Modern Warfare 3 has introduced a ton of great guns, including some old classics, and the vast majority are at least viable. But you probably only want the very best MW3 weapons (understandably) so we have tier-ranked every gun in MW3 so far.
Modern Warfare 3 is full of guns, and a lot of them look and feel great to use. But we know that, ultimately, everyone is looking for the best MW3 guns. So, to save you time, we have tier-ranked every weapon in MW3 so far. From the absolute meta up in the S-Tier, all the way down to the unusable weapons in the D-Tier (and you shouldn't worry too much about levelling even the worst weapons this year, because you have MW3 Zombies as an alternative to grinding multiplayer).
Note: This is a work in progress, as so far we've only had hands on time with the weapons available in the beta. But, we have already noticed a few weapons which we expect will be some of the best guns in MW3 upon release.
MW3 Best Guns: Tier-Ranking Overview
Here is the snapshot answer:
As you can see, the bulk of weapons are at least viable, and so there isn't too much "dead weight".
MW3 Guns: S-Tier | Meta
These are the absolute best weapons in the game, here you can find the MW3 guns that will either be used in the CDL or banned from it.
S-Tier: MCW (ACR) / Assault Rifle
The MCW, or ACR as most will still want to call it, is an instant classic. It has almost no recoil, and beams like a weapon from MW2019. You will still feel the effects of higher base health; it takes about 5 or 6 shots to kill at mid-range, which is fairly average for ARs. But no other mid-range weapon we've seen so far is as comfortable to shoot.
The MCW has access to 60-round box magazines, so we expect it will also be part of the Warzone meta when MW3's integration takes place later this year.
- Don't worry, we've already prepared a complete MCW loadout guide.
S-Tier: MTZ-556 / Assault Rifle
The MTZ-556 has worse damage per bullet than the MCW but a higher rate of fire, so the TTK is actually better at most distances, but only slightly. The real difference is that the MCW is the AR with slightly better recoil control, whereas the MTZ-556 is the AR with better mobility and faster handling. Think of the MTZ as the more aggressive/short-range AR.
It's an ugly weapon, but it handles wonderfully.
- Here is the best Modern Warfare 3 MTZ-556 loadout.
S-Tier: Striker (UMP-45) / SMG
The Striker is easily one of the best weapons in Modern Warfare 3 that we've seen so far. This SMG is modelled on the iconic UMP45 from MW2 (2009).
The Striker has a fairly low rate-of-fire for an SMG, but it only ever requires four shots to kill, which gives it one of the best close-range TTKs in the game. And if that wasn't enough reason to use it, the Striker also happens to have low recoil and impressive handling speeds. It was nerfed even during the beta, but it still feels like the obvious best SMG in MW3.
- This is our favorite Striker build in MW3.
S-Tier: Pulemyot 762 / LMG
The PKM, or "Pulemyot 762" is a heavy LMG that has suffers from all the disadvantages you imagine (slow reload, poor mobility etc.), but it nevertheless deserves a spot in S-Tier because the damage per bullet is insanely high compared to everything else. That fantastic damage profile extends out to a very long range, so you really feel the advantage in gunfights against ARs and even against multiple targets.
The recoil is also very mangeable, like most guns in MW3, and so you don't need to worry about spending attachments negating it. No, instead you can spend your attachments making the Pulemyot more mobile, and it has access to a fantatic Aftermarket Part that can help.
- To save you some time, here is the best Pulemyot 762 loadout.
MW3 Guns: A-Tier | Competitive
Here are some strong weapons that will be able to compete against the meta, but aren't quite the very best weapons in MW3 for one reason or another.
A-Tier: BAS-B (XM7) / Battle Rifle
The BAS-B is a battle rifle, but it's far closer to the AR end of the spectrum than it is to the marksman rifle end of the spectrum. It's really everything you want from a battle rifle in this respect, combining high damage and good range, with a fast rate of fire and controllable recoil. It also has access to high-capacity mags, which are necessary.
This isn't a weapon for the smaller maps, but in any fight past 25 meters the BAS-B can noticeably outgun comparable ARs. In situations where they will need five or six shots, the BAS-B will often only need four, and this makes it a clear A-Tier choice.
Beware: The BAS-B available in "The Demolitionist" default class has an issue with bullets not registering, but it doesn't seem to affect the BAS-B when used in custom loadouts.
- Our comprehensive BAS-B loadout guide for MW3.
A-Tier: Rival-9 (Scorpion Evo) / SMG
The Rival-9 has a less impressive TTK than the Striker, and so for most players we recommend using that SMG instead. But what the Rival-9 does have is the best mobility and handling of all the SMGs. Therefore, aggressive players who will take advantage of MW3's faster movement might prefer the Rival-9. It lets you fly around the map.
- Here is our best loadout for the Rival-9 in MW3.
A-Tier: AMR9 / SMG
We don't expect the AMR9 to be too popular considering the other options available in the SMG category. It sadly just doesn't stand out like the Striker does with its great TTK or the Rival-9 with its fast movement. But while the AMR9 can feel underwhelming by comparison to the Striker or the Rival, it's a well-balanced SMG in its own right.
