These were all of the Call of Duty Vanguard launch weapons. Additional weapons were added to all modes via post-launch content updates.
Call of Duty Vanguard launched with a solid arsenal of both primary and secondary weapons to choose from and level up. Set in a number of key World War 2 battles, Call of Duty Vanguard featured weapons from the era, realistically recreated, including attachments.
These Vanguard launch weapons were the first tools of destruction that players had access to and formed the basis of the meta for quite some time. Over the following seasons, however, new weapons were added to Vanguard that shook things up.
Nevertheless, here was all the Call of Duty: Vanguard weapons that were available at launch.
Call of Duty Vanguard assault rifles
STG-44
A fan-favourite from Sledgehammer’s previous game, Call of Duty WW2, the STG-44 was back for Vanguard. It was featured as one of the weapons in the Champion Hill alpha test.
Automaton
With solid firepower and accuracy, the Automaton was a trusted weapon when taking on opponents in multiplayer and perfect for lining up headshots in zombies.
ITRA Burst
The Itra Burst was one of the only burst weapons in the game at launch. It was accurate and precise so was handy to have if you wanted to engage from a longer range.
BAR
Another powerful assault rifle in Vanguard was the BAR. It was a high-damage, slow-firing AR that caused havoc with its explosive rounds attachment.
AS44
The AS44 was one of the fastest-firing weapons in Vanguard at launch and as such could be great up close. You definitely wanted this weapon in your loadout when playing on some of the smaller maps in the game.
NZ-41
The NZ-41 was another trusty fully automatic rifle that added to the diversity of Vanguard’s weapons thanks to its unique design and shape.
Volkssturmgewehr
The Volkssturmgewehr is the best assault rifle in the game when it comes to speed and fast movement. If you plan to be moving around the map a lot, then maybe pay attention to crafting a loadout for it.
Call of Duty: Vanguard SMGs
MP-40
A classic weapon from the era, the MP-40 returned in Vanguard with its trademark design and fire-rate, pinpoint accuracy, and mechanical sound.
STEN
With its side-loaded box mag, the Sten was a pocket-sized SMG that packed a punch. Its accuracy also managed to impress despite its fast fire rate.
M1928
Iconic for the era, the M1928 – known also as the Thompson or Tommy Gun – was back once again. In Vanguard, it was just as formidable as it had been in past CoD games with a fast-fire rate and large magazine.
Owen Gun
The Owen Gun was a high-caliber SMG built for medium ranges. If you preferred to fight from a distance then it was worth looking into this weapon and forming a class around its strengths.
TYPE 100
This Japanese submachine gun was a tried and tested weapon that performed well at longer ranges for a submachine gun and could reliably have your back in a gunfight.
PPSh-41
Another classic World War 2 weapon in Call of Duty: Vanguard was the PPSh-41. Used by the Soviets, the large magazine made the weapon a reliable choice for pumping bullets into your opponent in multiplayer. It was familiar to those who had played Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, or even older CoD titles.
Call of Duty Vanguard LMGs
MG42
The bulky and hefty MG42 is a German weapon that was arguably the strongest gun in the Vanguard for a time. When maxed out with all the attachments available, it boasted a ridiculously magazine size.
DP27
Known by some Call of Duty players as ‘the dinner plate gun’, the DP27 had been found in past CoD games as the alternatively named DP-28. This was an accurate LMG, perfect for those who played Vanguard at a slower pace.
Type 1
The second Japanese weapon on this list, the Type 11 was used in many wars, including World War 2. In Vanguard, the gun was liked for its accuracy and steady fire rate.
BREN
The classic BREN returned in Vanguard with its unique vertical magazine. With a significant punch behind it, the BREN laid down some firepower when sustaining fire.
Call of Duty Vanguard shotguns
Revolving Shotgun
The Revolving Shotgun was by far the most interesting weapon we had at launch in Call of Duty: Vanguard. If you enjoyed the Streetsweeper in Warzone, then this was the weapon for you. It had five devastating shots in each magazine, but the bullets were reloaded individually.
