Assault rifles, along with SMGs, are the most popular (and usually the best) weapons in Call of Duty. And in MW3 it's no different. But how do the ARs compare to each other? Here is our ranking of the best assault rifles in MW3.
If you prefer to take things a little slower, assault rifles are probably the weapons that will appeal to you most in Modern Warfare 3. We've got a wide array to choose from, and they're all viable.
Unless you're jumping straight on the camo grind however, you probably only want to focus on levelling the very best assault rifles, and so we've ranked every AR in MW3 for you. This is just our recommendation, but we feel confident in the ranking.
Ranking Every Assault Rifles In MW3
6. MTZ-556
Woah did this get nerfed in the Day-One patch. In the beta the MTZ was really great, and it does admittedly still have good recoil, but the damage is pitiful now. Think of this like the M13; not worth using.
We may see buff, but until then we can't see the value in using this over other ARs.
5. SVA-545
The SVA-545 is just like MW3's version of the AN-94; the first two bullets fire instantly, but then the normal rate of fire resumes. At the moment this just feels like a gimmick and not very useful.
The big thing to takeaway about the SVA 545 is thatit's mid in every department and is therefore right at the bottom of the competitive AR category. It's viable, of course, because it is still a full-auto assault rifle, but it isn't worth using over any of the other ARs further down on this list.
We will say, the blueprint for the SVA 545 that come with the Vault Edition is very cool.
- Here is our best SVA 545 loadout
4. MCW
The MCW is very reliable and consistent, thanks to low-recoil and solid damage. But its lower damage numbers put it down here on the bottom half of the AR ranking.
The MCW has the easiest to control recoil of all the ARs so we expect it to be more popular in Warzone, where average engagement distances are longer and thus recoil is more important.
- Here are the best MCW attachments to use in MW3.
3. DG-58
The burst-fire ARs have never been this favored in CoD. In MW3 two of the six launch ARs are burst and they're both amazing.
The DG-58 is slightly lower down for us than the FAMAS, because it's bulkier and less accurate, but both are completely viable.
The DG-58 is ugly, but we can highly recommend it.
2. FR 5.56
We never thought we'd be seeing a FAMAS right near the top of the AR meta again, but here we are.
If you like burst-fire weapons this will be your favorite gun in MW3. There's very little recoil, it feels snappy and smooth, and you can one-burst with a headshot in the mix.
The FAMAS unfortunately requires you to engage with the Armory Challenges system, but hopefully they remove that system from the game soon.
1. Holger 556
The Holger 556 is so good that it was GA'd from competitive tournaments within 24 hours of MW3's release, and we don't think there's any better evidence of something being broken than that. Effectively, pro players have agreed not to use the weapon because they think it's so strong.
It's full-auto, barely moves when you shoot, and has phenomenal damage output. This is the best AR in MW3.
Who would have guessed, the G36 has come out on top.
There you have it folks, our recommendation for the best AR in MW3. Although, as we said up top, almost every weapon in this class is viable, so don't worry if you have preference for one of the technically weaker ARs.
Can't wait to see what celebs we get this year...