Best MW3 guns – the meta weapons for Season 1

We’ve tested all of the weapons available to bring you the ultimate best Modern Warfare 3 guns list, so you can dominate the battlefield.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 

What are the best Modern Warfare 3 guns? There are certain gaming inevitabilities that occur each year: your favorite classic games are going to be remade, sports games will continue to be annualized, and there’s always a Call of Duty ready for the holiday period. It’s Modern Warfare 3’s time to shine, bringing with it a host of Modern Warfare 2 (2011) nostalgia,

With the Call of Duty multiplayer launch finally upon us, this is a great opportunity to try out some of the new MW3 guns coming to the FPS game. There’s bound to be something completely unbalanced or ridiculously OP, so take advantage of the best loadouts for the current meta before they’re patched into oblivion.

We’ve personally tested all 114 weapons available in Modern Warfare 3 to determine what the best guns are. Be aware that the meta is always evolving, players are discovering new game-defining loadouts every day which is why you need to keep an eye on this regularly updated page.

Best MW3 guns

The best guns in Modern Warfare 3 are:

  • Assault Rifle: MCW
  • Battle Rifle: BAS-B
  • SMG: Striker
  • Shotgun: Lockwood 680
  • LMG: Holger 26
  • Pistol: Renetti
  • Marksman Rifle: MCW 6.8
  • Sniper Rifle: KV Inhibitor

MCW

The Gunsmith system which was introduced in MW2 is still present in MW3, giving you the ability to drastically change weapons like we’ve done with our best MW3 MCW loadout. Built on a lightweight frame, the stock MCW has excellent recoil control and mobility stats, very similar to an SMG.

BAS-B

Sporting 20 rounds in each magazine, the BAS-B loadout is the quintessential battle rifle, perfect for players who want to use a weapon that works exceptionally well at practically any distance. Be careful to keep an eye out on your remaining bullets in combat, it’s surprisingly easy to burn through the BAS-B’s magazines.

Striker

A high-mobility SMG that enables you to ring around your opponents in tight spaces, the Striker, like others in the class, lacks damage at range. Our best MW3 Striker loadout adds a longer barrel, a drum magazine, and a suppressor so you can take fights at any range.

Holger 26

Utilizing 5.56 ammunition, the Holger 26 LMG can shred through enemies in the blink of an eye. The biggest problem with most LMGs is that they’re incredibly heavy, forcing you to drag this hulking weapon across the battlefield. Fortunately, the Holger 26 loadout utilizes a lightweight frame to negate any of those negative effects.

MCW 6.8

Dominate the enemy team from a distance using our MCW 6.8 loadout. Like many of the first few weapons in each section, the MCW 6.8 is highly customizable so you can build the type of gun you need. We recommend switching out the magazine for a larger one as ten bullets simply isn’t enough if your aim isn’t perfect.

Renetti

An incredibly fast-firing semi-automatic sidearm, the Renetti can be transformed into a short-range SMG using MW3 aftermarket parts, which is exactly what we’ve done with our best MW3 Renetti loadout. Perhaps the perfect accompaniment to the heavier weapons on this list.

Lockwood 680

The Lockwood 680 is a pump shotgun that can devastate enemy teams when deployed in the correct areas. Most people tend to run the Lockwood 680 loadout alongside the Overkill perk that gives you the ability to carry two primary weapons at once, that way you can fight at any range without having to make compromises.

KV Inhibitor

There aren’t too many weapons in Modern Warfare 3 that can rival the KV Inhibitor when fighting from long range. Even if you happen to miss a shot, the stock KV Inhibitor not only has fantastic recoil control, but it also has ten bullets per magazine to ensure you’re able to pick off the most disruptive opponents. Make sure to check our best MW3 KV Inhibitor loadout to make the most of this weapon.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 new guns list

Don’t worry if you haven’t managed to unlock the best weapons in MW3, there are plenty of alternate options to pick from. You might find that some of our secondary picks work better for you, so it’s worth giving them a try even if you think you’ve settled on your best loadout.

Here is a list of all 37 new guns in MW3:

  • AMR9
  • BAS-B
  • Bruen MK9
  • COR-45
  • DM56
  • DG-58
  • FR 5.56
  • Haymaker
  • Holger 556
  • Holger 26
  • KATT-AMR
  • KV Inhibitor
  • Lockwood 680
  • Longbow
  • MCW
  • MCW 6.8
  • MTZ Interceptor
  • MTZ-556
  • MTZ-762
  • OG-58 LSW
  • Pulemyot 762
  • Renetti
  • RGL-80
  • Rival-9
  • Riveter
  • Sidewinder
  • SVA 545
  • Striker
  • Striker 9
  • Taq Eradicator
  • TYR
  • WSP-9
  • WSP Swarm
  • WSP Stinger

MTZ-556

The MTZ-556 is an assault rifle designed for close to medium-range encounters thanks to its impressive fire rate. Try to lock down buildings using this weapon by targeting corners and entrances, eliminating enemies before they get a chance to spot you. Extend the range and nail down that recoil with our best MW3 MTZ 556 loadout.

