Levels to maximum, magazine size, reserve and fire rate are the figures Activision published. Nothing here is a damage or time-to-kill estimate, because none has been published. The level counts are also the worst case: Activision skips any level that would award an attachment you already own, so on an account with a wide attachment pool every number here comes down.
The number that decides it
A weapon earns its Apex Attachment and unlocks Weapon Prestige when it reaches maximum level, and the level counts are not close together. The .50 GS needs 37 levels. The KG-7 Vulcan needs 75. That is a two-fold difference in the grind for the same reward, and it is published, so there is no reason to pick the slow one by accident.
Pistols are the efficient ones
All four launch pistols finish early. The .50 GS needs 37 levels, the SANG 9mm and Krait P68 need 38, and the Mojave .357 needs 44. If you want an Apex quickly, a sidearm is the cheapest route by a wide margin, and the sidearms are also the weapons most players under-level.
Launchers are an exception
The four launchers all need 46 levels and none of them has an Apex Attachment. They are the one part of the arsenal where levelling is purely about handling, not about unlocking something new.
SEE WHAT EACH APEX DOES ↗ BUILD A CLASS ↗ ALL WEAPONS ↗
Where this comes from
Reviewed October 22, 2026. Quoted text is from Activision’s own published material. Advice that is this site’s own judgement is labelled as such.