Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is overflowing with fresh versions of classic weapons — and some of our old favorites are still amazing in this 2019 reboot. Thanks to an expanded XP system where you’ll have to use certain weapons to unlock every additional attachment for that weapon, it’s in your best interest to choose your favorite guns and stick with them. And here, I’m skimming through the entire arsenal to find the very best.
Before we select our recommended weapons, it’s important to say that all the weapons are viable. If you love a gun, you can make it work for you. Aim isn’t everything in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Sometimes it’s about playing carefully, and that’s totally possible with literally any gun in the game. The most important factors are always in ADS — Aim-Down-Sights Speed. Too slow, and you’ll want to stick with a camper lifestyle. If you’re fast, you can sprint around the map and take down medium-range enemy players with accuracy.
ADS is great, but many of the weapons I’m about to list aren’t the fastest. They’re not even the strongest. These are workhorse weapons that are great for any situation, and they’re pretty perfect for plowing through enemies at close range or long range. Here’s my picks for best guns.
More Call of Duty: Modern Warfare guides:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – 10 Totally New Features, Modes & Secret Settings | Beginner’s Guide
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Best Mode To Play To Rank Up Fast| Multiplayer XP Guide
Best Guns To Use In Multiplayer | Loadout Guide
Any gun can be the best gun. If you love a weapon, I’m sure you can make it work for you — even the weirdly inconsistent HDR Sniper. If you’re open to suggestions and want to use a particular set of weapons, here are my picks for best guns in each category.
Best Assault Rifle: Kilo 141 / M4A1
The Kilo 141 and the M4A1 are both incredibly good picks for best assault rifle. I recommend equipping everything you can to enhance your Quickdraw capabilities — select attachments that improve Aim-Down-Sight Speed, regardless of the negative effects. These weapons are sturdy, reliable, and they can carry you to max level in multiplayer.
Best LMG: PKM
Toss a silencer on the PKM and turn it into a fast-firing devastator that can tear up enemies ridiculously fast. Even in close quarters, you can just shoot from the hit and end opponents trying to flank you. Great for mounting and watching sight lines. It can melt multiple enemies ridiculously fast.
Best Shotgun: 725
It’s a beast that kills anyone and everyone at close-range. Equip the shotgun as a secondary for indoor engagements, and you’ll find some easy success.
Best SMG: MP5
A classic. It’s old, but a great balance of stopping power, accuracy, and ADS speed. SMGs are some of the fastest for aiming-down-sights, and the MP5 can still score kills at medium range. There’s an ADS cap, so don’t bother equipped items that push it further. Grab a good scope, equip a silencer, or put on a quick mag.
Best Sniper Rifle: HDR
Shoots fast and can score one-shot kills on enemies with shots that land on the chest or head. The trick is understanding how bullet drop-off works. The Sniper Rifle, in my opinion, is only truly useful in Ground War where you’ll find by far the biggest maps in the game. The ranges are so much more extreme on these maps, you might not be used to bullet damage drop-off. The Sniper Rifle is your best weapon here, because the range is so, so much better. The HDR is a pretty good pick, even if you hate how one-shot kills are turning into two-shot kills.