The AMR9 has good handling, a fast rate of fire and manageable recoil. This weapon can easily hold its own against almost anything else in close range, and we think it's being slightly overlooked in the meta.
A-Tier: KV Inhibitor / Sniper
This sniper isn't as consistent with one-shots as you would hope (it requires an upper-torso or headshot, anything lower than chest won't do), but it has an excellent rate of fire and a decent aim down sight speed. Not exactly a quick-sniping machine, but no slouch either.
The KV Inhibitor is an easy-to-use sniper, and we only really have one serious gripe: The reticle in the default scope is horrendous.
- Here is our favorite KV Inhibitor loadout.
A-Tier: Longbow / Sniper
The Longbow is one of the superfast "light snipers", and in addition to having a great aim-down-sight speed, it also has 25-round mags and fairly consistent damage. It feels like this game's Kar98k in some respects, and so we highly recommend it. You will get more hitmarkers than with the average sniper, to be sure, but you get amazing handling and mobility in exchange.
The Longbow should be excellent for Warzone, and so if you play that, it will probably be worth levelling.
MW3 Guns: B-Tier | Still Viable
Now we're down to the "just good" guns. You won't have an especially hard time using these weapons, but you also won't feel like you have any advantage over other players.
B-Tier: SVA 545 (AN-94) / Assault Rifle
The SVA 545 is modelled on the AN-94 from MW2 (2009), and it uses a unique firing mechanism that means the first two rounds are fired almost instantly and then subsequent rounds are shot at the normal firing rate. This is more of a gimmick than anything else however, and it doesn't do enough to save the 545 from feeling absolutely mid.
The SVA 545 certainly isn't the worst weapon in the game, and it should be viable for most players. But compared to other ARs, it's undeniably a little weaker.
B-Tier: Holger 26 / LMG
LMGs were very comfortable to use in Modern Warfare II (2022) because the pace of the game was so slow, and so the disadvantage of carrying a heavy weapon was less impactful. But in MW3, with its faster movement, this whole class of weapons seems to have taken a hit.
The Holger just feels too slow to use in a game this fast, and it offers no real advantage over the best ARs and BRs besides increased ammo capacity, which isn't that important in traditional multiplayer.
B-Tier: MCW 6.8 / Marksman Rifle
The MMRs are not very good in MW3, but the MCW 6.8 is clearly the best of the ones we have. It's one shot to the head / two shots to the body, very simple and just like the Interceptor. But unlike the Interceptor, the MCW 6.8 has a faster rate-of-fire and better handling. It still isn't a great weapon, but this is enough to make the MCW 6.8 at least a B-tier weapon in our opinion.
We can see MMRs being more relevant in Warzone, but in multiplayer they feel slightly redundent. Especially because the snipers are so good this year.
MW3 Guns: C-Tier | Noticeably Weak
These weapons will probably have an impact on your performance, and against similar players you will find yourself losing gunfights that you don't think you should have.
C-Tier: MTZ-762 / Battle Rifle
Now we get to the weapons that will feel noticeably weaker than everything else, and the MTZ-762 is a shining example of this. The MTZ-762 has no right being as horrible to shoot as it is, because the TTK is completely unimpressive, and the handling is poor.
The only reason we don't have the MTZ-762 ranked even lower in our ranking of the weapons in MW3 is because with good attachments you can at least make it usable at mid-range.
C-Tier: Riveter / Shotgun
A full-auto AR-style shotgun is badass, and so we like it (aesthetically, at least). But, it's very situational because the range is so poor.
If you like to play Hardpoint and basically live in the hill, then you could definitely make use of this weapon, but you shouldn't try and shoot anyone further than seven or eight meters away.
You can get Dragon's Breath rounds for the Riveter as well, although fire damage doesn't seem to be nearly as effective in MW3 as it has been in recent titles like Vanguard. Praise be.
C-Tier: MTZ-Interceptor / Marksman Rifle
The MTZ-Interceptor is a two-shot at any range and semi-auto, but it has a terrible rate of fire for a semi-auto (it won't just fire as fast as you pull the trigger, there's a short delay), and so between the first and second shot you will often die against a capable enemy.
As a marksman rifle, the Interceptor should be less powerful than a sniper, but faster in exchange. However, the Interceptor feels just as slow as the snipers, while being significantly less powerful. We really don't know why you would use it, in fact, it could probably be in D-Tier, but at least it has some utility on the bigger maps.
MW3 Guns: D-Tier | Terrible
Avoid these guns at all costs, for your own sake.
D-Tier: Lockwood 680 / Shotgun
And now, last and very much least, we get to the Lockwood 680. This is MW3's pump-action, and it's too situational to be relevant to the MW3 meta.
Perhaps it's a result of the increased health, or perhaps they've just made the damage numbers of the shotguns weak this year, but for whatever reason The Lockwood 680 is inconsistent at one-shotting people, even in close range. And when you need multiple shots to kill with the Lockwood, there's almost never enough time to pump the gun and fire your second shot before you've been killed.
You could use the Lockwood on a map like Skidrow and just stay in Top Green all game, but outside this scenario we advise using other weapons.
And that's how we rate all the weapons in Modern Warfare 3. From the very best MW3 guns, all the way to the trash. Do you agree? Or, are we sleeping on a great weapon?