MW3 Best ARs | Ranking Every Assault Rifle In Modern Warfare 3 (So Far)

Assault rifles, along with SMGs, are the most popular (and usually the best) weapons in Call of Duty. And in MW3 it's no different. But how do the ARs compare to each other? Here is our ranking of the best assault rifles in MW3.

MW3 Best A Rs
Modern Warfare 3: Best Assault Rifles. | © Activision

If you prefer to take things a little slower, assault rifles are probably the weapons that will appeal to you most in Modern Warfare 3. We've got a wide array to choose from, and they're all viable.

Unless you're jumping straight on the camo grind however, you probably only want to focus on levelling the very best assault rifles, and so we've ranked every AR in MW3 for you. This is just our recommendation, but we feel confident in the ranking.

Note: So far, we've only been able to play around with the assault rifles available in the MW3 beta, and so this AR ranking is a work in progress.

Ranking Every Assault Rifles In MW3

3. SVA-545

The SVA-545 is just like MW3's version of the AN-94; the first two bullets fire instantly, but then the normal rate of fire resumes. At the moment this just feels like a gimmick and not very useful.

The big thing to takeaway about the SVA 545 is thatit's mid in every department and is therefore right at the bottom of the competitive AR category. It's viable, of course, because it is still a full-auto assault rifle, but it isn't worth using over any of the other ARs further down on this list.

Modern Warfare 3 SVA 545
MW3's SVA 545 is pretty mid. | © Activision

We will say, the blueprint for the SVA 545 that come with the Vault Edition is very cool.

2. MCW

The MCW is very reliable and consistent, thanks to low-recoil and solid damage. In fact, for many this rifle may even be right at the top of the AR category. However, we don't think it's good as the MTZ-556.

With the MCW, it takes about five or six shots to kill in most mid-range engagements, the same as the MTZ-556, but it takes noticeably longer to fire those six shots with the MCW because it has a slower rate-of-fire.

Modern Warfare 3 M Cw
In Modern Warfare 3, the MCW is basically the ACR. | © Activision

The MCW has the easiest to control recoil of all the ARs, so we expect it to be especially popular in Warzone, where recoil is more important. But in multiplayer, you can't go wrong with the more mobile MTZ-556.

1. MTZ-556

The MTZ-556 technically deals less damage per bullet than the other ARs, but it usually requires the same amount of shots to reach 150 damage and kill and opponent. Now, add to this that the MTZ-556 has a very fast fire-rate, and you can see why it shreds.

Modern Warfare 3 MTZ 556
We think that the best AR in Modern Warfare 3 is the MTZ-556. | © Activision

The MTZ-556 also benefits from excellent handling and mobility for an assault rifle, and these attributes are even more important than usual in MW3.

There you have it folks, our recommendation for the best AR in MW3. Although, as we said up top, almost every weapon in this class is viable, so don't worry if you have preference for one of the technically weaker ARs.

Can't wait to see what celebs we get this year...

Jon Ramuz

Jon has a BA and MA in English Literature, and as senior content manager for EarlyGame has written over 1,500 articles. He focuses on Call of Duty, for casual and competitive audiences, and also writes about Apex, Battlefield and XDefiant....