What is the best MW3 SVA 545 loadout in Season 1? As the first assault rifle you’ll be able to use in Call of Duty MW3’s multiplayer, it plays an important part in your journey on the battlefield and through the progression system. It may not be the most powerful gun in the game, but using the best MW3 SVA 545 loadout will turn it into a versatile and surprisingly good weapon thanks to a feature unique to the SVA 545.
Whether you’re trying to unlock all of the MW3 camos in MW3 multiplayer, or you’re simply looking for the MW3 best guns, we’ve got you covered. We’ve been using the SVA 545 during our Call of Duty MW3 review period, and it’s a solid contender in the MW3 meta with the right MW3 SVA 545 build, even if it isn’t quite as strong as later assault rifles or Season 1 additions. From our meticulous tinkering in the Gunsmith and firing range, we’ve created the best MW3 SVA 545 loadout there is in Season 1.
Best MW3 SVA 545 loadout
The best MW3 SVA 545 loadout is:
- Muzzle – T51R Billeted Brake
- Barrel – STV Precision Barrel
- Rear Grip – Demo 650 Grip
- Underbarrel – DR-6 Handstop
- Magazine: 45 Round Mag
The SVA 545 doesn’t have a great time-to-kill (TTK) due to the weapon having lower damage numbers and a slower rate of fire than others in its class, with an average TTK of 394ms. While that doesn’t sound like a lot in the grand scheme of things, compared to the MCW’s TTK of 290ms, it can be a huge difference. However, it offers decent recoil control at base value and has a great effective range of 31.8m. Most importantly though, the SVA 545 has a unique full-auto firing pattern, in that the first two shots are actually faster than the rest. You can use this to your advantage by firing in short bursts rather than prolonged fire like the rest of the ARs to reduce the TTK.
With this MW3 SVA 545 build, we’re pushing the best elements of the SVA further by increasing the overall recoil control and effective range to get a versatile assault rifle for most engagement ranges.
It’s also worth mentioning that, if you pre-ordered or purchased the Vault Edition of the game, you’ll get access to a special MW3 Weapon Vaults version. While it’s a great way to level the gun up, it isn’t quite up there with the best MW3 loadouts.
Kicking off with the muzzle, we’ve gone with the T51R Billeted Brake. The bulk of the SVA 545’s power comes in those first two shots, making it imperative that it remains as stable as possible to give you the best chance of landing hits on target. Boasting a triple boost to vertical recoil control – the main area where the SVA 545 needs improvement – this is a must-use attachment.
As an alternative, with the reintroduction of red dots on the minimap for Modern Warfare 3, there’ll be times you’ll want to stay off the radar. If you want to keep things simple then the Shadowstrike Suppressor S will do just that, keeping you off the map with no further benefits or downsides.
Next up we have the STV Precision Barrel, which improves recoil control, gun kick control, bullet velocity, range, and aiming idle say. These are significant benefits to gain, especially with a fast-firing assault rifle like the SVA 545. Furthermore, it does so with few drawbacks, with the most significant being reduced aim down sight speed. We love using this attachment in this MW3 SVA 545 loadout as it improves on nearly every priority stat in a single upgrade.
The next attachment in this SVA 545 build is the Demo 650 Grip, which is by far the best rear grip attachment for the weapon. While you could replace this attachment in favor of Overpressured +P ammunition to gain target flinch, we found the recoil unwieldy. That’s why we opted to add this stellar recoil control attachment. Improving firing aim stability, gun kick control, and recoil control, only at the cost of aiming idle sway (which won’t come into play anyhow), goes a long way in helping land consecutive shots at range. With how important it is to land your first handful of shorts, especially when firing in short bursts, it’s the perfect grip choice.
We’ve gone for the DR-6 Handstop as our underbarrel of choice here as it’s not only the best for the SVA 545, but one of the best in the game full-stop. Offering up big gains to speed across the board, this is a massive boon when strafing in gunfights, which you’ll want to be taking advantage of with the SVA 545.
As an alternative, opt for the XTEN Phantom-5 Handstop underbarrel if you’re planning to run a silenced muzzle, as it’ll give you back that vertical control, as well as overall gun-kick control which is certainly welcome. That’s not all though, as you also gain improved sprint-to-fire speed and aim down sight speed, making up for losses elsewhere. The downsides – hindered horizontal recoil, hipfire spread, and Tac Stance spread – aren’t all that impactful either.
