Fortnite SMGs Guide (Season 9.1) – Damage, Stats, Tips & Tricks

Our Fortnite SMG guide features all of the damage and stats for these powerful weapons. I'm also going to run through some SMG tips and tricks so you can better utilize these guns to eliminate your foes!

The SMG overall was one of the weakest and rarely used weapon types for a long time. Shotguns had reigned supreme for the majority of Fortnite's lifespan, and the SMG class which was basically in a similar spot wasn't worth using. Shotguns went on to be nerfed and SMGs got multiple buffs, plus had a couple of new ones thrown into the class. Now we're in what is referred to as the "spam meta." It is referred to in this way because people will just hold down the fire button and attempt to spam down your walls or just spray at you and hope they hit head shots.

SMGs are now very commonly used and highly sought after as a piece in every loadout.

SMG Damage Stats

SMGs are not made to do a lot of damage with every shot, but are good for landing many shots on an enemy quickly.

Burst SMG

The Burst SMG is unique to the game because not only is it the first burst styled weapon for the SMG class, but it fires 4 round bursts. Typically, burst weapons have only fired three at a time, so this is a new twist Epic has added for this gun.

• Available in Common, Uncommon and Rare variants.
• Fires a quick 4 round burst.
• Deals 23, 24, 25 damage.  Deals 40, 42, 44 damage to the head.
• 1.75x headshot multiplier.
• 24 round magazine.
• Can be found from Floor Loot, Chests, and Vending Machines.
• Uses Light Ammo.

Drum Gun (Tommy Gun) Stats

I know it seems odd, but yes the Drum Gun is an SMG. It may use medium ammo, but it has all of the same characteristics as an SMG, plus it counts as an SMG for challenges. It has largely been considered one of the best guns in the game. The large magazine, fire rate, and damage at mid to close range is hard to beat.

Update: The Drum Gun was overwhelmingly voted back into the game during the Unvaulted event. The gun also had its damage reduced in the 9.0.1 patch.

• Drum Gun (Uncommon) - 22 to the body, 44 head shot damage.
• Drum Gun (Rare) - 23 to the body, 46 head shot damage.

Vaulted SMGs

These are the SMGs that used to be in the game but are now in the vault. Epic will periodically swap weapons in and out of the game to keep things fresh.

Compact SMG (P90) Stats

Compact SMG is one of the newest SMGs to the family. It has a crazy fast fire rate and a large magazine which gives it a lot of power in a spam fight.

Update: The Compact SMG was added to the vault in the 9.0.1 patch.

• Compact SMG (Epic) - 20 to the body, 40 head shot damage.
• Compact SMG (Legendary) - 21 to the body, 42 head shot damage.

SMG Gun Stats

The Submachine Gun has a decent fire rate, but fairly weak damage. It's still a good weapon to switch to after a Shotgun, but it's not nearly as good as the P90 or Drum Gun.

Update: The SMG was added to the vault in the 7.3.0 patch.

• Submachine Gun (Common) - 17 to the body, 34 head shot damage.
• Submachine Gun (Uncommon) - 18 to the body, 36 head shot damage.
• Submachine Gun (Rare) - 19 to the body, 38 head shot damage.

Suppressed SMG Stats

The Suppressed SMG was one of the worst guns for a while, but with some buffs and limited other options for the class it is now seen as a pretty strong weapon. The accuracy is its main strength, it shoots like a laser beam at mid-to-close range. The damage is also very respectable, if you can land headshots on a hapless opponent with this, then you can melt them down pretty quickly.

• Suppressed SMG (Uncommon) - 23 to the body, 46 head shot damage.
• Suppressed SMG (Rare) - 24 to the body, 48 head shot damage.

Fortnite SMG Tips & Tricks

• Most SMGs are best for transitioning to after a Shotgun shot. Start practicing immediately popping a Shotgun blast and switching to your SMG right afterwards. You'll want to get this down as fast as possible. I would start doing this after just about every Shotgun shot, and then later start to consider the situation you are in and whether or not you should just build or stick with the shotgun.
• SMGs are great for spamming down walls! The fast fire rate makes it so you can output a lot of damage quite quickly and force your opponent to burn through materials to keep you from hitting them. Make sure you are shooting right where they are behind the wall, if they miss a block or run out of materials you will start hitting them immediately. You can usually see where they are behind the wall, so keep your aim on them throughout.
• In the right loadout, you can pretty much go without an Assault Rifle. A SMG can function as a mid-range gun, and a Sniper Rifle (Hunting Rifle is good for quick shots) can be used for long distance. All you need then is a Shotgun, and you are good to go. You will want to be pushing up closer to your enemies in this style of build, so be farming up that material. This build allows you to either run an explosive, rift to go, impulses, or double shields/healing! This build is usually pretty reliant on running the Drum Gun.
• After your initial first shot or two, try to pull your aim a bit more towards chest level. If you are spraying an SMG, they have a fair amount of bloom and you want to make sure you are landing every shot. If you aim for the neck/chest area you'll still likely get some head shots but also hits to the body without missing.
• Do NOT use these to spam at long range. The damage drop off was increased and they are really weak from a distance.
• Be mindful of your ammo, you can really rip through it with these and get a bit too over the top with the spam. You might find yourself in a better situation where spamming down a wall is called for and you won't have the ammo to do so.
• Don't over-commit to spamming. The structure damage on the SMG is a bit weaker now, so people can build over you and take the high ground while you are still trying to knock down walls.