# Ammo in FiveM: game ammo pools and inventory ammo items

> How ammo works in FiveM: GTA 5 ammo pools, every ox_inventory ammo item and which guns use it, QBCore ammo items and ammo for add-on weapons.

Source: https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-ammo-types-and-items · FAM Tools · published 2026-09-11 · updated 2026-09-11 · about 12 min

**Short answer.** In GTA V each weapon references an ammo type (`AMMO_PISTOL`, `AMMO_RIFLE`…), and weapons sharing a type share one pool. ox_inventory turns calibres into items — `ammo-9` for 9 mm pistols and SMGs, `ammo-rifle` (5.56×45), `ammo-rifle2` (7.62×39), `ammo-shotgun` (12 gauge) and so on — and each weapon’s `ammoname` says which item reloads it. QBCore uses items such as `pistol_ammo`; ESX’s default loadout stores ammo per weapon.

## Key points

- GTA ammo types are **shared pools** between weapons of the same type.
- ox_inventory: the weapon’s `ammoname` in `data/weapons.lua` decides which ammo item reloads it.
- `ammo-9` covers 14 vanilla weapons; `ammo-rifle` covers 12.
- The weapon item’s `metadata.ammo` holds what is loaded in it.
- Addon weapons need an `ammoname` entry or they cannot be reloaded from the inventory.

Ammo trips up more new server owners than weapons do. GTA V itself groups weapons into shared ammo pools, and every inventory then layers its own ammo items on top, with its own names and rules. Once you see both layers, questions like “why does my rifle use the pistol’s ammo?” or “why can my addon gun not be reloaded?” answer themselves.

## Layer one: GTA V ammo pools

In weapons.meta, each weapon points at an ammo info with `<AmmoInfo ref="AMMO_PISTOL" />`. Weapons that point at the same ammo info share one pool of rounds in the base game — if you give 100 pistol rounds, the combat pistol has them too. Frameworks without an item-based inventory inherit this behaviour.

*client.lua — working with the game’s pools*

```lua
local ped = PlayerPedId()
SetPedAmmo(ped, `WEAPON_PISTOL`, 60)
print(GetAmmoInPedWeapon(ped, `WEAPON_PISTOL`))
print(GetPedAmmoTypeFromWeapon(ped, `WEAPON_PISTOL`)) -- the ammo type hash
AddAmmoToPed(ped, `WEAPON_PISTOL`, 12)
```

## Layer two: ox_inventory ammo items

ox_inventory makes ammunition physical: boxes of rounds are items with weight, and each weapon lists the item that reloads it. The weapon item carries its loaded rounds in `metadata.ammo`. These are the ammo items in ox_inventory’s default data, with the vanilla weapons that use each:

*From ox_inventory’s default data/weapons.lua. Your server may have edited these.*

| Item | Label | Used by (vanilla) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `ammo-9` | 9mm | Pistol, Pistol Mk II, Combat Pistol, AP Pistol, Vintage Pistol, Ceramic Pistol, WM 29, Perico Pistol, SMG, SMG Mk II, Combat PDW, Machine Pistol, Mini SMG, Tactical SMG (14) |
| `ammo-45` | .45 ACP | SNS Pistol, SNS Pistol Mk II, Heavy Pistol, Micro SMG, Gusenberg (5) |
| `ammo-50` | .50 AE | Pistol .50 |
| `ammo-44` | .44 Magnum | Revolver, Revolver Mk II, Navy Revolver |
| `ammo-38` | .38 LC | Double Action Revolver |
| `ammo-22` | .22 Long Rifle | Marksman Pistol |
| `ammo-rifle` | 5.56x45 | Carbine, Carbine Mk II, Advanced, Special Carbine (both), Bullpup (both), Military, Heavy, Tactical Rifle, Assault SMG, Combat MG (12) |
| `ammo-rifle2` | 7.62x39 | Assault Rifle (both), Compact Rifle, Battle Rifle, MG, Combat MG Mk II, Minigun (7) |
| `ammo-shotgun` | 12 Gauge | Every shotgun except the musket (9) |
| `ammo-sniper` | 7.62x51 | Sniper Rifle, Marksman Rifle (both), Precision Rifle |
| `ammo-heavysniper` | .50 BMG | Heavy Sniper, Heavy Sniper Mk II |
| `ammo-musket` | .50 Ball | Musket |
| `ammo-grenade` | 40mm Explosive | Grenade Launcher, Compact Launcher |
| `ammo-rocket` | Rocket | RPG, Homing Launcher |
| `ammo-flare` / `ammo-firework` | Flare / Firework | Flare Gun / Firework Launcher |

