An operator is only as good as their tools, and the Call of Duty MW3 guns list certainly gives you lots of tools to choose from in the 2023 game. From SMGs that dominate close range to sniper rifles for picking off enemies at long range, the various Call of Duty MW3 weapons are worth checking out.
We’ve had the chance to test and use all of the Call of Duty MW3 guns for ourselves and found them just as satisfying as ever, with excellent audio and weapon feedback underpinning them all. This is great as you’ll be using them in the MW3 missions during the campaign, and a lot, lot more if you want to dominate MW3 multiplayer and hold back the hordes in Zombies. As we mention in our MW3 review, it’s not going to top our best FPS games list, but one of its strengths is its enormous and diverse arsenal of weapons.
Call of Duty MW3 guns list
The 37 MW3 guns and weapons are:
- SVA 545 – assault rifle
- MTZ-556 – assault rifle
- MCW – assault rifle
- Holger 556 – assault rifle
- DG-58 – assault rifle
- FR 5.56 – assault rifle
- MTZ-762 – battle rifle
- BAS-B – battle rifle
- Sidewinder – battle rifle
- Rival-9 – SMG
- AMR9 – SMG
- Striker – SMG
- WSP Swarm – SMG
- WSP-9 – SMG
- Striker 9 – SMG
- Riveter – shotgun
- Lockwood 680 – shotgun
- Haymaker – shotgun
- Holger 26 – LMG
- Pulemyot 762 – LMG
- DG-58 LSW – LMG
- Bruen Mk9 – LMG
- TAQ Eradicator – LMG
- MTZ Interceptor – marksman rifle
- MCW 6.8 – marksman rifle
- DM56 – marksman rifle
- KVD Enforcer – marksman rifle
- Longbow – sniper rifle
- KV Inhibitor – sniper rifle
- KATT-AMR – sniper rifle
- COR-45 – pistol
- Renetti – pistol
- Tyr – pistol
- WSP Stinger – pistol
- RGL-80 – launcher
- Gutter Knife – melee
- Karambit – melee
As you can see, there are lots of new MW3 weapons to use in all its modes, even including MW3 Zombies since you are able to fully customize your loadout. There’s also the great new MW3 Aftermarket Parts system that completely transforms how certain weapons are used, almost making them feel like entirely new weapons. Meanwhile, the staggering number of MW3 camos will let you personalize your weapon with a fresh lick of paint.
With the increased max health in MW3 compared to its predecessor, these weapons might not immediately feel as impactful as you’d expect, though this is intentional. Sledgehammer Games still maintain a high bar when it comes to weapon design, from hefty sound design and visual kick to responsive handling.
Oh, and the lineup of MW3 guns is not limited to just these new additions – all the weapons from its predecessor, Modern Warfare 2, are carrying over too. That’s right, there will be a total of 114 weapons available in MW3 at launch – the 37 new weapons listed above, and 77 returning ones. As such, the new MW3 guns need to blend seamlessly into the existing arsenal of weapons, which they do for the most part. The returning MW2 weapons will also be balanced with this new max health value in mind, so that, in a perfect world, you can’t tell these old weapons weren’t originally made for MW3.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t quite work out in practice as the best weapons in the MW3 guns list are generally the new additions, not the returning ones. While this is undoubtedly more fun, as we’d all love to use new weapons than the same ones for yet another year, but it’s clear they’re not quite up to bar in terms of effectiveness.
The good news it that, to help you navigate and get to grips with the absolutely massive MW3 guns list, Sledgehammer has made several important changes to the weapons and Gunsmith system.
Firstly, both MW2 and MW3 weapons are distinguishable in the menus using a small logo on each weapon icon. Likewise, there’s also much better navigational tools when browsing the collection.
Thankfully, newcomers also won’t have to worry all too much about missing out on old weapons either, as all new players need to do is complete an unlock challenge for each gun. Veterans, on the other hand, transfer all unlocks and progress from MW2.
