CS2 G3SG1 rifle displayed in the weapon inventory

G3SG1 Guide for Counter-Strike 2

Damage, the scope, and when a $5,000 auto-sniper is worth it.

The G3SG1 is the T side's auto-sniper and, together with the CT side's SCAR-20, the most expensive gun after the M249. It costs $5,000, pays $300 a kill and fires 240 rounds a minute, one shot every 0.25 seconds. A headshot kills at any distance, and two chest hits kill an armoured player in 0.25 seconds out to about 174 metres.

The trade-off is price and speed. It costs $250 more than the AWP, never kills with a single chest shot, and with the scope up you move at 120. It holds 20 rounds a magazine and 60 in total, and by the source sheet its reload takes 4.7 seconds, slower than any rifle or other sniper. This page goes through the numbers, the scope, when to buy it, and the skins and cases.

Last checked

September 2026

Weapon stats checked against CS2 build 1.41.7.6.

G3SG1 at a Glance

The full stat sheet, straight from the game.

Every number below comes from the game build of 18 March 2026. Two of them define the G3SG1: 240 rounds a minute and a helmet one-tap at any distance. It is a sniper that can fire again a quarter of a second after the first shot. What it gives up is money and speed - $5,000, and 120 mobility with the scope up.

Damage and money

Price	$5,000
Kill reward	$300
Side	T only
Base damage	80
Armour penetration	82.5%
Headshot multiplier	4x
Damage lost at 500 units	2%
Wall penetration	250%
One-tap range, helmet	Any distance on a map
One-tap range, no helmet	Any distance on a map

Handling and ammo

Rate of fire	240 RPM (one shot every 0.25 s)
Magazine	20
Reserve	40 (60 total)
Reload	4.67 s (mag in at 2.60 s)
Deploy	1.00 s
Mobility	215, scoped 120 (knife is 250)
Tagging power	50%
Accurate range, standing	5.8 m (scoped 66.3 m)
Running inaccuracy	176.6 (scoped 152.8)
Recoil	Set pattern
Console command	`give weapon_g3sg1`

The weak spot is the price, and by the source sheet also the reload. At $5,000 it costs more than an AWP and pays $300 a kill, three times the AWP's reward but no more than a rifle. The sheet lists a 4.7-second reload against the SCAR-20's 3.1. Unscoped it is accurate only to 5.8 metres, and scoped you move at 120 - faster than a scoped AWP (100), but a lot slower than anyone holding a rifle.

G3SG1 Damage & Armour

What one bullet does, and how many it takes.

Everything here assumes a full-health player at close range. Armour means kevlar on the body and a helmet on the head. The general rules behind these numbers are on the weapons hub. The damage numbers are the same as the SCAR-20's.

Damage per bullet

Hitbox	No armour	Armour	Bullets to kill, no armour	Bullets to kill, armour
Head	320	264	1	1
Chest and arms	80	66	2	2
Stomach	100	82.5	2	2
Legs	60	60	2	2

One number sits exactly on the edge. A stomach hit without armour does 100, precisely what it takes to kill a full-health player - but only with no distance at all. Any gap drops it just below, so in practice the stomach takes two hits, which is what the table shows.

Where the G3SG1 holds up

The G3SG1 loses only 2% of its damage for every 500 units of distance. Only two bullet counts have a limit:

Shot	Works up to
Head, helmet or not - 1 bullet	Any distance on a map
Chest, no armour - 2 bullets	Any distance on a map
Stomach, armour or not - 2 bullets	Any distance on a map
Chest through armour - 2 bullets	6,871 u (about 174 m)
Legs - 2 bullets	4,512 u (about 115 m)

Damage is multiplied by 0.98 for every 500 units of distance, and it drops smoothly in between.

What this means in a fight

A headshot kills in one bullet. Anything else from the legs up takes two, and at 240 rounds a minute the second one comes 0.25 seconds after the first. That is what separates the G3SG1 from the SSG 08, which needs the same two body shots but waits 1.25 seconds between them. The AWP still kills with one chest or stomach shot at normal engagement distances, but its next shot takes 1.45 seconds.

G3SG1 Scope & Accuracy

What the scope gives you, and what a fast second shot costs.

The G3SG1 fires one shot every 0.25 seconds, and its recoil follows a set pattern. Shots fired as fast as possible don't all land where you aimed - each one kicks the next a little. It usually takes two body shots, so the second one matters as much as the first.

Without the scope

Unscoped, the G3SG1 is accurate only to 5.8 metres standing, and its running inaccuracy is 176.6. Without the scope it is only worth firing at an opponent right in front of you.

