The SMG body is the part that decides whether you get to spray with a Thompson, a Custom SMG or an MP5A4 this wipe. It is the firing mechanism inside every crafted submachine gun, and without one you cannot make any of them, however much high quality metal you have in your boxes.
This SMG body Rust guide covers what it crafts, why you cannot make one yourself, where to loot it and at what odds, which guns hand it back in a recycler, how much scrap it is worth, and how to keep enough banked to rebuild your SMGs all wipe.
- What It Is
- What It Crafts
- Can You Craft It?
- Where to Find It
- Recycle SMGs for Bodies
- Recycle Value
- vs Other Components
- Tips
- FAQ
What Is the SMG Body in Rust?
The SMG Body is a weapon component. The in-game description calls it “the firing mechanism of a submachinegun, used in construction of a weapon that can fire pistol ammo automatically.” Like the rifle body, gears and metal pipes, it does nothing on its own. It sits in your inventory until you use it in a craft or feed it to a recycler.
| Stat | SMG Body |
|---|---|
| Type | Component |
| Craftable | No (loot and recycling only) |
| Researchable | No |
| Used in | Custom SMG, Thompson, MP5A4 |
| Stack size | 10 |
| Despawn time | 40 minutes when dropped |
| Recycles into (powered green, 60%) | 18 scrap, 1 HQM and an 80% chance of a 2nd HQM |
| Recycles into (safe zone, 40%) | 12 scrap, 1 HQM and a 20% chance of a 2nd HQM |
| Shortname / Item ID | smgbody / 1230323789 |
What the SMG Body Crafts
Three guns need an SMG body, and each takes exactly one, so one body always equals one SMG. Two of them only need a Workbench Level 2, which makes the SMG body the first gun part most players chase after a wipe. The MP5A4 needs a Workbench Level 3.
| Gun | Full recipe | Workbench | Blueprint (research table) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom SMG | 1 SMG Body, 8 HQM, 1 Metal Spring | Level 2 | 60 scrap |
| Thompson | 1 SMG Body, 10 HQM, 1 Metal Spring, 100 Wood | Level 2 | 60 scrap |
| MP5A4 | 1 SMG Body, 15 HQM, 2 Metal Springs | Level 3 | 120 scrap |
Blueprint prices are the research table costs since the Pivot or Die update. You can also unlock the guns on the Workbench 2 and Workbench 3 branches of the tech tree. All three fire pistol ammo, so the SMG body is also what turns a stack of pistol bullets into real firepower.
The Handmade SMG is the exception. It is a cheap Workbench 1 gun that is built without an SMG body, so it is the fallback when you have none.
Can You Craft an SMG Body in Rust?
No. The SMG body has no player recipe and cannot be researched. The Facepunch wiki lists it as not craftable, and no workbench will make one.
Where to Find an SMG Body
SMG bodies come from the better loot pools. The odds below are the chance per container from the Facepunch wiki loot tables, so treat them as averages over many crates.
| Source | Chance | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elite Crate | 27.7% | 1 to 2 |
| Military Crate | 16.7% | 1 |
| Locked Crate (Chinook, oil rig, ghost ship) | 11.7% | 1 |
| Recycled Custom SMG, Thompson or MP5A4 | 40% to 75% | 1 |
The best places to run are the tier 3 monuments with elite crates, like Launch Site and Military Tunnels, and the Large Oil Rig, where you get both elite crates and a locked crate. Military crates also spawn at Airfield, Train Yard and the Abandoned Military Base.
Recycle SMGs to Get the Body Back
Every gun that contains an SMG body can give it back in a recycler. A spare Thompson or MP5A4 you pulled from a crate is a real shot at your next gun. Since the Power Trip update the chance always matches the recycler’s yield: 50% at a green recycler while the Power Plant is offline, 60% once it is powered, 75% at the red Power Plant recycler and 40% at a safe zone recycler.
| Gun | Powered green recycler (60%) | Safe zone recycler (40%) |
|---|---|---|
| Custom SMG | 60% body, 4 to 5 HQM, 60% spring | 40% body, 3 to 4 HQM, 40% spring |
| Thompson | 60% body, 6 HQM, 60 wood, 60% spring | 40% body, 4 HQM, 40 wood, 40% spring |
| MP5A4 | 60% body, 9 HQM, 1 spring, 20% 2nd spring | 40% body, 6 HQM, 80% spring |
| Handmade SMG | No body (it never had one) | No body |
Since one SMG body plus 8 HQM and a spring is a full Custom SMG, recycling a spare SMG is usually worse than just keeping it. Recycle the extras you will never carry, and keep at least one of each gun you use.