Perhaps the biggest change, however, is the last-minute removal of MW2’s worst mechanic in MW3 – weapon tuning. The simplification of the Gunsmith and loadout system is a much-needed improvement, especially with the massive selection of weapons and attachments to choose from.
From our time with the game, this is one of our favorite changes. Although it’s simplifying the customization system, we’ve found it actually makes it much more fun. We’re no longer heading into yet another menu to perfectly tweak tuning for each and every attachment and can instead spend that time in-game.
For more on the best weapons and setups to use, check out our guide to the best MW3 loadouts.
MW3 assault rifles
Assault rifles are the bread and butter of any Call of Duty game. Balanced between fire rate and range, they’re always a solid choice to get you started each year. In fact, assault rifles are arguably the best weapon type in the MW3 guns list as SMGs aren’t quite as strong as they’ve been in the past. If you’re looking for what’s ruling the MW3 meta at any given moment, it’s most likely an AR.
Our favorites are the MW3 MCW loadout and the MW3 Holger-556 loadout as these are incredibly versatile weapons with among the highest TTK values in the entire game. However, the starter MW3 SVA 545 loadout actually has a very interesting and unique trait that sets it apart – it’s first two bullets fire faster than the rest.
We can’t not mention the DG-58, however, which is perhaps the best weapon in the entire game thanks to its rapid TTK and great accuracy at range. Being a burst fire assault rifle though, the DG-58 won’t be to everyone’s taste.
The six new assault rifles complement the already large roster of 15 from MW2, for a total of 21 ARs in MW3 at launch. This makes it the largest weapon category of them all, with the SMG class in close second.
Every MW3 assault rifle:
- SVA 545 (level 4)
- MTZ-556 (level 12)
- DG-58 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- FR 5.56 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- Holger 556 (level 37)
- MCW (level 44)
MW3 battle rifles
Battle rifles are better fits for mid-range firefights compared to assault rifles. Think of them as a middle ground between ARs and marksman rifles, boasting a typically small magazine and high damage, paired with more recoil. You’ll need to ensure you’ve got the most optimal attachments to bring these weapons under control, as their stopping power comes at a cost.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t often work out in practice, as all but one battle rifle has failed be make an impact on the meta. However, the one BR that has, the BAS-B, is wildly popular. If you’re looking for a battle rifle or just one of the best weapons in general, then we recommend checking out the MW3 BAS-B loadout right away.
With three new battle rifles in the MW3 guns list added onto the existing five BRs from MW2, there will be eight for you to use at launch. This is still one of the smaller weapon classes, though battle rifle fans will no doubt appreciate the new weapons all the same.
Every MW3 battle rifle:
Call of Duty MW3 LMGs
Perfect for spraying down alleys, chokepoints, or holding out on an objective, the LMGs in Call of Duty MW3 are strong additions that come with giant magazines.
While not the most mobile, they will allow you to really hold down an area and kill a lot of people without needing to reload. This often makes LMGs quite situational choices, though we’ve enjoyed using the Pulemyot 762 with its Aftermarket Part to make it a close-range beast.
Percentage wise, the five new LMGs in MW3 is one of the largest increases over its predecessor, which only has six LMGs overall. With 11 LMGs now at your disposal at launch, there’s no shortage of powerful machine guns.
Every MW3 LMG:
- Pulemyot 762 (level 4)
- DG-58 LSW (level 7)
- Holger 26 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- TAQ Eradicator (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- Bruen Mk9 (level 31)
MW3 marksman rifles
Similarly to battle rifles, marksman rifles amp up the ranged damage over their assault rifle counterparts. However, whereas battle rifles are more akin to ARs, marksman rifles can be considered a lighter sniper that operates best at mid to long range.
These weapons are typically semi-automatic, giving them much greater control and handling at range, as well as great stopping-power. Unfortunately, marksman rifles are also often overshadowed by the competition. With assault rifles being exceptionally accurate even at range, while also having much faster rates of fire, marksman rifles largely struggle to find any ground to fight over.