With the scope

The right mouse button brings up the scope, and a second click zooms in further. Scoped, the accurate range goes from 5.8 to 66.3 metres, the same as the SCAR-20 and second only to the AWP's 69.3. The scope stays up between shots, so a second shot can follow straight after the first. With the scope up you move at 120 instead of 215.

Between shots

A shot every 0.25 seconds is fast for a sniper, but not a reason to hold the trigger. A short pause before the second shot lets the crosshair settle. With 20 rounds a magazine and, by the source sheet, a 4.7-second reload, running dry in the middle of a fight hurts more than with the SCAR-20.

Moving and stopping

Scoping in will not make the G3SG1 accurate on the move - scoped running inaccuracy is still 152.8. Stop first: tapping the opposite movement key - counter-strafing - brings you to a stop faster than just letting go of the key.

When to Buy the G3SG1

What a G3SG1 round costs, and how it compares with an AWP or AK buy.

The G3SG1 is one of the most expensive buys on the T side. It makes sense only when your team has money to spare after everyone else has a full buy.

What a full buy adds up to

Item	Price
G3SG1	$5,000
Kevlar + helmet	$1,000
Smoke	$300
Molotov	$400
Flashbang	$200
Total	$6,900

The same buy with an AWP costs $6,650, with an SG 553 $4,900 and with an AK $4,600.

G3SG1 or AWP

The G3SG1 costs $250 more. The AWP kills with one hit to the chest or stomach; the G3SG1 needs two, but they come 0.25 seconds apart instead of 1.45. The G3SG1 pays $300 a kill against the AWP's $100, carries 60 rounds against 15, and moves at 120 scoped against 100. The AWP's scope reaches a little further, 69.3 metres against 66.3.

G3SG1 or a rifle

An AK costs $2,300 less and an SG 553 $2,000 less. Both one-tap a helmet far out - the AK to about 69 metres, the SG 553 to 115 - and both kill an armoured player in four chest hits, 0.30 and 0.33 seconds. The G3SG1's two body shots take 0.25 and its headshot kills at any range. Where the rifles win is movement, 210-215 and no drop to 120 unless the SG 553 is scoped, ammo, 120 rounds against 60, and a much faster reload.

Against an eco

The G3SG1 pays $300 a kill, like a rifle. Against players with no armour, most SMGs earn twice as much per kill and cost a fraction as much.

G3SG1 vs Other Snipers

What the G3SG1 does better, and what it gives up.

The G3SG1 ties for the fastest time between shots, and loses on price and on damage to the body compared with the AWP.

vs SCAR-20

The CT side's auto-sniper, at the same $5,000. Damage, fire rate, accuracy and mobility are the same. By the source sheet the SCAR-20 has stronger tagging power, 65% against 50%, and a faster reload, 3.1 seconds against 4.7. Details in the SCAR-20 guide.

vs AWP

$250 cheaper. How the two compare on body shots, money and ammo is in When to Buy above. On top of that, the AWP takes 1.25 seconds to pull out against the G3SG1's 1.00, and it reloads faster, 3.7 seconds against 4.7. Details in the AWP guide.

vs SSG 08

$3,300 cheaper. Like the G3SG1, it one-taps a helmeted head at any distance and needs two chest hits - but its second shot comes 1.25 seconds after the first, not 0.25. It moves at 230 against 215, and its scope reaches 47.2 metres against 66.3. Details in the SSG 08 guide.

vs scoped rifles

The SG 553 costs $2,000 less and the AUG $1,700 less. Both fire in full auto and have scopes that reach 37-38 metres. Only the SG 553 one-taps a helmet at range, out to about 115 metres, and it is the one a T can buy. More in the SG 553 and AUG guides.

Sniper Stats Table

All four snipers side by side, with the G3SG1 already open.

This is the same table as on the weapons hub, but filtered down to snipers. The G3SG1 row is open with its damage per hitbox and full stats, and it is already ticked for comparison with the SCAR-20, AWP and SSG 08 - all four at once.

Click a column header to sort. Each sniper row shows the gun without the scope, and the scoped numbers are in its card under variants. The full table with all 36 weapons is on the weapons hub.

Click any weapon for damage per hitbox, full stats and variants.

	Weapon	Type	Price	Kill $	Damage	Armour pen	RPM	Mag	Total ammo	HS kill vs helmet

Stats from the CS2 Weapon Spreadsheet, game build of 18 March 2026. Shotgun damage is per pellet. Headshot ranges are converted from game units at 39.4 units per metre. Zeus and knife values come from the game files rather than the sheet.

G3SG1 Skins & Cases

G3SG1 skins by market listings and price, and where they come from.