Combat Shotgun
The combat shotgun was the classic pump-action weapon from many World War 2 games and movies. It was powerful and deadly at close range and perfect for clearing out buildings.
Gracey Auto
Vanguard’s Gracey Auto Shotgun was based on the Browning Auto-5. Able to output shots one after another in quick succession, the Auto-Loading Shotgun was a great shotgun in Vanguard multiplayer.
Double Barrel
The Double Barrel shotgun does what it says on the tin. Equipped with two barrels, this classic gun could pierce through enemies at close-range.
Call of Duty Vanguard marksman rifles
M1 Garand
A staple in campaign, multiplayer, and zombies, the M1 Garand was back in Vanguard, with its iconic ping sound too. The weapon was a key player in long-range gun fights and was a reliable choice when fighting off waves of zombies.
SVT-40
This marksman rifle benefited from an enhanced magazine and a nice, long barrel providing accurate shots when aiming down the sights.
G-43
Best at medium range, the G-43 rifle had a ton of firepower and was capable of picking off enemies from a piece of cover or window.
Call of Duty Vanguard snipers
Type 99
Lighter than some other rifles in Call of Duty: Vanguard, the Type 99 had some extra manoeuvrability and as such was great for a sniper that wanted to be on the move.
3-Line Rifle
One of the two snipers shown off in the Vanguard alpha test was the 3-Line Rifle. More commonly known by CoD fans as the Mosin Nagant, this classic Sniper Rifle was used across wars over many, many decades. The 3-Line Rifle in Vanguard was a tool used for picking off foes from a distance with high levels of accuracy.
Kar98k
Used by the Germans in World War 2, the Kar98k was the primary weapon for German service members and was just as prolific in Vanguard.
Call of Duty Vanguard pistols
RATT
This fast-firing semi-automatic pistol was a trusty backup and capable of quickly dropping opponents that surprised you.
Top BReak
This classic revolver was powerful and precise, though better at medium distances where you could line up a shot as it was far from agile.
1911
Another staple of the war, the 1911 pistol is about as well known as a weapon can get. Appearing in countless Call of Duty games, the pistol was back once again and became the go-to sidearm for many.
Klauser
The Klauser was based on the easily recognisable Nazi weapon, the Mauser C96. However, some patterns and design changes helped distinguish it in looks. Unlike the Machine Pistol, this weapon was semi-automatic.
Machine Pistol
The Machine Pistol is a well-known weapon as it was the default handgun for German soldiers and generals. The gun had made appearances before in other Call of Duty games, such as Sledgehammer’s WW2, and in Treyarch’s Black Ops Zombies modes where it was dubbed the Mauser C96.
Call of Duty Vanguard melee
Combat Shield
The combat shield was a fairly straightforward weapon. It could block bullets and explosives and protect you and your teammates as you worked your way through buildings in Vanguard’s multiplayer maps.
FS Fighting Knife
Call of Duty: Vanguard brought back your traditional melee options with the FS Fighting Knife delivering fast swipes and slashes when you were in a pinch in a multiplayer match.
Call of Duty Vanguard launchers
M1 Bazooka
The M1 Bazooka is the classic launcher you will have seen before in previous Call of Duty games. In Vanguard, it served a similar purpose for taking out vehicles and killstreaks.
Panzerschreck
The Panzerschreck was a shoulder-fired launcher that dealt significant damage to vehicles and killstreaks when fired freely.
Panzerfaust
The Panzerfaust was another launcher at your disposal in Vanguard which was effective against both vehicles and traditional infantry.
MK11 Launcher
This grenade launcher was the choice if you wanted to focus on taking out players around corners in multiplayer with its free-firing grenades.
There you have the full Call of Duty: Vanguard weapons list for the launch offerings. Remember, more weapons were added post-launch in seasonal content updates that kept things interesting over Vanguard’s lifecycle.