Shortlist by recorded base price, then compare role, caliber and remaining protection budget.
01 Use the cap to narrow the field
Community records list T-21 at $600, MP5 at $1,500, AK74 at $1,600, Scout Rifle at $1,100 and MP43 at $400. These span different classes, so price order is not a best-weapon ranking.
02 Put the savings back into the whole kit
At a $3,000 per-life ceiling, an AK74 leaves $1,400 for armor, helmet and medical gear; a T-21 leaves $2,400. Compare those full-kit choices for the same role, not just the receivers.
03 Leave room for unverified costs
Ammo, attachments, unlocks and current shop prices have not been checked item by item. The $2,000 threshold filters base prices; it is not the final deployment bill.
Recorded item prices
These are public community price leads, not individually verified current-shop prices. Ammo, attachments and unlocks are excluded.
Put the answer to work
Related questions
Sources and update limits
Gameplay is grounded in the official Steam overview; base prices are leads from a public community record. This is an independently written decision guide. Early Access can change, so verify the live game before buying.
Steam Community price source