SMG Body Recycle Value
If you have more bodies than you will ever craft with, the recycler pays a fair amount for them. Since the Power Trip update (August 2026), what you get depends on which recycler you use and whether the Power Plant grid is running.
| Recycler | Yield | One SMG body returns |
|---|---|---|
| Red recycler (Power Plant, max power) | 75% | About 22 scrap and 2 HQM, sometimes 3 |
| Green recycler, Power Plant powered | 60% | 18 scrap, 1 HQM and an 80% chance of a 2nd |
| Green recycler, Power Plant offline | 50% | 15 scrap, 1 HQM and a 50% chance of a 2nd |
| Safe zone (Outpost, Bandit Camp) | 40% | 12 scrap, 1 HQM and a 20% chance of a 2nd |
Every wipe starts with the Power Plant offline, so green recyclers pay 50% until a group powers the grid. The Rust scrap guide has the full list of what to recycle for scrap.
SMG Body vs Other Components
| Component | Scrap (powered green, 60%) | Scrap (safe zone, 40%) | Crafts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle Body | 30 | 20 | AK, Bolt Action, HMLMG |
| Tech Trash | 24 | 16 | Electrical items, turrets |
| SMG Body | 18 | 12 | Custom SMG, Thompson, MP5A4 |
| Semi Automatic Body | 18 | 12 | SAR, Semi-Auto Pistol |
| Metal Spring | 12 | 8 | Most guns |
Rust SMG Body Tips
- Keep two or three banked. One body is one SMG after a death. Running out is what puts you back on a pistol.
- Learn one SMG early. 60 scrap at a research table for the Thompson or Custom SMG turns every body into a gun you can rebuild.
- Run elite crates. At almost 28% per crate, with up to 2 bodies, they beat every other container.
- Recycle spare SMGs, not your bodies. Each spare SMG has up to a 75% chance to give you a body back.
- Recycle only true spares. 18 scrap is worth far less than the gun a body becomes.
- A Workbench 2 is enough. You do not need a Workbench 3 for the Custom SMG or Thompson.
Everything in your boxes resets on wipe day, SMG bodies included. Check the force wipe countdown before you hoard, and the Rust item IDs list for the smgbody spawn name.
Rust SMG Body FAQ
What is the SMG body used for in Rust?
The SMG body is used to craft three guns: the Custom SMG and the Thompson at a Workbench Level 2, and the MP5A4 at a Workbench Level 3. Each one needs exactly one SMG body.
Can you craft an SMG body in Rust?
No. The SMG body has no player recipe and cannot be researched. You get it from loot or by recycling SMGs that contain one.
Where do you find SMG bodies in Rust?
Elite crates (about 28%, 1 to 2 bodies), military crates (about 17%) and locked crates (about 12%) are the best sources. You can also recycle a spare Custom SMG, Thompson or MP5A4 for a chance to get the body back.
How much scrap is an SMG body worth?
An SMG body recycles into 18 scrap plus 1 to 2 high quality metal at a powered green recycler. Since the Power Trip update it is about 22 scrap at the red Power Plant recycler, 15 scrap at a green recycler while the Power Plant is offline, and 12 scrap at a safe zone recycler in Outpost or Bandit Camp.
What guns give an SMG body when recycled?
The Custom SMG, Thompson and MP5A4 each have a chance to return an SMG body equal to the recycler’s yield: 60% at a powered green recycler, 50% unpowered, 75% at the red Power Plant recycler and 40% at a safe zone. The Handmade SMG does not contain one.
What is the stack size of the SMG body?
SMG bodies stack to 10 in one inventory slot, and a dropped SMG body despawns after 40 minutes.
Sources and Further Reading
- Facepunch Rust Wiki, SMG Body (craftable status, loot chances, stack size, despawn, recycle output)
- Facepunch Rust Wiki, Custom SMG and MP5A4 (recipes and research costs)
- Recycler yields after the Power Trip update (August 2026): PlayNews, recycling guide after Power Trip
- Every item ID: Rust item IDs list