‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’ multiplayer weapons guide

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 features multiple guns across several different weapon classes, each with their own perks and drawbacks. We’ve detailed every gun and weapon currently in the game’s competitive multiplayer mode, including their strengths and weaknesses. There’s a weapon for virtually every player in Black Ops 4, and with a little time testing them, you can find your ideal choice, as well.

All weapon statistics are subject to change. The most current base figures for each weapon are listed.

Assault rifles

ICR-7

The ICR-7 is a versatile assault rifle that you can have success with both at range and in closer encounters. It doesn’t have the best rate of fire or damage in its class, but you’ll very rarely find yourself in situations where you are completely out-gunned.

Rampart 17

For those who can’t choose between a tactical rifle and an assault rifle, the Rampart 17 is the gun for you. It has a slow rate of fire, but makes up for it with high damage and range compared to other assault rifles. It doesn’t fare particularly well in close environments, but you won’t be an automatic kill for your enemies.

KN-57

Similar in ability to the Rampart 17, with fairly good damage and range, the KN-57 is a versatile assault rifle, but it’s one that can work better as a second primary weapon. Its range is decent, but having a full-fledged tactical rifle or submachine gun to balance out its weaknesses is a good idea.

VAP-XKG

Take the ICR-7, reduce the range and damage and increase the rate of fire, and you essentially have the VAPR-XKG. Sticking to shorter encounters with the weapon is advised, but it’s still versatile enough to use as your sole primary weapon, if you prefer.

Maddox RFB

Blurring the lines between submachine guns and assault rifles, the Maddox RFB is a beast at close range, and even works well in medium-range encounters if your target isn’t behind cover. On maps with larger stretches of open space, you’ll struggle with it, but it will be your best friend on something like “Nuketown.”

Submachine guns

MX9

The MX9 isn’t going to win awards for flashiness, but it’s a solid choice for those looking to gain experience with submachine guns. A high rate of fire, large magazine size, and decent damage and range make it a capable weapon, albeit not one that more experienced players will pick first.

GKS

For submachine gun users who don’t want to be helpless at range, the GKS is a great choice. Its magazine size is large, so you can afford to miss if you’re trying to pin a target behind cover, and it also has a respectable fire rate. Damage isn’t the best, however, so you’ll need to burn through a little more ammo.

Spitfire

The Spitfire is the submachine gun for people who only want to fight up close. Its damage, range, and accuracy are all low, but its ridiculous rate of fire is high enough to take out almost any target in close quarters. An optional operator mod can further increase the rate of fire, as well.

Cordite

A fairly well-balanced submachine gun, the Cordite’s enormous magazine size and high rate of fire make it great for dealing with multiple targets in close combat, but its range and damage still make it an effective weapon and slightly longer distances.

Saug 9mm

The Saug 9mm looks like a pistol at first glance, and that makes it easier to quickly acquire your targets than other submachine guns. Its rate of fire is almost as high as the Spitfire, and it has good accuracy for the class, but it also has extremely poor damage. An operator mod allowing dual-wielding can help negate these drawbacks.

Tactical rifles

Auger DMR

The Auger DMR has remarkable damage for a weapon that isn’t classified as a sniper rifle, but its lower fire rate compared to other tactical rifles means that you have to be a very skilled player to use it effectively. 20-round magazines can help cut down on reloading time, and high accuracy makes nailing that perfect headshot fairly easy.

ABR 223

Lacking the damage or accuracy of the Auger DMR but making up for it with a higher fire rate and increased magazine size, the ABR 223 is a good all-around tactical rifle that can perform well at medium range, and its burst-fire allows it to compete against assault rifles if need be.

Swordfish

As with the ABR 223, the Swordfish is also a burst-firing tactical rifle, but it’s better for players who keep their enemies at medium range. Its damage can’t compete with either of the other weapons in its class, but its high rate of fire and low recoil still make it a good option as a primary weapon.

Light machine guns

Titan

A balanced light machine gun with a decent rate of fire, accuracy, and damage, the Titan also has the most ammunition of any gun in its class. If you don’t like reloading, it’s a solid choice, but you’ll find yourself being outgunned by the competition in either close-range or long-range scenarios.