Nevertheless, four additional marksman rifles in the MW3 weapons list, added onto the eight from MW2, gives us a great deal of variety across the 12 total MRs.
Every MW3 marksman rifle:
- KVD Enforcer (level 4)
- DM56 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- MCW 6.8 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- MTZ Interceptor (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
MW3 shotguns
The kings of close-range warfare, shotguns are the perfect way to deal with enemies who try to invade your personal space. They might not quite give you the same safety net as an SMG due to their typically-low fire-rate – unless it’s semi- or fully-automatic, but one good shot is usually all it takes for a takedown.
However, shotguns in MW3 are massively tuned down over their MW2 counterparts. The new additions are significantly lacking in range, so you’ll often need to land more than one shot even in close-range. As such, you’re at the mercy of SMGs and more sprightly assault rifles.
With three new shotguns to use in MW3, the shotgun category goes from a lowly six total shotguns in MW2, to nine. While still being one of the smallest weapon types, these are unique new weapons at least.
Every MW3 shotgun:
MW3 SMGs
If you prefer getting up close to your enemies and having raw firepower in milliseconds, then SMGs are great. They’re hard to control due to recoil and bullet drop the further you are away from enemies, but perfect for close-quarters.
The SMG weapon class often dominates each and every Call of Duty game, and from our experience, MW3 is no different. With the game generally favoring compact maps and agile movement, SMGs are in their prime almost all of the match. With that said, they do feel outmatched by assault rifles, even in close range. Thankfully, Sledgehammer Games is looking to buff many of the SMGs to make them more competitive.
For now, we highly recommend checking out the best MW3 Rival-9 loadout for a powerful close-range SMG that can compete in the meta thanks to it having the second fastest TTK in the game.
The six new SMGs in the MW3 guns list is a significant new addition to the already large selection of 12 SMGs from MW2.
Every MW3 SMG:
- Striker (level 4)
- Rival-9 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- Striker 9 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- WSP-9 (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- WSP Swarm (level 27)
- AMR9 (level 55)
MW3 snipers
Perfect for one-shotting enemies at long ranges so they can’t retaliate, snipers make up for their lack of fire rate with high-damage bullets and high accuracy.
However, if you’ve got the skill to back it up, snipers can also be weirdly excellent close-range weapons, primarily through quickscoping. With lightweight attachments favoring aim down sight speed, you can make an incredibly nimble one-shot weapon.
You can even equip various red dot sights to have, effectively, a bolt-action slug shotgun – one-shotting at close range while still having long-range capabilities. This is what we’d recommend for those looking to get Gilded snipers who aren’t all that comfortable with snipers.
Unfortunately for sniper fans, there’s only three new snipers in MW3. However, this is added onto the existing seven from MW2 for a total of ten snipers to choose from. While the new additions are unique, there’s a good chance we’ll all go back to the fan-favorite snipers from MW2 instead.
Every MW3 sniper:
MW3 handguns
Handguns are really reserved for those panicked moments where you’ve ran out of primary ammo and have nothing else to turn to. In many ways, sidearms are just back-ups. However, for those looking to get all the camo challenges complete, you’re going to have to get familiar with them.
Thanks to the various Aftermarket Parts, however, a handful of handguns can be turned into mid-range sidearms. For example, both the COR-45 and the Renetti have conversion kits to turn them into carbines.
With four new pistols added to the arsenal in the MW3 guns list, there is a total of 12 to choose from. Thankfully, the new weapons are great and surprisingly diverse considering sidearms aren’t the most widely used weapon type.
Every MW3 handgun:
- COR-45 (level 4)
- Renetti (level 21)
- WSP Stinger (level 25 – Armory Challenge)
- Tyr (level 50)
Those are all of the MW3 guns that will be available at launch, though there’s also the exciting MW3 Season 1 guns on the horizon too. Just remember, not every gun is made equally nor good for each of the MW3 maps and MW3 modes, so pick your battles carefully.