Give ammo like any item: `exports.ox_inventory:AddItem(source, 'ammo-9', 48)`. The full weapon-by-weapon list, including each weapon’s ammo item, is in [the weapon names and hashes list](https://fam-tools.com/guides/gta-5-weapon-names-hashes-list).

## QBCore and ESX

| Framework | How ammo works |
| --- | --- |
| QBCore (qb-inventory) | Ammo items such as `pistol_ammo`, `rifle_ammo`, `smg_ammo`, `shotgun_ammo`, `mg_ammo`, `snp_ammo`; each weapon in `qb-core/shared/weapons.lua` has an `ammotype` like `AMMO_PISTOL` that matches them. |
| ESX default loadout | Ammo is stored with each weapon in the loadout; give it with `xPlayer.addWeaponAmmo('WEAPON_PISTOL', 24)`. |
| ESX or QBox with ox_inventory | The ox_inventory items above. |

Which system you have depends on the inventory, not the framework name. See [ESX items and loadout](https://fam-tools.com/guides/esx-items-and-loadout) and [QBCore shared weapons](https://fam-tools.com/guides/qbcore-shared-weapons).

## Ammo for addon weapons

An addon weapon has an `AmmoInfo` in its weapons.meta, but the inventory also needs to know which item reloads it. In ox_inventory, add the weapon to `data/weapons.lua` with an `ammoname`:

*ox_inventory/data/weapons.lua*

```lua
['WEAPON_MYRIFLE'] = {
    label = 'My Rifle',
    weight = 3200,
    durability = 0.03,
    ammoname = 'ammo-rifle',
},
```

1. Pick the calibre that fits the real-world weapon, so players already own the ammo.
2. Match the `AmmoInfo` in weapons.meta to a similar vanilla weapon for consistent handling.
3. Restart ox_inventory (or the server) after editing data files.

A missing `ammoname` is the usual reason an addon gun equips but never reloads. [ox_inventory weapons data](https://fam-tools.com/guides/ox-inventory-weapons-data) covers every field.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Cause |
| --- | --- |
| Weapon will not reload | No matching ammo item in the inventory, or no `ammoname` for the weapon |
| Ammo disappears on relog | Ammo was set with a native instead of the inventory |
| Two guns share ammo unexpectedly | They share an `AmmoInfo` in weapons.meta (game pools) or an ammo item |
| Throwables stack oddly | They use their own count as ammo; ox treats them as throwable items |

## Questions

### What ammo does the pistol use in ox_inventory?

`ammo-9` (9mm). The same item reloads 14 vanilla weapons, including the SMG and Combat Pistol.

### What is the difference between ammo-rifle and ammo-rifle2?

`ammo-rifle` is 5.56×45 (carbines, special carbines, bullpups and more); `ammo-rifle2` is 7.62×39 (assault rifles, compact rifle, MG, minigun).

### How do I give ammo with ox_inventory?

`exports.ox_inventory:AddItem(source, 'ammo-9', 48)` on the server.

### Why can I not reload my addon weapon?

The inventory does not know its ammo. Add the weapon to `data/weapons.lua` with an `ammoname` such as `ammo-rifle`.

### Why do two different guns share ammo?

In GTA V, weapons that reference the same `AmmoInfo` share a pool; inventories also let one ammo item reload several guns.

## Related

- https://fam-tools.com/guides/ox-inventory-weapons-data
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/gta-5-weapon-names-hashes-list
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-weapon-durability
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-infinite-ammo-and-reload