SVA 545

When it comes to assault rifles, players are usually split into two different camps in regard to firing modes. The SVA 545 fires two bullets incredibly close together, delivering lethal shots when fired from medium to long range, especially with our best MW3 SVA 545 loadout. You need to have a strong secondary weapon prepared for any close-range encounters as the SVA 545 isn’t equipped to deal with enemies in tight spaces.

Holger 556

The Holger 556 is another new addition for MW3, and offers exceptional range leading to reliability in most combat scenarios. Choosing the correct attachments such as the Intruder Grip to buff the ADS and sprint-to-fire speeds will ensure the Holger 556 can land crucial first shots. Attachments like the FTAC Tiger Grip and RB Addle Assault stock will work together to reduce recoil, making this AR a dream to handle.

MTZ-762

The MTZ-762 is a battle rifle to contend with the best. Using our MTZ-762 loadout, you can put this heavy-hitting battle rifle to the test across long-range for those vital cross-map kills.

Sidewinder

The Sidewinder thrives in mid-to-long range scenarios, with a base mag size of 20 for plenty of opportunities to nail your opponents before they see you coming. Its range will assist in its camo challenges which include longshot kills and one shot one kills.

Pulemyot 762

The Pulemyot 762 is hard to beat, especially with the right setup. Its high rate of fire and strong damage are amplified only by the use of the Jak Annihilator conversion kit which makes it feel like a tanked-up SMG. You can unlock the Jak Annihilator conversion kit by completing enough MW3 weekly challenges.

DG-58 LSW

This lightweight LMG helps to control the objective point by laying down suppressive 5.8x42mm fire. Having been one of the first new weapons to unlock in the MW3 beta, it has carried over to the full release of the game and will help with crowd control in tricky situations.

MTZ Interceptor

The MTZ Interceptor is a high-powered marksman rifle useful for controlling mid-to-long distances. The semi-auto weapon has the one-shot power of a sniper rifle combined with the mobility of a battle rifle, to terrify your opposition from afar. Take a look at our recommendations for the best MTZ Interceptor loadout if you want to ramp it up to the next level.

KVD Enforcer

The KVD Enforcer is incredibly lightweight, making its handling speed rapid and decreasing the time it takes you to respond to threatening scenarios. This also contributes to its excellent recoil control, so follow-up shots won’t be an issue.

DM56

The DM56 boasts the best marksman rate of fire and controllability in the game. Its camo challenges involve using its laser attachments, iron sights, and being in tactical stance, which should tell you all you need to know about the playstyle associated with this behemoth of a weapon.

COR-45

There’s only so much a pistol can do, but the COR-45 is a strong secondary weapon that can save you in dangerous situations. This semi-automatic pistol has minimal recoil and is capable of dealing decent damage.

AMR9

Equipped with 9mm bullets, the AMR9 is both lightweight and accurate to create the perfect close-range weapon. The AMR9 is particularly strong because you can build it to suit larger maps if you need to. Given the number of loadouts you have access to, it’s worth designing multiple AMR9 loadouts with some tweaks to suit the game mode or map you’re playing on.

Rival 9

Boasting an intense rate of fire and decent stopping power up close, the Rival 9 is a force to be reckoned with in close-range encounters but falls off a bit in the mid-range. Our best MW3 Rival 9 loadout looks to dial down the recoil and gun kick, while adding a drum magazine so you’ll never be caught short in a gunfight.

How many guns are in MW3?

There are a total of 114 weapons in Modern Warfare 3 at launch. This number will increase as future updates add new guns to the game. This number includes new Modern Warfare 3 guns as well as a selection of 77 guns from Modern Warfare 2. The progress of your weapons in Modern Warfare 2 will carry over to MW3. An easy way to tell if a weapon is from MW2 or MW3 is just to head to the weapons menu. There’s a symbol for each game in the top-right corner of the gun’s thumbnail.

That’s everything you need to know about the Modern Warfare 3 guns. If you’re still playing MW2, you should read our guide on MW3 carry forward to see what you’re able to take with you into the new multiplayer game. We also have a list of the MW3 maps in the newest instalment in the Call of Duty franchise.

Christian is PCGamesN’s deputy guides editor. In West London, born and raised, on the virtual battlefield is where he spends most of his days. You might see him twirling his Fade Bowie Knife in Counter-Strike 2, racking up win streaks in Street Fighter 6 as JP, and scoring hat-tricks with his unstoppable Arsenal FC team in EA Sports FC 24. He’s been working in the games industry as both a video producer and writer for several years, and has written for Rock Paper Shotgun, Wccftech, The Loadout, Pocket Tactics, and GameWatcher. When he’s not writing guides about the latest games, he’s probably reviewing something hardware-related to improve his computer setup.