Three ways to look at G3SG1 skins. Most listed are the ones with the most offers across the markets I track, in other words the ones currently offered most often. Most expensive are the skins that stay expensive even in their cheapest wear. Cheapest are the ones that stay cheap even in their best wear. Prices update every 15 minutes, and the range on each card runs from the cheapest variant to the most expensive one, wear and StatTrak included.

Consumer Grade

Desert Storm

$0.02 - $2.99

View prices →

Consumer Grade

Jungle Dashed

$0.01 - $9.95

View prices →

Consumer Grade

Polar Camo

$0.02 - $15.27

View prices →

Restricted

Dream Glade

$0.41 - $2.97

View prices →

Consumer Grade

Green Cell

$0.01 - $0.03

View prices →

Consumer Grade

Red Jasper

$0.01 - $6.48

View prices →

Mil-Spec Grade

Hunter

$0.12 - $1.40

View prices →

Restricted

Scavenger

$0.36 - $2.15

View prices →

All of them, with a price for every wear, are on the G3SG1 skins page.

Cases with G3SG1 skins

Every case that can drop a G3SG1 skin, newest first. The number under each case is how many G3SG1 skins it holds.

Dreams & Nightmares Case2022 · 1 skin

Operation Riptide Case2021 · 1 skin

Operation Broken Fang Case2020 · 1 skin

Shattered Web Case2019 · 1 skin

Danger Zone Case2018 · 1 skin

Horizon Case2018 · 1 skin

Spectrum 2 Case2017 · 1 skin

Glove Case2016 · 1 skin

Gamma 2 Case2016 · 1 skin

Chroma 3 Case2016 · 1 skin

Revolver Case2015 · 1 skin

Shadow Case2015 · 1 skin

Operation Vanguard Weapon Case2014 · 1 skin

eSports 2013 Winter Case2013 · 1 skin

Operation Bravo Case2013 · 1 skin

G3SG1 skins that never came from a case

Some G3SG1 skins come from map collections, operations, or the Armory instead of cases. Collections marked "souvenir" also come in souvenir packages from Majors.

The 2021 Dust 2 Collection1 skin · souvenir

The Ancient Collection1 skin · souvenir

The Baggage Collection1 skin

The Bank Collection1 skin

The Boreal Collection1 skin

The Canals Collection1 skin

The Dust 2 Collection1 skin · souvenir

The Gods and Monsters Collection1 skin

The Lake Collection1 skin · souvenir

The Mirage Collection1 skin · souvenir

The Office Collection1 skin

The Radiant Collection1 skin

The Rising Sun Collection1 skin

The Safehouse Collection1 skin · souvenir

The Train Collection1 skin · souvenir

Browse all CS2 cases and all collections, or check what your own skins are worth with the Inventory Value Calculator.

Common G3SG1 Mistakes

Small habits that cost rounds, and what the numbers say instead.

Reloading after every fight

Since the 18 March 2026 update, a reload throws away whatever is left in the magazine and takes a full one from your reserve. The G3SG1 has two spare magazines of 20, so a reload with ten rounds still in the gun throws away half a magazine, a sixth of your 60 for the round. How this habit caught me out is in the AK-47 guide.

The second reload mistake is reloading when you are not safe. By the source sheet, the G3SG1 needs 4.7 seconds from pressing R to being able to shoot again, longer than any rifle or other sniper. Only reload when you are sure nobody can swing on you for almost five seconds.

Buying it before the team has full buys

A G3SG1 buy costs $6,900, $2,300 more than the same buy with an AK. If it means a teammate plays without armour or a rifle, the round is usually better without it. More in When to Buy.

Holding the trigger

The G3SG1 can fire every 0.25 seconds, but its recoil follows a set pattern, so each fast shot pulls the next one off target. Two chest shots or one headshot kill; a short pause before the second shot lands more of them than holding the trigger down.

Shooting without the scope

Unscoped, the G3SG1 is accurate only to 5.8 metres. Past that, a shot without the scope may hit, but you can't count on it.

Moving with the scope up

Scoped, you move at 120 instead of 215, and running inaccuracy only drops to 152.8. Walking between angles scoped makes you slow and doesn't make the shots land. Scope in when you stop, and counter-strafe before you shoot: tapping the opposite movement key brings you to a stop faster than just letting go of the key.

More Snipers

The other three snipers in CS2, starting with the G3SG1's CT counterpart.

// CT · $5,000 · CT counterpart

SCAR-20

The SCAR-20 is a semi-automatic sniper rifle that trades a high rate of fire and powerful long-distance damage for sluggish movement speed and big price tag.

Read the guide →