TL;DR
- Auto Rifles got a major boost in Monument of Triumph, with all Primary weapons dealing 30% more damage against minor combatants.
- Khvostov 7G-0X is the best Exotic Auto Rifle in the game right now for both PvE add-clear and PvP dueling.
- No Hesitation is the top Legendary pick thanks to its Support Frame, which deals damage and heals allies at the same time.
- Necrochasm remains one of the best horde-clearing Exotics, especially once its catalyst is equipped.
- Riposte and Lethal Abundance round out the best Legendary picks for PvP mobility and Strand-focused PvE builds.
- Pyroelectric Propellant from Vesper’s Host is a flexible Arc option that works in both PvE and PvP.
Why Auto Rifles Are Strong Right Now
Auto Rifles have always had a place in Destiny 2’s sandbox thanks to their forgiving recoil and steady time-to-kill, but they’ve never been the flashiest weapon archetype. That changed with Monument of Triumph. As part of the update’s broader sandbox overhaul, every Primary weapon now deals 30% more damage against minor combatants, and Exotic Primaries get an additional 40% on top of that. For a weapon class built around sustained fire on groups of weaker enemies, this buff is enormous. Guns that were sitting in vaults for years are suddenly worth pulling back out, and the Auto Rifle category in particular benefits because its whole identity revolves around chewing through ad waves.
This guide breaks down the best Legendary and Exotic Auto Rifles in the current sandbox, what makes each one work, and which perks or rolls to chase if you want the strongest version of each gun.
Best Legendary Auto Rifles
No Hesitation (Support Frame) – Best All-Around Pick
No Hesitation was the first Support Frame Auto Rifle introduced to Destiny 2, and it remains one of the best examples of the archetype. Support Frame weapons deal damage to enemies and healing to allies at the same time, which makes No Hesitation incredibly flexible in both casual and endgame content. It rewards you simply for staying in the fight rather than requiring a specific build around it.
For PvE, the strongest roll pairs Physic with Circle of Life or Incandescent. Physic grants Restoration to you and your target when you land precision hits, which keeps your fireteam topped off during longer encounters without anyone needing to break formation. Demolitionist is also a solid alternative in the first slot if you want extra grenade uptime instead. The Solar option, Incandescent, adds scorch stacks to nearby enemies on kill, which works well if you’re already running a Solar subclass and want extra add-clear on top of the healing.
What makes No Hesitation stand out from other support-style weapons is that it doesn’t ask you to sacrifice much damage to get the healing utility. You’re not trading DPS for survivability here, you’re getting both in the same gun.
Riposte (Lightweight Frame) – Best for PvP Mobility
Riposte technically comes from the Competitive Crucible playlist, but it has carved out a niche in PvE as well because it can roll Repulsor Brace alongside Destabilizing Rounds, a perk combination that’s become a staple for Void builds. Repulsor Brace grants an overshield when you pick up elemental pickups while critically wounded, and Destabilizing Rounds causes Volatile explosions on precision final blows, which chains nicely into add-clear scenarios.
Where Riposte really separates itself is its frame. As a Lightweight Frame Auto Rifle firing at 720 RPM, it grants increased movement speed while equipped. That’s a meaningful advantage in PvP specifically, where strafe speed and repositioning often decide engagements before damage numbers even matter. For PvP-focused rolls, look for Zen Moment paired with Dynamic Sway Reduction to keep your aim steady through sustained fire, or swap in Target Lock if you want a small but reliable damage ramp during longer duels.
Lethal Abundance (Iron Banner) – Best for Strand Builds
This 450 RPM Strand Auto Rifle from the Iron Banner loot pool is the first weapon in its archetype to roll both Slice and Onslaught in the same column pool, a combination that was previously unavailable on Auto Rifles. Onslaught increases fire rate and reload speed as you land kills, with no damage penalty attached, which means the gun keeps getting faster the longer you stay on target. Slice applies Sever to enemies on reload, a Strand debuff that cuts their outgoing damage by 40%.
Together, these perks create a loop where landing kills makes you shoot faster, and reloading mid-fight weakens whatever’s still shooting back at you. It’s a genuinely strong general-purpose PvE and PvP weapon, and since it benefits from Strand’s Unraveling Rounds artifact and mod synergies, it slots cleanly into Strand-focused loadouts without forcing you to build entirely around it.
Pyroelectric Propellant (Vesper’s Host Dungeon) – Best Arc Option
Pyroelectric Propellant drops from the Vesper’s Host dungeon and stands out for its ability to roll Rewind Rounds and Jolting Feedback together in its third and fourth perk columns. Rewind Rounds returns rounds to the magazine on precision kills, extending your time-to-empty significantly, while Jolting Feedback chains Arc damage to nearby enemies when you deal sustained damage, similar in spirit to weapons like Riskrunner.
