Which weapon is your favourite? (pic: Activision)

You’ll get the chance to unlock over 50 weapons in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – but which ones are the best to use?

Figuring out which guns to go for is critical for surviving in Modern Warfare 2, especially in the early stages of your online career. 

Even though you’ll find some ol’ reliables, there are also some new additions such as the FTac Recon battle rifle and the Lachmann-556 assault rifle, which have already become player favourites.

The game has also introduced the revamped Gunsmith 2.0 system, and though it won’t help you get better at hitting your targets, it might make some older weapons feel brand new, thanks to its extensive customisation options. 

Once you decide which guns suit you best, you can also get started on your Mastery journey and unlock shiny weapon camos through several complicated yet rewarding challenges.

M4 assault rifle

For now, let’s see which weapons you should be prioritising. It’s understandable if your first choice so far has been the M4 assault rifle, as this gun has been in almost every Call Of Duty game, with Modern Warfare 2 being no exception.  

The M4 rocking the Orion mastery camo (pic: Activision)

The M4 is also the first assault rifle you can unlock, and if you manage to equip a good loadout you can swap it out later for another weapon that’s part of its platform.  

Although the M4 is more of a mid to long-range weapon it can still come in handy in close-range combat, without causing you too much trouble.  

Here are the best M4 loadout attachments so far: 

Barrel: Hightower 20” BarrelMuzzle: Forge-Tac Castle CompOptic: Cronen Mini Red Dot or Forge Tac Delta 4Rear Grip: Phantom GripStock: Corio Precio Factory

FSS Hurricane submachine gun

Sharing the same platform as M4, meaning you can use the same attachments, is the FSS Hurricane submachine gun.

It’s highly mobile, with almost no recoil, so it has a shallow learning curve if you’re a Modern Warfare 2 newbie. Its large mag size also allows you to miss a few shots, without leaving you unprotected for a long time while you reload. 

The Hurricane became popular quite quickly, becoming a top choice even in the game’s beta days, as it’s so versatile and easy to master. 

FTac Recon battle rifle

If you feel confident in your skills, you might also want to try the FTac Recon, which is a brand-new battle rifle exclusive to Modern Warfare 2. 

The high-powered FTac Recon (pic: Call Of Duty Wiki)

Although it’s not as straightforward as the previous two guns, and features a smaller mag size, it’s still a powerful option, as you’ll need to hit only two shots to strike down enemies.

If you find yourself going through its mag quite quickly, you can always try and find the 15-round mag option, which should help ease your itchy trigger fingers. 

Here are the best FTac Recon loadout attachments so far: 

Barrel: Bull Rider 16.5” or 419MM EXF BarrelOptic: HMW-20 OpticRear Grip: Support CP90 GripStock: Demo Precision Elite FactoryUnderbarrel: VX Pineapple

SP-R 208 marksman rifle

Like the FTac Recon, the EBR-14 marksman rifle allows for a two-shot kill, if you’re into playing with sniper-like weapons, but don’t want to commit solely to long-range combat.  

The EBR-14 is available to pick up right away if you can’t wait for the slightly better SP-R 208, which requires you to reach player level seven.  

The SP-R 208 is a highly customisable weapon (pic: Activision)

Another fan favourite, the SP-R 208 is a versatile weapon that allows for high damage per shot, especially if you hit opponents from the chest and above. 

It’s got an x2 multiplier for headshots too, making it very lethal, but you’ll need to pace yourself with this gun as well, as it comes with only a five-round mag. 

Here are the best SP-R 208 loadout attachments so far: 

Barrel: 12.5″ Carbon BarrelBolt: FSS ST87 BoltComb: Aim-assist 406Laser: Canted Vibro-dot 7Stock: ZRL T70 Pad Extension

MCPR-300 sniper rifle

In terms of long-range combat, proper sniper rifles always make for the most cinematic moments in Call Of Duty. 

If you’re committed to sniping, Modern Warfare 2 now allows you to unlock a sniper rifle at just level four, instead of keeping this weapon category as a late gameplay option.  

It’s an amazing early meta sniper rifle (pic: Call Of Duty Wiki)

The newly added MCPR-300 is all the perfect sniper for the current stage the game is in, as it comes with a fast ADS (aim down sights) speed and it’s loaded with 10 rounds per mag – quite generous for a base sniper rifle. 

Here are the best MCPR-300 loadout attachments so far: 

Barrel: 19″ Silentfire BarrelLaser: Corio Laz-44 V3Magazine: 5-Round MagRear Grip: Cronen Cheetah Grip

Even though they’re the complete opposite of sniper rifles, shotguns and sniper rifles often share one similarity: they can either be extremely overpowered or get shunned from the meta really quickly. 

Expedite 12 shotgun

So far, the Expedite 12 shotgun seems to fall somewhere within the former category, as it’s a solid choice, but could never stand on its own.  

You can also find the Expedite 12 in the El Sin Nombre mission (pic: Call Of Duty Wiki)

In this case, it’s better to have an assault rifle as your primary weapon, to cover mid-range combat, and keep the Expedite 12 for face-to-face run-ins – even though its range is not as limited as its other counterparts in Modern Warfare 2. 

Its one-shot potential will prove deadly for nearby enemies, given that you can control its dynamic recoil.

Here are the best Expedite 12 loadout attachments so far:  

Bolt: Expedite L-Bolt  Laser: 1MW Quick Fire Laser Rear Grip: Schlager Void Grip Stock: Resonance Stock Collapsed 

If you’re looking to switch things around, you could opt for equipping a light machinegun (LMG), which is an often forgotten weapon category in Modern Warfare.

RAPP H light machinegun

In this case, the RAPP H offers quite a lot of versatility and has a high fire rate that doesn’t come at the expense of stability, as often happens with LMGs. 

An alternative choice for sure! (pic: Call Of Duty Wiki)

The RAPP H’s high fire rate also means that you might go through its 75-round mag quite quickly, even though you might assume you’ve got a lot of bullets to spare.

It might require a bit of grinding on your part to unlock it, as you’ll need to reach level 16 via the Lachmann Sub Platform, but it shouldn’t be a big deal, as LMGs are not considered early game must-haves. 

More: Call of Duty

A good alternative to the RAPP H would be the 556 Icarus, which allows you to move quicker than with other LMGs, plus, you can unlock it via the M4’s platform, which is the first weapon you’ll have access to. 

Here are the best RAPP H loadout attachments so far: 

Barrel: 10.6“ Lachstrike Barrel  Muzzle: Polarfire Suppressor Rear Grip: LMK64 Grip  Stock: FT Mobile Stock  Underbarrel: DI-Grip 4.5 

Whether you choose to go with a familiar playstyle or switch things up, you’ll also be able to unlock some exclusive weapons by completing the Alone and El Sin Nombre missions on the campaign mode. 

If you have trouble locating and unlocking the safes that hold these goodies, you don’t need to worry as we’ve already figured it out. 

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You’ll get the chance to unlock over 50 weapons in Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – but which ones are the best to use?