Hades

The Hades has a very high rate of fire and fairly good handling, making it the light machine gun of choice for smaller Black Ops 4 maps. That also means you’ll need to land more than just a few shots to take down your enemies, and it’s harder to control than the other weapons at long distances.

VKM 750

The behemoth VKM 750 offers ridiculously high damage for a light machine gun, requiring only a few successful shots to kill a target at any distance. It’s also surprisingly accurate at longer ranges, with a lower rate of fire that makes controlling it less daunting than some of the other powerful weapons. That rate of fire and slow handling make it unsuitable for close-quarters, but firing before you turn a corner can still help net some kills in these situations.

Sniper rifles

Paladin HB50

An extremely powerful sniper rifle capable of taking out most targets with a single shot to the chest, the Paladin HB50 is a great choice for sharpshooters on larger maps. However, it also has quite a bit of recoil, meaning you’ll struggle to deal with more than one enemy at a time, and it can’t move to new targets as quickly as some other weapons.

Outlaw

A bolt action sniper rifle that does slightly less damage than the Paladin HB50, the Outlaw is the perfect choice for headshot specialists, and its high accuracy means you can zero in on a target more effectively than most other weapons in the game. It also has a higher fire rate than other bold-action rifles, so missing the first few shots won’t guarantee that you don’t get your target.

SDM

Somewhat of a cross between a traditional sniper rifle and a tactical rifle, the SDM is semi-automatic and it takes two shots to kill most targets with it. That doesn’t sound too appealing to dedicated snipers, but the weapon has almost no recoil, meaning you can quickly pump a few rounds into one enemy and then move to his teammate without even needing to stop looking down the scope. It’s also the most effective sniper rifle if you find yourself in medium-range combat.

Koshka

A slow bolt-action sniper rifle with similar numbers to the Paladin HB50, the Koshka is a very specialized weapon. It’s all but useless in close and medium encounters, but delivers a ton of damage and has excellent long-range potential. Just make sure you have something like a shotgun or a submachine gun for emergencies.

Shotguns

MOG 12

The pump-action MOG 12 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is ideal for anyone who likes getting really up close and personal to their enemies. Two shots to the chest can take out an enemy at close range, with only one necessary if you’re point blank. However, the pumping time is fairly long, so ensure you have some cover or an escape route whenever you start firing.

SG12

The SG12 is a semi-automatic shotgun, and though it lacks the power of the MOG 12, it more than makes up for it with its higher rate of fire. You can fire off a few rounds in the time it takes the MOG 12 to fire just one, meaning you’re going to win many one-on-one encounters between the two weapons. The range is also not horrible, in case an enemy decides to bolt.

Pistols

Strife

The Strife is a straightforward semi-automatic pistol with relatively low damage, but it’s extremely easy to handle and can effectively fire as quickly as you can pull the trigger. With a large enough magazine size to take out an enemy in a pinch, it’s a great “panic” weapon, albeit one that won’t fare very well in firefights against rifles or shotguns.

RK 7 Garrison

The RK 7 Garrison is a burst-firing pistol, which means it’s going to burn through its ammunition in a hurry, but it’s accurate and delivers plenty of damage when you hit enemies in the chest. If you get the chance to ambush an enemy and don’t have any primary ammunition left, it will usually come through for you, but you’ll be in trouble if a second enemy shows up and you need to reload already.

Mozu

The Mozu is a powerful revolver, offering the most damage of any pistol, and you can expect to win some of your battles against enemies using their primary weapons. As a revolver, however, it takes a pretty long time to reload the Mozu, and you only get six rounds in the weapon before you have to do this.

Launcher

Hellion Salvo

A specialty weapon not suited for combat against soldiers, the Hellion Salvo is still one of the most important weapons in Black Ops 4. See a UAV in the air? Just aim at the plane until you lock on, fire a shot, and watch the fireworks in the air. If you have perfect aim and manage to land a direct hit, the Hellion Salvo can also kill an enemy in one shot, but it has very little blast damage otherwise.

Melee

Combat Knife

Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight, they say? Thumb your nose at logic and reason by equipping the combat knife in place of a secondary gun. The range on the knife is very limited — this isn’t like the “commando” perk from Modern Warfare 2, but the combat knife scores instant kills, which can be handy in very tight quarters.