Every fourth-column perk option on this weapon increases damage in some form, which gives you flexibility depending on whether you’re optimizing for PvE add-clear or PvP duels. If you’re running an Arc subclass and want a Primary that reinforces your build’s chain-lightning playstyle, this is one of the better options currently available.
Best Exotic Auto Rifles
Khvostov 7G-0X – Best Overall Exotic Auto Rifle
Khvostov 7G-0X is the Exotic version of the very first weapon every Guardian receives, and it has become one of the strongest Primary weapons in the entire game, S-Tier for PvE and a clear top pick for PvP as well. Its Exotic perk, The Right Choice, causes every seventh bullet fired to deal additional damage and ricochet toward nearby targets. It also carries Shoot to Loot, which automatically picks up nearby ammo and loot as you fire, keeping you in the fight without breaking away to grab pickups manually.
In PvE, Khvostov isn’t just a raw damage weapon, it’s an efficiency tool. The ricochet mechanic lets you tag multiple enemies at once, which helps with assists and keeps your Special and Heavy ammo economy flowing even when you’re focused on a single target. In PvP, that same ricochet effect becomes genuinely oppressive, since it can land random kills around corners and through doorways that other Primaries simply can’t reach. Combined with a fast time-to-kill in standard duels, it’s an easy recommendation for almost any loadout.
Getting it isn’t quick. You’ll need to complete a multi-step Exotic quest after finishing The Final Shape campaign, starting with collecting 15 Lost Encryption Bits from gold region chests in the Pale Heart to unlock the Legendary version, then gathering 17 Motes of Light from Visions of the Traveler and the nine Overthrow bosses to upgrade it to the Exotic variant. It’s a grind, but the payoff is one of the most consistently useful weapons in the game.
Necrochasm – Best for Add-Clear and Horde Density
Necrochasm returned to Destiny 2 with the Crota’s End raid reprisal and received real upgrades to both its Exotic perk and base stat package compared to its original Destiny 1 version. This 720 RPM Kinetic Auto Rifle creates Cursed Thrall explosions on precision kills, and reloading immediately after a precision final blow triggers Desperation, temporarily boosting its fire rate to 900 RPM. Chaining precision kills into reloads keeps the explosions and the fire rate boost rolling continuously, which makes it excellent against dense groups of weaker enemies in seasonal content, patrol zones, and even Grandmaster Nightfalls.
With its catalyst equipped, Necrochasm gains a flat 35% damage buff, which pushes it from a fun nostalgia pick into a legitimate endgame add-clear option. The tradeoff is that you need to land consistent headshots at a fast fire rate to keep the loop going, which takes more recoil management than some of the other Exotics on this list. If you can manage that, few weapons clear red-bar enemies as efficiently.
Which Auto Rifle Should You Use?
If you only want one Auto Rifle in your vault, Khvostov 7G-0X is the safest pick since it performs at a high level in both PvE and PvP without requiring a specific build around it. For PvE-focused players who want a support option, No Hesitation gives you damage and healing in one slot. PvP players who care about mobility should lean toward Riposte, and anyone running Strand builds will get the most value out of Lethal Abundance. If you’re chasing god rolls or Exotic quests, pair this list with the Vanguard Ciphers guide to make sure you’re farming the right vendor currency alongside your weapon grind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Auto Rifle for PvE in 2026?
Khvostov 7G-0X is widely considered the best overall Auto Rifle for PvE thanks to its ad-clear potential, Shoot to Loot perk, and ammo economy benefits from its ricochet effect.
What is the best Auto Rifle for PvP?
Riposte is one of the strongest PvP options because its Lightweight Frame increases movement speed, and Khvostov 7G-0X is a close second thanks to its corner-peeking ricochet damage.
Did Monument of Triumph buff Auto Rifles?
Yes. All Primary weapons now deal 30% more damage against minor combatants, with Exotic Primaries receiving an additional 40% bonus, making the entire Auto Rifle category noticeably stronger.
Is Necrochasm still good after its rework?
Yes. Necrochasm received a stronger Exotic perk and stat package with the Crota’s End reprisal, and its catalyst adds a flat 35% damage buff, making it one of the better horde-clear Exotics currently available.
How do I get Khvostov 7G-0X?
You need to complete The Final Shape campaign, then finish a multi-step Exotic quest involving Lost Encryption Bits from the Pale Heart and Motes of Light from Visions of the Traveler and Overthrow bosses.
