Best Guns for Ranked Play in Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Season 3

Ranked Play is the most competitive way to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3). With a limited selection of guns available, which you choose is more important than in standard Multiplayer. Based on the current meta, here are the best guns for Ranked Play in MW3 Season 3.

Best Guns for Ranked Play in Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Season 3

AMR9

If you’re looking for more variety in your mid-range engagements in MW3 Ranked Play, look no further than the AMR9. The AMR9 essentially plays like an M4 with smaller caliber ammo. While this means less stopping power at range, it also means increased mobility and more accuracy.

Depending on how you kit it out, the AMR9 can really do anything. Longer barrels and heavy compensators can help the AMR9 become incredibly accurate at mid to long range, at the cost of some speed. Inversely, shorter barrels and more mobile stocks can help the AMR9 fill the role of a pure SMG. It also has a hundred round mag available, allowing you to build the closest thing to an LMG available in MW3 Ranked Play and one of the best guns in the mode. This versatility is what makes this gun so valuable. 

MCW

After a brief test period temporarily expanding the arsenal of weapons in Season 3, the MCW is the only assault rifle players can use in MW3 Ranked Play. Thankfully, it is a great one. The MCW is a perfect all-around assault rifle. The platform at the base is relatively mobile and shoots medium-powered 556 rounds at a decent fire rate with controllable recoil. Being the only assault rifle available in Ranked Play at the moment, the MCW is by far the best weapon for mid to long-range.

Unfortunately, the MCW’s excellent JAK Raven Aftermarket Part is not available, as all AMPs have been removed from Ranked Play. Even so, the MCW still has tons of excellent options for customization. The MCW assault rifle boasts a highly modular platform. As such, there are options to extend the barrels and add heavier stocks or cut them down for a highly mobile personal defense weapon. For me, the best-case scenario for the MCW in Season 3 of Ranked Play is to add a decent reticle, a flash-hiding compensator, and some attachments that help with recoil control and mobility. That way, you get a gun that can outperform every SMG at mid to long-range but is still mobile enough to compete with them when aggressive players rush you. 

Related: Best Wonder Weapons in Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ), Ranked from Worst to Best

Rival 9

Speaking of aggressive players, this is the best weapon for them by far. The Rival 9 is a perfect, true SMG. This is the best weapon to use for rushing enemies and catching them off guard in respawn modes. As such, the Rival 9 is a great gun to use for Hardpoint. It has an incredibly high fire rate and has an extremely fast time to kill. 

This gun is also very lightweight and maneuverable. This is another reason why it is the best choice for aggressive players in Ranked Play. Since it starts so mobile, you can add plenty of attachments without weighing it down too much. The best customization options are to add an extended mag, a heavy stock, a flash hiding muzzle, and some attachments to help offset the mobility penalties incurred by the others in gunsmith. The Rival 9 has great iron sights for a Submachine Gun. As such, you don’t have to waste an attachment slot on an optic. The Rival 9 allows players to use gunsmith to max out the gun to its full potential in Season 3 of Ranked Play in MW3.

Striker

The Striker SMG fills a unique role for MW3 Ranked Play here in Season 3. While it may not be the most META, there are situations in which players can thrive using this gun. The Striker SMG shoots a high-caliber .45 ammunition type. This means that, relative to other SMGs, it has extra stopping power. The Striker has great damage, especially at range, but it pays for it a bit with some bouncy recoil. This gun also has a much slower fire rate than the other guns in its class. Still, it has its uses. 

While it may fire slowly, players who are accurate will still find the Striker has a competitive time to kill up close. This is because it has such high damage for a Submachine Gun. The Striker can also be kitted out to be utilized effectively at mid-range due to its larger caliber ammo. The best way to do this is to add a clear low zoom optic, extended mag, and an underbarrel foregrip to help with horizontal recoil control. I also use one of the flash hiding muzzles to help keep me off the radar. The Striker is the perfect gun for stealth and defense. When defending in Control, protecting the bomb in Search and Destroy, and holding down a Hardpoint, the Striker works best when you let enemies come to you. 

And those are the best guns for Ranked Play in MW3 Season 3.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone are available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.