Finally, slap on a 45 Round Mag as you’ll want to keep reload downtime to a minimum when hunting for killstreaks. You do lose a small amount of speed across the board, but that’s what the DR-6 Handstop’s for. If you want to really go zoom zoom or detest the default iron sights, then forego the magazine and pop on a Slate Reflector instead.
If you’ve tinkered with the SVA 545 enough in the gunsmith, then you’re almost ready for your next match. But first, you’ll need to know how to complete the rest of your class.
MW3 SVA 545 class setup
The best MW3 SVA 545 class setup is:
- Vest – Gunner Vest
- Secondary – WSP Swarm
- Tactical – Stun Grenade
- Lethal – Frag Grenade
- Field Upgrade – Comm Scrambler
- Gloves – Assault Gloves
- Gear – EOD Padding
First up, we recommend the Gunner Vest, though the Overkill Vest is a strong alternative. The increased reload speed this Vest provides comes in very handy and lets us use the standard magazine to free up an attachment slot elsewhere on the SVA. Most importantly though, it lets us bring a backup primary weapon.
You’ll want something that can deal with those pesky enemies that sneak up on you, or for those times when you’re stuck reloading. For that, we’d suggest the WSP Swarm or the HRM-9 (added in Season 1), optimized to push the range stat up and rein in the recoil. The WSP Swarm has the fastest TTK of all SMGs, though it’s lacking in range. However, this makes it the perfect accompaniment for the SVA 545. On the other hand, the HRM-9 is a close-range SMG that can content a little further out than the WSP Swarm.
For your main equipment, you’ll want Stun or Flash Grenades as your tactical throwable, and a standard Frag Grenade for your lethal option. Stun and Flash Grenades are great for getting the leg-up on your foe which comes in clutch considering the SVA 545 has a fairly average TTK. On the other hand, the Frag Grenade is ideal for moving enemies out of cover or outright killing them. The Breacher Drone and Drill Charge are also strong alternatives, and we use these ourselves in plenty of loadouts.
The Field Upgrade slot is quite fluid and you can pick one of the following options, as they have equally great strengths. Our personal favorite is the Comm Scrambler as it can keep you hidden from UAVs and disables Counter UAVs within its radius. Not only does this keep the enemy blind, but it can also cause them to get a false sense of security, which often works out in your favor. Otherwise, the A.C.S works great on objective game modes, no matter which of the MW3 maps you’re playing, as it keeps slowly working on the objective. Likewise, the Portable Radar gives you a mini UAV pulse, which is handy when defending objectives in certain MW3 modes.
Since we’re using the Gunner Vest, the Boots slot is off the table. However, if you’re using a different Vest, the Lightweight Boots and Tac Pads are strong options. With that said, we still have access to Gloves, and this is an important choice. As the SVA 545 can hold its own in close range if you’re accurate and mobile, the Assault Gloves are ideal. With these, you can jump and still have strong accuracy and ADS speed. We’ve had a lot of success jumping around corners or off ledges while using these with the MW3 SVA 545 loadout. You’re welcome to use a different option if you’d rather, with the Marksman Gloves, Commando Gloves, and Quick-Grip Gloves being good alternatives depending on your playstyle.
Lastly, the EOD Padding is almost a necessity in the current meta. EOD Padding acts like the traditional Flak Jacket Perk to reduce any incoming damage from non-killstreak explosives and fire. In other words, you can survive grenades, Breacher Drones, and even the annoying RGL-80 grenade launcher.
MW3 SVA 545 alternatives
As the very first weapon you unlock, the SVA 545 can be a great gun, but it doesn’t quite reach the highs of some other weapons. For the strongest alternative, we’d recommend using the best MW3 MCW loadout. While this assault rifle lacks in range when compared to the SVA, it makes up for it with far superior damage output. There’s also the MW3 Holger 556 loadout, arguably the best assault rifle in the game due to its swift TTK and controllable recoil even at long range.
MW3 Season 1 also adds the RAM-7 assault rifle, which fills the same aggressive AR niche as the MCW and is another strong alternative for the SVA 545 if you’re always on the move.
If you’re willing to look further afield, then we can’t recommend the MW3 BAS-B loadout enough. This battle rifle is a little unruly by default, but with the right attachments, it shreds the opposition with its high damage per shot.
That’s how to make the best MW3 SVA 545 loadout, build, and class setup, so grab your gear and jump into one of the best FPS games for some multiplayer action. It will undoubtedly come in handy for those willing to take on MW3 ranked. For that extra competitive advantage, it may be worth using the best Xbox controllers or best PS5 controllers, or picking one up if you don’t own one.