Top Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Weapons: Assault Rifles

Call of Duty assault rifles
Picking the correct assault rifle depends on what you want to use it for. (Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty offers a huge selection of weapons. We’ve decided to go over the best guns Modern Warfare and Warzone have to offer, beginning with assault rifles.

With the variety of weapons in Call of Duty, it's not easy to find the one that's right for you. Best-case scenario, you just try them all and decide for yourself which ones you like best. But not everyone has the time or patience to do this, so here we come to help out!

Assault Rifles: the Backbone of Every FPS Inventory

There’s no first-person shooter where you can be consistently successful without heavy usage of assault rifles. They are reliable companions in almost every situation, offering high fire rate for close combat and enough range and precision to be effective over medium or even long distances.

We could have just gone for the tips without any ranking involved, but what’s the fun in that? Here are our top 5 Call of Duty assault rifles!

5. FN Scar 17

Now, there could be some debate over the Scar’s stature as a Top 5 assault rifle… but we like it, so there goes.

Call of Duty Scar
The FN Scar 17 is perfect for Warzone due to its natural long-range capabilities. (Image credit: Activision)

The weapon is unlocked at Level 47 and is perfect for longer distances – which also makes it extremely useful on the humungous Warzone map. The area where the Scar really shines is damage dealt, which is in the higher spectrum for assault rifles. The recoil is rather strong but can be controlled with attachments. The gun offers excellent range and precision which could be enhanced with these attachments:

  • Barrel: FORGE TAC 20" LB
  • Visor: Integrated hybrid visor
  • Stock: XRK Obelisk Pro
  • Underbarrel: Commando Foregrip
  • Handle: Granulated grip tape

The attachments are all optimized for range and recoil control. The integrated hybrid sight offers a 3x magnification but can also switch to red dot – depending on the distance being fought.

As the fire rate of the FN Scar 17 is relatively low, we recommend that you play this weapon a little more passively and at longer distances. It could work wonders in Warzone if utilized properly.

4. M4A1

You can switch the next two weapons and we would still be OK with it, but we decided that the M4A1 is slightly inferior.

Call of Duty M4 A1
The M4A1 will have to settle for fourth place. (Image credit: Activision)

This rifle is available from Level 1 and was considered absolutely OP, which is why it received some nerfs over time. It is still one of the best, most popular weapons in the game, even if overtaken by a few others. This is mainly due to its adaptability. Depending on which attachments are used, it can be an absolute beast at medium to long distances. Thanks to its high rate of fire, it can also take on most weapons in close combat.

Since there are still better weapons for close combat, we recommend that you aim the M4A1 for range and precision:

  • Barrel: M16 Grenadier
  • Sight: G.I. Mini Red Dot
  • Stock: Singuard Arms Intruder
  • Underbarrel: Commandp Foregrip
  • Handle: Granulated grip tape

With these attachments, the M4A1 offers extremely high precision and can therefore be played even over long distances. The high rate of fire and the low recoil make this weapon particularly strong at medium distances, which is why we recommend the Red Dot sight. Of all red dot sights, the G.I. offers the largest field of view and is therefore our Number 1 choice here.

3. RAM-7

The RAM-7 and M4A1 come with similar stats but the former takes the nod in the most important category – damage, which is why it is placed higher in our ranking.

Call of Duty RAM7
The RAM-7's higher damage takes it over the M4 and into third place. (Image credit: Activision)

The RAM-7 could be unlocked through a challenge – two assault rifle headshots in 25 different matches. Not at all challenging for a regular Call of Duty player.

Like the M4A1, the RAM-7 has a high fire rate, little recoil, and good precision. For the same reasons that we have already mentioned for the M4A1, we recommend extending the range and precision further:

  • Barrel: XRK Ranger
  • Sight: G.I. Mini Red Dot
  • Stock: FTAC Equilibrium
  • Underbarrel: Commando Foregrip
  • Handle: Granulated grip tape

This setup gets the maximum range, precision and control out of the weapon. Here, too, we use the G.I. mini red dot sight to get the greatest possible field of view. For use in Warzone, it can also be exchanged for the Integrated Hybrid Visor for better long-range combat. All in all, the M4A1 and RAM-7 are nearly identical. The RAM-7 has a slight advantage because of its higher damage-dealing abilities.

2. Grau 5.56

The Grau 5.56 was the top Modern Warfare assault rifle for a long time but a mid-summer nerf knocked it off the throne. Even though many players are trying out other weapons nowadays, the Grau 5.56 remains incredibly strong.

Grau setup warzone
The Grau 5.56 was nerfed and even post-nerf, it is among the best weapons in the game. (Image credit: Activision)

The Grau 5.56 was available at Level 15 in the Battle Pass of Season 2. Those who did not acquire it back then can unlock it with a challenge that requires five kills to be made within one minute in 25 different matches. The special thing about the Grau 5.56 is the high fire rate with incredible range and almost no recoil. Up to the nerf, its range could rival snipers. After the nerf, the range was slightly reduced, and the recoil increased but this can be counteracted with the appropriate attachments.

We recommend the following setup:

  • Muzzle: Monolith silencer
  • Barrel: Tempus 26,4" Archangel
  • Underbarrel: Commando Foregrip
  • Ammunition: 60-shot magazine
  • Handle: XRK Void II

With this setup, you maximize the range of the weapon while providing more control. We achieve this with the Tempus 26.4" Archangel and the Monolith silencer, which at the same time does not give away our position when firing. With the Commando foregrip, we reduce the recoil so that we can aim accurately even at distance.

We also want to improve the target speed and mobility a little bit to be able to keep up on short and medium distances. For this, you have the choice between the XRK Void II grip or no shaft. The setup is completed by a 50 or 60-shot magazine. This offers you a perfect all-around weapon.

1. CR-56 AMAX

With the Grau 5.56 nerfed, our current favorite is the CR-56 AMAX. The high damage and good range coupled with a sufficiently high fire rate make this weapon a beast against any form of armor.

Co D AMAX Setup
We wonder if the Grau 5.56's fate will be shared by the CR-56 AMAX. (Image credit: Activision)

The CR-56 AMAX is unlocked at Level 31 of the Season 4 Battle Pass. The most recent assault rifle was introduced during the season and is based on the Israeli rifle Galil ACE. It's as close to the AK-47 as it gets. It has similarly high damage, a faster fire rate and high recoil. In its standard condition, it has an amazing range, but the recoil makes it difficult to accurately hit at long distances.

With the following attachments, the disadvantages can be mostly mitigated:

  • Muzzle: Monolith silencer
  • Barrel: XRK Zodiac S440
  • Undebarrel: Commando Foregrip
  • Ammunition: 45-shot magazine
  • Stock: XRK Gatekeeper

With the silencer and barrel, you can further increase your effective range and reduce recoil. The underbarrel and stock further assist in target stability and overall control of the weapon when firing. The ammunition offers two interesting options. With the 45-shot magazine, you are well equipped for Warzone and can eat your way through enemy armor with sustained fire. There is also the option to make a semi-automatic weapon out of the CR-56 AMAX. With the M67 10-round magazine, you have a very precise semi-automatic weapon, not unlike the FAL.

The CR-56 AMAX cannot compete with the Grau 5.56 or the M4A1 in fire rate and control but compensates with immense damage. It is especially strong at medium range, only outclassed by some shotguns and fast-shooting weapons. Even with its faults, we believe it does the best job out of all the available assault rifles at this moment in time.

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