Best guns in Modern Warfare: Weapon tier list
While Modern Warfare 2 has been a massive success, many CoD fans like to revisit previous titles like Modern Warfare from time to time. So, we’ve placed every weapon in the game into a tier list and counted down the top 10 best guns.
Modern Warfare brought a ton of fans back to the Call of Duty franchise back in 2020. As a result, the game stayed active long after its content cycle ended, even though its sequel, Modern Warfare 2, has gone on to break sales records.
While Modern Warfare 2019 has stopped receiving dedicated seasons or updates, analyzing its diverse arsenal of weaponry and ranking weapons from best to worst is quite a simple task.
With some weapons being more powerful than others, we’ve ranked every Modern Warfare weapon and counted down the top 10.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Weapons tier list
ActivisionModern Warfare players have a ton of weapons at their disposal, with the Gunsmith system allowing players to completely transform them into something new. Before we count down the top 10 weapons, we’ve placed every Modern Warfare weapon into a tier list.
We should also note that these are the best weapons in Core Modern Warfare, as Hardcore completely changes the weapon balancing.
| S-Tier: M4A1, Grau 5.56, AS VAL, MP5, MP7, SP-R 208, MK2 Carbine, Sykov |
| A-Tier: PKM, R9-0 Shotgun, Renetti, Kar98k, Kilo 141, 725, AX-50, Kali Sticks |
| B-Tier: Origin 12 Shotgun, M13, HDR, RAM-7, CX-9, Riot Shield, AK-47, FAL, AUG, AN-94, RAAL MG, Oden, JAK-12, Holger-26, 50 GS, RPG-7, Strela-P, JOKR, SKS, FN Scar 17 |
| C-Tier: CR-56 AMAX, Fennec, Bruen Mk9, PP19 Bizon, FiNN LMG, Uzi, ISO, Model 680, M91, SA87, Striker 45, M19, X16, 357, Dual Kodachis, Combat Knife |
| D-Tier: EBR-14, P90, Crossbow, VLK Rogue, FR 5.56, Rytec AMR, Pila, 1911, MG34 |
| F-Tier: Dragunov |
S-Tier weapons are the meta in Modern Warfare – the best of the best. Weapons in A-tier are incredibly strong and extremely viable and can be just as effective as those in S-Tier if used right.
B-Tier guns are useable, and very viable if built right and used in the right circumstances, whereas C-Tier weapons would only need some buffs to increase their popularity.
D-Tier weapons are ineffective, but you can try them out and have some fun with them, while F-Tier guns shouldn’t be in your loadout at all.
Best weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
10. PKM – Best LMG in Modern Warfare
The PKM features clean and unobtrusive Iron Sights.LMGs have always had a place in Call of Duty multiplayer, utilizing their massive magazines to repeatedly take down the competition without ever having to reload.
For Modern Warfare, the PKM is the LMG you want at your side. Possessing the firepower and magazine size that make LMGs great, the PKM can be built to be a speedy option that doesn’t limit you to holding down lanes while mounted.
9. R-90 – Best Shotgun in Modern Warfare
Many Modern Warfare and Warzone players will recall the power of the “Doof Doof” R-90 Shotgun. Fitted with Dragon’s Breath rounds, the R-90 becomes an absolute monster at close range.
Even if a player manages to get away from the devastating firepower of the R-90, the fire shells will continue to tick away at their health.
8. MK2 Carbine
Raking up kills with the MK2 Carbine is extremely satisfying.If you’re looking for something that’s a solid hybrid between quick scoping and traditional sniping, the MK2 Carbine is a great choice. This lever-action Marksman Rifle is perfect for both the chaos of Shoot the Ship and the more tactical nature of Search and Destroy.
Although slower than the Kar98k and SPR-208, its ability to one-hit chest-shot makes it extremely forgiving.
7. Sykov – Best Pistol in Modern Warfare
For a secondary weapon, there’s nothing better than the Sykov. This Pistol arrived long after Modern Warfare’s lifecycle ended, but instantly made an impact in both multiplayer and Warzone.
The Sykov is a full-auto Pistol with 80 Round Drum mags that can be dual-wielded. This allows it to put down an incredible amount of firepower, being more effective than many SMGs and Shotguns at close range. However, its damage quickly falls off.
6. Grau 5.56
The Grau 5.56 is as steady as they come in Modern Warfare.With the cleanest Iron Sights of any weapon in the game, the Grau 5.56 is an accurate and powerful choice in Modern Warfare’s multiplayer. If you’re looking to beam enemies across the map with pinpoint accuracy, you can’t go wrong with the Grau.
It can also be converted into an SMG thanks to the Gunsmith system, so it can effectively suit almost any play style.
5. MP7
The MP7 takes fifth place on our list of the best Modern Warfare weapons thanks to its high fire rate and low recoil. If you’re more of a flexible player who likes to take fights at all ranges in a single game, then the MP7 is perfect for you.
Although it will lose out to some other SMGs and Shotguns at close range, it has much more range potential. With an easy-to-control recoil pattern and fast fire rate, you’ll be able to challenge players at medium range with ease.
4. MP5 – Best SMG in Modern Warfare
Unsurprisingly, the MP5 is the top SMG in the game.The MP5 has long been the best SMG in Modern Warfare. Although it doesn’t have the fire rate of some of the other SMGs, it’s extremely effective in the confines of Modern Warfare’s maps.
If you want to get around the map with speed and accuracy, the MP5 is the weapon for you. It doesn’t quite have the range potential of the MP7, but at close range, it will win the head-to-head fight almost every time.
3. SPR-208 – Best Marksman Rifle in Modern Warfare
Quickscoping has long been a staple of Call of Duty, and the SPR-208 is designed to do just that. The SPR-208 is another Marksman Rifle and is the perfect weapon for quickscoping. Although it has a slightly slower ADS speed than the Kar98k, its bolt time, damage, and magazine size make for a more rounded weapon.
2. AS VAL
The AS VAL is the strongest post-launch weapon in Modern Warfare.A dominant weapon in Modern Warfare, the AS VAL takes second place on our list. Although only having 30 rounds in a mag, this lightweight Assault Rifle simply tears through enemies with its extremely low time to kill.
If you’re taking one-on-one fights in Search and Destroy, for example, the enemy won’t stand a chance against the AS VAL. The only thing holding it back slightly is recoil and small magazine size, but for an SMG/AR hybrid, the AS VAL is perfect.
1. M4A1- Best gun in Modern Warfare
This will come as no surprise to anyone who has played Modern Warfare. The M4A1 is an all-rounder that excels in every situation, making it the best gun in Modern Warfare.
With clean Iron Sights, minimal recoil, and great mobility, the M4A1 suits any playstyle. You can build it for either close-range combat in multiplayer or for long-range beaming in Ground War, and you’ll have a ton of success with this classic Call of Duty Assault Rifle.
And those are the top 10 weapons you can use in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare! For more Call of Duty content, check out some of our other guides:
Best guns in Warzone 2 | Best Warzone 2 controller settings | Best PC settings for Warzone 2 | | How to get a nuke in Warzone 2 | Best Assault Rifles in Warzone 2 | Best SMGs in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Assault Rifles in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Shotguns in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Marksman Rifles in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Sniper Rifles in Modern Warfare 2