Damn menu? There's quick select from dpad, maybe explore a bit. Sigh.
The more you use/break high grade the more powerful loot you get. Now for random encounters I got +21/+18 attack up, durability up+, quick shot, 5 burst shot weapons mods like water because I fight them all the time, I'm grinning for every endgame encounters. You don't use quickly broken weapons, unless it's strong, those weapons I throw at every chance I get, and easy, like 2 seconds tops. Or just drop them. But yeah, the menu system can be improved. now I have 40+ endgame weapons and to select a specific one in quick menu is still a long process.
Fight enemies for loot, for stronger weapons NEVER SKIP STRONG ENEMIES. Maybe skip low leveled enemies, even then you can one shot/one hit kill them, or just bomb arrows, I got hundreds of those, no effort at all. But at principle, skipping foes because of your inability to use the mechanics properly or too scared to lose your weapons are DUMB AF. Like I said, there are ways to remedy/conserve weapons durability, so treat them like bullets.