically when your issue is recoil climb rather than spray. Running both is redundant since they solve overlapping problems from different angles.
- Extended Barrel. The range and velocity bonus matters most against distant, high-health targets. It’s less useful on a close-range weapon that rarely fights at falloff distance anyway.
- Silencer. The noise reduction has real value for a stealth-focused playstyle, but the Tier III durability burn is a cost you’re paying on every raid, not just the ones where it mattered.
Skip unless you have a specific build in mind:
- Lightweight Stock. A 200% ADS speed boost sounds enormous, but the paired 50% increase to vertical recoil and recoil recovery time makes it a poor fit for any weapon you plan to fire more than a couple of rounds from.
- Kinetic Converter. A flat fire rate increase paired with a flat recoil increase on both axes is a wash on most guns, and it’s a Topside find rather than something you can plan around crafting.
Gunsmith Leveling Priority
Since Tier II and Tier III mods are locked behind Gunsmith workshop levels, the order you level that station in changes what you can build and when.
Muzzle mods apply to the widest range of weapons, since almost every gun that isn’t a shotgun has a muzzle slot, and Compensator or Muzzle Brake fixes a problem nearly every gun has.
Prioritize Gunsmith Level 2 for muzzle access before chasing a specific Stock or Underbarrel upgrade. It generally covers more of your loadout, faster.
Stock mods are the next priority once you’ve got muzzle covered, since Stable Stock’s recovery-speed bonus compounds well with a Compensator already reducing your dispersion.
Underbarrel and magazine mods matter, but they solve a narrower problem (recoil axis correction and reload frequency, respectively), so they’re reasonable to leave for Gunsmith Level 3 unless a specific gun in your loadout needs one immediately.
Weapon Upgrades vs. Mod Tier
Mods aren’t the only thing that scales a weapon’s stats. Most weapons can also be permanently upgraded at the Gunsmith, in up to three steps, shown by the numeral (I through IV) in the weapon’s name.
This upgrade path is separate from mods entirely: upgrades are permanent and can’t be removed, while mods can be swapped freely. Legendary-rarity weapons are the one exception. They can’t be upgraded at all.
It’s worth being precise here, because “rarity” and “upgrade tier” get used interchangeably in the community and they aren’t the same thing. Rarity is fixed per weapon. Upgrade tier is something you build.
A weapon’s rarity alone doesn’t determine how strong it is: some low-rarity weapons remain highly effective without ever being upgraded, so don’t assume a rarer gun automatically beats a common one.
Where the data does hold up: independent community testing covered by GamesRadar found that high-rarity mods don’t outperform basic ones by nearly as much as their material cost would suggest, matching the cost curve in the table above.
If materials are limited, a full set of low-tier mods on a weapon you’ve upgraded is a more reliable investment than chasing Tier III versions of everything.
Key Takeaways
- Seven slot types across Muzzle, Underbarrel, Stock, three Magazine categories, and Tech Mod, with shotguns using a separate Shotgun Muzzle category.
- Tier I and II mods are generally pure upside. Tier III adds a bigger stat boost paired with a trade-off, usually durability burn, ADS speed, or equip time.
- Magazine mods carry no downside at any tier and should fill any open magazine slot.
- The Horizontal Grip, Kinetic Converter, and Anvil Splitter have no listed crafting recipe and appear to be Topside finds only.
- Weapon mod stats haven’t changed since Update 1.29.0 (May 19, 2026). The current build, 1.39.0, hasn’t touched combat numbers.
- Weapon upgrades (I-IV) and mods are separate systems. Rarity alone doesn’t determine a weapon’s strength, but high-rarity mods do cost far more than low-rarity ones without a matching performance gain, so low-tier mods are usually the better spend.
FAQ
What are the weapon mod slot types in Arc Raiders?
Arc Raiders weapons use seven mod slot types: Muzzle, Underbarrel, Stock, Light Magazine, Medium Magazine, Shotgun Magazine, and Tech Mod. Not every weapon has every slot.
Shotguns use a separate Shotgun Muzzle category for chokes and silencers instead of the standard muzzle slot.
How many mod tiers are there and how do I unlock them?
Most weapon mods come in three tiers. Tier I unlocks at the default Utility Bench or Gunsmith Level 1, Tier II requires Gunsmith Level 2, and Tier III requires Gunsmith Level 3.
Leveling the Gunsmith station in your Workshop is a hard requirement before you can craft the stronger versions of any mod.
Do Tier III weapon mods have downsides?
Most of them do. Tier I and Tier II mods are generally pure upside with no drawback.
Tier III mods add a trade-off on top of the bigger stat boost, usually a faster durability burn rate, slower ADS speed, or increased equip and unequip time. Magazine mods are an exception. They carry no downside at any tier.
Where do I get weapon mods in Arc Raiders?
There are three ways to get weapon mods. You can find them Topside as loot, with blueprints dropping most often from Residential Containers.
You can craft them at the Gunsmith once you know the blueprint and have the required materials, or buy them from the trader Tian Wen in Speranza, whose stock rotates.
Is the Compensator or the Muzzle Brake better?
It depends on what your gun struggles with. The Compensator reduces per-shot and max shot dispersion, so it fixes a spray pattern that drifts unpredictably. The Muzzle Brake reduces both horizontal and vertical recoil, so it fixes a gun that physically kicks off target.
If your shots are landing wide of a distant target, take the Compensator. If your reticle is climbing off the enemy after a few rounds, take the Muzzle Brake.
Which weapon mods have no downside at any tier?
Magazine mods, in all three variants (Light, Medium, and Shotgun), add capacity with no penalty at any tier. Silencer I and II also have no listed downside.
Silencer III does add a durability burn penalty, and available data suggests it is a Topside find rather than a craftable item.
Can I craft the Anvil Splitter, Kinetic Converter, and Horizontal Grip?
No. These three mods have no listed crafting station or material cost, which matches how the community has documented them: as Topside finds only.
The Anvil Splitter is a Tech Mod that trades most of a shot’s damage for extra projectiles per shot, the Kinetic Converter is a Stock mod that trades recoil for fire rate, and the Horizontal Grip is an Underbarrel mod that cuts both recoil axes at the cost of ADS speed.
Should I upgrade my weapon or my mods first?
There’s no single right order, since weapon upgrades and mods solve different problems. Weapon upgrades permanently raise a gun’s base stats and can’t be undone, while mods can be swapped freely.
What the data does support: spend materials on low-tier mods first rather than chasing Tier III versions of everything, since high-rarity mods cost significantly more than low-rarity ones without a proportional performance gain.
What is the best all-around weapon mod setup?
For most guns that fire more than one shot per trigger pull: a Compensator to control dispersion, a Stable Stock to speed up recoil and dispersion recovery, and an Extended Magazine for the slot that matches your ammo type. Together they cover the most common weaknesses without a downside that costs you a fight.
Do weapon mods affect ADS speed for scoped weapons?
Yes. An Arc Raiders update made weapon mods able to affect aim-down-sights transition speed on scoped weapons, on top of the stat effects already listed for each mod.
If you run a scoped build, check how your mod loadout interacts with your scope’s ADS timing rather than assuming the base mod numbers tell the whole story.
Has Arc Raiders changed weapon mod stats recently?
Not in the most recent updates. The last update to change a weapon or mod stat was the one that added the scoped-weapon ADS interaction and improved the Extended Barrel’s bullet velocity bonus.
Every update since then has focused on matchmaking, events, cosmetics, and bug fixes rather than combat numbers, so current mod stats and crafting costs remain accurate.
