some players sometimes max only 1 item been new in the game and inflict damage. I knew few guys that started with me and had issues to get parts and maxed one with barely capabilities on modules etc but the damage at their ranks was a lot. I was killed and killed and killed. Sure, I can see ranks 15 a bunch of abusers or even below. There are abusers till rank4 just for say as normal thing.
The only way I got away from it was farming and farming and farming and pushing to R10. Then R10 was the bottle neck because everyone in some ways is fully maxed with MYTH parts at L50 with modules limitations but powerful.
Those guys compete against natural R10 trying to cross to R9 or R8 and it is really hard because the match maker match then time to time against R7-R6 players because not enough players at the time.
If I am not wrong, someone told me long ago when I was new less than a year, that at some point the top players were a bit angry waiting to get matched because their accounts were restricted to their rank levels. I think that was for the R3-R1. I really do not remember well but something like that happens.
Sure, they can restrict some weapons at some ranks. Now, that does not mean that the players are fully abusing but just happen naturally they maxed a weapon and they got stuck for some time like that.
I was stuck with 1 weapon for some time too in my beginning not abusing but it was what I was able to do as free player.
Now, pictures showed previously around, I know that those peoples are abusing. They do not test but they abuse just to abuse or to get wins.