All Weapon Manufacturers in Borderlands 4

The megacorps in the universe of Borderlands 4 aren’t just there for show. They have a tangible presence in all games in the series through NPC representatives, allies, enemies, and most importantly, weapons. Every gun in Borderlands is made by a specific manufacturer, and each manufacturer give their weapons different traits that make them stand out from the competition.

Gearing up in Borderlands 4 isn’t just about using whatever has the bigger numbers. Manufacturer traits have a large impact on how a weapon feels and performs, and if you want to know more about what these traits are, here’s an overview for all the manufacturers in the game.

Daedalus

Simple, but Effective

Daedalus focuses on simplicity. Their guns don’t shoot lightning (not always, at least), and they don’t have any fancy gimmicks — you point them at an enemy, pull the trigger, and watch the damage numbers flow.

This manufacturer’s defining trait is that all of their guns can swap to using an alternative ammo type. For example, a Daedalus Assault Rifle will use Assault Rifle ammo by default, but by pressing the Change Gun Mode button, that same gun will use Shotgun, Pistol, or Sniper ammo instead. Individual guns have different alternate ammo types.

Overall, Daedalus is a solid choice for players who want a workhorse weapon that can deal with most threats reasonably well. They’re a bit on the lower side of the DPS spectrum, but they’re reliable against pretty much everything.

In Borderlands 4, Dahl has been replaced by Daedalus, but apart from the visual theme and ammo swapping mechanic, Daedalus guns work basically the same as most iconic Dahl weapons.

Vladof

You Can Never Have Enough Dakka

Speaking of workhorse weapons, Vladof guns are great for players who want plain or generic bullet hoses. This manufacturer has two defining traits:

1. All of their weapons have high fire rates.
2. All Vladof guns have underbarrel attachments.

If you want a gun that vomits ammo at comically alarming rates, or if you want one that has an underbarrel shotgun, flamethrower, taser, or bipod that significantly increases its accuracy, get a Vladof. Just keep in mind that these weapons have a lower damage-per-shot value compared to most other guns, so ammo efficiency might be a problem. Reload speed may also be an issue.

Jakobs

If It Took More Than One Shot, You Weren’t Using A Jakobs

Every gun in the Jakobs arsenal is Wild West-themed. We’re talking revolvers, crank guns, double-barreled shotguns, and bolt-action rifles. This manufacturer is defined by their hard-hitting weapons with bullets that ricochet when scoring critical hits. Also, their semi-auto rifles and revolvers can be fired as fast as you can pull the trigger, and all of their guns deal more crit damage.

The downside to Jakobs guns is that they usually have low ammo capacities, slow reload speeds, or a combination of both. Still, they’re excellent for fans of marksman-type playstyles, and their shotguns have some crazy synergies with some of the Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4.

Order

Full Broadside Blasters

The Order is the main enemy faction in Borderlands 4, and naturally, they use a proprietary line of alien weapons. They’re somewhat similar to Jakobs in the sense that their guns hit hard and demand precision, but what sets them apart is that all Order guns can be charged to fire multiple shots, either all at once or in rapid succession.

Order weapons are great for blowing up weak enemies or deleting big chunks of health off of elites and bosses. However, the charge-based playstyle isn’t for everyone, and all Order weapons are semi-auto only, which may be annoying or inconvenient for some players.

Ripper

Hold the Trigger and Let ‘Em Rip

The Rippers are the second enemy faction in the game, and much like the CoV from Borderlands 3, they’re mainly composed of fanatical psychos worshiping a delusional queen. Their guns, however, are more alien in design (likely derived from Order tech), and their main gimmick is that all of their weapons fire in full auto.

The trade-off for having a fully-automatic shotgun or sniper rifle (or any other Ripper gun, for that matter), is that this manufacturer’s guns all need to spool up before they can fire. It’s a little inconvenient, especially for those who like firing in controlled bursts, but it’s hard to deny how strong Ripper guns can be. Thankfully, they tend to have slower fire rates, so you won’t be wasting much ammo when going from target to target.

Torgue

Did Someone Say Explosions?

Torgue is all about bringing the boom. Every single weapon made by this manufacturer fires either mini-rockets, sticky bombs, actual rockets, or some other form of ordnance that turns biology into physics. Torgue weapons hit hard, especially their shotguns and rocket launchers.

However, rocket munitions are much slower than regular bullets, so you’ll either have to get up close and personal, or lead your shots by a substantial amount when using a Torgue gun that fires Impact Gyrojets (which is most of them). It takes a little bit of getting used to, but your patience and skill will be rewarded with satisfying explosions.

Torgue weapons deal Splash Damage, which means they benefit from items and skills that increase Splash Damage.

Maliwan

Eat Elements, Jerks

Elemental damage plays a big part in Borderlands 4, and if you want to shock shields, melt armor, or light some raging psycho on fire, then Maliwan’s the manufacturer to look out for. They mainly make plasma-based weapons that deal elemental damage, and that also means that they can inflict elemental status effects. These are perfect for DoT builds.

There are a couple of downsides to Maliwan guns, though. First, they deal less damage-per-shot compared to other guns (on paper, atleast), and second, Maliwan projectiles travel very slowly. Use them up close, or compensate by leading your shots.

Keep in mind that elemental damage deals more or less damage to targets based on Elemental Effectiveness. Different elements are strong and weak to different health types (Shields, Armor, Flesh).

Tediore

Shoot, Throw, Repeat

Tediore weapons work the same as other bullet-based manufacturers like Daedalus and Jakobs, However, the main thing that sets Tediore guns apart is that instead of changing magazines, Tediore weapons are thrown like grenades. They’ll blow up when they hit an enemy, and a new replica will digistruct right into your hands.

Not all Tediore guns act like grenades. Some can also sprout legs and act as short-lived turrets that seek enemies. Others can be thrown and then shot while midair to deal more damage. The actual DPS of firing Tediore guns is a bit on the low side, but since they deal more damage based on how much ammo they have in a magazine when thrown, they can be pretty strong if you have the ammo to afford this tactic.

Parts-Exclusive Manufacturers

There are three more gun manufacturers in Borderlands 4, but they don’t have any of their actual guns in the game. Instead, they have Licensed Parts that can randomly appear on other weapons. These manufacturers are:

• Hyperion: Licensed Hyperion parts can either give guns a shield when aiming down, or a stabilizer that increases their accuracy as they are fired.
• Cult of the Vault (CoV): Any weapon with a CoV part will use ammo directly from the player’s reserves instead of using magazines. However, if you fire them for too long, CoV-equipped guns will break, prompting a lengthy repair animation.
• Atlas: Atlas has licensed underbarrel parts that give weapons the ability to fire tracker darts or grenades. Any enemy hit by these tracker munitions becomes marked, and every bullet fired by the Atlas-equipped weapon will home onto them.

Which Manufacturers Are The Best?

At the end of the day, a gun is still a gun, and as long as it can do its job, players should have no issues. Jakobs, Daedalus, and Vladof are all excellent picks for players who want a traditional shooting experience. Meanwhile, all the rest is great for those who want something more exotic or exciting, so don’t let anything sway you from using what you prefer.

We do recommend giving Maliwan a shot, though. Don’t mind the DPS or damage numbers that appear on the weapons’ info cards, as they don’t take into account elemental weaknesses and resistances. As long as you’re shooting a Maliwan gun at something that’s weak to your gun’s element, you’ll be fine.

Having a Torgue weapon as a backup plan is great too. If you get downed and enter the Fight For Your Life state, a Torgue gun can get you back up very quickly as long as you can hit your targets, and they are especially good at breaking crystals off of Vile enemies.